Trying to live for an audience of One is hard when the show of your life has begun and the glorious musical you want to perform is overtaken by a 3 ring circus featuring you, center stage. Moms live in a sphere of never fully attentive to anything but split between marriage, family, work and activities. From missing shoes to missed deadlines, something is always demanding our attention and blocking our view from the audience we have committed to serve.
Yes, living for an audience of One can be very difficult. But remember dear friend. Your Audience and your Creator are the same. Your Audience understands your life is a 3 ring circus because He designed it to be full of blessed chaos. Filled with sweet side shows, death-defying acts, and the occasional 10-15 little people jumping out of a tiny car. God created, loves, and values every moment of your motherhood. Don't loose sight of the Audience while you enjoy His creation.
Be attentive to His voice, be intentional with your time and treasures. Stop and take time everyday to celebrate and just be with Him. After all, the best shows are always performed for the Audience. Allow the show of your life to be performed and focused on the One who designed, created, and directed the show. Let Him show you the beauty in your circus and live for an audience of One as Christ takes the 3 ring circus in your life to destinations only He could ever dream or imagine.
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.”
Psalm 139:1-18 NIV
9.25.2015
9.23.2015
Loosing Sleep Over Broken Glasses
My son recently became so angry and frustrated at school he
broke his glasses in half. He felt so ashamed and guilty that he let his anger
get the best of him. His dad and I talked to him numerous times and explained
to him that we forgive him for breaking his glasses and talked about ways to
cope with stress and anger.
That night we kissed the kids goodnight and they went off to
bed. Lucas came down later carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“I can’t sleep,” he said with his head tucked into his chin. “I’m so upset at
myself and I feel bad for breaking my glasses.”
The love and compassion I had for my son in that moment could
not be contained. I lifted his head tenderly and I looked into his eyes and I
told him to let this go. I told him how much I love him and that I forgive him
for breaking his glasses in anger. I told him the guilt and shame he feels is
Satan trying to control him and break down his spirit. I told him I understand what
it’s like to get angry and I know what it’s like to do things you regret. The
pain and remorse from a sudden act can blind you from seeing your true value
and worth. But we need to not allow our sin to define us and we need to stop
listening to what Satan is whispering in our heads and start claiming how Christ
sees us; valuable, good, strong, and created for a purpose.
I kissed him and he went to bed but my heart was so heavy as I
watched my son hold unto a situation that God has redeemed and wanted Lucas to
be liberated from. The guilt, shame and regret we feel after a moment of anger
or sinful decision can paralyze us from experiencing the love, grace, and mercy
God so desperately wants to give us. He lovingly tries to loosen our grip from
holding onto these painful memories but Satan has a way of tightening our
grasp with self pity and shame so we continue to carry the chain long after God
has broken the lock and liberated us from the weight.
It’s crazy how Satan can take what God has claimed and with two
simple letters destroy our identity in Christ. Satan whispers, "You are
UNworthy, UNable, UNwanted, and UNdesired. Your sin is too great and your anger
too out of control for you to ever be able to forgive yourself.”
But God, like a loving parent, lifts up our heads tenderly and
speaks truth to our lives and washes away that prefix to reveal our true
identity, WORTHY, ABLE, WANTED, and DESIRED. He takes our sin and the Bible
says He thinks of it no more. The only UN that remains is UNderstanding, grace,
and mercy.
Our God can and is able to take all the hurt, pain, guilt, and shame
of our lives and think of it no more. It is a quality unique to Him and one of
His most glorious promises. God wants us to be free from our past because He
knows when we are free we can truly experience the depth of His grace and be at
peace in a decaying world where we are surrounded by guilt and painful
memories. Satan will try to remind us and destroy our identity, but God has
claimed us and we must constantly remind ourselves of Who we truly belong to.
So I celebrate broken glasses and empty Kleenex boxes. For they remind me of the power God has to refine my brokenness and restore my soul. I am humbled by my sin and broken before my Savior who takes the messy pieces of my life and transforms them into a beautiful story that points to his grace and goodness.
Do not be shackled by your past dear friend. Release the chain
because the weight was dropped a long time ago. Experience His peace and marvel
in His love. Hold your head high and appreciate what He is trying to teach you
by refining you through your sin and painful circumstances. Allow Christ to
wash away that prefix and reveal your true identity. You are worthy. You are
able. You are wanted. You are desired. And above all dear friend, you are loved
and you are free.
