A couple of weeks ago we had to say goodbye to Jasmine. We knew the time was drawing close as her little heart struggled to keep on working. Yet, despite her labored breathing, her will to live kept her hanging on and gave us a few more weeks to treasure this little dog that made an indelible mark on our entire family. Let me tell you about Jasmine.

Jasmine bounced into our lives and hearts close to 12 years ago. When our daughter, Karla, announced she was getting a dog, both my husband’s response and mine were the same – “You don’t need a dog!” – or as my husband put it – The last thing you need is a dog!” Overriding our objections, however, Karla soon introduced us to her new little pup – a darling little chihuahua/miniature pinscher mix. And what a feisty, independent, yet lovable little mix she was! I don’t believe that it is an exaggeration to say that she quickly worked her way into our lives and hearts.

She was Karla’s constant companion, even staying on-campus with her at a local community college. When Karla moved to Florida, she was right there in the car with her ready to face their new adventure together. More than her companion, however, Jasmine was the one waiting when Karla came home from work. She was the one sitting beside her on the couch watching television. She shared meals with Karla, at least she bounced around and under the glass-topped dinner table eager for her share! She was the one nestled under the cover with her when it was time to go to bed. She was Karla’s protector as she sat on her perch in front of the window and barked at everyone and everything – and I do mean everything – in sight. Jasmine was Karla’s buddy and friend, her family.

While Jasmine accepted us as part of Karla’s family, however, she was not nearly as accepting of others. She would bark at every face she didn’t recognize – and even some that she did! She was extremely protective of her little family circle and would eventually have to be removed from the room when there was company. Sometimes, she would gradually come around and accept someone else into her family circle, but those times were few and far between.

In spite of her dogged determination to protect and defend her family, however, she had a lovable, sweet disposition that those of us closest to her came to know and love. For the last couple of years, I was privileged to have Jasmine live with us and experience firsthand this sweet, now- old dog. Karla was attending a school in another city and to her dismay, the on-campus apartment where she lived did not allow pets. While I know Karla hated to leave Jasmine behind as she embarked on another adventure, I’m thankful that she shared her with us for this brief time. You see, she was there for Karla when Karla needed her most and as I discovered, she was there for me, as well, when I needed her most.

Jasmine became my watchdog and protector (barking fiercely when anyone was around – friend, salesman, or another dog), my ever-present companion (curled up on a pillow on the couch as I worked), my partner in crime (always underfoot when I raided the fridge or cabinet for a snack), my exercise partner (well, not really, but I did have to take her out regularly to use the bathroom), my lap warmer (curled up on my lap when I settled for the evening), my leg warmer (curled up on my legs when I went to bed at night), my clean-up buddy (as she licked up crumbs I dropped on the floor and finished off what the cat didn’t eat), and my welcome home party (as she greeted me joyously when I returned from being away, be it from a trip or just from the grocery store). I don’t know how, but it seemed that Jasmine knew just what I needed, when I needed it, and she gave it to me without reservation.

As I’ve thought about all of these things this last couple of weeks, it occurred to me that our Heavenly Father is constantly aware of just what we need and when we need it. Matthew 6:8 assures us that the “Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Furthermore, there is no limit to the ways God can choose to meet those needs. Sometimes God brings certain people into our lives – perhaps for just a season – who are just who we need for that time. At other times, God can fashion circumstances to bring us to a certain place at a certain time and offer just what we need for a particular situation. And, at still other times, God can use any one of His creative wonders to bless us with just what we need, be it an awesome sunset that speaks to the soul, or perhaps even a little black and tan dog that adores and loves you unconditionally. Jasmine was one of those special blessings to me.

I thank God for Jasmine. I’m thankful that almost 12 years ago Karla decided that she really needed a four-legged companion. And I’m especially thankful that Jasmine and I got to spend a couple of our “senior” years together. I find myself still listening to hear the familiar clickety-click of her tiny paws running down the hall from the bedroom. And sometimes I halfway expect to see her bound up on the back of the couch ready to bark at the neighbor’s dog when it enters her territory. And I admit that sometimes I still get a little misty-eyed when I return home knowing that she’s not going to be there to run and greet me and slather me with those sweet doggy kisses. With all the sadness, however, there’s no escaping the joy she brought to our lives and the many smiles her memory still brings. At times like this, I’m thankful that God cares for even the little details of our lives. And I’m especially thankful that He brought Jasmine into our lives – for now I know how much we needed her all along.

The following is a re-post of a post I made a year ago in honor of our first child who died at birth. I am posting this again today in honor of what would have been our daughter’s 35th birthday. The words are just as true now as they were then, but even moreso, as I have experienced another year of God’s continued love and faithfulness through every joy and trial. I continue to learn that I don’t always have to understand or know why as long as I know Him!

March 4, 1978 – This date is forever indelibly etched on my mind, but most of all in my heart.

