Meaningful Mondays: Is It Time for a Spiritual Weeding?

It's been a shameful length of time since my last Meaningful Monday post.  I can't promise to have one of these every Monday, but I hope to get back into the habit of writing a couple of these a month.  :)

Spring has sprung here in SW Arkansas and so I am inspired to get out and work in the yard before the blazing summer heat rears its ugly head.  Once summer hits, I tend to hunker down inside next to the a/c until the first batch of Trick or Treaters comes by .  ;)

As I have been cleaning out flower beds and planting shrubs and trees, I've been thinking about the similarities between Christianity and gardening, specifically weeding.  Pulling weeds is one of my least favorite parts of gardening, but without it my landscaping would blend right into my lawn.

Photo by domdeen

What can Christians learn from pulling weeds?

Weeding is a continual process.  I have to check my garden and pluck the ugly stuff out on a regular basis to keep the weeds at bay.  Whenever I slack off on weeding (which I often do), my weeds multiply, and if I'm not careful they can quickly get out of control.  As a Christian, you must examine your heart, your motives and your thoughts daily in order to remove the weeds that Satan tries to plant in you.  That way, as Barney Fife would say, you can "nip it in the bud." 

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?" 2 Cor. 13:5.

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."   James 4:8.

To remove a weed for good, grab it at the root. Sometimes weeds break off before I can get a good hold on them.  The root that is left behind typically grows back into a weed again in a few days.  I could go back and forth with the weed like that forever or I could reach down, put forth the extra effort, and pull it up at the root.  Sin has to be plucked out by the roots.  Instead of keeping a temptation at arms length, remove it from your life completely.  Otherwise it will be a constant battle which will leave you spiritually exhausted.

"If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell." Mttw 18:9.

"Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed."  I Cor. 5:7.

Pulling weeds may require the help of friends.  Sometimes I run across a thicker weed that is too much for me to handle on my own so I call the hubs to help.  He jerks it out like a dandelion because is a lot stronger than I am.  There is no shame in asking your Christian friends to help you with sins and temptations in your life.  It makes you stronger, your friends stronger and the church stronger when you admit your weaknesses and seek the godly advice and wisdom of those who are mature in the faith.

"Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." Proverbs 11:14.

"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."  Proverbs 27:17.

Pulling weeds can be painful, but the end result is worth it.  I don't know about you, but bending over to jerk weeds out of the ground is hard on my back.  Those ugly, thorny weeds sometimes get lodged in my skin, leaving annoying splinters.  It's all worth it when I look at my flower beds and see only flowers!  Removing sin from can be a painful process.  It quickly entrenches itself in your life and often affects more than just you.  You may not only have to remove the sin, but mend relationships with others as well.  On the bright side, the sin is gone and you walking, once again, in step with God.  I can't think of anything better than that!

"But if we are living in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship with each other and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.  If we claim to have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  I John 1:7-9

I know none of these thoughts is new or earth shattering, but it has been a good reminder for me to spend more time caring for my spiritual garden.  What lessons have you learned from working in your garden?

So who's visiting your house?

Isn't it amazing how a series of things, conversations, studies, etc... will fall into place and you feel like God is really trying to push a point home to you?  I have noticed this happening to me more and more often.

Recently, Ms. Betty made a comment in our ladies Bible class that really made me think.  We were talking about all of the trash on tv and she said (paraphrasing), "You would never let someone come into your house and use awful language or talk about inappropriate subject matter, but yet you turn on tv and there they are.  Why is that any different?" 

Doh!  *Insert head slap.* 

I am totally inviting this stuff into my home.

On a weekly basis. 

Why is that any different?  Today I had another conversation about tv with a group of friends.  Sitting there I was thinking, how can I expect others to take me seriously as a Christian when I am not taking Christianity seriously?  I am allowing my selfish desire to be "entertained" to take precedence over living a godly life. 

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."  Proverbs 4:23.  Is it OK to just guard my heart when it's convenient? 

"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."  Mttw 18:3.  Aren't we to have the same innocence and purity of heart that we see in children?  Then why am I watching tv programs that I wouldn't want my child to watch?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I'm never going to watch television, but I'm definitely going to start making a more conscience effort to watch less and watch with more scrutiny.  We don't watch a lot of questionable programs, but I guess even if it's just one or two, then it's one or two too many. 

I'm so thankful for these moments that God uses to teach me and I pray that I will have the discipline and conviction to do the right thing.  Sorry if this is more of a ramble than a post, but it was on my heart today.

Meaningful Mondays: Walking with God, Lessons from Noah

Today I would like to preface this Meaningful Mondays post by explaining that each of these blog entries is based upon scriptures that I have come across in my study that have pricked my heart.  They speak to my own personal shortcomings (which are quite bountiful).  In no way do I mean to offend anyone or give the appearance that I think I know more than anyone else. These are just my own personal reflections.  =)

Image from ChristArt.com

Now on to Noah.  ;)  Recently, I was introduced to a year long study designed to help you Dig Deeper into the Word of God, developed by Cindy Colley.  Each month has a particular focus to help you really get into the meat of the Word and develop a better understanding of the Bible and God. 

