“I Pledge Allegiance…”

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and justice for all.”

When I was a kid in school we recited the pledge every single day. It was such a fun day when it was my turn to say it over the intercom for the whole school. I’d walk down to the office before the morning bell rang and would stand by the special phone, the office lady would start the general announcements and then hand it over to me and a classmate who would say the pledge while the whole school stood with a hand over their heart and recited it. 

Skip forward 20 years, I’m now a teacher in a school and I’m lucky if I can get one student in my class to stand with me as we say the pledge. It’s surprising to me how little students seem to respect our country’s pledge. But then again as I really read through it, maybe it’s not so surprising. 

To me, our pledge meant something. I truly believed (and still believe in some ways) that America was the greatest country. July 4 is my favorite holiday and during the Olympics and World Cup I’m Team USA all the way! I believed our country was one nation, that our leaders and people were guided under God, that we were indivisible and that we did give liberty and justice for all.

In the last few years though, our pledge has lost its meaning and seemingly just become words that we repeat out of habit and not belief. When September 11 happened, our country banded together. We may not all have had the same opinions on whether President Bush’s action were what we would have done, but it didn’t keep us from helping our neighbor. People from all over fled to New York to help. Churches held prayer vigils and Americans rallied around our troops and first responders. We really were ONE Nation who bonded together making us seem indivisible.

Today, we are far from that. This isn’t a political blog so I won’t go into any specific topic but seriously pick any one and you’ll find the same patterns. There are two completely different sides, each having no reasoning ability to hear anyone out. 

Our country is so full of extremely passionate individuals, which is a wonderful thing when used for good, but when we’re passionate without the ability to listen, digest, and make sensible arguments or debates then there truly will never be any progress forward. We end up talking in circles causing more and more division. We no longer are ONE nation, we’re a bunch of individuals wanting things done their own way. And let’s face it, we’re never going to get Billons of people to see things the same way, but we can get them to learn how to have healthy conflict again. How to have a disagreement with their neighbor and still be friends. How to vote differently than their coworkers and still stay at that job. I truly believe that one day we can become ONE nation that is indivisible again, here’s how…

In between those two phrases, “one Nation” and “indivisible” is a guidance map for how to keep us connected together, to bring liberty and justice for all. We do so by being “Under God”. I’m not talking about being under the religious umbrella of Christianity, but truly being under God. This means living our lives under the guidance of his teaching and commands, the greatest of these being Love God & Love Others. 

Loving God can look a lot of ways. It can look like helping those in need, attending church on Sundays or singing worship music in the car. One of the best ways I’ve found though is through rest. I’m not talking about taking a nap, but rather taking a day to enjoy what has been done instead of craving to do more. When I take time to walk through a park and enjoy the sunshine or sit at a coffee shop and read a good book, I find I’m so much closer to God. I’m reminded that the world can turn for a day without me trying to accomplish anything. I’m reminded of all God has created and marvel at the wonder of what he’s made. And at the end of the day I’m reminded that a loving God gave us so much purpose and beauty in life and that he has everything under control. I as an individual don’t need to try and control life or people or politics. We have an almighty God who has it handled. Yes he uses us in wonderful ways to help fulfill those purposes but he also wants us to rest and reflect and find time to pause to enjoy what he’s made and already done. 

The second thing we can do is love others. Sadly I feel this has become a lost art in America. If someone doesn’t believe the same as you or if they messed up (and let’s be real we’re all human so we’re going to mess up) we cancel them. Where has the ability to love those with difference gone? We can never grow as individuals or as a society if we don’t hear people out. If we truly want to be one nation that is indivisible we must get back to loving our neighbor. Let’s invite people who are different than us, who have different political viewpoints or different cultural beliefs to have dinner around our table. Let’s invite healthy discussion and disagreements into our homes. Let’s have real conversations not social media comments and start to find what we have in common as a society. 

Can we head into this July 4th weekend looking for ways to celebrate the good in the world? Let’s put our differences aside and enjoy the fireworks and cookouts and baseball games with our neighbors. Let’s learn to love those who are different from us and let’s watch our country bond together again. I believe we are a great nation and I believe God has blessed us as a country, but if we want to be able to stand up and say the pledge every morning with belief that it is true, then America, we’ve got some work to do. 

A God Who Sees…Happy Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and more than most holiday’s, this one brings a wide range of emotions. From the new mom’s excited about their first, to the grandma’s who’ve celebrated a lifetimes worth and those who long to be a mom to those who’s mom have long since passed, this day is not missed. As I was thinking through this year and my journey into motherhood, I wanted to find women of the Bible I could look up to. What surprised me most when I started to dive in was the amount of mother’s who suffered in the journey to become a mother or stay a mother to their beloved children.

The mothers I’ll lay out for you today are wonderful God chosen women to be in the Bible. I don’t know their whole stories or what their emotions truly were during their sufferings, but I can take a guess based on the paths I’ve watched my friends walk and I myself have walked. I am no Biblical scholar and therefore please take each observation with a theological grain of salt. I hope through this journey of Biblical Mothers you see that God works in all circumstances and that His timing and plan is best, even when it doesn’t make sense to us.

The Mother’s Who Waited

The group of waiting mother’s in the Bible is the largest group I found. In today’s society women who are married but don’t have children are usually badgered about when they’re going to start a family or when they will decide to be a mom, unfortunately this is especially true in the Church. Some women chose to not be mothers, and that is okay, but a large majority of the women being asked are trying their best, but are facing the battle of infertility.

As I read through the Biblical women’s stories I was reminded of just how kind our God is. Isn’t it just like Him to take women who were seen as outcasts in society because they couldn’t bear children and make them prominent women of Biblical History. Through their waiting and despair, God rose up leaders and nations. When they felt too old to bear children, God brought a miracle. And when women today feel their battle is lost, God brings us the stories of hope from five different women.

Sarah – Genesis 16

Probably the most well known for struggling with infertility, Sarah is a great example of a woman who waited on God’s timing. If my understanding is correct, God made a covenant with Abraham about having offspring as vast as the stars in the sky when Abraham was 76 years old, ten years pass and no child is born so Sarah takes matters into her own hands and gives her servant Hagar to Abraham to create his heir. Hagar gets pregnant with Ishmael but God says he is not to be Abrahams heir, only a son birthed by Sarah. At this point Abraham is 86 years old, him and Sarah wait another 13 years before God makes another covenant with them. In this covenant God says to Abraham,

“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”

I don’t know about you, but at this point I’d be a little skeptical. God promised Abraham a son 23 years prior to this second promising. Abraham, now 99 and Sarah, now 90 must have thought they were interpreting something wrong or that there was another way they were intended to have offspring since both of them were old in age. But God, never failing to keep His promises brought forth a child in Abraham’s 100th year of life. Talk about the birthday present of the century. At first, Sarah laughed at the possibility of having a child in her old age, but as we’ve been shown time and time again, our God is not bound by time or earthly limits. He blessed Abraham and Sarah with a child in their old age, and that son grew up to have many offspring, making Abraham the Father of Nations through his wife Sarah.

