The Best Advisor

Sometimes I want to tell people what to do. It’s true. Those of you around me know it’s true. I mean, I’ve lived over 50 years, so I know a thing or two. I think I’m “in the know” and can advise you exactly how you should proceed with your life in any given circumstance.

But the real truth is – I’ve lived MY life for over 50 years. I’ve chosen and functioned based on my experiences and my character traits. Not yours. What might work for me will not work out for you at all. If you ask for my opinion, I can relate to you only what’s in my head and heart. Which may seem like the very best as far as my knowledge stretches. You, also, may want to advise me on how to live out my life. But only God knows what is truly best for you and for me. He alone has seen it all – past, present and future.

I have been taller than most – most of my life. I have wished to not be so tall. During my teen years, I prayed about it. But I am still tall, and will forever be… tall. And it’s something I have grown to accept. I think the same applies to various other traits: some people are wired to be very energetic, very productive without getting tired. Others would become exhausted physically and emotionally trying to keep up. For those more quiet and pace themselves, it would be wrong for them to judge the more active person; and it would be wrong for the more active to judge and call the quiet one lazy and nonproductive.  Maybe, like being tall, we are what we are.

 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. – Romans 12: 4-6

So I’m reminding us all, that we are all different parts of the one same Body. We all have different abilities but serve the one and same God. You are who you are, and what you are, for a very good reason. Serve the Lord and bring glory to God in the way you’ve been formed and gifted. And accept that others are doing the same in the way they’ve been formed and gifted. May it all be – to the glory of God.

Oh, the choices I've made!

I have a favorite quote from a book. (It’s posted on my facebook if you want to see the actual wording). It’s a famous southern belle exhausted by the all the traumas of life and one day realizing she felt like she handled everything wrong. Feels like she made a mess of so many things in her life. And how did that happen? Have you traveled down that same “woulda, coulda, shoulda” road too? Do you look back and see too many mistakes?

But the sage, elderly woman she was talking to spoke with such compassion. The Lord sends some pretty heavy burdens. And you do the best you can with where you are mentally at the time. Don’t beat yourself up over it. What’s past is past. You did what you could at the time.

I like to remind myself of that on occasion. Mercy me, but I’ve made some bad choices, especially in my younger (and not so young) years … hurt some folks, loved ones even. Hurt myself too.

But the Lord is not mad at me. He still loves me. He has used those times and keeps them in my memory so that I can relish the change He’s brought about in me. Oh, how I’ve grown as a Christian woman!

Part of me wishes I hadn’t ever made such foolish choices. Wishes I could have grown up in the straight and narrow and stayed there. But it’s these very painful, poor choices that have helped me best recognize God working on me.

Now I don’t want to continue making bad choices so that I can see God doing more work on me. But I am thankful that He, knowing the sinner that I am by my human nature, can use those times in my life for good.

Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t focus on past failures. You did what you had to do at the time. You did what made sense at the time. Instead, realize all that God is and does. Recognize His work in your heart and mind; the changes, transformations… the difference He’s made in how you choose now. Those bad choices of the past come to mind for a reason – not to tear you down with despair but to see how God has touched you personally. Through the Spirit of God within you, you’ve grown. You can make better choices. You’ve grown. He has not left you as you once were. You are continually moving forward… upward… in Christ.

Saying Goodbye

Death. Seems like such a horrible business. Pretty final. No turning back. Once your body dies, your body is gone. Sadness. Goodbye.

But this morning I was reading about death…. to sin. In Romans 6, it says we died to sin. Which means we hate it and don’t want it to be a part of our life any longer. We want it done. A clean break. We want it dead. But just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. The life of deadness was put behind Him.

It goes on to talk about being in bondage to sin and I thought about that a little bit. I thought about what I learned in school about slavery and bondage and no freedom to make choices for yourself. Someone else made choices for you and you were helpless to do anything else but what you were told. It was the way of life for the slave – to accept that which was the only option.

Freedom on the other hand, offers you the same options and more. Freedom means you can make good or bad choices. And by choices, I am also talking about desires. Because Christ died to sin (and so, we too, died to sin), sin becomes something we sense is wrong. Once we accept Christ into our lives, sin leaves a foul taste in our mouths, and there is no turning back from that now. When we become dead to our sin, it is dead. No turning back to thinking a sin is acceptable. Forever changed. Forever gone is any joy in sin. It will from that day forward bother us deep inside. Just as Christ died and was raised from the dead, He can not die again. It is finished. And so it is with us as well. Sin will forevermore bother us.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires… offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death – to life!... for sin shall not be your master. (Romans 6:11-14)

That really hit me. Brought from the jaws of death  - to life! The option to choose living for Jesus is mine! Living with Him every day, is a choice now made available to me. Fullness and richness in life with Jesus is a choice. Let us be dead to sin and choose Christ Who reigns forevermore!