9.16.2015
Sell Outs and Settlers
I'm going to be honest friends. I get frustrated with the people I love and value because I care so much about them and I see their potential. I see all that God could do through them if they would relinquish control, step up, and get in the game.
Can you relate friends? Do you have people in your life you would invest the whole enchilada in, but they won't invest a side of beans in themselves? For whatever reason, they do not see their potential nor live up to their purpose. They settle for mediocre living and give up before the fight has even begun. They always have an excuse and will defend their decisions and actions because they truly do not believe they are short changing themselves. Honestly I don't think they wake up expecting much to happen because they do not believe God will show up and do something amazing.
I wish I could figure out a way to get them to see they could be so much more and they do not need to settle for average. We are all beautiful in the eyes of Christ and we all have been created for a divine purpose. We all have the right to call upon a strength from heaven to transform our families, communities, and nation. So why do some of us settle? Why do we shrug off the tedious tasks we are called to do and not see the joy in service through humbly making the mundane tasks a priority?
There is one difference between those who settle and those who strive to be 100% sold out in love with Christ. Settlers focus on what they feel. Sell outs focus on what He commanded. He commanded us to love Him with everything we are, not if we feel like it or if it is fun or fits into our schedule. Love Christ and love others that's the command.
Sell outs see the bigger picture and the small tedious tasks along the way are done out of devotion to a God who sacrificed everything and held nothing back. Sell outs with glad and sincere hearts do what their head says is pointless because the task matters to someone and they see the bigger picture and think about the needs of others when their needs could be so easily be dismissed.
Settlers, on the other hand, live in the moment. Not thinking about how their actions are perceived and because of this, they are constantly misunderstood and never fully known or appreciated. They value people and relationships, but their laissez-faire attitude and last minute approach make people feel like their needs are not important and the task does not matter. Settlers feel unvalued and disconnected from others and they are always on the defense because they have bought satan's lie that they are inadequate so they are fearful and insecure. Settlers can be so much more but choose to not put in the work it takes for great things to happen and hard work to multiply their efforts by His grace and goodness. They do not buy into work hard now but settle for what they have instead of putting in the time to build what God has intended for them later.
We all have our moments of hardship and situations or tasks that we dread doing but it is in these moments and situations we are truly defined and prove to be dependable. Their complacency and average living ripples out to the ones they love and serve. It sets a low standard of what God expects cultivating lives that are a rushed thrown together offering to the Lord. It's sad and hard to watch the ones you believe in, settle.
If you want to do great things in your life, surround yourself with people who strive for greatness in the Lord. Allow someone to speak truth into your life and model Christ and His desire for mankind.
Can you relate friends? Do you have people in your life you would invest the whole enchilada in, but they won't invest a side of beans in themselves? For whatever reason, they do not see their potential nor live up to their purpose. They settle for mediocre living and give up before the fight has even begun. They always have an excuse and will defend their decisions and actions because they truly do not believe they are short changing themselves. Honestly I don't think they wake up expecting much to happen because they do not believe God will show up and do something amazing.
I wish I could figure out a way to get them to see they could be so much more and they do not need to settle for average. We are all beautiful in the eyes of Christ and we all have been created for a divine purpose. We all have the right to call upon a strength from heaven to transform our families, communities, and nation. So why do some of us settle? Why do we shrug off the tedious tasks we are called to do and not see the joy in service through humbly making the mundane tasks a priority?
There is one difference between those who settle and those who strive to be 100% sold out in love with Christ. Settlers focus on what they feel. Sell outs focus on what He commanded. He commanded us to love Him with everything we are, not if we feel like it or if it is fun or fits into our schedule. Love Christ and love others that's the command.
Sell outs see the bigger picture and the small tedious tasks along the way are done out of devotion to a God who sacrificed everything and held nothing back. Sell outs with glad and sincere hearts do what their head says is pointless because the task matters to someone and they see the bigger picture and think about the needs of others when their needs could be so easily be dismissed.
Settlers, on the other hand, live in the moment. Not thinking about how their actions are perceived and because of this, they are constantly misunderstood and never fully known or appreciated. They value people and relationships, but their laissez-faire attitude and last minute approach make people feel like their needs are not important and the task does not matter. Settlers feel unvalued and disconnected from others and they are always on the defense because they have bought satan's lie that they are inadequate so they are fearful and insecure. Settlers can be so much more but choose to not put in the work it takes for great things to happen and hard work to multiply their efforts by His grace and goodness. They do not buy into work hard now but settle for what they have instead of putting in the time to build what God has intended for them later.
