James 1:19-20

Easy, right?!

Oh wait.

I think that people often refer back to James 1:19--we should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Now, those aren't easy things, but it seems like the perfect formula, so we toss those words around either as a warning to ourselves or maybe even as a warning to someone else...probably when they are offending us, which is a whole separate issue.

But verse 20 is what really hits me. You see, when we talk more than we listen, when use our words to hurt people, or are invoked to anger by the words or actions of others, we are sinning.

God doesn't desire dissension. Conflict isn't honoring to Him. Arguing doesn't lead to righteousness.

Rather, we should seek to understand the story of those we are in conflict with, and this is done primarily through listening. And when we realize that two people can have different viewpoints that are both legitimate and based on their experiences, we'll be more apt to be compassionate.

And compassion is something that will honor God and affect our human relationships.

Psalm 71

I just highlighted this verse in my Bible last night. I love that even though I've been using the same Bible for 10 years and have read the thing front to back several times, there are still new things that God wants to bring to my attention.

The Psalmist has so much confidence in God. Despite many troubles he proclaims that God will restore his life. He is able to see past his current circumstances and into the bigger picture.

And then, in verses 22-24 he goes on to tell all the ways he will praise God. He is praising God during the storm--not after--because he has a trusting anticipation that God will do what he has promised. He will restore. He will heal. And he doesn't change.

No matter what's around you or ahead of you God has the ability to restore it. In the meantime, he is still worthy of praise.

Find hope in that.

Anger

I'm not sure if you have a "default emotion"...that emotion that you always skip other emotions and arrive at first. I might be sad, or hurt, or jealous, but before I ever get to those emotions I take a little detour at angry. It takes me some time to process through from anger to whatever it is I'm actually feeling, but I almost always pause briefly on anger.

In my head I often know that anger isn't the real emotion, but my heart tends to lean towards it. And in those moments of anger, God always gently reminds me of Ephesians 4:26: In your anger, do not sin.

Ugh. How I want to sin. I want to express my anger by being mean or short. I want people to understand my point of view and I don't have any regard for how they feel about it. I want justice for whoever it is that is hurting me.

I have to remember to slow down, be quiet, and try to gain some perspective on the situation. Often times, a little waiting and being quiet is all it takes for my anger to subside to the point where I can deal with it in a right way.

Lessons from Asaph

I love this passage because of the passage that precedes it. This Psalm is written by someone called Asaph. Now, I'm not too familiar with Asaph, but what I learn about him from verses 1-22 of this Psalm is that he had become jealous of the arrogant and wicked because he saw them prospering. He had become jealous of their carefree lifestyle and their monetary gain. He began doubting that he had kept his heart pure for a good purpose. 

But Asaph has a turning point in verse 17 where he enters the house of God and he sees those people's destinies. He sees that God is far from them and that they will eventually be destroyed and he realizes how senseless he was being in being jealous of them.

And then he proclaims verses 23-26; he had almost let go of his ideals and beliefs, but he realizes that no matter what, God will not leave him. He can't escape God's reach and call. Asaph understands that God is the best part of his life and that no matter what it looks like through the lens of other people or through circumstances, God is in control and is doing what's best for him. 

May we all stop looking around and start looking up. Circumstances will not always be what we want them to be; other people may be ahead of where we want to be, or getting what we've been wanting for ages. We might be jealous of others who aren't doing what we think is right but are gaining rewards for it. In those moments, may we not look to the blessings of others and compare them to our lives. Instead, we must look to God and realize that He will never leave us. There is nothing in Heaven or on Earth that is worth more than God and being close to Him is the only thing that matters (vs 28). 

Our nearness to God should cause us to rejoice, regardless of what we see in other people. 

Overcoming Enemies

Romans 12:21 encourages us to not be overcome with evil. Do you ever find this to be hard? Evil takes on many forms...I pretty much refuse to watch the news, or sometimes even turn my tv on because of the amount of evil in this world. I get tired of hearing constant negatives and people arguing back and forth about countless issues. Not to say that some of those issues don't need argued about, but there is a time and a place. 

The evil Paul is referring to here, though, is the evil that comes against you from other people; from your enemies. This is the end of a section with the heading "love." The passage commands us to bless those who persecute us and to not repay any evil for evil. 

