My Weakness; His Strength

Oh Father God,

I come before you now offering you my whole heart. I come before you because my doubting heart is weak. But I come before you because even though I am weak, you are strong.

1 Cor. 1: 25: "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength" 

I'm burdened tonight with my generation. I see a generation of people who want to become more and more like the world and less and less like Jesus. I see a sinful nature in my own self and a fight against my selfish desires. Lord, I need your wisdom. I need your strength, your sword, your shield, your Word.

Comfort me when I am afraid to live for you.

Romans 8:38-39

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our FEARS for today nor our WORRIES about tomorrow- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's LOVE. No power in the sky above or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all creation will EVER be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" 

Remind me of how strong you are.

"Never underestimate my Jesus. When the world around you crumbles. He will be strong. He will be strong.I throw up my hands. Oh, the impossibilities. Frustrated and tired. Where do I go from here? Now I'm searching for the confidence I've lost so willingly. Overcoming these obstacles is overcoming my fear. I think I can't. I think I can't. But I think you can, I think you can...Gather my insufficiencies and place them in your hands..." -Reliant K

Lord, interrupt my thoughts with the desires on your heart. Lead me in ways I could never have thought of on my own.

Thank you God for the grace you have extended to me even when I have chosen everything but you. "[God] is not proud...He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him." -C.S. Lewis Strip me of my pride because you are not a God of pride. Remind me of this grace you have extended in the times I am tempted to be led by my anger, the bitterness I've given home to in my heart.

To you and you alone be the glory in every action, word, and desire that comes from me.

I praise you because you can use me- weak me- simply because you are strong.

Amen.

"Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." 1 Chronicles 16: 8-11

Constructive Decisions

What is something you are really against? Lying? Cheating? Couples living together before marriage? Gay marriage? Abortion?

Take this thing you are really against. Say someone you love deeply is participating in this lifestyle. Say they are in a relationship built off of lies or cheating or premarital sex... They invite you to a wedding, asking you to be a witness and a supporter of a marriage you cannot approve. Would you go? Would you walk your daughter down the aisle to a lier?

We talked about this issue last night in my small group. The Bible says to love our neighbors, but it also clearly states in the Bible that we are to live in this world but not of it ("Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" -1 John 2:15)

As Christians, we are set apart. As Christians we are supposed to look different because we have the hope of the Holy Spirit in us.

In the discussion last night, we talked about healthy decisions. We talked about what lifestyles to support. Then we trailed into talking about tattoos. Is it biblical to get them? Is it wrong? Our leader Kurt gave us this verse: 1 Corinthians 10:23 "I have the right to do anything", you say-- but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"-- but not everything is constructive"

So that's why God calls us to look different from the world. Not all things are beneficial for me to do. A tattoo might stop me from getting a really good job. Supporting a gay marriage might make others believe this lifestyle is beneficial because a Christian was a witness to the marriage. Sinning in any kind of way, seeking any selfish desire, lusting after an attractive person, thinking impure thoughts, all of these things are not beneficial. It makes me think sinful things. The mind is a beautiful thing and I should be training it to think godly thoughts.

As Christians, we should be be thinking through out actions and attitudes. Will this further advance the kingdom of God? Will this hinder someone's walk? As Christians, we are called to be intentional, thoughtful, courageous in our actions..

May the power of the Holy Spirit guide you today. May you think His thoughts, being driven by what is beneficial for the kingdom of God.

A Submissive Heart

Something my missions professor talked a lot about this past semester was missionary calling. We debated in class if willing individuals, even if not best fit for the job, should be sent out as missionaries. For a homework assignment we read a story about a family applying to the mission field. As the readers, the students were supposed to determine weather or not this family should be sent out and why.

In this story, the father has many qualifications for the job, but his wife isn't exactly on board with the mission. In his interview with the mission board, he says that he is a pastor at a church and is just waiting to go overseas to make a difference. The problem I had with this particular guy was that he was so ready to go, that he wasn't willing to stay. He felt that he could learn so much overseas and serve God better there, but he wasn't willing to serve God in the church in the states.

