Be Not Afraid!

Psalm 27:1 (ESV)
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

I heard recently (haven't confirmed for myself) that there are 365 instances in the Bible where God tells us to not be afraid. That's one verse for every day of the year. Maybe He's trying to tell us something??

Life on this earth is uncertain at best. We have no guarantees of tomorrow, of health, of good fortunes. We do have God's promise that He will never leave us or desert us.

In the United States today, I believe there is a mentality that says "I deserve this." We think we are entitled to good health, good fortunes, lost of stuff and the ability to do whatever we want. We are always concerned about our "rights."

As Christians, we give up our rights and we trust God to care for us. John 12:25 (ESV)
"Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."  Don't be afraid! God is your light and your salvation. He is the stronghold of your life. Give up the fear and let God handle it.

Easy to say but how do we do that? Prayer, constant reminders, more prayer. I think as women, as mothers, as wives, we tend to be more afraid, more concerned about all the people in our lives. And I think we need to be constantly reminded to turn it over to God, to give Him complete control.

God is the Creator. He made us. He knows what we need before we know ourselves. And He has provided for us. The things in this life that we think are so important will be burned up at the end of days. All things here rust and break down, even our own bodies. But God has given us a soul, a spirit, that longs to be with Him. We have been given the opportunity to spend eternity with our Creator. That should be our goal in this life.

So. . . when we are faced with the trials of this life, how do we handle them? Do we fret and stew about the things that "aren't right" or do we remember God's promises to us? Be not afraid!

Are You Mary or Martha?

Luke 10:38-42 tells us about the two sisters from Bethany, Mary and Martha.

Martha, the ultimate hostess, was very concerned with making sure everything was just right for the Master's visit. She wanted the meal to be perfect, her home spotless. You know, the kinds of things most of us are concerned about when we have company in our home.

Then there's Mary. To some of us, she seems like a slacker, a lazy girl who doesn't care anything about her home.

But I'm not sure we are seeing each of these women for who they really were.

Martha was concerned about the physical things, to the exclusion of the spiritual. Jesus reminded her that the spiritual, learning at His feet, was "the better." And if we look at Martha in later scriptures, we see that she learned the lesson Jesus was teaching her. She mellowed, as we might say today. She learned to not let the urgent overshadow the important.

And Mary - Mary wasn't really lazy, she just saw an opportunity to study at the Lord's feet. She was neglecting some things, the physical things, but she was choosing the better, the more important part of life. I may be reading too much into this, but I think, from the fact that Martha was so shocked and outraged by Mary's lack of help, that Mary knew how to do the things that needed to be done for guests. If she never helped, would Martha have been so outraged?

Mary understood the lesson that Martha learned from Jesus that day. We all have urgent life matters to attend to. If you are a stay-at-home mom, you have children to care for, groceries to buy, a house to try to keep neat and clean with little ones running around. If you work outside the home, you probably put in 40 hours a week and then still have to feed and care for your husband and children. Or if you are still single, you may be working or going to school or both, which means you have a full to-do list as well.

The urgent always seems to try to blind us to the important. This life will pass away and the earth and all its things will be burned up. Then how important will it be to you that you always had your house spotless or your children were always immaculately dressed?

The most important thing in this life is a relationship with the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. And that relationship takes some effort. God loves us as we are but He loves us too much to let us stay where we are. He wants us to grow, to learn more about Him, to develop a close relationship with Him.

Mary spent her time sitting at Jesus' feet. Are we doing the same thing? Are we spending our time in study of His word, in prayer and in service to Him? The urgent can often blind us to the opportunities to serve Him, to learn from Him, to worship Him. It takes a conscious effort to build your relationship with the Father and the Son. Maybe it means giving up some sleep to have some quiet time in study and prayer. Maybe it means the house isn't spotless or your entertaining isn't "Martha Stewart" perfect but you took advantage of the opportunities to serve others.

I'd like to let you in on a little secret - when people come to your home, they aren't there to see your perfect house or eat at your perfectly set table. They are there to see YOU! If they are there to see your perfect home, that is their own problem, not yours.

So here's my advice to you - invite people over but don't stress about what you will serve or how the house looks. Pay attention to the fact that you are welcoming others into your home, your heart, and this is a time for fellowship, for learning to love others.

Some of the best times, the most memorable times I have had at my fellow sisters' homes have been when we ate sandwiches and chips and spent our time (in between chasing down children) to pick up the Word, to share our spiritual joys and concerns, to draw closer to my sisters in Christ. Those times when I was with my sisters either at my home or theirs were also times where I had the opportunity to teach my children what is most important.