Let me tell you, when someone hurts me the first thing I want to do is hurt them back. It is my natural response to pain. Pain breeds more pain. When I feel pain, I want to inflict it on others. And that is how cycles of hurt begin and get passed from generation, relationship to relationship. None of which is deserved, or fair.

The way to break the cycle of hurt is to stop dealing out pain. Do not overcome evil by causing more evil; overcome evil by causing good. Instead of hurting those who hurt us, we should actively seek opportunities to pray for them and to help them when possible. 

I'm hopeful that you don't have many enemies in life. But if you do, think twice about repaying evil with evil. Be strong enough to break the cycle.

Perpetual Prayer

Perpetual is defined as never ending or never changing. If you find yourself stuck in a perpetual prayer, this post is for you.

I'm currently reading Jesus One and Only by Beth Moore. I was reading it as I was using the elliptical machine at the gym the other night, which makes highlighting passages a bit tricky, but I always manage. Beth is writing about Zechariah and Elizabeth and how they prayed for years and years to have a child. She writes,

Have you almost given up on God answering an earnest, long-term prayer of your heart? Not becoming hopeless over a repetitious request can be terribly challenging...God does not have some limited supply of power, requiring that we carefully select a few choice things to pray about. God's power is infinite. God's grace and mercy are drawn deeply from the bottomless well of His heart. (pg 6)

As I read this, I was highlighting away on my iPad. This is kind of the echo of my heart right now. I'm growing weary of praying the same things over and over and only seeing small steps. And though my prayer is not necessarily of the magnitude of Zechariah and Elizabeth's, it is of equal importance to me. And I need all the encouragement humanly possible to keep going.

She goes on to write,

Do you have a long-standing prayer concern? If you have received a definitive no from God, pray to accept it and trust that He knows what He's doing. If you haven't, don't grow weary or mechanical. Like Zechariah and Elizabeth, continue to walk faithfully with God even though you are disappointed. Walking with God in the day-in/day-out course of life swells your assurance that God is faithful and enjoyable even when a request goes unmet. Recognizing all the other works God is doing in your life will prevent discouragement as you await your answer. Zechariah waited a long time for God's answer, but when it came, it exceeded everything the priest could have thought or asked. (pg 6, emphasis mine)

By this time, I had highlighted practically the whole page. And read it twice. And should probably have it tattooed on my arm. 

If you're nearly ready to give up on something you've been praying for, press on. We find in 1 John 5:14:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

No matter what it seems, God always hears us. There is comfort there. 

I Have a Complaint

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. 

Philippians 2:14-16

Sometimes I just want to complain. I want someone to relate to me and agree with me, and God help them if they don't. Even when I don't truly have something real to complain about, trust me, I'll find something.

But God commands us to do everything without complaining. Everything?! I read this verse and was instantly trying to find loopholes--ways I could complain in a "holy" way. Venting to Christian friends is okay, right? Complaining for the sake of stress relief or explanation is legit, right? 

But as I continued reading into verses 15 and 16 and tried to understand the reason why we're commanded not to complain, it started becoming a little bit harder to justify my "holy complaints." God tells us not to complain so that we may become blameless and pure--I don't know about you, but I would love to be considered either of these things.

The other important reason for not complaining is that as God changes us through our contentment, we then begin to stand apart from others. A complaining Christian isn't a very good witness to those who don't follow God. Would someone want to follow God after hearing me complain about what he's doing or not doing? Doubtful.

The next time you're looking for a reason to justify your complaints, pause for a second and think about how your complaints will affect your purity, and how you'll affect others around you who'll listen to the complaint. Will it help you shine among them? I

f not, turn that complaint into a praise, and fast.

Small Beginnings

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin...

Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)

What a hard verse to read. Most things in life start small, and those first few moments of a new experience, feeling, relationship, career--they're hard. It is hard to find joy in the small moments. Hard to find peace or confidence in whatever endeavor you're beginning. It's hard to see how things will ever develop into what you're dreaming of.

But our perspective is so limited because we only see now--all we see are the small beginnings.

