Today I am thankful for: a quiet day, Darrin & Madi playing so well together all day, the blessing of watching my children play together, not sleeping well last night (my own fault and I'm hopeful I'll sleep well tonight!), my hubby finding me attractive (he's the only one that matters!), freshly bathed kiddos in jammies, cuddling my babies throughout the day, yummy and healthy food to eat!
I really shouldn't complain...really! When I think about all the little things that drive me bonkers or frustrate me, I realize that I really have nothing to complain about and should, instead, be praising my Maker that He has blessed us so greatly! We are so comfortable these days, as believers. We have bibles to spare, food in excess, and lots of support around us. So why should it be so scary to share the gospel with others or be open about our faith and beliefs? As I read through the prophetic books I think to myself, "I'm so glad that wasn't me!" We have loads of materials for individuals to read on their own, podcasts, radio, churches everywhere; we have family and friends to help us lick our wounds when someone's opinions cause us to feel bent out of shape. We have (for now, anyway) federal laws that protect our right to practice our faith and share it. What does God ask of us? Simply to love others as He loves us; to care for the needy and build them up; to share the good news of His love and redemption; to be examples of His love in our daily living by being fair and ethical, responsible and kind; and all we have to do is admit we can do none of that without His help. Because of the redemptive work of Jesus on that cross, there are no religious laws to pretend we can keep, no hoops to jump through. We have already been given the gift of salvation, freedom from our pain and imperfections; we simply have to lay down our pride and say to God that we need Him, and when we do He cloaks us in love and remembers our past no more. Is it really that frightening? Is it really that hard to believe? Is it really that hard to share?
Hmmm...all of this is a bit disjointed at the moment, but the heart of what I'm trying to articulate is that modern-day believers in our western culture really have a cushy job when it comes to sharing our faith. That's not to say it's easy helping others see Truth, but comparatively we have nothing to complain about. The prophets from the Old Testament days were tortured, killed, humiliated, shunned, and beaten for sharing God's Word--and God, Himself, spoke and revealed His glory is a myriad of ways to His people, Israel...and they still didn't want to listen! My heart has been tugged at by the stories of these various men of God as I've read--Elijah's despair and depression, living in isolation being fed by birds (an amazing testament of God's provision and love, by the way) as nearly every other man of God was slaughtered by Jezebel; Moses, spending decades in the wilderness with a grumbling and complaining band of people, must've been so weary; Isaiah was cut in half with a saw; Jeremiah was jailed time and again; Ezekiel was even told by God that the people wouldn't listen and would bind him in ropes, and he was made to create very visual demonstrations of God's judgments that required much physical and mental strain; Noah even witnessed the very destruction of the world!
In the New Testament we have the essence of suffering and perfect love as Jesus lives out about 33 years of absolute perfection and compassion and was beaten, mocked, and murdered for doing nothing wrong. And after Jesus' death and resurrection when the ministry changed and it was no longer about adhering to God's laws in the same way, followers of Christ were martyred over and over for sharing about His love...LOVE! People were dying because of their LOVE for others! And our message today is no different than that of Paul, or John, Stephen, or Peter; Jesus loved us all, He died for us and rose again to give us life if we let go of our pride and give him our hearts. The people of the modern world are really no different than they were 2000 years ago, either--they want to do what they want to do and they don't want anyone telling them otherwise, least of all those Christians.
There are still people all around the world who are dying, being beaten, starved, jailed, tortured, and mocked for their faith in the Living God, the God of the Bible. And those of us in the US are worried about living out our faith because of being made fun of? Being ridiculed or made the butt of some joke? Being "unfriended" on a social site? Are we really that afraid of approaching someone who's hurting and saying we care about them, offering to pray for them and telling them how Jesus makes every day worth living? God doesn't ask us to change their minds or hearts, He doesn't expect us force them to see things "our" way. God simply wants us to meet people where they are at and love them, show them they are valued for who they are. He wants us to genuinely care for their pain and give them an opportunity to know joy and peace. HE will do the inside work; His Holy Spirit will enter in and bring about the change that is so desperately needed. All we have to do is love them and plant a tiny seed of hope.
The grass really is greener where we stand today as believers. It doesn't mean every effort we make will bear fruit, but we can stand before our Lord and say we LOVED. We lose friends, so what? We showed love to someone who needed to see it, to feel it. We're made fun of in the mainstream, who cares? God knows our hearts and we can say we cared for others and had compassion because we offered a smile, a word of encouragement, a bold act of kindness. The world says we hate, that we're narrowminded...it hurts, but it would hurt a lot more to shove back and prove them all right. So whatever is thrown at us, we love, love, love. We count our blessings, praise God for His goodness, and we continue to love.
Father, it is so hard to take a stand, especially alone. Thank you for blessing me with family and friends who love You and have been the best source of encouragement in my walk with You! Help me to step out in faith and know that You will use me and work through me if I will just show love to someone in need. Give me eyes to see the pain and the hurt, to see the emptiness that is begging to be filled. Help me to lay myself aside so that that one person might see You and experience Your goodness and Your love. I praise You for the support we have in sharing our faith as Americans, that we are not alone or facing a daily life of persecution and fear. Give me the courage I lack, Lord! Help me to have such an overwhelming love for others that my cowardice is a non-entity! And quiet my mind so that I can have more of You and hear Your wisdom instead of rattling on in my Christian platitudes; help me to be genuine and specific in the love I show others. Thank You for Your faithfulness for it encourages me daily! Praise You, Lord, for You, alone, are good and worthy of praise! Soli Deo gloria! In Jesus' name, Amen!
