My daughter came home from school the other day without her daily binder. This notebook carries her school life filled with projects and assigned homework. She had left it at school and the next morning it was found in a classroom but all of its contents were missing. Not only had she lost all of the completed homework, but the thought of someone stealing from her made it even worse.
As parents, it’s easy for us to say we don’t raise children who steal, or we can’t be accountable for everything our children do. But is the act of stealing limited to taking physical possessions that don’t belong to us, or does it encompass much more?
I believe the face of stealing wears many disguises. In corporate America, we think of stealing as manipulating reported earnings or fudging our expenses, but it also includes robbing someone of their successes. I once worked for someone who notoriously took credit for accomplishments that weren’t rightfully hers. There are also bosses who steal from their employees by focusing only on the negative aspects of their performance and fail to acknowledge the successes. Even as a mom, I’m painfully reminded of a number of times I robbed my children of their accomplishments by drawing attention to the one bad grade they received among all of the good grades. I was an expert at stealing the thunder and focusing on the rainstorm.
Or how about when God blesses us with something wonderful in our lives and we pass it off as being at the right place at the right time. Are we not robbing God of His joy and gifts?
I think one of the most dangerous disguises used in stealing is jealousy. Haven’t we all been jealous of someone for something wonderful that has happened in their life? Instead of being happy for them, jealously turns to envy and we rob them of God’s generous blessings.
I’m reminded of the story of David and Goliath where a young man named David kills a giant-sized Philistine warrior who for years tormented the people of Israel. Saul, who was King of Israel, became jealous of David. Instead of praising God for the strength and courage given to David, Saul’s jealousy overtook him and eventually led to his death.
Stealing isn’t just taking physical possessions. “Thou shall not steal” must also be accompanied by a state of righteous and moral living. By planting the seed of faith in our children, we armor them with protection for the fight against temptation. We’re not asked by God to do this, it’s required of us. His laws were created because of His love for us, providing a divine shield against an immoral life. The Laws handed down to Moses combined with the teachings of Christ represent the fullness of living favorably in God’s eyes.
Today, may our children be blessed with God’s wisdom through parents who lead by example, are encouraged to read the Bible, teach their children God’s ways over the world’s, and may we all pray for discernment so that we can know the difference.
“The Lord our God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws and that you will obey him.”
(Deuteronomy 26:16-17)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
When God Speaks
One evening, I was listening to my twelve year old son share with me the details of his day. He was upset over a comment one of his friends made about him and was contemplating ending their friendship. His heart was hurting and I was trying to determine what words would bring him comfort. The only thing I could think of was asking my son if he’d pray before making a final decision. He told me when he prays, he doesn’t hear God speak to him.
I kissed him on the head and asked if he would pray one more time, assuring him that our prayers never fall upon deaf ears.
As I thought about our conversation, it occurred to me how often many of us have shared this same sentiment. Do you hear God when He speaks to you?
Truthfully, I didn’t hear God for a long time, although I knew from reading Scripture, He speaks to us all the time. Perhaps I was waiting to hear His voice in the same way Moses did when God spoke through a burning bush. But that’s just it. We want to hear God with our ears and often He doesn’t speak in a way we’re accustomed to. We also want immediate answers and God doesn’t always answer in our time line. Therefore, we turn to friends who are happy to share their advice, but how often does God’s advice differ from the world’s? God’s voice isn’t always audible, but can be heard in the hearts of those who earnestly seek Him.
For example, have you ever regretted saying something after the fact and now you’re feeling guilty? I believe the guilt is God’s way of speaking to our hearts, telling us to ask for forgiveness as He forgives us.
Or perhaps, you’re upset over something, and then realize it’s not worth getting upset over. Maybe this is God telling you to, “Let it go.”
The next day, my son had to face his friend. Once again, this boy was harsh with his words. When my son came home from school, I asked him how he dealt with it. I was waiting to hear his rebuttal remarks or maybe he gossiped behind this boy’s back, building an army of defense. But neither of these things happened. My son chose a different solution. He walked away quietly from the situation. The friendship was more important than engaging in a fight.
That night, as my son and I were saying goodnight, I told him his response was God’s voice speaking to his heart. My son knew in his heart what the right course of action would be. I was so proud of my son for hearing God and most importantly, obeying Him. We all have a track record of knowing what God expects of us, but not always obeying His Word.
Today someone may offend you and there’s even a greater possibility your words will be the wrong response. As we face our daily battles, pray and listen with your heart for God’s guidance and direction. The Apostle Paul stated,
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
When we see our battles from this perspective, God’s voice becomes audible over the noise in our lives. Begin today by seeking God through prayer. What you’ll hear is His quiet still voice speaking to the hearts who earnestly seek Him.
