A Good Reputation

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35 MSG) 

The way we present ourselves to the world is important to God because people are watching; and if they know (they should!) that we are a Christian; many of them are observing whether our faith makes us any different from them. We may not personally know them; however they will know us by what they see. They will examine and monitor our reactions to adversity and how we respond to others. They will watch what we proclaim our faith means to us and what our level of integrity is. And whether they know us or not, we need to make a good reputation.

“Earn A Reputation For Living Well In God’s Eyes and The Eyes Of The People” (Proverbs 3:4 MSG)

Do people know that you are a Jesus follower by your attitude? What is your general disposition as you live your Christian life? I can recall more times than I care to admit, where my behavior didn’t line up with the characteristics of Jesus’. That’s very sobering to me because I should always represent a virtuous woman with Christian behavior. The way that others will perceive my character will always be determined by the kind of life they see me living!  When others look at my style and disposition, I want to leave an impression of a Godly woman, so that others will be drawn to Him by my behavior. Our reputations are valuable, and we should guard them with our life!

“Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.” (Galatians 5:25 MSG)

The book of Galatians chapter 5, discusses the manner in which we should demonstrate the consistency in which we live our lives through the fruits of the Spirit:

•       Love, joy, peace,

•     Patience, kindness,

•      Goodness, faithfulness,

•     Gentleness,

•     Self control.

How would those closest to you describe you as an individual? Our character is what we are, but our reputation is what others think of us. I think these fruits of the Spirit all go with being a humble person of integrity and good character. If we are to be fruitful Christians as the Lord wants us to be, then our lives will show it by the love, joy, peace etc. that we show to others. Your reputation determines the level of respect and the way people will perceive you. It’s so important for our testimony to nurture others and to be respected and responded to positively. We all need to avoid being hypocritical, live up to our words, and “practice what we preach” so that others will think the way they do about us because of the way they see us act and live before them. And as long as we speak and give authentically from the heart with the best we have, we will fulfill the intended purpose of our authentic Christian reputation!

The Anger Trap

“Don’t sin by letting anger get control over you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” (Ephesians 4:26)

Anger is an emotion that many of us experience from time to time because it is just a part of our human nature. After all, we are made in God’s image and even He has experienced anger! I think God understands we will get angry, but the challenge is not to sin when we become angry or allow it to linger. When I become angry at someone or at a particular situation, I tend to let it bottle up inside and I can become very bitter. But once I acknowledge my anger and allow it to be, I can usually move quickly beyond it. Through prayer (lots of it!) and reliance upon God’s word and Holy Spirit, my anger can be overcome and resolved.  Anger in itself isn’t really the sin, it is an emotion that can get out of control and lead to sinful acts if we don’t handle it in a Christ-like manner. And I have found that by dealing with the situation immediately, and letting go of any resentment and animosity I am carrying, I can put it all in perspective and respond to the situation effectively.

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. For a man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:19-20)

How does it usually make you feel when you have been really angry? If not handled with a calm and positive attitude, I find myself completely ashamed and wonder what it really accomplished, and what good it really did. Life is just too precious to let my anger become a bitter feeling that springs up into my heart and overshadows my Christian relationships. It is my duty to love my fellow man! If I can just stay focused on taking a deep breath and remind myself of how much more effective I am by maintaining a positive approach, I will emerge with a feeling of humbleness and obedience. God wants all of us to live a lifestyle of love that does not allow unresolved anger. He wants to fill our hearts with joy, and we can all overcome our anger by the power of God’s Word and Spirit! :)

 “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.” (l Timothy 2:8)

We Are Needy

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 ESV)

Do I trust God, or myself? I have always believed a self-made person is considered a good thing and tend to have an “I can do it myself” mentality. But sooner or later, I have a problem that I just don’t know how to solve. So often I deceive myself into thinking I can trust in my own strength, and then I find myself in circumstances that are beyond my control! That’s when I become frustrated in my lack of effectiveness, and instead of trusting in my own strength, I pour my heart out to God. Looking back on the situation or condition, I realize I have just wasted a whole lot of anxiety and energy (not to mention faith!), and instead of trusting in my own independence and tenacity, I just needed to lean on Him and become totally reliant on Him in the first place. Isn’t it good to know that God is always there to help us solve issues, disappointments, and concerns? :) God gives us assurance of His strength, help, and victory in any situation. All we have to do is pray and trust in Him and He will give us the answer.  