We talked about this issue in class. Then my professor said this, "Here's the important thing for all missions, whether in the business world, church, overseas missions, or in the home as a parent, we all need to submit our will to God's". This concept of submitting means that I'm allowing God to take me where He wants me to go. The truth is, submission should happen at many different times throughout life. Sometimes we submit playing on a team to God, saying that we will bring Him the glory whether the outcome is a win or a loss. Sometimes we submit a challenging friendship to the Lord, asking Him to give wisdom. Sometimes we submit a relationship to Him, asking that it resemble Him rather than our own selfish desires.

Submission to God has an interesting outcome. When we submit to God, He recognizes our willing hearts and rewards us with what is in our best interests in the end. Always.

Furthermore, when we submit ourselves to God, a transformation takes place in us. Our hearts change from a self-seeking attitude to thankfulness. We recognize that all the things we have are from God and we are grateful for any of the blessings He gives us. That is God's desire for us in relationship with Him: that we would submit ourselves to Him, become dependent on His will, and thank Him for His provision. Sarah Young says, "Let my Presence bring order to your thoughts, infusing Peace to your entire being" Along with His direction, He gives us the gift of peace.

Romans 8:25, 28
"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently...And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose"

All truly good things are good because they bring glory to God.

A woman is to reflect the God of heaven.

Dannah Gresh, author of And the Bride Wore White said, "We are incredible creations of God. If we lose the true essence of womanhood, we lose a very significant piece of what God has designed and the ability to fully reflect the God of heaven."

I heard Dannah Gresh speak at a purity summit when I was about 13. I wrote this quote down since my mom was sitting next to me, but a few years later was when it really started taking meaning to me. That meaning is this: what it means to reflect the God of heaven by honoring the men, and eventually one special man, He created.

Alright, so, when I created this blog its intent was to encourage others through writing about scripture and life experiences. I don't write a ton about my personal life or specifics, but there is a piece of the story of God's powerful transformation in my life I would like to share today.

When I was 12 years old, just a year before I attended this purity summit, I prayed one of the most significant prayers I had ever prayed. I had just learned my teenage cousin was pregnant. It broke my heart as she was someone I loved deeply and looked up to. I remember going off by myself, in tears, and just praying God's protection and love to be poured out over my cousin. In this prayer I began praying over her that she would seek after Christ. I was sad because I had seen her seek after Christ before and I wondered what happened. That's when my prayer began to change. I started praying over myself. I asked God to protect me. I never wanted to be separated from Him. I prayed, "God even if I stop seeking you, please find me. Protect me. No matter what I do, don't let me go". I continued praying for protection that no matter what I did in middle and high school, that God would protect my virginity and my spirit.

In the time between this prayer and the purity summit I attended, my family and I moved to intercity Chicago where I began making some unwise decisions, in particular dating a guy who wasn't following after the Lord. It was a slow process of getting off track, but after not too long I was clearly not seeking after the Lord. If I told people I was a pastor's kid, they would ask me the question: Really? My life was not reflecting the God of heaven.

It took a couple years of bad decisions, being grounded by my parents, and two very patient godly friends for me to change. At age 12 one of the most important things to me was guarding my heart and waiting for my husband. At age 16, I just wanted to give it away. Though I had two godly friends pouring into me, giving me Bible verses even when I told them to stop, I didn't value myself. The night that God transformed me was the night I had agreed to give it all away, to sleep with a guy who by no means would take any value in me. That night I just felt wrong about it and cancelled on him before it happened. That night I chose not to give myself over to a guy, but I gave my whole heart willingly to the One who would protect it for me. I chose to remember the plea I cried out at age 12, asking God to find me, no matter what I had done. And He has been faithful and just to restore me.

The rest of high school, I allowed God to transform me by choosing not to date any guy until college and to take the time to pray over my future husband. I believe I made a spiritual bond to this man I had not even met yet. I've been praying verses and over specific circumstances God has laid on my heart for him over the past four years. The Lord knows who he is, and I'm pretty sure I do too, but now is the time where I'm seeking after Christ, surrendering to His will. As I'm doing this, He is leading and restoring me with my best friend and the most wonderful man I know. He's a man who challenges me and is led by the desire to bring God Alone the Glory in everything he does...

What continually amazes me is God's amazing grace. I don't deserve any of the blessings He has bestowed upon me without it. It saddens me sometimes to think about life without Him, but when I do that I seek to remember Him and that He lives in me.