On this date, thirty-four years ago, I gave birth to our first child. However, we would never hear her cry, see her smile, or feel her tiny fingers clench our own. We lost our first daughter before she ever drew her first breath, the result of the premature separation of the placenta which deprived her tiny body of oxygen and nourishment. We began that morning with much nervousness and excitement as we headed to the hospital, eagerly looking forward to her birth. However, not long after arriving we realized that something was terribly wrong. Within minutes, our expectant joy was replaced with tears and grieving and our lives were forever changed!

Thirty-four years ago and yet I can still remember that cold, snowy, March day. Yet with time, the loneliness and despair I felt on that cold, winter day has evolved into something different. While I can still feel the sadness I felt then, and even a deep longing for this one I’ll never have the pleasure of sharing life with here on earth, I can honestly say that my loneliness and despair has been replaced with peace and hope.

I really can’t say when the transformation took place. I know it didn’t happen overnight and I realize that it had to be a process that occurred over a period of time. But, somehow, someway, when I recall that day today, my thoughts immediately turn to God, how He faithfully brought my husband and me through those first few difficult days and years, and how in His time and in His way, He replaced our despair with hope.

I am reminded of Jeremiah, the prophet, who cried out in anguish over the suffering of the nation of Judah after it had fallen to the Babylonians. The book of Lamentations deals with Jeremiah’s own grief as he struggles to understand where God is in the face of the nation’s suffering and pain. In Lamentations 3 the prophet describes his hopelessness (3:1-6), how he felt there was no way out (3:7), and how he even felt that God did not hear his prayers (3:8). He tried to think about all that he had been through, to work things out in his mind, but still found no relief. “Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall. My soul still remembers and sinks within me” (3:19-20). Jeremiah did not find hope until he changed his focus. Instead of focusing on his problems, he turned his eyes to God. It was then that he could exclaim: “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning;  Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’” (3:21-24).

I realize that at the point of my deepest grief, I didn’t understand why our baby had to die. And even today, I still cannot explain why. But I do know that as we’ve walked through not only this experience, but many others as well, we’ve come to experience a God who is compassionate, faithful, and full of mercy. I’ve learned that as long as I just surrender it all to Him and trust every situation to Him that He will bring me to a place of healing and hope. As the Psalmists declared: “But I trust in the Lord. I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place” (Psalm 31:6b-8). “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps” (Psalm 40:1-2).

I remember when we lost our baby that the pastor used an example during the memorial service that has stayed with me through the years. He likened our lives to a beautiful tapestry. Our Heavenly Father knows the pattern He is weaving on the upper side of the tapestry, however, we can only see the underside. We see the threads of sorrow, pain, and suffering, and even joy, laughter, and hope. But only God knows how He can use all of these threads to create the beautiful tapestry He has planned for each of our lives.

One day I’ll see our baby in heaven and I’ll also see my life from the upper side of that tapestry. Then I will understand the pattern that God planned. Until then, I just need to keep my eyes on God and trust everything to Him. I know from experience that He is worthy of that trust. I don’t have to know why. I don’t have to understand. It is enough to know Him!

“The Lord is good,

A stronghold in the day of trouble;

And He knows those who trust in Him.”

(Nahum 1:7)

 

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

(Romans 12:19-21)

What do we do when we’re talked about falsely or wrongly judged for the things we do? What do we do when we’re attacked for what we believe or when our beliefs are misrepresented? How do we react when well-meaning people, perhaps even those we consider as friends, say hurtful, mean things? How should a believer respond?

I don’t know about you, but my first inclination is to defend myself, to set the record straight, and perhaps even to mount my own counter-attack. However, as justified as I may feel to do so, this is not what Jesus taught. In our hurt or anger, it is often easy to forget remarks such as “Blessed are the merciful,” (Matthew 5:7); “Blessed are the peacemakers,” (Matthew 5:9); and “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” (Matthew 5:44). Why? Why would Jesus want us to respond in a way that seems so counter to the way we feel?

Could it be that Jesus wants something more?

• Does Jesus want us to trust our hurts and injustices to Him?

Paul reminded the Romans in the Scripture above: “’Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.’” Do we trust that He can handle our problem or do we fear that He won’t handle it the way we want Him to? Do we feel the need to try to help Jesus out? Could Jesus be hoping to see us put our faith in Him even when we don’t understand?

• Does Jesus want us to reveal Himself to others?

How do we love our enemies? How can we bless those who curse us or do good to those who hate us? We can’t… it is humanly impossible. But with Jesus all things are possible. When we can smile in the face of adversity, disagree agreeably, show love and kindness to those who hurt us or attack us, it is not us, but Christ within us. Instead of others seeing our feeble attempts to justify ourselves or win an argument, they see the love of Christ reaching out to them. Jesus Himself stated to His disciples: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

• Does Jesus want to do something in us?

