Ephesians 4:32; Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
You want a guaranteed way to get yourself all fired up and angry? Just start thinking about all the things people should be doing for you that they aren’t – the ways they should be encouraging you, the ways they should be helping you, the ways they should be letting you know that they care about you.
Go ahead, try it. Don’t make excuses for them. Don’t remind yourself of their many respons-ibilities. Don’t think about the times they have been there for you (concentrate only on their failures!), and whatever you do, don’t you dare think for one minute about the times you may have let them down.
Good job. By now you ought to be boiling mad. You might even be crying because you’re just so hurt by how people disappoint you!
Are we having fun yet?
It’s a fact of life – people will let us down. Sadly, I’m sure I’ve disappointed everyone in a hundred ways. I’m thankful for those who bear patiently with me and forgive my many shortcomings.
Sometimes I’m not so forgiving of others. I can mull a grievance to death, working myself into a state of pathetic self-pity until I’m unfit to be around other humans. I need to let go of these things.
When I’m disappointed in others, I need to remember how much I have been forgiven. In my sorrow over being disappointed by others and being a disappointment to others, there is comfort in knowing that in all these things, somehow, miraculously, I am “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph.
1:6).
My Savior knew that I would fail, and that is why He came to redeem me. And from a heart of gratitude for His great grace, I can extend that grace to those around me.
Friday, September 25, 2009
His strength, my joy
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13, NIV).
I have a naturally cheerful disposition. My dad told me I was born smiling! I don’t know about that, but throughout my life people have questioned how I can be so happy – some have questioned whether that happiness is sincere.
The truth is, in my younger years, I sometimes hid beneath my happy exterior when I was actually miserable on the inside. I wanted people to like me and believed in the saying, “Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone.”
After I came to know the Lord, I discovered there was more to being happy than a smiling face and a cheerful exterior. I discovered that, laughing or crying, I was never alone. I found a friend with whom no pretenses were necessary because He loved me unconditionally. And in that acceptance, I found a kind of inner joy that strengthened me and allowed me to be genuine with others – and to be genuinely happy.
There is a song that says, “This happy face that I’m wearing, you know Jesus put it there to stay. And since the world didn’t give it to me, I said the world can’t take it away.”
What is it in your life right now that’s stealing your joy? What is that thing, that person, that situation, that memory of which you cannot let go that will not allow you to experience joy?
If our hope and trust is in the world, happiness will come and go, depending on our circum-stances – and may elude us altogether. But if our hope is in the Lord, even though hard times will come and there will be times of sorrow and pain, there’s an inner joy that can’t be corrupted by whatever may be taking place in the world around us.
Our God is a God of great joy, and His joy is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
I have a naturally cheerful disposition. My dad told me I was born smiling! I don’t know about that, but throughout my life people have questioned how I can be so happy – some have questioned whether that happiness is sincere.
The truth is, in my younger years, I sometimes hid beneath my happy exterior when I was actually miserable on the inside. I wanted people to like me and believed in the saying, “Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone.”
After I came to know the Lord, I discovered there was more to being happy than a smiling face and a cheerful exterior. I discovered that, laughing or crying, I was never alone. I found a friend with whom no pretenses were necessary because He loved me unconditionally. And in that acceptance, I found a kind of inner joy that strengthened me and allowed me to be genuine with others – and to be genuinely happy.
There is a song that says, “This happy face that I’m wearing, you know Jesus put it there to stay. And since the world didn’t give it to me, I said the world can’t take it away.”
What is it in your life right now that’s stealing your joy? What is that thing, that person, that situation, that memory of which you cannot let go that will not allow you to experience joy?
If our hope and trust is in the world, happiness will come and go, depending on our circum-stances – and may elude us altogether. But if our hope is in the Lord, even though hard times will come and there will be times of sorrow and pain, there’s an inner joy that can’t be corrupted by whatever may be taking place in the world around us.
Our God is a God of great joy, and His joy is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
Mind of the carpenter
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies” (Phil 4:8–9 MSG).
