One thing I think all of us have in common at some point in our lives is going through some sort of transition. Whether big or small, transitions can be hard. But life is full of them and full of ups and downs as well.
God Changed My Heart
I feel like I have also had many transitions in my life.
In college, I was sure that I wanted to teach music and live in Oklahoma the rest of my life.
God surprisingly changed my heart and led me to Germany. I spent 5 years living in Germany and serving as a missionary. It was my full time job.
At the end of the 5 years, we decided it was time to move back to Oklahoma and see what God had in store for us here. That transition was probably one of the most difficult transitions I have been through, but I don’t regret any of the experiences I had through it all.
The Struggles
One aspect of that transition that was difficult was the fact that I had been a full time missionary, whose job was to spread the Good News as much as possible on a daily basis. Coming to Oklahoma, I had to struggle with finding my identity and my “job title”.
Here, I was, a stay-at-home Mom and wife.
I didn’t feel like I had a specific task, besides taking care of my family, which I know is a very important task.
I felt like something was missing, though.
Then, I came to the realization that even though my official title was not “Missionary” anymore, I was still a child of God and my task on this earth was to still be a missionary wherever I was.
My name doesn’t have to be on a church bulletin under the list of Missionaries, to be a Missionary.
Same Passion, Different Location
My passion was still the same… to spread the love of God and teach the Good News as much as possible on a daily basis. It may look different than it did when I lived in Germany, but every day I have to find ways to share that love with others.
Fulling Our Passion Purpose
We as Christians, all have the same title as Missionary.
We are all here on this earth for a reason. Our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus are, and should always be, our first love.
No matter what our professional titles may be, or no matter what transitions we may be going through, the constant is our love for God and hopefully our passion to share that with others.
No matter what job or responsibilities we have to take care of, our greatest responsibility is to share our love of God with others.
Psalms: That I may Praise You
Let’s look at the Psalms and talk more about this passion for God and how we can live it out.
In Psalm 119:169, I feel like the author is praying for God to help them grow that passion and to live it out.
169 May my cry come before you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word. 170 May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise. 171 May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. 172 May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous. 173 May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. 174 I long for your salvation, Lord, and your law gives me delight. 175 Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. 176 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.
Our Passion in Perspective
I just love that passage in Psalms. It really puts the phrase being passionate about our relationship with God into perspective.
Some of the words that are used could help us understand how we can be passionate about our relationship with God too.
Psalm 119:169 – Crying Out
In verse 169, the author cries out to God. In any situation, whether difficult or crying out with praise for the good things He does for us, crying out is a beautiful thing. Just like in our prayer lives and being in His presence, we should communicate our feelings to Him.
I still remember a good friend of mine sharing a Psalm with me and telling me it was ok to tell God how I felt, even in deep sadness. He showed me the examples that are written in the Psalms and how open and honest David was about his feelings.
God wants us to openly communicate with Him. It can bring us closer to Him.
Psalm 119:169 – Give Me Understanding
The second part of verse 169 says, “give me understanding.” Understanding His word, and especially searching for understanding of His word by studying it, is another way to show our passion.
How can we understand God better without being in His word and studying and trying to understand His words better?
Psalm 119:170 – Supplication
Verse 170 uses the word supplication. The definition of supplication is the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly. Similar to crying out to Him, is being in supplication.
Have you ever had a time in your life, when you were on your knees, begging for God to help you? I have, and although it was not the happiest point in my life, I never have felt closer to God, than when I was in supplication to Him, asking Him to help me in that time in my life.
Going through that was a bonding experience with God. I felt his presence at my darkest hour.
Psalm 1119:171 – Overflow with Praise
Verse 171 says, “May my lips overflow with praise.” How much do we talk about our love of God in our everyday lives?
I know at times I’m guilty of staying quiet about it, especially around others that I know don’t share my beliefs. Is that what we are supposed to do?
I know we have to use discernment in regards to talking about our faith with others. On one hand, we don’t want to bombard someone who is already cynical or negative about God or our beliefs. We could possibly cause them to put up more barriers if we’re too pushy.
Also, for someone who doesn’t even know God, it may seem like a foreign language to them. I know how frustrating and discouraging that can be because of my experience in Germany. I remember wanting nothing more than to take part in a conversation, but instead just sitting there silently, trying to understand what is being said.
