Remember Where You Came From!

While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby, and she gave birth to her first son. Because there were no rooms left in the inn, she wrapped the baby with pieces of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough.

Luke 2:6-7 

 

There's an old adage which goes something like this: "Every expert began as a novice."  We tend to forget that as we go through life.  We tend to forget that we, too, began life as a novice in diapers and everything we have learned too time and mistakes.  Many of us focus on the mistakes and failures in our lives, when the greatest encouragement of all is found in the humble beginnings of Christ.

 

Christ was not born with the ability to speak, walk, or even feed Himself.  He was not born in some magnificent palace the likes of which would boggle the mind.  Instead, He was born in a barn and His crib was a feeding trough.  That was His beginning, from there He had to learn just as we did (and still do).  And in God's perfect time, His ministry began.

Jesus Understands

At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Matthew 27:46 

 

Has there ever been a time when you felt unloved? Maybe you felt depressed and just wanted to sleep forever.  Maybe you, like me, truly believed that NO ONE could understand how you feel.  Well, as Christmas approaches remember that Jesus was born just like we all were; He grew up, just like we all do, and He died, just like we all will.  What good is a Savior who cannot even begin to have a clue how we feel?  Jesus understands.

 

Jesus understands what it is to laugh, to cry, to feel irritated, to feel abandoned (as He did on the cross).  Jesus gets it!  He's felt the same ways we feel.  So when our hearts and minds cry out wondering if anyone understands...Jesus does! 

Community

Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

James 2:8

Jesus teaches us to love.  God told the Israelites (Leviticus 19:18) to "love your neighbor as yourself."  The question then becomes "how much do you love yourself?" For some, loving and accepting themselves as valuable is difficult.  However, when we look at ourselves as God sees us, we can learn to love ourselves AND love others.

"But who is my neighbor?"  Good question.  The Hebrew word translated as "neighbor" quite literally means "friend, companion, other people."  Therefore, we are to love everyone as we love ourselves.  While that sounds easy, remember this also includes those who may not like you; it includes those who may wish you harm; it includes those who think differently, smell differently, dress differently, act differently.  It literally means EVERYONE! 

If each of us were to treat everyone the same way we want to be treated, imagine how much better life would be for all of us.

When God Says "Go"

Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”

1 Samuel 16:1

 

When God tells us to "Go" what is our first reaction?  "Go where?" "But that's not where I want to go."  "What am I to do when I get there?"   You see, when God tells us to "Go" we tend to complicate the matter with lots of questions, excuses why we can't go, arguments about why someone else can't go in our place.  And do you know what all our arguments are called?  Faithless!

 

Let me be blunt...When God tells us to "Go" then we can be certain that He already has everything all worked out for us.  We can rest in the knowledge that God has had this plan in place since before time, and He has been preparing us for just this moment.  

 

When I was younger, I was so afraid that God was going to call me to go to some jungle village in the middle of who knows where to try to tell them about God's love.  But what God actually called me to do was even more challenging.  God called me to love.  That's right!  While that sounds simple, have you seen some of the people out there?  The first thing God had to get through my thick skull is this: "You can only love to the degree we have been loved.  And love begins by allowing yourself to BE loved."  God has taught me to love because HE loves me completely, warts and all!  Because of God's love for me, I have been able to love others.

 

When God says "Go" then don't hesitate..."Here I am. Send me" (Isaiah 6:8)

Mercy

Have you ever noticed how the teachings of Jesus tend to center around, "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets"?  This is the honest truth, we truly should treat others as we want to be treated.  

"But what if they don't treat me the way I treated them?" Good question!  You can only control how YOU treat others, you can't control anyone else's response.  Besides, Jesus didn't say, "If they treat you in a good way, THEN you treat them in a good way" now did He?  Nope.  Jesus makes it very clear, regardless how we are treated by others, we must treat others the same way we WANT to be treated by them.

Take a look at today's verse: "Want someone to show you mercy? Then SHOW mercy to others."  It sounds simple, but we are the ones who complicate it when we follow our feelings instead of doing what we KNOW is right.  Here's a challenge I put to both of us (you and me): Let's treat each other the way we want to be treated REGARDLESS of how they treat us.  We do our part and let God handle the rest.

It's All In The Timing!

Have you ever noticed that we are incredibly impatient?  We want everything to work on OUR timetable and when it doesn't...   One of the biggest causes of our stress and anxiety (and all the health conditions related to them) is the fact we do not seem to know how to be patient!

