Many of us have heard the biblical truth, "It is better to give than to receive." I wholeheartedly agree with this statement.
However, some take this to the extreme by giving, giving, and giving some more until they have nothing left. They become empty. Dry. Critical. Cynical. Depressed. Resentful. Bitter. Exhausted.
I have a tendency to be a "yes" person even if what I am saying yes to is not in my best interest or the interest of my family. I tend to just "make it work". After all, I don't want to disappoint anyone or let anyone down. God has asked us to serve, to give, to deny ourselves. Right?
But then I look at Jesus. He had to take time away from the crowds to recharge, to refresh, to listen and receive from His Father. I think of when Jesus says, "Come to me, and I will give you rest."
Yes, it is better to give than to receive, but if we never receive, we will have nothing to give. Honestly, I am not the best receiver. It's awkward for me to receive compliments, praise, gifts, and even love. I am not good at it. And yet, deep down, I want those things. Especially love.
When you are a doer, it is easy to forget to just BE God's child and let him pour His love into you. After all, there are too many things to do, too many people that need us, for us to take time to just sit and allow God's peace to rush our souls.
Yes, there is a lot to be said for the art of giving...but that's for another day. Today, take some time and stop, listen, breathe deep, remember whose you are, and let Your Father pour into you... Today, learn the art of receiving...
Blessings!
9.28.2011
9.22.2011
Willing yourself to Believe
On Sunday, we introduced a new song at our church. It's called "Forever Reign" and it's written by Kristian Stanfill and Jason Ingram, I believe. The bridge in essence goes like this, "My heart will sing no other name, Jesus, Jesus."
Just hearing the body of Christ sing it together is enough to lift your faith, but my focus that morning and this week had been on the word "WILL". My heart WILL sing.
I'll be really transparent. I haven't been feeling much like singing lately. I am 32 weeks pregnant, which is a huge blessing. However, I tend to have difficult pregnancies. This one hasn't been my worst, but it also hasn't been the best. I always deal with depression and anxiety during pregnancy. It is a struggle for the whole nine months. And this pregnancy has been especially difficult with lack of sleep, fatigue, and some pulled muscle that makes life difficult.
Don't get me wrong. I am VERY excited for our sweet girl to come... but the getting there is not easy.
I have had to will myself to sing. To worship. To praise. To trust.
Some days I just cry out to God. Other days God gives me a glimpse of our little one to come and it spurs me on through the day.
Now, I have just been more transparent with you than with most people in my life. Most people would not even believe that I have struggles like this. Not because I pretend not to, but because I just don't tell very many people.
There are times in our lives when we have to CHOOSE to worship. Through depression. Through tears. Through pain. Through life, really.
It is a choice for me everyday. Honestly, I don't feel like it. But I know I NEED to put the Lord in His rightful place in my life everyday in order to be sustained. I know I have to get my eyes fixed on Him. Do I still have hard days? You bet. But I know He is with me. And I WILL sing His name.
Blessings!
Just hearing the body of Christ sing it together is enough to lift your faith, but my focus that morning and this week had been on the word "WILL". My heart WILL sing.
I'll be really transparent. I haven't been feeling much like singing lately. I am 32 weeks pregnant, which is a huge blessing. However, I tend to have difficult pregnancies. This one hasn't been my worst, but it also hasn't been the best. I always deal with depression and anxiety during pregnancy. It is a struggle for the whole nine months. And this pregnancy has been especially difficult with lack of sleep, fatigue, and some pulled muscle that makes life difficult.
Don't get me wrong. I am VERY excited for our sweet girl to come... but the getting there is not easy.
I have had to will myself to sing. To worship. To praise. To trust.
Some days I just cry out to God. Other days God gives me a glimpse of our little one to come and it spurs me on through the day.
Now, I have just been more transparent with you than with most people in my life. Most people would not even believe that I have struggles like this. Not because I pretend not to, but because I just don't tell very many people.
There are times in our lives when we have to CHOOSE to worship. Through depression. Through tears. Through pain. Through life, really.
It is a choice for me everyday. Honestly, I don't feel like it. But I know I NEED to put the Lord in His rightful place in my life everyday in order to be sustained. I know I have to get my eyes fixed on Him. Do I still have hard days? You bet. But I know He is with me. And I WILL sing His name.
Blessings!
