Trusting is Harder Than it Sounds

     ~ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own ~

understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will direct your paths.  

Proverbs 3:5-6 

     In my Bible, these verses are highlighted, with the words "life verse" laterally written in the crevice of the page.  Also, as I wake up and gaze at my wall where this passage abides, I am reminded of my need to trust my God each new day.  In addition, the short but powerful promise was written to me as a reminder in cards that I received for both my birthday and upon my graduation.  However, although I have read it again and again and hold it's truth so close to my heart, I am still learning what it truly means to trust in the Lord will ALL my heart.  

     Throughout the past six months changes in my life have grown and developed, giving me many opportunities to trust my Lord.  As I am sure you have notices, if you are still reading my blog, I haven't been around as much.  My focus has shifted to outside of my home recently as I work two to three full days a week and minister to others.  Busyness has been a constant companion as I jump from one responsibility to another.  Since I have graduated, I continue to learn but my learning is no longer confined to a textbook.  God has been so faithful in teaching me through everyday life about relationships, people, who I am and who He is.  I have been experiencing some of those "growing pains" as I transition into adulthood.  However, it has been so amazing to watch God orchestrate my life circumstances to lead me to Him.  There have been weeks where I am left emotionally spent, physically drained or feeling completely incompetent to do all the work that He has placed in front of me.  I have found that it is at the end of my rope, when I have nothing left, that that is when I must trust Him.  

     Why do we struggle to trust our God?  Is He not so worthy of our trust?  Has He not proven His faithfulness to us over and over again?  Yet, I am guilty of failing in this struggle, doubting His care for me and His control over my life.  I shake in fear and exhaustion when I forget that it is only by His strength that I can run this race.  I doubt and question when I start to serve a "small" God, loosing my sight of Who God really is as the almighty, all powerful God who has showered me with amazing grace and unending love.  I become worn and beaten down upon forgetting eternity, becoming fixated on these temporary difficulties and pains.  Oh, but when I lay it all at the feet of Jesus, delight is mine!  Corrected by a reminder of all that He is and all that I am not, I receive the freedom and grace need to run, unrestrained after my Prince of Peace.  Does He make it easy?  No, but He does promise to provide the strength we need when we come to Him.  He will faithfully bring us through every transition in life, every trial and one day,  He will bring us safely home.  I can't wait for that day.  Until then, let us fix our eyes on Him. 

If by excessive labor, we die before reaching the average age of man,

worn out in the Master's service, then glory be to God, we shall have

so much less of earth and so much more of Heaven!

- C.H. Spurgeon -

      

     

Food for Thought....

I am gone with weekend at a Biblical Counseling Conference so while I'm away, I thought I would share with you two resources that have provided some food for my thoughts recently.  Please take some time to listen....

 

A Series On Brokenness

 

Courtship In Crisis 

Is Courtship Fundamentally Flawed?  

Set-Apart Girl Magazine Review: When You Don't Want to Know, "Who is the Hottest Man Alive" or "How to look like a Celebrity"

     Have you ever sat at a doctor's office with nothing to do and picked up a magazine just to kill the time?  Have you ever been horrified by what people will actually put in a magazine?  I have.  If it's not passing around the most recent celebrity gossip or tips on how to loose 10 lbs. in two weeks, the magazine selection is limited to National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and Cooking Light, all of which are chucked full of advertisements.  The concept of bite sized articles on thin paper with monthly subscriptions is great, if only we could find something worth reading!

     Now I'm not here to solve all of our world's problems but I do have a solution to this one!  Have you ever checked out the Set-Apart Girl magazine?  What started as an online publication has now become a beautiful, well-done, hard copy that can be sent to your house or, if you prefer, digital can be subscribed to online.  With a new issue produced bimonthly, this magazine is filled to overflowing with wonderful encouragement, insight and wisdom from young ladies who love the Lord and desire to point others to Him.
     I started reading Set-Apart Girl three years ago.  Since that time it has been my go-to source whenever I am struggling spiritually, need advice on a certain issue or just need some encouragement.  Through the use of the pen, the ladies who contribute to this magazine have inspired me in my walk with the Lord.  Having been blessed so deeply through the ministry of Set-Apart Girl, I am always so thrilled when I have the opportunity to tell others about it too!
   This resource is practical, purposeful and powerful.  In each issue, articles on honoring Christ in romance and friendships, becoming a Christ-centered woman and building a Christ-centered existence serve to help you catch the vision for what it means to practically live set-apart for Christ.  Some other added features are, articles written by young men giving their insight and advice from the male perspective, an article on motherhood, and recommendations for books, sermons, music and more!  You just can't read these wonderful articles without being challenged to go deeper in your walk with Christ.

     I really can't encourage you enough to get a subscription for yourself.  You will come back to these articles again and again.  The magazines are excellent quality with beautiful photography that complements the truth in such an elegant manner.  A subscription would so be a wonderful thing to add to your Christmas wish list.  Also, if you can't afford a subscription right now or would like to see what this is all about, I would encourage you to go to to setapartgirl.com to access their free material, including the first article in each magazine!  They also have great articles in  "the Collection" category that are sorted out by themes that are also a wonderful, free resource.
    So no more magazines from doctors offices.  Next time take your own copy of Set-Apart Girl.  Now here is something worth reading!  Enjoy! 
     