Thinking through the years of waiting before promised a child, and then the years of waiting after promised a child, I think Sarah is a mother worth honoring greatly this Mother’s Day. It also brings a whole new light to one of our older Sunday School Songs,
“Father Abraham, had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you, so let’s just Praise the Lord.”

Rachel – Gen. 30, Samson’s Mom – Judges 13, Hannah 1 Samuel 1 & Elizabeth – Luke 1

As I said before, God told the story of many women who were waiting for children in the Bible. Not all of them had to wait as long as Sarah, and not all of them were blessed with a nation through their offspring. But all of them were seen by God in their suffering and were given sons. You can find the details of each of their stories in the references listed above, as I won’t go into to much detail here, but please note, their stories are worth reading and the joy of their miracles are worth celebrating.

Before we move on to our next group of mothers I want to make a quick side note. All of the mother’s listed in the Bible who were waiting were given a child. God doesn’t promise us children, yes they’re a gift and God delights in giving us gifts, but we live in a fallen world. Some couples may long for children and never receive them, no matter how much they pray or what infertility treatments they try. Some families are called to be together through the story of adoption. Some of the mothers listed above were given their sons only to have them die in early adulthood (Samson’s mom & Elizabeth), we don’t always know why these things happen, but we do know that God is good. He is a kind God who loves you and sees you, even in your grief. So if you are someone battling infertility this Mother’s Day, know you are loved. You are whole as you are, you are seen by our Heavenly Father, and you are cherished as His child. You might be in a season of waiting, or you might be directed on a different path, but you matter and you are complete regardless of the number of children you have in your house.

The Mother’s Who Lost

Another group of women God is kind enough to include in the stories of the Bible are the mother’s who lost their sons. In these women’s stories, we don’t always see their grief and pain or see restoration for their loss, but what we do see is their resilient faith in God.

Jochebed – Exodus 2

When speaking of mothers who have lost their sons, Jochebed most likely isn’t the first character to come to mind. In all honestly, a lot of you might not have even known there was a character named Jochebed in the Bible, don’t worry, I didn’t either. Jochebed is better known as Moses’ mother.

From some historical references I read, when Moses was born, he had two older siblings, Miriam (7 years older) and Aaron (3 years older). During the time Moses was born, Pharaoh was out to kill all Hebrew boys under the age of two.

*Side note* Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only time in history where a ruler decided to kill all boys of a certain age, when Jesus was born, his mother Mary had to flee because the king at the time wanted all boys who could potentially be Jesus dead. We don’t get insight into these mother’s feelings, but I have to believe these were horribly hard days to be a mom.

Jochebed didn’t want her son to be another number in the list of casualties and so she took a chance and put her baby in a basket and sent him down the Nile river. Pharaoh’s daughter came upon Moses and decided she wanted to look after him as her own. By God’s grace, Moses was able to be raised by his real mom, Jochebed, for his young childhood (most likely 2-3 years) before she had to turn him back over to Pharaoh’s daughter to be raised.

Jochebed is a unique style of loss. Was her son still alive? Yes. But did she get to love him and raise him as a mother would? No. She did what she had to do to save his life, but it couldn’t have been easy to give him back to Pharaoh’s daughter knowing you may never see him again. As Moses grew, I wonder if she was able to watch from afar, watch him succeed in the palace schools and become a royal Prince. We see later in the story, Moses reconnects with Miriam and Aaron to help rescue the Israelite people, but we never hear about his mother again.

Jochebed can relate to many women today who have given kids up for adoption. Whether it was due to circumstances beyond ones’ control, or by choice, at the end of the day you are forced to watch your child grow from a distance. Please know, this Mother’s Day, you are still celebrated. A piece of you will always be a mother to that child and that is to be honored and cherished.

Naomi – Book of Ruth, Eve – Gen. 3 & Mary – Luke 2 & Matthew 27

For all of you out there who have truly lost a child, in every heartbreaking sense of the word, God sees you too. Behind women of infertility, Mom’s who lost a child were the next largest group of women I found to be in the Bible. These women all lost their son’s at different ages, but from what I’ve observed, loss of a child is hard regardless of the age.

Let’s first take a look at Naomi. Naomi was an older woman who was blessed with two sons. Both of her sons grew up into adulthood, finding wives and starting to live their later years. We aren’t given a ton of context, but in what seems like a short time span, Naomi lost both of her sons and her husband to illness. Naomi’s family had followed God and although her sons married Moabite women, Naomi and her husband had seemed to keep their faith in God alive.

When Naomi lost her sons, what did she do? At first, she pushed everyone away, and I mean everyone. She told her daughter-in-laws to leave her and find other men to marry. She changed her name to Mara because she felt the Lord had brought calamity upon her and brought her back to her hometown empty. She was hurt and laden with grief, yet Ruth, her daughter-in-law stayed with her. Ruth had seen a faith in Naomi she wanted to know more about. You see, in grief and suffering it’s okay to be angry with God, He can take it. Let him know how you feel, but then let him slowly work in your heart to bring restoration. Ruth was broken from losing her husband, but she saw a faith in Naomi she didn’t have but desperately wanted.

The story of Ruth is a happy one in which God brings a new husband for her and soon she has a son. Naomi is able to be taken care of through Ruth’s new husband and she even is blessed with a grandchild that would be in the lineage of Christ. Do I think Naomi ever got over losing her sons? No. That’s not something one ever truly gets over. But I do think she eventually blossomed and grew, allowing her faith to be a testimony to all who saw her.

Mary, Jesus’ mom and Eve from the Garden, also lost their sons. Both to different circumstances, but both heartbreaking. Their stories can be found in the references above and can provide encouragement to those who may need some this Mother’s Day.

If you’ve lost a child, first off let me say I am truly sorry. I wish this world were perfect and that grief and loss didn’t touch the ones we love. Know that God sees you, he feels your grief and your pain, he cries with you in the heartache and he lifts you up when the hurt is to much to bear. He is with you and will guide you through the years of grief. I won’t promise that everything will go back to normal, because sometimes life just becomes different, but I can promise you that God will always be with you. On the good days He’ll be shining his blessing and light upon you and on the bad days He’ll accept the punches you throw and the tears you cry. With Him, you too can blossom and bring light to your testimony like Naomi. It will be challenging, but with God, it’s possible.

The Mother’s Who Felt Alone

Being a single mom is not a new concept. Whether by death or by divorce, women in the Bible have dealt with the same struggles many single mother’s feel today. There is one mom in this single mother category I want to dive a little deeper into, we’ve met her slightly in the stories above, but now we’ll take a closer look at the struggles she faced.

