What is more horrific than childhood sexual abuse? The survivor faces loss of innocence, loss of trust in others, and loss of a secure childhood, among other things.
Mary DeMuth, in Thin Places, provides a graphic picture of childhood sexual abuse. Her courageous and honest memoir opens the door to a subject often kept hidden. Mary shows how Jesus brings healing, hope, and help needed to overcome the trauma of her early life.
Other survivors of childhood abuse will find common ground as they read Thin Places. Mary's book serves as a valuable tool not only for survivors of of childhood abuse, but also for those working with childhood abuse survivors.
Thin Places proves that no one is beyond hope. Mary not only suffered childhood sexual abuse, but grew up with parents who used drugs and alcohol and divorced when she was a child. Her father died when she was ten years old. Throughout the book, Mary shares those "thin places, snatches of holy ground where we might catch just a glimpse of eternity. They are aha moments, the beautiful realizations." (from the back cover)
I've had the privilege of meeting Mary. I marvel at how God has transformed her into a beautiful wife, mother, and inspiration to multitudes through her writing and speaking.
Thin Places can be ordered through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Mary's web site, relevantprose.com. I highly recommend it!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
8 Principles for a Joyful Life - #8
Well, we made it to #8! Thanks for reading, especially the longer principles.
Principle #8 is:
Embrace the Twin Pillars of Joy - Gratitude and Contentment
On January 5, 2010, the New York Daily News ran the following story:
HATE YOUR JOB? Join the club.
A new study shows only 45% of Americans are satisfied with their work - even in an economy where some feel lucky just to be employed. Job satisfaction in 2009 hit the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board research group in the 22 years they have been studying U.S. workers.
"Being stuck in a cubicle all day isn't fun," said Rosa, who lives in Astoria. I have to say that 90% of us are doing something that wasn't their first choice. Hopefully I'll find something else someday."
Contrast Rosa's comments with those of Yady Hannah, 50, who works for the Department of Education. She said she's just just glad to be working. "It pays the bills," she said. "Thank God I have one (job). In today's economy, we've got to be thankful for everything we have."
Whose attitude shouts contentment, Rosa's or Yady's?
How we view our circumstances determines how content we will be. Do we have a grateful attitude no matter what's going on in our lives, or do we have a "woe is me" attitude when the bottom falls out?
Matt Chandler, a 35 year old pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in north Texas, experienced a seizure on Thanksgiving Day. Eventually diagnosed with a brain tumor, Chandler had surgery to remove it. The malignant tumor had spread.
MSNBC.com featured Chandler in a story on January 31 titled "Brain Cancer Tests a Young Pastor's Faith." Listen to his attitude about the cancer.
Chandler is trying to suffer well. He would never ask for such a trial, but in some ways he welcomes this cancer. He says he feels grateful that God has counted him worthy to endure it. He has always preached that God will bring both joy and suffering but is only recently learning to experience the latter.
Chandler prays that God will heal him. He said he wants to grow old and walk his two daughters down the aisle. He wants to see his son play sports better than he ever did.
The story continues, Whatever happens, he says, is God's will, and God has his reasons. For Chandler, that does not mean waiting for his fate. It means fighting for his life.
So what does Chandler do when he's on a table at the hospital receiving his daily dose of chemo? The first day of treatment he "reflected on Colossians 1:15-23, about the pre-eminence of Christ and making peace through the blood of His cross."
Chandler's intimate relationship with Christ provides him with a grateful attitude at a time when many people would crater. Matt Chandler lives out 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says, Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
The apostle Paul also modeled gratefulness and contentment in the midst of trials. In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were severely flogged and thrown into prison. What did they do? They prayed and sang hymns to God! (v. 23) After God miraculously set them free from prison, they went to Lydia's house and met with the brothers. They must have in great pain from the severe flogging, but rather than focusing on themselves, they "encouraged the brothers."
Paul gives us the secret to adapting to any circumstance in our lives. Listen to Philippians 4:11b-13.
For I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Paul learned to be content, which means it didn't come to him naturally. Do you think that being shipwrecked, stoned, put in prison, persecuted, and slandered had anything to do with him learning contentment and gratefulness? I believe this is how Paul developed his confidence in Christ. As God took him through different trials, Paul's faith deepened until he embodied Philippians 4:13.
I love the synonyms for "content": satisfied, gratified, pleased, glad, sunny, cheerful. To be discontented means to be petulant, cranky, annoyed, vexed, exasperated, angry, dissatisfied. Yuck! Reading the definition of discontented pulls me out of an ungrateful attitude.
Listening to my pre-school grandson pray must make God smile. He thanks God not only for the food, but also for his mommy and daddy, Grammy and PawPaw, his brother and sister, his pillow and bed, the dishes, the grass, and anything else that comes to mind. How God must love it when we tell Him how grateful we are not just for His physical provisions, but most of all for our salvation. The joy of my salvation cancels out the constant physical pain and fatigue I live with. God chose me to be His child! My heart sings with joy at the thought of someday living in heaven with Him and experiencing His perfect love face-to-face.
Rick Warren compared life to train tracks. Rather than experiencing hills and valleys, we will always have things to be joyful about alongside the tough times. Things are never all bad or all good. During difficult times, it is good to thank God for even the grass, our bed, the dishes, and the relationships God has blessed us with.
