The surest way to self-improvement is to stop thinking about myself!

This week the scripture memorizing group has a thought/confession we are focusing on. It is: The more I love others, the more I come to know and understand God.

Our verse this week is 1 John 4:7:

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]."  

Also, here is how this passage (1 John 4:7-10) reads in The Message.

"My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God."

I lived in Mexico for a while studying Spanish. When I first arrived and moved in with a local family, it was difficult to get to know each other, but as I began to practice my Spanish and improve my skills, we all became very close. God is love…I come to know God better as I begin speaking His language.

This is a choice not a feeling. Sinful nature is not going to naturally desire the things of the Spirit, but if the Spirit lives inside of you you will find that once you start to feed it it will begin to grow!

So, make a decision right now that you are going to go about loving everyone you meet this week (this includes those you've known for years!) and as an effect, you are going to be growing in the Spirit more and more each day! This is a promise from God. You want to know Him? Then love! Go on...see what happens! :)

Now that’s love!

“I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you should love one another.” John 13:34

WOW! Read that again…

I had read this passage many times before the second part jumped off the page and smacked me in the face! Think about it. It doesn’t say, “Love one another as much as you can.” or “when you are feeling good.” or “when everything in your life is going well.” And it doesn’t just say, “Love each other.” He (Jesus) could have stopped there, but no. He had to go the extra mile. He had to add the real kicker. “Love each other the same way I love you!” It is not enough to love each other with a human love. We are called to love each other with a God love! What is God’s love like? It is unconditional. It is patient. It is not self-seeking. It never fails. It has the power to reach into the darkest parts of a person’s soul and forever change lives. It “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor. 13:7) (Note the word all.)

There is only one way that we can be cable of loving in the same way God loves. That is to stay plugged into the source of that love. Bask in that love. Experience that love so you will know how it feels and what it looks like. You cannot give away something you don’t know.

Not only does God’s love know no conditions but it knows no end. We do not earn this kind of love. It is ours regardless of the mistakes we make, the attitude we have or even whether or not we choose to return it. Are you loving others this way?

I want to encourage you to set aside some time over the next few days. First, thank God for the amazing love that He has so graciously given you. Accept it as the free gift it is and take comfort in the fact that it is always yours, regardless of what you do or have done. You will never lose His love! Then take some time reading and rereading the scripture listed below. Let the Spirit use them to speak volumes to you about how much you are loved and how you should be loving others. You see, love actually has nothing to do with the one you are loving. It is a choice you make to fulfill the commandment of your Lord.

1 Corinthians 13 ● Ephesians 4:1-2 ● Ephesians 5:2

 Colossians 3:12-14 ● 1 John 3:18 ● 1 John 3:14 

1 John 4:7-8 ● Galatians 6:10

Take an Inventory

“…let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief]…” Hebrews 12:1-2

 In the time this was written it was understood that athletes trained hard and ran naked…well, almost. When it came time to run they stripped down to only a loin cloth so that nothing could weigh them down and hold them back from reaching their fullest potential and gaining the prize set be for them.

I want to encourage you to take time over the next few days to take an inventory of your life - the commitments you’ve taken on, the activities that take up your time. How is your focus and your drive? Get with God and ask Him what His main goals for you are. I can promise you this…it will have something to do with loving others and expanding His kingdom, and if it expands your wallet that will merely be a blessed byproduct. Know this – we are all called to different things. Just because “Sister-Does-It-All,” who has her hand in everything and still has time to look great and have the perfect family, gives you an odd look when you feel you can’t commit to the new project or program at church, does not mean you have to feel guilty. What you give your time to is between you and God.  He has a specific, individual plan for each of us. And he is willing to show you what that is for your life. Psalm 25:12-13 says,

“Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose. He himself shall dwell at ease, and his offspring shall inherit the land.”

This is a promise. Take God at His Word and spend some one-on-one time with your Lord letting Him lead you into the best He has for you. Burnout, stress, and anxiety are not the things He has for you.

“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.” Isaiah 26:3

When you are operating in His design for your life, there will be peace, perfect peace, and a confidence that can only come from walking with Him.