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”
(1Kings 19:11-12)
One evening, I was listening to my twelve year old son share with me the details of his day. He was upset over a comment one of his friends made about him and was contemplating ending their friendship. His heart was hurting and I was trying to determine what words would bring him comfort. The only thing I could think of was asking my son if he’d pray before making a final decision. He told me when he prays, he doesn’t hear God speak to him.
I kissed him on the head and asked if he would pray one more time, assuring him that our prayers never fall upon deaf ears.
As I thought about our conversation, it occurred to me how often many of us have shared this same sentiment. Do you hear God when He speaks to you?
Truthfully, I didn’t hear God for a long time, although I knew from reading Scripture, He speaks to us all the time. Perhaps I was waiting to hear His voice in the same way Moses did when God spoke through a burning bush. But that’s just it. We want to hear God with our ears and often He doesn’t speak in a way we’re accustomed to. We also want immediate answers and God doesn’t always answer in our time line. Therefore, we turn to friends who are happy to share their advice, but how often does God’s advice differ from the world’s? God’s voice isn’t always audible, but can be heard in the hearts of those who earnestly seek Him.
For example, have you ever regretted saying something after the fact and now you’re feeling guilty? I believe the guilt is God’s way of speaking to our hearts, telling us to ask for forgiveness as He forgives us.
Or perhaps, you’re upset over something, and then realize it’s not worth getting upset over. Maybe this is God telling you to, “Let it go.”
The next day, my son had to face his friend. Once again, this boy was harsh with his words. When my son came home from school, I asked him how he dealt with it. I was waiting to hear his rebuttal remarks or maybe he gossiped behind this boy’s back, building an army of defense. But neither of these things happened. My son chose a different solution. He walked away quietly from the situation. The friendship was more important than engaging in a fight.
That night, as my son and I were saying goodnight, I told him his response was God’s voice speaking to his heart. My son knew in his heart what the right course of action would be. I was so proud of my son for hearing God and most importantly, obeying Him. We all have a track record of knowing what God expects of us, but not always obeying His Word.
Today someone may offend you and there’s even a greater possibility your words will be the wrong response. As we face our daily battles, pray and listen with your heart for God’s guidance and direction. The Apostle Paul stated,
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
When we see our battles from this perspective, God’s voice becomes audible over the noise in our lives. Begin today by seeking God through prayer. What you’ll hear is His quiet still voice speaking to the hearts who earnestly seek Him.
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”
(1Kings 19:11-12)
Monday, September 14, 2009
What's A Blog Anyway?
What’s A “Blog” Anyway?
This question was asked of me from a dear friend who is seventy-eight years old. Quite frankly, I didn’t know the correct technical response, so I’ve decided to come up with my own definition. My hope is this Blog will be a constant reminder for us to:
Be Like Our God.
As I started writing, a particular individual came to mind as I was thinking about my definition. It’s funny how God will place people in your life if only for a season. My season was this past January during one of the most difficult moments of my life; the death of my mother. I remember flying in the week before she died, not knowing what to expect. Her health had declined dramatically and the role of caretaker had reversed. When I landed in St. Louis, I made arrangements for a car service to drive the three remaining hours to my hometown because I didn’t need the added stress of facing icy roads. As I was walking towards the baggage claim area, I silently prayed for something miraculous to happen. Perhaps God would send me a beautiful angel draped in white to come to my rescue, wrapping his wings around me and provide assurance that everything would be ok. Well, that’s not exactly what happened.
As I approached the baggage claim area, a tall, heavy set black man approached me. He had the hugest smile which exposed the gaping holes where teeth once resided. I noticed his coffee-stained shirt was too small as the buttons struggled to stay in their buttonholes. He introduced himself as Jimmy, the man who would be driving me to my hometown. I chuckled to myself because this wasn’t what I prayed for. I envisioned a beautiful angelic being and instead, I received a large “Santa Claus” type man. As we were waiting for my bag, he kindly asked what the occasion was for my visit. I looked up at his big broad smile and quietly stated, “My mother is dying.”
