Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. ~John 8:32

Monthly Archives: March 2016


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We Belong to the Light

In the past you were full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light. Light brings every kind of goodness, right living, and truth. 
Ephesians 5:8-9 (NCV)

Do you get as tired of winter as I do? It’s the darkness that gets me down—so many gray, cloudy days with no sunshine in sight. Yuck! I’m so glad yesterday was the first day of spring. I’m ready for warm days and sunny skies.

Maybe I have seasonal affective disorder (SAD—what an appropriate acronym!). Do you realize that although there are treatments for those of us who need more light, there has not been a single treatment developed for anyone who craves more darkness? Have you ever heard of anyone who wants to be in deeper darkness and despair? No, I didn’t think so.

One of the things I miss in the wintertime are the flowers. Well, everything about me except my sinuses misses them, anyway. I wish I had real flowers on my table all year long like Chick-fil-A does—one of the many reasons I love eating there. Yes, I know there are plants you can grow inside all year. Unfortunately, I have two black thumbs—give me a plant and I can kill it within weeks. I’ve just about resigned myself to artificial ones. They require only a little dusting occasionally, and as long as no one gets too close and tries to smell them, nowadays they could almost pass for real ones.

Farmer's hand watering a young plant in sunshine

So far, the only reprieve in my plant killing spree is a shamrock a dear friend brought to me when I had cancer surgery three years ago. I’ve almost done it in a few times, but it must be very hardy because with a little fertilizer and water, it perks right up. But the delicate little white blooms I love so much don’t appear often. Maybe I could coax it to bloom more if I’d be willing to spend the time to pamper it, but that obviously takes more effort than I’m willing to expend. And, besides, you know—the black thumb thing. I’m just grateful it’s still hanging on despite my abuse.

But I digress. I actually could go with several lines of thought here, such as the quality of care we expend on our relationships causing them to either flourish or die. Maybe another day. Right now, I’m headed in a different direction related to the Scripture above, Ephesians 5:8-9.

Where is the spot in your kitchen that’s the darkest corner available, maybe the place you store your potatoes? Try as I may, I can’t find a place where they won’t sprout. Of course, that has a lot to do with how long I can forget I have them, but it doesn’t take long at all. And it really doesn’t matter how dark and secluded the spot I’ve chosen for them.

It takes only a little ray of light to begin the process of growth which, of course, is my point. In this often troubled and dark world we inhabit, it takes only the tiniest ray of light and hope from God to trigger the growth of His love, no matter how cold and dark the heart may have grown.

We were all full of darkness until the Lord brought us into the light. Our task now is to “live like children who belong to the light” and to share that light through “every kind of goodness, right living and truth.”

sky-bright-sunshine behind cloudsLet’s commit to bringing God’s light into at least one person’s world today. Sometimes all it takes is a smile, a listening ear, and a reminder that God is in control. His love can reach into the darkest hole where the evil one wants our shame to drive us. There we try in vain to hide from God. But God’s light can always find a way into hearts we thought were long dead. And when it does, it produces a life full of hope and joy which then overflows into the lives of those around us.

Won’t it be glorious when we no longer need worry about clouds covering the sun because our light will emanate from the awesome presence of God’s Son!


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The Only Truth

We love because He first loved us. 1 John4:19

I have been thinking about the cross, anticipating the celebration of Christ’s victory over death in His resurrection. Since my Olivia was born, I have had this obsession with understanding suffering (you can tell by reading my past blogs).  Every time I try to understand life, grace, forgiveness and Christ, it always boils down to suffering. When I am struggling to understand myself, my husband or my other relationships, it inevitably leads me back to the very beginning. I haven’t read any other book in the bible as much as I have read and re-read Genesis.

When I want to understand why I have control issues as a woman or why my husband seems disconnected it’s all there in the fall of our original parents, Adam and Eve. It was the biggest fail, an epic fall from grace. We were in the full presence of God and that life as we knew it was completely undone. Not to put the blame on Adam and Eve because since then, we have all added to the pile of sin that has become the world around us.

When I read through the fall two things become clear to me, that is, the world is perverted and that it has to be undone. First, the world perverted means the inside out of things, meaning, our world is literally upside down and inside out. Nothing makes sense because nothing is upright! Second, we need someone to fix it. Since we were created by a thoughtful, loving God, and we as His people, spoiled the creation, we are not capable of fixing it. We need a champion! Jesus is that champion and when we add him to the equation it becomes clear that in order to fix the perversion, the opposite of what we expect has to occur. To put bluntly, because the world is upside down, the way to fix it is to do the backward thing! Someone had to take responsibility. God asked His Son. Jesus accepted.

