Chosen by God: Living as one who is holy and loved

God chose you. What does that mean? How should we respond?

A good friend of mine takes care of the décor of our church. She wanted to buy a picture to hang in our entrance; however, when she went back to the website on which it was for sale, the artwork was no longer available. I told her, “No problem. I can make that.” Now that VBS is over for the summer, this became my new project. We’ll print it out on poster-sized paper and adhere it to palette wood. I haven’t actually done that part yet but this will give you an idea of the look…

I’ve looked at this passage a lot this week as I worked on the layout and design. It’s not surprising but there’s a lot of good stuff in it for us.

God Chose You

“Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved…” (Colossians 3:12).

He created the universe. He gave up the glory of heaven to live among us. He resurrected Himself from the dead. He promised to return in all power and authority to establish a world-wide kingdom of peace. No one else can make any of those claims. They all testify to His power, authority, glory, honor, and just plain old awesomeness.

He’s the One who chose you. He scanned eternity, saw your place in it, and said, “I choose her. She’s one of Mine. I’ll give My life to make her holy and set her apart unto Myself. I can’t help but do so – I love her.”

A Different Lifestyle

I think that kind of love and devotion from One so worthy warrants a response on our part. Sure, we can accept the love and blessing God bestows on us without allowing a transformation within ourselves. We can even choose to reject the love He offers – many do, sadly. However, when I take a moment to consider who God is and His desire to choose me, I can’t help but think my life should look different in response.

Heartfelt Compassion
Mercy, tenderness, and affection should well up deep within us and overflow to the surrounding hurting world. We can’t step over the homeless person asleep on the street. We can’t remain indifferent to the slaughter of the unborn and the subsequent trafficking of their organs. We can’t ignore the struggles of those persecuted for believing the same message of hope in which we believe.

Kindness
Ours should be a life lived with moral integrity as we focus on the good. Not only should an effort to do what’s good mark our lives, but we should also extend that effort to others. We must do what’s right in a given situation.

Humility
The world seeks to promote itself; the follower of Jesus seeks to promote Him. We recognize how awesome He is – I talked about that a little at the beginning of this article. That recognition helps us understand our lower place in the whole scheme of things. Life is no longer all about our power, our glory, or our honor. We now understand it’s all about Him.

Gentleness
Life’s hard; the world is harsh. Into that unforgiving environment, God gently brought a message of grace. He doesn’t beat us up with His Word. He doesn’t torture us until we convert. He comes to us lovingly, quietly, and stirs in us a desire to extend that gentleness to a world already beaten and bruised by their own behaviors.

Patience
Our tendency is to get angry when things don’t go our way. We fly off the handle when people make us mad. But you know what? Those things are always going to happen. Living as one chosen by God means we persevere through those times with a constancy and endurance not seen in those of the world.

Accepting One Another
Did you know that if you want to be a Rockette you have to be a certain height, certain weight, and have a certain leg length? They want all of the dancers to be exactly the same size. God doesn’t choose people who are all exactly the same, however. We come with different backgrounds, personalities, experiences, dreams, and every other descriptor. Sometimes our differences make it hard but God chose others just as He chose us. Our response should be to accept one another – even the different ones.

Forgive One Another
Yeah, He said it. It’s there – and it’s hard. We need to forgive each other. Think about how much God has forgiven in your life. He has forgiven just as much in the lives of His other chosen followers. It’d be pretty messed up of us if we can’t forgive them too. After all, their offense before sinless God is much greater than any offense they’ve made against us. And yet, He’s forgiven all of it.

Love
God’s love is unfathomable. I’m not even going to try to describe it because words can’t describe it. It’s enough that He couldn’t stand an eternity without you. He looked down from glory into our pit of sin where the nastiness of death bound us and suffocated us and said, “I’ll take her place. I’ll go into the pit so she might join Me here.” That’s love. Part of our response is to make every effort to love that way in return. We’ll never fully accomplish it but we can sure spend a lifetime trying.

Peace
Our natural tendency is to war against God; our nature is to rebel and fight His perfect plan. On our own, we’d never live in peace with Him. On the flip side, He never would have granted us peace either except for the sacrifice of the Prince of Peace, Jesus. I don’t think it’s too much to ask, then, that we also live in peace with one another.

