Will Life Ever Get Better?

Today many of us feel as if life is passing us by.  We wonder when life will finally bring its "big break" or when our circumstances will change to our liking.  We try to manipulate and our control our lives with the hopes that things might look differently tomorrow than they did today.  

We often forget that the world and its troubles are much to great for us to handle on our own.  Our efforts to control and manipulate only leave us wearied and frustrated.  Many of us comfort our disappointments with a new outfit, a brand new car, a new relationship or a job change.  

Yet, we still live with a gnawing dissatisfaction inside of us.  Wondering if this is really all there is to life.  

"I'm pursuing my dreams.  I have a big house, a husband with a great job, we say to ourselves," but our hearts are not at rest.  

We live for the next big thing.  We long for a better, different life.  We bury our hurt and pain.  We self-medicate, put on a happy face and make it seem as if we've got it all together.  Until, the dam breaks and the waters of insecurity, discouragement, failure and disappointment come rushing out.  

This infects everyone around us as the waters come gushing out.  Often times the ones we love the most.  We ruin and wreck relationships.  We cause turmoil in our lives, telling ourselves, "I'm not going to do that anymore," but we just can't seem to stop.  We know it's not good for us, but we keep repeating the same cycle.  We feel broken, but we don't want anyone to know.  

We wander on lonely roads of hopelessness.  Seeking restoration, a brighter future and a happy life.  Everyone tells us to just "look inside ourselves" or "tell yourself that you're number one", but the more we do this, the deeper our dissatisfaction grows.  We don't even really like ourselves.  All we see when we look inside ourselves is fear and deep insecurities.  

Maybe that means we need to start looking outside ourselves.  Maybe the cure to a heart troubled by life worries is to look to something greater than ourselves?  Maybe real hope and joy isn't found in our circumstances, but in something that is constant in joy, and holds the key to life and peace.  

A wise man once said, "come to me all who are weary and heaven burden and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light'.  He also said, "I came that they may have life and that they may have it to the full".  

The reason this man is able to offer rest is because His nature is different from ours.  He is peace.  He is joy.  He is hope.  He is freedom.  

If I cling to this source of peace and joy I will find rest for my weary soul. 

Jesus Christ is that man.  He is calling unto you today to run with courage towards Him.  To turn away from your own way of living and towards His life.  It's there that our lives finally find rest.  We can sit in contentment as we find wholeness and healing, freedom and joy!  

We must recognize that our way of living is wrong.  His way is right, come into agreement with God, confess that to Him, turn away from it, and choose to embrace Jesus Christ as master of our life.  

That is where true freedom is found, hallelujah!  

The Operating Table: Entering into the Altar of Sacrifice

"Offer your bodies as living sacrifices"- Romans 12:1

What does that mean for me, a follower of Christ to offer myself as a living sacrifice?

I remember when my sister and I were kids, we used to love to ride bikes together.  We'd go everywhere on our bikes and we only had one speed, fast.  A leisurely bike ride just wasn't in our vocabulary.  As we zipped around town at mach speed one day, my sister said that she needed to slow down.  I being the loving and understanding sister that I am said,

"What's wrong you big baby? Can't handle the speed?" 

My sister responded to my ever so kind words with,

"My heart is racing and I just don't feel very good".  

Well in that case I thought, I guess we can slow down.  It wasn't long after that my sister had a similar episode when we were playing in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament.  Mom and dad were in on this episode so they decided to take Andrea to the hospital.  We soon learned that my sister needed heart surgery.  That made me feel really great for my loving comments while on that bike ride.

I remember sitting in that waiting room during the surgery.  I was really afraid.  I was only 11 years old and I really wasn't sure what to expect or how to feel.  I just knew that my best friend was now lying on an operating table and there was nothing I could do to make her better.  She was at the mercy of the doctors now.

Thankfully my sister had a successful surgery.  We were back to riding bikes at mach speeds soon after.

As I reflect on that moment in my sister and I's life it helps me better understand what Paul says when he tells us to offer our bodies as a "living sacrifice".