Anger and wrath consume us and destroy us. As long as we argue and debate, and nurse our injuries and hurts, we can become hardened and bitter. Could Jesus want His love to not only reach out to others, but also to transform our lives? When we can release our hurts to Him and honestly seek to love others as Christ loves us, Jesus works in us to make us a little more like Him. We long for others to see Christ in us in order that they may come to know Him too.

• Does Jesus want us to be overcomers?

As Jesus taught, and as Paul reminded us, we do not overcome evil with evil, we overcome evil with good. We triumph over evil, when we show mercy instead of revenge, when we seek peace instead of discord, when we let others see Christ and the fruits of His Spirit within us.

Could it be that Jesus loves us too much to see us destroy ourselves through anger, bitterness, and strife? Could it be that Jesus longs to fight these battles for us if we will only trust Him? Is it possible that Jesus wants to work a work in us, growing us, maturing us, and making us more like Him …and in the process revealing His love to others? And could it just be that Jesus wants us to live not in struggle and strife, but as true conquerors as we allow Christ to work in us and through us to help us become overcomers of evil with good.

 

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

(1 John 5:4-5)

 

 

 

I sit here in a quiet house with a hot cup of coffee, logs sizzling in the wood stove, and a sweet old dog curled up beside me in my chair. It has been a long day…. and, to be honest, it has been a long three months. I hadn’t really signed up for all that has transpired the past several weeks, yet I’ve been a part of this journey, nonetheless. And, tonight, once again, as I’ve felt so many times throughout these weeks…..I wish I could talk to Mama!

I wonder what would Mama say if I could tell her that I just put my son, her grandchild, and his wife (whom she never had the pleasure to meet) on a plane to return to Chile.

I wonder what would Mama say if I could tell her that their recent extended visit was not for fun… not for reuniting with family members and loved ones… but instead it was to bury their stillborn, greatly anticipated, much loved son, my first grandson, her first great-grandchild.

I wonder what would Mama say if I could tell her how we had tried to celebrate birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and make the most of this time we had with the kids, while all the time battling a heavy cloud that always seemed to lurk nearby.

I wonder what would Mama say if I could tell her about all my tears and struggles, the anxieties and inadequacies that I felt, and the deepest yearnings of my heart that I could only share with very few.

Oh, how I wish I could talk to Mama!

But as I thought about how much I’d like to pull up next to her wheel chair and pour out all the emotion in my heart, I knew that I really already knew just what she would say. I could know because of what I had witnessed in her life. She, too, had been through roller coaster times, seasons of life that she hadn’t signed up for either. I saw how she dealt with the loss of her first grandaughter, my daughter. She didn’t have answers, either, but she was there. She cried with me. She tried to make me eat. She encouraged me to keep on hoping and believing. She loved me.

I saw my Mama say forever good-byes to her Mom and Dad, to her husband and my Dad, and to other family members. I saw her deal with personal tragedy as she faced complications from diabetes. Yet, in spite of the sorrow and the tears, in spite of any anxieties and inadequacies she felt, and in spite of how much she may have yearned in her heart that things were different, she exhibited a strength and courage that I know she would want to see in me.

Even so, right now I don’t feel very strong …. but that’s okay because I know the One who is. It is the same One who has carried me before when my courage was small and when my strength was weak. He is the One who gives me hope when I feel hopeless and who helps me believe when my faith is shaky. In the words of Paul to the Corinthians: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

It is Christ’s strength that has carried me – and that continues to carry me. It is Christ’s strength that picks me up when I fall down and that keeps me standing sometimes on shaky legs. It is Christ who stands for me when I cannot stand alone.

If I could talk to Mama, I’d like to thank her for what she taught me by what she showed me. I’d like to thank her for demonstrating to me that it is possible to stand strong when you’re weak, to move forward with courage when you’d rather give up or give in, and that even in difficult times, one can still look ahead with hope. We can do these things, not because of who or what we are, but simply because of Christ!

 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

(Philippians 4:13)

Follow the link to hear Steven Curtis Chapman, “His Strength Is Perfect”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGC9KT918Kk

As I am sure that most readers will agree, sometimes life is just hard! The source of our difficulties may stem from personal choices that have created seemingly insurmountable problems. Or they may be the result of problems, losses, and personal tragedies that are totally outside of our ability to avoid or control. Either way, at such times life can seem more than difficult. It can seem next to impossible.

While I can recall some rough places in my own life, I don’t think any of my experiences can compare to the rough places that Joseph, the son of Jacob, endured (Genesis 37, 39-40). Consider a few of Joseph’s rough places.

• He was hated by his brothers.
• He was thrown into any empty pit by his brothers and then sold to Midianite traders.
• The Midianite traders sold him to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh in Egypt, as a slave.
• He was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife of attempted rape and was thrown into prison.
• He was forgotten in prison even after he interpreted the dream of the chief butler who was later released.

