Responding with Trust {GMG Reflection- Luke 8}

This past week I studied Luke 8 as part of my Good Morning Girls Bible study. What stuck out most to me was people's responses to Jesus.

A group of women who had experienced His power in their lives contribute to the support of Jesus and the disciples out of their private means. They know the difference He has made in their lives and want to be part of Him making a difference in the lives of others.

The disciples cry out for help during a scary storm and then are amazed when Jesus calms the storm. It seems that even those closest to Him and chosen by Him to do His work do not fully understand Him.

A man who experiences Jesus's power is obedient, even when he doesn't get what he wants, and can't stop telling others about his experience with Jesus. He wanted to leave his shame and embarrassment behind him, but Jesus had bigger plans and used him right were he was, right where people knew him. The man got over his embarrassing past knowing that it is who he had become through Jesus that mattered.

A religious official comes to Jesus for help for his dying child and even after Jesus has told him that his belief will make her well, the official and his family laugh at Jesus when they believe her to be dead and then are amazed when He raises her. Jesus's promises are trustworthy. He is powerful to accomplish the impossible and we can believe He will do what He says He will do.

I can relate to all of these responses and I have something to learn from them as well.

Trust.

The women trusted that their resources would serve a good purpose, a purpose they believed in because they had been touched and changed by that very purpose. The disciples learned to trust in Jesus's power and provision for them.  The demoniac who was cured trusted in Jesus's plan and was obedient to His instruction, getting over his own embarrassment to step out in faith as Jesus commanded. The religious official learned to trust in Jesus's word and in His power to accomplish His word.

I need to learn to trust.

Recently I have felt led to host a fundraising and awareness event for The A21 Campaign fighting sex trafficking.  I have never done anything like this before, and though I have a vision and big dreams for the event, I don't even know where to begin and frequently feel like I am going to fail and embarrass myself. I have to trust that since He put this on my heart and I have spent many months in prayer for this cause and how I can help, that He will equip me to do what He has called me to and the event will reach exactly who He has planned for it to reach.

I will trust in the One whose plan is bigger than my own and whose power is able to accomplish the dreams He has planted in the hearts of those who love Him.

Compassion {GMG Reflection- Luke 7}

In this week's reading it is impossible not to notice Jesus's compassion for others. Compassion for complete strangers.  Compassion that moves Him to action. If I seek to be like Jesus, compassion must be a key part of who I am. All too often though I spend the majority of my time thinking of myself and my little family, not others. This self-centeredness certainly does not reflect the heart of Jesus and hinders the impact my life could have on a needy world.

Last week as I studied Luke 7 my prayer was that God would make my heart tender towards others, that He would give me a heart like Jesus, full of compassion. He has answered that prayer by reigniting a passion for a cause I have been tender towards since learning about it last summer. That cause is human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking. Just last week God brought some other women that share my heart for this cause into my life and He also helped me to connect with the victims through a dream that you can read about here.

The compassion my friends, my husband and I feel for the victims of this horrific crime is moving us to action.  I was privileged to meet with some like minded women this week to discuss what we can do to help. We are excited to be hosting an awareness-building fund-raising event in the near future! The idea of this is a little scary and overwhelming because I feel like I still have so much to learn, but God's calling is clear and I know where I am lacking, He will be sufficient.

For more information on human trafficking and what you can do to get involved check out The A21 Campaign, an organization devoted to abolishing injustice in the 21st century.

Unusual Blessing {GMG Reflection- Luke 6}

I am not gonna lie. I am ashamed to say that sometimes {okay, a lot of times...} I get frustrated with the way Jesus talks. Sometimes His words make so little sense to this heart and mind that has been trained by the world. And so often I am lazy and do not want to really work my brain to try and understand something not immediately evident. Reading this week's portion of Scripture for my Good Morning Girls Bible study initially brought up the same frustrated feelings of just not "getting it" and then as I spent some time in prayerful reflection and study it began to make sense.

"Then Jesus turned to the disciples and said,

'God blesses you who are poor,

for the kingdom of God is yours.

'God blesses you who are hungry now,

for you will be satisfied.

'God blesses you who weep now, 

for in due time you will laugh.

'What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.'"