We all have our moments of hardship and situations or tasks that we dread doing but it is in these moments and situations we are truly defined and prove to be dependable. Their complacency and average living ripples out to the ones they love and serve. It sets a low standard of what God expects cultivating lives that are a rushed thrown together offering to the Lord. It's sad and hard to watch the ones you believe in, settle.
If you want to do great things in your life, surround yourself with people who strive for greatness in the Lord. Allow someone to speak truth into your life and model Christ and His desire for mankind.
What ripples out of your life? Do you aspire others to live and love radically by your actions? Are you reliable and dependable able to get the job done no matter how trivial the task? Or do you loll others into a false since of security and accomplishment by "just getting by" or doing an "ok job". Do you live like you possess the same spirit who caused blind men to see and caused dry bones to live again?
Dear friend you were created for a divine purpose. You have the gift of the Holy Spirit living in you, working for you to bring about God's glory. The spirit that lives in us is greater than anything in this world and perfectly capable of showing up everyday in our lives to do amazing things if we call upon Him to be our driving force, strength, and support. Sell out to Christ and His purpose for your life. Live life everyday doing all tasks fixated on the One you are truly working for. Allow the Holy Spirit to show up and ripple through the lives of those around you so the offering of your life is fragrant and sweet. Don't settle. Sell out and celebrate because He has equipped each of us for greatness by His strength and for His glory.
Let our lives be fragrant offerings for you Jesus. Do the impossible in our lives and testify to your grace in goodness through our actions and deeds. Awaken those who have settled and energize those who are sold out. In your name I pray. Amen.
Dear friend you were created for a divine purpose. You have the gift of the Holy Spirit living in you, working for you to bring about God's glory. The spirit that lives in us is greater than anything in this world and perfectly capable of showing up everyday in our lives to do amazing things if we call upon Him to be our driving force, strength, and support. Sell out to Christ and His purpose for your life. Live life everyday doing all tasks fixated on the One you are truly working for. Allow the Holy Spirit to show up and ripple through the lives of those around you so the offering of your life is fragrant and sweet. Don't settle. Sell out and celebrate because He has equipped each of us for greatness by His strength and for His glory.
Let our lives be fragrant offerings for you Jesus. Do the impossible in our lives and testify to your grace in goodness through our actions and deeds. Awaken those who have settled and energize those who are sold out. In your name I pray. Amen.
9.12.2015
Life is hard. Period.
Life is hard. Period. There are times in life when we will want to throw in the towel and choose to live with our pain because forgiveness is just too hard. We've been hurt too bad and the pain runs too deep. We don't see God anymore, we feel abandoned and bottom line; we are too tired and don't want to fight anymore. We feel angry, hurt, defeated, misunderstood, and unappreciated.
Beloved, I know it's hard to believe but I want you to listen. God is bigger than what you feel. God is able to handle it. His track record is proven and He works best in impossible situations. What you are going through does not make sense and I know you probably just want it to be over but DoN't GiVe Up...
Help is coming. Redemption is coming. Grace is coming and forgiveness is on its way.
Have you hit your knees in prayer beloved? Truly cried out and given over every piece of the pain, anger, hurt, and abandonment to Jesus? Have you told Him how tired you are and how much you want to hold unto your memories that validate your reasons for bitterness and ask him to take them and exchange them for forgiveness and grace? Beloved, LeT tHeM gO...
Give the painful memories and the distrust to Jesus. Allow Him to change you from the inside out. Not because the person deserves it, but because Jesus commanded it. LeT aLl ThE pAiN gO...
Experience freedom from all the hurt and animosity you feel. Maybe you've been playing the blame game for so long you don't know where to start. Maybe the pain has become part of your identity and if it disappears, the void left behind is crippling your resolve to imagine what could be. Beloved life can be so much more. Break free from the anger and find peace from your pain because you deserve to be liberated from all the hurt that shackles you and experience true redemption.
MaKe ChRiSt YoUr FoCaL PoInT... He's the only one who matters. No one else can make you feel complete and no other relationship can truly give you what you need. Focus on Christ and what He desires for your life and what He sacrificed so you could be made complete in Him. When we feel the depth and power of His saving grace and mercy, it transforms our relationships and give us the ability to forgive as we were forgiven.