My oldest son is a carpenter, and the unfinished basement of our home drives him crazy! He’s forever on our case to buy the materials to finish off the basement. “After all,” he reminds us, “the labor would be free!” My husband and I keep patiently reasserting that even with free labor, one still needs the money to purchase the required supplies, and we simply do not have the funds.
One day he made an astute observation: “You know, Mom and Dad, the worst part about not finishing off your basement, is that you’re not using that space, and unused space very easily becomes a dumping grounds.”
Yes, he was referring to the massive accumulation of “stuff” down there that has gotten totally out of hand. If ever there’s something we don’t know what to do with, we just “put it in the basement.” But if we were using that space (a family/rec. room, bedrooms and a bathroom – all complete with closets/storage areas), things would be put away or thrown away, not just left to take up unused space.
It’s the same way with our minds. Perhaps you’ve heard “An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.” We’re called to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5b) and to fill our minds with His thoughts (Phil. 4:8).
If we let our thoughts simply wander where they will, the devil will gladly start throwing all kinds of junk in our space. He’s going to stir up strife among loved ones. He’s going to make us feel worthless and miserable. He’s going to put all kinds of thoughts in our heads that do not belong there and would not be there if we were filling our minds with God’s thoughts.
Start paying attention to your thoughts. Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, NLT).
Do your thoughts depress you or lead you to anger, frustration, or anxiety? Those thoughts are not coming from our Lord. He said He wants you to have “a rich and satisfying life.”
Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2). He’s our finish carpenter! See what happens when you give Him your thoughts and let Him transform your mind from an unfinished, cluttered mess to one of beauty and order.
My oldest son is a carpenter, and the unfinished basement of our home drives him crazy! He’s forever on our case to buy the materials to finish off the basement. “After all,” he reminds us, “the labor would be free!” My husband and I keep patiently reasserting that even with free labor, one still needs the money to purchase the required supplies, and we simply do not have the funds.
One day he made an astute observation: “You know, Mom and Dad, the worst part about not finishing off your basement, is that you’re not using that space, and unused space very easily becomes a dumping grounds.”
Yes, he was referring to the massive accumulation of “stuff” down there that has gotten totally out of hand. If ever there’s something we don’t know what to do with, we just “put it in the basement.” But if we were using that space (a family/rec. room, bedrooms and a bathroom – all complete with closets/storage areas), things would be put away or thrown away, not just left to take up unused space.
It’s the same way with our minds. Perhaps you’ve heard “An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.” We’re called to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5b) and to fill our minds with His thoughts (Phil. 4:8).
If we let our thoughts simply wander where they will, the devil will gladly start throwing all kinds of junk in our space. He’s going to stir up strife among loved ones. He’s going to make us feel worthless and miserable. He’s going to put all kinds of thoughts in our heads that do not belong there and would not be there if we were filling our minds with God’s thoughts.
Start paying attention to your thoughts. Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, NLT).
Do your thoughts depress you or lead you to anger, frustration, or anxiety? Those thoughts are not coming from our Lord. He said He wants you to have “a rich and satisfying life.”
Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2). He’s our finish carpenter! See what happens when you give Him your thoughts and let Him transform your mind from an unfinished, cluttered mess to one of beauty and order.
Screwtape is alive and well
My son had the most interesting writing assignment in college last spring. His task was to write three letters in the form of C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters. If you haven’t read the book, it’s a series of letters from a demon named Screwtape to his nephew and apprentice Wormwood. As an underling demon, it’s Wormwood’s task to steal a young man’s soul from “the Enemy” (i.e., God) through the use of deception (which after all is Satan’s only true weapon).
In Screwtape’s letters to Wormwood, he provides instruction, advice, and correction as his nephew badgers the Christian, sometimes making progress, but mostly losing ground. Among other things, Screwtape advises Wormwood to use “jargon, not argument” to keep the young man from “the Church.”
I thought of this recently when, after an especially good church service, a friend and I were sharing our excitement over the morning’s events. It turned out that both of us had thought seriously of staying home that morning. She was exhausted after a sleepless night, and I had a child heading back to college and kind of wanted to hang around home to see her off.
Had we mindlessly given into those urges to stay home, we would have missed an awesome morning in God’s presence that blessed and strengthened us spiritually!