~Luke 6:20-23 {NLT}

Jesus is speaking to His newly appointed apostles. Those men who would be poor, hungry, sad, and persecuted for His sake.  He assures them that there is considerable blessing attached to what seem like undesirable life circumstances. In fact, following these verses Jesus goes on to say, "Woe are the..." rich, well fed, happy, highly praised, because their reward is only temporary.  What I see here is a contrast between those whose difficult circumstances required them to rely fully on God putting their hope in the eternal, and those who rely on themselves putting their hope in the temporal.

Last year, I had the blessing of experiencing a season in life in which I was sick, exhausted, emotionally/physically/spiritually tried and desperately unhappy.  Never before in my life had I felt how I did then, completely incapable of improving my circumstances or feelings regarding those circumstances. I previously took pride in my self-reliance and last year's experience was so humbling for me.  It brought me to a place of total reliance on God.  He did not immediately alleviate my suffering, just as He allowed His disciples to be poor, hungry, sad, and persecuted when He, being God, certainly could have easily done something about it. However, He allowed the disciples {and me} to experience difficulty in such a way that only reliance on Him gave us the strength to walk through those difficulties. The intimacy this built in my relationship with God has been a source of lasting joy for me and I give thanks for that difficult time when God taught me to rely on Him and not temporary comforts.

I don't think Jesus is saying that there is anything wrong with being rich, well-fed, happy, or highly praised.  I think He is making the point that greater blessing comes from learning to rely on God as opposed to never needing to. I don't think it was coincidence that the apostles He chose lived through difficult circumstances that required full reliance on God.  And I don't think it is coincidence when his followers today live through difficulties. He loves us and He knows that greater blessing comes from learning to fully rely on Him than from never needing to.

Ever since going through my experiences of last year and experiencing the huge blessing of spiritual growth as a result, when I see my friends walking through difficult seasons in life my heart aches for them but I am also excited for them.  Excited for how God is going to use their experiences to shape them and draw them closer to Himself. If today you are going through a tough time, my heart aches for you, believe me, I know it is not easy. Hold on to the promise found in Jesus's words in Luke and know that you can experience great blessing even in the midst of difficulty!

Forgiveness {Guest Post!}

My good friend and fellow Good Morning Girl shared these thoughts with our GMG group this week and her words have stuck with me and transformed my perspective. With her permission, I am sharing her powerful reflection below.

"Seing their faith, He said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven you...' But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered them and said to them, 'Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk?' But, so that you may know that the son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,' -He said to the paralytic- 'I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.'"

~Luke 5:20, 22-24 {NASB}

My two-year-old daughter has just gone into her room for her nap, and I don’t particularly care whether she sleeps or not.  I just want a good chunk of time when I don’t have to deal with her.  For the past six months, she’s been hitting, throwing food, and disobeying me every day, often all throughout the day.  It’s not horrible disobedience:  she’s not evil, just a rascal.  It’s a low-level irritation that doesn’t usually get me mad but that tires me out.  Yesterday she dumped her breakfast Cheerios on the kitchen floor, then smiled at me and said, “Time out?”  When I put her in time out, she got up, ran to her toy car, and rode as far as she could before I managed to put down her baby brother and catch her.  Last week she whined that her friend Quinn was playing with a toy she wanted (the toy he owns), then picked up her water cup and bashed him in the head with it.   

If I were God, what Dawn does on a daily basis would be considered sin.  She throws away what I give her and disobeys me over and over again.  Most times, she’s just being childish.  She’s not trying to be rude, ungrateful, and disrespectful.  Yet, if I were God, her actions would still be sin:  they push her away from me by keeping her from feeling gratitude and receiving instruction.  As “God,” I have the power to forgive her sins, and also to take care of her and make her life easier, physically and materially.  Which is harder?  Definitely the first.  I get frustrated with her behavior and just want to distance myself from her because being with her is often a struggle.  What I say means little to her; she’ll easily ignore me and do what she wants.  And that’s tiring.  I can see why foster parents would get burnt out and decide to have the kid be transferred to another place.  I can see why they wouldn’t want to adopt rebellious kids.  I can see why God, at the end of the appointed time, would simply want to be rid of those who turned away from Him.  Why carry them with Him for eternity, after having poured love into them only to be rejected and dishonored again and again?


