I absolutely love secrets, the good kind. The secrets of surprise birthday parties, or the secrets of a pregnancy, the secret of someone about to propose. I love the excitement, the build-up to the happiness that I know is about to occur. Although I love these kind of secrets, I suck at keeping them. If you want to know what I got you for your birthday or for Christmas...just ask me I will tell you. You can ask anyone in my family, I get so excited that I just have to share right now or if I don't say anything it is written all over my face that I need to tell you something that is going to make you so happy! The excitement is just too much for me and I think you need to know the secret now. Well, I have a secret. Yep! I have found the secret to being content with whatever I have....well, actually Paul found it and shared it. I know right? That is a pretty big secret...that is the secret we would all like to know...the secret not be driven by the things of this world or not having our emotions depend on our circumstances. Wouldn't you like that...I know I would. I would love to have self-control when I go into a store and see some boots and not feel like I have to have them righ now and if I don't get them I just won't fit in to the world. I would love to go through a day and no matter what happens in the day whether my work day has been overwhelming or my kids are not obeying me, or my husband had a bad meeting with a parent, that I would still have joy. I would love to go through every circumstance, every up and down, and handle it in such a way that people say "there is something different about her. I would love the secret to that life. Wouldn't you? Wouldn't you love to go to the fridge and seeing there is no food there and one more day until pay day and still have joy. Wouldn't you love to go to the fridge and it be completely stocked and be filled with so much joy because you know that that doesn't happen for everyone. Wouldn't you love to answer a phone call from your children's principle and no matter what they say on the other end you know that you can still have joy. Woulnd't you love to know that when you are waiting for that phone call from your Doctor to tell you if you have cancer or not, that whatever news you get, you are filled with joy and peace. This secret is worth more than gold...it's the key to all joy in this world...holy crap I am getting so excited to tell you. I am excited to tell you because I visit with people everyday who walk around completely defeated. Their job sucks...therefore they have no joy. Their marriage sucks...therefore they have no joy. Their relationship with their family sucks....therefore they have no joy. The circumstances of this broken world has just completetly overwhelmed them and they walk around completely defeated. But I know the secret....the secret to change all that....the secret to joy in any circumstance....the secret to peace that passes all understanding. Are you ready...are you sure....it's a big secret....here it goes....
Paul writes in Philippians 4:11-13: "...For I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
Did you catch it? Did you catch the secret? It is easy to miss it
J
The Secret is....JESUS!!!
For some of you this might be a let down...you might be thinking "Well of course it is Jesus....I have been a Christian my whole life....that is the sunday school answer...Yes, I asked Jesus to be my Savior when I was 9 and still feel down, alone, and defeated...isn't there another answer to this riddle of finding joy in our life"
NOPE! That is the secret...as a follower of Christ you hold the very key, they key to all the power in the world with one relationship, with one name, with one person: Jesus.
It's kinda like in the movie Kung Fu Panda....the key to defeating the enemy of the world was in the dragon scroll and only the dragon warrior could read the dragon scroll. Once, the unlikely dragon warrior, PO the Panda opened the dragon scroll to find the secret...it was blank. After feeling defeated, he finally figured it out, the secret to defeating the enemy lied in him the whole time.
I think it is time followers of Jesus, Christians, start understanding the power that comes with having Jesus in their life. He is not just heaven insurance...he is the secret to living this life with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. You can do ALL things through Jesus who gives you strength! When bad things happen you CAN find joy because you know that Jesus works all things to the good (Romans 8:28)...even the bad. When you are struggling with your work, children, or spouse, you CAN find joy because you know that if we do not give up we WILL reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up (Galatians 6:9) There is power in Jesus to save your marriage, there is power in Jesus to mend a broken relationship, there is Power in Jesus to have a winning season, there is Power in Jesus to overcome an addiction, there is Power in Jesus to overcome the hurts and pain of this world. You see, Jesus isn't just our Savior from Hell, but our Source of joy and peace in all circumstances on earth!