Henri Nouwen, a highly educated Catholic priest who laid aside his prestigious career to work with physically and developmentally delayed adults, said this about gratefulness:
To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives—the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections—that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only truly grateful people when we can say "thank you" to all that has brought us to the present moment. . . Let's not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God.Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey (HarperOne, 1996), p. 12
I pray that we will examine our hearts and honestly evaluate our attitudes for signs of ungratefulness and discontent. Let's count the multitue of blessings from our Father and rejoice over His goodness to us. As Zig Ziglar says, "We need to live with an attitude of gratitude!"
Principle #8 is:
Embrace the Twin Pillars of Joy - Gratitude and Contentment
On January 5, 2010, the New York Daily News ran the following story:
HATE YOUR JOB? Join the club.
A new study shows only 45% of Americans are satisfied with their work - even in an economy where some feel lucky just to be employed. Job satisfaction in 2009 hit the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board research group in the 22 years they have been studying U.S. workers.
"Being stuck in a cubicle all day isn't fun," said Rosa, who lives in Astoria. I have to say that 90% of us are doing something that wasn't their first choice. Hopefully I'll find something else someday."
Contrast Rosa's comments with those of Yady Hannah, 50, who works for the Department of Education. She said she's just just glad to be working. "It pays the bills," she said. "Thank God I have one (job). In today's economy, we've got to be thankful for everything we have."
Whose attitude shouts contentment, Rosa's or Yady's?
How we view our circumstances determines how content we will be. Do we have a grateful attitude no matter what's going on in our lives, or do we have a "woe is me" attitude when the bottom falls out?
Matt Chandler, a 35 year old pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in north Texas, experienced a seizure on Thanksgiving Day. Eventually diagnosed with a brain tumor, Chandler had surgery to remove it. The malignant tumor had spread.
MSNBC.com featured Chandler in a story on January 31 titled "Brain Cancer Tests a Young Pastor's Faith." Listen to his attitude about the cancer.
Chandler is trying to suffer well. He would never ask for such a trial, but in some ways he welcomes this cancer. He says he feels grateful that God has counted him worthy to endure it. He has always preached that God will bring both joy and suffering but is only recently learning to experience the latter.
Chandler prays that God will heal him. He said he wants to grow old and walk his two daughters down the aisle. He wants to see his son play sports better than he ever did.
The story continues, Whatever happens, he says, is God's will, and God has his reasons. For Chandler, that does not mean waiting for his fate. It means fighting for his life.
So what does Chandler do when he's on a table at the hospital receiving his daily dose of chemo? The first day of treatment he "reflected on Colossians 1:15-23, about the pre-eminence of Christ and making peace through the blood of His cross."
Chandler's intimate relationship with Christ provides him with a grateful attitude at a time when many people would crater. Matt Chandler lives out 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says, Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
The apostle Paul also modeled gratefulness and contentment in the midst of trials. In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were severely flogged and thrown into prison. What did they do? They prayed and sang hymns to God! (v. 23) After God miraculously set them free from prison, they went to Lydia's house and met with the brothers. They must have in great pain from the severe flogging, but rather than focusing on themselves, they "encouraged the brothers."
Paul gives us the secret to adapting to any circumstance in our lives. Listen to Philippians 4:11b-13.
For I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Paul learned to be content, which means it didn't come to him naturally. Do you think that being shipwrecked, stoned, put in prison, persecuted, and slandered had anything to do with him learning contentment and gratefulness? I believe this is how Paul developed his confidence in Christ. As God took him through different trials, Paul's faith deepened until he embodied Philippians 4:13.
I love the synonyms for "content": satisfied, gratified, pleased, glad, sunny, cheerful. To be discontented means to be petulant, cranky, annoyed, vexed, exasperated, angry, dissatisfied. Yuck! Reading the definition of discontented pulls me out of an ungrateful attitude.
Listening to my pre-school grandson pray must make God smile. He thanks God not only for the food, but also for his mommy and daddy, Grammy and PawPaw, his brother and sister, his pillow and bed, the dishes, the grass, and anything else that comes to mind. How God must love it when we tell Him how grateful we are not just for His physical provisions, but most of all for our salvation. The joy of my salvation cancels out the constant physical pain and fatigue I live with. God chose me to be His child! My heart sings with joy at the thought of someday living in heaven with Him and experiencing His perfect love face-to-face.
Rick Warren compared life to train tracks. Rather than experiencing hills and valleys, we will always have things to be joyful about alongside the tough times. Things are never all bad or all good. During difficult times, it is good to thank God for even the grass, our bed, the dishes, and the relationships God has blessed us with.
Henri Nouwen, a highly educated Catholic priest who laid aside his prestigious career to work with physically and developmentally delayed adults, said this about gratefulness:
To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives—the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections—that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only truly grateful people when we can say "thank you" to all that has brought us to the present moment. . . Let's not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God.Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey (HarperOne, 1996), p. 12
I pray that we will examine our hearts and honestly evaluate our attitudes for signs of ungratefulness and discontent. Let's count the multitue of blessings from our Father and rejoice over His goodness to us. As Zig Ziglar says, "We need to live with an attitude of gratitude!"