Be Thankful
A little gratitude goes a long way. Remember where we started this article – the glorious, eternal, powerful God of all chose you to spend eternity with Him. Then He endured the greatest of torments to make it happen. Take a moment to respond with a “thank you.”

Priorities: Finding a way to give thanks in a messed up world

As a family, we give thanks before each meal. We bow our heads and one of us – we take turns – prays a simple prayer of appreciation for the meal. I remember when my youngest could barely speak. She’d pray, “Baby Jesus, for this food. Amen.” We never figured out why she prayed to Baby Jesus, but she’s outgrown it now.

I doubt if any of us send up a prayer of appreciation for our clothes before we get dressed each morning. Or how about every time we get in the car and it starts? What about when we pay bills and the money doesn’t run out before we pay the last one. Do we think a prayer of thankfulness every time a thought of a loved one comes through our minds?

It seems so odd to me. We can be so rigid about the necessity of giving thanks before a meal but not express any appreciation the rest of the day.

What are some other things for which we can be thankful?

A lot of conflicting stories abound on every issue out there. I’ve learned to rely on Scripture to help me prioritize what’s important. Based on that, in no particular order, I’m thankful for…

• The transforming power of the Word of God; 1 Thessalonians 2:13. (ß Spend some time in God’s Word; read the verses to help you prioritize your season right now!)
• God’s gift – the sacrifice of His Son; 2 Corinthians 9:15.
• The peace of the Messiah; Colossians 3:15.
• The privilege to enter the presence of God; Psalm 100:4.
• Victory, because it is all about winning when it comes to eternity; 1 Corinthians 15:57.
• God’s grace and the privilege to pass it along; 2 Corinthians 4:15.
• The hard times God uses to help me grow; 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
• The part I have in God’s eternal kingdom; Colossians 1:12.
• Wisdom and power of God that are available to me; Daniel 2:23.
• Prayer that conquers worry; Philippians 4:6.
• God’s eternal goodness and love; Psalm 106:1.
• The amazing works of a loving God; Psalm 107:8.
• God hears us, answers us, and saves us; Psalm 118:21.
• The righteousness of Holy God; Psalm 7:17.
• The unlimited power and eternal nature of Almighty God; Revelation 11:17.
• The faith of believers all over the world who do their part in God’s kingdom; Romans 1:8.
• The teaching of Christ who points us to all truth; Romans 6:17-18.

You see, it’s ok if you burn the turkey or dump a pie on the kitchen floor (already had that one happen this year). It will even be ok if one of your relatives isn’t able to be with you this year. News of riots, wars, and nuclear talk failures can't even stop thankfulness. Why? Because even in the midst of daily stresses, relationship difficulties, and world turmoil, we have much for which to be thankful. We are thankful because God reigns, He gave His Son to restore our relationship with Him, and He and His kingdom will stand victorious for all eternity.

May some of these be added to your list of thankfulness this holiday season. 

Finding Good Things in Bad Times

It’s been a rough week. Jimmy is in Africa which leaves me as a single parent of four (make it five) active girls.

A beloved grandparent is suffering through some hard medical times. The whole extended family hurts along with him.

Celebrity status doesn’t affect me; people are people, regardless. But Robin Williams’ suicide hit me kind of hard. It’s rough to see such a beloved entertainer reach that level of despair.

Ferguson, Missouri, is a mess right now. 

The Middle East has been a simmering cauldron for too long. It appears it may be about to boil over. The terror of ISIS, combined with the war between Israel and Hamas has also weighed heavy on me. That’s not to mention the Syrian conflict, Iran’s continued pursuit of nuclear weapons, and Putin’s actions in the Ukraine. All of it may play a role in the onset of very dire times.

Every afternoon I have a cup of coffee. During these hot summer months, I usually drink it iced, flavored with sugar and half & half. Stay with me…this is connected to the first part of my article.

This week that afternoon coffee has tugged at my heart. For some reason, I found myself being conscientiously thankful for that coffee each day. Perhaps it was the Spirit’s prompting. I held that cup each afternoon and was acutely aware that God blesses even in hard times.

This may sound silly. Imagine how I felt, however, when this series of text messages came in from Jimmy regarding their current project in Africa…

God is good. We are completely finished with the electrical work. Big Daddy R will now get some quality time with his grandchildren. It’s fun, fun as I sit here and watch him be a jungle gym for their young birthday girl. Doc’s birthday is today, also. Sitting in an air cooled, 78° house while the temperatures soar outside is an awesome birthday present.