We are needy! The most amazing gift we have been given is that we don’t have to rely on our own strength to make right decisions. :)

“He who trusts in himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things.” (Alphonsus Liguori)

I think that God sometimes puts us in a situation in which we are in over our heads in order to teach us so that He can break us of our self-reliance. We need to have “out stretched arms” and not be so dependent on our own strength and managing our own strategy. God places a premium on our trust and dependence on Him in all things, and He has specific outcomes for those who depend on Him. Isaiah 40:31 says “But those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagle’s wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.” (NET) We are to totally depend on the power of God to work in us and in our own circumstances. Authentic followers of God admit and recognize that they have weaknesses and are willing to depend on God and allow Him to turn weaknesses into strengths.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV)

Lost Treasure

“In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away.” (Luke 15)

There is more joy over one sinner who repents! The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of my favorite stories during the Easter season. It explains God's joy at the repentance of a lost and wayward son, and also illustrates the cold and unforgiving heart of the older son, who out of anger and jealousy represents the Pharisees who were angry and resentful that sinners were being welcomed into God’s kingdom. It is a wonderful story that Jesus told explaining how God rejoices over each person who repents, and so should we. If God’s response is full of compassion and mercy towards the wayward and sinful, then so must we nurture His attitude toward the lost around us! As disciples, we must not be proud, hypocritical, or self-righteous like the Pharisees, but instead we should seek out those who are wandering and give them hope. We should help God search, and be an ambassador of irresistible love. I think every one of us has at least just a bit of the Pharisees in us. We fear that we may lose control over our safe and happy life for the sake of valuing others the way God values them. But God's priority is on people and on their salvation; He places a high value on all of His lost treasures.

“Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?” (Romans 2:4)

God's idea of human devotion is not sinless perfection or self-righteousness, its utter dependence on Him. “The World's idea of righteousness is self-righteous perfection. God's idea of righteousness is the pitiful, hopeless, lost, humble, loving sinful sinner who knows he needs God!” (Unknown) The parable of the prodigal son also shows the attitude of the self-righteous sinner. We all require God’s grace, His unearned, unmerited love for us. And our God runs to us, throws His arms around us and gives us a hope for a future beyond all expectations! I love the thought that He never gives up on me and that in His kindness He holds back judgment and gives me time to turn from my sin. He loves all of His children enough to make a way for them to come back to Him even after they have left Him and done everything He had ever told them not to do. What a wonderful picture of the great love God had towards us! He continuously seeks and reaches out to us. When we come to Him, He washes away all our evil deeds of the past, not holding them against us.

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” (C.W. Lewis)

A Time Of Reflection

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Lent is a season of repentance, reflection and taking stock of our lives. It is a time of special grace for each of us, because it is the highpoint of our year to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus ascension. It is just another way to thank God and remember our Lord Jesus and what he has done for us. And no matter how close we are to God, the season of Lent provides a great opportunity to grow closer to Him. One of the biggest mistakes that I could possibly make during this blessed time is to not take advantage of growing and becoming closer to Him!

