A higher kind of love.

It’s Valentine’s day, so let’s talk about real love. A higher kind of love. Imagine, for a moment, that your world didn’t start with you. What if you’re first awareness of yourself was not that you discovered yourself, but that yourself was revealed to you? What if, before you took your first breath, before you saw your first light, your life was designated, set apart, for a much greater purpose. Can you picture it?

It’s true, you know!

You entered the world in which you live and the essential parts of your life were already in existence. Since then, you have been surrounded by a love that you didn’t manufacture. You have grown into a life that you neither created, nor provided for. Your hopes and dreams are not yours, but were planted in your heart before you understood.

Your life didn’t start with you. Your awareness of God won’t start with you. Your eternal life won’t start with you, either. Before you were born, God loved you with an everlasting love. You didn’t earn it, you don’t deserve it, nor did you even ask for His love. But, you are drawn to it. The only choice you have now is to accept His love, or reject it. I’d love to hear your choice.

A higher kind of love.

Watch. Listen. Respond.

Happy Valentine’s day, loved one.

Donna

Does Your Bucket List Need Tweaking?

We all have one.  You know, a list of things we hope to do before we die.  As we approach middle age, however, we become more aware that our days are numbered.  As a result, we can become quite aggressive in our attempt to see those goals realized.  Some people want to learn a new language.  Others want to skydive.  Still others hope to write a book, or read one.   What are your “must-do’s”?

I’ve been overwhelmed, lately, by all the demands for my time.  I’ve felt guilt when someone reminded me, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that I had dropped the ball.  On the not-done list; some family responsibilities, church involvement, participation at Tae’s school.  I also forgot to follow through on a promise that I had made. While I was doing one thing, I felt guilt for not doing another.  When I was with one person, I was anxious about others.  I confess, I had the thought, “when is it my turn”?  Then I instantly felt guilty for my selfish ambition.

I listened to the voice of the Accuser for several days.  I discovered that guilt was good; it showed me there was a problem.  Rather than attempt to mask my pain, I asked God to reveal the source and show me the way to freedom.  On my bucket list is to leave a lasting impact for God.  My problem wasn’t that I was not doing the “good” works, but that I wasn’t giving it my work my “best”.

The Rocking Chair Exam.

What really matters?  At times, it can be hard to discern.  David prayed,  “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.”  Psalm 34:9.  I call this the Rocking Chair Exam.  We tend to think in priority order and God does have some priorities.

The Bible commands us to be “wholly devoted” , or to give unremitting care to a number of spiritual disciplines.  Though not an exhaustive list by any means, if you give yourself completely to these priorities, though others may accuse you, you can be at peace with God.

God’s Wholly Devoted To-Do List:

Prayer.  We are to pray without ceasing.  There isn’t one “right” way to pray, but in all circumstances there is a best way to pray.  Paul said, “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests”.  1 Thessalonias 5:17.

Teaching of the Word of God.  The early church believers met together daily, in the temple courts, to hear the Word of God taught.  Acts 2:42.  Meeting that frequently may sound unrealistic to you, but are you spending daily time in the Word?  Do you go to church weekly, at least?

Ministry of the Saints. According to 1 Corinthians 16:15, ministering includes: sacrificial giving of money, physical labor, child care, emotional and spiritual support, to any believer that has need.

Fellowship.  Acts 2:42, records that the early church members were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Barnes’ Notes on this passage read, “they had addicted themselves to these things”.

Good work.  By God’s standard: “Well reported of for good works; if he/she has brought up children, cared for widows, lodged strangers, washed the saints’ feet, relieved the afflicted.  Double honor is given to those who direct the affairs of the church, and especially to those who preach and teach.  1 Timothy 5:10-18.

Not excluded from this list is our responsibility to diligently care for our spouse, our own physical needs -  including rest and fun – integrity to our jobs and sharing the gospel with unbelievers.  These are non-negotiable and should never be ignored.  We tend to think of our priorities in number order and in terms of accomplishments, or getting things done.

God.  √
Spouse/Family.  √
Work out.  √
Have some fun.  √

To God, reading my bible is not more important than the time I spend with my husband.  My husband is not more important to God than my children, or my church family.   In God’s kingdom, each one is of equal value and of the same urgency.  I am only capable of being wholly devoted to one thing at a time.  Whatever I do will only have a lasting impact if, in the moment-by-moment, I am wholly devoted to glorifying God.

Consider this diagram for a paradigm shift.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 1 Col. 1:17

From God all blessings flow.  God is the bucket.  He directs the steps. Devote yourself to Him and He will hold all things together.

Don’t toss it, tweak it.

When you come to the end of your days, you want to know that you didn’t merely count your days, but that your days counted.

You don’t need to toss out all of your plans.  However, it is wise to review your goals. Is God at the center?  In other words,  does your list represent self-interests, or will God be glorified through your accomplishments?

Grace to you, my friend.

Donna

Gong Xi Fa Cai. The Year of Grace.

THE YEAR OF GRACE.