There is a reason Jesus said to pray this in the Lord's Prayer, "...Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven...." We can have on earth what we will have in heaven....That is the secret! We CAN do ALL things THROUGH JESUS because He gives us the strength.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Life without an *
In 2001 a movie came out called 61* which was about the 1960 Major League Baseball season where Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris' pursued Babe Ruth's home run record. They were teammates playing for the New York Yankees and while the New York fans and media were pulling for the popular and personable Mantle, a long-time Yankee. The quieter Maris was viewed as an outsider, aloof and unworthy. As they got closer to the record, MLB Commissioner Ford Frick, who also happened to be Babe Ruth's admirer and ghostwriter, makes a decision. Unless the record is broken in 154 games (the same number Ruth played in 1927), the new record would be listed separately from Ruth's record, because MLB's season is now 162 games long thus making it a record with an *. Maris did break the record in the last game of the season and for the longest time his record was a 61* until 1991 where they decided records were records and they would not be separated.
Many of us walk around as followers of Christ*, believing we are forgiven*, knowing that we will get to spend eternity in heaven someday*. We view ourselves as an "outsider, aloof and unworthy" of taking part in any blessings that God may want to impart on us or our family. We believe God can do great things, BUT just for other people. God can do great things BUT just not for me. Our entire walk with Christ has an * by it because we think "I am not good enough," "I can't live up to His standards", "He could never forgive me for what I have done so I work a little bit harder for it", "If he knew me and what I have done, he couldnt love me let alone die for me", "Yes I know I get to be his follower, but I am sure I must walk around with an asterisk*" Right? Wrong!
Because Christ lives in you, nothing else needs to be added, not even an asterisk*. You are a full-fledged child of God!
Romans 8:14-16 says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
We may say that we are children of God, but we live as though we are slaves...slaves to sin, slaves to shame, slaves to unworthiness, slaves to doubt all making us children of God*
Whenever I am walking around with the asterisk*, I find comfort in the Story of David. David loved God, followed God, obeyed God, but after some of the decisions he made (adultery, murder just to name a few) God could have put an asterisk* after everything David did after that. He was a great man of God*, But...., He loved me*, But...., He obeyed me,*...Most of the time...
But He did none of that...instead in Acts 13:22 it says, "After removing Saul, he made David their King. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'"
That's right God, after everything David did, called him "a man after my own heart." Oh how I love that!
God wants to remove the * from your life today! I don't know what it is for you, but it could be the one thing that is holding you back from all that God wants to do through you. Maybe your * is guilt for your past, maybe your * is feeling inadequate, maybe your * is unforgiveness for someone else. Whatever has popped in your head while reading this, I urge you to stop what you are doing and pray...pray to take the asterisk* away:) What Christ did on the cross was enough for you and for me!
If I can pray for you in any way please let me know! Here is to a New Year and living Life with out an *!!!
Many of us walk around as followers of Christ*, believing we are forgiven*, knowing that we will get to spend eternity in heaven someday*. We view ourselves as an "outsider, aloof and unworthy" of taking part in any blessings that God may want to impart on us or our family. We believe God can do great things, BUT just for other people. God can do great things BUT just not for me. Our entire walk with Christ has an * by it because we think "I am not good enough," "I can't live up to His standards", "He could never forgive me for what I have done so I work a little bit harder for it", "If he knew me and what I have done, he couldnt love me let alone die for me", "Yes I know I get to be his follower, but I am sure I must walk around with an asterisk*" Right? Wrong!
Because Christ lives in you, nothing else needs to be added, not even an asterisk*. You are a full-fledged child of God!
Romans 8:14-16 says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
We may say that we are children of God, but we live as though we are slaves...slaves to sin, slaves to shame, slaves to unworthiness, slaves to doubt all making us children of God*
Whenever I am walking around with the asterisk*, I find comfort in the Story of David. David loved God, followed God, obeyed God, but after some of the decisions he made (adultery, murder just to name a few) God could have put an asterisk* after everything David did after that. He was a great man of God*, But...., He loved me*, But...., He obeyed me,*...Most of the time...
But He did none of that...instead in Acts 13:22 it says, "After removing Saul, he made David their King. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'"
That's right God, after everything David did, called him "a man after my own heart." Oh how I love that!
God wants to remove the * from your life today! I don't know what it is for you, but it could be the one thing that is holding you back from all that God wants to do through you. Maybe your * is guilt for your past, maybe your * is feeling inadequate, maybe your * is unforgiveness for someone else. Whatever has popped in your head while reading this, I urge you to stop what you are doing and pray...pray to take the asterisk* away:) What Christ did on the cross was enough for you and for me!
If I can pray for you in any way please let me know! Here is to a New Year and living Life with out an *!!!
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