So I am writing all of this now because these are the things the Lord and I are working through at this moment. I’m dragging you along and hoping it will minister to you as well. J Remember the two most important things: Love God and love others.

^“And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets” Matt. 22:37-40)

This is the place to start. And when you are loving God with all your heart, He will place His desires for you in your heart and cause you to long for them. (Psalms 37:4-5) Then your “work” will be a joy and the most natural thing in the world.

Is there anything you need to cast off? Too many commitments that were not God-ordained for you? Some hidden sin you have not yet fessed up to? Only you and God can decide that. And you can only work through it by spending alone time with Him.

“Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,” Col. 3:23

Will I ever change?

Yep…slowly! I struggle often with knowing my weaknesses, hating my weaknesses, yet still repeating them! I know I need to change. I want to change. But I can’t do it. That’s just it! I can’t change me. The only One who can truly change me is God.

“And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified Bible)

Read that verse again slowly…meditate on it for a minute. (I suggest writing it out and reading, saying, or writing it several times a day until it gets down inside of you.)

So there we have it. The way to see true change in our lives is to spend time with God in His Word. This is a promise, and God never goes back on His Word. (Numbers 23:19) Focus on loving God and loving others, and trust Him to make the changes in you that are needed. Yes, you should be alert and watchful. Don’t take the attitude of, “This is just the way I am.” or, “Well, only God can change me, so take it or leave it.” I would say don’t give people the option, or they may just leave it!

Our attitude should be a humble one that is pleasing before the Lord - one that recognizes we are not perfect but that God, Who sees us as blameless in Christ and loves us unconditionally (Eph. 1:4), is working on us. (John 5:24; Phil 1:6) And as we continue to grow in our walk with Him He will continue to change us and make us more of who we ought to be. You are on your journey, and you are not alone. As God reveals weaknesses to you thank Him for the insight and the knowledge of what to look for, and pray about these areas. Then give your struggles back to Him as you daily seek Him and His ways, and watch as He changes you from the inside out.

And why does it happen slowly? Rarely does someone appreciate a gift that is easily attained. And if we could change ourselves we may see little need for God. But in our weakness His power is made perfect. Hence, if we were stronger of our own accord we would be less usable and have less opportunity to see the magnitude of His power. For this I say, “Thank you, Lord for my weakness!”

“But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (Amplified Bible)

This is a great day!

Well, we have just wrapped up our “Purpose in Pain” series. I hope that in it you found some encouragement and insight. Thank you for following along with me. If you missed any of it or would like to share it with a friend, it can all be found in the archive section.

I hope you will continue to follow and share this blog as we go onto more moments of awe with our awesome God.

Your Challenge:  When someone asks, “How was your day?” say, “Great!”

Release yourself from the feeling of needing to say, “Well, it was ok.” or “So,so” or “Alright, I guess.” This brings in a feeling of blah and gives the devil a foothold to get you on a negative path of complaining and reflecting on any potentially negative thing that happened and causes you to look at your day through gray colored glasses.

Saying, “Great!” or “It was nice.” is no lie. It doesn’t mean everything was perfect but it keeps you from indulging your fleshly “poor me” desires. Instead, keep this verse (confession) on your lips, “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.”(Psalm 118:24)

In a much earlier post I wrote that I used to be in the habit for praying each morning, “God, give me a good day.” And one morning God brought this verse to mind and basically said, “Every day I give you is good, regardless of what happens. You must choose to have a positive attitude no matter what comes your way.”  (1 Thes. 5:16-18) Now every morning I simply give thanks for a wonderful day, knowing, come what may, He is right there with me, and He is in control.

So release the possibility of positivity in your life! As positive, joyful energy and attitudes begin to fill you the difference you feel will be addictive!

So decide right now that you are going to have a wonderful day and a great weekend!  

Purpose in Pain: On to a better land!

“And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land…” Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 7a
 
On the other side of your wilderness is a good land! But do not forget the lessons learned. For this reason, pile up stones of remembrance for yourself and others. After the Lord “dried up the waters of the Jordan” for the people of Israel to cross over, Joshua told the priests to gather up stones and he piled them up so that for generations people would see these stones and ask what they mean, and then they would be able to tell of all their great God had done. Joshua said it best in Joshua 4:24.

