Fan the Flame

Picture this. It's your birthday, and you sit surrounded by a pile of presents. You reach for the first one, and it's that movie you've been dying to see since it was in theaters. You immediately put it in the DVD player. You reach for the second and tear into it. It's a book that's been on your reading list for quite some time now. By the time you've reached the bottom of the pile, you've got quite a collection going. All from people who care about you.

Based on my experience, you're going to do one of three things with those gifts. 

1. Use it as often as possible
2. Put it on a shelf or in the back of the closet and forget about it.
3. Run to every store in town and hope one of them will give you a refund or trade it without a receipt

Ever had one of those gifts that you wanted to take back and couldn't? I have. I remember one particular year, I received a purse for Christmas. Nowadays, I'd probably be glad to have a new purse, but back then, I hated it. I was not into anything a typical preteen girl would be into, and wondered why some of my family members hadn't figured that out quite yet.

What about those gifts that get forgotten? I own books from five or more years ago that are still on my reading list because I found a new book that seemed more interesting.

Now stop and think about this. What gifts has God given to you? It could be one of the spiritual gifts specifically listed in the New Testament. It could be a talent or skill. It could be an education. It could be a job or people in your life. It could be a relationship - or even the lack of one. 

With each of those gifts, you have a choice of what to do with it. 

1. You can develop it, make it stronger and use it for His glory.
2. You can neglect it, forget to practice it and let it slowly die.
3. Or you can try to give it back.

Recently, God has been challenging me to use all the gifts He's given me. And I say challenge because that's exactly what it is. I have at least one gift He's been holding out for years, and I keep pointing at the gifts He's given other people, asking for those instead. But now I'm trying to learn how to not only receive it, but use it.

I also have gifts He's asked me to take off the shelf. My writing is one of those gifts. Writing this post is a means of holding myself accountable. My goal is to share at least two posts per month, and if you notice that's not happening, feel free to call me on it. Also, if there are any topics you would like for me to address, please share, and I'll see what I can do. I'm not an expert on much of anything, but I can always share what God is teaching me.

By the way, that purse I so desperately wanted a refund for, I ended up using about five years later. Every day for months, and I liked it. Those old books, I'm reading them now, and they're life-changing. And I get the feeling that accepting, using and developing the gifts God has given me is going to be even better.

So join me in this challenge. Share with me and others:

• What gifts has God given you?
• What have you been doing with them up to this point?
• What are you going to do now to develop them and use them for His glory?

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gif of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands." - 2 Timothy 1:6 (NIV)

Because of Love

"If you love Me, keep my commands." - John 14:15

"What is your why?"

That's what a friend asked me last week when I told her about a challenge I was facing. A challenge that came while doing what God has called me to do. I knew when I decided to be obedient to Him that this particular calling would be inherently hard. But I saw a need, and I was excited to let God use me to meet that need.

So when my friend asked why I had decided to do what God asked of me, I was able to give her a list of reasons. There's a need. There's brokenness. God can fix it. To be honest, the biggest reason was simply that God told me to do it.

Throughout life, God is going to ask us to do many things. Some things will make sense, and others won't. Some will be easy, and some will be hard. Every time He asks, we have to choose if we will be obedient or not. (I highly, highly recommend obedience.)

In my life, I've had to learn obedience. When I have chosen to do what God says, I've normally had a reason for it. Here are a few of those reasons.

1. I'm a Christian, so it's what I'm supposed to do.
2. He's God, and I know I'll eventually give in anyway, so why wait?
3. I haven't heard anything new from Him since I decided not to do what He said, and I'm tired of it.
4. And in the last two years or so, I trust Him because I know He knows better than I do.

All reasons I have used. I actually thought I was doing well when I was choosing to obey Him out of trust rather than obligation or need. But NONE of those are the motivations God wants us to have when we obey Him.

This week, for the first time in my life, I understood why He said that if we love Him, we'll obey Him.

You see? When my friend first asked why I was doing this specific task, the reasons I listed helped get me through the next few days. But then things got even harder. Suddenly, those reasons didn't seem good enough. Even trusting God didn't seem good enough. The trouble just didn't seem worth it anymore. Even though I knew it would be disobedient and keep me from part of His purpose for my life, I wanted to quit.

But God reminded me of the need I saw when He first asked me to do this. He reminded me that He's the one who showed me the need. He showed me, because it breaks His heart too. But unlike me, He can do something about it. He can free people. He can restore relationships. He can heal wounded bodies and broken hearts. He can bring purpose and fulfillment. If only someone will lead people to Him.