This month's study is the book of Genesis.  As I was reading about Noah this weekend one particular verse caught my attention, "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God." Genesis 6: 9.

Noah didn't drag his feet behind God, grumbling and complaining about the stuff he had to do or try to race ahead of God by attempting to do the things that God "can't" get done fast enough.  Noah walked with God.  When God made a change in the plans, Noah was right there with Him, doing exactly what He was told to do.  

Wow!  How often do I fight God?  Many times I dig my heals into the dirt and tug and pull on God, trying to get Him to go the way that I want to go instead of walking with Him.

Here are a few things I learned from Noah about how to walk with God:

1. Noah was righteous and blameless (one version says, "had integrity") even when the rest of the world was "wicked", "violent", "corrupt" with "thoughts that were continually on evil" (Genesis 6:5 & 11).  Does that description sound anything like today?  Our world is filled with evil and corruption, but Noah proves that we can't use that as an excuse to dance with the devil.  We have the Bible for direction, a God who listens and provides what we need, the Holy Spirit to help guide us and the support of other Christians to help us on our Christian journey.  God has given us the tools and support we need to live a blameless and righteous life.
2. Noah had faith and did what God said even though it probably sounded crazy/impossible/too difficult/insert excuse here.  God gave Noah the instructions to build a boat that was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet tall.  He was told to gather up food and animals and get ready for a long stay adrift. 
   I'm pretty sure that I would have been churning out every excuse in the book to avoid that seemingly impossible task, but not Noah.  Genesis 6:22 says, "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded, so he did."  That took a great deal of faith and commitment to God on Noah's part.  Not only did he complete the task, but he did it the way God told him too.  (There's a whole new blog post there.)
3. Noah patiently waited on God.  I have a hard time waiting for God when He doesn't always move as quickly as I'd like.  Taking things into my own hands and trying to speed things along or force things to happen rarely ends well to say the least. 
   Noah was trapped in this boat for months and when it finally looked like the waters were going to recede, Noah opened the window and let out a dove.  It came back because there was nowhere to land.  He waited 7 days, sent out another one and the same thing happened.  He waited 7 more days and then sent out another that did not come back letting him know that the land was dry. 
   I don't know about you, but I would have been sending that dove out 5 times a day, hoping for a different outcome.  I would have been doing everything I could to get out of that boat!  Noah did not push things because he was a man who knew how to wait on God.  He was rewarded with a land that was sufficiently dry and ready for his family to prosper.
4. Noah worshiped God.   The first thing Noah did when He got off of the boat was to offer a sacrifice to God.  When God smelled the "soothing aroma" he decided that he would never destroy mankind like he did with the flood.  (Genesis 8:20,21).  Noah realized the importance of worship and his worship impacted God.
5. Noah was rewarded abundantly because he walked with God.  What did Noah receive by simply having faith and doing what God said?  He received salvation from the flood (Gen 8:1).  God provided Noah everything he needed for the task he was given- a plan for surviving the flood and food and animals to replenish the earth after the flood.  Noah received God's promise that He would never destroy the earth by water again.  God blessed Noah immensely by allowing his descendants to fill the earth (Genesis 9:19).

Are you walking with God or playing a game of tug of war with Him or are you running the other direction?  I definitely challenge you to study Noah and learn how he walked with God against all odds and was blessed immeasurably because of it.  


If you'd like to learn more about the study you can visit Cindy's blog here.  There is also a facebook group dedicated to the study.  Feel free to contact me if you'd like to know more.

Meaningful Mondays: An Attitude of Gratitude

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"Gratitude?  What's that?  These people should be thanking me for all that I put up with.  Seriously!!  I cook, I clean, I listen to people go on about their problems, I volunteer for different organizations and blah, blah blah.  I wouldn't have to do all the stuff I have to do if other people would do their jobs the way that I think they should!"

Does that sound familiar?  Have any of those thoughts ever crossed your mind?  I definitely fall prey to these thoughts at times when pride, jealousy and/or selfishness seep into my heart.   Self-centeredness has no place in God's kingdom even though it comes so naturally.

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people."   2 Timothy 2:1-5

Paul is telling Timothy to avoid  people like this.  Are you putting yourself first, giving more thought to your own happiness, pleasures or ego than God's or others?  Are you someone that should be avoided because their selfishness and pettiness are hurting the work of the church?  Do you try to put on a godly exterior while refusing to let God into your heart?

I think we all fall into this rut at times, but that's where developing an Attitude of Gratitude can come in!

(I borrowed the phrase Attitude of Gratitude from Mr. Steve for those of you who know him.   I'm sure he won't mind.  ;))

So how do I have an Attitude of Gratitude?