God rejoices to see the work begin. Because he is the author, God admires his work--even what seems like humble beginnings to us, he sees as part of his overall masterpiece. As we continue through life, we can look back and see clearly that God used our small beginnings to create a wonderful story, but I want to practice seeing these small beginnings as tiny victories along the way, not after the story is told.

Lord help me to trust in small beginnings, and to rejoice in them the same way You do, knowing that you are the author of all stories--beginning, middle, and end.

Brokenhearted

All of us have been brokenhearted at one time or another. Chances are it was because of a relationship; either a friend, a family member, or spouse or dating relationship. Maybe there was turmoil. Maybe the relationship ended in a way that hurt. Maybe someone passed away. Or maybe it wasn't a relationship--maybe there was bad news--a health issue, financial burden, or something in the news. Heartbreak is unfortunately an effect of being human. 

In steps God:

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

I love these two verses. I love that God can heal our broken hearts. I love that he cares about us so much that he choses to be near to us when we are broken. I tend to have no desire to be around people who are miserable; I don't have the patience or the compassion to help see them through whatever is going on. Sometimes, I even drive myself crazy with my own misery. But God, he is so different. He is close to us in our time of sorrow. 

And then, as if coming near to us weren't enough, he saves us. He binds up our wounds. He heals us. He takes our broken hearts, our messy lives, and he restores us.

Your external wounds? God can bind them up.

Your broken heart? God comes near, then provides healing.

Your crushed spirit? Restored. Saved. 

Take comfort, friends, in having a loving, compassionate God who cares so deeply for his children. 

Irrevocable

God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.

Romans 11:29

There is such hope in this verse. What God intends to accomplish, he will. There is nothing you or anyone else can do to stand in his way. His promises are still true, all the time. Rest in knowing that God doesn't forget his chosen people.

When you're doubting your purpose, God is still in charge. If you find yourself in the wrong place, God hasn't forgotten and will provide a way out. What God has intended, no one shall come against. He has had a plan for you since before you were born, and nothing will stop the God of the universe from carrying out that plan.

If you think you can thwart God by sins you've committed, wrong steps you've taken, or words you've said, then you are doubting God's ability to be in charge of your life. Pray and continually ask Him to fulfill his gifts and calling in you and in those around you.

Kindness & Sterness

Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God...

Romans 11:22a

People generally have two images of God--either He is a loving Father, constantly giving His children whatever they want, whenever they ask for it; or He is a mean God who banishes sinners to Hell. 

However, there must be some balance to our perception of who God is. Romans 11:22 advises us to consider both the kindness and the sternness of God. The God of the Bible cannot be only one or the other. 

For those who follow God and serve him wholeheartedly, there is kindness. Now, kindness doesn't mean that every Christian will have a path void of trial or pain. God's kindness is that He sent His Son to die for us and therefore those who call on him receive mercy.

Conversely, for those who deny God, there is sternness. God desires for people to follow him; he demands it. And when people don't obey His commands, He does not respond in kindness. 

This isn't always something people like to hear. However, the good news is that if you are currently receiving the sternness of God, it is easy to begin receiving kindness--ask. The perfect part of this is that in God's kindness, Jesus has already paid the price for your sin. There is not a single thing more you can add to it; God only asks for faith. And if you ask God to renew you, you can begin receiving his kindness and mercy. 

Those who currently claim grace, mercy, and kindness, be on guard so that you don't fall away. In the second part of this verse, Paul reminds us that the way to continue receiving the kindness of God is to keep looking to Him.

The Deeds of the Lord

If you're not satisfied with your current situation, whatever that might be, a great way to regain perspective is to reflect on the good deeds of the Lord. This can be reading through verses that display his power and miracles, or it could be making a list of times God has been evident in your past. 

Remembering that God has all-powerful and sovereign in the past and your past can help you regain confidence that God will continue being all-powerful and sovereign in your current and future situations. 

Meditating on His works helps use to refocus and to keep our faith in God's sovereign plan.

God's Footprints

I love what the psalmist says about when God parted the red sea:

Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.

Psalm 77:19

God's footprints were not seen, even though he was leading the way through the mighty waters. This is important to remember in easy times and in challenging times.