I said to her, “Don’t you suppose some little imps are getting chewed out right now because they failed to convince us to stay home?”
She laughingly agreed, “Yes, the head demon is probably saying, ‘You told her she was too tired to go to church? That’s the best you could come up with? You gotta do better than that!’”
While we had fun with the analogy between The Screwtape Letters and our experience, it really is important to remember that we do have an enemy who seeks to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10).
Any time God is doing something good in your life, don’t be surprised by the stumbling blocks that “suddenly appear.” Do you think the enemy wants you to do anything that’s going to further your walk with the Lord? Of course not!
If you’re moving forward, you’re probably experiencing resistance.
Expect that and know that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
In Screwtape’s letters to Wormwood, he provides instruction, advice, and correction as his nephew badgers the Christian, sometimes making progress, but mostly losing ground. Among other things, Screwtape advises Wormwood to use “jargon, not argument” to keep the young man from “the Church.”
I thought of this recently when, after an especially good church service, a friend and I were sharing our excitement over the morning’s events. It turned out that both of us had thought seriously of staying home that morning. She was exhausted after a sleepless night, and I had a child heading back to college and kind of wanted to hang around home to see her off.
Had we mindlessly given into those urges to stay home, we would have missed an awesome morning in God’s presence that blessed and strengthened us spiritually!
I said to her, “Don’t you suppose some little imps are getting chewed out right now because they failed to convince us to stay home?”
She laughingly agreed, “Yes, the head demon is probably saying, ‘You told her she was too tired to go to church? That’s the best you could come up with? You gotta do better than that!’”
While we had fun with the analogy between The Screwtape Letters and our experience, it really is important to remember that we do have an enemy who seeks to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10).
Any time God is doing something good in your life, don’t be surprised by the stumbling blocks that “suddenly appear.” Do you think the enemy wants you to do anything that’s going to further your walk with the Lord? Of course not!
If you’re moving forward, you’re probably experiencing resistance.
Expect that and know that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
What choice should I make?
What’s your strategy for making decisions when there is no clear wrong or right answer?
We’ve all been there: Should I buy a different car, or fix the one I have? Should I take that job, or stay where I am? Should I marry the person I’m dating, or should I keep looking?
Decision making can be tough, and if you’re one who desires to be in God’s will for every area of your life, you might feel frozen, unable to make a decision and move forward, if you’re just not sure what He wants you to do.
You’re wise, of course, to seek the Lord’s counsel. As we grow spiritually, we get better at hearing God’s voice and discerning His will in the details of our lives. Here are some things that will help you in the process.
Pray scriptures like Colossians 1:9b, making it personal by putting it in the first person (“Lord, . . .[I] ask that [I] may be filled with the knowledge of [Your] will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”). Or meditate on verses like James 1:5, and trust God to keep His promise:
“Lord, your Word says, ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.’ So I’m asking for wisdom in this situation, and I trust that Your Word will be fulfilled.”
Continue in prayer and in the Word.
Sometimes you may need to seek counsel from other mature Christians. They can pray with you and help remind you of pertinent Scriptures. God may use them to give you insight you missed on your own.
When you know that there is no “wrong” or “right” choice, but you believe that one choice will bring you closer to God’s perfect will, trust Him to give you complete peace about your ultimate decision.
Finally (although these ideas are hardly all-inclusive), understand that you’re probably going to miss God’s will sometimes (none of us is perfect yet!). But know that He can redeem any situation when you’re genuinely seeking Him: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
We’ve all been there: Should I buy a different car, or fix the one I have? Should I take that job, or stay where I am? Should I marry the person I’m dating, or should I keep looking?
Decision making can be tough, and if you’re one who desires to be in God’s will for every area of your life, you might feel frozen, unable to make a decision and move forward, if you’re just not sure what He wants you to do.
You’re wise, of course, to seek the Lord’s counsel. As we grow spiritually, we get better at hearing God’s voice and discerning His will in the details of our lives. Here are some things that will help you in the process.