Well, you can imagine the thick silence that formed between us. Nothing more was spoken until we got into his van. While exiting the airport, Jimmy asked if he could pray for my family. I said that would be nice, but again, the unexpected happened. Jimmy started to pray out loud quoting Scripture and singing psalms of praise. For a moment, I wasn’t sure what was happening. I contemplated jumping out of the van, but we were traveling seventy miles an hour and my family certainly didn’t need two funerals to plan. Jimmy must have noticed my expression in the rear-view mirror. He asked if I believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I responded that I did. He then proceeded to share the Gospel of Luke and the story of Jesus’ return to earth. I found myself listening intently to every word and was simply amazed at this man’s passion for Scripture. I asked Jimmy if he was a preacher and he chuckled at my question. Jimmy shared with me his dark past of selling drugs as a young man to support himself and his family. He confessed he never killed anyone, but the thought had certainly crossed his mind. The last thing he said was at the lowest point in his life is when Jesus Christ revealed His love.
Tears were streaming down my cheeks as we pulled up to the hospital where my mother was staying. I hugged Jimmy in the parking lot and asked if our paths would ever cross again. I will never forget his response: “Oh Ms. J, you can be certain of that. I’ll see you at the feast!”
When he released me from his bear hug, it felt like an angel releasing me from his wings. I suddenly felt that no matter what, everything would be ok.
I haven’t seen or heard of Jimmy since my mother’s death, but I know my prayer that day in the airport was answered. God did send me an angel, although I didn’t recognize him because of my judgmental eyes. Outwardly, Jimmy didn’t look like an angel, but inwardly, he reflected the qualities of Christ more than I had ever seen. Praise God for the Jimmy’s of the world who strive every day to Be Like Our God.
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
(Psalm 91:4)
This question was asked of me from a dear friend who is seventy-eight years old. Quite frankly, I didn’t know the correct technical response, so I’ve decided to come up with my own definition. My hope is this Blog will be a constant reminder for us to:
Be Like Our God.
As I started writing, a particular individual came to mind as I was thinking about my definition. It’s funny how God will place people in your life if only for a season. My season was this past January during one of the most difficult moments of my life; the death of my mother. I remember flying in the week before she died, not knowing what to expect. Her health had declined dramatically and the role of caretaker had reversed. When I landed in St. Louis, I made arrangements for a car service to drive the three remaining hours to my hometown because I didn’t need the added stress of facing icy roads. As I was walking towards the baggage claim area, I silently prayed for something miraculous to happen. Perhaps God would send me a beautiful angel draped in white to come to my rescue, wrapping his wings around me and provide assurance that everything would be ok. Well, that’s not exactly what happened.
As I approached the baggage claim area, a tall, heavy set black man approached me. He had the hugest smile which exposed the gaping holes where teeth once resided. I noticed his coffee-stained shirt was too small as the buttons struggled to stay in their buttonholes. He introduced himself as Jimmy, the man who would be driving me to my hometown. I chuckled to myself because this wasn’t what I prayed for. I envisioned a beautiful angelic being and instead, I received a large “Santa Claus” type man. As we were waiting for my bag, he kindly asked what the occasion was for my visit. I looked up at his big broad smile and quietly stated, “My mother is dying.”
Well, you can imagine the thick silence that formed between us. Nothing more was spoken until we got into his van. While exiting the airport, Jimmy asked if he could pray for my family. I said that would be nice, but again, the unexpected happened. Jimmy started to pray out loud quoting Scripture and singing psalms of praise. For a moment, I wasn’t sure what was happening. I contemplated jumping out of the van, but we were traveling seventy miles an hour and my family certainly didn’t need two funerals to plan. Jimmy must have noticed my expression in the rear-view mirror. He asked if I believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I responded that I did. He then proceeded to share the Gospel of Luke and the story of Jesus’ return to earth. I found myself listening intently to every word and was simply amazed at this man’s passion for Scripture. I asked Jimmy if he was a preacher and he chuckled at my question. Jimmy shared with me his dark past of selling drugs as a young man to support himself and his family. He confessed he never killed anyone, but the thought had certainly crossed his mind. The last thing he said was at the lowest point in his life is when Jesus Christ revealed His love.
Tears were streaming down my cheeks as we pulled up to the hospital where my mother was staying. I hugged Jimmy in the parking lot and asked if our paths would ever cross again. I will never forget his response: “Oh Ms. J, you can be certain of that. I’ll see you at the feast!”
When he released me from his bear hug, it felt like an angel releasing me from his wings. I suddenly felt that no matter what, everything would be ok.
I haven’t seen or heard of Jimmy since my mother’s death, but I know my prayer that day in the airport was answered. God did send me an angel, although I didn’t recognize him because of my judgmental eyes. Outwardly, Jimmy didn’t look like an angel, but inwardly, he reflected the qualities of Christ more than I had ever seen. Praise God for the Jimmy’s of the world who strive every day to Be Like Our God.
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
(Psalm 91:4)
Monday, September 7, 2009
"It's ok God, I Have it Covered"...