My Grandmother used to call me "Worrier" because I would worry about everything.  My mindset was "I only have a brief time on Earth and what if I can't get everything done that I want to do?"  It wasn't until I had heart surgery that I began to realize that God is the one with the timetable.  Therefore, I have exactly the right amount of life for Him to accomplish His plans for me.

What an incredible relief that has been!  Now, I still struggle with worry, but when I realize that I am stressing about it, that is the time I need to stop, drop, and pray!

Before

Believe it or not, we have a problem.  "Just one?" you ask....well, no.  This problem seems to have resulted in developing many more.  This problem is called "DOUBT."  You see, we seem to doubt whether God will actually BE God when we need Him.  Yes, I am talking directly to the face in the mirror.

We pray stressed out because we don't know whether or not God will actually help us.  Perhaps He wasn't prepared for this situation in my life.  Maybe He wasn't counting on my child getting sick.  Could it be that God's plan has holes in it?

Look at today's verse!  BEFORE we even ask, God has already answered!  Which means, before God spoke the first word of creation, He already had a plan for each of us.  He already knew YOUR NAME!  He already had plans for you and knew how He was going to complete those plans in you.  

There are times when God allows us to be put in situations where we have no choice but to trust Him.  "But I can't see how it's possible to make it!"  Guess what God's response is?  "I love you so much that I have the solution already in place.  I have never let you down, and I never will."  When we doubt, we assume that God can't actually BE God.  Truth is, God IS God, because before anything ever happened, He already had the answers!

Are You Ready?

"The trials you are enduring now cannot compare to the joy that is coming."

Romans 8:18

 

The word "trials" is synonymous with "pain" which is not something we like.  We don't like pain!  Why?  Because pain hurts!  When we are enduring trials and struggles and pain, we have the tendency to lash out at God demanding to know "Why are You doing this to me?".  

 

Think about this: If you want to improve your health, you should make some changes.  One of those lifestyle changes is exercise. When we begin an exercise regimen we will be in pain and a great deal of discomfort at first, and our mind will scream at us to "Stop this nonsense!"  And we will be tempted to give up.  However, when we endure and keep working we will eventually see the results.  

 

You see, God isn't allowing pain and trials and struggles into our lives as some sort of punishment or demented joke.  God is working in our lives THROUGH the struggles, trials and pain so we will become ready for His indescribable gift of joy!  And remember, there is nowhere we can go that God is not with us, loving us, caring for us, protecting us, strengthening us, calming us, and preparing us. 

Lions!!

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 

 

Every day for a week the villagers came to the Chief complaining about their missing goats.  The Chief was perplexed so he decided to go talk with the Wise Woman.  The Wise Woman listened, thought for a moment, and said, "The Lion knows where your goats are tied."  

 

Guess what?  Our enemy knows where every single one of our weaknesses (call them goats) and will use them to try to devour us when we give in to them.  Are you tempted toward anger? Our enemy will put you in situations where you will get angry.  Are you tempted toward bitterness?  Our enemy will gear situations where you will feel bitter toward others.  Like the lion, our enemy knows where our "goats" are tied.  He's been a lion a long, LONG time and is extremely good at his lioning.

 

Jesus said, "Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!" (Matthew 26:41).  When we pray, we ask God to protect us from our enemy. We can not focus on our conversation with God if our minds are elsewhere tip toeing into temptation.  Peter is correct, when you sense a temptation....GET AWAY FROM IT!!!  Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we know where we are weak and easily tempted, and the best course of action is to run fast and hard to God! 

Rock On!

[Jesus said] I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Matthew 16:18 

 

 Peter denied Christ and felt so incredibly horrible that he wept bitterly.  He would have done pretty much anything for a do-over. How easy would it have been for Jesus to tell Peter, "You messed up this time! You have no place in My mission! YOU are DONE!"

 

I've seen an adage which goes something like this: "Do everything right, no one notices.  People only focus on the mistakes."  We're good about forgetting the good people do.  We're also good and zeroing in on the mistakes others do, without ever looking at the mistakes we do.  Then we have the audacity of wondering why morale drops, depression sets in, and people become jaded. Why do we do that?  

 

 How many times have you wanted another chance?  The cold, hard fact of the matter is that what's done is done, what's said is said, nothing can be undone, unsaid, or unseen.  Our time on this marble only moves forward.  That's the bad news.

The good news is that God is the God of second chances.  Jesus not only forgave Peter for denying Him, He went a step further and gave Peter another chance.  Not just any chance, but the chance beyond Peter's wildest dreams!  God knows ALL of our mistakes, but chooses to focus on our potential.

John the Introvert

So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, look, here is your son!” He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time the disciple took her into his own home.