Let’s also think about how people who don’t know God might feel if we were to seemingly start to speak another language. There are small ways we can let our faith be known, without putting any pressures on others or making them feel frustrated.
If we can share about how we believe God helped us through something, could it possibly pique their interest?
We can’t control if someone believes that God truly did help us, but if we show how certain we are, is that not planting the seed?
Maybe just showing our sincere faith is what they need to see in order to question their own faith.
Hopefully, we can find small ways to express our praise to God and let others know about our faith.
Gratefulness
Also, being genuinely grateful and telling God how thankful we are for the things He has done for us is so important. We need to tell Him how much we love and appreciate Him.
If you’re a parent, you know the amazing feeling you get when your child sees the many sacrifices you make for them and then thank you for it. There have been times when I’ve gone out of my way to do something for my kids, only to be frustrated that I did them, because it either didn’t end with good behavior from them or they didn’t thank me for the lengths I went to. But when they see my efforts and thank me with grateful hearts, it really warms my heart and makes me so happy to see their appreciation.
I know I shouldn’t always expect appreciation, but it sure does feel good when I get it. I think God must feel the same way when we turn to Him and thank Him for the things He does for us!
Psalm 146:2 says,
“I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” I want my lips to overflow with praise and I hope we can also find the many positive things that God does and thank Him for it!”
Psalm 119:172 – Sing Your Word
Verse 172 says that we “sing of your word.” As some of you know, music is very important to me. I love singing and I feel so much closer to God when I can be singing and worshiping Him. There is something special about singing praises to our Savior.
I love the verse Psalm 84:4 that says,
“Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!”
What joy God must feel to hear His beloved children singing praises to Him! I can’t wait to sing in heaven someday with all of God’s children! I can’t even imagine how wonderful that will be!
Psalms 119:173 – Choosing God’s Precepts
Verse 173 says that I have chosen your precepts (commandments/ instructions). To choose something isn’t just to mentally decide on something, but it also means to actively choose it by following the precepts or commands and instructions.
If we don’t follow what God instructs us to do, how can we be close to Him or show our passion for Him to others?
It looks a little hypocritical if we say one thing, but do another, doesn’t it?
I know I’m not perfect and do and say things I regret all the time, but if I’m not constantly trying to correct myself and better myself to be more like Christ, then I’m not any better than the Pharisees were during the time of Jesus’ life.
In Matthew 15, the Pharisees asked Jesus why the disciples broke the tradition of the elders. The disciples didn’t wash their hands when they ate. Jesus’ answer to them was basically, “why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”
In verses 7-9, Jesus calls them hypocrites and quotes Isaiah, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
It is important that our beliefs and choices are lived out through our actions and that our hearts are fully invested in God’s instructions.
Psalm 119:174 – Delighting
Verse 174 says that “I long for your salvation and your law is my delight.” This makes me think of Psalm 42:1-2.
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
Have you ever longed to see someone? Maybe your spouse, significant other, family member or best friend?
Maybe it’s been awhile or you are far away? You can’t wait to talk to them or see them and hug them.
Do we feel this same longing to spend time with God? Are we excited to get to have some quiet time in prayer and stillness with Him?
Sometimes, I forget that is the kind of longing He wants us to have in our relationship with Him. I hope that I can grow in that longing and delight in my Savior every day.
Psalms 119: 175 – Live that I may Praise you
Verse 175 is probably my favorite verse. “Let me live that I may praise you.” I pray that my whole life can be praise for God and I hope that I can always re-evaluate my life to see if that is how I’m living.
Psalm 150:6 says,
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
Every single one of us were created with God’s breath so that we could live with Him and for Him and praise Him!
Colossions 3:17 says,
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Every moment of our lives should be lived TO and FOR Him, who has done so much for us! I love the words in the hymn “O Sacred Head” that say, “Lord, let me never, never, outlive my love for Thee.”
Psalms 119:176 – We Have Strayed
Verse 176 says we have strayed like a lost sheep. We also need to realize our faults and failures and ask God to forgive us and to please continue searching for us and bringing us back to the fold.
We need our Savior and we must realize that need.
Also, we can’t forget His commands. We may temporarily forget and make mistakes, but we need these to be in our hearts and minds and never permanently forgotten. We should continually remind ourselves of these commandments.