• An Attitude of Gratitude comes from a Heart of Humility.
  "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."  Philippians 2:3.
  To be a Christian who has a Heart of Humility you must constantly put God and others first and wanting what's best for them.   Gratitude and positivity will flow freely because of the love you have for others. You will continually bless others with encouraging comments instead of complaining about them behind their backs.  You notice what others are doing, even the small things and THANK THEM instead of always pointing out the one or two inconsequential things that you would have done differently.   Pray for God's help to put your own selfishness to the side and think about others.
• An Attitude of Gratitude comes from a Person of Purity.
  "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  Luke 6:45.
  If your heart is filled with dark thoughts, jealousy and malice, they are eventually going to come out of your mouth.  Pray for God to purify and cleanse your heart so that it will be full of "good treasure."  Doesn't having a heart full of "good treasure" sound like a wonderful thing?   When your heart is full of God's goodness, having an Attitude of Gratitude will be easy!

So this week's challenge is to pray a humble and pure heart so that you can show others an Attitude of Gratitude.  In theme of this post, I'd like to say how thankful I am for those of you who read this and have encouraged me to keep writing and studying.  Sometimes the only thing that motivates me is that I know at least one person who will get onto me if I don't get my post up!  Soooo... thanks!  I really appreciate you all more than you know!  <3

Meaningful Mondays- Spiritual Gifts, Part 2 Finding Your Talents

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After a conversation I had with a friend about my last post on spiritual gifts, I decided to do part 2.  Part 1 talked about being jealous of other's talents and understanding why we don't possess the same abilities that we covet in others.  During the conversation, it dawned on me that part of the reason we are jealous is because we don't really know what our talents are.  I'm guilty of these things just as much as the next person so I thought it would be a good topic to explore.

So... how can we find our talents?

1.  Pray.  Ask God for wisdom to see your talents, have faith and you will find them.  Matthew 7:7-11.  God wants to you to use your abilities or else He wouldn't have given them to you.  He will help you find them and use them the way they are intended, but remember to be prayerful and always seek to do His will and not your own. 
   
   
2. Ask someone.  This may seem like a "Duh" answer, but have you ever asked someone what they thought you are good at?  I wouldn't just ask anyone, but someone you interact with on a daily basis who you trust to give you an honest answer.  You don't want to ask someone who will just give you answers to flatter you, but who will seriously consider the question.  Others often see things in us that we can't see for ourselves.
   
   This is hard because we sometimes have difficulty taking positive comments from people.  Often we are so used to blowing off encouragement from others because we want to be humble, but humility is not about putting yourself down.  It's about lifting others up.  So, ask someone, drop your defenses and really give thought to their answer.  It may not be the answer you want, but still take time and think it over.
   
   "How much better it is to get skillful and godly Wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver." Proverbs 16: 16  Let the wisdom of others help you on your path.
   
3. Try different things.  Work with other Christians who have talents or interests similar to your own.  Ask them to teach you and then help you figure out whether or not this is something that you're good at.  Don't be thin-skinned and get discouraged about every failure.  You asked God to help you find your talents and in the process you will have to sift through the things you are not good at. 
   
   "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers," Ephesians 4:11.  Notice how the word and is used after each "job".  He didn't make somebody who could do all of those things, just like you won't be good at everything.
   
   Just because you enjoy doing something, doesn't mean that you are necessarily good at it.  I love to sing, but I can say beyond of shadow of a doubt that singing is not my "talent". :P  I can still use it for God as I'm commanded to, but I'm probably not going to be a song leader.  Fortunately, song leading is just one small talent in a sea of many that can be used for God.  Take stock of what you like to do and try to find ways to use them in God's service.  Some may not pan out, but you WILL find something that works. 

Follow these steps (especially #1) and you are sure to discover where your talents lie and how you can put them to work in the Lord's kingdom. Just remember though, "Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people."  Colossians 3:23.

Have a great week!

Meaningful Monday: In the Stillness...

Whew....this last week was one crazy week.  We had family visiting all week, celebrated little man's first birthday with a pool party, worked on home improvement projects and cleaned.  Now that the hustle and bustle have come to an end, I am indulging in the healing effects of stillness and quiet.   

Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What do you think of when you think about stillness?  Do you think about sitting outside on a cool autumn night staring at the stars or a roaring fireplace and a good book?  As a mom of a little one, I think about those quiet, peaceful moments spent holding a sleeping child.  No matter what it is, you can't help but feel the way moments of stillness allow your soul to breathe.

Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God."

God is reminding us that in the midst of the chaos we allow into our lives, that we need to take time to just be still and think about Him.

When is it especially helpful to be still?

1. In times of trial be still and know that God is in control.  God is right there with you, helping you, guiding you and comforting you.  Take time to be still and reflect on the fact that God will never leave us or forsake us.  Deut. 31:6.  Pray for strength, courage and wisdom to help you through.  
2. In times of joy be still and know that God is the giver of life's blessings.  It's easy to ask God for things, but sometimes it's hard to remember to thank Him.  Enjoy these moments, be thankful for them and store them up in your heart.  Paul tells us in Phillipians 4:8-9 to spend time thinking about things that are pure, lovely and worthy of praise.  If we think about them and practice them then the God of peace will be with us. Sounds like a good combination to me!
3. When you're at a crossroads, be still and know that God gives wisdom, generously to all those who ask for it.  James 1:5.  Life is full of crossroads, some big ones like choosing a mate, moving, job changes as well as spiritual crossroads like facing temptations, sharing Jesus with others, or deciding whether or not to grow our faith.  Be still and pray for wisdom and courage.  I can't think of time when praying for wisdom could be a bad thing.  Dig into God's word to see what it has to say.