Hagar – Genesis 16 & 21

Hagar was the servant of Abraham’s wife Sarah. When Abraham and Sarah couldn’t get pregnant, Sarah took matters into her own hands and had Abraham sleep with Hagar to get pregnant. Hagar did get pregnant and for a while things looked like they would turn out okay. Abraham cared for Hagar and her soon to be son, but Sarah was jealous and soon began to let that jealousy turn to anger and abuse towards Hagar.

Before long, Hagar was tired of the harsh attitude Sarah had towards her and she fled to the wilderness. Hagar had no resources or food, and no way to provide for her son once he was born. Yet God saw her and provided for her in the wilderness. He approached her and told her to go back to Abraham and Sarah for she would be provided for and protected by God. Hagar called God a “God of seeing, for truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”

God provided for Hagar and her son Ishmael. He turned Ishmael into a great nation as well and allowed both of them to stay under the care of Abraham until Ishmael was a teenager. When Ishmael and Hagar left, they once again found themselves in dyer circumstances. They only had a small loaf of bread and one water skin, Hagar was at the point of believing both of them would die because she had no way of providing for them. But once again, God saw Hagar and Ishmael in their time of need. He provided a well of water for them and he taught Ishmael how to use a bow and arrow to be able to catch food. Ishmael grew to be a grown man and his mom was even able to find him a wife to help him grow into a nation as God had said.

At times, it may feel like you are forgotten and that God doesn’t see you, but the reality is God always sees you. He is working and moving in your life and will provide for you. He saw Hagar when all hope seemed lost and will do the same for you. So if this Mother’s Day you feel a little overwhelmed by being a single mother, know God sees you. He cares for you. If the world has cast you aside and you feel you’re struggling in the wilderness, look for the well God has for you. He is faithful to provide and will never leave you nor forsake you.

The Mother’s Who Are

The final group of mothers we see are the mothers who are here with us and being celebrated this Mother’s Day. These are the mom’s we see working endlessly everyday to give their kids the best life they can. They pack lunches, go to countless sporting events or academic competitions. They clean the house, do the laundry, and make dinner all after a long day of work. They’re the shoulders their kids cry on and the words their kids hang on to. They’re the encouragement and rock of most families and deserve a day full of celebration.

At some point or another all of the mother’s listed above fit into this category. They were blessed with a child for a little while or their whole life. Some of them watched their kids grow and marry, and some never had the chance too, but at one point or another they felt what it was like to be a mom. We could pull from many different stories in the Bible to see examples of how mother’s were obedient to God and did what they thought was best for their families but there is one that sticks out a bit more to me than others.

Rebekah – Genesis 25-27

Once again, we see a story that starts off with a woman who was unable to get pregnant. Rebekah and Isaac married when Isaac was 40 years old. It wasn’t until Isaac was 60 years old that the Lord finally granted their prayer and gave them children. When pregnant with twins, Rebekah inquired of the Lord as to what was going on (she had never been pregnant let alone heard of someone having twins). The Lord replied,

“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

Rebekah took those words to heart and as the boys grew and started to choose their own paths in life, she always remembered what the Lord had told her. Fast forward a few years and Isaac is dying so the boys are called in to receive their blessings. Rebekah remembered what the Lord had said and how years earlier Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob and she sprang into action. For those that know the story know that Rebekah and Jacob deceived Isaac and the first born blessing was given to Jacob instead of Esau, just as the Lord had said it would.

Now let’s be clear, God wasn’t asking Rebekah to deceive Isaac, but He has a way of working things out for His good. Rebekah was being the best mother she could be and was trying to follow what she thought was right based on what God had told her many years back. Did she maybe misinterpret how the “older shall serve the younger” would look? Maybe. But either way, she did what she though was in line with God’s plans based on her knowledge and God honored that.

God doesn’t expect us mom’s to have it all together. We’re flawed people who are going to make mistakes, but if our hearts are in the right place, God will honor that. He knows we are trying and he knows the struggles we face. He knows how we compare our kids to others and how we feel we measure up compared to the perfect Instagram moms of this day and age. He’s a God who sees, who celebrates our successes, and who helps us in our failures.

The Mothering Figures

Although not blood mothers, there is one more group I want to shout out this Mother’s Day, and that is all the mothering figures in our lives. Sometimes life doesn’t go the way you planned and raising your own children isn’t in the books for you. That is okay, and better yet it’s worth celebrating as well. God gave us one example of this in the Bible in a Prophetess named Anna.

Anna – Luke 2

Anna probably didn’t expect to be alone for the majority of her life. When she married her husband she probably figured they had the world in front of them as most young marrieds do. Unfortunately, her story ended differently. After 7 years of marriage and no kids, her husband died and she never married again. The Bible isn’t clear how her husband died or if she had wanted kids or not, but bottom line, she was left alone and never became a mother.

When faced with a choice of shutting down or living life, Anna chose to live. She took her life and poured it into those around her. She became a prophetess, giving her life to God and allowing him to use it in whatever way He saw fit. It may not have been her plan, but it was the plan God gave to her and she embraced it. She was blessed with the opportunity to meet Jesus face to face while he was a baby. I wonder what thoughts went through her head, never having her own children yet being one of the chosen to meet Jesus in that state.

God still saw Anna. Her marital status and motherhood status didn’t change the way He used her. If anything, it made her more available to God and more focused on the task He gave her. She was able to pour into countless lives working in the temple and was a mothering figure to many of the people. God still sees you. Whether you wanted to be married with kids by now or whether you’re married but kids aren’t in the future, you’re still valuable. You still matter, and you have a grand purpose in God’s Kingdom.

So this Mother’s Day, whatever category you fit into, take a moment for yourself and just reflect on the goodness of our God. Thank Him for seeing you, let him know how you feel, rejoice in the blessing of being a mom or grieve in the loss of a loved one. However you feel about the holiday, give it to God. He cares, he sees, he feels, and he loves you, regardless of your motherhood status.

Jesus, Politics & How Christians Get it Wrong.

Jesus was weird. The more time I spend in the Gospels reading about his time here on Earth, the more I realize just how weird he was. Yet, he was effective. He went against the grain, flipped tables, hung out with sinners, but was respected by many. He gained a following, not because he was indifferent and haphazard with his beliefs, but because he was strong and firm. Jesus stood for love, for justice, for grace. He stood for people.

Every. Single. Person.

Today, we stand for many things. We stand for sports teams, players, Political groups, religious affiliations, and even which tv show is the best. As Christians, we claim to stand for Christ, yet I have a hard time truly believing we do.

You see, when Jesus walked the earth He made a difference. Not because he was so into being right, but because he loved people so well. People of all ages, racial groups, political affiliations, genders, they flocked to Jesus. Why? Because he cared. Because they mattered. Because He saw their worth.