It was great to see the joy on Posey’s face when she got to make iced coffee for the first time. Then, I saw the joy on Doc’s face when he got to taste it. These are the simple things we in America take for granted – things we think we have to have to survive.

Lights, cooling fans, and refrigeration will make Doc and Posey’s work in the desert so much easier as they bring living water to this dry land. 

We have seen and heard good things. 

Thankful for You: Finding ways to appreciate each other

The Apostle Paul began almost every one of his New Testament letters with a word of thanksgiving for his fellow believers.

His thankfulness wasn’t a onetime feeling. He thanked God for them a lot.

This must have been a big deal to Paul; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dedicated so much time to it.

This must be a big deal to God; otherwise, He wouldn’t have led Paul to include it in his letters nine times.

The verses themselves give us some clues as to why it was important to Paul, is important to God, and should be important to us.

Because we serve God

“God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times” (Romans 1:9). Paul thanked God for and prayed for his fellow believers because it’s part of serving God. God wants us to be thankful for each other.

We may not always feel thankful for the people in our lives. Yet, because we serve God and because He desires it to be so, we can choose to be thankful despite our feelings.

Because they have faith

“I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world” (Romans 1:8). I think it’s significant that the world knew the faith of the Romans. They were the leaders of the world at that time; they lived in plenty and could have become self-sufficient and complacent. Nevertheless, their faith was strong enough that the world knew about it.

We may have our lives so put together that we don’t really recognize the contribution of the people we know. But when all else is stripped away and all we’re left with is our faith in Mighty God, the people in our lives become an incredible blessing for which we can thank God.

Because they have received God’s grace

“I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:4). The Corinthian believers weren’t perfect; they had their problems. Church divisions, immorality, lawsuits among believers, misunderstanding of the freedom we have in Christ, and inappropriate worship were all part of their church environment. But they, like us, were recipients of God’s grace. And that was changing everything.

Our loved ones may not be perfect either. In fact, I’m guessing they aren’t perfect. But we can still be thankful for them because God’s grace is available for all of us.

Because they have partnered in the Gospel

“I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:4-5). Paul was thankful for the help provided by his fellow believers. God didn’t call even the greatest missionary who ever lived to save the world on his own. He knew everyone has a part to play in the Kingdom of God.

Our fellow believers may do things differently than us. We may disagree on some insignificant issues. We can still be thankful for them and the work they do in reaching the world for Christ. God never meant for us to reach the world all on our own.

Because of their faith and love

Paul repeated this reason in Ephesians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. I think Paul was thankful for the faith and love of his fellow believers because they were evidence of the power of God’s Word. They were the result of a transformed life.

Like us, our fellow believers also have faith in Christ and love for the world. I know they do because it comes from the same place ours did – the hope within us and the word of truth (Colossians 1).

• Their faith and love leads them to labor, work, and endure for the hope of Christ just like it does us (1 Thessalonians 1).
• Their faith and love is growing and increasing. Maybe they’re not all they could be, but then again, neither are we (2 Thessalonians 1).
• Their faith and love leads them to share Christ, and thereby bring joy and encouragement to the world (Philemon 1).

So, this Thanksgiving season, I'm thankful for all the usual stuff - family, home, friends - but I'm thankful for one more significant thing. I'm thankful for you - each and every one of you who are serving the King of Kings. I'm thankful because we serve God together, united by our faith, love, need for grace, and a desire to share the Gospel message.

Be sure to share this with those in your life for whom you are thankful. Together you serve the King of Kings!

Prayer Shouldn't Add Stress!

My friend is going through a hard time. You name it, she's probably dealing with it right now.

A few times I've started to pray for her and my words fall short. I mean, how do I begin when so many problems are calling for attention? Do I pray for surface issues or root causes? What if I don't even know the root causes?

Prayer shouldn't add stress! And yet, I can get all worked up over how to pray.

I'm so thankful God knows we don't even know how to pray. I'm glad He knows I'm an idiot when it comes to how everything should be done; my weak words can't compare to His infinite wisdom. Even through all of that, He works through our prayers. That's a whole other article, though.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" (Romans 8:26-27).

Why Does the Spirit Intercede for Us?

• It's His job.