 
    

No Power in the Process

      In conservative, homeschooling circles certain, practices have emerged to define the philosophy which drives the way we live our lives.  A reformation of education has lead into a reformation of almost every area of life.  Processes like Courtship, Entrepreneurship, child training, wearing skirts instead of pants, and daughters that stay at home rather than attend college are just a few of the marked differences that set us apart as a unique culture in the world we live in.  If you question any of these beliefs, it's as though you threaten to tear apart the thread that binds our lives and makes us who we are.  But why do we hold so tightly to these processes and defend them with zeal and passion?  I believe that in many ways these changes have resulted not only in a shift in how we live our lives but also where we place our hope.  As a whole, I perceive our thinking has been warped by adopting the idea that somehow righteousness is achieved by a process instead of attained by the Person of Jesus Christ.
     I believe we often try to establish a perfect system where the outcome is always good.  Let me give you an example.  Instead of dating, courtship is the process by which many young people like myself are "guaranteed" a happy marriage to a wonderful spouse.  If we put in a + b, we have the promise that c will be the outcome.  Courtship is the "right way" to go about this thing called marriage, we are told.  If we just follow these rules and these steps, we will gain a good relationship that is founded on purity. 
     In many ways, we have succumb to the thinking that the Galatian church was rebuked for.  By adhering to the old law of circumcision, the Galatian church sought to perfect in the flesh what had begun as a work of the Spirit. 

"Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law 

or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, 

are you now being perfected by the flesh?"

(Galatians 3:2-3)  

     We say that God is sovereign over our salvation but when we put our confidence in a process instead of in Him, we deny the fact that He is able to sanctify us and make us holy.  Have we been seeking to perfect our lives, not through Christ but through laws, rules and regulations?  At the very core of the issue it's not about whether we should follow a courtship or dating model or work for a business or own our own, it's about our heart.  Paul's first rebuke to the Galatian church was that they were "so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel." (1:6)  The gospel isn't Jesus plus courtship, wearing skirts and homeschooling.  The gospel is that Christ's righteousness is imputed to us by grace alone through faith alone.  This same pattern continues for sanctification as we live with a righteousness that is wholly not our own. 

      While there is no such thing as a "homeschool gospel",  I fear that as we hold so dearly to the practices that we praise, the fruit of the flesh has been produced in our lives to some degree or another.  

"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, 

divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. 

(Galatians 5:19-20)

     Note the words in bold.  Are we guilty of having idolized a system?  Has emnity, strife, jealousy or envy been sown in our lives as we see others doing things differently or being more successful as they adhere to the system?  However, above all the others, I must point our divisions.  I fear that this is the fruit of the flesh that has hurt or will hurt the body of Christ the most.  Do we hesitate to socialize with people who go to public or private school and still call themselves Christians?  Is it a sin to go on a date?  When one family wears pants and the other only skirts, is there a division that occurs in the heart as the later is looked down upon?  And when one girl goes to college and another stays home, is there grace for a different decision than yours to be made?  

     Law-righteousness always keeps us from Christ-righteousness.  When we are busy pursuing processes to provide us with righteous living, our gaze is distracted from the One who alone can make us righteous.  There is not power in the process, only in the Person of Jesus Christ.  

"On Christ the solid rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand."

    Have you been building your life on the sinking sand of prescribes processes?  If you have, I would encourage you to retrain your way of thinking through the lens of God's Word. Colossians 3:2 says that, "In (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." If we are seeking Him, wisdom will come. 

Taking the Great Commision Seriously - Meet the Gospel Tract

     Sweating hands, a racing heart, a mind that suddenly went blank, a nervous smile and I look of, "What did I just get myself into" could pretty well describe my first experience with those little pamphlets known as gospel tracts.  When I handed this colorful looking, gospel containing piece of paper to the cashier, I half expected her to yell in my face and give me a body slam.  I guess you hope for the best and prepare for the worst, right?  The body slam never came and with I sigh of relief as my body relaxed to it's "not so statue like state", I walked away as she thanked me with a smile.
     When it comes to the Great Commission, many of us are temped to opt out, leaving that facet of the Christian life to the experienced missionaries and theologians.  If we are honest with ourselves, the thought of talking to someone about the gospel seems daunting, overwhelming or even terrifying. We know we are supposed to do something but because of our fear we do nothing.  But as Hudson Taylor so pointedly put it:

"The great commission is not an option to be considered 

but a command to be obeyed." 

      Now while many evangelists might preach to thousands in a football stadium or stand up on a box putting their vocal chords to the tests as they do open air preaching, to be an effective fisher of men, you don't have to start there.  Just as in any spiritual discipline, there is a starting point and a process of maturing and growing that must take place in our lives.  Don't let the thought of, "Oh I can't witness like Ray Comfort" keep you from taking the baby steps of learning. 