9.21.2011
Hurt vs. Harm
One of my favorite Proverbs says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend."
At first glance, this proverb may seem contradictory. Wounds can never be a good thing, right? They hurt. They burn. They sting. Friends aren't supposed to wound us. They are supposed to support us. Love us. Stand beside us. Encourage us. Make us laugh and feel better about ourselves.
Sure, these are great qualifications for a true friend. Honestly, though, we need friends who will also be real with us when we are making bad choices. Who will stand in the way of us walking down a harmful path. Who will keep us accountable to the values and goals we have for our lives. Does it hurt when a friend "wounds" us by doing these things? You bet. We may get defensive, give them the silent treatment, or post some vague comment on facebook about how we wish we had real friends.
But the truth is a friend who will "hurt" you so you won't "harm" yourself is a true friend.
We often think hurt and harm are synonyms. Not really. There are things in life that will hurt us, but they won't harm us. It hurts my kids when I have to put them in a time-out from their computer games because they are mistreating each other. Does that hurt them? Yes, and I usually hear about it in high-pitched squeals. But does it harm them? No, it teaches them to value people.
Let's go a little deeper. There are times God will allow pain into our lives that hurts, but it doesn't harm us. In fact, it causes us to depend on Him even more. To cling to Him even more. And that is right where we should be. The most painful times in my life have been the most intimate with Father (God) and Jesus. Those times were very hurtful, but as I look at my life now, I see that those times not only didn't harm me but they have shaped me into the person I am today... more graceful, more merciful, more empathetic, more real.
I am thankful for friends who are willing to get in my face sometimes and not LET ME walk down a path that leads to harm. Do you have that kind of friend in your life? Or do you get offended and push those friends away? Remember, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend."
Blessings!
At first glance, this proverb may seem contradictory. Wounds can never be a good thing, right? They hurt. They burn. They sting. Friends aren't supposed to wound us. They are supposed to support us. Love us. Stand beside us. Encourage us. Make us laugh and feel better about ourselves.
Sure, these are great qualifications for a true friend. Honestly, though, we need friends who will also be real with us when we are making bad choices. Who will stand in the way of us walking down a harmful path. Who will keep us accountable to the values and goals we have for our lives. Does it hurt when a friend "wounds" us by doing these things? You bet. We may get defensive, give them the silent treatment, or post some vague comment on facebook about how we wish we had real friends.
But the truth is a friend who will "hurt" you so you won't "harm" yourself is a true friend.
We often think hurt and harm are synonyms. Not really. There are things in life that will hurt us, but they won't harm us. It hurts my kids when I have to put them in a time-out from their computer games because they are mistreating each other. Does that hurt them? Yes, and I usually hear about it in high-pitched squeals. But does it harm them? No, it teaches them to value people.
Let's go a little deeper. There are times God will allow pain into our lives that hurts, but it doesn't harm us. In fact, it causes us to depend on Him even more. To cling to Him even more. And that is right where we should be. The most painful times in my life have been the most intimate with Father (God) and Jesus. Those times were very hurtful, but as I look at my life now, I see that those times not only didn't harm me but they have shaped me into the person I am today... more graceful, more merciful, more empathetic, more real.
I am thankful for friends who are willing to get in my face sometimes and not LET ME walk down a path that leads to harm. Do you have that kind of friend in your life? Or do you get offended and push those friends away? Remember, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend."
Blessings!
9.20.2011
An Unquenchable Love
Matt Redman, one of my favorite worship leaders/songwriters, and author of The Unquenchable Worshiper, states, "Situations change for better and for worse, but God's worth never changes."
Life is full of "situations". The phone calls that make my heart race are the ones that start with the words, "There is a situation". Immediately, I wonder what's wrong. What happened? Is everything going to be okay?
Whenever I hear the sirens of a fire truck or ambulance, I immediately pray and hope for the best in what could be a horrible situation.
There have been many "situations" in my own life that seemed dire and hopeless. My first run-in with clinical depression and agoraphobia. Panic attacks. Marital infidelity. A pregnancy that was life-threatening.
All of these "situations" put me in a place of decision. Will I allow my love and trust for my Father (God) to be quenched, or will I throw myself completely into His grace and tender love for me?