“It’s Ok God, I’ve Got it Covered”…
As I’m writing this, I can’t help but chuckle over the number of times my actions reflected this exact sentiment; “It’s ok God. I’ve got it covered.”
I had a personal track record of taking matters into my own hands. I often prayed God would lead me in the right direction, but truthfully I was choosing the direction I wanted to take. It’s not that I didn’t trust God. The truth is I placed more trust in what I could see than what I could not.
My life is a testimony of God placing us in situations which are beyond our capabilities. I do believe in most cases, we are exactly where God wants us to be. But God does have a track record of pulling people out of their comfort zone so that His purpose for our lives can be fulfilled.
I wasn’t supposed to be a Christian writer. I was supposed to be a CEO of a company, or better yet, have my own company. I was climbing the corporate ladder of success when suddenly, my situation changed. I was placed between a rock and a hard place, having to choose between integrity or profitability. After many sleepless nights, I knew I shouldn’t be praying, but obeying by doing what God would expect of me no matter what the cost. I chose integrity but that choice ended my career because I could no longer play the corporate game. I was now facing the question,
“What do I do now?”
God had another purpose for my life which differed greatly from my own. After finally surrendering my life over to Him, my prayer became, “God, help me to be what You need me to be.”
The lesson I learned is be careful what you pray for. By placing God first in our lives, He reveals through Scripture how often our actions go against His Ways. It’s no longer about conforming to the ways of the world, but transforming to the ways of Christ.
When we decide to relinquish our control over to Him, we begin trusting Him more than our own instincts. Placing our trust in God eliminates the desire of wanting to have all the answers. In fact, it’s a relief knowing that when my life seems out of control, God remains in control. Yet, if God knows our struggles even before they happen, why do we want to take matters into our own hands rather than giving it all to Him?
Surrendering control is not an easy thing, especially for people like me who naively believed I was in control. Now when I find myself facing uncertain times, I know one thing is certain. God is sovereign and no matter what, He has it covered.
If you find yourself facing uncertain times, God’s desire is to help you through it. Anything important to you is also important to Him. Daily prayer is the remedy for receiving peace even in the midst of a storm. The Bible says the only thing we need to fear is God. We should find great comfort in this because the one thing we should fear is the One who loves us most. God is the One who has it covered.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
(Psalm 46:10)
As I’m writing this, I can’t help but chuckle over the number of times my actions reflected this exact sentiment; “It’s ok God. I’ve got it covered.”
I had a personal track record of taking matters into my own hands. I often prayed God would lead me in the right direction, but truthfully I was choosing the direction I wanted to take. It’s not that I didn’t trust God. The truth is I placed more trust in what I could see than what I could not.
My life is a testimony of God placing us in situations which are beyond our capabilities. I do believe in most cases, we are exactly where God wants us to be. But God does have a track record of pulling people out of their comfort zone so that His purpose for our lives can be fulfilled.
I wasn’t supposed to be a Christian writer. I was supposed to be a CEO of a company, or better yet, have my own company. I was climbing the corporate ladder of success when suddenly, my situation changed. I was placed between a rock and a hard place, having to choose between integrity or profitability. After many sleepless nights, I knew I shouldn’t be praying, but obeying by doing what God would expect of me no matter what the cost. I chose integrity but that choice ended my career because I could no longer play the corporate game. I was now facing the question,
“What do I do now?”
God had another purpose for my life which differed greatly from my own. After finally surrendering my life over to Him, my prayer became, “God, help me to be what You need me to be.”
The lesson I learned is be careful what you pray for. By placing God first in our lives, He reveals through Scripture how often our actions go against His Ways. It’s no longer about conforming to the ways of the world, but transforming to the ways of Christ.
When we decide to relinquish our control over to Him, we begin trusting Him more than our own instincts. Placing our trust in God eliminates the desire of wanting to have all the answers. In fact, it’s a relief knowing that when my life seems out of control, God remains in control. Yet, if God knows our struggles even before they happen, why do we want to take matters into our own hands rather than giving it all to Him?
Surrendering control is not an easy thing, especially for people like me who naively believed I was in control. Now when I find myself facing uncertain times, I know one thing is certain. God is sovereign and no matter what, He has it covered.
If you find yourself facing uncertain times, God’s desire is to help you through it. Anything important to you is also important to Him. Daily prayer is the remedy for receiving peace even in the midst of a storm. The Bible says the only thing we need to fear is God. We should find great comfort in this because the one thing we should fear is the One who loves us most. God is the One who has it covered.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
(Psalm 46:10)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