My sister could do nothing to fix her heart.  She was at the mercy of the doctors.  The ones who had a higher authority, the ones who knew how to fix her heart.  Had my sister continued to ride bikes at neck breaking speeds and run up and down the basketball court without having heart surgery the doctors said, eventually, her heart would have burst.   She would have died instantly.

The reality is that you and I live with a sin sickness.  The bible says that the heart is deceitful, it is beyond cure.  To follow our heart is to follow our feelings.  It's to follow a wisdom that centers around desire and pleasure.  Our hearts run around without self-control, until eventually we nearly become destroyed by the pursuit of desire and pleasure.

In the Old Testament the High Priest would go in once a year to the Holy of Holies to make a sacrifice for the sins of the Jewish nation.  This would be a lamb, pure and spotless that would satisfy God's requirement for atonement of sin.

When Jesus dies on the cross He became that lamb.  He was pure and spotless, without defect and had no sin.  The book of Hebrews tells us that He now reigns as High Priest forever.

I have this picture in my mind of us offering our bodies as a living sacrifice.   What I see is for us to cease doing, fretting, worrying and allowing our feelings and hearts to dictate our every move and to lay ourselves down on the operating table of God's mercy.

To offer our bodies as a "living sacrifice" is to become completely dependent upon the great and mighty healer, Jesus Christ.  It is to place ourself at His mercy, trusting in His will. We must lay down our own will, hurried hearts and scattered minds.  It is to cease doing as we actively lay down our lives at the altar of sacrifice.  It is to say God, I'm done with me.  I'm done trying to come up with the right answers to try to convince myself that I know whats best for my life.

It is to say, God, I recognize that my heart is deceitful and it is beyond cure.  This is why I need your grace and mercy to walk with me, moment by moment and breathe by breathe.  As we lay down our lives as a "living sacrifice" we join in agreement with God that He is in control, that His way is best for our lives.  In that agreement is where our hearts and our minds find rest.  As we sit and rest in the presence of God on the altar of sacrifice it is there where our hearts start to change and heal.  It is there where God starts to tether in us a new mind, centered on His thoughts, His peace, and His perseverance.

Charles Spurgeon so eloquently says, "lie passive in the hands of God and know no will but His".  

I'm wondering who needs to enter into the altar of sacrifice where the Lord Jesus awaits to give you joy, peace and hope.  Who needs to offer their body as a living sacrifice and place themselves at the mercy of our Great Physician, Jesus Christ?

Just as my sister put herself at the mercy of those doctors long ago to be made well God wants to do the same for you and I today.  His desire is for us to be set free and to know the healing and life changing power of Jesus Christ as we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice.

Place your life on the operating table of God's mercy and watch as He makes your heart and your mind brand new.

Actions and Belief: Why Sound Doctrine Matters

Our actions always spring from what we believe. 

Paul tells Timothy to "watch his life and doctrine closely" (1 Timothy 4:16)

Our doctrine can very well determine the path we shall journey through life on. If I hold fast to the promises of God, the truth of scripture, not wavering, but clinging to them in earnest then I shall see the goodness of God in my life and the next. I shall journey through life with purpose as I pursue my God-given destiny. 

If I choose to hold to a different doctrine that rejects the truth of scripture, causing myself to waver in confusion. Then I shall buy into deception as I create a god that fits my own needs and wants.

I will not walk in my God given destiny, but instead I shall wander aimlessly as I attempt to reach the next greatest pursuit in trying to fulfill, yet again, another empty American dream.

The Insecure Woman: What That Low Cut Shirt Actually Reveals

Modesty is not a characteristic that most women ascribe to. Those who dress immodestly wouldn't tell you the reason they do so is because of a deeper heart issue, but in reality that's whats going on. 

They wouldn't tell you that their father never told them that they're beautiful, so they dress in low-cut shirts and hi-cut shorts to get the attention of men to fill the void their father never did. They also wouldn't be quick to tell you the reason they flaunt their curves is because they are deeply insecure about themselves. Deep down they hate how they look, they constantly compare themselves to other women wishing they had her perfect curves or her perfect hair, so they hide from their insecurities by posting cute selfies, hoping to get lots of comments and likes to help them feel better about themselves. In all reality, no matter how many likes or comments they get it doesn't seem to fix that gnawing dissatisfaction with how they feel about themselves. 