I really shouldn't complain...really! When I think about all the little things that drive me bonkers or frustrate me, I realize that I really have nothing to complain about and should, instead, be praising my Maker that He has blessed us so greatly! We are so comfortable these days, as believers. We have bibles to spare, food in excess, and lots of support around us. So why should it be so scary to share the gospel with others or be open about our faith and beliefs? As I read through the prophetic books I think to myself, "I'm so glad that wasn't me!" We have loads of materials for individuals to read on their own, podcasts, radio, churches everywhere; we have family and friends to help us lick our wounds when someone's opinions cause us to feel bent out of shape. We have (for now, anyway) federal laws that protect our right to practice our faith and share it. What does God ask of us? Simply to love others as He loves us; to care for the needy and build them up; to share the good news of His love and redemption; to be examples of His love in our daily living by being fair and ethical, responsible and kind; and all we have to do is admit we can do none of that without His help. Because of the redemptive work of Jesus on that cross, there are no religious laws to pretend we can keep, no hoops to jump through. We have already been given the gift of salvation, freedom from our pain and imperfections; we simply have to lay down our pride and say to God that we need Him, and when we do He cloaks us in love and remembers our past no more. Is it really that frightening? Is it really that hard to believe? Is it really that hard to share?
Hmmm...all of this is a bit disjointed at the moment, but the heart of what I'm trying to articulate is that modern-day believers in our western culture really have a cushy job when it comes to sharing our faith. That's not to say it's easy helping others see Truth, but comparatively we have nothing to complain about. The prophets from the Old Testament days were tortured, killed, humiliated, shunned, and beaten for sharing God's Word--and God, Himself, spoke and revealed His glory is a myriad of ways to His people, Israel...and they still didn't want to listen! My heart has been tugged at by the stories of these various men of God as I've read--Elijah's despair and depression, living in isolation being fed by birds (an amazing testament of God's provision and love, by the way) as nearly every other man of God was slaughtered by Jezebel; Moses, spending decades in the wilderness with a grumbling and complaining band of people, must've been so weary; Isaiah was cut in half with a saw; Jeremiah was jailed time and again; Ezekiel was even told by God that the people wouldn't listen and would bind him in ropes, and he was made to create very visual demonstrations of God's judgments that required much physical and mental strain; Noah even witnessed the very destruction of the world!
In the New Testament we have the essence of suffering and perfect love as Jesus lives out about 33 years of absolute perfection and compassion and was beaten, mocked, and murdered for doing nothing wrong. And after Jesus' death and resurrection when the ministry changed and it was no longer about adhering to God's laws in the same way, followers of Christ were martyred over and over for sharing about His love...LOVE! People were dying because of their LOVE for others! And our message today is no different than that of Paul, or John, Stephen, or Peter; Jesus loved us all, He died for us and rose again to give us life if we let go of our pride and give him our hearts. The people of the modern world are really no different than they were 2000 years ago, either--they want to do what they want to do and they don't want anyone telling them otherwise, least of all those Christians.
There are still people all around the world who are dying, being beaten, starved, jailed, tortured, and mocked for their faith in the Living God, the God of the Bible. And those of us in the US are worried about living out our faith because of being made fun of? Being ridiculed or made the butt of some joke? Being "unfriended" on a social site? Are we really that afraid of approaching someone who's hurting and saying we care about them, offering to pray for them and telling them how Jesus makes every day worth living? God doesn't ask us to change their minds or hearts, He doesn't expect us force them to see things "our" way. God simply wants us to meet people where they are at and love them, show them they are valued for who they are. He wants us to genuinely care for their pain and give them an opportunity to know joy and peace. HE will do the inside work; His Holy Spirit will enter in and bring about the change that is so desperately needed. All we have to do is love them and plant a tiny seed of hope.
The grass really is greener where we stand today as believers. It doesn't mean every effort we make will bear fruit, but we can stand before our Lord and say we LOVED. We lose friends, so what? We showed love to someone who needed to see it, to feel it. We're made fun of in the mainstream, who cares? God knows our hearts and we can say we cared for others and had compassion because we offered a smile, a word of encouragement, a bold act of kindness. The world says we hate, that we're narrowminded...it hurts, but it would hurt a lot more to shove back and prove them all right. So whatever is thrown at us, we love, love, love. We count our blessings, praise God for His goodness, and we continue to love.
Father, it is so hard to take a stand, especially alone. Thank you for blessing me with family and friends who love You and have been the best source of encouragement in my walk with You! Help me to step out in faith and know that You will use me and work through me if I will just show love to someone in need. Give me eyes to see the pain and the hurt, to see the emptiness that is begging to be filled. Help me to lay myself aside so that that one person might see You and experience Your goodness and Your love. I praise You for the support we have in sharing our faith as Americans, that we are not alone or facing a daily life of persecution and fear. Give me the courage I lack, Lord! Help me to have such an overwhelming love for others that my cowardice is a non-entity! And quiet my mind so that I can have more of You and hear Your wisdom instead of rattling on in my Christian platitudes; help me to be genuine and specific in the love I show others. Thank You for Your faithfulness for it encourages me daily! Praise You, Lord, for You, alone, are good and worthy of praise! Soli Deo gloria! In Jesus' name, Amen!
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