Take time each day to be still and spend a few moments with God.   Read your Bible, meditate and pray.  Hopefully those few moments will grow as you discover the peace that comes from quiet times spent with God.

Meaningful Mondays- Planting Seeds (Guest Post by Kelly from Oh That Mom Again!)

Things are super busy around our house this week as we are preparing for the little fella's first birthday.  We have week long house guests (aka free babysitters- score!) and so much to do.  My awesome friend Kelly has so graciously agreed to do a guest post for me!

I am so excited that she is going to be my first guest poster!  She is the one who inspired me to start blogging and has helped to motivate me to keep at it.  The subject of her post is so appropriate because she planted one of these seeds in my life.  Be sure to check out both of her blogs- 365 Days of Biblical Encouragement and Oh That Mom Again.  365 will start your day off with a little devotional thought to encourage and inspire you while OTMA will inspire you in a variety of ways.. 

Turning it over to Kelly...

You never truly know the effect something you do has on someone else’s life.  

One act of kindness

One “random” post

One simple smile

One piece of paper.

A piece of paper is what helped to change my life.

To be more specific, a link to a printable changed my life.

I’ve always gone to church.  From the time I was little—on—I was always in church on Sunday morning (save the times I was sick or on vacation).

I was saved at the age of 12 Vacation Bible School.

I’ve been a Christian for years.

I knew God—But I wasn’t serving Him.

I grew up, got married, had kids---- and began only going to church sparingly.   Due to my husband’s work schedule, he was unable to go, leaving me with the task of getting 2 small kids ready to go and sit in a nursery for an hour.  It was hard, and I failed.

I knew God---- But I wasn’t serving Him.

About two and a half years ago, I started going back to church full time. It was awesome! The girls loved it. I loved it. I was content. I was happy.

I sat in my pew.

I nodded appropriately.

I left after Sunday School.

I was happy.

I knew God--- But I wasn’t Serving Him.

Then at the beginning of this summer (May 2011), I started looking for some ‘homemaking binder printables’.  Now… ANYONE who knows me knows that I never was much of a cleaner. My house wasn’t dirty… but it wasn’t spotless either (I mean, I do have 3 small kids).  However, at that time, all I could focus on was cleaning videos on youtube and blogs.  I’m sure the Lord had changed my heart so I could come upon something--- the thing that changed my life.

I “happened” upon a site called www.moneysavingmom.com.

Her daily task sheet became my favorite.  It was easy.  It was organized.  And it was something even I could do.

However, on the bottom of the page, were 2 words… 2 words.  Extra Ministry.

Those were the 2 words that changed me.

I remember sitting there daily, writing my chores for the day, and ‘trying’ not to allow my eyes to drive to those 2 words because when they did, I became convicted.

I KNEW God--- I wasn’t SERVING Him.

I remembered thinking, “WHOA!  I don’t even have one ministry!  Much less an extra one”

So, I prayed, “God, what is my purpose?  What is my ministry?  What can I (a mommy, a teacher, a wife, a sister, a daughter) possibly do for you?”

Well….  After that… or rather because of that, I found my purpose.

A few weeks later, I started writing more faith based posts on my blog, Oh that Mom Again.  That led to another blog which is solely devotionals.  The studying and preparing for those daily ‘snippets’ ignited a desire in me to write a Bible Study—and hopefully more someday. 

It caused me to pray for confidence, wisdom, guidance, opportunities to share God’s awesomeness….

It created a greater harmony at my home—

And---

A clean house. ;)

I KNEW God—and I was SERVING Him!
 
The point of all of this is—the Lady who made that daily sheet had no idea there was a woman far away from her who needed a purpose for God--- even if she didn’t know it yet.  She couldn’t have known that those 2 little words… 2 words that could have so easily been erased, would change a life.  God uses people, even when they don’t realize it.

And God certainly uses you.

We have no idea whose lives we are affecting.  We have no idea—but God knows!   Galatians 6:7  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

And that can be turned for GOOD.  If you sow Good, you will reap Good. If you sow positive, you will reap positive. 

Lets learn to plant positive (not negative), to encourage (not discourage), to lift up (not tear down), to be a blessing (not a curse).

You never know how many lives you are reaching and how many hearts you are touching by being faithful to God…. Even if you think you aren’t doing anything big, it might just be *big* for someone else.

Kelly

Meaningful Mondays- Spiritual Gifts

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Last week I talked about the Green-Eyed Monster and how it can take hold of us before we realize what's happening.  Like a poison ivy vine it weaves its way around our hearts until it starts to strangle us. 

One place Christian women (or at least this Christian woman) are affected by jealousy is over the gifts and talents of others.  Have you ever wondered why you don't have a gift for speaking, the gift for teaching, the gift for creativity,  or the gift of encouragement or the gift of  X?  Perhaps you envy other women who have a talent for talking to others, decorating, cooking or whatever.

As a woman it's hard not to be jealous over certain talents that we would love to have.  I would love to have a talent for conversation and knowing the right thing to say.  It is something that I really struggle with, but it is what it is.  Being jealous over someone else's ability to speak well will do far more harm than good. 

