thinking & writing on faith, life, mentoring, and motherhood
Here is the shared experience of those who travel Christian’s road, whether new or old in the faith: wrestling with “right” decisions, fighting doubts, putting off behavior and thoughts of the old man that do not honor Christ, grappling with understanding theology and God’s commands. These struggles threaten to steal any joy from living this life, and they don’t even come close to the battles that thousands upon thousands of worthy Pilgrims fight every single day for the sake of the gospel.
Imagine how equipped an army hospital would have to be to deal with the tribulations that Christian experienced. Consider how ill-equipped many of us are to minister to the wounds and trauma inflicted in Apollyon’s battle against the church. But according to verse 17 of John 15, we do have one balm and solace to offer our stricken comrades: These things I command you so that you will love one another.
As I contemplate this new year, I pray that, along with changing out batteries and light bulbs and stinky old dishrags, I’ll switch out my thinking and my habits. That I will no longer fear being out of control, but that I will bend the knee and rejoice because HE is in control. That I will meditate on the glorious bounty of God’s sovereignty and His goodness and His kindness, and put on faithfulness and trust and submission as the new creature in Christ that He has made me to be.
When we face famine and disease, loss of loved ones, disaster, brutal conditions, do we cling to an otherworldly view of this life, an understanding that this is not all there is, that we’re passing through to God’s better country?
As we weep for Paris and mourn the deaths of innocents who were caught in the crossfire of a brutal attempt to achieve acceptance with a non-existent god, let us also pray for the Sauls of Islam.
Looks fade; shared interests in fads and fancies wane. Love built on companionship, sealed by Christian integrity, and sprinkled with like-mindedness withstands the battering of discontentment, selfishness, and distrust.
That the very presence of adversity is the evidence that God is dealing directly with my heart. There seems to be a connection between the deafness of my spiritual ears and the pain and discomfort I feel in life. Pain and discomfort—I get it, how it’s a conduit through which the Lord will work patience and longsuffering and faith.
Being sisterless in childhood should make my sisterhood in Christ even more precious. Okay, so maybe I don’t sit around giggling and whispering with these ladies who sit next to me in Bible studies (well, not usually) or work with me on committees or tag me on Facebook posts that extol the glories of God. But there’s still joy and enjoyment!
The world thinks power is in withholding forgiveness; God restores kingdom order with forgiveness.
The Shepherd’s call is so particular and so unique to his own sheep, that other sheep would not respond. In fact, it is the call itself that transforms the sheep, that gives them this new identity as HIS sheep, and it is so powerful and persuasive and contains all the mystery of the ages and the glory of heaven, that it draws these newly transformed sheep to their loving and caring shepherd — our wonderful Savior.
#thereyougothinkingagain 