Today, we stand in a world much like the first century Jews did. A world where groups of people are oppressed, where political tensions are high, and where drastic sides are taken on almost every issue. Jesus came to bridge the gap, to bring people together, yet today, people are tearing each other apart and saying it’s in Jesus name. How have we fallen so far?

Luckily, Jesus gave us a handbook. A guide to how to get along with those we disagree with. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before, but just for memory sake, I’ll walk you through a couple stories to bring the point home.

Let’s start with looking at Jesus’ inner group of disciples. In the Gospels, there is a list of all 12 of them. I want to highlight two. Levi called Matthew, the tax collector and Simon the Zealot. Many times, I’ve read over this list and just skimmed by the fact that those two disciples had their jobs mentioned. I mean, everyone knew James, John and Peter were fisherman, so why did it matter that Levi/Matthew was a tax collector? And what in the world is a Zealot?

As I started listening to some podcasts and researching more about it, I realized, like everything in the Bible, there was intentionality in their descriptions. You see, a tax collector was a worker for the Roman government. The prestigious government of the time. They had friends in high places and made their money dishonestly, yet were pretty protected by the Roman government. Then you have the Zealots. They were the other political party of the day. But instead of peacefully rising up to have their voice heard, they were known for sneak attacks and violent killings of Roman government. (Information gathered from Matt Smallbone on the Anything’s Possible Podcast: Episode 059).

Let me say that again. Matthew cheated people of money for the sake of politics. Simon sneak attack killed people for the sake of government. And BOTH were in Jesus’ inner group of twelve disciples. Talk about political differences.

I’m sure Matthew didn’t like Simon, and Simon didn’t like Matthew, but you know what the amazing thing is, the Bible never mentions arguments between the two. And honestly, I wouldn’t put it past Jesus to have sent them out on escapades together when He sent them in groups of two. Seeing two people on such radically different ends of the political spectrum coming together to share the Good News, you know how great of a testimony that would have been to towns? To see them walking in grace and love towards one another, probably still not seeing eye to eye politically but realizing there was a much bigger purpose in life.

Simon seems to be a guy who had to be passionate about what He did. To be a Zealot was no small feat, but can you imagine what he must have accomplished when he shifted that passion towards Jesus? What if we did that? What if we took the political passion we have today, the riots we start in the name of justice, the arguments we have to be right in, and just turn the passion to loving others like Jesus loved? What could you accomplish?

Jesus didn’t just stop with His twelve disciples though, he took it a step further. In Luke 8, we see that Jesus had some prominent women in his followers and disciple group. Now these women weren’t prominent because they mattered to the community. In fact, in those days, women had little place in society. If their husband died, they couldn’t get a job or earn an income, they were completely dependent on others for their care. Yet, these women mattered to Jesus.

Countless times in the Bible, Jesus had women play a part in his ministry. He didn’t care that women were considered unimportant or invaluable. To him, they were important and they had great value. So much so that when he rose from the dead, the first people he saw were women! He was countercultural yet completely Heavenly focused.

Today, women have found their place in society. They have jobs and hold prestigious positions, including one as our new Vice President. But there are still some groups of people who are devalued in a way. Whether it’s refugees, African-Americans, the poor, the unborn or any other debated group, they are still fighting a battle Jesus came to eliminate.

As Christians, it’s our job to carry on the work of Christ. To bring those who society devalues into our circles. To love them, value them, and show them they matter. Regardless of their background or current circumstance, our position is to be one of grace and love.

This past Sunday, Pastor Kevin Queen gave a wonderful sermon reminding us of some of these points. (I highly encourage you listen to the whole thing here). In this sermon he also reminded us that “A mark of an unbelieving generation is that they argue more than they pray.” I’ll say it again for the people in the back, “A mark of an unbelieving generation is that they argue more than they pray.” Did Jesus argue? In a way yes. Did Jesus pray? Absolutely.

What if as a generation, we took more time to pray than we did to argue? What if we prayed for those in the Oval Office? For our school leaders and community administrators. What if we stopped complaining and arguing about the things around us and started doing something about them in a way that is proven to actually make a difference? Take some time to pray, I mean really pray for those you oppose. See them as a person that God sees, pray that they would lead with wisdom and grace and find a way to bring our communities and our country back together again.

I want to make one more point about Jesus’ disciples before I wrap up. You know Judas Iscariot? The well known betrayer of Jesus. Well Jesus loved him too. So much so, that in Matthew 26 verse 50, Judas comes to betray Jesus. There is a whole army of people there to surround him and arrest him and you know what Jesus does? He calls Judas friend. Can you believe that? The man who was literally handing Jesus over to be lead like a lamb to the slaughter house, Jesus could look at and call friend.

I’m no biblical scholar, but I did take some time to really dive into the original meaning of the word friend that was used here. I wanted to know if it was just some greeting we misinterpreted or if he really meant it. In the original Greek it is known to be used for someone who is a “comrade, a friend (a good friend) or a partner.” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon Definition in the Blue Letter Bible App). So Jesus really meant it. Even though he was being betrayed and he knew the suffering ahead, He still looked at Judas like a friend, a good friend.

What a powerful thought. Jesus loved his enemies as his friends, and he didn’t just say it, he put it into practice. Jesus knew Judas would betray him, but he let him be in his circle anyway. Jesus brought unusual people together and gave them a common goal to strive for. He brought value to those society so easily threw away.

Jesus wasn’t an ordinary guy, he was countercultural and handed out grace and love to those he met. Christians today are so far from who Jesus was and is. We argue, waving our political agendas in the name of Jesus. We crush others to get to the top while thinking of all the people we can impact once we’re there. We love those who can love us back and hate those who differ in opinion. Honestly, we’re no better than the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.

But that can change.

I challenge you today to go love like Jesus did. To reach out to the broken expecting nothing in return. To make peace with those on the opposite side of the table. To value your neighbor in the city and to value your neighbor in the country. To love the janitor as well as you love the CEO. I challenge you to read the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. To spend time with Jesus and to learn how to really walk like him.

Wearing the badge of Christianity isn’t something to be taken lightly. It’s not easy, it’s countercultural. If you’re doing it right, people will dislike you, think you’re weird, and maybe even cast you aside. Heck, they threw Jesus on a cross and killed all but one of his disciples, and the one that lived was banished to a deserted island. Yet, each of them entered the kingdom with great welcome because they loved God and others well.

Don’t be a lukewarm Christian, ever changing with the political tides of the day. Don’t lose sight of what God says because it doesn’t seem politically correct to say today. Love others well, but hold your ground, gracefully and respectfully, and then if necessary, flip a few tables.

Leave this post today and go take your faith seriously, because God does. Love God, love others. That’s it.