I hope this is a helpful reminder to always be passionate about our faith in relationship in Christ!
Prayer Over Our Hearts
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you so much for your goodness, your faithfulness and your love. May you help us to be unified together through your Spirit and may we all seek you every day.
We want to be passionate about you in all that we do and say every day. Help us to rekindle our passion for you and to spread it to others.
I was reading words from a tired, frustrated mom and I wanted to think of some encouraging words for her. One thing that popped into my mind was a phrase I have heard so many times in recent years. It’s a phrase I have also said myself: “You’ve got this!”
At that moment, it occurred to me that we aren’t actually supposed to “have this.” Not really, anyway. When we say that, we tend to forget something very important. The only one who actually CAN have this and DOES have this in the palm of His hands is God. Yes, I know God gives us abilities and he gives us special tasks, but if we forget that He is the ONE we must always turn to when we feel out of control, we will never, ever “have this.”
Even the well-known passage of Philippians 4:13, which says, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength,” tells us that it is His strength which allows us to do all things. Sometimes when this verse is used, the emphasis is put on the wrong part. We focus on the part where I can do everything instead of who gives us the strength to do everything. I am glad for these type of reminders that pop up from time to time. I know it always helps me to adjust my perspective on things.
This reminder is not meant to put us in our place, but to remind us that whether we feel like we “have this” or not, we can know that God is the Almighty God. He always has all things in the palm of His hands, and he is there to help us through all seasons of life, whether that is parenting young children or finding a new purpose in our lives when one door closes.
I love these verses written by Paul in 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10:
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Let this be a reminder that we do not have to be perfect and have everything under control. We just need to have Christ and His power in our lives to make us stronger and able to do His will. So the next time you want to encourage a friend to hang on, tell them, “God’s got this! He has you in the palm of His hands, and He will help you through this.”
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you that you sent your son, Jesus, into our lives to be a model for our lives. Thank you for always keeping us in the palm of your hands. Help us to remember that your plan is greater than anything we can ever imagine. In times when we do not have the strength to do everything, knowing your strength is there to help us continue gives us comfort. We love you and we thank you for that power. Let us never forget that, and may we always cling to your strength. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen
Have you ever used this phrase? In what other ways can you remember and encourage others that God has all things in His hands?
As a mother, wife and human being living in this world, there are not many days that pass by that I don’t constantly over-analyze what I said, what I did, my parenting choices or any aspect of my life. Many times my thoughts go negative and I believe that I’m doing it all wrong. It’s so easy to feel that way.
There are a plethora of books, blogs and opinions being shared about how to do everything under the sun. Social media sets us up for failure while comparing our life and decisions to all the “social media perfect” lives out there.
Why do we allow ourselves to feel like failures, even when we know in our hearts we are doing the best we can and we really care for our families? Well, the easiest explanation for that is that fear is a liar.
Fear Is a Liar
Fear creeps into our hearts and minds and tries to tell us that we aren’t living up to the standards the world thinks we should. Fear tells us we are failing in every way and in every aspect of our lives. Fear takes over our thoughts and feeds us lie after lie and makes us believe we will never be successful, we will mess up our children and our own lives.
The song, Fear Is a Liar, by Zach Williams talks about this topic and reminds us that fear only lies to us and takes away peace from us. I hope this is a good reminder for you, as it is to me, that God is the one who speaks truth and gives us grace to overcome our failures. Praise the Lord!
The Song
When he told you you’re not good enough
When he told you you’re not right
When he told you you’re not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you’re not worthy
When he told you you’re not loved
When he told you you’re not beautiful
That you’ll never be enough
Chorus
Fear, he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
‘Cause fear he is a liar
When he told you were troubled
You’ll forever be alone
When he told you you should run away
You’ll never find a home
When he told you you were dirty
And you should be ashamed
When he told you you could be the one
That grace could never change
Chorus
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
‘Cause fear he is a liar
Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel
Oh, fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
‘Cause fear he is a liar
A Prayer Over Our Hearts
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for your grace and your love that gives us peace and tells us the truth, that in You we can be saved and all our failures are wiped away. Thank you for helping us to fight against fear and Satan, who puts that fear in our minds. We ask that you continue to protect us against the evil one who tries to rob us of the peace you freely give us. May we always lean on you and accept your peace and strength to get us through all of life’s difficult decisions. We love you and we are so thankful for you. Without you, we would be nothing. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
.Recently I read that the Bible uses the phrase “Do not fear” 365 times, once for every day of the year. I have been curious if that is true. It sounds great, right? While I didn’t do an incredibly deep study, I did check some Bible resources to see what came up when I searched this phrase. I didn’t look up all variations of the phrase, but I discovered that it would be difficult to come up with exactly 365 instances. This reminded me to always check the facts before believing something I read. However, I still find it interesting that the Bible uses this phrase so many times.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
Right now it seems like there is so much fear in the world and in this country. Perhaps it has always been this way, but I feel that we are letting fear take over our hearts. We allow fear to conquer love by living in a way that is safer rather than more loving. This issue has been on my heart for so long. I feel it’s important to talk about these issues with love and consideration.