John 19:26-27 

 

I don't know what your view is of Jesus, whether He was approachable or more of an authority figure.  For the longest time I viewed Jesus as one of those people who easily made friends but was unapproachable for someone like me, because I never felt worthy of His friendship.  Here, so many years later, I have a different view.  You see, Jesus loves us.  Jesus wants us to accept His love for us.

 

The example I identify with most is the Apostle John.  John refers to himself as "the disciple Jesus loved" because Jesus did love him.  We hear a LOT about Peter because Peter was boisterous and hard to miss. Peter was stubborn, hard-headed, brash, impulsive, and Jesus built His church on Peter!  

 

John was more of an introvert (which I identify with).  John was a thinker, a person who learned by listening and observing.  John was sensitive and caring.  John is the ONLY one who dared to let us see the sensitive side of Jesus (John 11:35 - "Jesus wept"). In fact, John was also the ONLY Disciple who was present at Jesus' crucifixion, and he stood with Mary the Mother of Jesus.  And guess what Jesus did?  He trusted Peter with the church, but Jesus trusted JOHN with the care of His mother, Mary!  Let that sink in!

Peace

Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Colossians 3:15 

 

Nothing really needs to be said, so I'll leave this right here for you to contemplate.

Do What?

This will be brief (I heard you whisper "Thank You").  This verse is direct, succinct, and not an option.  We are to do EVERYTHING in love!

Think about this:
Disagree with someone? Do it in love.
Need to correct someone? Do it in love.
Have a job to do? Do it in love.
Want to make a point? Do it in love.

Paul is crystal clear about this...Do EVERYTHING in love!

Miracles

The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will be silent, unable to speak, until the day these things take place.”

Luke 1:19-20 

Before Gabriel popped in to tell Mary that she was going to be the earthly mother to God's Son, he came to tell Zechariah that, even though he and his wife were rather advanced in years and she could not conceive, they were going to have a son.  Now, keeping that in mind, remember what happened when God's messengers told Abraham that he and Sarah were going to have a son?  Sarah laughed.  This time, Zechariah didn't laugh, but he had questions: How is this going to happen when we're so old? Elizabeth has never been able to get pregnant, so how is this going to happen?  Instead of trusting and believing that God would do what He was telling them He would do, Zechariah chose to doubt!

How many times do we choose to doubt?  God promised to always love us, yet when something bad happens we choose to doubt whether God loves us....(I've heard this MANY times).  God promised to always provide what we need, yet we choose to doubt and worry how we're going to make it.  

Zechariah doubted. Gabriel reminded him that he is the one who stands in the very presence of God, who told him to deliver this message.  Gabriel told Zechariah that he would not be able to speak until such time as this promised son was born.  Imagine if God made us unable to speak when we choose to doubt, and we couldn't speak again until God's promise was fulfilled.  God promises and has NEVER broken a single one yet!  Trust in His promises!

The Power of a Moment

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!”

Luke 1:26-28 

 

As you know, one of the things I like to do is invite you to think.  Today is no exception.  Have you ever considered the power of a moment?  Consider: the moment when your child drew their first breath....the moment you knew realized you were in love....the moment heard the words "Congratulations, the job is yours".....the moment you God called you....moments change our lives forever.  

 

In a single moment, Mary went from being a bride-to-be to being the mother of the Savior.  In that moment, her entire world changed!  As we focus on the Birth of Christ, let's focus on the power of a moment! Make your moments count by sharing yourself.  Make your moments count by doing for others.  Make your moments count because they will quickly turn into a memory, make sure the memories are worth remembering.

Journey

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you."

Genesis 12:1 

 

Following God's direction can give us cause to wonder if He has lost His senses.  I wonder if Abram followed God's instructions without question.  Think about it, God told Abram to pack everything up and move.  And in God's words..."to the land I will show you."  Remember Jeremiah 29:11 where God tells us "'For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.'"  God has the plans, knows the plans, and will fulfill those plans.  We don't.  So when God says, "I have plans for you and it's part of your journey on this Earth" we can fully trust Him.

 

But how many times have we questioned God?  How many times have we doubted God's choices?  How many times have we been too scared to have faith in God's plan?  Quite a lot, in my own life.  Yet if God had told me all about my journey through life, I, most likely, would have become far too overwhelmed.  But God tends to reveal His journey for us one step at a time.  Remember, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  God shows us that one step at a time...we can trust Him, we have faith in His love for us, we have faith in His plan for us, we believe that He will get us to the next step.

 

Trust....Faith....Love!