Pray scriptures like Colossians 1:9b, making it personal by putting it in the first person (“Lord, . . .[I] ask that [I] may be filled with the knowledge of [Your] will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”). Or meditate on verses like James 1:5, and trust God to keep His promise:
“Lord, your Word says, ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.’ So I’m asking for wisdom in this situation, and I trust that Your Word will be fulfilled.”
Continue in prayer and in the Word.
Sometimes you may need to seek counsel from other mature Christians. They can pray with you and help remind you of pertinent Scriptures. God may use them to give you insight you missed on your own.
When you know that there is no “wrong” or “right” choice, but you believe that one choice will bring you closer to God’s perfect will, trust Him to give you complete peace about your ultimate decision.
Finally (although these ideas are hardly all-inclusive), understand that you’re probably going to miss God’s will sometimes (none of us is perfect yet!). But know that He can redeem any situation when you’re genuinely seeking Him: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Enough to satisfy
I don’t know why people make such a fuss about “the empty nest syndrome.” My youngest is leaving for college this week, and it is NO BIG DEAL. I mean, really, what IS the big deal? Kids grow up and leave home all the time. So what?
Oh, who am I trying to kid?
I’ve been doing my best to put her leaving out of my mind. If I don’t think about it, it doesn’t bother me. But now the days are slipping by so quickly; the inevitable is going to come, and it is heartbreaking.
I’ve been trying to focus on the positives: My stuff will stay where I leave it. (She has a tendency to borrow my things and forget to return them.) I’ll have clean bath towels when I need them. (She uses two at a time, and they often get left in her room in the basement.) I’ll be able to see the counter top of the bathroom that she usually uses!
But you know, none of this really matters to me. I’ll take her presence and her company – forgetful, messy ways and all – any day over any of these things.
Pastor Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional this week calls Christianity a “singing faith.” Why? Because we use God’s gift of music to express our love for Him, but music is also a tool He uses to express His love for us.
As is so often true in my life, God used a song we sang in church this week to help me through this difficult turning point in my life. It’s called “Holy One” by Rush of Fools, and the lyrics reminded me that God lifts me up when I run to Him. He fills me with His love and satisfies every need when I’m abandoned by the world (or by my children!).
There may be some sad days ahead, but I’m going to keep singing that song. I’m going to let God keep reminding me that He is enough to satisfy every need, every heart’s desire.
I hope you have a litany of good Christian music you listen to. Oftentimes the lyrics come right from the Word of God, and He will use that music to strengthen and encourage you.
Oh, who am I trying to kid?
I’ve been doing my best to put her leaving out of my mind. If I don’t think about it, it doesn’t bother me. But now the days are slipping by so quickly; the inevitable is going to come, and it is heartbreaking.
I’ve been trying to focus on the positives: My stuff will stay where I leave it. (She has a tendency to borrow my things and forget to return them.) I’ll have clean bath towels when I need them. (She uses two at a time, and they often get left in her room in the basement.) I’ll be able to see the counter top of the bathroom that she usually uses!
But you know, none of this really matters to me. I’ll take her presence and her company – forgetful, messy ways and all – any day over any of these things.
Pastor Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional this week calls Christianity a “singing faith.” Why? Because we use God’s gift of music to express our love for Him, but music is also a tool He uses to express His love for us.
As is so often true in my life, God used a song we sang in church this week to help me through this difficult turning point in my life. It’s called “Holy One” by Rush of Fools, and the lyrics reminded me that God lifts me up when I run to Him. He fills me with His love and satisfies every need when I’m abandoned by the world (or by my children!).
There may be some sad days ahead, but I’m going to keep singing that song. I’m going to let God keep reminding me that He is enough to satisfy every need, every heart’s desire.
I hope you have a litany of good Christian music you listen to. Oftentimes the lyrics come right from the Word of God, and He will use that music to strengthen and encourage you.
Reason to praise
Do you need a reason, some inspiration, to praise God? In this week’s Daily Devotional by Pastor Rick Warren, he talks about praising God and reminds us that, “In the Bible, a name was a clue to a person’s character.” He exhorts us to become familiar with the names of God because “Praying the names of God reminds you of who He is and what He has done for you, and that will stir up love in your heart for Him.”