Peace

Christmas is right around the corner. Gifts. Cookies. Decorations. Everything is in full swing. This year though, Christmas looks a little different. Holiday parties are over zoom, Christmas dinners are socially distanced, and gifts are being shipped all over to friends and family members we can’t gather with.

As the year starts to wrap up, it’s hard to look back on 2020 with an eye of gratitude. Covid has been rampant causing fear and anxiety to be an ever present companion. Racial injustice has gained a spotlight and produced riots and unrest. Countless deaths of favorite actors, athletes, and tv announcers have brought an air of sadness. And that’s all on top of the normal stressors and worries that fill our days.

This holiday season, there’s nothing more important than finding true peace. Not peace for a day or peace for a moment, but true, life changing peace. With 2021 being about as uncertain as the majority of 2020, anxiety and fear are already knocking at the door. But do you want to live another year in fear? Have another year full of worry-filled days and sleepless nights? Personally, I never want another year where the main theme strung throughout is fear. I don’t want any more conversations in which people are so worried about breathing they forget about living.

(Now, please, don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not saying Covid isn’t real or something we should be cautious of, because it is. What I’m saying is, it doesn’t own us. Covid should not have the power over individuals minds and souls as it has.)

In the gospel of John, Jesus gives us an amazing gift. He gives us the gift of peace. True peace. John 14:27 (NLT) says, “I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” True peace comes from resting our minds and hearts on Christ. He can give us a peace that stays with us.

You might be wondering, “That’s great and all, but that’s a lot easier said than done.” Well yes, I agree, but it’s also not as hard as we make it. Later in the scriptures, Paul gives us an instruction manual on how to get this kind of peace in our lives. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT), “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

1. Pray, tell God what you need.
2. THANK HIM for all he has done.
3. Receive Peace

It’s as easy as that. Live a life in conjunction with God. Talk with Him. Tell Him your worries and fears. Tell Him what is on your heart and your mind. Then thank Him. Although it’s hard sometimes, have eyes of gratitude. Think of what God has already done in your life. Be thankful for those you have around you, for the roof over your head, for the ability to even read this blog post. There is so much to be thankful for.

God gave me the idea of this post while in the shower (where all great ideas are born). I had my worship playlist going and a new song popped on, Peace by Hillsong Young and Free. In the song there’s a part that goes like this, “

“There’s a peace far beyond all understanding
May it ever set my heart at ease
What anxiety fails to remember is peace is a promise You keep
Peace is a promise You keep”

Peace is a promise you keep. Let that sink in for a moment. No matter what happens in life, no matter how crazy life gets, or how high our anxiety can be, peace is promised by God. And God keeps His promises.

People often think God promises protection, safety, or an easy life. Unfortunately, from what I know and read, He doesn’t. He actually promises the opposite. John 16:33 (NLT) says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” In the same verse God is letting us know we will have trials and sorrows and life will be hard YET He will supply us with peace.

As we approach this Christmas season and the end of 2020, how will you enter 2021? Will it be with a heart full of anxiety and fear? Or will it be a heart full of a Peace which transcends all understanding? Will you encourage those around you to have eyes of gratitude or will you be the pessimist who only has eyes for fear? God wants us to live life. He wants us to be joyful and grateful. He wants to give us the gift of peace.

Today, take one step. Start a prayer/gratitude journal. Bring your requests to God and thank Him for all he’s done, then freely accept His gift of peace. Turn on some worship music (Peace is a great song to start with) and let God’s peace flow over you. Remind your anxiety that peace is a promise God keeps.

Christmas time is full of gift giving and receiving, so take time to receive this gift from God, and receive it every day as you head into a more restful and peace filled life.

God>Fear

Today, I was listening to Crosspoint Church in Nashville. One of the songs they sang was new to me. With all new songs, I love to listen to the lyrics and really hear them in my life. The song was Promises by Maverick City Music. The second verse goes like this:

God from age to age,
Though the earth may pass away, Your word remains the same
Your history can prove there’s nothing
You can’t do, You’re faithful and True
Though the storms may come and the
Winds may blow I’ll remain steadfast
And let my heart learn when You speak a word it will come to pass

Let those words ring over you for a minute… “Though the storms may come and the winds may blow I’ll remain steadfast…”

I think it’s safe to say we’re in a storm right now. Unfortunately it hasn’t been a light thunderstorm either. It’s felt like an earthquake where we were struck hard at first, but then the after shocks just kept coming and coming. This time has put fear in the heart of many. And not just the slight, maybe there’s monsters in my closet fear, but full fledged scared to leave the house fear.

How do we stay steadfast when the world seems to be full of fear? Fear of death. Fear of sickness. Fear of loss. Someone says something in a differing opinion and now we have a fear of broken friendships. The media has instilled a fear of never having a normal again. The fears keep piling on and at this state in the pandemic America is in full anxiety mode.

As I sat in my living room attending church this morning I kept replaying this song in my head and realized the answer to this overwhelming fear America has was right there in the chorus of the song.

Great is Your faithfulness to me
Great is Your faithfulness to me
From the rising sun to the setting same
I will praise Your name
Great is Your faithfulness to me

I put my faith in Jesus
My anchor to the ground
My hope and firm foundation
He’ll never let me down

God is faithful to us. In the anxiety, in the fear, in the crazy and overwhelming. God is faithful and deserves to be praised. When we put our faith in Jesus, we are anchored to the ground. The storm may come, but we won’t get swept up in it. We sit tight in the arms of God knowing we’re safe and secure. God will never let us down.

When our hearts are tuned to sing God’s praise, fear is chased away. God is the ruler over fear. He rules over the pandemic, over the uncertainty. When our lives are filled with God’s blessing, focusing on Him and His promises our hearts have no room for fear.

In the last few weeks, I’ve been compiling worship music I love and started a playlist on Spotify. Now I’m a girl who loves country music, like give me my boots and Thomas Rhett and I’m a happy woman. But during this time, I’ve found the only true rest for my soul is worship music. My playlist is constantly going, reminding me of God’s promises. Reminding me of His truth, His faithfulness, His steadfastness.

GOD IS THE GOD OVER FEAR.

Psalm 34:4, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.”

Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 46:1-3, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

Luke 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Psalm 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”

And on and on… The Bible gives us so many verses in which God reminds us not to fear. When Peter stepped out of the boat to walk on water, he was capable of doing so until the fear of the storm overtook him. If he had kept his eyes on Jesus, he could have stood on those stormy waves forever.