"And so we know and rely on the love of God. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them" -1 John 4:16. My prayer is this, that I would seek Christ daily, thanking him and resembling Him in my words and actions, so I may be a gift and a symbol of His love because He lives in me. May my heart be a pure heart and immense gift to the man God has called to be my partner in this life in order to encourage him for his work in the kingdom of God. May I fully reflect God.

I intend to be a gift for my husband and be the most mature version of myself I can be because of Christ. I pray that I may be graceful, compassionate, a servant. But may I also be a woman of honor.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised" -Proverbs 31:30

What does a woman of honor look like besides who she is for her husband? When I think of a woman of  honor I think of a woman who doesn't call attention to herself. This is part of her personality, but it is also shown in how she dresses. Something else I remember learning about at this purity summit when I was 13 is that a woman shows a lot about who she is in how she dresses. God has made women to be men's beautiful companion, but when I see girls walking around in attention-calling clothing I don't think the word beautiful.

Some people say that modesty is a little extreme and "uncool", but what I think is an issue is when Christians start to model themselves after what the world seeks after. A woman fully submitted to the Lord should seek to please Him by serving her brothers in Christ.

Here's a video on modesty I listened to today to understand a little better about the way guys think:
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KLKZZWNX

In this video, the speaker says that women do not realize how difficult it is for a man when women are dressed provocatively. The most confusing thing for a guy is when women in the church dress this way and expect respect. Church is the place where people should be seeking to bear the image of God rather than that of the world.

This doesn't mean we should dress in crazy oversized, ugly clothes, but it's just a request to be modest.  I feel it would be selfish of me to seek out the attention of men who I will never marry. So if I, and at times I do, feel left out or wish I had not made this decision, I remind myself that I am giving up something in order to serve not only my future husband but also honoring my God. I am seeking to be selfless.

When we decide to live for ourselves rather than choosing to live God`s way, thats exactly what we do - condemn ourselves to destruction. To some extent, selfishness always leads to death of some sort.- Rebecca St. James

And that attitude of selfishness is a sinful attitude the Lord wants to transform in all of His creation. My challenge today is that we, as women, would make a conscious effort to truly live in love by honoring men in the way we dress and surrendering ourselves to seeking after the God who promises His love will never fail, the God of transforming love and grace. Your body is a temple to the Lord, ladies. You are beautiful, chosen and loved by the Almighty God of the universe. May you feel His great love today as you seek to reflect Him, the God of heaven.

Just a fraction

I remember so many people telling me that Jesus Christ understands all of our pain because He became human and lived in this sinful world. A friend questioned me recently, though, asking that if He experienced all our pain why He didn't experience heartbreak.

What I ask is this: What if we experience human heartbreak as merely a symbol, a fraction, of His heartbreak?

I think the real heartbreak is something that I, as a sinful human being, cannot fully grasp because Jesus Christ endured the highest level of suffering.

Kenosis is the concept that Christ emptied himself, giving up closeness with the Father in order to take on the nature of a servant. Phil. 2:7-8 "He made himself nothing by taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death--even death on a cross" He gave up this closeness with the Father in order to save us, in His entire divinity, in the process taking on the complete nature of a servant. Christ does understand our heartbreak because He emptied Himself in order to experience it and through His obedience, He experienced a heartbreak on a much larger scale than we can humanly understand: death on a cross due to the rejection from creation to Creator.

We love because He has first loved us

From Our Daily Bread 

Written by David C. McCasland

Read 1 John 4:7-21

A friend described his grandmother as one of the greatest influences in his life. Throughout his adult years, he has kept her portrait next to his desk to remind himself of her unconditional love. “I really do believe,” he said, “that she helped me learn how to love.”

Not everyone has had a similar taste of human love, but through Christ each of us can experience being well-loved by God. In 1 John 4, the word love occurs 27 times, and God’s love through Christ is cited as the source of our love for God and for others. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (v.10). “We have known and believed the love that God has for us” (v.16). “We love Him because He first loved us” (v.19).

God’s love is not a slowly dripping faucet or a well we must dig for ourselves. It is a rushing stream that flows from His heart into ours. Whatever our family background or experiences in life—whether we feel well-loved by others or not—we can know love. We can draw from the Lord’s inexhaustible source to know His loving care for us, and we can pass it on to others.

In Christ our Savior, we are well-loved.

Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know—
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so! —Robinson

Nothing is more powerful than God’s love.