Have you really considered why you might not have the gifts you desire?  As I've continued to study the book of James, its led me think more about this.  In this particular passage he is confronting the issue of jealousy in the church.

James 4:2b-3 "You do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives..." 

Have you asked God for the gifts you desire?  You can't sit around and expect something to happen when you haven't asked for it.  What are your motives?  Are you asking for abilities that you can use for God or are you asking because you want to bring attention and glory to yourself?

Consider the example of Simon in Acts 8.  Before his conversion he had been a well known magician who the people had held in great esteem because of what he could do.  When he saw that people were receiving "special gifts" from the apostles, he started to think about how famous he would be with these extraordinary gifts and tried to buy them.  Peter's response was, "You  have no part or portion in this matter because your heart is not right before God."  If we ask with wrong motives, we can assume our answer will be no.

Matthew 25:14-30 tells the well known Parable of the Talents.  A master is about to go on a trip and decides to leave some of his possessions to his servants to manage until he returns.  One man received 5 talents, one 2 and the other 1 "according to his own ability."  The first two men used their abilities to double their talents while the man with one talent buried it in the ground.  Which man do you think the master was disgusted with?  Though this man may not have been rich in his abilities, but the master gave him what he could handle and the servant chose not to rise to the challenge.  Meanwhile, the two hardworking men gained the master's trust and were rewarded by being given more responsibility and honor in his household. 

From this I think we can see that another reason for us not having the gifts we desire is because we are not using the ones we have.  I believe God puts opportunities in front of us to use our talents, and we can either accept these challenges or ignore them.  If we are not willing to step up to the plate, then why should we expect Him to give us more talents?

Our gifts were specially given to us because of who we are.  They weren't randomly assigned, but given to us with great thought and care.  Whether or not we have the gifts that we desire, we have the gifts that are perfect for us.  We can spend our time anguishing over what we do not have or use what we have to its fullest.  "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)

There's nothing wrong with asking for new talents and abilities, but if our motives are not pure or we are not using what we already have, then it will be in vain.  "He said to them, 'You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.'" (Luke 16:5.)

Let us be thankful for the gifts that we have, work diligently to improve them and pray for opportunities to use them for God's glory.  We might just find out that we really do enjoy the abilities that we already have. ;-)

Next week we'll have a guest blog post by Kelly of Oh That Mom Again and 365 Days of Biblical Encouragement .  I'll be busy entertaining house guests all week and planning baby boys first birthday party.  Kelly has been nice enough to agree to help me out by writing the Meaningful Monday post.  She is an awesome blogger with a great talent for writing and sharing God's word.  Be sure to check out her blogs.  You won't be disappointed.

Linked to: 
Women Living Well Wednesday  
Word Filled Wednesday

Meaningful Mondays: The Green Eyed Monster

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Have you ever been reading your Bible when I verse seemingly jumps up and slaps you upside the head?  Even though you've read it before it suddenly has real meaning to you?

Last night I came across one of those verses while studying the book of James.  "For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing." (James 3:16)  So jealousy and selfishness can lead to disorder and evil??

Really???  Doesn't that seem extreme?  I mean just because I am upset and annoyed with so and so because they are more talented than me at X doesn't mean I'm flirting with evil, right?  "But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished , it brings forth death." (James 1:15)

Consider these Biblical examples of how the green eyed monster of jealousy can seep into the heart, turning rational thought into a disorderly mess.

The first example of jealousy's destructive nature is that of Joseph's brothers.  Joseph's father loved him more than his 10 brothers, so much so that they all knew it.  His brothers actually hated him so much that they threw him into a pit and eventually sold him into slavery.  Because of their jealousy and selfish ambition, their own father's spirit was crushed, throwing their family into a bit of chaos.  (Genesis 37).  They weren't born hating Joseph.  This was a feeling that was created and then grew and festered until it became like a cancer in their hearts. 

Another example is that of King Saul and David.  King Saul had fallen out of favor with God because of his sin against  Him.  David had replaced him as the chosen one to lead the people, and God brought him success in all that he did (I Sam 18:10).  King Saul was tormented by his jealousy of David and it burned against David so much that Saul wanted to kill him.   Saul's own son was put in the middle of it because he and David loved each other like brothers.  Saul's life became the epitome of disorder and chaos because of his jealousy.

What ways has the green eyed monster tried to cause havoc in your life?  Is it jealousy over someone else's possessions, career, family life, or perhaps their talents and abilities?  Have you allowed this to affect your relationships, your own feelings of self worth or your personal relationship with God?

James 1:20 says, "for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."  If our hearts are consumed with ungodly feelings, we cannot be effective as Christians.

So how can we fight off these impure thoughts?  I would suggest prayer and lots of it!  "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (James 5:16)  Pray for a pure heart, spiritual wisdom, and the ability to find peace and contentment in with what you have.  Pray before jealousy strikes that you will not fall into that temptation.  The book of Psalms is full of prayers for strength and courage.  If the green eyed monster has already entered your heart, pray for it to release its hold and pray for the object of your jealousy.   Pray with faith and God will answer. 