This passage is right in the middle of a section that talks about two jobs of the Holy Spirit. The first one is to guarantee our future physical redemption. The second one, the one we're talking about here, is to intercede for us in prayer.

• We are weak on our own.

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness." The Spirit has to come along side us and partner with us in prayer because we lack the strength to do so without Him.

• We don't know how to pray.

"We do not know what we ought to pray for." We don't grasp God's holiness and sovereignty. We can't fathom His perfection and the intricacies of His law. Needless to say, then, we don't know how to pray in accordance with those things.

• He does know how to pray.

"The Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." God searches our hearts, or in other words, He knows our intentions. God also knows the mind of the Spirit because they are One. He then knows how to make it all work together. He knows how to take our intentions that led us to prayer in the first place and make them fit with the perfect will of God.

What's my response?

I'm not going to stop praying for my friend, even though I'm weak and ignorant. I am going to rest in the fact that God knows my intentions in prayer and He has a sovereign, perfect plan for my friend. I'm going to rest in the fact that if He can bring the universe together out of nothing then He can bring my prayers, my friend's problems, and His plan all together in perfection.

Grace for Gravy

“Mom, what’s your favorite Thanksgiving food?”

My mind started sorting through each of the holiday favorites. The sweet potatoes with the crunchy nut topping? The juicy turkey slices? The sweet pecan pie – no wait, maybe the creamy pumpkin pie. I had a hard time choosing only one until I realized exactly which one is my favorite.

The beauty and perfection of the Thanksgiving meal is…

The thing that makes us look forward to it for the whole month of November is…

…all of it.

All of the foods come together on your plate in a symphony of tastes. A bite of turkey with a little bit of mashed potatoes on it. Follow that bite with a taste of stuffing or your dinner roll that soaked up a little juice from the cranberry fruit salad.

The Thanksgiving meal has to be complete or it just isn’t quite as satisfying. Sweet potato casserole on any old Thursday night is still good – but not as good as it is on Thanksgiving.

As I finished making pies for our feast this year, I thought about this conversation with my daughter and realized its similarity to one of my favorite parts of heaven.

The beauty and perfection of heaven is that all who believe in Christ as there Savior will be there. Every nation. Every tribe. Every race and every people group will represent before the throne of God.

“And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation’” (Revelation 5:9).

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9).

The scene won’t be complete unless we’re all there.

I told my brother about the conversation with my daughter regarding our favorite Thanksgiving foods. I liked his answer, “Gravy – because it goes over all of it. You pour it on the turkey, the stuffing, the potatoes, and it makes it all good.”

I laugh as I think about that now. Maybe gravy is the grace that Christ poured out over each one of us who follow Him. Maybe gravy is the grace that covers us all with His righteousness so He can present us faultless before the throne. The gravy makes us good.

Have a blessed and gracious Thanksgiving.

Blessing: Experiencing God's riches in the poorest of countries

I'm convinced God doesn't want to just meet our needs, just barely get by. He wants to bless us from the depths of His infinite riches. Yet another odd lesson to ponder in one of the poorest countries on earth.

I spent the last two days decorating the bedroom of the missionary couple we are helping here in Haiti. Mommy and Poppy have spent the last several years pouring their lives into the kids; today we had the blessing of being able to do something for Mommy and Poppy. We painted, cleaned, designed, and decorated, all the while banning Mommy from entering her own bedroom. 

Eventually the moment came for the big reveal. Although no one yelled, "Move that bus!" we still wiped away tears as blessings flowed, not only for Mommy and Poppy, but also for my group and me.

Decorating a room may seem like an odd task for a mission trip. I don't know, maybe it is. I do know that this is the project God wanted us to do. Through direction and provision, His holy fingerprints were all over this project from its inception. So, although it may be odd, seeing God's love for this couple who have given their lives to care for the "least of these" and being chosen as an instrument to convey that blessing has melted my heart each time I think about it.

"Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)

Thank You Too Much

"One of them when he saw he was healed came back, praising God in a loud voice. ,

He threw himself at Jesus feet and thanked him."

(Luke 17:15-16)

The power of a grateful heart has pressed into me several times today.