Then it goes past dressing immodestly to giving herself away sexually. She believes that sex will make her feel beautiful, if men want her she must be desirable and beautiful she tells herself. When she doesn't realize what's actually going on is that men are using her. She strips her own self of dignity and respect through her immodesty. She presents herself to men without such characteristics. In that moment she is no longer a true woman, but an object to be used. The man also, in this moment, strips himself of his own dignity, honor and respect as he objectifies himself to be used by this woman. She uses him to try and meet that deep need for affirmation. Yet, nothing is met, she still longs for affirmation and to actually believe that she is beautiful. 

Maybe losing a few pounds, getting a new haircut or a cute outfit will do the trick. Nope, nothing seems to help. She swims in a pool or her own misery, but she hides it behind cute outfits and flashy make up. 

She wishes she were someone else, but she can't escape. She's dug herself a hole so deep she's convinced herself there's no way out. The only way to deal with her pain is to bury it, deny it and convince herself it isn't really there. 

She gets married thinking, this will do it! Problem is, she comes in with the grand expectation that her husband will mend all of her wounds. He'll make her no longer feel insecure, she'll feel better about herself, because of him, but because she married an imperfect human being she realizes that he just can't meet her expectations, so she moves onto the next man hoping this one will fit the bill. 

I saw myself becoming this woman years ago, if not for the love and healing that I have found in Jesus Christ I'm certain I would have become her. 

Wholeness and joy cannot be found in what the mirror says or how many guys line up to tell you that you're hot stuff. No, only true joy, peace and satisfaction is found in knowing Jesus Christ. 

He affirms me as beautiful. In Him, I know that I am beautiful. I have a joy that cannot be taken from me, a peace that sits within my heart and contentment that envelopes my very being. It's His love that my heart beats for, its His purpose that directs my path. I long for more of Him in my life. 

I find that as I do that I become a woman that draws people in, not because of tight clothes or sexy mascara, but because of my smile, my hope and my countenance that speaks life and peace. 

A true woman is one whose heart is at rest. She does not run after pleasure or run aimlessly trying to fill some deep need in her soul for love, because the woman who is at rest already knows what love is. 

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God"- 1 John 4:7

God is love. Stop running, listen to the words that bring forth freedom! Rest in the one who created you. He has made a better way for you. 

Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and that they may have it to the full"- John 10:10

Jesus says, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19

Full Time Ministry: Doing Less to Do More

Working in full time ministry is not so much about ministering as it is about preparation.

The minister who neglects preparation will be overcome by the battle and overwhelmed by spiritual warfare. They will fall prey to doubt, fear and insecurity. They will inevitably give in, due to lack of preparation.

Those in full time ministry must remember that God is more concerned about their "being with Him" then His is about their "doing for Him".

If you go and be with your Father, you will find that He will prepare you for the battle, HIs word will guide you, His faith will fill you. His Spirit will empower you. Now, when it's time to minister you're ready, because its God who ministers through you.

Now, stop doing so much for God, burning yourself out and just go be with Jesus. When its time to minister God will raise you up, but don't feel the need to raise your own self up for fear of being classified as lazy, unmotivated or afraid. Let God and His word be your motivation. Drink deeply of its truth, hear His voice more clearly and you'll find yourself maximizing your time in ministry by doing less that does more for the kingdom. Instead of doing more that does little for the Kingdom. Due to being motivated by our own egos, or fears or outside voices we feel forced into filling up the calendar when we neglect to ask God about it first.

Those in full time ministry, be encouraged! It is by far one of the most difficult and challenging vocations, but God is FOR YOU! Do not give in or give up. He goes with you and before you. Just don't try to jump ahead of Him 

Perseverance: Holding Fast in the Midst of LIfe's Greatest Suffering

"perseverance must finish its work"....James 1:4

In the midst of our darkest hour is when we are able to experience Jesus Christ in all of His fullness.  It is there that we can relate with the Christ on the cross.  We must choose in our darkest hour to persevere, just as the Son of God choose to persevere for us on our behalf as he hung on a cross on Calvary's Hill. 