As God starts providing blessings, its important to realize that even if you don't see His footprints, He is working in the background. Recognizing and acknowledging this is an easy way to bring glory to the Giver. When we are thankful for what God has done, we're more likely to continue noticing Him working. When we stop focusing on God, and think that we are receiving good things because we've done good, or because we inherently deserve good things, we lose sight of our God and become proud.

In times that are hard, we must trust in this verse and hold tight to the promise that God has a path for us even when we don't see His footprints. We must keep looking for Him and trying to understand His path as we're going through it. Can you imagine how much faith it took to walk through the parted Red Sea? With the water stories above you on both sides? Life is sometimes like that. But we must keep going and trust that when we come through, we will see that God has been working all along.

Praise God that He is with us in the good times and the bad. Pray for revelation to see His path and to follow His lead. 

Pilgrimage

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baka,

    they make it a place of springs;

    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

 They go from strength to strength,

    till each appears before God in Zion.

Psalm 84:5-7

How desperately I needed to hear this tonight. I needed a reminder that my life and journey with God is not a sprint. So often, I ask God for something and expect it right away. We live in a culture where the pace is increasingly fast, where impulses are easily gratified, and where our satisfaction cannot be delayed or else it is diminished. 

But these verses say that blessed are those whose hearts are on pilgrimage. Not whose hearts are sprinting, not whose hearts only see the short-term. Those who are in it for the long haul are blessed. The Valley of Baka translates to the Valley of Weeping. As we pass through the hard spots, we are refreshed. And we are able to go from strength to strength before we see God face to face. 

What comfort there is knowing that our relationship with God will continue to grow. We won't ever reach capacity, but we are given one revelation, one strength, one moment at a time along our journey. And the reward for us is God's blessing. Is there anything else we could desire more? 

Delayed blessings are God's way of perfecting us, building our strength along our pilgrimage.

Patience will pay off. We must have vision to see ahead and trust God's divine plan.

Carry the Burden

Feeling alone is a tricky feeling. There are times when it is a legitimate feeling, but more often than not it is a lie from the devil. Satan wants you to feel like you're alone, even if you're surrounded by people. Because if you feel alone, you're more likely to withdraw, to shut down, to give in to feelings of darkness and depression.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galations 6:2

Galations teaches us to carry each other's burdens. I'm not sure about you, but I typically think that I'm pretty good about paying attention to the needs of others, listening to their problems, and trying to help in any way possible. I know I can always improve on those, but I also know what I'm really not good at.

And what I'm not good at is letting other people carry my burdens. I stop talking. I don't share my feelings. I believe the lie that no one else has ever experienced what I'm going through and therefore they won't be able to relate. I keep my burden to myself in order to protect myself and the other person. 

But what I'm really doing is not protecting; it's putting up a wall. Let me tell you something, Jesus is not a proponent of building walls. He longs to tear down your walls, to tackle your deepest issues, and one of the most prominent ways He does that is through your interactions with other people. 

And what you'll find, as I have found, when you let other people carry your burdens by talking about real things and being open and honest, is that other people have the same issues you do. They have the same problems, the same struggles, the same insecurities. People also have the same victories. And as we talk about our real life things, God is honored through our encouragement of one another. 

You are neither too good, nor too bad to share what's going on in life. And anyone who makes you feel like either of those is true is not truly living a life that honors God. We can work through our joys, successes, and struggles together. Doing so will only unite us and make us stronger. What a relief it is to know that we are all battling something and we are not alone.

Looking Back to Look Forward

Lord, I have heard of your fame;

    I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.

Repeat them in our day,

    in our time make them known;

    in wrath remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3:2

I love this prayer from Habakkuk. It shows Habakkuk's knowledge of what God has done in the past, and begging Him to continue doing amazing works in the present and future. 

So often in my life, I need to think back on all of the things God has done for me. All of the circumstances He's seen me through, all of the ways He's blessed me, the journey He's brought me on. And as I look backward and see God's goodness, the easier it is trust Him going forward. I should remember these more often and ask God to repeat and increase the blessings.

Understanding

Have you ever thought you knew exactly what God was doing, only to find out you were way off? I keep finding myself in that situation lately. 