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
8 Principles for a Joyful Life - #7
Principle #7 - Change Your Perspective on Going Through Difficult Times (aka Trials)
I'm grateful for trials! That sounds like an oxymoron in a country where people escape from pain, whether physical or emotional, any way they can.
As I mentioned before, I trusted Christ as my Savior at age 32. Words to describe me then: selfish, immature, emotional mess. Just as a parent disciplines a child, so God began to discipline me. Like most good Americans, I sought relief when difficulties rained upon me. It took years for me to understand that trials are God's tool for getting rid of the junk in me.
When I read Hebrews 12:10b-11 I started to understand why so many trials bubbled up like a broken water main in my life. These verses say,
God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
God allowed temporary pain in order to bring long-lasting peace and joy. He used trials to eventually produce fruit in my life. I think of Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers. He later recognized that what his brothers meant for harm, God meant for good in order to save many from famine. While he lay forgotten in an Egyptian prison, he probably didn't have a clue that God would elevate him to second in command in Egypt.
We don't know how God wants to use trials in our lives. Only God sees the big picture. However, through the Scriptures, we can glean several reasons for trials. Let's look at a few.
1. To prove that our faith is real. Listen to 1 Peter 1:6b-7.
Now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
The apostles said to Jesus in Luke 17:5, "Increase our faith!" Do you ever pray that prayer? I do. How do we increase our faith? Romans 10:17 says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
We build up our faith by consistently reading the Bible and spending time in prayer. When we go through trials, we get a picture of how strong our faith is. Do we run to Jesus when difficulties come, or do we look for other sources of comfort?
We have heard that faith is like a muscle; the more we use it the stronger it becomes. True! I trained as a clown when I was a new Christian. I started a clown ministry at our church, and we had 13 clowns who served in the children's ministry every month. I trusted God to put the clown ministry together and to keep it going. My new faith got stronger as I watched God work through the clown ministry. Years later, when God opened the door for me to do a TV show, I remembered His provision when I did the clown ministry. God strengthened my faith enough so that I could obey His call to start a TV show.
2. Another way God uses trials is to make us more like Christ.
In Romans 8:29 we see that God predetermined that we would be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 we have an affirmation that God is doing that.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
To think that God could take selfish, messed-up me and transform me into the likeness of Christ blows my mind! When Steve and I first got married, I criticized how he took care of the yard, how he dressed, and other petty things. That is opposite of the gentle, kind, patient spirit of Christ. Eventually God convicted me of that sin, and I started working on getting rid of the critical spirit. Thirty years later it is gone. When I'm tempted to tell God to stop the trials (not that He would), I think about how He worked through tough times to rid me of a critical spirit.
3. God uses trials to develop our character.
Romans 5:3 says,
We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope.
I needed a big dose of training in perseverance. My parents taught me honesty, truthfulness, and respect for authority, but not perseverance. I started Junior Achievement in middle school, but when I couldn't sell our product, my dad told me to quit. In high school, I starting training to babysit special needs kids, but my dad told me to quit because he was afraid I couldn't handle a child with special needs. I was schooled in quitting rather than perseverance. I wonder if that's why I kept trying to take my life before I knew Christ. I saw no other way out, so I wanted to give up on life. I marvel that God could take a quitter like me and turn me into a disciplined, hang-in-there person who carries out responsibilities and completes projects.
Character also means courage, honor, strength, and integrity. God wants to work all of those things into us. He wants us to "become blameless and pure. . .in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:15) People of character shine and draw others to Christ. . .a great reason to endure trials with grace!
4. Trials make us ready to help other people. Listen to this.
Praise be to . . .the Father of compassion and the God all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
Max Lucado wrote a great book called, It's Not About Me. The sub-title is Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make us Happy. Media outlets fling America's slogan at us: "It's All About Me." It seems logical that the more money, time, and pleasure we lavish on ourselves, the happier we should be. However, the opposite is true. The more we focus on ourselves, the more we'll experience misery and discontent. Focusing on God and helping people leads to a joy-filled life.The more we deny ourselves, as Jesus said, the deeper our joy.
I recently met a young man named Chris. He abused drugs and alcohol in college. One night he made the choice to ride with a drunken friend who crashed his car. Chris ended up a paraplegic. Instead of becoming bitter, Chris relied on God to help him rebuild his life. He wrote a book about his experience and also speaks to groups across the country, using himself as an example of the consequences of drugs and alcohol. Chris could have turned inward and made his life all about him. Who would have blamed him? Because he focused on God instead, Chris lives a joyful life. God gave him a beautiful wife who's a physical therapist, and they have a young son. God also made it possible for Chris to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, where he's currently training for ministry.
5. God teaches us to depend on Him through trials.
We know the verse, "Apart from Me (Christ) you can do nothing." (John 15:5) ) Our culture again invades our thinking and teaches us to be independent, strong, and self-reliant. We often rely on our natural abilities and talents to make it through life. Until, that is, something comes along that lays us low. For me, that something was my health. Living with fibromyalgia for over 25 years caused me to become dependent on Christ.