I wish that Dawn would listen to what I say--just listen and obey.  As far as I know, I don’t tell her to do unreasonable or pointless things.  I tell her what to do so that she can stay safe, be healthy, and grow into a loving person, family member, and friend.  When she disobeys me, she hurts others and herself.  I wish she’d get it--and yet I know that I disobey God all the time, too.  Every time I hold a grudge or complain or refuse to share my time or possessions, every time I decide to just veg out instead when I haven’t sat in my Father’s presence and accepted His comfort, love, and instruction, I disobey Him and reject a lesson that could make me safer, healthier, more loving, and ultimately more like the person that God knows I’m supposed to be.  


It’s harder to forgive sin than it is to just make a child’s life easier.  Making my child’s life easier is often a joy:  she’s usually grateful, and it’s just fun to see her happy.  That’s why Dawn has way too many toys.  God could easily make my life easier--perhaps with a more compliant child, or a husband who’s home more--but ease isn’t the point of this life.  Maybe there’s a lesson I need to learn in continually dealing with my headstrong child and my tired, busy husband.  Maybe I’ll learn an important lesson, just as Dawn would if she would choose, for once, to quit whining and share.  God says to forgive others as He has forgiven me, and that with the measure that I pour out, so forgiveness will be allotted to me.  I’m as bad or worse to God as Dawn is to me.  I need to keep forgiving Dawn when she disobeys me and keep loving her and trying to teach her.  At the same time, I want to start listening to Him, and taking His directions seriously.  He shouldn’t have to tell me multiple times to stop doing something wrong, or to do something good.

In Need of a Physician {GMG Reflection- Luke 5}

"And Jesus answered and said to them, 'It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'"

~Luke 5:31-32

This is Jesus's response to the Pharisees {religious leaders} when they questioned Him why he chose to hang out with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus has just called Matthew, a tax collector, to be his follower and is dining at Matthew's home with Matthew's circle of acquaintances.

As I studied this Scripture I tried to put myself in the situation and asked myself, "How would I have reacted to Jesus's choice if I was there?" And I figured that I would be a bit frustrated that Jesus would seemingly randomly choose Matthew to be his disciple instead of someone like me who has never really done anything that terrible and has spent years studying the Bible and trying to live righteously. And then it dawned on me... I am a Pharisee.

The thing is, we are all sick in need of a physician.  We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I am no less in need of Jesus than the worst sinner in the world.  And still, too often it is my pride in being a decent person, a "good" Christian, that separates me from God.

Sinners and tax collectors knew they were sinners and tax collectors.  Sinners and tax collectors knew they needed a physician.  And it is their recognition of that need that makes them useable by God.

So here is me. Joining the sinners at the table with Jesus.  Knowing I need a physician to heal the damage sin has done to my life. Hoping God will use me too.

Living on Purpose {GMG Reflection- Luke 4}

"When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place: and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. But He said to them, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.'"

~Luke 4:42-43 {NASB}

In Luke 4 Jesus sets an example for us of living a life of purpose. The chapter begins with Him preparing for His purpose by spending time alone with the Holy Spirit in the desert during a 40 day fast in which He employs the holy wisdom found in Scripture to battle temptation. In the rest of the chapter He begins His public ministry by preaching the Good News. This includes a trip back to His hometown during which He has some stern words for those who doubt Him because He is a local boy and during which He escapes an attempted murder.  He knew He would not be accepted in His hometown {Luke 4:24} and yet He preached there anyway according to His purpose. Though the people try to literally push Him off a cliff, He escapes unharmed because that was the will of God {Luke 4:30}. He continues His ministry by bringing the Good News to Capernaum and performing many miracles showing His authority over nature and over demons. He stays up all night healing people and when He tries to move on the next day and the people want Him to stay, He sticks to His purpose, moving on to bring the Good News to other cities. In this chapter we see an example of a man who has a clear sense of purpose and sticks to it despite threats on His life and the demands of people. Whether He is hated or adored, He sticks to the purpose for which He was sent.

I so desperately want to live a life of purpose.  A life that matters because I am pursuing the purpose for which I was made. I learned a few things by studying Jesus's life in this chapter that I think might help me out.

Prepare

Living a life of purpose requires preparation. Spending time with God in the Word and in prayer. How else will I even know what my specific purpose is? I know from the Word that every believer's purpose is to bring honor and glory to God, but how specifically am I supposed to do that this year, this week, today, this hour, this minute? I may not have time to go on a 40 day retreat like Jesus did, but I can make time to daily prepare myself by getting up a few minutes early or staying up a few minutes later to spend time with God.