^“That all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty and that you may reverence and fear the Lord your God forever.”

So I have added a small, gold heart to my charm necklace that holds Mikaela’s birthstone and to which I had planned to add the September sapphire. This small heart is there to remind me that in reality, I am a mother of two, though one is being kept by a much more capable parent than I. It is also there to remind me of the power of God in this difficult time, of the light He shed in my darkest hour. And if anyone questions the significance of the charm, the door will be wide open for me to share about the awesome power of God.

Do not dwell on the past. Do not fall into the pit of what might have been at the risk of forsaking what can be. Allow God to complete the wonderful work He has begun in you. (Philippians 1:6)  

Learn from the past, live in the present, and look expectantly into your future. God has great things in store for you! To God be the glory!
 

“Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]” Ephesians 3:20

Purpose in Pain: Proper mourning

Well, for the first month after we lost the baby I was daily standing in awe of God and the fact that He was keeping my in such peace.

^“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.” Isaiah 26:3

Sure, I had my moments. But that's just what they were, moments. I’d tear up out of the blue, get sad, and just need to either be held by Tim, hold Mikaela, or just be alone. But after a short while it would pass and I was able to move on. Then, on a Saturday night in late March, I was in bed alone, reading, and it hit me. All of a sudden I felt this intense grief and pain overtake me. I began to cry harder and louder than I had since everything happened. I was overwhelmed, and I was confused. What was this? Where was it coming from? What do I do with it? Part of me said, “Feel it.” And a larger part said, “Fight it.”

The next morning I was still just barely holding it together. With tears brimming my eyes I made it through the motions of getting ready, making it to church, and singing in the choir. The choir special that day got me chocked up, and I just made it to my seat before a few tears began to fall. I quickly dabbed them away and resolved myself to focus on the sermon and put aside all of these emotions. Well, our pastor gets up, turns to the book of Job and says, “Today we are going to talk about mourning.” I lost it! As he began to read from chapter 3 (where Job gives voice to all his pain, and even asked why he didn’t die in his mother’s womb) I ran out of Kleenex and was in such a pitiful state I can only imagine what everyone around me was thinking.  

At first I was angry, “Why God? Why when I’m feeling like this do You let this be the sermon I have to sit through? Aren’t I hurting enough?” I have never before truly felt like a sermon was just for me, but that day’s message could have been said to me if it were only Pastor Tim and I talking in his office. As he continued, I realized this was a message of healing. A message God had for me to show me how to deal with all I was feeling.  

In a nutshell, Pastor Tim explained that when tragedy strikes the first thing you need to immediately do is begin to build yourself up in the Lord so when the painful, negative thoughts enter your mind you will be able to stand on what you know is true. Build yourself up and then allow yourself to mourn.

You see, Job gave voice to his pain, and in so doing only made things worse and opened the door for Satan to attack him on a mental/emotional level. (Because our words have power. Prov. 18:21) If we immediately speak those things we know to be true from scripture…God will never leave me. (Heb. 13:5) My times are in His hands. (Ps. 31:15) God has great plans for me. (Jer. 29:11) God will work this out for my good. (Rom. 8:28) God is my strength. (Prov. 18:10) I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)…then our spirit is strong and able to stand under the pressures of our circumstances, because we will know that we are more than conquerors through Him Who loves us! (Rom. 8:37)

I realized God was telling me, through Pastor Tim, “You have built yourself up in Me. Now you need to let yourself feel this and properly grieve this loss.” The beauty of it all is that we do not grieve as the world grieves, because we have hope and the assurance of a better day, of promises fulfilled. (1 Thes. 4:13) And I know that He is holding my baby until I have the chance to do so.

 So if you are struggling…first give voice to the promises of God (our weapons…2 Cor. 10:4). Then give yourself time to grieve…but do not voice your negative emotions! Speak life! A new day is coming. And when it comes it will bring new mercies and stronger faith.

"It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23