Any one of these situations could definitely qualify for being in a rough place. But what impresses me is not how difficult these situations were, but how Joseph responded in each one. Joseph did not allow the difficulty or the unjustness of the various situations to determine his reaction.

Genesis 37:4 tells us: “But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.” They hated him even more when he told them his dreams that they would bow down and serve him. Joseph undoubtedly knew that he was hated. While we have no way of knowing whether or not Joseph may have flaunted his favored position, nothing in Scripture indicates that he returned any type of hatred toward his brothers. Likewise, nothing indicates that he used the friction between them to try to avoid what his father told him to do (see Genesis 37:13).

Similarly, Joseph quickly won the favor of Potiphar as he worked in his house. The Scriptures tell us that Joseph found favor in his sight and that Potiphar made him overseer of his house, and that he put him over all that he had. It appears that instead of bemoaning his condition, perhaps even attempting to escape, he faithfully did what he was told. And even more, he excelled in all that he did. Potiphar trusted him so much that he put Joseph over all that he had.

Even after being falsely accused of rape and thrown into jail, it appears that Joseph continued to do whatever was expected of him. Genesis 39:22-23a states: “And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority…” Once again, instead of turning to complaining and bitterness, or doing things to betray his position of trust, Joseph served faithfully in the prison.

Do you see the pattern? Although treated unfairly and wrongly, Joseph continued to faithfully perform whatever work he had to do. It makes me think about my own reaction when things don’t go the way I expect or think they should, or when I feel that I have been treated unfairly or even unjustly. Do I always remain faithful and continue the work I have to do, or do I respond in any of the following ways?

• Do I give in to anger?
• Do I try to get even?
• Do I take out my need for revenge on others – sometimes even those who have nothing to do with my situation?
• Do I fuss and complain?
• Do I withdraw and become bitter?
• Do I do as little as I can to get by?
• Do I do as much as I can to cause trouble?

The Scriptures also mention something else during Joseph’s rough times. Notice the following.

• When Joseph was sold as a slave in Egypt: “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand” (Genesis 39:2-3).
• When Joseph was falsely accused of rape and thrown into prison: “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Genesis 39:21).

God was with Joseph when he was thrown into the pit. He was with Joseph when he was sold to the Midianite traders and when he became a slave in Egypt. He was with him in jail when Joseph was falsely accused. God did not leave Joseph, but He stayed with him when Joseph was in his rough places.

And the same is true for us as well. God is fully aware of every situation we face and every trial we are going through. And His Word assures us that He will be with us in our rough places. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). The degree to which believe in God’s presence and help will help determine our reaction as well. If we can fully relinquish our situation to God and truly trust Him to work things out according to His plan, we will be better able to keep on keeping on and remain faithful in our rough places.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

(1 Peter 5:6-7)

This week I stumbled across a reminder in God’s Word that actually caused tears to spring to my eyes. I had read it and had rejoiced over its truth before, but this time the Scripture passage spoke not only to my head, but also to my heart. It was as if God were looking right into my soul and speaking to me personally. Let me share this passage with you.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

 (Ephesians 1:3-6)

As powerful as this passage is, the words that spoke to my heart this week were “by which He made us accepted.” Accepted! Is there anything that most of us crave more than to be accepted? Think of the things we do, the lengths to which we go, in order to be accepted by others. Yet this passage assures us that God Himself made us accepted through Jesus Christ. We are accepted not because we measure up to God’s standards – not because we meet all of His expectations – not because we do everything right and never mess up – not because of anything that we do to earn it. We are accepted because of what He did in Christ. He made us accepted!

How much that differs from the way we try to find acceptance in the world!

• We try to earn acceptance.
• We try to win approval.
• We allow our value to be determined by the opinions of others.

The way we dress, the things we do, the places we go, and the things we possess are just a few of the ways in which we try to earn acceptance and win approval from others. We allow our worth and value to be based upon the way others view us.

In the world we try to win acceptance, but with God we are made accepted. And as the verse above declares, with acceptance comes spiritual blessing (see Ephesians 1:3). What does that acceptance and blessing look like?

• God receives us and accepts us as His children.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

• God forgives and redeems us.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence” (Ephesians 1:7-8).

• He entrusts us with knowledge of His will as He reveals His plan and the deepest desire of His heart.

“Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:9-10).

• God gives us hope as He reminds us of our inheritance because of Christ.

“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11).

• He indwells us with His Spirit, giving us constant access to His help, comfort, discernment, wisdom, guidance, and joy; and the ever-present reminder that we belong to Him!