Interesting that in the small study group I belong to, we’ve been using a book called The Prayer That Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God, by Stormie Omartian who says, “The better we know God, and the more we understand all of who he is, the less we will be able to contain our praise for Him.”
Our first study involved looking up just some of the many names of God, and everyone in the group agreed that this exercise profoundly affected our desire to praise Him. When you read about the many awesome characteristics of God, it truly does stir up your spirit of love for Him.
I want to share just a few verses taken from Stormie’s book that describe who God is. I encourage you to take some time to look up these verses, read them out loud, and make them part of your praise to our Holy God.
NAMES AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
He is Good (1 Chronicles 16:34), He is Powerful (1 Corin. 1:24), He is Great (Ps. 86:10), He is Love ( 1 Jn 4:16), He is Wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24), He is Holy (Psalm 22:3–4), He is Patient (Romans 15:5), He is Changeless (Malachi 3:6), He is Merciful (Psalm 116:5), He is Almighty (2 Corin.
6:18), He is Glorious (Exodus 15:11), He is Righteous (Deut. 32:4), He is Just (Isaiah 45:21), He is Grace (John 1:14), He is Majestic (Isaiah 1:14), He is All-Knowing (John 16:30), He is All-Wise (Prov. 3:19–20), He is True (Jeremiah 10:10), He is Pure (1 John 3:3), He is Sinless (1 Peter 2:21–22), He is Radiant (Hebrews 1:3 NIV), He is Faithful (Deut. 7:9), He is Magnificent (Isaiah 28–29 NIV), He is Worthy (Psalm 18:3), He is my Creator (Psalm 139:13 TEV), He is my Redeemer (Isaiah 59–20), He is my Strength (Isaiah 12:2), He is my Truth (John 14:6), He is the Lifter of my Head (Psalm 3:3), He is the All-Sufficient One (2 Cor. 12:9), He is my Savior (Luke 1:47), He is my Hope (Psalm 71:5), He is the Son of God (Luke 1:35), He is my Resurrection (John 11:25).
This is only a small portion of what God tells us about Himself in His Word. I hope you will praise Him and be blessed.
Interesting that in the small study group I belong to, we’ve been using a book called The Prayer That Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God, by Stormie Omartian who says, “The better we know God, and the more we understand all of who he is, the less we will be able to contain our praise for Him.”
Our first study involved looking up just some of the many names of God, and everyone in the group agreed that this exercise profoundly affected our desire to praise Him. When you read about the many awesome characteristics of God, it truly does stir up your spirit of love for Him.
I want to share just a few verses taken from Stormie’s book that describe who God is. I encourage you to take some time to look up these verses, read them out loud, and make them part of your praise to our Holy God.
NAMES AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
He is Good (1 Chronicles 16:34), He is Powerful (1 Corin. 1:24), He is Great (Ps. 86:10), He is Love ( 1 Jn 4:16), He is Wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24), He is Holy (Psalm 22:3–4), He is Patient (Romans 15:5), He is Changeless (Malachi 3:6), He is Merciful (Psalm 116:5), He is Almighty (2 Corin.
6:18), He is Glorious (Exodus 15:11), He is Righteous (Deut. 32:4), He is Just (Isaiah 45:21), He is Grace (John 1:14), He is Majestic (Isaiah 1:14), He is All-Knowing (John 16:30), He is All-Wise (Prov. 3:19–20), He is True (Jeremiah 10:10), He is Pure (1 John 3:3), He is Sinless (1 Peter 2:21–22), He is Radiant (Hebrews 1:3 NIV), He is Faithful (Deut. 7:9), He is Magnificent (Isaiah 28–29 NIV), He is Worthy (Psalm 18:3), He is my Creator (Psalm 139:13 TEV), He is my Redeemer (Isaiah 59–20), He is my Strength (Isaiah 12:2), He is my Truth (John 14:6), He is the Lifter of my Head (Psalm 3:3), He is the All-Sufficient One (2 Cor. 12:9), He is my Savior (Luke 1:47), He is my Hope (Psalm 71:5), He is the Son of God (Luke 1:35), He is my Resurrection (John 11:25).
This is only a small portion of what God tells us about Himself in His Word. I hope you will praise Him and be blessed.
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