Next week I plan on talking more about jealousy over spiritual gifts and why we may not have the gifts that we desire.  :)  If you haven't studied the book of James, I encourage you to do so.  It is full of practical advice for your daily Christian walk.

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Meaningful Monday...errr Tuesday - Baby Teeth, God and Us

My 11 month old finally got his first teeth this weekend.  They are just little nubs for now, but they're still exciting!  We were starting to wonder if he was going to have to gum his food for the rest of his life!

These sweet little teeth got me thinking though.  Babies form tiny teeth perfectly sized for their little bodies.  As the grow and their bodies are able to handle more types of foods, they get more teeth specifically designed for tearing and chewing.  Once their bodies start outgrowing their teeth, they fall out and newer, better, bigger teeth fill the void. 

I'm at a loss for how people can think that this "just happens" because some organic goo has morphed over millions of years, evolving into a beautifully working creation whose body knows it needs not just one, but two sets of teeth.  There is nothing in my life that has ever made more aware of God than having a baby, watching him grow and change and seeing how his body is intricately designed to do everything that it needs to do to make it through each stage of life.  There is no way that this "just happens" without a Creator and a plan.

We are each God's design, His masterpiece created in His image. (Gen 1:27)  He planned us and has known us since before we were born. (Jeremiah 1:5)   We aren't something that just happened; we were made and designed with a purpose.  

Who doesn't want to have a purpose?  Here's a little secret that the world doesn't know.  Our purpose isn't a quest for which we have to spend years searching.  If we can acknowledge that God is and that He has created us, then our purpose is clear.

King Solomon, perhaps the wisest man that ever lived, explored every kind of pleasure and source of happiness that he could find in the book of Ecclesiastes.   At the end of the book he concluded, "All has been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13)  This is the purpose for which we've been designed.  We can discover our purpose the easy way by learning from King Solomon and from what the scriptures have to say or we can learn it the hard way by chasing meaningless things.

It seems this thought has strayed away from baby teeth.  =)  There are so many lessons to be learned from our children.  One of the biggest to me though is the fact that God is.  Watching and studying things as simple as baby teeth, makes the existence of God completely undeniable.  Accepting God as Creator, gives our lives purpose and what better purpose could we have?

I would love to hear how the children in your life have taught you lessons about God and faith.


On another note, I've found a book to study by Cindy Colley that explores The Woman of the Genesis.  Yay!

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Meaninful Mondays: In Search of Stuff (Psalm 40)

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Stuff.  Why are we so controlled by it?  We get some new stuff and then we have to go and find more stuff to put in the stuff that we just bought.  Yeah, I'm totally guilty of this.  We just bought two media cabinets to go with our tv console (thanks to our yard sale earnings).  After I assembled the cabinets, I kept thinking that I really needed to get some pictures frames and assorted doodads to fill up the shelves.  Did I need those things before I got the cabinets?  Do I really need them now?  Nope.

I'm not saying that having stuff is necessarily a bad thing, but the desire to acquire more and more stuff can put us in a never ending cycle where we become slaves to our stuff.  When our need for stuff is stronger than our need for God, then we have a problem.

David addresses this in Psalm 49.  Now you can imagine that by being a king, David had a lot of stuff, but he realized there's a difference you having stuff and your stuff having you.

"Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
Though while he lives he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.
A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish."
Psalm 49:16-20.

I think what David is saying is that don't worry that you don't have all of the stuff that the "Jones'" have.  Stuff won't get you to heaven.

Proverbs 24:3-4 says, "Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."  King Solomon was the wisest and one of the wealthiest men that ever lived, but I doubt is talking about physical riches here.  Since you don't often hear "things" being described as "precious", I think it is safe to conclude that the riches to which is referring are not cars, houses and electronics, but instead he is referring to what is everlasting.  "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal..." Matthew 6:20.

On the other hand, he's not saying the stuff is what is bad; it's having stuff without "understanding" that gets us into trouble.  We need to understand that all that we have comes from God.  It could be taken away at any moment and we should still be happy with the knowledge although we had stuff, our stuff didn't have us.  Our joy doesn't revolve around our stuff.  In Psalm 40 David reminds us that we can't take it with us.  Are we spending our lives in the pursuit of what makes us happy or in the pursuit of what makes God happy?

This is a study that I really needed today as I've spent way too much time this weekend thinking about the stuff that I think I need and not being thankful enough that my God has blessed me far beyond anything that I could ever deserve.   In turn I need to spend more energy and time using my blessings to bless others.

"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required..." Luke 12:48.  Let's all make it a point to look for a way to share God's blessings with others this week.  Thanks for reading!

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Meaningful Mondays: Remembering Fathers...

This was an extra special Father's Day in our house as it was the hubs first one.  It's amazing how much your perception of your spouse changes when they become a parent.  I always knew my husband would be great father.  However, I never realized how amazing he would be at it.  Sweet Boy is one blessed kiddo.

When thinking about Father's Day, I always think about the Heavenly Father and how as children, we often view the Heavenly Father in the same way we see our earthly father.  God is a someone we can talk freely with and One who can do anything.  "'Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.'And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them."  Mark 10:14-16. 