So my question to you is, where are your eyes? Are they on the news stories, the daily numbers, the unknown school year? Or are they on the Father. The creator of all things. The steadfast rock on which we stand? Is your heart filled with fear of the future or the praises of our King? One brings death and panic, the other brings a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Take time today to really give God your fear. Read through the Psalms and hear David’s heart. Among the uncertainty that David faced, he chose to praise God. To relinquish his hold on fear and grab tight to what he knew was true of our Heavenly Father. Fill your mind with worship music, scripture and prayer. When fear starts to creep in, start singing God’s praises. The devil is a liar who wants us to live in fear, God is truth who gives us peace and freedom from fear. So choose your side, for me, I’m choosing freedom.

Link to song: Promises by Maverick City Music

Corona Virus and Rest

Do you ever have something keep showing up in your life? Like a theme or idea you think God wants you to grasp but it takes a while for you to fully understand? 

This past year has been a bit abnormal to say the least. Quite challenging and frustrating as well. Yet, I have a feeling of curiosity. What exactly is God trying to teach us (or me specifically) in this time? 

As I kept looking, trying to train my mind to see the patterns God was laying in front of me I noticed one word kept coming up. In podcasts I listen to, in books I read, and in so many of the Bible stories I was spending time in. A word I had heard, but never fully understood.

Sabbath. 

This one word has been around for centuries, it used to be a trademark of God’s people, yet I’ve come to understand how miniscule of a priority it has become in today’s society. I don’t Sabbath.Christian’s don’t Sabbath. America doesn’t Sabbath. The world is a constant ball of energy, never taking a break to rest. Truly rest. 

Did you know, “Keep the Sabbath” is the 4th commandment. Exodus 20:8-11 NIV says, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

I’m not a theologian by any means, but I believe God has a reason for the order He gave the Commandments in. 

1. Do not have any other Gods before me.
2. Do not make an idols
3. Do not take the name of the LORD your God in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath day
5. Honor your Father and Mother
6. Do not murder
7. Do not commit adultery
8. Do not steal
9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor
10. Do not covet (envy others)

Notice with me, the first 3 commandments have something to do with how we interact with God directly, how we worship Him and how we honor Him in our lives. The last 6 are how we interact with those God has surrounded us with. It’s how we treat them and value them, being a direct reflection of God himself. When looking at the 4th commandment, Keep the Sabbath, it is in between the two groups. As I was reading through Exodus, I couldn’t help but wonder if God intentionally put the Sabbath as the pivot in the groups. 

What if resting, true Sabbath rest, both directly impacted our relationship and worship of God while also impacting how we reflected God to those around us? 

Think about it, if God can make the world in 6 days (and yes I personally believe it was 6 literal days, but that’s a topic for another time) and He, the Creator of the World, decided He needed rest on the 7th day, who are we to think we can keep going? 

The American culture has told us rest is for the weak and unmotivated, if you want to get ahead you have to work til you’re dead. If you want the promotion, put in the extra hours. You want the scholarship, spend every weekend on the field. But God’s word consistently tells us to rest, to Sabbath. 

How have we lost sight of God’s desires while being so focused on the “American Dream”? 

Yes, Corona Virus is a horrible virus that has taken lives, but it has also caused the World to stop. Part of me believes God is pleading with us to rest. To stop filling our time with things that don’t matter. To get back to being a family, to cooking homemade meals, and take time to get to know your neighbor. I don’t claim to know the plans of God or the reason for why things happen. I’m simply trying to find the good and compare it to what I know is Biblically correct. And to me, corona has given us a chance to reconnect with our need for a Sabbath. 

Don’t be mistaken though, Sabbath does not mean sitting and watching Netflix for 8 hours a day. To truly Sabbath is setting aside a Holy Day for the Lord. This is up to interpretation of the user, but after reading some books and listening to podcasts, and using some Bible study tools a similar shape takes place. 

Sabbath means a day of worship and rest. This might include going to Church, taking a walk, journaling, praying, reading your Bible, drawing/coloring, etc. For everyone, this could look differently. To one person, running is a form of worship, a time to connect with God, to someone else, running is work and is frustrating and is not to be done on a day of rest. For some people, Sabbath is always on a Sunday, for some it’s Sundown Friday to Sundown Saturday, for others it’s a Wednesday or whenever they have off work. It’s what fits in your schedule, with your family, at this time. For most people, this includes no technology, turn off Netflix, stay off social media, and enjoy the beauty God has placed around you. 

This season of abnormal life has been hard. I’ve lost events I was really looking forward to, I’ve missed out on relationships I wanted to build, and I’ve had challenges in my job I’ve had to overcome. But I’ve also spent more dinners at home than originally planned, I’ve had time to really journal and dig into God’s Word, and I’ve taken more walks with my Husband than my pre-covid schedule would have allowed. 

I have not perfected Sabbath, in fact, I’m nowhere near close, but I will try. Every week I will attempt my best to honor God and Keep the Sabbath. 

As Annie F. Downs once said, “If you have a bad Christmas, you don’t cancel Christmas, you try again the next year. Do the same with Sabbath.”

I challenge you, during this time of slow-down, find time to Sabbath. Work it into your routine as a priority this week. If you’re worried you can’t take a whole day, try for a block of hours. As you see the benefits of resting in God, I promise you, you’ll want to continue to add hours to the Sabbath. Give yourself grace in practicing and maybe take some time to dig into the resources below or find some of your own. 

If you would like more information about Sabbath I’ve found the following resources very helpful. 

• Garden City by John Mark Comer
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry  by John Mark Comer
• Soul Rest by Curtis Zachery
• That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs (Podcast), episodes January 2018 Rhythms: Sabbath & John Mark Comer, John Eldredge Talks Nature and Sabbath, Episode 183: Jefferson Bethke
• BibleStudyTools.com article on Sabbath

Sabbath Practice Suggestions

• Download a sermon from another church (Elevation Church, Crosspoint Church in Nashville are two of my favorites) and enjoy listening to it
• Go for a walk and thank God for the beauty you notice, or pray for the people you pass. 
• Tap into your artistic side and paint/draw/color while listening to a worship album (Elevation Church, Bethel Music, Hillsong are some amazing places to get started)
• Grab your Bible and read a story in a new version with the YouVersion Bible App
• Find a book and enjoy some coffee while reading
• Write encouraging notes to those you know around you who could use a little pick me up

Do what you feel will draw you near to God while also providing rest for your soul. Sabbath is a day to connect with God, not catch up on laundry or work or binge watch your favorite shows. Leave a comment with your favorite Sabbath Activities!

Disclaimer: I’m an independent writer who just loves to share what I love with others. I don’t get any proceeds from any of the books, podcasts, or apps listed above.

Falling Behind

If I’m being brutally honest with myself, I feel like I’m behind. I’m 23, have yet to be in a relationship lasting longer than seven months, I don’t have a full time job, and I am living in the spare bedroom of my parents house. To some, you may agree, I am behind. To others, I might be right where you were or are. But as I look at myself, feeling as if I’m failing, feeling as if I’m behind, and working so hard to catch up with everyone else my age, I realize, I’m not behind at all.