There are certain things I keep praying for and every time I think God is answering, it turns out that He isn't doing what I'd expected. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

And then I run into Proverbs 3:5-6. Lean not on your own understanding. What I see and understand is wrong so often. And it's terribly hard for me to admit to being wrong. But there is a trust that no matter what, God will make my paths straight. He will take what I've messed up, what I've misjudged, what I've broken, and he will make everything right. 

In His timing, not mine.

Kindness is Contagious

Being kind is not always the easy thing to do. It doesn't always come natural, doesn't always yield a return, can take extra time or resources, and sometimes isn't fun. But the thing about kindness is: it's always a choice.

In every moment you choose whether to say a kind word or do a good deed, or you choose not to. 

I'm not sure how many people you come across day, but I'm guessing I probably average interactions with about 230 people per day during the week, between work and evening fun. That's a lot of people, and a lot of opportunities to choose kindness.

Proverbs 16:24 tells us that kind words are sweet to the soul. Proverbs 12:18a says that the words of the reckless pierce like swords. 

So, if kind words are sweet, and reckless words pierce, it is obvious which choice to make. But that doesn't make it easy.

Never underestimate the power of a positive word. I'm sure you can think of a time where someone's words lifted you up or encouraged you to press on through a hard situation. Your words have that same power--if you choose them wisely. 

And while it might be more effort, more time, more energy, your kindness will do just as much for you as for the person receiving it. 

Increase My Faith

Last summer as I was reading through Luke, I came across a verse that really caused me to think and pray in a new way.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

Luke 17:5

Jesus had been teaching the disciples about forgiveness. Their response to him was asking Him to increase their faith. I realized how often this is my prayer request in regards to whatever Jesus is teaching me. No matter what I'm waiting for, going through, experiencing; my response to Jesus is to simply ask Him to stretch my faith--to make it bigger.

Jesus' answer to the apostles was to tell them that even small faith can do great things.

He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

Luke 17:6

The smallest amount of faith released can yield big results. Because in our smallest moments of faith, we are giving the power over to our mighty God. And he can make things happen. 

So, while my prayer is always that my faith is being increased daily, I also realize that I must use what faith I currently have. Repeated moments of small faith yield a bigger faith because God will not leave us empty handed. 

We must have confidence even when our faith feels small, because God can take what faith we have and turn it into a miracle. 

Whatever circumstance you find yourself going through--a bad time, or a good time, pray that God might teach you to use your current faith in order to increase it. 

Wait

Everyone finds themselves in periods of waiting sometimes. Often, even. Chances are, everyone you meet is waiting for something: a new job, a new relationship, a new purchase, the next big thing.

I'm convinced that people are often so busy looking forward to the next thing, that we forget to enjoy the stage that we're at--even if that is a season of waiting. When you're 9, you want to be ten. Then you want to be 14 and get your driver's permit. Then 16 to get the full license. Then 17 so you can get into R rated movies. Then 18 and become a legal adult. Then 21. Then 25. Then you want to get married. Then you want kids. Then you want.....

The list could keep going.

And those are all good things to want and to wait for--or, to not want to wait for--but we have to understand that when we wait, we wait expectantly and we trust that God is getting ready to bless us in one way or another. Waiting mirrors hope and a trust that God works all things for our good. Even when we have to wait.

This should change our attitude of waiting. We should complain less because we know that God is working in the background in ways we cannot even fathom.

Since ancient times no one has heard,

    no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,

    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

-Isaiah 64:4

This verse says that God will act on behalf of those who wait for him. He honors our waiting and gives us the best. God is the one moving while we wait.

I waited patiently for the Lord;

    he turned to me and heard my cry.

-Psalm 40:1

Again, in this verse we see that God is the one moving. As we wait, He turns to us and hears us.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

-Exodus 14:14

This is one of my favorite verses about waiting. Again, as we are still, God does the hard work for us. And would we really want it any other way? The waiting is hard, but there is growth in being still and waiting expectantly for God to take care of us in a far better way than we could ever take care of ourselves. Our relationship with God grows during this time as our hope and trust are put to the test. Our relationships with others can grow during this time too, as most people find themselves in a stage of waiting and can relate and encourage very easily.

When we are still, God is ever-working on our behalf. 

