Encouragement for the Church

I have recently witnessed a local body of believers in conflict.  I have been on my face for them and I have searched the Scriptures for some wisdom and encouragement in this matter.  Here are some of the lessons I am learning.

(1)  Our sisters and brothers are not our enemies.  Never.  We are all part of one body.  When we fight against each other, it is like cutting off our own arm.  We make mistakes; our sisters and brothers make mistakes; still, we are not enemies.  We are one body.  "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?  If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred and you are that temple" (I Corinthians 3).  When we fight against each other, we are damaging our testimony for the love of Christ.  We may think we are only harming those we are fighting or speaking against, but we are damaging our own witness for Christ as well.  We are crippling the entire church, "which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills everything in every way" (Ephesians 1).

(2)  To be effective, we must be humble.  When we live in close community, as the church is called to do, we will have differences.  Can we agree to disagree?  (Am I humble enough to remain silent on issues that are not significant to salvation?)  Sometimes, we will be wronged, and occasionally some of us will even experience great pain inflicted by our own brothers and sisters.  Can we offer some mercy, remembering at what great cost we have been forgiven?  Can we forgive, recognizing that at some point we may have unwittingly caused, or may yet cause, another great pain.  And we will be wrong.  Can we also admit our mistakes?  If we are not willing to admit we are wrong, and perhaps even appear wrong when we are right, or appear weak for not fighting, we will fall.  Those who are proud, He is able to humble.  (See Luke 14:11.)  I'd rather be humble than be humbled.  Oh, Lord, give us humility.

(3)  When there is strife, it is because Satan sees us as a threat!  He knows the power that is Christ's church--that incomparably great power that raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1).  He knows that if he can keep us focusing our energies inward, we are not using them outside our walls to win souls for eternity.  He knows we carry weapons that will stop him in his tracks if we would only wield them against him and not each other.  He's worried, so he works to divide.  When a weed of conflict comes up within the church, Satan is at the root.  ALWAYS.  When we disagree with a sister or brother, do we recognize that Satan is working to divide because he knows how strong we are when we unite?  

(4)  When there is strife, God is working still...to unify and strengthen His body.  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith  develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).  See the blessings in the trials.  See the men filling the altar to beg for the will of God to be done in His church?  See the women who join hands and bend knees to pray for their Godly men to have discernment and wisdom?  See the ways God is strengthening His army?  Unifying the troops?  Can we remember we all serve the same kingdom?  Can we just fall on our knees together and beg the God of mercy to guide us forward in love?  Can we stand from our prostrate prayers united?  Can we persevere until we have reached maturity?

(5)  God has a different plan for all of us.  It is tempting to believe that if God calls me to push forward in this battle and fight, then He must be calling all my brothers and sisters to the same battle.  However, that may not be the case.  Perhaps, this battle is not theirs and He has another battle for them to join.  I cannot judge a brother or sister if they leave, and I ask they not judge if I stay.  Or vice versa.  

As my heart is pained and I imagine the pain of others, I wonder at the depth of agony in the heart of our compassionate Father when He sees and feels the hurts of his children.  I beg Him to give us a keen awareness of our enemy who prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  May it not be us!  Father, may we seek unity with our sisters and brothers.  May we have a passion for a lost world.  May we work together to win souls and not be distracted by the conflict that Satan creates.  Begin with me, Lord!  And, Father, forgive us when we make a mess.  Thank you for your promise that "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7).

As my heart grieves over the wounded church, I take courage in this:  We are a powerhouse!  If we were not, why would Satan be working so hard to stop us?  We are a mighty force in a dark world, sisters!  We must believed it.  Oh, please, LORD, help us channel our energies outside the doors of the church and into a hurting world.  May we stop wounding each other, recognize the energy that is within us, and pour it out to saturate a dry and thirsty land with Living Waters!

Amen and amen.

Satan is certainly at work, but, "Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world" (I John 4:4).  And, "Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us" (Romans 8:37).

Complaining

I know there are drawbacks and perks to everything.  Many people do not like Facebook because it is a time sucker.  Sometimes I feel that way too.  But, for the most part, I like the way it helps me know what is going on in the lives of friends, family, and even acquaintances.  I almost always find something inspirational when I'm scrolling through my "news feed," and nearly every day someone allows me to the privilege of sharing their burdens through prayer.

This morning, one of my friends posted this:

"What if you refused to say one negative thing today?" I thought about this and figured I might last an hour or so, lol. Seriously, it's worth a try!

I thought it was worth a try too.  Unfortunately, I failed in my very first conversation of the day with my neighbor.  But, I decided to try again.  I walked away from that conversation, sat on my deck, and opened my email.  And God confirmed my conviction with some encouragment from Max Lucado.

I like the story about the fellow who went to the pet store for a singing parakeet.  The store owner had just the bird and the next day the man came home to a house full of music.  When he went to feed the bird he noticed for the first time, the parakeet had only one leg. He called the store and complained. “What do you want,” the store owner responded, “a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?”