In my pain, fatigue, and weakness, I constantly cry out to God for strength. My "making it through verse" is "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). I picture Jesus holding me by the hand, and I keep going when I would rather languish in bed. I spoke for Christian Women's Club for over three years. As I was being introduced, I prayed for strength and quoted Philippians 4:13 to myself. Then, when it was time for me to speak, I got up and energy flowed through me. I spoke with enthusiasm for 30 minutes as many as three or four times a week. God did that!
As we go through trials in this life, let's remember that God is working in ways we cannot imagine. Someday the trials will end. From a heavenly vantage point, we will see that what we gained from going through trials was worth the pain! So, let's do what it says in James 1:2 and "consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds."
I'm grateful for trials! That sounds like an oxymoron in a country where people escape from pain, whether physical or emotional, any way they can.
As I mentioned before, I trusted Christ as my Savior at age 32. Words to describe me then: selfish, immature, emotional mess. Just as a parent disciplines a child, so God began to discipline me. Like most good Americans, I sought relief when difficulties rained upon me. It took years for me to understand that trials are God's tool for getting rid of the junk in me.
When I read Hebrews 12:10b-11 I started to understand why so many trials bubbled up like a broken water main in my life. These verses say,
God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
God allowed temporary pain in order to bring long-lasting peace and joy. He used trials to eventually produce fruit in my life. I think of Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers. He later recognized that what his brothers meant for harm, God meant for good in order to save many from famine. While he lay forgotten in an Egyptian prison, he probably didn't have a clue that God would elevate him to second in command in Egypt.
We don't know how God wants to use trials in our lives. Only God sees the big picture. However, through the Scriptures, we can glean several reasons for trials. Let's look at a few.
1. To prove that our faith is real. Listen to 1 Peter 1:6b-7.
Now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
The apostles said to Jesus in Luke 17:5, "Increase our faith!" Do you ever pray that prayer? I do. How do we increase our faith? Romans 10:17 says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
We build up our faith by consistently reading the Bible and spending time in prayer. When we go through trials, we get a picture of how strong our faith is. Do we run to Jesus when difficulties come, or do we look for other sources of comfort?
We have heard that faith is like a muscle; the more we use it the stronger it becomes. True! I trained as a clown when I was a new Christian. I started a clown ministry at our church, and we had 13 clowns who served in the children's ministry every month. I trusted God to put the clown ministry together and to keep it going. My new faith got stronger as I watched God work through the clown ministry. Years later, when God opened the door for me to do a TV show, I remembered His provision when I did the clown ministry. God strengthened my faith enough so that I could obey His call to start a TV show.
2. Another way God uses trials is to make us more like Christ.
In Romans 8:29 we see that God predetermined that we would be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 we have an affirmation that God is doing that.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
To think that God could take selfish, messed-up me and transform me into the likeness of Christ blows my mind! When Steve and I first got married, I criticized how he took care of the yard, how he dressed, and other petty things. That is opposite of the gentle, kind, patient spirit of Christ. Eventually God convicted me of that sin, and I started working on getting rid of the critical spirit. Thirty years later it is gone. When I'm tempted to tell God to stop the trials (not that He would), I think about how He worked through tough times to rid me of a critical spirit.
3. God uses trials to develop our character.
Romans 5:3 says,
We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope.
I needed a big dose of training in perseverance. My parents taught me honesty, truthfulness, and respect for authority, but not perseverance. I started Junior Achievement in middle school, but when I couldn't sell our product, my dad told me to quit. In high school, I starting training to babysit special needs kids, but my dad told me to quit because he was afraid I couldn't handle a child with special needs. I was schooled in quitting rather than perseverance. I wonder if that's why I kept trying to take my life before I knew Christ. I saw no other way out, so I wanted to give up on life. I marvel that God could take a quitter like me and turn me into a disciplined, hang-in-there person who carries out responsibilities and completes projects.
Character also means courage, honor, strength, and integrity. God wants to work all of those things into us. He wants us to "become blameless and pure. . .in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:15) People of character shine and draw others to Christ. . .a great reason to endure trials with grace!
4. Trials make us ready to help other people. Listen to this.
Praise be to . . .the Father of compassion and the God all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
Max Lucado wrote a great book called, It's Not About Me. The sub-title is Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make us Happy. Media outlets fling America's slogan at us: "It's All About Me." It seems logical that the more money, time, and pleasure we lavish on ourselves, the happier we should be. However, the opposite is true. The more we focus on ourselves, the more we'll experience misery and discontent. Focusing on God and helping people leads to a joy-filled life.The more we deny ourselves, as Jesus said, the deeper our joy.
I recently met a young man named Chris. He abused drugs and alcohol in college. One night he made the choice to ride with a drunken friend who crashed his car. Chris ended up a paraplegic. Instead of becoming bitter, Chris relied on God to help him rebuild his life. He wrote a book about his experience and also speaks to groups across the country, using himself as an example of the consequences of drugs and alcohol. Chris could have turned inward and made his life all about him. Who would have blamed him? Because he focused on God instead, Chris lives a joyful life. God gave him a beautiful wife who's a physical therapist, and they have a young son. God also made it possible for Chris to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, where he's currently training for ministry.