     So today I would like to introduce you to a helpful tool that could help jump start your witnessing efforts.  Perfect for beginner evangelists-in-the-making, gospel tracts are easy to use and aren't often rejected.  All it really takes to hand one out is a nice tag line, a prayerful heart and a smiling face. 

     My favorite tracts are from Living Waters. 

This comic is great for ages 10+.  It's colorful pictures make it interactive and intriguing, keeping readers engaged until the end.  Starting with the 10 commandments, it shows unbelievers their need for a Savior in light of the fact that we all have broken God's law and are accountable to Him.  After helping a sinner to recognize their need for a Savior, the gospel is presented. 
*Tag Line: This is for you.  It's a fun comic with a neat message and I hope you will take some time to read it.  

Which one's bigger???  These curved illusion cards are great for children, teens and adults alike.  Most people will thank you for giving them a gift without realizing it's got a message of far greater value on the back.  They are easy to pass out and fun to use.  

*Tag Line:  Hey, I have something I would like to show you.  Which one's bigger??? Not sure?  Well, they are actually the same size.  Isn't that neat!?  These are for you to keep.  Make sure you read the message on the back. 

Free Movie!!!!  How doesn't like movies?  Living Waters has put together some great evangelistic material that can be  accessed for free online.  Handing out these cards gives people the opportunity to easily access this life changing content and be challenged in what they believe as the truth of the gospel is explained through topics like abortion, atheism, evolution and homosexuality.  

*Tag Line:  This is for you.  Be sure to check out the free movies online!  

     When picking out gospel tracts, make sure they are really communicating the gospel and not some fluffy, "God has a wonderful plan for your life" or "Say a prayer and you get into heaven" message.  Also, keep tracts handy by storing them in your purse, pocket or wallet. 

     When you have gotten comfortable with simply handing gospel tracts out, they also now afford you the opportunity to branch out into pursuing conversations with people.  Give someone a tract and then ask:*

- So would you consider yourself a good person?

- Do you have a religious background?

- Do you believe in Heaven and Hell? 

Don't be afraid to allow tracts to open doors for conversation. 

*Know that these are just suggestions.  These are often things that I will say and I shared it with you just to get you thinking.  There is always room to do things differently as the Lord leads you.

     Recently, some people have questioned the effectiveness of gospel tracts.  First off, I have heard a number of stories of people who have been saved through the message of the gospel as presented through a tract.  Also, we are simply called to sow the seed.  God alone can make any gospel presentation effective, whether it's through a tract or a conversation.  Many people look down on tracts, thinking instead that we should only evangelize after we have built a relationship with someone.  The sad thing is, this isn't the pattern laid out in scripture.  Jesus talked to groups of thousands, Paul randomly walked into synagogues and Peter jumped into a Eunuch's carriage and basically said, "Hey, I hear your reading Isaiah.  Why don't you let me tell you what that's all about!"  Not only is this argument not biblically grounded but often times in an effort to keep peace in a relationship, we never bring up the gospel which offends and divides. 

     Let me exhort you as Paul did to Timothy.  

"As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, 

do the work of an evangelist,  fulfill your ministry." 

1 Timothy 4:5

Wednesdays In The Word: Psalm 16:8-11

I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also swells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.  You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

At the end of the road...will it matter?

"Don't fear failure.  Fear spending your life succeeding at things that  

DON'T REALLY MATTER."

- Unknown -

     We are one of the most self-absorbed generation of young people.  Through entertainment, sex, fashion, athletics, texting and facebook, we spend our time seeking after pleasure and popularity.  Far too many of our young "men" find their fulfillment in winning video games and creaming into each other during football matches. Far too many many young girls are consumed in seeking after physical allure and find their security in their social status.  We have become expert sand castle sculptors and our success had left us demented*.  With minds fixed on momentary things, we waste some of the most valuable years of our lives because we are focused on the wrong things. 

     *Demented: not able to think clearly or to understand what is real and what is not real

     

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Colossians 3:2

    

     Many of us suffer from nearsightedness.  Our lives become bogged down with "things that are on earth" as our focus rests on the here and now.  But, as God instructs us through Colossians, our lives should have a farsighted focus.  The world lives so much in the moment because this life is all they have.  But when we have been born again, this life is simply an investment plan as we set our hopes on the life to come.  God has not given us this time of earth so we can gorge ourselves with pomp and comfort.  Instead, He asks us to set our minds on things that are above...because eternity is just around the corner.    

 "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 

making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." 

(Ephesians 5:15-16) 

     All to many of us think that we have an endless bank account of time.  It's easy to think that way when you are young.  But we don't.  God has marked out for us a certain number of days and before you know it... they will be over.  We are always spending time on this or that activity or pursuit but what I want to ask you is are you investing your time?   Will the things that consume your time and energy count for eternity? Read that verse again. "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."  This isn't a command, it's a warning.  

     So what things are eternal?  First of all, people are eternal.  Are you investing in the relationships that God has brought into your life and are you telling them about the Savior who can save them from an eternity of punishment and pain?  I don't think I have ever heard of anyone on their death bed say, "I wish I had spent less time with my family and friends and more time working." or "I wish I hadn't lived so much of my life for the Lord."  

     Time is a gift.  Life is a gift.  How will you spend them?