As we grow into adults we start to look at the Heavenly Father with both fear and admiration.  He far surpasses our earthly fathers, but yet we often keep Him in a box.  We may not confide in Him like we did when we were children, sharing our deepest fears and biggest secrets.  We believe that He can do anything, but we don't ask Him to.  We get busy.  This is not the case for everyone, just my own experience.  "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6.)

Then we have children, and we learn to pray again.  To really pray.   To really thank God for blessing of parenthood.  How can we not look into our child's innocent gaze and thank God, the Creator?  We once again see that God can do anything and we are less afraid to ask.

As a parent, we have a better, yet still terribly inadequate idea of the Father's love.  We can never understand how God's is able to love so many people, so deeply.  However, we can understand how He wants us to be happy, to work hard, to be loved, to succeed, to feel His forgiveness and to make Him proud.  We want all of these for our children.  "How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings."  (Ps. 36:7.)

I can't say how the next stages in life affect the way we view the Heavenly Father, but I believe I pray that it will lead to a closer relationship with God and that's all I need to know.

Maybe we should see every day as Father's Day, both to acknowledge the amazing earthly father's in our lives and all they do as well as the Heavenly Father.  Each day we should spend some talking to them and learning more about them.  It can only make us better people.  =)

Meaningful Mondays- Getting Tomorrow Off to a Good Start By Finishing Today

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Have you ever noticed how not finishing the things that you were supposed today always gets tomorrow off to a bad start?  There's nothing worse than being greeted in the morning by a sink full of dirty dishes, piles of laundry on the floor and a kid that's still sticky from last night's dinner.  I don't know about you, but it makes me want to crawl back into bed. 

This doesn't just apply to household chores, it fits into so many different areas of our lives like going to bed angry after a fight with a friend, clinging on to bad or harmful habits or neglecting a good deed that is already long overdue.  Not taking care of those relationship issues, personal problems or other difficult tasks also makes facing tomorrow more of a challenge because today's burdens will still be in tow. 

Here are a few passages that I believe address procrastination/work:

Proverbs 12:11 says, "He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment."   How much time is wasted on things that are completely trivial while the important things are put on hold until tomorrow?  God is saying here that "chasing fantasies" shows a lack of "judgment" and that we lack the ability to make good choices.

Proverbs 31 tells of the woman of noble character who works from sun up until long after sundown to provide for her family and make a home.  Because of this "her husband has full confidence in her" and "she is clothed with strength and dignity."  "Her children arise and call her blessed."

Her family is provided for as "she does not eat the bread of idleness."   Wow.  How I wish that idleness had no place in my life.  There are so many useless things that get in the way of doing the things I need to do each day.  So much time is wasted. 

Mark 11:25 "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."  Jesus is showing the urgency of dealing with relationship issues right away instead of letting them come between us and God.  Putting off confronting someone about something or forgiving someone lays bricks for a wall that will separate us from God.

The good news is that all of these things can be taken care of in one way or another before tomorrow.  Why let things pile up until you are completely overwhelmed? 

Jesus said it best in Matthew 6:34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Finish today before tomorrow gets here because you don't know what tomorrow holds.

Now, I'm off to do some laundry so I'm not tripping over it in the morning...  ;)

Meaningful Monday... Time to Regroup

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As I look back at my attempt to challenge myself to spend more time studying and understanding God's word, I see once again where Satan has stuck out his foot caused me to fall face down on the ground. Little does he know that face first on the ground, is a great position to talk to God. ;)

The purpose of beginning Meaningful Mondays was to start each week off the right way, and I noticed a difference in myself during those weeks. With vacation, the start of summer and all of those other little things that I've allowed to get in the way, Meaningful Mondays fell by the wayside and I noticed that my weeks got a little more challenging. I somehow doubt that this is a coincidence.

What does that mean? It means that it's time to regroup and perhaps give a little more organization to my Bible study. I'm currently looking for a Bible study aid because I admit that I am a bit ADD (well, maybe more than a bit) and I need direction in my study time. I am really excited about this and can't wait to share the book I've chosen! I look forward to doing some research this week and prayerfully considering where to start.  Check back next week for an update. 

Meaningful Mondays: Learning to Listening

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We all have been around those people that will talk your ear off, stop, ask you a question and before you can answer they will finish your statement for you and go back to talking again.   They're so caught up in what they have to say that they only include you in the conversation because they'd look silly talking to themselves.  Trying to communicate with this type of talker is particularly frustrating.

{Shamefully raises hand.}


I'll be the first to admit I have issues with this.  I'm a nervous talker.  The more signals my brain sends my mouth to stop talking, the more I talk.  It's like watching a horrific train wreck and not being able to do anything about it.  Talking too much one of those things I would love to alter about myself, but unfortunately, I keep getting in the way of change.