God is challenging me to a season of perseverance.  Most of us just want to give up and throw in the towel in the midst of deep suffering.  We wish to release ourselves from this pain so we choose to resign from it, flee from or or bury it so that we no longer have to deal with the depth of our suffering. 

I'm holding fast to the promises of God that call me to persevere, that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and that the eyes of the Lord range back and forth throughout the entire earth to strengthen those who hearts are fully committed to Him.

I remember Joseph who was sold into slavery, but did not give up hope and God blessed him for his perseverance.  I remember Job who endured such great suffering and loss that his wife told him to curse God and die, yet Job held fast to perseverance in the midst of suffering and God blessed him ten-fold.  Ruth held fast to the Lord in the midst of her desolation and God, by His grace brought deliverance for her. 

It is rare that God's greatest blessings are not first proceeded by life's most painful moments.  In fact, I'm almost convinced that we must always experience a deep loss or pain before God's greatest blessings. 

So many choose to give in, the suffering becomes to great and they miss out on the beautiful story that God wanted to write.  They miss out on the blessing to come because in the middle of their pain they could not see the beautiful story that God was weaving so instead they gave up. 

Hold fast to Jesus in your greatest moments of pain.  Do not give up or give in for there is hope for you in Jesus Christ.  I am believing that as I persevere a blessing will come.  If not in this life, then surely in the next. 

Lord Jesus, you are joy.  You are hope, life and peace.  Your word is full of people who chose to believe you in the midst of their suffering.  I choose to walk in that same faith, believing that you are using this to make me more like your Son, Jesus.  You are teaching me about the gospel in ways that I would never have experienced if I had not walked through this. 

My prayer is that you would refine my character, make me more like your Son and that soon you might bring deliverance, but even if you choose to make me wait I know that I have a Savior who walks with me.   Let perseverance finish its work in me.  In Jesus name, Amen. 

Faithfulness: Behind Closed Doors

Sunday morning worship should not be a good judge of how faithful someone is to Christ. What we do in front of others should not determine how committed we are to Christ. For example, raising hands in worship, singing a solo, offering prayer or even preaching a sermon should never define someone's faithfulness towards Christ.

Faithfulness is authenticated when the doors are closed and no one else is looking. The question becomes, will I be faithful and obedient to God's will above my own when its not for show? Will I choose to flee from my sin and respond in love when my spouse gets on my nerves? When a friend betrays me or when my waitress forgets to fill up my drink. When I come face to face in the heat of the battle with temptation, will I choose to give in or will I flee because of my love for Christ?

When the doors are closed do you turn to your vices? Is alcohol, anger, bitterness and rage what you turn to more than Christ? What is your life truly founded upon on an average Monday when no one is looking?

Everyone always wants to look good to other people. I'm speaking towards my own struggle here. We seek the approval and praise of others more than the praise and glory of an all-knowing and righteous God. We want to do lots of stuff for God, forgetting that one of our main purposes in being a Christian is just knowing Him. Throughout the week is the word of God our delight, do we sing and make music unto the Lord during an average Thursday? Do we treat that Mcdonald's worker with the same respect and love we would if we were entertaining angels?

Truth is, one cannot minister well if one's relationship to God is on the rocks. Yes, God certainly uses moral failures to do His will. We see that all throughout scripture, but those who failed never stayed there in their sin. They rose above it through the repentance.

If you and I really want to be transformed we've gotta get real about who Jesus is. Jesus called those who wished to follow after Him to die to themselves daily and to walk as He did. This is not call for the weak, but only for those who wish to join with King Jesus in battle. It is only for those who are willing to join in the Lord's army, to become a soldier for Christ giving up complete control to their commanding officer.

If only we would join alongside our King on daily basis, truly, we would see our lives, communities and churches transformed. If only we would be so brave to move past people pleasing church to God-honoring worship throughout the week we would see lives be healed and the broken be made brand new.

Yes, and so today on an ordinary Thursday I chose to die to myself and to live for my King, even when no one else is looking.

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