Where have I been?

I've been out of town... being refreshed and refreshing others. But I'll be back to writing and posting again real soon. Thank you for your continued love and support! Julie

Your Life-Threatening Disease

Your child is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. After all the emotional upheaval, you go to a specialist. You discuss treatment options. You try one. Then another. More doctors too. Prayer chains are activated. You google and research and study. Drain every financial resource. You begin fundraisers. You do anything and everything. Whatever the cost. This precious life must be saved from the jaws of death! Some would even pray to trade places. “Take me instead!” You’ll do anything. Pay any price…

And so it is with your Father in heaven. You, His precious child, are found filled with a deadly disease – sin. And God would, just like you, do anything to save you so you could be with Him forever. He knew the steep price. Blood. Death. So He came down Himself, God in the flesh, and paid it. Paid it all. “Take Me instead,” could have easily been Jesus’ last words. You (insert your name) are that precious in His sight.

So no more guilt and shame about this. You wouldn’t want your child feeling like that because you exhausted your savings, retirement fund, sold house and home – everything – to ensure recovery and restored life. Now is the time for rejoicing: eternal life is purchased and promised!  Absolute and all-encompassing forgiveness, release, freedom has been granted. God saw His precious child in life-threatening danger and out of His great love just had to do something!

Thank You, Father God, for the ultimate, perfect, complete rescue from the eternal doom of a sinful life. Thank You for washing the disease of sin all away. Thank You for preparing a place for us where sin, death and the devil are no more. In our great Savior’s Name, Amen.

Which way to go now?

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. – Acts 16: 6-7

God stopped seemingly good plans. How would we know when that happens to us? We often rely on a smooth path as a sign that we are going the right way. Doors swing open; things fall into place. If things come easy, the direction we are heading must be blessed by God. But here, in this story of  Paul going to Macedonia, roadblocks have been put in place to stop Paul from seemingly good plans – preaching the Word! It says the Holy Spirit kept them from entering certain towns. Maybe through dreams or visions, or circumstances. The closing of doors. And it causes me to think: how many times we credit the devil with setting up roadblocks to our good intentions. We like to think Satan is responsible for rough roads. And that blessings from God means smooth paths.  Just because we believe the outcome is going to be good and even godly, if we come up against difficult circumstances, obstacles and challenges, we really ought to be praying and not necessarily for strength to overcome – but to reconnect with God. Are you still walking in God’s will? What was that original calling anyway? Did you “see” the end result and make your own human plans on how to get there? Or is the end result something so kingdom powerful that Satan is throwing everything he’s got at it? Has the Holy Spirit Himself stepped in to redirect your steps? Because we know, that sometimes in going with God, there are complications and hardships along the way. How do we know how to proceed? How confusing! It could be any of these!

How often do we get a good idea for the nurturing and growth of God’s kingdom and run full tilt in our own wisdom and strength? It would be wise to continually pray for guidance, discernment, the next step – at every turn. I’d like to know when God has changed the course (or if I have drifted from the course). I’d like to know if I’m still supposed to forge ahead despite the challenges of doors closing and various other complications. In all circumstances...

pray continually,  - 1 Thes. 5:17

In all your ways, steps, decisions… not what makes good sense to you in your human mind and emotion.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.  – Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust God. And He will make the path straight… to His planned and purposed outcome.

Beyond the Struggle

Many of us are reminded this week of the pain and suffering of our Lord Jesus. Surely He bore the pain of all of mankind’s many sins upon His back.

He – the Son of God – knew His purpose in life. To save the world. Such an important task. Surely He was able to understand the value of His sufferings, no matter how great. God in the flesh, right? He, better than anyone, would know and understand about perseverance and keeping your eye on the goal; the end result; the big picture.

But He was also called the Son of Man. Which means He felt like us. Hurt like us. Knew temptation and pain… sometimes, seemingly unending pain – just like us. Not having a house to call home. No spouse and kids to greet Him every night. He knows about family not believing in you. Friends deserting you. Knows firsthand about being in jail. Teased, spit on, beat up. The burden of carrying a heavy cross. Hours of physical pain. Even when the pain is for a good cause, it hurts, hurts, hurts.

Our human side can relate to that Jesus. And the Son of Man can relate to your suffering as well. Whatever it is, He probably had a taste of it.

As the Son of God, He was able to put one foot in front of the other. Realize too, that you are a son or daughter of God. Empowered with the same ability – to put one foot in front of the other. His pain wasn’t removed. Maybe your painful situation won’t be immediately removed either. But all who believe in Him have this Father-God given, divine power for today - and will receive a glory like no other: eternal life in the fullness of His presence. Just like Jesus. Suffered. Died. Risen!