The Bible, which is full of wisdom and common sense speaks a lot about talking and listening.  Here are a few of my favorite verses:

1. Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. James 1:19.  How smart is this?  If we spent more time listening and less time talking, we'd solve a lot more problems and prevent a lot of misunderstandings.  Some people are natural listeners and the rest of us have work at it.  We have to really focus and try to put our own thoughts to the side while someone else is talking.  It's not easy, but I believe it is a skill that can be developed and nurtured. 
2. Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.  Proverbs 29:20.  Here we are basically being told to think before we speak.  What a simple way to avoid all of those horrible foot in mouth moments that haunt us for days after they occur.  Before you speak, stop and think about how what you are going to say will affect others.  Are you speaking from pureness of heart or out of selfishness?
3. He who answers before listening--that is his folly and his shame. Proverbs 18:13.  Have you ever played a trivia game with someone who tries to answer the question before the reader has finished asking it?   Most of the time they end up looking pretty foolish when the question is finally read and their answer is totally wrong.  Aren't we guilty of the same thing when we stop someone in the middle of their story to give our opinion even though we only have half of the facts!  This is one of the areas where I struggle the most.  Learning to let others finish their thoughts is such a seemingly simple solution if only we could put it into practice. 

God tells us over and over again how to be better listeners, but it is up to us to put our selfishness aside and really listen the next time we have a conversation.  We might be amazed by what we learn!

An extra little nugget:
D.J. Kaufman
"Wisdom is the reward for a lifetime of listening ... when you'd have preferred to talk."

Meaningful Mondays: Living in the Moment

A Time for All Events in Life- Ecclesiastes 3

3:1 For everything there is an appointed time,

and an appropriate time for every activity on earth:

3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted;

3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

3:5 A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

3:6 A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost;

a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

3:7 A time to rip, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silent, and a time to speak.

3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

One of the things I love most about the Bible is that is full of common sense.  Honestly, there are so many things that I read and think, wow, life would be easier if I just did "x" or saw the world in way "y".  This is one of those scriptures that really made me stop and think today.  It comes from Ecclesiastes, a book full of common sense, which was written by one of the wisest men that ever lived.  

The idea is that everything has its own time, its own moment.  There are going to be trying times in our lives when we weep, when we lose someone that we love, when we must fight for something, when we need to keep our mouths shut and there are times when we have to let someone or something go.  Life is full of beautiful moments too- births, peace, laughter, healing and love. 

So how do we deal with the huge range of feelings and emotions?  Paul writes to the Romans that they are to "Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer." (Romans 12:12)  Basically, live in the moment and be sustained by prayer.  This is also addressed by Jesus in Matthew when he says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." (Mttw 6:34)   God knows what tomorrow will bring and is preparing us for it.  He also promises to be there with us.

What a simple idea to just take each as it comes, to stop worrying about tomorrow or next week.   I believe that by embracing both the good and the bad and dealing with it appropriately, we become better people. Yes, that may mean allowing ourselves to feel pain instead of living in denial, but also means that we truly experience joy, love, laughter.  By fulling experiencing the bad, we are able to heal and move past so that we can fully enjoy the good times ahead.  

As a girl who loves to plan, this is a hard one for me to grasp.  I hope to take this idea and start taking life moment by moment, to slow down and live each day as it is.  By doing this I totally believe that life will be fuller.

Please share any thoughts you have about this passage.  Thanks for stopping by!

Meaningful Mondays- "She has done what she could..."

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Stuck to my refrigerator is a little magnet that I received as a gift from a ladies Bible class teacher (Ms. Debbie).  It simply says, "She hath done what she could..." (Mark 14:8)  I've had this for years and I always stare at it when I go to grab something out of the fridge, but lately I've really been thinking over the meaning. 

This scripture comes from the story of a woman who anointed Jesus' head with a very expensive bottle of oil.  The bottle was worth nearly a years wages.  Many were quick to ridicule this woman for such a wasteful act because they felt the money could have been used another way.  Jesus pointed out that the woman, unlike the others, recognized that he was not going to be there long and so she was doing what she could to honor him while he was on earth.

She did not do an incredible act, she just did what she could.  That is all that God asks of us.  Sometimes we are held back from serving because we can't do something great, but God doesn't ask great things of everyone.  He just asks us to do our best.

Reading over this passage this morning made me stop and think about whether or not this verse could be said about me.  Am I really doing what I can for God, for my family and for the church?  The answer is a resounding no.  So much time each day that could be used for visiting sick and elderly, taking meals to families in need, working on things around the house that could help out my husband is instead being spent on trivial things.

So my goal this week is to start turning off the tv more often, putting down the computer and spending the time that is so easily wasted on these to good use.  I'm taking baby steps to being a better giver, but I believe that baby steps will make it easier to make a change.   Some day I want people to say that I did what I could, so it's time to get started!  =)

Meaningful Mondays

Mondays are a hard day for a lot of us.  Getting back into a weekly routine after a flurry of weekend activities and DIY projects often requires copious amounts of coffee (and my new favorite caramel macchiato coffee creamer) and a change in mindset.  I started Meaningful Mondays because I wanted to get my week off to a good start by digging into by Bible and finding some encouragement.  Please feel free to comment and put in your two cents.  I would love to hear your take on things.  Thanks for stopping by!

Meaningful Mondays- She Has Done What She Could

Meaningful Mondays- Living in the Moment- Ecclesiastes 3