Oh, Decisions

The other night I had a moment. Like, one of those moments where you just freeze in fear of making a decision. Ever had a moment like that?

Mine was about what to eat for dinner.

No, really.

You see, I didn't know what I wanted. I was hungry, but just couldn't decide. I literally sat in my parked car for over 20 minutes trying to figure out where to go. I realized that I'm always so worried about making the wrong choice.

I thought about grabbing a burger at a fast food place. But I already had a soda that day, and obviously getting a burger leads to getting soda. And what if that burger caused me to start eating horribly and gain 15 pounds? And what if it didn't really fill me up or satisfy? Besides, I was totally going to judge myself for getting fast food.

Right now you're probably thinking that I have some issues. Which is fair, I totally do. But do you ever do the same thing? Maybe not about dinner, but about real life decisions? Do you ever play out the different situations that could come from your decision--both the good and the bad? Do you think about how your decision might affect other people around you? Does your obsessing about what's right and wrong make you terrified to make a decision?

And all for what? Talk about letting anxiety win.

So as I stood in my kitchen, making pizza, I thought about how God wants me to think when I have big decisions to make. Bigger than dinner.

I came to Jeremiah 29:11-12.

You see, indecisiveness is a refusal to trust in God's plan. We think that OUR decision will dictate what God does with a situation.

God intends good. He plans to prosper us and give us hope and a future. And He can and will do so regardless of the decisions we make. As long as we are calling upon Him and praying to Him, he will hear and take care of us. God wants the best for us; to bless us with amazing gifts because we are His creation. He delights in giving us good things. 

I don't want to miss God's best. I don't want to miss His blessings because I'm frozen in fear. Being frozen in indecision is a lack of trust in God's will to give us good things. There is nothing that He will not accomplish in us when we are looking towards him. He won't let us fail. And there is peace in believing that. 

Regardless of what decision you make, God will accomplish his plans.

Pay Attention

This verse is always so convicting to me. How often do we go about our daily lives paying attention to only ourselves: our wants, our needs, our desires, our dreams? We forget the cost of being self-consumed and we forget to look around and notice the needs, wants, desires, and dreams of those around us. 

This doesn't mean you have to like all of the same things as your friends, family, or coworkers. But how much effort does it take to ask a question about something you know your loved one cares about? Chances are, it will take less than 5 minutes of your day, and it will show them that you care about things that are important to them. 

While having common interests in relationships is important, it's more important that we care about people and make an effort to care about the things they love. Ask them the score of the game, the secret ingredient in that new recipe, what they did last weekend. Just asking shows you care.

I love this little quote I stumbled across on Pinterest. The people who are able to empathetic in your life are the ones who really care about you. Make sure that people can say the same thing of you.

I am so blessed with the best group of friends.

We all have a few things in common, but the way we are able to mesh together is something special. And it's because we pay attention to each other, we genuinely want what's best for each other. We take part in activities whether we want to or not because we know it's something important to someone else. 

Mostly, I can ask my friends to go to a concert (of someone they've never even listened to), go to a movie (where I say all the lines out loud and play my recorder at the end), go out 6 nights in a 2 week span to watch the Iowa State Cyclones (even though they are all Hawkeye fans), make crafts, sing karaoke, have a book club....the list could just stretch forever. But it's because we look to the interests of others. They look to the interests of me and I am so thankful.

Be A Fountain

I stumbled across this quote the other day and have been reflecting on it ever since. I probably need to print it and hang it on my desk as a daily reminder. 

It made me think about the words that come out of my mouth every day. Sometimes, it's just so easy to complain or to talk about the things that are going wrong. And while there is a time and a place for venting and discussing frustrations, when done too often or in the wrong circumstance it is draining for other people to listen to. You can probably think of someone in your life who is constantly complaining and never seems happy. Do you enjoy being around that person? Is it inspiring or draining? 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

 Ephesians 4:29

We are called and commanded to speak words that build up others. Words that encourage, bring hope, and breathe life into everyone we come across in our daily lives. The words we speak should be of benefit to whoever is hearing them. Be careful. You don't want to be the person that people think of when they think of someone who is constantly complaining or tearing others down. 