Good question for times of disappointment.  What do we want?  It’s what Jesus asked the disciples when they complained.  And in Luke 24:27, Jesus began to tell them the story of God’s plan for people, “starting with Moses and all the prophets, and everything that had been written about Himself in the Scriptures.”  Jesus’ cure for the broken heart is the story of God.  So what do you want?  If you’re disappointed, turn to the story of God.  He’s still in control!

 from He Stills Moves Stones

I realized my complaining was a lack of gratitude for what God has given me.  And if I truly believe that God gives us everything we need (and sometimes everything includes pain and hardship) and that all things work for my good (even when I can't understand the how's and why's) then even the situations that disappoint me will be recognized as good, goodness, Godness.  Everything is working together to give me a clearer picture of my Lord.  Everything is working together to draw me into a closer relationship with Him, if I'll allow it.  When my heart and mind finally absorb this truth, then I will be able to truly give thanks in all things, knowing this (even this!) is the will of God for me in Christ Jesus.  

So, what is it that I want?  More stuff?  No pain?  No heartache?  An easier life?  Or more of Jesus.

Just give me Jesus.

The Constant Struggle: Abundant Life Within Boundaries

As a momma, I think the biggest struggle for me is trying to enjoy the abundant life while still maintaining some order.  We have to have rules, boundaries, guidelines.  But sometimes, those same rules that are put in place to help us may also hinder the abundant life.  I'm beginning to believe rules really are made to be broken.  I mean, if my family followed our own rules every day, we would miss out on a lot of fun.  For a few examples, how do we balance...
...maintaining bed time and allowing a few late-night giggles?
...enforcing naps and embracing spur-of-the-moment visits with our aunts who are visiting at Nana's for the day?
...healthy eating and special treats?
...completing our to-do list and playing Operation with our daughter?
...weeding the garden and pushing baby girl on the swing?
...having dinner on the table by 5 and taking time to run an errand for my man or dislodge a rock from big girl's bubble gum machine?

Jesus, too, broke the rules when it brought abundant life.  An example that comes to mind immediately is when he healed a man on the Sabbath.

But then, if we are breaking, or even bending, the rules all the time, we have chaos and that certainly hinders the abundant life.  For example, if I let the girls stay up and giggle too long or too many nights, they will be tired and cranky the next day.  Always skipping naps to do more enticing things = more crankiness.  Too many treats = poor nutrition, no energy, and poor health.  Always playing with our kids = dirty houses, quick and unhealthy meals, and self-centered kids who expect everyone to respond to their every plea.  Always pushing baby girl on the swing when we are outside = a garden over-run with weeds and producing less food.  Pausing for every plea for help while fixing dinner = late dinner, which in turn means late bedtime, and cranky kiddos.

And therein lies my struggle.  How do we know which things are the most important?  A few thoughts come to mind.  First, we start our day with God, asking Him to guide each step.  Second, we seek God all day long.

A friend posted this on Facebook recently:

Every nerve jolt to freak out, melt down, start yelling, fly into rage or panic is a divine cue to slow down, breathe deep, start praying, and lean into God. -Mark Buchanan

Every time my plan gets interrupted, my tendency is to freak out a little.  But I'm learning that every interruption is a divine reminder that God holds my day.  Every interruption is a cue to seek Him, to ask what He wants me to do.  Sometimes I need to keep on the beaten path; sometimes I need to let go and take a detour.  If I'm seeking Him, He will provide the right mix of order and fun.  The abundant life.  The Spirit-led life.

Houses, Homes, and Hospitality

We live in a small house, less than 1,000 square feet.  We love our home, but in a society that applauds "bigger" and "more," we have never really expected others to fall in love with it like we have.  Admittedly, it is a bit crowded.  The kitchen counters are covered with appliances and canisters; the living room houses a toy kitchen and bins of toys; the girls share a bedroom so we can have a small guest room; and there is only one bath.

Furthermore, ever since we moved in this house, we have been working on a project, or two, or more at a time.  I've even been a bit embarrassed when neighbors would come into my back yard and see at least three or four of the following at any given time:  a backhoe, siding, shutters, shingles, lumber, stacks of bricks, ladders, wheelbarrows, shovels, hoes, and rakes.  Add to that the pink-that-should-be-red front door, the half-painted back deck, the "soon-to-be-painted" bricks and foundation and swing set, and a million other things "we are going to do," and I've thought of my house as more of a vision that needs to be explained than a welcoming environment.

Just this week we have had 10 guests who have never been in our home before.  Each one was complimentary of our home, our yard, and our small garden.  But I, in my despicable pride, found myself pointing out all the flaws that we are going to fix...someday.  When I look around, I see the hole in the wall that needs to be patched, the shutters that are still sitting on the deck waiting to be hung and painted, the little brick wall that we intend to mortar, the trim that needs to be painted, and so much more.  I wish now that I would have just accepted their compliments with a simple, "Thank you," because, as my brother said, "The homeowner is the only one that sees those things."  And, because I have since remembered something...

