Spiritual Toughness

On the day I called, You answered me;

You incrased strength within me.

Psalm 138:3



As I came across this passage today in my devotion I was flooded with new insight and application.  I'd read this verse so many times before today in other devotions and in my daily Bible readings through the years.  But today God struck a different chord within me as I read it.  I immediately recognized that familiar tugging of the Holy Spirit, opening my eyes to see the truth encapsulated within this verse. 

As I contemplated the meaning of this verse throughout the day I could see its application in our lives.  Though we are blessed beyond belief, personally we have been going through a tough season in our lives.  I won't go into the sordid details as this isn't what I wish to point out in this blog.  Suffice it to say, as many of our close friends know, we are in a season of difficult times due to Scott's father's deteriorating condition.  In addition, my own Father has major health issues that are urgent and life threatening, but refusing to get medical help.  On top of all of this, Scott and I are facing challenges on other fronts as well.  Sometimes it can become quite overwhelming...causing me in particular to bend and melt under pressure.  However, sympathy is not what I desire from this blog entry.  Instead, I wish to convey a message of hope and truth that God has placed upon my heart...a message that was sorely needed today...a message found within the comforting words of Psalm 138:3.

All of us face constant challenges in our lives.  Everyone has their own unique set of troubles, setbacks, problems, and crisis.  Some are facing much worse situations than Scott and I.  And yet when we are challenged sometimes beyond what we think we are able to bear, we have a promise from God Himself...that when we call out to Him, He WILL INCREASE OUR STRENGTH!  This is the promise I found most hopeful today.  This is the promise I now cling to. 

We may not understand why we must suffer in this life.  But it's not our place to ask why...He is the potter, we are only the clay.  We must remember that our viewpoint is limited to our finite knowledge of the here and now.  His viewpoint is unobstructed - He is the One who was, is, and is to come - therefore He has an infinite view of all things past, present, and future from His heavenly vantage point.  And though we may not see our way out of our problems or sufferings, He does.  He knows how circumstances are going to play out before they ever unfold.  He knows how we'll react, what we'll say, what we think, and what we'll do.  For me, this is a comforting thought - all the more reason to trust in Him and call to Him for strength in times of distress.

God doesn't delight in our sufferings.  In fact, He loves us so much that His heart breaks for us.  We simply live in a fallen world where no one is immune from crime, disease, and suffering.  It's what we do with the 'stuff' that happens to us that makes a difference.  We can rely on God for strength to get through the crisis, coming out a stronger person than ever before - allowing the refining fire of our sufferings to mold us ever more into God's image!  Or, we can give up, allowing the circumstances to overcome us - pushing us further away from being the person God is calling us to be - a person of spiritual toughness. 

 

Yes, God can rescue us if He so chooses from our troubles and problems. However, for whatever PERFECT reason He has, sometimes we must go through crisis.  Yet He promises to hear us when we cry out to Him. And when we do, we can count on Him to be with us each step of the way, never abandoning us, and giving us the strength needed to make it through ... even through the valley of the shadow of death.

The only way to develop spiritual toughness is in the fires of life.  The only way to make it through the fires of life is with God's strength.  Only He can increase our strength to the proper levels to survive the trials of this world.  I am thankful for His infinite resources that are always only a prayer away!

I do not mean to minimize nor trivialize the sufferings anyone is experiencing.  Some trajedies are unbearable.  But I pray that you will find comfort and strength in God, especially during times like this.  Know that He is already by your side as you face the unbearable - offering comfort, peace, and strength.

And when we are hit by hard times, we can assume the position of greatest strength - on our knees, laying prostrate before the Cross!

Grace and peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy

GLORY!

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”



13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:8-14

Glory to God in the highest!  Peace and good will toward men!  Celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  Singing praises to Him!  Hallelujah! 

Thankful for so many things this Christmas, but most of all for the hope and salvation we have in Christ Jesus! 

Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas and the most happiest of New Years! 