You may think I’m contradicting myself since I just told you I feel behind, but feeling behind and being behind are two completely different things. In college, I was always at the front of life. I felt I had a handle on my classes, my work, my friends, etc. I was a leader, a go-getter, on the fast track to a successful career. At the time, I felt life was pretty well figured out. I got the internship I wanted after college and started the independent lifestyle by moving out on my own to a new state with nothing but God, my belongings and a whole lot of hope. Yet fast forward a year and a half and here I am, back with my parents working part time in a job that has nothing to do with my degree.

I often ask myself how this happened. How did I go from being so driven and so set on goals to now feeling like I’ve lost it all. One word I’ve come to find sums it up pretty well. Fear. I wanted the next thing but I was afraid of doing the wrong thing. I was in an internship and wanted a full-time job so I jumped ship at the first full-time job offered to me, knowing the market was competitive and fearing no other jobs would be offered my way. I wanted a relationship so I dove deep and allowed a guy to become my identity, fearing this was the best I could get, yet knowing full well he wasn’t the best guy for me. I wanted acceptance and titles, so I gave every free minute I had to every organization I could. I continually strove for the next best thing, never relishing in the moments I had, always fearful I would let someone down if I simply told them no or did what was best for myself.

This realization was partly why I wrote last weeks blog which you can find here. But I also believe it’s why I’m floundering so hard right now trying to figure my life out. The reality of it is, I loved the internship I was doing. It was in my career field, in the exact department I wanted to work in. I knew the consequences of leaving included not being able to use those people as references, yet; I let the fear of failure and the fear of the future get the best of me.

Now, I wake up every day and go to a job that although has its perks, is not my full-time career goal. As much as I would like to go back to what I love doing, there’s a part of me that stays where I’m at because I’m fearful of the failure again. The failure of a broken heart. The failure of a wrong career choice. The failure of letting people down. But as I think of these failures I’m reminded of one of my favorite Francis Chan quotes:

The reality of it is, what matters in this life, what really truly matters, is not at what age I get married, or what career I have, but what impact I make for Christ in the lives of those around me. Micah 6:8 states, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

If I never get married, work a mundane job or never reach true financial wealth, but live every day acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God then I will NEVER be behind. By the world’s standards, maybe I will be, but the world’s standards stopped defining me the second I became a Child of God.

As always, this is easier said than done. It’s the reason I have to write it down and remind myself, and it’s the reason the Bible has many repeated phrases throughout. But the more we remind ourselves, the more we start to apply it and the more we start to believe it.

In conclusion, let me ask you a question — Who’s standards are you living by? Are you measuring yourself up to other people and their successes in life, or are you engaging with God’s word and fulfilling what it’s asking you to do? At the end of the day, there is no correct measure of success but rather individual stories taking unique routes to wherever God has designed them to be.

Stop judging yourself. Stop comparing yourself. And start living the life God has uniquely designated for you.

Embrace Today

“Wherever you are, be all there.” – Jim Elliot

During my college years, one of my bosses challenged us with this phrase. Asked us what it meant to “be all there,” at the time my answer was easy, enjoy college. Don’t wish for the next stage of life, just enjoy where I was at that day. But as I’ve graduated and spent a couple years in the workforce, I’ve come to realize just how important this phrase really is.

“Wherever you are, be all there.” 

Every day I get up and go to work. At that time I have a choice to make, I can drag my feet through the day and wish I were working full-time in my desired career field, or I can “be all there” and embrace the people I’m surrounded with and the job I have right now. I can choose to be annoyed by the elementary kids who don’t behave, or I can choose to “be all there” and listen to their stories, laugh at their jokes, give them hugs, and make them feel loved. When I go to my afternoon coaching or my high school youth group, I can choose to put up with the girls knowing it’s an extra paycheck or a good deed to do, or I can be a listening ear, an encouragement, an older sister type mentor, or whatever it is they need. I can “be all there.”

Too often, I hear people (my self included) wishing to time travel to some other stage of life. They wish to go back to the good old days where their family was all together around the kitchen table, or where their college friends were right down the hall. They wish to fly to the future, having their spouse, career, or own family all figured out. Some wish for retirement or a new location. Whatever it is you find yourself wishing for, I challenge you to ask yourself — In the midst of my wishing, am I still “all here.”

You see, when we wish for the future or the past we often neglect the present. We don’t see the neighbors, students, patients, or others right in front of us. We fail to realize who we are right now is needed right here right now. Maybe my future spouse won’t come along for another few years, or maybe not at all, but if I neglect my opportunity to love on the elementary kids I see every day and the volleyball girls and youth group girls I have the chance to lead, then I’m wasting my time. If every Sunday I’m not “all there” with those girls, then I’m depriving them of the opportunity to have a leader who is fully invested in their lives.

Let me take this one step further, when “being all there” that means ALL: mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc. This doesn’t mean being with someone and being on your phone wishing you were with someone else. This doesn’t mean being at church but thinking about the pile of work sitting on your desk at home. This doesn’t mean showing up at your kids soccer game but wishing you were at home with a good book. No, this means be engaged, be involved, be THERE. 

The other day, I had my volleyball team over for an end of the season cookout. Yes the 7th graders are crazy, but I love those girls. As they were all hanging out in the living room, my mom pointed out something wonderful — all nine girls were laughing, talking, and enjoying each others company WITHOUT any phones. Not one. It was such a refreshing sight to see these girls being able to have real conversations and to know they were “all there.”

These days, I think America could use to be a little more “there.” Put the phone down. Listen to the conversation. Better yet, turn the phone off for a while. Understand the emails will get answered in time, the social media world will survive without an extra like or favorite, but kids can’t go with out a present parent or teacher or coach. Go out with a group of friends and be there, be an invested friend not a distracted one. Go to a kids sporting event and be there, not just physically, but mentally, without the work phone.

When we start being where we are, not the future, not the past, not in the technological world, but right here right now with those who are with us in this moment, imagine the impact we could have. Imagine the problems that would dissipate when we started being fully present in the lives we lead. So…

“Wherever you are, be all there.” – Jim Elliot

Blessed to be Stressed

I’ve put off writing a new blog for a while, simply because so much is going on right now I didn’t know exactly what to write about. On one hand, life is exciting and new but on the other hand I’m stressed and worn out, hoping for the path I’m supposed to take to show itself soon.

I’m at the stage in life where change is inevitable and as much as I love new adventures, I’ve found I’m one who loves routine and familiarity. In the last couple weeks I’ve left my full-time job and moved 12 hours away into my parents house so I can start my Masters degree.