As co-heirs in Christ, when we choose to walk in His light, we choose to walk in love. Love is the answer. His life was the highest display of love. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

That is the sole definition of God—absolute, makes no sense, head over heels, in love with us! When it comes down to it, love is what remains. It is what saved us and it is what first bore us. It is what inspired our life and it is not gone after death. In fact, love is all that remains once our flesh is in the ground until the day of Christ’s return. Love. He made us from His self out of love, we betrayed Him, and He wins us back through the greatest display of love, dying on the cross.

We are a precious masterpiece to our God. We were created by a mindful, enthusiastic, colorful Master. We are His pinnacle, His crown jewel, His reason for creating all the heavens and the earth. Just like any other Craftsman, his creation is very much connected to him. We are God’s extension of himself. We carry his characteristics in both men and women. All of creation points to His direction and His creation says one thing:  LOVE!

We were made from love and are made to love. Real love, the selfless love found in 1 Corinthians 13:4. That is how we, as co-heirs, help bring the world out of sin, out of suffering. That is what our spirit is, His love poured into us! He calls us to love because He loved us first. That’s the purpose of pain, because Christ did it we have to share in it as well.

Jesus taught us through his life, but most importantly, in his death, that his suffering was for the greater good of all. So in our lives, our sufferings might be for the greater good of someone else. We may not see or understand it but if we look at our pain with a purpose, then we might come to a place of acceptance and truly be able to praise God during our pain.

The connection to love and suffering is like the connection of a mother giving birth; A suffering that is deemed necessary because of love.

I pray that we see suffering as an opportunity for God to be glorified. I pray that we see love as the only truth and the only answer. I pray we see that our pain has a purpose. I pray all of these things,

In Jesus Name, Amen.

 


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In God I Trust

In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
Psalm 56:4

In this election season, we have been inundated with information, both true and false, about all of the candidates. Debates, some of which have turned into yelling matches, fill our screens and minds.

As one after the other candidate does his or her best to win our votes, I have often been left feeling fearful. What does all of this back and forth mean for the future of our country? What does it mean to me? How will our country survive if so-and-so wins?

These types of thoughts remind me of what happens when I take my eyes off of God. I am not fearful when I’m singing in the choir at church. Nor am I afraid when I read His word about leading the Israelites out of bondage. But when I turn over my well being to one candidate or another, then I am scared.

vote for me-reducedTo hear the Presidential candidates tell it, our world will not survive unless we cast the correct vote. While I take my voting responsibility seriously, I beg to differ with this type of fear mongering.

As long as God is on His throne (which shall be forever), “in God I trust and am not afraid.”

It is tempting to give ourselves over to wailing and gnashing of teeth, especially when our daily lives are impacted by the policies that each candidate touts. But I’m wondering what would happen if we spent as much time studying the Bible as we do listening to the arguments of men and women, all of whom have something to gain by the outcome of their persuasive tactics.

As the psalmist so eloquently puts it, when I praise God’s word, “what can mere mortals do to me?”

Many times in Scripture, we are told that if we place our trust in God, we have nothing to fear. When we allow the evil one control of our hearts and minds, fear runs rampant and we lose the ability to reason and our discussion devolves into slings and arrows.

Just think how different the political landscape might be if debates actually centered around how each candidate will guide the nation toward the light. Regardless of what is being said, what if we listen with an ear toward God’s will for us? It might not change the nature of the debate but it will surely change the way we feel about what is being said.

When we tremble in fear at the sound of the rabble rousers, we are left powerless against them. Let’s not give away our power. Our country and our neighbors need us standing for what is right, and our God expects it.

Now and forever, our God reigns! Once we stand on that promise, there is no room for fear.

So this week, I challenge us as thinking, caring, passionate women of God to keep Him and his promises in mind when we are rehashing public debate. Rather than agonizing over what could happen if this one or that one wins, let’s encourage each other to raise our own standards and remember whose we are.

We might support a certain candidate or party, but we do not “belong” to one party or the other. We belong to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As long as we are His, we have nothing to fear.