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

It is really hard to comprehend the difference these spiritual blessings can make in our lives. When we are already made accepted by God through Christ Jesus, we have no need to compete for acceptance and approval from others. When I am a child of God, forgiven and redeemed by His Son; when He makes known to me the deepest desire and longing of His heart; when He assures me of my inheritance and confirms His promises through His Spirit; my position is sure and I am complete in Him.

God’s acceptance delivers me from constantly trying to meet someone else’s expectations and from trying to win approval from others. Likewise, His acceptance assures me that even when I mess up, God does not remove His love and acceptance. He stands ready to receive, forgive, and restore me. Such acceptance sets me free to be the person that God created me to be. It makes me want to please Him in all that I do – not to earn or win His approval, but simply to tell Him I love Him!

Once again the issue of gun control and our 2nd amendment rights have risen to the forefront of national discussion and debate. As comments and opinions swirl around us, and as stories and images of senseless shootings fill the television screens, I find myself torn between a desire for more stringent gun control and a determined wish to defend my right to bear arms – albeit I have no arms to bear. Yet, as usually is the case in hotly contested arguments of this nature, our emotions often get in the way of clear, unbiased, rational discussion.

I have my opinion on this matter just like everyone else. While I have never owned a gun, my husband has and does. While I have never even pulled a trigger, I have friends who enjoy target and recreational shooting. And while I am perfectly content to pick out cellophane-wrapped packages of meat at my local grocery store, I have both friends and family members who enjoy hunting both big and small game to pack away in their freezers.

At the same time, however, few if any of us can go unaffected by the recent fatal shooting of 20 students and 6 adult faculty members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut. If we could all agree on one thing, surely it would be that we need to do something, if at all possible, to prevent such a senseless slaughter of innocent lives. The incident has renewed gun debate with a push for legislation to ban certain types of semi-automatic weapons and magazines, along with the push to close the gun show loophole and institute universal background checks. Yet opponents of these measures contend that more bans are not the answer and they counter that existing laws need to be enforced. Many are fearful of the infringement on our constitutional rights. And still others believe that factors contributing to such massacres as the shooting at Sandy Hook have more to do with mental health issues than with gun control.

So, what is the answer? A statement I heard recently in a sermon got my attention. The speaker pulled out a pocket knife that he had carried since he was a young boy. He mentioned that he had carried it every day to school and everywhere else he went until just recently. He mentioned various ways he used his knife, but commented that not once did he consider using it as a weapon to inflict hurt on anyone. I knew what he was talking about. That first pocket knife was something like a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. When we gave our son his first knife, it never crossed my mind that he would use it to hurt someone. When we gave him his first BB gun, I was more concerned as to how he might hurt himself or someone else accidentally, not what he would do purposefully.

But much has changed in our world in even these few short years. While our world has always known violence, it has risen to epidemic proportions in recent years. Furthermore, this violence is not just directed to individuals with whom there is an argument or disagreement. Now there are manifold acts of violence often directed towards people that one doesn’t even know. And as we all reel from the horrific stories and massacres we hear about on the news, we struggle with how to control it. Is better gun control the answer? How about more help for the mentally ill? Would strengthening families help? What is the answer to this overwhelming issue?

What I have to share seems so simple. Some will laugh. Others will sneer. But some will believe. I think that many of our efforts to address the problem of violence in our nation ignores the root of the problem. The problem begins with us, with what we believe, how we live, and in whom we trust. The Bible tells us that Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man…” (Matthew 15:19-20a). The heart of man is filled with evil. That is where true change must begin. No matter how strict our gun control or how many measures we take to try to foil the plans of evil, no true change will be affected unless the individual’s heart is changed.

The hate and violence that runs rampant throughout our world today are symptoms of unchanged hearts, of individuals who have not been transformed by the mercy, grace, and love of Christ. God, in His great mercy and love, spoke through the prophet Jeremiah of the new covenant He made for His people. “I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Jeremiah 31:33). Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of this prophecy. He came to “seek and save that which was lost” (see Luke 19:10). Jesus Himself stated: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b).

When we receive Jesus into our hearts and lives, He redeems and transforms our hearts. Indeed He makes us into a new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). We think differently and act differently than we did before because we are in Christ. However, when we refuse to accept Christ’s saving work in our lives and choose to go our own way, we reap the seeds we sow. The writer of Proverbs states it well: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). When we refuse the saving work and righteousness of Christ and chase after other gods, seeking to placate them by compromising the truth of God’s Word, evil will reign.

Rulers, national leaders, and governments, along with laws, programs, and new initiatives may be able to help curb evil, but they can never solve the problems that originate in hearts that are bent on evil and destruction. We cannot place our trust in any of these things. Deliverance can only come through Jesus Christ, our Savior. He is the Answer to the problems in our nation and world. God’s Word assures us that one day nations “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (see Micah 4:2). In that day, instruments used for fighting and war will instead be used for farming and production – with no more massacres, drive-by shootings, or senseless acts of violence as a redeemed people clothed in the righteousness of Christ live in peace without any fear. And just think, we could go ahead and take a step in that direction today if as a nation we turned to God and decided to follow Him instead of the false gods and idols we chase after today.