Beloved if you are struggling to forgive and find it difficult to let go of your anger and pain, fixate on Christ and allow Him to cleanse you. Move your focus from what you are feeling to how He feels for mankind. Focus on His desires and not your own as you open your heart and allow yourself to imagine a life you gave up on a long time ago.
Life is hard. Period. But a life that does not exude the transforming power when mercy is granted can be shallow and lonely. The smoke and mirrors we display can leave us empty because we are never truly known or understood. Beloved He knows you and He knows what you need to restore your relationship. Surrender, be known and allow the smoke to clear. Only when we are real and honest can we allow truth to be spoken into our lives.
As I watch sweet Stella, I celebrate a God who completes me in every way. I celebrate the love and forgiveness He gave that I am called to give to others. I celebrate His design to love unconditionally, live selflessly, and celebrate relentlessly. Our God desires us to be free and live in peace not only with others but peace within ourselves. I celebrate the power of prayer and the strength that comes when we willingly give up and surrender.
Just as I long for sweet Stella to listen to me when I speak truth to her, our God longs for us to listen to Him when He whispers to us, "Child. Come. Let it go. My way will fulfill your every desire and I have the strength you need to truly forgive. Come. Make me the focal point of your life, let all the pain go and allow me to replace it with mercy and peace. Think not of what you desire but think of what My desire is for you My child. Trust Me, child. Trust Me and truly be at peace."
Thank you Lord Jesus for picking up the pieces of the broken relationships the enemy has destroyed. Fix and make new again Father those who need Your restoring power. Transform us Father as we give You all the glory and honor for making us whole. Show up when things look impossible and give those in need the miracle they so desperately are praying for. Be our focal point so we don't give up and help us to surrender and truly let go.
Experience freedom from all the hurt and animosity you feel. Maybe you've been playing the blame game for so long you don't know where to start. Maybe the pain has become part of your identity and if it disappears, the void left behind is crippling your resolve to imagine what could be. Beloved life can be so much more. Break free from the anger and find peace from your pain because you deserve to be liberated from all the hurt that shackles you and experience true redemption.
MaKe ChRiSt YoUr FoCaL PoInT... He's the only one who matters. No one else can make you feel complete and no other relationship can truly give you what you need. Focus on Christ and what He desires for your life and what He sacrificed so you could be made complete in Him. When we feel the depth and power of His saving grace and mercy, it transforms our relationships and give us the ability to forgive as we were forgiven.
Beloved if you are struggling to forgive and find it difficult to let go of your anger and pain, fixate on Christ and allow Him to cleanse you. Move your focus from what you are feeling to how He feels for mankind. Focus on His desires and not your own as you open your heart and allow yourself to imagine a life you gave up on a long time ago.
Life is hard. Period. But a life that does not exude the transforming power when mercy is granted can be shallow and lonely. The smoke and mirrors we display can leave us empty because we are never truly known or understood. Beloved He knows you and He knows what you need to restore your relationship. Surrender, be known and allow the smoke to clear. Only when we are real and honest can we allow truth to be spoken into our lives.
As I watch sweet Stella, I celebrate a God who completes me in every way. I celebrate the love and forgiveness He gave that I am called to give to others. I celebrate His design to love unconditionally, live selflessly, and celebrate relentlessly. Our God desires us to be free and live in peace not only with others but peace within ourselves. I celebrate the power of prayer and the strength that comes when we willingly give up and surrender.
Just as I long for sweet Stella to listen to me when I speak truth to her, our God longs for us to listen to Him when He whispers to us, "Child. Come. Let it go. My way will fulfill your every desire and I have the strength you need to truly forgive. Come. Make me the focal point of your life, let all the pain go and allow me to replace it with mercy and peace. Think not of what you desire but think of what My desire is for you My child. Trust Me, child. Trust Me and truly be at peace."
Thank you Lord Jesus for picking up the pieces of the broken relationships the enemy has destroyed. Fix and make new again Father those who need Your restoring power. Transform us Father as we give You all the glory and honor for making us whole. Show up when things look impossible and give those in need the miracle they so desperately are praying for. Be our focal point so we don't give up and help us to surrender and truly let go.
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
~Colossians 3: 12-17
9.01.2015
I Must Confess: I don't always want to go to church...