Nothing Can Separate

I've literally dragged out my reading of Romans 8 to stretch over the course of several days. I just love each individual section of the chapter.

Verse 31 says What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 

How comforting is that? If God is for us, who can be against us? Now, I know what you're thinking: you have people and things that go against you all the time, right?! So do I and so does everyone else in all of existence. But guess what? Those things might come against you, but they will never prevail over you.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  --vs 35

Facing trouble? Persecution? Danger? Sickness? Whatever you're facing, the beauty is that is will not separate us from the love of Christ. Because....

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. --vs 37-39

I could read those words 1,000 times over and still not tire of hearing how there is nothing, nothing on this earth, outside of this earth, in any timeframe, nothing so powerful or big that could ever separate me from God's love. Nothing. Ever. 

I could try running, but I couldn't get far enough. I could try to hide, but I would be found. Even on my darkest day, when life just isn't going right, it is never so dark that God's love can't shine through.

Whatever you face today, know that it is circumstantial and ultimately it pales in comparison to the magnitude of God's love for us. Nothing will take away his love from us. Rest in that truth today.

Protector

One of my friends was having a rough day recently, so of course I go to that first place I always go (Pinterest) to look for encouragement. I literally just searched the word "encouragement" into the search bar and scrolled through the results. Trust me when I say that I know this isn't the best tactic, but it works sometimes!

On about the third line, there was a verse I wasn't very familiar with, but it was definitely encouraging. It was Psalm 91:10-11:

no evil will conquer you;

    no plague will come near your home.

 For he will order his angels

    to protect you wherever you go.

I prayed this verse over her current situation and then texted it to her. This verse is just so comforting to me. God himself will protect us, send angels to protect us, and let no evil conquer us. If there's ever a picture of hope, isn't that it?

However, there's a condition. Doesn't it seem like there are always conditions? Lucky for us, God's conditions are always easy. Verse 9 says:

If you make the Lord your refuge,

    if you make the Most High your shelter...

The condition is this: that we run to God. We ask Him and trust Him for protection. We seek Him for refuge. The principle here is so easy, and yet sometimes seems so hard. We want to do it ourselves. We want to solve the problem. We want our friends or our family to solve the problem. We expect an instant answer. And yet rescue is as easy as seeking God first. 

In moments where I'm tempted to text my best friend for advice right away, or vent to a coworker about what's going on, Lord help me to just say a prayer first and ask his blessing over the situation.

Whatever you're facing today, evil cannot conquer your situation. Seek God and ask him for protection. And if you don't know how, just pray the entirety of Psalm 91 over your current circumstance. Give it to God first, and he will protect you.

Romans 8:28

I will preface this with saying that Romans 8:28 is my favorite verse in all the Bible. It has been for a very long time, and I only imagine it will continue to be.

We can rest assured that in all things, all things, all things, all things, God is doing what is good for us. All of the things that we view as failures, setbacks, mistakes...God is weaving them into a perfect story. A good story. 

God can take whatever you've done aimlessly and give it purpose. He can turn your messes into miracles. In fact, he already has. 

I love the Amplified version, maybe because it has more words, or maybe because it tries to give literal translation. Either way, I love the tense of this. God is working all things together to fit them into a good plan. Even right now. Whatever you're facing, know that God will take it and make it part of your bigger story. And in the end, God is the master creator, and he is making your story good. because he loves you. 

Undivided Heart

The Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at USC (didn't see that one coming, did you?) says that the average human has around 70,00 thoughts per day. Seventy thousand. That's almost 3,000 per hour. Nearly 50 per minute. How do they know that? I have no idea, but hey, it's science, right?

Anyway, the point is this: God wants us to have an undivided heart. How are we supposed to do that when our brains are wired to go so fast? David prays for it in Psalm 86:11...a prayer is always a good start!

Give me an undivided heart. The undivided heart yields an accurate perception of God--both the fear of God and the praise of God. The undivided heart knows that God is a mighty king who always acts justly and at the same time knows and understands that God loves us. Putting those two ideas together doesn't come when your heart is divided. 

Having an undivided heart allows us to understand God's laws, commands, and promises. It also allows us to receive the rewards that come with following God whole-heartedly. And if we choose not to have an undivided heart for God, we bring the consequences on ourselves. That is a scary though.