 

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God” (3 John, verse 11).

As I read the above verse this week, I was reminded of how important it is for my life to reflect the God I know, the God I love, the God I serve – the God I see! As a believer, my lifestyle, actions, and choices I make reflect not only on me, but more importantly on God. Do the things I do and the words I say help others see God more clearly? Do they reflect accurately what I know about God, what I’ve experienced in my relationship with Him, and what I would like others to know about Him?

Sadly, I know that my life does not always portray the God that I know. Instead of allowing His Spirit to control me and help me to live the life I know I should live, I give in to my fleshly desires that corrupt the image of God that I want others to see. Galatians 5:19-21 provides an extensive list of the sins that we can fall victim to when we yield to the flesh. Let me share just a few that can creep into our lives, sometimes without our even being aware.

• Selfish Ambitions

Ambition is defined as “an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction as power, honor, fame, or wealth.” Ambition is not inherently wrong. We can earnestly desire good and godly things. The problem is when those ambitions are motivated by selfishness, when we are concerned primarily with what we want and with our own interests and desires. Sometimes, even those of us who truly want to honor and glorify God can allow those things that we do for him to become our motivation rather than God Himself. When we fall victim to selfish ambition, people are more likely to see us rather than God. Sometimes it helps to take a step back and prayerfully evaluate why/how we do the things we do. Are they for us or for Him?

• Contentions and Dissensions

How we handle disagreements and controversies reflects greatly on how others view the God we serve. Do we disagree agreeably? Are we patient, kind, and loving toward others even when we do not agree? Do we show respect to those who do not share our opinions? When non-believers see believers fighting among each other, or when they feel the wrath of believers directed toward them, I wonder what they think about our God. Jesus said: “…love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45). “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

• Envy and Jealousy

Both envy and jealousy reflect discontentment. With envy we want what someone else has whether it is a possession, ability, opportunity, etc. With jealousy we are resentful, perhaps even fearful, because of another’s successes or advantages. When believers display such attitudes toward others, I wonder how it reflects on our God. When we become envious and jealous of what others have or can do, do we communicate a lack of trust in God to take care of us and work out all the details of our lives? Does our discontent tell others that God is not good or that He is not enough for what we need?

• Outbursts of Wrath

None of us are immune to anger. The Gospels record instances when even Jesus became angry. He became angry when the Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 12). He displayed anger when he drove out all those who were in the temple buying and selling (see Matthew 21:12-13). We can become angry when others use us, mistreat us, and hurt us or those we love. There is no limit to the triggers for anger in our world today. Yet James reminds us that “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Paul told the Ephesians: “Let all bitterness, wrath anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). When a believer can respond in this way to those who make him angry, he is helping the other person to see his God. He can tell them about Jesus who withstood the wrath of men and willingly gave Himself to be nailed to a cross and to die because of His love for us. In some small way, we show others the love of Christ when we refuse to respond with anger and hate.

When I give way to selfish ambition, contentions or dissensions, envy and jealousy, or outbursts of wrath, I do little to show others the God I know. Even more, the Scripture above declares that when I do evil instead of good things that neither have I seen God! You see, it is kind of like the old adage, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” When we abide in Christ, we live in the power of His Spirit. As we yield to Him, He produces righteous acts in us. He is the One who enables us to live in a way that can point others to Him. Thus, when we see God, others can see God, too, as they observe His righteousness revealed in us.

How convicting and humbling! But how thankful I am that my living so others can see God is not a matter of my trying to do all the right things in my own power. It is not what I do, but how close I stay to Him so that He can reveal Himself in me. It makes me want to stay closer and closer to Him. I want to see God!

 

Recently, I was going over and over a situation in my life that I felt desperately needed “fixing.” I’m sure you know the kind I’m talking about. It may be a matter of the heart, something that is just between you and God. Or perhaps it is something so personal and raw that you just can’t talk about it with anyone. It is the kind of thing that you may have on your mind when you silently raise your hand in church to acknowledge an unspoken prayer request. You know you have a need, but it’s not something you can easily talk about.

Have you been there? I can think of a few times when I have. I would pray about the situations and even come to a measure of peace over unsolved issues. But, invariably, as I waited for God’s answer, I would start trying to work out my own solution to the situation at hand. Instead of waiting for God to work things out, I would run ahead and start trying to “fix” things on my own. And time and time again I discovered that my “fixes” generally just created more problems.

That’s what happened to Abram’s wife, Sarai. Chapters 12-21 in the book of Genesis tell us much of Sarai’s story. God called Abram when he was 75 years old to leave his home and to go to the place that God would show him. He promised to bless Abram and to make him a great nation. Abram obeyed. He took his family and his possessions and left. Later God promised to make Abram’s descendants as the “dust of the earth.” Yet as Abram and Sarai sojourned, they remained childless.

