What To Wear

I wonder if it shows?  I hope it's obvious.  

Brittnay was my friendly Wal-Mart associate. She was pleasant enough, but i sensed that morning she dressed in worry.  I overheard her talking about her brother who had been fighting fires recently.  I saw worry on her face, I saw the need for Jesus on her heart.  So I handed her an invitation that I had received in church that morning and said "if you are looking for a church home, might I recommend mine."  

I was wearing Christ that day.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful."  Colossians 3:12-15

We should don Christ-like garments everyday. There will be someone you meet that is searching for answers, there will be someone who has a need for Jesus.  And I don't want to just dress the part, I want to live it.  I want everything I say and do to point to Him.  

Ever wonder if we wore Christ-like kindness, gentleness, patience, and self-control how different our world would be?  How would you act differently?  

If we wore peace, we might desire God's quiet and not be distracted with this world.  

If we wore grace, we would forgive others quicker for their faults.  

If we put on goodness we would desire others to be more successful than ourselves. 

If we wore love, we would crave Jesus more than ever before.  
If we wore faithfulness, we would trust God completely in everything.

Wearing love, grace and peace are far more difficult than zipping up jeans or buttoning a shirt.  It's spending time with and allowing the Spirit to bring His fruit to your closet.   It's putting on your big-heart pants and clothing ourselves in these grown-up, mature Christ like characteristics that mirror His heart, share His mind and reflect God's change in our lives.  

It's dressing for success.  It's what I want to wear daily.  How about you?

Music Monday - {Gold}

Beckah Shae Standing Firm Like Gold

This week's pick for Music Monday is from Beckah Shea with "Gold".  Not only does the song have some really good beats but it beats truth into my mind when I hear it.  The one line that jumps out of the speakers is this one...

"This fire is makin’ me better, refined it don’t matter whether".

It's obvious to me that Beckah is familiar with trials and tribulations that befall most Christians.  Her perspective is honorable and admirable.  She wouldn't be talking about it, like it's a gold thing, unless God has revealed Himself through it.  

In this one line, I am reminded that it's worth it.  The journey of faith, whatever my circumstances has taught me more about God than I could have ever imagined.  That's the way God works.

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7 

God loves to break us through whatever painful circumstances that come our way so that He can be our hero and either deliver us from our problems or show us how to fix the problem.  He wants us to trust Him to help us through.  He loves us so much that He knows we can't do this life on our own, so when everything falls apart, that's when he wants us to look to Him for help and deliverance, not to the patterns of this world.  He wants us to trust Him to provide or take care of or deliver us.  In doing just that He shows His mercy, grace and love.   He  brings His awesome to every situation and when invited into all of the details, He reveals His faithfulness.

I know..I have been there many times too.  I have suffered through many desert storms.  And through them, I do know God better and my trust has deepened because of the sand that pelts my face.  This life we call a joy-filled journey is exactly that.  Filled with moments of joyful experiences where I have walked and sometimes crawled to the feet of Jesus, and once there, I have found that He and only He is the oasis.  The hope that we have is that as we go through tough times, that God has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  He is there with us in His refining process.  And even though it hurts sometimes, it still makes us better, more like Christ.  Like gold.

But God....

There are moments in my faith walk that stop me in my tracks.  It's the phrase "but God..."

We have been raising operating funds for the listener-supported ministry The House FM and My Praise FM for the last 7 days.  I am so thankful for the many pledges of support.  Many come with comments saying what God has done in their own life through the music.   

There have been some heart wrenching stories of marriages healed, illnesses, death, and threat of suicide.  Each comment was couched with how God met them in their crisis moments and gave them hope.  Wow...music is very powerful and a vehicle that God can use to meet us right where we are at and take us to His place of healing, hope and salvation. 

But what strikes me the most is the point of realization of who God is and how he reveals himself in our thoughts, our minds, our understanding.  That's what i call the "But God" moments.  This comment sent me to tears...

"I wasn't going to pledge this year since I'm so far behind in paying my prior pledges (I will make that right!). It has been quite a ride these last few years, so many ups and downs -- mostly downs. But God . . . . . is faithful to me and I need to learn to be that faithful. The House FM blesses me immeasurably! Thank you all for everything you do to put God's word on the airwaves!! God is good!"

In the "downs" of life God likes to reveal himself and in the "ups" of life God likes to reveal himself.  What I see in the "but God" is that God did reveal himself!  There was a point of realization and understanding that transformed thoughts.  God's Spirit reminded that trust was needed and that the tomorrows are taken care of.  He brought back a time of when He was there and didn't abandon.  He reminded that He fixed something broken.  He reminded that He alone is God.  That God will still be God at the end of the day, at the end of the pledge drive, at the end of the world and at the end of ourselves.  


Yes, "but God"...I love it when God reveals himself to me.  I love it when I learn more about God's faithfulness as my trust in Him deepens in life's ups and downs.  I love it when I see Him, especially in those "but God" moments.  Faith...pure and simple.


The other "but God" moment was noted in this comment....

 "We made an early bird pledge, but God has really been placing the children of Swaziland on my heart, so we've decided to be faithful and increase. Thanks for extending the Pledge Drive and giving me time to be obedient."

"But God"...stretched the pledge drive timeline to bring another pricked heart into obedience.  Yes, God also reveals his heart when we listen and invites us to engage in his work as He equips us.  Yes, "but God" gives us another chance to participate in His awe-inspiring work.....the rescue of His precious little ones living in darkness.    


Yes, "but God"...

I Couldn't Find Lamentations!

The other day I had trouble finding the book of Lamentations.  I woke up at my normal time and did my studies.  But on this day, there was trouble brewing in my soul.  I had just written three pages of confession in my spiral bound journal and ashamedly so…those words were not pretty.  They spewed doubt, resentment, uncertainty, pity, unworthiness, misguided direction, uncomfortable dark thoughts.  I have bad thought days.  

I reached out to my mentor and she texted back "Lamentations 3:22- 24."  I then proceeded to have an emotional meltdown as I frantically flipped through the thin pages to find truth.  I couldn't find the verses.  I had to resort to the Table of Contents.  Honestly, I couldn't even see the page numbers because of the free flowing tears.    

On page 698 in my Bible, my aching soul was calmed with this:

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail, they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

My heart had been wounded and I needed a touch from God.  Usually when my faith guard is down, the quiet giant lies waiting to wage war within.  I was engaged in a bout with doubt like I had never experienced.  The results had left me sickened and stunned.

I tend to believe lies over truth.

I tend to hear the voice of the enemy over Righteousness.

I tend to cling to visual affirmations

I default to control and perfection.

I seek validation from peers.

On really bad days, sometimes you can't see God's words clearly.  That's why I am thankful that I reached out to my early morning texting friend who knew just what to send.  God moved circumstances to bring His truth to light and to bring transformation.  God’s truth can turn your perspective around in a heartbeat.  I know once again that am not alone as His flawed child determined to banish old habits. My journey is part of a holy refinement process that gives me the strength to move forward in hope knowing that God will be glorified.  And I know where the book of Lamentations is now.

God didn't call us to discipleship alone, nor did He leave us out here in our desert moments to fix ourselves.  What He does call us to is to be faithful as He is faithful.  He wants us to receive His love, and not be consumed with the things of this world.  He is not going to run out of compassion towards us.  In fact He has a brand new fresh load of awesomeness ready for us each day.  And every day as His Spirit is transforming ours, we need to be patient with Him to complete His great work in us.  We need to wait on God in the same way He compassionately and faithfully waits on us to seek Him and allow Him to change us.  

 Yes, Lord...this is my portion.  Transform me.

What's one habit you want God to change in you?