I don't always want to go to church. I don't always want to invest in people and I don't always want to drag my kids to a Bible study. It can be difficult getting the whole house in sync and ready to go. Sometimes I don't feel like worshiping or opening God's word after I've dealt with homework, pee pants, and car seat buckles. I'm exhausted. It's not that I don't value these things but they are just one more thing when all I want is nothingness. Yes sometimes, in my humanness, I don't want what the church has to offer.
So why do I invest in the church so much? Why do I choose to not listen to my emotions at times and go even when my house is falling apart and my mind is completely mush? It's because my house is falling apart and my mind is completely mush that I make community a priority... I have no where else to turn. You see friends. Our schedules will always be full and we will always have chaos. I have a full time job, 4 kids, and a full-time ministry. If my house was not chaotic I would worry I left a child at Walmart. That's the faze of life I'm in. I am surviving some days friends, but church and community that's my life jacket. These people pull me back unto the ship and by studying together and praying together I start to gain perspective. When I hear their stories and laugh when their children hit each other with foam noodles, I realize I'm not the only one raising future Wipeout contestants. The church and its people help me peel back the layers of crazy chaos to expose the beautiful blessing of love, family, and parenthood.
This beautiful thing called community which God created to hold us accountable, encourage us in hard times, and push us to be our best is worth investing in. People think Nick and I always want to be at church because we are in ministry. I can honestly say that is not true. There are days we go out of shear commitment. But here's what I've learned. On the days I make myself go, God always shows up and I see why we are commanded to be faithful. You see friends our emotions have feelings but they don't have a brain. Sometimes how we feel can lead us to make detrimental choices. Choices that rob us of the blessing God gives when we are faithful. It is in these times God proves to us why it was important to get out of bed and make an effort to check in that day.
It seems like Satan always knows how to get us down and he knows how to give us a few excuses that are valid reasons for staying home or not signing up. That's the tricky thing about the ultimate deceiver. He doesn't care how he keeps you out of community as long as you choose to not connect. It doesn't matter to him if it's too many kid's activities, a crazy work schedule, or young kids in the home. He doesn't care if our reasons are valid, he just wants our reasons to exist because as long as we have an excuse not to commit, he wins and God's design for our lives is stifled and lessened into what we can handle instead of something much bigger that can only be experienced through Christ.
Unless we get rid of the excuses and peel back the layers of why we really will not commit to Biblical community then we will never grow deeper, love greater, and experience all that Christ has to offer through His church. No matter what walk of life you are in, it was not meant to be lived alone. God designed Biblical community to stretch us, grow us, and sustain us through every faze and down every road. We cannot do this without each other. It's crazy to me how impoverished people understand this. They truly need each other to survive but even in their poverty they are content and blessed through Biblical community. So why is it when we have full bellies and clean clothes we down play and decide this is what is on the chopping block? I can't live without (fill in the blank) so I can't find the time to join a small group. I'd love to but I can't because of _________ so I'm going to have to pass.
Through our absence we rob ourselves of the growth God intended to take place in our lives. We opt out of the blessing that comes from being truly known and we make it very easy to come to church once a week wearing a mask to hide the sins we struggle with. We keep others at arms length and wonder why our relationships are suffering, our kids are not spiritually maturing and our lives feel incomplete and unsatisfying. Without connection, everything suffers. We were not designed to spend an hour a week ingesting God's word but never digesting it through small group discussion.
So my challenge to you my friend is this. I challenge you to be real with yourself and truly ask yourself what's stopping you from investing in a small group and experiencing what God designed for us in Biblical community. How can you evaluate your life and schedule to commit hour or two each week to go deeper in His word with others and building relationships with Christians who experience the same crazy chaos daily that you claim to be your own. Peel back the layers and really look at yourself and see if you can give some time to experience what God designed to sustain us and encourage us this side of heaven.
It's not easy friends and sometimes you will have to just be faithful and go but I promise you God will honor your commitment and through a small group you will experience the beauty of realness and the peace that comes from a group of people who love you through it all and have your back when you are up against a wall. Give it a try and connect in your local church more than just Sunday mornings. Invest in what can make a long term difference in your life, your marriage, and the lives of your children. Prioritize the things of Christ and be faithful so He can bless you in your sacrifice.