Being back with my family is amazing, I love being able to invest in my sister, hang out with my dad, and do life with my mom. Yet, starting over is never easy. My friends seem to be everywhere in the U.S. but here, my boyfriend and I are joining the multitude of long distance couples relying on FaceTime dates and nightly phone calls to make the distance seem smaller, and the job market seems to be as dry as the Sahara Desert.

And as the days drag on, my stress level increases.

Grad school, car payments, insurance, you name it, the bills are hitting hard and my income is non-existent.

And as much as I’d like to say I’m calm about it all, I’ve seemed to internalize the stress, resulting in an exhausted emotional tank.

You might be wondering why I’m telling you all this, but the truth is, we’ve all been here. We’ve all been to the point where we’ve exhausted our emotional tank. We think we’ve run out of options, we’ve hit that wall and we don’t know what to do. And if you haven’t, without sounding like a debbie downer, I’m sure at one point in your life you will.

The most encouraging thing I’ve found during this time though, is my authenticity with God and my reliance on Him has grown.

When you have no control over what happens in your life and you’ve hit your emotional end, who better to turn to than the one who created you and knows exactly how to fill the empty tank?

I can apply to jobs day in and day out, but I cannot control who calls me back and who leaves my application on read. I can bottle up all my feelings and worries and stresses inside, or I can express them to the one who can actually take care of them. For me, that seems like an easy choice.

By focusing on what I can control and leaving the rest up to God, I’ve found a sense of peace in the madness of uncertainty. If God opened the door to Michigan and being with my family, He will provide an income and the friends I need.

Matthew 6:25-32 states:

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

God cares about us more than we can even imagine. He knows our needs. He isn’t surprised by my grad school bills or lack of a job, so why am I worrying that He will not provide. God is our provider (Phil. 4:19). It’s one of His names. It’s part of His nature. So why do I doubt? What is worrying going to solve? Absolutely nothing.

In times of uncertainty, hardship, insecurity, or wherever you’re at, we must learn to rely on God. Study His names. Know who He is. Memorize His promises. Because He will not fail us. He will not disappoint. And all we need to do is trust.

So as I go into this week, still staring bills and job uncertainties in the face, I will trust in the one who provides. I will know He has it under control and I will chose to rest in His peace and the truth of His word.

God will provide. It may not be in the way we imagined or in the way we hoped but He will provide. For He has promised to do so and God does not lie.

Take the weight off your shoulders, fill your emotional tank, and find your peace in the only one who can guarantee it will be given to you.

Do you really deserve it?

Have you ever given a gift to someone and instead of them saying “thank you” or showing appreciation for the gift, they take it as if it was something they always deserved and you were just finally getting around to giving it to them? If you have, you understand how frustrating this is, if you haven’t, I assure you, live long enough and you will.

Blame participation trophies, government handouts, or whatever you wish, but our culture and generation has started to believe everything is entitled to them. They don’t need to work or earn anything. It’s the “I got a degree, so now I deserve a bosses paycheck” mentality and it’s ripping apart the work ethic and the gratitude of our society.

Unfortunately, the issue of entitlement and lack of gratitude isn’t a new issue. It may have been classified as something different back in Biblical times, but in Luke 17:11-19, Jesus faces the same issue:

¹¹ Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy^[a] met him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” ¹⁴ When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

In this story, Jesus saw the men with leprosy and had pity on them — they weren’t entitled to healing, they didn’t work for healing, they simply were blessed with Jesus’ pity and love. Yet, only one of the ten returned to say thank you for the gift of healing he had been given. Jesus saved these ten men from being outcasts in their society, they were able to rejoin their families and friends. They could be a part of the working class again and no longer have to beg for a livelihood. Not only did Jesus give them healing, he restored their status and their families, yet they still did not say thank you.

What I find interesting is the one that did come back and say thank you was a foreigner. Back in the times of Jesus, the Samaritans were despised by the Jews, so as Jesus healed the men, I wonder how many were Jews and how many were Samaritans. Did this man come back and say thank you because he knew Jesus was a Jew and therefore it was even more of a statement and miracle that Jesus chose to have grace on him? No one would have questioned Jesus’ choice to heal the Jews, but a Samaritan was a whole other story. Maybe the others felt they were entitled to Jesus’ healing powers, after all, if they’re of same cultural backgrounds they were supposed to have an upper hand in society. But does that make it right to ignore the gift given and go on without gratitude?

Do we as American’s tend to feel entitled to all that is given to us? As Christians do we just figure since we prayed the prayer once we are entitled to the grace given and forget to say thank you to Christ for his sacrifice and his daily grace? Or do we truly appreciate every gift that is given to us? Do we have an attitude of gratitude, never letting an act of service or a gift be given without a thank you?

Honestly, it’s easy to get into a rhythm of entitlement. Our society surrounds us with images and messages that we deserve everything and it’s our right to have what we want. But God’s society teaches us to live life knowing we deserve nothing, yet are given everything because of God’s grace, mercy, and love for us.

Jonah 4 is another perfect example of our entitled mindset. In this chapter of the book, Jonah is sitting in the hot desert sun, God provides a source of shade for him to sit under, but then some bugs come along and eat the leaves causing the plant to no longer provide shade. Jonah becomes furious with God because he no longer has shade and once again is out in the blistering sun. Yet what did Jonah do to deserve the shade? Instead of seeing the shade as a gift from God that was graciously given and can be taken away at any time, Jonah felt he was entitled to the shade and it was God’s duty to provide it to him.

If you don’t believe you’re living an entitled life, think through these few examples:

Your janitor takes out your trash every day, they miss a day because they were busy doing something else…do you help them out and take out your own trash or do you get frustrated because they didn’t find the time to take it out? When was the last time you thanked the janitor for keeping the office clean?

You’re on a team and your team goes out for dinner or for an activity, do you gratefully appreciate wherever they chose to go, or do you complain because it’s not the exact place you wanted to go? Do you complain about the driving of the coaches or do you appreciate the money spent on getting a car so the team gets to go out on fun adventures and isn’t stuck in the hotel all weekend?

When you continue to pray a prayer, but God choses to respond in a different way than you asked, are you appreciative for the response and thankful for a God who cares enough to listen, or do you get upset and abandon your faith because you felt entitled to the result you didn’t get?

Whatever it is you feel you are entitled to, realize everything in this life is a gift. We aren’t entitled to God’s grace, His grace is a gift given to us. If He choses to extend judgement instead of grace, we shouldn’t be upset because we don’t deserve anything but judgement.

So please stop living an entitled life. Live a life full of gratitude. If someone does something for you, say thank you. Say thank you a hundred times a day, to the cashier, the waitress, the janitor, to whomever it is you tend to take for granted. Don’t be like Jonah or the nine ungrateful lepers. Be thankful for the shade and the healing God has given you, and if it’s taken away, say thank you for the time it was given. Be grateful and see everything as a gift. I promise you, your life will become a million times brighter when you do.