Then God appeared to Abram, yet again, and said: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1b). “But Abram said, ‘Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ Then Abram said. ‘Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir?’” (Genesis 15:2-3). But God reconfirmed His promise to Abram. This time He told Abram to look toward heaven and count the stars if he was able. “So shall your descendants be.” (See Genesis 15:4-5).

I’m sure that by this time Sarai was more confused than ever. She certainly wondered how, at her age, she could still mother a child. So as she thought and thought about the situation, she devised a plan. It made perfect sense to her. She would give her maid, Hagar, to Abram. Perhaps she could obtain children by her. And it worked! Hagar gave birth to Ishmael and he was Abram’s son. Now Abram had an heir that could fulfill God’s promise.

But Sarai soon discovered what we, too, often find out when we try to help out God. The plans and schemes we think up with our human reasoning generally contribute to our problems rather than solve them. Because of Sarai’s attempt to work out God’s promise, there were immediate problems between her and Hagar. Later when Sarai did give birth to the heir that God had promised, problems developed between Ishmael and Isaac that would last far into the future. Sarai’s futile attempt to help out God not only caused consequences for her, but also for future generations.

I find myself feeling sorry for Sarai – probably because I identify so much with her. What do we do when we do not seem to be getting an answer from God? Consider some of our options.

• Devise our own plan to help God accomplish His purposes.
• Talk our plan over with God, tell Him what we plan to do, then ask Him to bless it.
• Worry, fret, and complain because our problem is not getting solved.
• Give up on God and seek direction elsewhere.
• Wait on God.

There is only one right answer listed above. No matter how hard it is to turn our problems over to God and wait, waiting on Him is the only choice we should ever make. Why? It is the choice of faith. Just as Sarai could not conceive how God could fulfill the promise He made to Abram, sometimes we feel the same way. The Bible is filled with precious promises for all believers, yet we may find ourselves struggling or enduring hardships that seem far removed from these promises. But when the banged-up believer keeps on trusting and waiting patiently for God to work things out according to His plan, He is telling God and everybody else “I Believe!” On the other hand, the believer who tries to outrun God and handle things himself is exhibiting a lack of trust in God. For some reason he doesn’t feel that he can trust God to work out the details in his life.

I admit that when I think about it this way, I am so ashamed of the times I’ve tried to outrun God and do things my way. Yet even in our failures, God is still faithful. Although Sarai exhibited a lack of trust in not waiting for God to fulfill His promise, she is still listed in Hebrews 11 as a heroine of faith. In fact, she had even laughed in disbelief when God had told Abram that Sarai would have a son when she was 90 years old (see Genesis 18:15). So how can she be considered a woman of faith? Hebrews 11:11 states: “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised” (Hebrews 11:11). Childbearing is not easy at any age, but can you imagine having a child when you are 90 years old? Can you imagine bring up a teenager when you’re over 100? Sarah found strength from the One who made it all possible. She personally witnessed His fulfillment of the promise He had made and she trusted Him for the strength she needed to do what He called her to do.

Perhaps that is good advice for me as well. When I’m troubled over things and my faith seems small, I need to look to the God I know who has been faithful to me in the past. David gives us some helpful advice in Psalm 37 as to how we can respond as we wait for God.

• Do not fret because of evildoers
• Do not envy workers of iniquity
• Trust in the Lord
• Do good
• Feed on His faithfulness
• Delight yourself in the Lord
• Commit your ways to Him
• Cease from anger
• Rest in the Lord
• Wait patiently for Him

As I stop my fretting, remember God’s faithfulness, and surrender my way to Him, I won’t have to worry about running ahead of God. Instead I can rest in Him, knowing that I can trust Him to work out all the details of my life.

 

 

My husband loves to watch people fall – as long as no one gets hurt, of course! His laughter can be heard all over the house if he watches an episode of spills, trips, and falls on Funniest Videos. But to give him his due, he also thinks its hilariously funny when he falls. Just the other day he came inside from working in his wood shed. Apparently, he had started to walk backwards rolling  his two-wheel cart, but had forgotten that he had left a crate sitting just behind him. Backing into the crate, he lost his balance and fell backwards over top of the crate. So there he lay, flat on his back with both feet sticking straight up in the air against the crate. While no one was there to witness his fall, he lay there and laughed at himself for a while. Then he rolled over to stand up, and came inside to tell me what had happened. He laughed the whole time he told me about it.  “Well, at least you didn’t fall on your head,” I sympathized, and we both laughed again!