That's when I realized something. No matter how much we want to please God, no matter how much we trust that He knows best, eventually, we get tired or hurt or both (by people, not God). Those reasons to do as He says are no longer enough. But if we truly love Him, we'll stick with it. We'll stick with it because what breaks His heart, breaks our hearts as well. We'll stick with it because we want to see Him do what only He can do. We'll stick with us because we know it brings Him joy to use us.

So, what's your why? What has God called you to do and are you being obedient? If you are following Him, what's your reason? If you're not, what will it take to change your heart?

When Justice Wins

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8

The jury enters the courtroom, and the judge orders the defendant to rise. Those still in their seats are on the edge. Everyone is anxious for the verdict. "Guilty." The plaintiff breathes a sigh of relief. The guilty party continues holding his breath, awaiting a sentence.

Even if you've never been in a courtroom, you can probably picture this scene. It has been depicted in television shows and movies for years. As humans, something in us seeks justice. And maybe that's why those shows and movies have been so popular.

I'm a social worker. Justice is a huge part of my job, so much so that seeking social justice is a part of the code of ethics all social workers must abide by. As a result, I have spent a good deal of time in the last year trying to understand justice.

The world's definition of justice is cut and dry. If you did wrong, you must pay. If wrong was done to you, you should receive payment. Justice means a thief must repay what he stole. Justice means a murderer faces life imprisonment or the death penalty. But as a Christian, I want to seek justice God's way. And His justice is so different from our own.

God's perfect justice nails an innocent man to a cross.

Perfect justice doesn't seek retribution. Perfect justice seeks to make right what has been made wrong. In my job, I see children every day who were born into situations beyond their control. Justice means giving them a safe, happy home. We give the parents another opportunity to provide that home by helping them right the wrongs that brought their children into state care. Ideally, the children return to their parents but in a safer and more stable environment.

God did the same for us. We were born into a world we couldn't control, a world full of sin and suffering. But He still wanted to have a relationship with us. We couldn't have that relationship on our own, so He found a way to make it happen. Just like the children I work with can't overcome abuse and neglect alone, we couldn't overcome sin alone. So God sent His Son, the one who could overcome it, to make things right. 

Because of God's perfect justice, our relationships with Him can be restored.

The lengths God went to amaze me. I'm the one who deserved to die on a cross. I'm the one who deserved to be punished. But Jesus took my punishment. He died in my place. And in doing so He allowed me to have a relationship with Him. He allowed me to opportunity to live with Him for all eternity.

And He did the same for you.

I've seen a courtroom full of lawyers, caseworkers, family members and court members celebrate when a child returns to a parent. But the celebration in that courtroom is nothing compared to the celebration in heaven when any one of us returns to God. 

If you haven't already, now is your chance to accept God's justice. Now, is your chance to form a relationship with Him. All you have to do is say yes. When you do, there will be a party in heaven like you can't imagine.

At Your Feet

It's a cool warm summer night. You've been working hard all week, and you're looking forward to a night of relaxing with some of your closest friends. These nights haven't happened much this summer, and you can't wait for this one.

There's just one problem. You promised them dinner. It's an hour until they arrive and you haven't even started cooking yet. But it's okay. You're preparing this dinner specifically for a friend who is about to move. It's one of his favorites, so it's worth taking the time out of the hangout to finish the meal.

About an hour after your friends arrive, you finally take the food out of the oven. You sit down to dinner with them. You talk. You play a game - a group favorite, one that few of you have played since that night. The night gets late, but you don't care. You know this is one of those nights you'll remember forever.

This story isn't just a story. It's one of my favorite memories from this past summer. And I wouldn't change one bit of it. But I'll tell you this. Had I spent the entire night in the kitchen, I would have hated that night, and it certainly wouldn't be a night I'd remember years from now.

It kind of reminds me of one of my favorite Bible stories.

"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her'." - Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

Over the last few months, a lot has changed in my life. I graduated college. Several of my friends have moved across the country or around the world. I've moved back home and started my first "big girl" job. In different ways, it's been both easier than I expected and harder than I planned.

The one thing that hasn't changed is knowing I am where God wants me. I also know some of what God wants me to do, and that's where the problem came in.

Most times, it's easier to be like Martha than Mary. We know how to be busy. We know how to work. We know how to be anxious and troubled. In our fast-paced culture, it's normal.

But God wants so much more than that.

God wants a relationship with us. He wants to come into our lives and sit down with us and eat with us (Revelation 3:20). He wants to be our portion, and when we choose to sit at His feet, He will never take that away from us. 