So why do I invest in the church so much? Why do I choose to not listen to my emotions at times and go even when my house is falling apart and my mind is completely mush? It's because my house is falling apart and my mind is completely mush that I make community a priority... I have no where else to turn. You see friends. Our schedules will always be full and we will always have chaos. I have a full time job, 4 kids, and a full-time ministry. If my house was not chaotic I would worry I left a child at Walmart. That's the faze of life I'm in. I am surviving some days friends, but church and community that's my life jacket. These people pull me back unto the ship and by studying together and praying together I start to gain perspective. When I hear their stories and laugh when their children hit each other with foam noodles, I realize I'm not the only one raising future Wipeout contestants. The church and its people help me peel back the layers of crazy chaos to expose the beautiful blessing of love, family, and parenthood.
This beautiful thing called community which God created to hold us accountable, encourage us in hard times, and push us to be our best is worth investing in. People think Nick and I always want to be at church because we are in ministry. I can honestly say that is not true. There are days we go out of shear commitment. But here's what I've learned. On the days I make myself go, God always shows up and I see why we are commanded to be faithful. You see friends our emotions have feelings but they don't have a brain. Sometimes how we feel can lead us to make detrimental choices. Choices that rob us of the blessing God gives when we are faithful. It is in these times God proves to us why it was important to get out of bed and make an effort to check in that day.
It seems like Satan always knows how to get us down and he knows how to give us a few excuses that are valid reasons for staying home or not signing up. That's the tricky thing about the ultimate deceiver. He doesn't care how he keeps you out of community as long as you choose to not connect. It doesn't matter to him if it's too many kid's activities, a crazy work schedule, or young kids in the home. He doesn't care if our reasons are valid, he just wants our reasons to exist because as long as we have an excuse not to commit, he wins and God's design for our lives is stifled and lessened into what we can handle instead of something much bigger that can only be experienced through Christ.
Unless we get rid of the excuses and peel back the layers of why we really will not commit to Biblical community then we will never grow deeper, love greater, and experience all that Christ has to offer through His church. No matter what walk of life you are in, it was not meant to be lived alone. God designed Biblical community to stretch us, grow us, and sustain us through every faze and down every road. We cannot do this without each other. It's crazy to me how impoverished people understand this. They truly need each other to survive but even in their poverty they are content and blessed through Biblical community. So why is it when we have full bellies and clean clothes we down play and decide this is what is on the chopping block? I can't live without (fill in the blank) so I can't find the time to join a small group. I'd love to but I can't because of _________ so I'm going to have to pass.
Through our absence we rob ourselves of the growth God intended to take place in our lives. We opt out of the blessing that comes from being truly known and we make it very easy to come to church once a week wearing a mask to hide the sins we struggle with. We keep others at arms length and wonder why our relationships are suffering, our kids are not spiritually maturing and our lives feel incomplete and unsatisfying. Without connection, everything suffers. We were not designed to spend an hour a week ingesting God's word but never digesting it through small group discussion.
So my challenge to you my friend is this. I challenge you to be real with yourself and truly ask yourself what's stopping you from investing in a small group and experiencing what God designed for us in Biblical community. How can you evaluate your life and schedule to commit hour or two each week to go deeper in His word with others and building relationships with Christians who experience the same crazy chaos daily that you claim to be your own. Peel back the layers and really look at yourself and see if you can give some time to experience what God designed to sustain us and encourage us this side of heaven.
It's not easy friends and sometimes you will have to just be faithful and go but I promise you God will honor your commitment and through a small group you will experience the beauty of realness and the peace that comes from a group of people who love you through it all and have your back when you are up against a wall. Give it a try and connect in your local church more than just Sunday mornings. Invest in what can make a long term difference in your life, your marriage, and the lives of your children. Prioritize the things of Christ and be faithful so He can bless you in your sacrifice.
As I wrap up my day, I celebrate the goodness of God. In His goodness, He gave us community so we would have others to share with, laugh with, cry with and carry when the road is too hard. May we all value this gift and all the blessings that come from being real with others. Let's tear off the masks and open our hearts and homes to others just as broken as we are. Let's stop giving reasons why we can't connect and start realizing we can't afford not to.
Thank you Jesus for your love and provision. Thank you for the gift of friendship and community. Thank you for giving us Your word and the joy of being known by others so we do not have to navigate this crazy world on our own. I celebrate You and Your goodness and I praise You in all circumstances and situations.
Thank you Jesus for your love and provision. Thank you for the gift of friendship and community. Thank you for giving us Your word and the joy of being known by others so we do not have to navigate this crazy world on our own. I celebrate You and Your goodness and I praise You in all circumstances and situations.
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