5. God teaches us to depend on Him through trials.
We know the verse, "Apart from Me (Christ) you can do nothing." (John 15:5) ) Our culture again invades our thinking and teaches us to be independent, strong, and self-reliant. We often rely on our natural abilities and talents to make it through life. Until, that is, something comes along that lays us low. For me, that something was my health. Living with fibromyalgia for over 25 years caused me to become dependent on Christ.
In my pain, fatigue, and weakness, I constantly cry out to God for strength. My "making it through verse" is "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). I picture Jesus holding me by the hand, and I keep going when I would rather languish in bed. I spoke for Christian Women's Club for over three years. As I was being introduced, I prayed for strength and quoted Philippians 4:13 to myself. Then, when it was time for me to speak, I got up and energy flowed through me. I spoke with enthusiasm for 30 minutes as many as three or four times a week. God did that!
As we go through trials in this life, let's remember that God is working in ways we cannot imagine. Someday the trials will end. From a heavenly vantage point, we will see that what we gained from going through trials was worth the pain! So, let's do what it says in James 1:2 and "consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds."
Monday, February 8, 2010
8 Principles for a Joyful Life - #6
Principle #6
Concentrate on your heart rather than your outward appearance.
You've heard the phrase, "God don't make no junk!" Yet we could easily believe we're "junk" if we fall for the culture's way of viewing ourselves. Television, the Internet, magazines, and movies bombard us with images of thin, rich, beautiful people. Never mind that many of their lives are falling apart.
In Principle #3 I wrote about how I viewed myself before I knew Christ - dumb and ugly. I believed the lies about the importance of my outward appearance. Don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong with looking nice. But God began showing me that the selfishness, pride, and critical spirit that covered my heart needed more attention than the clothes that covered my body.
When God rejected Saul as king, He sent Samuel to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king. When Samuel arrived at Bethlehem, he saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord."
But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
The culture we live in judges people by their physical appearance or where they live, what they drive, or by their occupation. Doctors rate higher than garbage collectors. People idolize popular entertainers and sports figures.
Listen to what Jesus said about outward appearances in Matthew 23:27:
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on th inside are full of dead men's bones and everthing unclean.
So how should we "concentrate on our heart?"
1. It needs to be carefully guarded. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." As a new Christian, a televangelist deceived me because I did not know the Bible. I naively took into my heart everything he said as truth. Once God opened my eyes to the deception, it took a year of studying God's Word to rid my heart and mind of the lies I so easily believed.
2. Realize the heart controls our speech. Jesus said in Luke 6:45, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." We think we can hide evil in our hearts, but eventually it will come out. The televangelist I cited eventually brought about his downfall with his words. He was exposed for the fraud he was. Conversely, what comes out of Billy Graham's mouth? The gospel fills his heart, and his words prove it.
3. Remember that God knows the secrets of our hearts. Psalm 44:20-21 says, "If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since He knows the secrets of the heart?" It shouldn't scare us that God knows the secrets of our hearts because we serve a loving, merciful God. But it should cause us to deal with sin in our hearts. Remember the story of David when he committed adultery and had Bathsheba's husband killed? He thought he covered it up, but God sent Nathan the prophet to David. Nathan told him a story that caused David to repent and cry for mercy. Psalm 51 is the result of David's sin and a good model for us when we sin.
4. Pray for an undivided and teachable heart. In Psalm 86:11, David prayed, "Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever." Since we live in a culture that wants to steal our hearts, we need to be like a child with his parents, willing to learn. Our four year old grandson, Josh, has just been diagnosed with Asperger's, which is low on the scale of autism. He has an undivided and teachable heart. When I see him, he runs to me and throws his arms around me and says, "I love you, Grammy!" Love fills my heart for him. I think God must feel like that toward us when we our hearts desire only Him and His will, and, like David, we tell Him, "I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever."
5. Meditate on the benefits that come from having a heart after God. Let's look at just a few.
a. Security. Read Psalm 16 to get a picture of how safe and protected David felt in the Lord. He says in verses 8 and 9, "I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure."
My husband, Steve, and I went through a financial downturn because of the stock market and also because of helping our teenage granddaughter. Eventually we sold our house in Plano and moved to an apartment in Denton. It took six months for God to make clear what we needed to do to financially survive our retirement years. During that time, I remained secure in God's ability to take care of us because we had experienced His provision for the past 30 years. As a new Christian, I often experienced instability because I had not yet learned that God is able to bring me through whatever circumstances come my way. But God builds upon the steps of faith we take, and eventually we learn that His faithfulness is unshakeble.
b. Comfort. Psalm 134:18 says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." A friend of mine lost her seven year old daughter to a rare heart disease. I watched her hang on the to Lord as she grieved. She continued to cling to God during her brokenness, and eventually joy returned to her life. We don't always experience instant relief when tragedy crushes us, but we can know that God understands and is with us even when we feel dead inside. Many times I have cried and told God, "I don't understand, Lord, but I trust You. I know You're here with me."
c. Fruitfulness. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing." Joni Eareckson Tada has borne much fruit. She remains in Christ year after year in her wheelchair. Listening to her or reading her books paints a picture of a woman with a heart after God. She has been one of my role models for years. When my illness threatens to dry up my fruitfulness, I think of Joni. Having a heart after God is like watering and fertilizing a tomato plant. I want a bumper crop of fruitfulness in my life just like a well-tended tomato plant.
d. Joy. Psalm 97:11 says, "Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart." You can tell when a person has a heart after God. Joy bubbles out of them. Melinda, a former activity director at our apartment complex, lived that out. She left nine months ago,yet residents still talk about her contagious joy and the smile that never left her face. Her heart for God shone through everything she did. It took years for God to bring my joy to the surface. It was down in my heart, but God had much work to do in me to bring it out. If you lack joy, don't give up. Let God continue to work in your heart; someday you will be amazed!