Serving God is good. In fact, He expects us to serve Him. After all, if we say we're Christians, He is our Lord. When we go out to work or school, when we're spending time with our families, and even when we're enjoying some alone time, we should be serving Him. But how often do we become "distracted with much serving"? How often do we forget that our relationship is more than just one of Master and servant?

God also wants a relationship of Love. He wants one of friendship. He wants one of sharing and communing together. When we come to Him, He wants us to enjoy our time with Him. He wants us to be able to rest and find peace. He wants us to share our concerns and our happiness. And He wants to share all the same thing with us. 

It's just like that night I had my friends over for dinner. I had promised to serve them dinner. I think they would have been a little disappointed, if not upset with me, had I not fed them. Because I've said I'll serve God with my whole life, He expects me to do what He asks of me.

But I also like to think that my friends would not have enjoyed that night nearly as much had I stayed in the kitchen working all night. After all, preparing dinner and dessert for five people takes time. Plus, that's a lot of dishes to clean, and you know you're not going to want to clean them after they leave. But they're not my friends because I feed them. They're my friends because they love me. And God didn't die for me just so I could do everything He told me. His laws were in place long before that. He died so He could have a relationship with me, and that relationship requires spending time together.

So here's a challenge. Evaluate yourself. See if there are any ways you're being distracted, even if it's with much serving. Then, get rid of those distractions. Sit at His feet. Choose what will never be taken away.

Let those times with Him become moments you'll never forget. 

The Time in Between

What am I here for?

It's a common wondering. Everyone wants to know there's a reason for their existence. Otherwise, what's the point?

In the church world, we do know there's a reason. We're told God created us for a purpose. He has a specific plan for your life. Then we spend years trying to figure out what it is.

In my quiet time the other day, it occurred to me. What if we only lived for the specific purpose God has for us? What if the unique call on our lives that we long to know was the only thing we did with our lives?

Let's face it. That's exactly what most of us do. We spend the first part of our lives trying to find out what that call is. When we do find out, we wait around for it to happen. Or we try to make it happen immediately.

I'll admit it. I've been one of those people. I asked for years what God wanted me to do with my life. I spent a lot of time trying to make whatever it was fit into what I wanted to do with my life. In the past year, God has blessed me with the knowledge of what He wants me to do for at least part of my life. (By the way, fitting it into what I wanted to do didn't happen, except now that I know Him better, I want to do it anyway.) I know I need to prepare for what He has for me, but I spent most of this summer completely focused on that future call. I forgot about where I am right now.

God knows what He's doing though. He made sure that changed. In my Bible reading I've been learning about different people. People who knew their purpose, who knew the job God had planned for them. People like David, Paul, and of course Jesus. Each of these people knew his special purpose. They prepared for it, but they didn't forget the job right in front of them.

David knew he was going to be king of Israel. But what if he only lived for that? Would Israel have been rescued from the Philistines when Goliath challenged them? Would he have had the support he needed to become king when Saul and Jonathan died?

Paul knew he was the one to bring the good news of Jesus' life, death and resurrection to the Gentiles. But what if he had only lived for that? How many more Jews wouldn't have heard? How many more Jews wouldn't have believed?

Jesus. His purpose was to be the sacrifice for our sin. But what if He had only lived for that? How many people would have remained sick? How many would have remained blind? How many would have remained in the grave prematurely? How many would have continued looking for a Messiah that would save them from Roman rule? How many of us would have not heard the Good News because someone dying and coming back to life is cool but if He didn't care about people isn't really someone worth dying for, let alone living for?

Yes, God has a specific place He's called us. He has a specific group of people He wants us to reach. But He has things for us to do before we get there. People to Love, places to go, things to learn. He created mankind to be in a relationship with Him. If we don't have the relationship with Him or lead those around us into that relationship, we won't be ready for our unique purpose.

God will make it happen when it's supposed to happen. Until then, what are we doing to accomplish our original purpose and help others accomplish theirs?

The Birds of the Air

"Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to Him than they are?" - Matthew 6:26

When you were a baby, did you have food? Or did your parents have food? Did you feed yourself or did your parents feed you? Did they feed you when you were full or when it was the right time?

I'm pretty sure, that when you were a baby, your parents bought food. They shared it with you. (I mean, why else would they buy canned mush?) They fed you, and they fed you when you were hungry. You were wholly dependent on them because you couldn't earn money, you couldn't go grocery shopping, you couldn't open the can of baby food, and you couldn't lift the spoon to your mouth.

Raw dependence. I have heard that phrase over and over again this year. To be honest though, I've only just started to figure out what it means and looks like. To be even more honest, figuring it out is terrifying. You know why?