While we could laugh about my husband’s fall and a few others that we’ve both experienced over the years, we both realize that all falls are not funny. Sometimes people can be seriously injured and hurt. And sometimes our falls have nothing to do with physically falling. We may experience emotional, social, and spiritual falls as well. While these types of falls may sometimes be witnessed by others, they are never funny. And oftentimes, these types of falls are not even visible to others – we cry alone, suffer alone, and bear our fall all alone.

I think that the Bible teaches than even sincere believers are not immune to falling. We live in a fallen world and our fleshly desires war against our spiritual desires. This is nothing new. The early Christians experienced the same struggle. Peter begged the Christians in Asia Minor: “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:17). In order to keep from falling, Paul told the Ephesians to “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). He continued: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13). When we try to live as Christ calls us to live, we are set for battle in this world.

So how can we keep from falling spiritually? The Bible actually points out several things that can trip us up.

• We fail to seek godly counsel and we search for advice in all the wrong places.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).

Our first counselor is God Himself – not what seems right to us nor the current wave of popular opinion. We need to seek His wisdom and guidance in the affairs of our lives. We need to evaluate our problems against the Word of God. The Bible offers immeasurable advice to anyone truly seeking to stand. There are also anointed pastors, trusted teachers, and Christian friends and counselors that we can go to for help.

• We trust in the wrong things.

 “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (Psalm 37:3).

“He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage” (Proverbs 11:28).

When we put our trust in anything other than God Himself, we are actually making that person or thing our god instead of the one true God. Then we are destined to fall. The very first commandment declares: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2-3). God is the only one worthy of our total, complete trust. “As for God, His way is perfect. The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him” (2 Samuel 22:31).

• We become proud.

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Haughty is defined by Merriam-Webster as “blatantly and disdainfully proud.” A proud spirit forgets that we stand because of Christ, not because of anything we have done. This truth is probably seen no better than in in a story that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector.

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

(Luke 18:10-14)

The Pharisee in the above story is playing by all the rules. He fasts, tithes, and does the right things – and he is very proud of all that he does. The tax collector, on the other hand, has nothing to boast about. Instead, he just calls out for God’s mercy. Jesus concludes that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, would leave justified before God. The tax collector would receive so much more blessing than he deserved – and so much less punishment than he deserved. He would undoubtedly leave overwhelmed with the goodness, faithfulness, and absolute wonder of his God.

But what about the Pharisee? I actually feel kind of sorry for him because whether we like to admit it or not, there’s just a little bit of him in all of us (at least at one time or another).

• We try to earn our standing before God. We go to church, volunteer for myriad activities, give our tithes and offerings, etc. But we do it for all the wrong reasons. Our service becomes a list to complete in order to measure up instead of joyful acts of service and love.
• We try to justify ourselves in God’s eyes by comparing ourselves to others – I do more, I give more, I read my Bible more. We tend to think we’re okay if we can show that we’re better than someone else. We forget that in God’s eyes, we are all sinners. The only thing a Christian has to boast about is Jesus!
• We look at everything and everyone else based on the all-important “I.” Notice the number of “I’s” in the short passage above. Instead of looking at the world through our “I” glasses, we need to pray for the Spirit to help us see as God sees.
• We don’t really seek God, but what we think is right. The passage above states that the Pharisee “stood and prayed thus with himself.” He’s not really talking to God; he’s reasoning with himself.

When the Pharisee left and went home, I wonder how he felt. Did he feel he deserved more of God’s blessings since he lived a better, more devoted, life than the tax collector?  If he actually received less than he felt he deserved, did he feel the need to work harder and do even more to try to justify himself before God? Or did he become angry with God, angry at the tax collector, or just give up?

I hope that the Pharisee learned what another tax collector learned. Luke tells the story of Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector. Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming into Jericho and he wanted to see Him. But Zacchaeus was too short to see above the crowd so he climbed up a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when He passed by. When Jesus came to the tree where Zacchaeus was, He told Zacchaeus to come down from the tree because he needed to stay at his house. Zaccaheus was overjoyed and after spending time with Jesus, Zacchaeus told him: “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold” (Luke 19:8). From his simple encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus’ life was totally transformed. Zacchaeus learned that he didn’t have to be good enough or deserving enough for Jesus to seek him, save him, and turn his life around.

I find that I need to be reminded of this lesson from time to time as well. God doesn’t bless me because I’m good enough or do all the right things. He doesn’t show His mercy because I deserve it. God extends both His mercy and His grace because of who He is, not because of who or what I am. Zacchaeus was so transformed by Jesus’ love that he eagerly sought to help others, giving half of his goods to the poor. Furthermore, if he had wronged anyone, he went beyond what the law required, stating he would restore four times more than he had taken. Zacchaeus loved – not because he was supposed to, expected to, or required to – but because he wanted to love others as Jesus had loved him. Something tells me that Zacchaeus had learned that the secret to keep from falling is to stand on Jesus – on His mercy, grace, and abiding love.