These are just a few of the benefits that result from having a heart after God. I encourage us all to be like David who said, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." (Psalm 42:1-2a)
Concentrate on your heart rather than your outward appearance.
You've heard the phrase, "God don't make no junk!" Yet we could easily believe we're "junk" if we fall for the culture's way of viewing ourselves. Television, the Internet, magazines, and movies bombard us with images of thin, rich, beautiful people. Never mind that many of their lives are falling apart.
In Principle #3 I wrote about how I viewed myself before I knew Christ - dumb and ugly. I believed the lies about the importance of my outward appearance. Don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong with looking nice. But God began showing me that the selfishness, pride, and critical spirit that covered my heart needed more attention than the clothes that covered my body.
When God rejected Saul as king, He sent Samuel to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king. When Samuel arrived at Bethlehem, he saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord."
But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
The culture we live in judges people by their physical appearance or where they live, what they drive, or by their occupation. Doctors rate higher than garbage collectors. People idolize popular entertainers and sports figures.
Listen to what Jesus said about outward appearances in Matthew 23:27:
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on th inside are full of dead men's bones and everthing unclean.
So how should we "concentrate on our heart?"
1. It needs to be carefully guarded. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." As a new Christian, a televangelist deceived me because I did not know the Bible. I naively took into my heart everything he said as truth. Once God opened my eyes to the deception, it took a year of studying God's Word to rid my heart and mind of the lies I so easily believed.
2. Realize the heart controls our speech. Jesus said in Luke 6:45, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." We think we can hide evil in our hearts, but eventually it will come out. The televangelist I cited eventually brought about his downfall with his words. He was exposed for the fraud he was. Conversely, what comes out of Billy Graham's mouth? The gospel fills his heart, and his words prove it.
3. Remember that God knows the secrets of our hearts. Psalm 44:20-21 says, "If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since He knows the secrets of the heart?" It shouldn't scare us that God knows the secrets of our hearts because we serve a loving, merciful God. But it should cause us to deal with sin in our hearts. Remember the story of David when he committed adultery and had Bathsheba's husband killed? He thought he covered it up, but God sent Nathan the prophet to David. Nathan told him a story that caused David to repent and cry for mercy. Psalm 51 is the result of David's sin and a good model for us when we sin.
4. Pray for an undivided and teachable heart. In Psalm 86:11, David prayed, "Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever." Since we live in a culture that wants to steal our hearts, we need to be like a child with his parents, willing to learn. Our four year old grandson, Josh, has just been diagnosed with Asperger's, which is low on the scale of autism. He has an undivided and teachable heart. When I see him, he runs to me and throws his arms around me and says, "I love you, Grammy!" Love fills my heart for him. I think God must feel like that toward us when we our hearts desire only Him and His will, and, like David, we tell Him, "I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever."
5. Meditate on the benefits that come from having a heart after God. Let's look at just a few.
a. Security. Read Psalm 16 to get a picture of how safe and protected David felt in the Lord. He says in verses 8 and 9, "I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure."
My husband, Steve, and I went through a financial downturn because of the stock market and also because of helping our teenage granddaughter. Eventually we sold our house in Plano and moved to an apartment in Denton. It took six months for God to make clear what we needed to do to financially survive our retirement years. During that time, I remained secure in God's ability to take care of us because we had experienced His provision for the past 30 years. As a new Christian, I often experienced instability because I had not yet learned that God is able to bring me through whatever circumstances come my way. But God builds upon the steps of faith we take, and eventually we learn that His faithfulness is unshakeble.
b. Comfort. Psalm 134:18 says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." A friend of mine lost her seven year old daughter to a rare heart disease. I watched her hang on the to Lord as she grieved. She continued to cling to God during her brokenness, and eventually joy returned to her life. We don't always experience instant relief when tragedy crushes us, but we can know that God understands and is with us even when we feel dead inside. Many times I have cried and told God, "I don't understand, Lord, but I trust You. I know You're here with me."
c. Fruitfulness. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing." Joni Eareckson Tada has borne much fruit. She remains in Christ year after year in her wheelchair. Listening to her or reading her books paints a picture of a woman with a heart after God. She has been one of my role models for years. When my illness threatens to dry up my fruitfulness, I think of Joni. Having a heart after God is like watering and fertilizing a tomato plant. I want a bumper crop of fruitfulness in my life just like a well-tended tomato plant.
d. Joy. Psalm 97:11 says, "Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart." You can tell when a person has a heart after God. Joy bubbles out of them. Melinda, a former activity director at our apartment complex, lived that out. She left nine months ago,yet residents still talk about her contagious joy and the smile that never left her face. Her heart for God shone through everything she did. It took years for God to bring my joy to the surface. It was down in my heart, but God had much work to do in me to bring it out. If you lack joy, don't give up. Let God continue to work in your heart; someday you will be amazed!
