What else do I need?

I was born into a family that believes in God, and I grew up going to church with my family. When I was three years old, my sister told me that I had to believe that Jesus was God’s son and choose to live like he wanted me to or after I died I would go to “a really bad place.” I told her I believed it, and I prayed and told God. I continued going to church and learning about all of the stories in the Bible. When I was about nine or ten, I decided I wanted to tell the world that I had become a Christian. 

As I grew older I learned that it wasn’t up to me to be perfect. God knew I couldn’t live perfectly, so he sent Jesus on my behalf. Jesus lived a perfect life, and then he sacrificed himself—to pay the price for my imperfection. But because he’s God’s son and has power, he overcame death and rose back to life. All I had to do was believe that was true, and God would forgive my imperfection, and allow me to have a relationship with him. 

My relationship with Him makes life worth living. When my world fell apart, God held me in one piece. He is everything I need to stay in one piece. Life is often incredibly painful and disappointing; my relationship with God brings ultimate healing and fulfillment that last forever. What else do I need?

Thank you, Lord, for wise old women!

         I'm reading a book for class called "Teacher: The Henrietta Mears Story." by Marcus Brotherton. Let me just tell you, it's fantastic. This woman loved the Lord. She knew Him, she was confident in her identity in Him, and she let Him have His wonderful way with her life.

         I read this today, and it just splashed over me like the cool refreshing water I didn't know I was longing for. It's  a beautiful answer to questions my heart has been pouring over and wrestling with.

"Here is our certainty. God is in us, and He is going to work in us to do His will and pleasure; this is the promise. And through what vehicle will He work to reveal His will except through our minds? We do not have to go chasing a will-o'-the-wisp, or strain after something outside ourselves. God is in us, working out His will and we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God...

       The Lord does most of the waiting, waiting for us to get up and get going. How can the Lord stop you if you haven't started? And how can He change your direction if you aren't moving but are just standing still? You can't steer a car that is standing at the curb. Even if you move the steering wheel, nothing happens. Ask any frustrated little boy who is trying to steer his daddy's parked car! Before you can guide a car, it has to be moving. So only when we're moving can the Lord direct us. He can stop us, or let us go on, or change the course.
        The psalmist says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet," which means that the Lord will light one step at a time. When you take a flashlight out into the night, you certainly don't say, "I can't see all the way, so I'm not going to start!" Of course not! You take the step that the flashlight reveals, then you have light enough for the next step; you take that step, and the flashlight gives enough light for one more, and one more, and so you get to your [destination].
        When I leave my home and start out for church on Sunday morning, I don't stop and pray on every street corner to see whether I should cross the street or not, or whether I should continue or turn back. I go happily and at peace, knowing that it is the Lord's will for me to go to church. When I come to a stoplight, I don't fret and scream and beat my head and wonder what's wrong; I just stop and wait for the light to turn green and on I go. Even as a preacher once said, "The stops of a good man are ordered of the Lord" instead of "The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord"; if we yield our wills and commit our way unto the Lord, we can have this confidence that the Lord is directing our paths."

        I hope this is as encouraging to you as it has been to me. It's Mission Emphasis Week here at Liberty, and Steve Saint brought a wonderful message to us on Monday. He was recording his mom telling her life story one more time before she died...and her cry to the Lord before she was sent overseas, before her husband was brutally killed was "Your will...in my life...no matter the cost." What an incredible testimony to the Lord, that at the end of her life, she stood by her early prayer and said that even if she had to do it all over again, she would still say "Your will...in my life...no matter the cost."


Lord, Your will...in my life...no matter the cost.

..Free to Live for You.

Psalm 147

 ¹ Praise the LORD.^[a]    How good it is to sing praises to our God,
   how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
 ² The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
   he gathers the exiles of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted
   and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars
   and calls them each by name.
⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
   his understanding has no limit.
⁶ The LORD sustains the humble
   but casts the wicked to the ground.
 ⁷ Sing to the LORD with grateful praise;
   make music to our God on the harp.
 ⁸ He covers the sky with clouds;
   he supplies the earth with rain
   and makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹ He provides food for the cattle
   and for the young ravens when they call.
 ¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
   nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
¹¹ the LORD delights in those who fear him,
   who put their hope in his unfailing love. 


The past few weeks have felt pretty heavy--mentally and emotionally. They have been full of new things and God has been so near. I am taking six classes right now, and all six of them are about life. Life as a Christian woman, life in ministry, issues that people struggle with in life, how to help people who struggle with issues in life, and more. They have been so rich, as I'm sure they will continue to be. But one theme that keeps weighing heavily on me through these classes is how messed up our world truly is. How people are hurting, and crying out for someone to hear them. For someone to pay attention to them. For someone, anyone, to care. And I've noticed that it is no different in Christian bubbles. It's possibly worse. Because as Christians, we somehow have this unrealistic idea that people expect us to be perfect. That other Christians expect us to be perfect. We feel like we're going to be shunned if we admit fault, or admit that we're really struggling with something. That breaks my heart. As Christians, we should be a safe place for each other to unload. It's not our place to judge or make each other feel guilty. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts. God created us for community and for relationships. He gave us these for so many reasons, one of which is for growth. Proverbs 27:17- As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. I hate knowing that there are so many Christians out there who are struggling--deeply struggling--with sin, and feel like there is no hope for them, and feel too ashamed to talk to anyone about it. Regardless of what the sin is. The list is endless. There is FREEDOM from sin.

In one of my classes, we were just tested on "Ten Foundational Truths for Victorious Christian Living." One of them was "My sin does not have to continually make me feel guilty." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 goes through this long list of sin. The lifestyles people have who will not be with God eternally. But then in verse 11 Paul says, 

"And that is what some of you were [once]. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God." (Amplified)


That is truth. Pure and beautiful. Truth that brings life. If you are feeling broken and weighed down by guilt, I encourage you to take it to the Lord, and talk to a trusted friend. God has already paid for it. In full. With His life. He died to pay for it. Claim that truth! You are forgiven! You have grace! Walk in freedom, my friend. 


And if you know a friend who is struggling, show them with your friendship that they can come to you. Be worthy of their trust. I encourage you to be a safe place for them. Lift them to the Lord in prayer. Remember that it is not your job to convict. Lead them to the freedom God is offering. The freedom you have claimed in your own life.


God wants to take our lives and transform them. We are so filthy. We are so self-centered, and prideful, and judgmental, and about a million other things. But through our willing and trusting spirit, God takes all of that and he gets rid of it completely. He changes us from the inside out. And that change points to Him. It shows off what He can do with a miserable sinning nobody. And that's the point. That we would make much of Him!


    Praise the LORD.^[a]
   How good it is to sing praises to our God,
   how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

"Oh, the joys of working with people..."

 You all know what I'm talking about. Those days when it's like people are trying to frustrate you and be unhelpful on purpose. There just seems to be a lot of frustration on all sides. And I'm just so wanting to be cranky right now and complain and give in to having a sour, self-pity kind of mood.

But, God being awesome and wise as he is...had a few reminders from Philippians for me this morning:

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." (1:27)

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..." (2:5)

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (2:14-16)

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (4:4-8)


Lets chew on these verses and let God transform us from the inside out. He is a good God.