I believe we can all be part Martha and part Mary. Let's choose the better things, the things that draw us closer to one another and to our Savior. I'm praying for you all!

What Do You See in that Mirror?

3Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

4But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

 

We all start out as babies, cute and adorable. We grow up and life has a way of affecting us. But we are determined to look our best. Hair, makeup, clothes - we put so much emphasis on them.

 

But let me clue you in on something - we all get old, we get wrinkles, our hair turns grey or white. Sure, we can cover some of those things with make-up and hair color. But these bodies of ours all decay. We get old, eventually we all die. Yes, even you 17 year olds some day will be old. I speak from experience - I used to be 17. I thought it would be ages before I was old. Seems like just yesterday.

 

This could be very depressing. But it doesn't have to be. Because we all get old and we all die. But we will live forever after this life. So the real question is, where do you want to live forever. You can spend all your life worried about this life and then you can spend eternity realizing that what you worried about all your life was nothing, no importance whatsoever. Or you can live your life looking toward that future life - working on those things that are incorruptible.

 

The wise woman will spend her life working on those incorruptible qualities of a meek and quiet spirit. God sees the value of that, and I pray that each of you will see the value of that, as well. A life lived for Him is of great value. Choose the more valuable path.

Bite Your Tongue

Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

So often I forget this verse, and say things I shouldn't say. I think we are all guilty of this at times.

Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all. Colossians 4:6 reminds us " let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."  Or as Thumper used to say, "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all." How many times have I opened my mouth, said the first thing that came to mind, and then regretted it for days.

Mark and I have been married for 37 years. We had some rocky times and we have had some absolutely wonderful times. I can say with certainty that the rocky times were either caused by or exacerbated by me saying things I shouldn't have said. James tells us the tongue is a wild thing and must be tamed. Oh, that is so hard. In the heat of the moment, we feel we MUST give that person a piece of our mind. They need to be straightened out.

But is that what they really need? And is that what I need to be doing? So many times, we give of our best to those of the world, and then have nothing left to give our families but the worst of us. I've been guilty of having the thought that my family should love me, no matter what, so I can be angry and say whatever I want. But God tells us to be angry and sin not (Ephesians 4:26).

So, how are you talking to your husband and your children? Do your children think you are always angry? Do they think you don't know how to give a kind word? How about your husband? Has he quit talking to you like he used to when you were dating? Maybe it is because your responses to him have made him shut down. He is afraid to talk to you because he thinks you will respond with anger or frustration. Constant criticism is something that will tear down anyone and will hurt the receiver as well as the giver.

I'm praying for you all as I pray for myself. May God put kind words in our mouths, sweet words that are encouraging and uplifting.



 

Empty Yourself

Philippians 2:5-8  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 

Jesus Christ emptied Himself. He didn't just give up a few things He wanted, but emptied Himself. He completely gave up the things He wanted for himself. He took the form of a servant and humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. Jesus was the Son of God, yet He humbled Himself completely.

 

We as Christians, and as mothers, wives, sisters, children of God, are called to the same mindset. This section of scripture starts by telling us to have this same mind. We are to become servants; to our families, our fellow brethren and our fellow man.

 

I can hear you saying but what about me? What about my needs? What about what I want to do? I understand your concern. If I don't look out for my own needs, who will? Well, I think God has promised that He will! He has promised us so many things. He has promised to never leave or desert us. He has promised to fulfill every need of ours. Not every want, but every need.

 

I think you will find, if you empty yourself for the sake of Christ Jesus, God will fill you back up, with His presence and with His love.

 

I'm not saying this is easy. I think Jesus made it look so easy, but even He had some concerns. Just look at His prayers in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus put His trust in God, the Father. And we can do this, too.

 

The older I get, the more I realize that the things that are of this world, the physical things we are so worried about at times, are of no consequence when we look at what is to come. We are physical beings but we are also spiritual beings. Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

 

God calls us to be more spiritually-minded, to put aside the physical and serve Him gladly, to empty ourselves. If we quit worrying about making sure we have what we need/want, and spend our time fulfilling the needs of others, God will fill our needs. I'm continually amazed at how God takes care of me. I think you will be, too, if you just trust Him and empty yourself.

 

Definitely not easy but something to strive for. I'm praying for each of you, that you can learn to empty yourself and take on the form of a servant, as our example, Jesus Christ, did. And I'm praying that He will help me do the same.

 

Do you pray for your kids?

Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.

The word for continue means to persevere earnestly. To be continually praying.

We have been entrusted with the care and education of our children. They are little sponges. They learn so much in their first 5 years. So what are you teaching them? Are you teaching them how important prayer is? Do they see you pray regularly? Do they hear you pray for them? For their Daddy? For yourself?