These are just a few of the benefits that result from having a heart after God. I encourage us all to be like David who said, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." (Psalm 42:1-2a)
Sunday, February 7, 2010
8 Principles for a Joyful Life - #5
Principle # 5 - Remember that God has a purpose and a plan for your life.
Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life hit a nerve when it was published in 2002. It catapulted onto the New York Times bestseller’s list and stayed there for 174 weeks. It currently reigns as number 11 on the list.
Our fifth principle speaks to the deep hunger all of us have to live out our purpose. Have you ever felt that you had no purpose, that you were just taking up space? As Christians, we sometimes find it hard to believe that the God of the universe wants to use us to do His work on earth. Yet one of the greatest joys in life is fulfilling God’s purpose for us. As we step out in faith and obedience, the Lord will begin to reveal His purpose for our lives.
I yearned to be in full-time ministry ever since I was saved in 1979. However, for years I doubted that God could use a flawed, messed-up person like me. When we lived in California, I served on the church growth committee. One day I saw an article in the paper about community access TV shows. This was during the time when televangelists were giving Christianity a bad name. Immediately I longed for a show on the air that highlighted Christian values through interviews with Christians making a difference.
I presented the concept to the church growth committee, and they applauded the idea. I expected someone else to step up and put the show together. Instead, the pastor on the committee said, “You do it.” Me, I thought? You’ve got to be kidding! However, I began working on it, and God brought together a crew of 20 people who went through the training. He provided a talented director, and I became the producer and co-host of California Family Focus, a 30 minute magazine show which aired in four cities in northern California. I did the show for three and a half years until I turned it over to someone else when my husband was transferred back to Texas.
I now believe doing that TV show was part of God’s ultimate purpose for my life. The show helped prepare me for the ministry that I’m currently doing. It developed character traits such as perseverance, patience, and a strong dependence on the Lord that God knew I would need. I also rejoiced when I saw many former pew-sitters join the crew. Through that show, I recognized that I have a strong desire for everyone to use their gifts and talents for God’s glory. That desire permeates the Comfort and Compassion Ministry that my writer and speaking partner, Carrie, and I have started. God has equipped me with the ability to mobilize people for His purposes.
I have this verse hanging in my office so I can see it every day: The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever─do not abandon the works of Your hands.(Psalm 138:8)
Whenever doubts try to creep in about my ability to do Comfort & Compassion Ministry, I stop and thank God that He will fulfill His purpose for me. Then I do the next thing that needs to be done.
In church this morning we sang Step by Step which goes:
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise you
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise you
And I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
I love that song! God leads us one step at a time in preparing us for our purpose in life. I produced and co-hosted California Family Focus from 1990 to 1994. If I had known then what His purpose was for me today, I would have been petrified!
Living out God's purpose for us brings adventure, excitement, and never-ending surprises. Yes, we'll still go through heartache, difficulties, and trials; that's a given. But a sense of purpose allows us to live above our circumstances and come out on the other side when tough times hit.
I pray we would believe that the Creator of the universe really does want to use us to do His work on earth. . .and then go do something about it!
Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life hit a nerve when it was published in 2002. It catapulted onto the New York Times bestseller’s list and stayed there for 174 weeks. It currently reigns as number 11 on the list.
Our fifth principle speaks to the deep hunger all of us have to live out our purpose. Have you ever felt that you had no purpose, that you were just taking up space? As Christians, we sometimes find it hard to believe that the God of the universe wants to use us to do His work on earth. Yet one of the greatest joys in life is fulfilling God’s purpose for us. As we step out in faith and obedience, the Lord will begin to reveal His purpose for our lives.
I yearned to be in full-time ministry ever since I was saved in 1979. However, for years I doubted that God could use a flawed, messed-up person like me. When we lived in California, I served on the church growth committee. One day I saw an article in the paper about community access TV shows. This was during the time when televangelists were giving Christianity a bad name. Immediately I longed for a show on the air that highlighted Christian values through interviews with Christians making a difference.
I presented the concept to the church growth committee, and they applauded the idea. I expected someone else to step up and put the show together. Instead, the pastor on the committee said, “You do it.” Me, I thought? You’ve got to be kidding! However, I began working on it, and God brought together a crew of 20 people who went through the training. He provided a talented director, and I became the producer and co-host of California Family Focus, a 30 minute magazine show which aired in four cities in northern California. I did the show for three and a half years until I turned it over to someone else when my husband was transferred back to Texas.
I now believe doing that TV show was part of God’s ultimate purpose for my life. The show helped prepare me for the ministry that I’m currently doing. It developed character traits such as perseverance, patience, and a strong dependence on the Lord that God knew I would need. I also rejoiced when I saw many former pew-sitters join the crew. Through that show, I recognized that I have a strong desire for everyone to use their gifts and talents for God’s glory. That desire permeates the Comfort and Compassion Ministry that my writer and speaking partner, Carrie, and I have started. God has equipped me with the ability to mobilize people for His purposes.