"Situations" can cause us to grow bitter toward God. We all know people who are angry at God. Really angry. Most would claim to be atheists and say they don't believe God even really exists. I tend to view these folks as angry theists. They know there's a God and they are bitter toward Him. He didn't intervene in time. He didn't respond the way they thought He should. He seemed absent when they needed Him most.
Maybe you're there... maybe you are angry at God. God can handle your questions about why "situations" had to happen, but He can't allow you to love Him if you won't let Him. He will let you have your anger, even though He wants so desperately to show you His love.
Our "situations" can drive us to God or drive us away from Him. I have chosen, though not always an easy choice, to allow my love for God to not be quenched in those times of despair. God's worth to me, His love for me, His tender care toward me have caused me to persevere through tough times. He becomes more valuable to me than any family member, friend, possession, or coping mechanism when I feel hopeless.
I want to have a love for God that "always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (I Corinthians 13:7)
I choose to worship Him in the darkest situations. And I pray that you will choose the same...
Blessings!
Life is full of "situations". The phone calls that make my heart race are the ones that start with the words, "There is a situation". Immediately, I wonder what's wrong. What happened? Is everything going to be okay?
Whenever I hear the sirens of a fire truck or ambulance, I immediately pray and hope for the best in what could be a horrible situation.
There have been many "situations" in my own life that seemed dire and hopeless. My first run-in with clinical depression and agoraphobia. Panic attacks. Marital infidelity. A pregnancy that was life-threatening.
All of these "situations" put me in a place of decision. Will I allow my love and trust for my Father (God) to be quenched, or will I throw myself completely into His grace and tender love for me?
"Situations" can cause us to grow bitter toward God. We all know people who are angry at God. Really angry. Most would claim to be atheists and say they don't believe God even really exists. I tend to view these folks as angry theists. They know there's a God and they are bitter toward Him. He didn't intervene in time. He didn't respond the way they thought He should. He seemed absent when they needed Him most.
Maybe you're there... maybe you are angry at God. God can handle your questions about why "situations" had to happen, but He can't allow you to love Him if you won't let Him. He will let you have your anger, even though He wants so desperately to show you His love.
Our "situations" can drive us to God or drive us away from Him. I have chosen, though not always an easy choice, to allow my love for God to not be quenched in those times of despair. God's worth to me, His love for me, His tender care toward me have caused me to persevere through tough times. He becomes more valuable to me than any family member, friend, possession, or coping mechanism when I feel hopeless.
I want to have a love for God that "always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (I Corinthians 13:7)
I choose to worship Him in the darkest situations. And I pray that you will choose the same...
Blessings!
9.19.2011
Perpetual Pleasure vs Perpetual Hope
Samuel Johnson said, "The human mind moves not from pleasure to pleasure but from hope to hope."
Let's be real. If you have lived more than a day, you have probably had moments that were not pleasurable. Moments of disappointment, betrayal, confusion, anxiety, despair. We may be permitted to pursue happiness, but happiness rarely pursues us. Many live stressful days, weeks, years. So many are plagued by disease. Hurt by those who "love" them. Abandoned by friends and family. Drowning in a sea of financial chaos.
Sounds like something I want to sign up for...ha! We really don't get a choice. Life happens.
We do have a choice whether to choose hope in the midst of our circumstances. We may not see a way around our circumstances, but God has promised to be with us and near us as we navigate the difficulties of this life. Hope is certain of one thing. God WILL get us through. Hope helps us see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel when all the happenings around us point to utter darkness.
So, if you find yourself today going from trial to trial, don't despair. God is taking you from hope to hope, and his hope doesn't disappoint.
Blessings!
Let's be real. If you have lived more than a day, you have probably had moments that were not pleasurable. Moments of disappointment, betrayal, confusion, anxiety, despair. We may be permitted to pursue happiness, but happiness rarely pursues us. Many live stressful days, weeks, years. So many are plagued by disease. Hurt by those who "love" them. Abandoned by friends and family. Drowning in a sea of financial chaos.
Sounds like something I want to sign up for...ha! We really don't get a choice. Life happens.
We do have a choice whether to choose hope in the midst of our circumstances. We may not see a way around our circumstances, but God has promised to be with us and near us as we navigate the difficulties of this life. Hope is certain of one thing. God WILL get us through. Hope helps us see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel when all the happenings around us point to utter darkness.
So, if you find yourself today going from trial to trial, don't despair. God is taking you from hope to hope, and his hope doesn't disappoint.
Blessings!
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