You want your children to grow up with a knowledge of God and a close relationship with Him. Do you pray for that?

You want your children to grow up and find a strong Christian to share their life with - someone who will help them get to heaven. Do you pray for that? I'll share a little secret with you. I started praying for my children's mates before my children were even born. I can honestly say God answered my prayers with a resounding YES! My children chose wisely. They chose Christians. They chose someone who would help them, compliment them, strengthen them on the road to heaven. That is really all that is important in a spouse. If they find someone who strengthens them and helps them to heaven, what more could you ask for??

When your children are young, it is hard to imagine them all grown up and looking for a spouse. It is hard to imagine them as teenagers, struggling with the things Satan is bound to throw in their way. But we have to make sure we do all we can to let God know what we want for our children. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much!!

Now the second part of that verse in Colossians. Do you pray with thanksgiving? When you see your children growing, do you thank God? When you see them making wise choices, do you praise Him for His guidance for them? I believe we are a country that has forgotten how to be grateful. And I am afraid this is rubbing off on Christians today. Be thankful. Things are not great but be thankful. You are sick, tired, weak, worn - but be thankful God is there and is ready to help you. You just need ask. Count your blessings. I guarantee, even in the darkest of times, there are blessings from God you can be thankful for.

Pray without ceasing. Pray for your children. Pray for your husband. Pray for yourself. Pray for your sisters in Christ who are struggling with the cares of this world.

I'm praying for all of you!

Is Your Husband Living on the Housetop?

Proverbs 21:9 (ESV)
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

Time to be honest with yourself. Have you ever driven your husband to the rooftop? Solomon tells us it is better to live in a corner of the housetop (roof) than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

World English Dictionary defines quarrelsome as "inclined to quarrel or disagree; belligerent."

"Oh, that's not me!" we tell ourselves. But remember we are trying to be honest with ourselves here. And if we are honest, I think we will all admit we have sometimes slipped into this mentality. We feel we have something to contribute and everyone better listen up. We think we know better than our husbands about some things, like running the home or how to teach the children. We may very well have some excellent ideas that would be helpful, but how we give our input makes all the difference in the world in how our husbands receive it.

Remember that man you married (or the one you are planning to marry). Remember how you felt about him when you were first dating. You wanted to please him. You wanted him to think the best of you. That's the way we should all still feel. This isn't a war we are in here. This is a partnership. You both have the same goals, headed in the same direction. Let's quit pulling and fighting and trying to go a different direction. It just isn't worth it.

Now I'm not talking about if your husband is doing something sinful. We all know that we must, in love, point out spiritual errors to those we love. That's not easy either. But if it is a matter of judgment, how best to do something, we have to remember that we are "subject" to our husbands. We can give our input (hopefully in a loving, positive manner) but the ultimate decision is his. The ultimate responsibility is his, too, which should be a relief for most of us.

My husband counts on me to give him constructive criticism. He expects me to tell him if he messed something up. Your husband may not be there yet (after all we've had 37 years to get to this spot). The way I tell him, though, can make all the difference in the world. If your husband is ready for your constructive criticism, be sure to tell him with love in your heart and kindness in your voice. Difficult words are much easier to hear when surrounded with the gentleness of a "meek and quiet spirit."

When my husband makes a decision, though, he expects me to support him and be the helper I'm supposed to be. You won't always get your way, but if you show your husband that you support him in his decisions, your life and his will be much smoother, much happier and much more peaceful. Chances are, in the future, he will consider your preferences more. After all, the same Bible that tells us wives to be submissive also tells our husbands to love us as themselves.

I think, honestly, there are some people that just like to argue. They aren't happy unless they are arguing, complaining or fighting with someone. I think this goes back to the "gentle and quiet spirit" again. Those two images just don't mix well, do they?

If you are one of those folks that is always fighting, arguing and complaining, take a step back. Think about our example, Jesus Christ. Think about how He responded to those who beat Him, spit in His face and hung Him on a cross. If we are to be like Him, how can we not respond as He did? How do you respond when your husband asks you to do something? How do you respond when he makes a decision? Is your marriage a peaceful joint effort or a battleground?

I guess what I am really trying to say is, the things we often fight about are not really worth it. They are not that important, they will pass in time. In 5 or 10 years, we won't even remember what all those little arguments were about. Choose your battles carefully or you may just win the battle but lose the war.

We are to be helpers for our husbands, not quarrelsome, argumentative wives who make our husbands wish they lived alone on a rooftop. I'm praying for all of you, and for myself, that we can all learn to have that "meek and quiet spirit" that will make for much more peaceful, joyful marriages.