I have this verse hanging in my office so I can see it every day: The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever─do not abandon the works of Your hands.(Psalm 138:8)
Whenever doubts try to creep in about my ability to do Comfort & Compassion Ministry, I stop and thank God that He will fulfill His purpose for me. Then I do the next thing that needs to be done.
In church this morning we sang Step by Step which goes:
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise you
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise you
And I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
I love that song! God leads us one step at a time in preparing us for our purpose in life. I produced and co-hosted California Family Focus from 1990 to 1994. If I had known then what His purpose was for me today, I would have been petrified!
Living out God's purpose for us brings adventure, excitement, and never-ending surprises. Yes, we'll still go through heartache, difficulties, and trials; that's a given. But a sense of purpose allows us to live above our circumstances and come out on the other side when tough times hit.
I pray we would believe that the Creator of the universe really does want to use us to do His work on earth. . .and then go do something about it!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Eight Principles for a Joyful Life - #4
Not putting this principle into practice crushed my joy for a long time. Principle #4 is based on Philippians 3:13b-14 where Paul writes,
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
So Principle #4 is:
Don't let your past keep you from moving forward. Past failure does not mean future failure.
Paul had persecuted Christians and the church before God saved him. Imagine if Paul had constantly beat himself over the head for his past failures and decided he wasn't worthy to do what God was calling him to do. We would not have two thirds of the New Testament!
I beat myself up about my past for years before God convicted me of how wrong it was to do that. Jesus died to set me free from past sins and failures. But instead of seeing myself as a new creation in Christ, I saw myself as the flaky, messed-up person I was before Christ.
In my early years as a Christian, I came close to dropping out of ministry because I felt unworthy to carry out what God had called me to do. But the truth is, apart from Christ, none of us are worthy. One of the enemy's tools is to get us to focus on past failures and flaws in order to discourage us from stepping out in faith to obey God.
It helps me to think about people in the Bible who had a past they weren't proud of. Yet God overcame their failures and used them greatly. Moses was a murderer, David was an adulterer, Elijah ran from Jezebel in fear and wanted to die. If God can use them in spite of their past, He can use us in spite of what our past looks like.
My challenge for us today is to "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus." Let's allow God to heal memories of past hurts, failures, and flaws so we can spend our time and energy pressing on toward the goal. I had to let God renew my mind and convince me of His love in order to let go of the past. That goes back to spending time with Him in He Word and in prayer. Funny how it keeps coming back to that!
I want to end with one of my favorite verses that speaks volumes about our heavenly Father. When we're tempted to wallow in past failures, let's think about how God sees us. Zephaniah 3:17 says,
The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Believe it!
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
So Principle #4 is:
Don't let your past keep you from moving forward. Past failure does not mean future failure.
Paul had persecuted Christians and the church before God saved him. Imagine if Paul had constantly beat himself over the head for his past failures and decided he wasn't worthy to do what God was calling him to do. We would not have two thirds of the New Testament!
I beat myself up about my past for years before God convicted me of how wrong it was to do that. Jesus died to set me free from past sins and failures. But instead of seeing myself as a new creation in Christ, I saw myself as the flaky, messed-up person I was before Christ.
In my early years as a Christian, I came close to dropping out of ministry because I felt unworthy to carry out what God had called me to do. But the truth is, apart from Christ, none of us are worthy. One of the enemy's tools is to get us to focus on past failures and flaws in order to discourage us from stepping out in faith to obey God.
It helps me to think about people in the Bible who had a past they weren't proud of. Yet God overcame their failures and used them greatly. Moses was a murderer, David was an adulterer, Elijah ran from Jezebel in fear and wanted to die. If God can use them in spite of their past, He can use us in spite of what our past looks like.
My challenge for us today is to "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus." Let's allow God to heal memories of past hurts, failures, and flaws so we can spend our time and energy pressing on toward the goal. I had to let God renew my mind and convince me of His love in order to let go of the past. That goes back to spending time with Him in He Word and in prayer. Funny how it keeps coming back to that!
I want to end with one of my favorite verses that speaks volumes about our heavenly Father. When we're tempted to wallow in past failures, let's think about how God sees us. Zephaniah 3:17 says,
The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Believe it!
Eight Principles
I've been praying about the title for this series. Should it be called Eight Principles for Life, Eight Principles for Living, or something else. As I spent time with the Lord yesterday, He took me to a couple of verses on joy.
You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalm 16:11
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. Psalm 126:5
I realized this is the perfect title - Eight Principles for a Joyful Life. Jesus said in John 15:11: I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
God had to work out a lot of junk in me so I could live with the joy Jesus desired for me. But it was so worth it! So hang in there and keep working through these eight principles with me. May the Lord cause your tears to bring forth songs of joy!
You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalm 16:11
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. Psalm 126:5
I realized this is the perfect title - Eight Principles for a Joyful Life. Jesus said in John 15:11: I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
God had to work out a lot of junk in me so I could live with the joy Jesus desired for me. But it was so worth it! So hang in there and keep working through these eight principles with me. May the Lord cause your tears to bring forth songs of joy!
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