I spent the morning helping at the milk clinic here at the orphanage. The milk clinic is a ministry to those in the area that are unable to provide milk or formula for children in their care. Perhaps the child's mother passed away or they are simply unable to feed the baby due to sickness or poverty; despite the reason, parents and caregivers can come to the clinic for help. Offered every other week, the clinic weighs the child, offers a brief medical assessment, provides clean clothing as needed, milk or formula for the child, and sometimes food for the family. Late morning, we wrapped up our time in the clinic and started to head back to the main house. A young woman with a small boy stopped us. The clinic had cared for the boy as a baby, probably saving him from becoming another statistic of infant death in a third world country. As they explained their story, we realized they weren't there for food or free clothing. They had come back to simply say thank you.

After a yummy lunch for which I was thankful, we hosted the Christmas party for the children. True thankfulness and generosity glowed in the eyes of many of the children as they opened their shoeboxes. After the presents were stowed away under their bunks, the party ended with a special treat of popcorn and chocolate cake. As three of the girls sat eating, they kept telling Poppy, their affectionate name for the husband half of the couple who runs the orphanage, "Thank you too much!"

A third story of the day, a third story of thankfulness. Between the clinic and the party, Jennifer, or Mommy, had the blessing of cutting a little girl's hair. This may seem like more of a chore than a blessing but this particular haircut removed a certain type of dreadlocks which symbolized her family's involvement in voodoo. Her parents accepted Christ several months ago and, after months of spiritual growth and teaching, were ready to have the dreads removed. The message of God's salvation and the possibility of transformation is the greatest reason for our thankfulness.

We easily develop an attitude of expectation rather than gratitude in a life of ease and abundance. When we experience need at the life-or-death level, gratitude flows much more easily. Especially when the life or death is spiritual.

Barriers to Giving Thanks

Throughout this month, on the Grow Barefoot Facebook page, I've been posting and commenting on verses from the book of Psalms that mention thanksgiving. To mention just a few…

• Honor Him with thanksgiving
• Thank Him repeatedly
• Thank Him for His goodness, His justice, His nearness
• Sing our thanks

These are the ideals.

Reality is that sometimes being thankful is hard, painful, and even impossible. Jerry Tharp, my church pastor, shared some barriers to giving thanks in his sermon this past Sunday. As we proceed through this week of Thanksgiving, I want to pass them along to you with some of my own commentary added to his.

Attitude of entitlement

Pride tells us we deserve what we have. After all, we’ve worked hard and earned it. But James tells us, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil” (James 4:13-16).

To Battle this Barrier: Honest self-examination of who we are outside of God’s grace and the benefits we have received because of Him.

Unable to see God’s blessings

Judas walked with Jesus just like the other disciples. He saw the same miracles, heard the same words, and ate the same meals. Yet when the opportunity came, he betrayed Jesus while the other disciples served Him unto death. 

Some people marvel at the wonders of God; others couldn’t care less.

To Battle this Barrier: Genuinely ask God to give you eyes to see Him and the work He does through you and in you.

Heaviness of heart

This one is common in our culture. Death. Disease. Rejection. Disaster. A heavy heart easily overwhelms us in this sin-laden society. “I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears” (Psalm 6:6). Yet later in that same Psalm, “The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace” (Psalm 6:9-10). Psalm author David poured out his sorrows to God; by the end of the Psalm, God had comforted him and restored his joy. 

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22).

To Battle this Barrier: Do what you know is right through prayer and praise. Your emotions will almost always follow. You can control your actions whereas emotions often control you.

Extreme Busyness

Busyness plagues us all this time of year. I know the demands for my time will increase as we enter December. But I’m reminded of Mary and Martha. Martha focused on all of the preparations she had to do for mealtime while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. Jesus response was “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

To Battle this Barrier: Let go of some stuff. Find strength through realizing what is important and what isn’t. Listen to the words of God when He says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Envy

Home, car, job, spouse, clothes, whatever. Comparing what we have to what someone else has is a spiritual dead-end. Envy puts the focus on what you don’t have instead of recognizing the blessing of what you do have. Envy denies the truth that God has granted you with all that you need and many more blessings besides.

To Battle this Barrier: Learn to be content and trust in God’s promised provision. Contentment and trust aren’t natural responses; we must learn them through knowledge and experience.

My hope is to help you break down some of these barriers. I pray you experience the freedom and thankfulness God desires for us, not just this weekend but all year long.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Are You Hungry?

I recently had some friends for dinner; part of the conversation from that night has stayed with me for weeks. Our dinner guests included a young couple from church and a friend from Togo, Africa who is visiting the states for a few months. 