This year I have been challenged (yes challenged!) to give up a habit that quite simply has been a monkey on my back and has overshadowed my life for years. I believe that God worked through a very good friend of mine to make a suggestion that would test my desire to please God and force me to do a lot of soul-searching. The very idea of even considering this omission from the pattern of my life is going to be a true test of my faith!  Some of the keys to succeeding and overcoming my temptation are to rely on my steadfast prayers and those of my family and friends. I will continuously call on God, and He will quickly come to my side and give me strength to overcome.  Rather than attempting to fight temptation on my own, I plan to pray and listen more so that I can find a will power which is stronger than my own.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Lent is a great time for reflection and to yield control of our lives to God. It is a time to transform ourselves and make an effort to “do something” that will allow us to grow closer to Our Lord when we celebrate His Glorious Resurrection. It is a time for me to choose to do only what is right, and to resist temptation, and prepare myself by dying to sinful ways and rising to new life with Jesus. I may suffer just a little bit during this time of refinement in my life, but my desire is to persevere with faith and adoration so that it will restore me and make me a stronger person. :)

 

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To Him be the power forever and ever.” (l Peter 5:10)

Time To Unclutter

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." (Isaiah 26:3)

This is a brand new year to begin to focus on uncluttering all the chaos and disorder that I allow in my life. I'm talking about taking a close look at my hurried time and trying to unclutter and free up my physical, mental, and emotional space. It's going to be a slow process for me to clear my mind and release all the built up anxiety that often overcomes me. There are just simply limits and excesses of trying to think and do too many things at once at both work and home, and I am determined to save more of my energy for the things that inspire me and that I have a passion for.

"Peace I leave with you: my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

I think that many of us have so much going on in our minds that we don't hear God speaking to us and let His word get into us. His desire is for us to hear and listen to His voice and to spend time with Him. I like the following phrase of Beth Moore: "To have peace like a river is to have security and tranquility while meeting the many bumps and unexpected turns on life's journey. Peace is a submission to a trustworthy Authority, not resignation from activity." It's all about clearing the clutter from our minds, and releasing our grip on all the disorderly stuff in our lives, and giving it all to God! :)

The clutter in our minds can prevent us from feeling good and enjoying the present moment. We need to spend more time with God and with people we love, and save our energy to do the things that we really want to do and that are the most important to us. Rather than just "spinning our wheels", we need to practice letting go of our thoughts and emotions and instead enjoy the present moment wherever we are. We should all make every effort to center our attention on Christ first, rather than focusing on life's obstacles so that His peace will overcome our souls and refresh our bodies. In the end we will have more self assurance, respect and confidence, and live a simpler life! :)

First Snow

I love when the holiday season brings in the first snow. (Even though I am not a huge fan of cold weather!) Everything looks so fresh and clean, and there is a certain excitement in the air. It always reminds me of Isaiah 1:18 "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." When the snow begins to melt and we track through it, the ground no longer looks clean and pure, but rather spotted and messy. In retrospect, it's a reflection of my life when things get blotchy and blemished. Until I allow God to remove the stains from my heart and clean up the mess, my soul resembles that dirty snow covered ground. I don't have to remain permanently soiled though, because God has promised to remove disgrace and shame from my life if I am willing and obedient. Christ forgives me and removes even my most in-erasable stains.

"I have swept your offenses like a cloud, your sins like a morning mist. Return to me for I have redeemed you." (Isaiah 44:22)

Forgiveness for me has been one of the most difficult concepts to grasp in my life. This is probably why it's one of the most difficult and greatest gifts to give. Un-confessed sin in my life comes between God and me and damages my relationship with Him. I must admit my sins to God if my relationship with Him is to be restored completely. I have learned over the years (through my continuous growth in Christ) that my survival depends on the application of forgiveness for me and others. Looking back over the years and the many things that I have done or that have happened to me, I have experienced such freedom when I surrender and let go of the past and focus on the present and the possibilities of the future. When I forgive, I may not change the past-but I sure do change the future! I have witnessed Christ's forgiveness more times than I can possibly remember because I have accepted His invitation to receive His mercy freely.

The results of forgiveness are happiness! Forgiveness has always been part of God's loving nature. In Psalms 32:1-2 (The Message) it tells us to "Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be-you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean. Count yourself lucky-God holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from Him." :) I want to feel fresh and clean like the first snow, and make the choice to forgive unconditionally and bring myself one step closer to living a life of fulfillment, joy, and deep inner peace.