Do Not Fear

Jesus must know the kind of reaction He will receive when He compares the people in his hometown to Israel during the time of Elijah and Elisha which was known to be one of the most wicked generations {Luke 4:24-27}. Yet, He did not fear their reaction because He knew He was acting within His purpose and in this particular case He walked away unscathed despite a murder attempt {Luke 4:29-30}. When God calls us and gives us a purpose to live out we must do it boldly like Jesus, not fearing the reaction of other humans. It may not always work out well for us, like it did for Jesus in this particular instance, but ultimately, whom should we fear? God or man? I would rather live a significant life and endure some difficulty with others than miss out on being a part of God's plan because I am afraid of what the earthly consequences may be.

Stay Focused

The people in Capernaum love Jesus!  He heals the sick and casts out demons, what's not to love? He tirelessly serves them even staying up all night, but when the morning comes and it is time to move on, He puts His foot down and leaves. I don't know about you, but if I were Him, I think I'd be tempted to stay in a place where people love me and where I feel effective and see results. Like Jesus, I have to remember to stick to my purpose. Even when I am comfortable and effective where I am I still need to constantly ask, "Is this what you want me to be doing today God? or do you have something else?"  What a good reminder that our effectiveness is not the measure of how well we are sticking to our God-given purpose as counter-intuitive as that seems to our worldly minds!

Making Ready {GMG Reflection- Luke 3}

"And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, 'The voice of the one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.''" 

~Luke 3:3-4 {NASB}

Luke 4 describes John's ministry making ready the way of Jesus. John called people to repentance and was anything but shy about it, offering up harsh warnings. His role was to help people prepare themselves for salvation by calling them to repent of their sins. His message is still so relevant today. When we have unrepentant sin in our lives it causes a major obstacle in our relationship with the Savior. Even things that aren't necessarily sin can distract us from that relationship and can keep us from bearing good fruit in our lives {"Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance" ~Luke 3:8}. 

While it isn't the "fruit" that saves us, the fruit is a sign of true repentance. John goes on to give practical examples of fruitful lives through a Q&A with some of his followers. These examples display to me that good fruit comes from a life in which one thinks less of themselves and more of others {"And the crowds were questioning him saying, 'Then what shall we do?' And he would answer and say to them, 'The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.'" ~Luke 3:10-11}.

As I respond to this scripture I seek to make ready the way of the Lord in my own life such that my life might bear good fruit.

Repentance.
One thing "making ready" means is repenting of sin that I discover in my life. Admitting I am wrong, seeing sin for what it is, seeing sin how God sees it, and turning from it.  It does not mean I will never sin again, but it does mean that I choose to agree with God that I am wrong and choose to stop.

Eliminating Distractions.
I can also make ready the way of the Lord by getting rid of distractions. I can find myself obsessing over worldly things {having a clean house, my wardrobe, a hobby, my appearance, etc.} and spending an inordinate amount of time thinking about those things whether they are good or bad. These distractions leave little room for God to speak into my life because I am so busy thinking about and doing other things. I need to slow down and focus up, setting my mind "on things above, not on the things that are on earth" {Colossians 3:2}.

Listen.
Once the distractions are gone I need to actually listen. This is hard for me.  Turning off my own inner voice running through the laundry list of things I want to get done and concerns I am drawn to obsess over, and tuning in to the still small voice of God. It is easier to do this when I am less distracted, but still takes patience and intentional practice asking "Lord, what do you have for me to do or learn today?" and waiting for an answer, expecting and answer. Then having the confidence to obey when the answer comes.

I am pleased to report that as I have been intentional this week about making ready my life for Jesus to work in it, by repenting of sin, purposefully eliminating distractions, and intentionally listening, I have been privileged to hear the voice of God speaking in a quiet way to my heart.  As a result I am seeing the fruit begin to grow and I am praising God for how He is so quick to respond when we make ready the way for Him in our lives!

Humility and Wisdom {GMG Reflection- Luke 2}

In Luke 2 Jesus is born. The shepherds come to meet him, his parents follow all the Jewish laws regarding a firstborn baby boy {circumcision, redemption of the firstborn, purification of the mother}, prophets recognize Him, He spends time learning from teachers in the temple while His parents think He is lost, and He increases in wisdom and stature while living in subjection to his earthly parents.  As I spent time reflecting on the passages from this week and asking God what He wanted to teach me from learning about this portion of Jesus's life, what eventually stood out to me was Jesus's humility and the connection between humility and wisdom.