Because you learn raw dependence on God by having no other option than to depend on Him to get you through. And it is FRIGHTENING!

This is especially true in the area of finances and God's provision. I've always known God could provide. I've always known He would. I've seen Him provide for other people. I've seen Him provide for my family even. Even though I've seen Him provide for so many other people, I've never been the one in control of the finances that were running short without Him. Until last month.

What God taught me is not that He provides. What God taught me is that He wants us to depend on Him and not what He provides.

In the Old Testament, when God gave the Israelites manna, He did it on a daily basis. They were only supposed to gather what they and their family needed for the day. If they did take more than one day's worth, it went bad before the next day anyway. God wanted them to trust that He would provide from them every single day.

I'm finally starting to understand that God doesn't run on our time table. We want to have enough stored up to get us by for a year, but oftentimes, being fully dependent on God means waiting on His timing. His timing always feels like the last minute. Learning that is not fun.

Until He comes through.

He comes through, and you suddenly realize how wonderful it is to depend on Him. The more you depend on Him, the more you can see His promises come true. You see His promises come true because you're looking for them and because you're giving Him room to keep them instead of trying to help Him out.

When it looks like there's no way, God shows up and shows out. He does something that only He can do. He sends a mysterious bread-like substance on a daily basis. He sends 105 million quail just so there's meat to eat. He multiplies five loaves and two fish into enough to feed 5,000 men plus women and children with 12 baskets left over. He puts an envelope with just enough to pay your tithes and your bills on your bed.

God cares for the animals and the flowers because He made them. He made you too. You are far more valuable to Him than they are. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will always provide at exactly the right time.

I'm excited to spend the rest of my life depending on Him and letting Him fulfill His promises in my life. Join me in this journey of faith. Ask God what His promises are for your life and watch how He brings them to pass.

In Your Presence

I have come to a realization. Jesus died so I could be with God.

It's not like I haven't known that for years. That's the most basic explanation for why Jesus came to earth, died on the cross and rose again. Sin separated us from God, He wanted us to be with Him for eternity, so Jesus died. There's more to it though. It's not just about eternity. It's about the here and now.

Back in the day, and I mean way back in the day, only select people were allowed to be in the presence of God. Only the priests could go into the Holy of Holies where God's Spirit dwelled. Even they had many regulations to follow. They had to live holy lives. To be in God's presence they had to follow very specific rules. They could only enter His presence with worship and sacrifice. If anyone else entered the Holy of Holies or if the priests didn't follow the rules exactly, they died.

I've been reading a lot in my Bible about the Tent of Meeting, the Tabernacle, the regulations the Israelites had to live by. The Bible makes it pretty clear that being with God was both a privilege and a responsibility. The priests back in the day may have lived with a lot of requirements. But they had a privilege no one else had. 

A sacrifice had to be made for anyone to enter God's presence. That's why Jesus died. God wanted to be with us. He didn't want to be separated from His people. Not by death. But also not by a curtain.

Jesus' death did more than allow us to live with Him for eternity. It allows us to enter His presence now. The sacrifice has been made. By dying on the cross, Jesus granted us the privilege of walking and talking with His Spirit daily. Like the priests in the Old Testament, we can enter His presence. We can seek His will for our own lives. We are constantly in His presence.

As much as I appreciate God's gift to me, the privilege He has blessed me with, I'm starting to question myself. I say I'm grateful to be able to enter His presence, but do I truly honor His presence like I should? I'm not going to be struck down immediately if I don't. Jesus brought grace for that. But after all, He is holy, and holiness deserves to be honored.

God wants more than to just be where we are. He wants to fellowship with us. He wants us to know Him. He wants to be worshipped. When we do that, we enter His presence. It's something we can do every second of every day. Our life looks different when we do. I mean, Exodus says Moses' face was radiant after spending time on the mountain with God.

I'm starting to understand what this looks like in my life. For starters, acknowledging Him all the time. Thanking Him no matter what the circumstances. Even when it's cold and dreary outside. (If you know me, you know how big of a deal it is for me to be thankful for a cold and dreary day.) Letting God shine in my life is something I'm still working on, but I'm beginning to see it as a privilege that comes with the responsibility of sharing it with others.

If you're someone who wants to live in God's presence constantly, make a decision now. Make the decision to fellowship with Him constantly, to worship Him constantly. Make the decision to be obedient to all of His commands. It'll make a difference in your life. Even if you can't see it, someone else will. When they do, they'll be moved to worship the true God as well.