Gong Xi Fa Cai, or happy Chinese new year.  Much in the same way that we, in our western culture, celebrate by ringing in the new year with fireworks, feasting, and family celebrations, or in my case by sleeping, today millions across Asia begin to welcome in another new year.  For the next 15 days, in various ways, many will seek to find good luck to sustain them, in the Year of the Dragon.

This ideology of luck is popular in many cultures, partly because luck, good or bad, is random and by chance.  There is no personal involvement, no accountability, no required responsibility.  There is no divine force from which luck is distributed.  In fact, no one really knows from where luck comes.  If you get a favorable outcome in your circumstances, you are considered lucky.  You are said to be “down on your luck”, or “unlucky” if, when probability is involved, you have an undesirable outcome.  Apparently, some people are lucky their entire life long, while others navigate through a lifetime of misfortune.

Year, after year, many in our culture also seek to find good “luck”, or unexpected good fortune, when the calendar flips from December 31, to January 1.  Often, however, the new year presents more of the same; disappointing outcomes is all that they find.  It takes faith to believe in luck.  It takes faith to believe in luck, but you won’t find the word “luck” anywhere in the Bible.

Grace.  A lucky exchange:

Grace may be defined as the favor of God upon your life.  That description alone, however, is far too simplistic. Perhaps grace will not be fully understood until we arrive in heaven.  More easily, grace can be experienced in the following ways:

1)  By His grace, you are made aware of your sin and your inability to stop yourself from doing wrong.    Unlike luck, Scripture teaches us that we are responsible.  Not by accident, but by willful intention, you and I are guilty of sin.  You are held accountable for the wrongs that you have personally committed.

God is Holy and just, so He has proclaimed death as the penalty for all sin, for all people.  That may not sound like good news, but your first awareness of God’s grace is when you begin to look for a solution to your own sin problem.  God, because of His mercy and kindness, through the influence of His holy Spirit turns your heart toward Jesus.

2)  Because of His grace, Jesus died for you.  Grace is further demonstrated to you when:  a) you learn who Jesus is – the son of God.  b) You understand the sacrifice that Jesus made.  His love for you was so great great that Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin.  Frequently, martyrs die for the sake of others.  I’m sure most people would have no trouble with the first points, but it doesn’t stop there.  Once you have personally responded to Jesus….

3)  By His grace, He lives in believers.  On the third day after His death, Jesus rose again.  Those who believe in Jesus, through His spirit, He lives in us.  It is the only means by which we can be fully restored and find favor with God.  John 3:16.  The ability to comprehend and believe this truth in your heart also comes from God’s grace.

3)  By His grace, you are changed.  With Grace, there is no probability, no lucky chance, no accidents are involved.  There is however, this everlasting blessed assurance; by His grace, Christ keeps you.  He strengthens your faith, increases your knowledge, and reveals His love for you, all at ever deepening levels.  By His grace you are enabled to live the Christian virtues.  Paul said it this way, whether in spiritually strong seasons, or in times of testing and temptation, in good times, or in bad, His grace is sufficient for your every need.

In my mind, it takes a too much energy and emotion, too much work, too much faith, to believe in luck.  For each and every day, all year long, God’s grace is available – to all people.  Without it, there is no hope of heaven.  From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.  John 1:16.  That grace is to be paid forward, through us to others.

My friend Jocelyn and I have declared 2012 “The Year Of Grace“.   Growing in God’s grace is one of my own Spiritual Growth Goals, for 2012.

Here is my plan of action:

1:  In The Grip of Grace is great book, by Max Lucado.  I just finished reading it, again.

2:  I have compiled scripture references about grace to deepen my understanding.

3:  I continually pray to see the evidence of God’s grace, in my own life.

4:  I have asked God to place grace-growers in my life.  Specifically, people and/or opportunities that allow me to demonstrate His grace.  God has been very faithful to answer that request, so far.

5:  I will write about my insights here and share them with you.

If you would like to grow in God’s grace, join me in the Year of Grace, by making it your own goal.   Your action plan may look different from mine.  I’d be interested to hear about your strategy.  If you would like to share your insights with me, I would love the dialogue.  If you like, I may even include some of your insights in my blogs.

Grace and Peace to you, my friend.

Donna

Hiding your age? What your pride IS costing you!

DON'T RESIST GROWING OLD.

The writer of Proverbs 29 said, “a man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.”  Pride is such a sneaky sin, the hardest to see .  In many areas, often masked in humility, it blindsides us.  The Bible warns us that pride is the root of all sin, it precedes every fall.

I want to talk specifically about aging gracefully.  In our culture, especially, many feel ashamed because of their age.  But, do we stop to consider that not everyone will be blessed with the privilege of growing old?  God has numbered each of our days, so we should embrace them as a gift, rather than try to cover up the beauty of our years.

I’m going to be a grandma.  Well, actually, I’m going to be “nana”.  It’s a boy, we already know that.  Though he isn’t born yet, I love him more than I could have ever imagined.  I have already bought books, which I intend to read to him.  I’ve planned play-dates; picnics at the playground; trips to the zoo; days at the beach and feeding the ducks. The other day, I even imagined his first Christmas concert.