Jesus was born into humble circumstances.  As a parent I know the feeling of wanting to give my kids the very best.  We spend more money to buy organic, to buy nice clothes and toys, to give them enriching experiences and to make sure they have every comfort imaginable. Yet God, who could have literally given His Son the moon... had him born in a barn to a poor family.  {I can't imagine the hay in the manager was as soft as my children's Aden + Anais swaddle blankets...}

Furthermore, Jesus, who is God Himself spends days studying in the temple listening to the teachers and asking them questions.  He also subjects Himself to the human authority of his parents.  He, whom the universe was created through, finds it valuable to listen and learn from others.  The result of this? "And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." {Luke 2:52, NASB}

Of anyone who ever lived, Jesus had the right to be proud. And yet, He does not Lord his authority over those in His life but gives us an example to live by, even showing us the benefit of humility.  His example in this passage this week humbles me.  I have no right to be proud and yet I am.  I think now of all the wisdom I have likely missed because I was too proud to humbly really listen and consider what other people have to offer and it makes me sad.

This makes me think of James 1:5, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." {NASB} Part of gaining wisdom is asking, which requires being humble enough to recognize my need.  I do not "know it all" and I need to hold on to that humility in order to gain wisdom.

Today I am laying down my pride and I am asking.

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Update: I want to share that only a few short hours after writing this post we hosted our church small group. During our discussion I was stressing trying to make sure everyone understood a thought I had shared. I kept wanting to say "I know that" to everything others offered in response. Then I felt the Spirit nudging me reminding me of what I had just learned and whispering to me, "what you are feeling right now is pride, and it is hindering you from hearing the wisdom I have to share with you through these friends." At that point I stopped trying to explain myself and stopped caring so much about how wise my friends thought I was, and really started to listen and consider. It was amazing to me how much godly wisdom I gleaned from my friends when I laid down my own pride. Thank You Spirit for Your conviction and for answering my prayer asking for wisdom!

Pointing the Way {GMG Reflection- Luke 1}

This past week Good Morning Girls started a new Bible study on the gospel of Luke 1-8.  This past week we studied Luke 1 which covers the foretelling of the conception and birth's of John "the Baptist" and Jesus. There were so many things that touched me through this narrative like Mary's faith and humility and how God even used Zacharias's doubt to build his faith and influence a whole population. But the thing that touched me the most was how the Holy Spirit filled John even as an unborn child, and how the Spirit empowered him for a life of "preparing the way of the Lord."

At the time when Elizabeth was pregnant with John, the Holy Spirit had not yet been given to believers and only a select few experienced filling with the Spirit which empowered them to accomplish great things. I compare this to today when the Spirit has been given to all believers with the same power and yet so few believers really utilize the power of the Spirit in them the way that John did.

Zacharias prophesies about his son John saying,
"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; to give His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
~Luke 1:74-79 {NASB, emphasis added}

John's role was to prepare the way for Jesus.  And that preparation included giving people "the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins." He must have helped people to see their need for salvation and pointed them in the direction of where to find it in Jesus.

It dawned on me that John's calling in life is not so different from mine, or from any Christ follower.  Our lives should point the way to Jesus.  I cannot "save" anyone, but by the power of the Spirit in me, I can point others to the Savior. I can "prepare the way" for Jesus by providing "knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins" by sharing my own story. The story of how this sinner was redeemed, of how this sinner is daily being redeemed.

In fact, that is one of the purposes of this blog; to share my story, the story of how God works in my life  through parenting, through marriage, through friendships, through military life, etc. I hope and pray that my heart shines through in what I write here.  More importantly, I hope and pray that what I pour out of my heart, the joys/struggles/triumphs of motherhood/marriage/friendship/military life, in some way points the way to Him.

I have felt God challenging me this week to spend some time thinking through the story of how He has worked and continues to work in my life. I haven't written out the story and journey of my faith since I was in college preparing for an international mission trip.  God has been faithful to continue to grow me since then and I think it is time to revisit the story of my faith journey. I know it will be an encouraging exercise to look back over all that God has taught me and brought me through in the past 28 years and I look forward to sharing that with you soon!