The refugee situation has been on my heart a lot. I understand people’s fear and why they don’t want refugees to come into the country. However, when are we going to listen to God’s words? If there ever was a time we should not fear, that we should reach out and serve others who are desperate, is that not now? I know many fear the threat of allowing terrorists into our country, and understandably so. But what about the many innocent lives turned upside down by the violence in their home country? Will we ignore God’s command to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and help those who have nothing? What about the innocent children who don’t even understand what is going on in their world or have lost loved ones?
Sometimes serving others means we have to risk something. Maybe it is comfort, our safety, or even our lives. Isn’t that what Jesus would do? Look at the Apostles’ lives. They truly dedicated their lives to serving and following Jesus, even to the point of death. When we get to heaven, will God turn us away, saying He doesn’t know us because we didn’t welcome strangers and didn’t feed and clothe those in need?
Matthew 25:34-46
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Overcoming fear is difficult. I struggle with it just as much as others. If I were in a desperate situation like these refugees, I would be thankful for any act of love shown to me by strangers. What better way to show God’s love and potentially bring someone to Christ than to serve in such a situation?
When we refuse to accept fear over love, we fight against the evil one. Evil men and Satan himself can try to fill us with fear, but no one can take away our faith and salvation.
“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6
Let us pray to God for strength to get through difficult and fearful situations. When fear no longer rules our hearts, we can share God’s love with others who need it so desperately.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for always being with us, especially when we feel fear. We ask that you give us the strength to serve others even if it means sacrifice. Help us to be loving and compassionate followers of you and to think of others over ourselves. We long to be like you and to serve others like your son Jesus served on earth. Help us every day to overcome the evil one and to choose love over fear. It’s in Jesus’ name that I pray, Amen.
My family recently had new photos taken…Please join me in a moment of silence.
Why do family photos have to be so stressful? There is usually lots of complaining because someone doesn’t want to wear what I have picked out. Or they would rather be doing anything besides taking photos. There is usually begging, bribery, and threats involved. I told the kids to please just do this for me because I really want a nice family photo.
“Everyone look at the camera and smile!”
“You Will Be Happy For The Photo!”
“Act like you love each other!”
OK, that is extreme, but sometimes it feels like that. When we did our photos recently, my son cried because he wanted to wear something totally different even though it didn’t go at all with what everyone else was wearing. I walked in my daughter’s room to see how far she had gotten when I discovered her still wearing her pajamas, sitting on the floor sulking that she had to wear a dress on a Saturday…the horror! As we were pulling out of the driveway, I looked back and saw a giant hole on the knee of my daughter’s leggings. So in we went to get better leggings, only to not be able to find any.
Honestly, I was surprised that the photo session was successful! Even though it was windy and cold when we took the pictures, the kids did a really good job cooperating!
This whole situation got me wondering how many times do we do this to God? How many times a day do we find ourselves complaining because of the tasks God has set before us? How many times do I think, “I would rather be doing anything else, than serving someone else?” Sometimes I think we can be so selfish. Unfortunately, I know that I can be, even though I know that isn’t how I want to be or how God wants me to be.
Sometimes we need to just put our selfishness and pride aside to do something for God. Don’t you think that He just wants to see all of His children happy and smiling, helping each other and being thankful for Him and His gifts? It’s not always easy, and we for sure aren’t perfect. But in the end, we will have a beautiful family gathering in heaven. We will forever be grateful for the times we set aside our pride to do what makes God happy.