I've started praying that God will keep my heart and mind focused on Him. I want to be undivided in my commitment to knowing and trusting Him. In the midst of my 70,000 thoughts per day, that gets hard. But it is possible. One step at a time. One choice at a time. Do I watch 30 minutes of mindless TV or turn on some worship music? Do I worry about something that hasn't (and probably won't) ever happen or do I stop and pray about it? Do I focus on all of the things I don't have yet in life, or rejoice in what I've been given? Do I fret about my circumstances or claim the promises of God over my life?

Undivided. One thought at a time.

Always A Way Out

Last week in the midst of my anxieties, and through what some of my friends were dealing with in their lives, I was reminded of this verse, 1 Corinthians 10:13. This is The Message version, which I don't always care for, but this one was exactly what I needed to be reminded of. 

No matter what we face, God is in control. He always takes care of us and is always with us. The situations he gives us that are hard are put in our lives intentionally to help us grow. But no matter what, He always provides us a way out. Sometimes the escape is disguised or hidden, or it is through a situation we weren't expecting, but He will always gives us help in the moment we need it. And above all else, He never leaves our side. 

Everything that we face has been faced before, and God will always provide. We need to spend more time trusting that God will take care of us and less time worrying. 

So often in life it is best to avoid words like "always" and "never" because they are big generalizations that can sometimes get us into trouble. However, with God, I love that I can trust him to always be there to help me and he'll never let me down. Those are always and nevers that I can get in on! I'm thankful for these absolute promises of God! 

Isaiah 46:4

Last week, I found myself feeling very anxious. There was nothing really going on in life, no reason for anxiety, and anxiety isn't really even a recurring issue in my life. Yet, there it was.

Naturally, I went to the place where I go to find help...Pinterest. Yes, I know that's not the first place I should go, but the truth is that I do. I'm not quite sure how it happened or what I searched, but I ended up finding Isaiah 46:4. It says,

I have made you and I will carry you;

 I will sustain you and I will rescue you

This verse was a perfect reminder that God is in control no matter what the circumstances, and that because He made me and loves me, He will always protect me. I was able to find such hope and peace through that verse. I actually found another pin that had the verse in a size that would fit on the homescreen of my phone, and now those are the words I see when I turn my phone on. I actually stared at the screen reading and reading it while I was at the doctor's office the other day. I'm sure people thought I was being rude and checking my phone constantly, but the more I read it, the more my anxiety faded and I just didn't care what others thought. 

Life & Peace

Often I meander through life not really knowing what I'm doing. This is another one of those instances. Here's what I want: I want to write daily snippets that I find encouraging, with the goal of encouraging others. God has a bigger purpose than reckless meandering, and I find that if I write and share my thoughts, I am more prone to really own them and believe them for myself.

Hopefully this blog will be a collection of Bible verses, stories, and quotes to encourage people. I don't want to post essays--just quick bits of what I'm learning in life. I think that this will force me to really dig deeper in my faith, and hopefully will inspire someone else along the way.

All that said, Day One:

I'm currently reading through Romans, and I have come to my favorite chapter in all the Bible--Romans 8. I don't even want to keep reading, because I will be sad when this chapter is over. While I really love the end of Romans 8, the verse that really caught me up the other night is verse 5-6, which says,

...those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. 

Did you hear that? When we live in accordance with the Spirit, we have life and peace. I'm not sure about you, but sometimes I feel like those are two things I'm really lacking. My life gets so busy and stressful and weighed down that I forget to live. I find myself just going through the motions. And peace?! Yeah, right, like there's time or energy for that! Sometimes it's easier to get swallowed by circumstances, and start to wallow. I forget to breathe in the Spirit of God. And how silly is that? God has given us the Holy Spirit--we just need to pay attention by setting our minds on what the Spirit desires.

The first step is to replace the things of our minds with the thoughts of God. By reading the Word, by prayer, by reading, or by whatever else. And ultimately, the easiest way to be living in the Spirit of God--ask Him. Ask Him to help guard your mind and your heart and to direct your thoughts toward Him. He's already promised that to you; just ask.