For sometime now, I have been working on my pride issues.  The other day, however, I flinched when someone referred to me as “granny”, and I quickly changed the subject when the question of my age came up.  I didn’t see it coming, but I had trouble admitting I was old enough to be a grandmother.

If any of this is sounding familiar to you, read on….

The Cost of Pride:

Financial cost is obvious:  Take beauty enhancements, for example, their empty promises have us spending a bajillion dollars to cover up the truth.  Much of it doesn’t work, and what does work doesn’t last.  The money spent, trying to make ourselves appear young(er), rich(er), smart(er) is money that could have had a family, community, or a kingdom impact.  Conversely, significant savings can be obtained when you are of a “seasoned” age and will admit it.

Misunderstandings: The problem with this kind of pride is that people can see our behavior, without understanding our motives.  As a result, people will misinterpret.  God forbid that my children would ever think I didn’t want to be a grandmother, but my cover up attempts have the potential to make them believe just that.  Alternatively, embracing the moment of your life will bring immeasurable blessings.

Time and energy:  So that we can bask in the approval of others, most of whom we barely know, we exhaust ourselves trying to live a lie.  The time spent, to conceal the truth, is time we could have spent with God, loved ones, or doing something we really enjoy.

Joy: God wants to bless your years. Pride robs you of all joy in aging. The trade off is years of bitterness and resentment because you focus on your lack of self-worth, rather than the gift of time.  I can’t take credit for it but, by God’s design, I don’t look too bad for 51.   When I live that truth, I feel pretty good about what God has done.

Lack of preparedness may well be the highest price you will pay.  Short of a premature death – you will get old.  Around the time of retirement, many people suffer from depression because they don’t know whose they are.  Their identity has always come from how they look, or what they do.

The best time to prepare for the inevitable is before it happens.  This season in life can be one of the most productive and fulfilling.  God will use your free time in ways you could never have imagined, if you are willing to act your age.

Here’s some simple things to do:

1).  Confess your pride out loud, to a friend.  If you don’t have someone you can trust, send me a private message.  It may feel awkward at first, however, as you speak the the truth, your pride loses power and you’ll wonder why it was ever an issue.

2).  Choose humility. I’m not talking about false humility, where you deny that God has ever done anything great with your life.  That doesn’t exalt God.

Here is an example:  When Kim and I were writing Radical Love…Forever Changed, often, there were moments when we were astonished.  The words that we wrote, were good.  We knew it was God’s work and that gave us confidence to pursue a publisher.  When we received an offer to publish our book, we were extremely excited but we weren’t surprised.  Recognize what God has done in you, throughout your years.  That glorifies HIM.

Reflection: One of the warning signs is when we bask in the glory of having others believe that which is not true, about us.  Pride causes us to want to be different, better!  It’s not that there is anything wrong with wanting to improve, unless it stems from the belief that who we are is never good enough.  That kind of thinking denies the value of who we are, in Christ.

Question:  Perhaps it’s not about your age, but what causes you to feel shame. Take time to meditate on who God says you are.  Read through Psalm 139: 13-18, for truth.

A humble spirit will obtain honor! It’s God’s promise.

Donna

Your unmovable faith. God’s immeasurable results.

"Always give yourself fully to the work of the LORD." 1 Cor. 15:58

What do Nehemiah and Martin Luther King Jr. have in common? They both had unmovable faith. God used them both to produce immeasurable results.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist Pastor, but he was best known for his role as an activist for the American-African civil rights movement.  His vision was to see every black person in America come to know freedom, in the same way that their white counter-parts experienced.

He was mocked and threatened because of his opposition to the discrimination that the black people endured.  Despite the imminent danger to his own life, he knew God would be victorious, so he refused to back down.  More than 40 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated.  Were his efforts in vain? Perhaps there is still more work that can be done, but today, on what would have been his 83rd birthday, the world celebrates the fruit of MLK’s resolve.

Likewise, the unmovable faith of a man named Nehemiah, proved that when you work diligently for the LORD, your work will never be in vain. After his country was destroyed by the Babylonians, Nehemiah took personal responsibility for the restoration of Israel.  Specifically, he spear-headed the rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.  As the work began, Nehemiah was quickly encircled by mockers, who threatened to circumvent his plans. When the wall was nearly built, the threats increased in fierceness, and so did the opportunity for discouragement.

What are you working on? The closer you get to God’s intended plan for your life, the greater the enemy’s plot to destroy you.  Are you are a parent committed to raising your children in a godly manner? Maybe a single girl, with a mindset to remain virtuous until your wedding day. Whether you are an American pastor on mission to see freedom for all, or a Christian in business with a vow to integrity, you will be mocked.  Maybe even be threatened, by others.  The question is, will you allow the enemy to win?

This was the result of Nehemiah’s commtiment: “ So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”  Nehemiah 6:15&16.

Can you imagine the outcome if you stand firm in your resolve? God is no less involved in your plans, than he was in MLK’s work, or the labor of Nehemiah’s hands. “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58.

Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech.

Click here: For further teaching on the book of Nehemiah.

God bless you as you commit your plans to Him.

Donna