It's not the decor but the people that are at the heart of the home.  Of course we all want the decor to reflect our personalities, our passion for people and life.  We want our homes to be beautiful, a reflection of the beauty that is in all of us as masterpieces of God.  But what does that mean?  I think it means that we love on the people that walk through our door--our spouse, our children, and all our relatives, our friends and neighbors, and even the college student selling children's books and the little old ladies inviting us to a their church.

We don't want to get so caught up in the decor that we forget to love on the people.  Because it's not the decor that says, "You are welcome here," but the smiles and casual conversation.  It's our willingness to listen, our ability to laugh, our compassion that moves us to pray that will make our homes beautiful.

I may never get that painting hung over my couch, but I pray that you will feel comfortable enough to prop your feet up when you sit under that blank wall.  I hope you will accept some tea and feel free to share your prayer needs.  And if there's a backhoe in my yard the next time you come, I hope I can stifle an explanation and just offer you some lemonade; we can sit outside on the half-painted deck, look at the backhoe while we chat, and watch the kids play on the slip'n'slide.  It might be messy, it might be dirty, but I hope it feels welcoming.

May God help us love well.  May His presence be felt in our home.  And, as He is Love, and we pray His Spirit into our home, may our guests feel Love when they walk through our door.  Love makes our messes beautiful.  So, we welcome you in to our beautiful mess.

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A Random Note:  A sweet sister in Christ gave me the wonderful suggestion of laying hands on the garden, asking God to bless it with a bountiful harvest.  I have done so, not just once, but many times; while weeding or watering, I will throw up another plea for God to bless our meager efforts.  I say "meager," because really what is pulling a few weeds compared to the miracle of God turning a seed into a plant that produces fruit and more seeds!?  We do very little, but I'm anxious to see what He will do as we acknowledge and welcome His presence into our garden.

I'm sure this is completely out of context, but this verse was in my readings this week and I prayed it would not only apply to our garden but also our children.  May the good seeds we plant bear good fruit.

"The Lord will indeed give what is good and our land will yield its harvest."  Psalm 85:12

Purpose

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday in which I reminded her that God has a purpose for her, right here, right now.  Funny thing, I needed to hear myself say those words.  The word "purpose" has been banging around in my thoughts all day reminding me of things I've read in Rick Warren's book, Purpose Driven Life, and causing me to ask myself questions like, "What's my purpose?"  "Do I know my purpose?"  "Am I working in my purpose each day?"  "Today?"

My purpose:  Love God; Love Others.

LOVE GOD:  Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and all of your soul, and all of your mind, and all of your strength.  (Luke 10:27)

LOVE OTHERS:  Love your neighbor as your love yourself.  (Luke 10:27)

("Others" being particularly my man and my girls, and then all others around me.)

So if that's my purpose, then I had to ask myself, what should that look like?  I've thought about the verses that talk about us as Christians being salt and light.

SALT:  We are told in 2 Corinthians that we are the aroma of Christ, but Matthew 5 implies that we are also the flavor of Christ.  People should get a taste of Him when they are with us.  We should be significantly different from the rest of the world, a blast of flavor in a world of bland.

LIGHT:  My front porch light is on and summer bugs are swarming around it.  In the black of night, they are drawn to the light.  We should be like that porch light!  We should radiate so brightly with something (some ONE) so different than what the rest of the world has to offer, that people are drawn in for a closer look.  And as they look at our lives, examine our lives, they should see Christ, the Light of the world, in US!

As a friend said today, it's all about Love.  As He pours His love on us, we love God.  We love because He first loved us.  (1 John 4:19)  His love fills us and overflow onto others, and others are drawn to Him Who Is Love.  And that is my purpose.

And I fall so short.  I'm not always filled to over-flowing.

So, in my shower meditations today I realized that I need to start small.  I need to (1) accept that God loves me.  Accept love so I can love.  I need daily time in the Book of Love so I can be confident in Love.  I need to feel enveloped in grace and forgiveness and LOVE, so that I can LOVE.

I thought about that daunting cliche, seize the day, and decided that indeed Glennon Melton is right:  I should just (2) make sure I "carpe" a couple of moments each day.  In between the laundry and dishes and cooking and cleaning and gardening, I am pausing to capture some mental snapshots of LOVE.  The LOVE of God in the LOVEly...the joy of my big girl's belly laugh...the beauty of baby girl's big brown eyes that look at me with satisfaction as she sucks those little fingers...the blessing of a man who LOVES me tenderly and heartily and just loves me well...the magic and wonder of a growing garden...the sweet fellowship of God-sisters on my covered deck as we shake cream into butter...

And, as Ann Voskamp says, I should (3) remember that I am where I am, right here, right now, for a purpose.  I am inside the gate of LOVE for the purpose of drawing others in.  I am blessed to bless.  I am LOVED to LOVE.

Oh, Lord, help me love as You love.