Usually a lighthearted and fun person, our Togolese friend somberly asked us at one point, “Have you ever been hungry?” Much of the conversation had centered on a comparison of our two cultures so we knew he didn’t mean the kind of hunger that comes from eating lunch a couple of hours past your normal time. No, we quietly answered; none of the four of us had ever been hungry.

In Togo, as in much of Africa, my friend doesn’t know where or when his next meal will be available. He recognizes that God provides their food, he is thankful, and he and his family eat all of it. I’m guessing they rarely complain about what food is available. In my home, as in much of America, we have a pantry, a refrigerator, and a deep freeze full of food. The only thing I wonder about the next meal is whether I should cook it or eat out. Although my daughters often say they are staarrrrving, we never know true hunger as we eat our three meals a day and graze on snacks in between.

A few days ago that young couple was at our house again, along with two other couples from church. We were discussing the first chapter of the Old Testament book of Joel and saw within its verses how a nation with abundance can come to ruin without warning. (Please note I believe this is a prophecy for Israel, not the United States. I do believe, however, that the same thing could happen in our country and for the same reasons.)

As we discussed Joel 1, I remembered our Togolese friend’s question from a few weeks earlier. I brought it up and our friends who had visited both nights said they had thought of that question many times, perhaps daily, in the weeks since their previous visit. This time, though, I considered his question in light of spiritual, rather than physical, hunger.

The American church is comfortable and complacent. I wonder if this is because our spiritual culture is much like our food culture.

Do we pop into church on Sunday morning as nonchalantly as we pop into Applebee’s afterwards? Would it make a difference if we didn’t know when or where we would have another opportunity for corporate worship and Biblical teaching? Would we then recognize the blessing of gathering with fellow believers?

Do we graze on Christian radio, 200 word devotional booklets, and a verse of the day on our computer desktop? At the end of the day, is this constant snacking why we are still spiritually hungry and in need of heartier food?

Just as moms often make separate meals for the picky palates of each of their children, have we forced our churches to cater to our pickiness by providing children’s church for the little ones, youth group for the teenagers, separate women’s ministries and men’s ministries for the adults and even a separate group for the older adults? If only one meal was available, would we come together to learn and grow as a family? If we did so, would it increase our unity and understanding of one another?

What if when we came together as a spiritual family, we had to eat everything on our plate? If one scant meal was all we had for the day, would we eat all of it, even the hard parts that might not taste so good instead of scraping them down the garbage disposal?

Are we so accustomed to the three point sermon of a trained minister, much like a three course meal from a culinary chef, that we feel our own story is inadequate, comparable to a peanut butter & jelly sandwich? Wouldn’t a spiritually starving world savor a true and simple pb&j?

Freedom of religion, corporate worship, trained teachers, daily tools, Christian radio, and everything else I have referenced in this article are blessings I use and enjoy. I just pray they never become enough on their own. 

I pray I always hunger to know Him and make Him known.

Thankful for Bananas & Vacations

I was driving in my car with my four year old when she asked me if Thanksgiving is the day we thank Jesus for things. I smiled and told her it is. She continued,

"Like grass?"

     "Yes, like grass."

"And trees?"

     "Yes, and trees."

"For apples and pears?"

     "Yep, apples and pears."

"And bananas?"

     "Even bananas."

"For houses?"

     "Yes."

"And cars?"

     "Yes, thankful for cars."

"And hotels and vacations?"

I knew she'd crack me up eventually. We have no travel plans for this holiday season and the last hotel and vacation experience she had was several months ago. However, the idea of a vacation and the fun of a hotel, as long as it has a swimming pool, are always forefront in her young mind.

In the Old Testament, thanksgiving (Hebrew: towdah) means confession which leads to praising and giving thanks to God. It also means to bring a thank-offering before God. Even the root of the word reveals that thanksgiving includes extending your hands before God in surrender, confession, and praise.

I am thankful for a lot this season. Like my youngest, I am thankful for creation, food, a home, and even vacations. I could add more to her list as well. But, most of all, I am thankful for a loving Father-God whom I can come before in confession. I’m thankful He turns my tears of repentance into tears of joy. I am thankful His Son died to make that relationship possible and will return again to establish a kingdom of peace on earth. I am thankful His Spirit indwells me now to guide and help me as I walk this journey on earth.