Grace and peace, friends!   
In His Love, Cathy

Taking the Lower Position

“When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

"Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.   Luke 4:8-10

My husband is one of the most humble of men I know.  He's no push over, mind you, but he's also no attention seeker.  As he puts it, he likes to work behind the scenes.  He has a gift of teaching but he also has a gift of serving others.  He frequently puts the interest of others before his own and never once desires recognition for anything he does.  One of his most notable quotes in our family is, "Remain humble."  Now before you think I'm putting my husband up on a spiritual pedastal, like everyone else, he's only human and prone to err - after all, he's a man...JK!  However, his heart is in the right place and his biggest desire is to serve God.

As we were talking over coffee this morning, (my coffee not his because he doesn't drink coffee,) he brought up his take on living a godly life...love God first, love others, and take the lower position.    As I listened to my husband explain, I had an 'Aha!' moment.  Of course, we know we are to love God first and to love others (even our enemies). But the third requirement of taking the lower position wasn't quite as clear to me until my husband further elaborated.  He referenced Luke 4:8-10 in explaining the meaning.  After listening to my husband's clarification I felt that familiar nudge of the Holy Spirit telling me...this is good stuff so blog it!  And that, my friends, is what I will attempt to do.  I hope to convey to you what he conveyed to me in fresh, simple terms. 

We all know that pride is a sin and it is something we all struggle with on a personal level.  The Pharisees and the Sadducees had spiritual pride.  They loved the attention their position in the Jewish community gave them.  They felt that they deserved the rank, honor, and prestige that was due their position.  However, Jesus saw deep into their heart and saw the truth...they were filled with spiritual pride.  Jesus said of them, "Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’" (Matthew 3:5-7)

The Jewish people looked up to these religious elitists and took their word as God's.  These men who enjoyed the status of their positions and false piety, lorded over the people adding legalistic practices that burdened the people instead of leading them to God.  In Matthew 3:8-10, Jesus said, “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah." 

Jesus Christ made it clear that ONLY HE was worthy to be called Teacher and Rabbi - in other words He ALONE is the head of the Church and all within the Body of Christ are under HIS ULTIMATE AUTHORITY!  What this means for us is that we have a DIRECT  line to Christ.  There is no one between us and Him.  Each of us are able to have a one-on-one relationship with God!  Therefore, there is NO ROOM for spiritual pride because NO ONE can boast on his or her own works!  Even our salvation isn't earned, but a FREE gift from Christ Jesus!   

Spiritual pride is blinding.  It blinded the Pharisees and Sadducees from recognizing Jesus's true identity as the long promised Messiah - the ONE and ONLY SON of God.  Spiritual pride can blind us as well - to see ourselves as bigger than we should be and cause us to stumble in our faith if left unchecked. Even mature Christians can be tripped by spiritual pride.  I know - I've been fooled by it myself!

The only way to avoid spiritual pride is to remain humble - to take the lower position.  Humility isn't weakness.  In fact it takes a strong person of faith with Christ's help to remain humble...to restrain oneself from the temptations of spiritual pride.  Humility is quite simply thinking of oneself in proper perspective to God and others.  It's not demeaning yourself as a person, but rather, confidently knowing your identity in Christ and living in such a way that His love permeates your being so much that you are able to love others as He does - and then act on that love.  Humility is the created recognizing and wholly yielding to the Creator.  Humility knows how to stand up in faith, confront in love, and disciple others with compassion - while looking out for their best ETERNAL interest. 

The traits of humility are outlined throughout the Scriptures - both in the Old and New Testament.  I've only outlined some of the traits of humility that really stood out for me this morning in our discussion.

• Humility only boasts in the Lord, not on itself.  As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 10:17    In other words, boast in what GOD is doing.  Sure, we have to contribute some elbow grease in living for Him, but ultimately, He rightly gets the credit and glory - not us!  Paul says that if we do boast, to boast in our weaknesses so that others can SEE how God is working through us DESPITE our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).  Think of the POWERFUL TESTIMONY we have for Christ if would would boast of our weaknesses!  Besides, humble people have no need to boast on themselves, their wealth, or their position because, quite frankly, that's not in their DNA.  Most often, their good reputation proceeds them anyway, causing those who know them to naturally respect and honor them.     
• Humility doesn't exalt itself.  "I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:14   In fact, Jesus says that if we desire greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven, then we must become the least!  But I wonder how many of us would be satisfied working behind the scenes with little or no recognition?  How many of us would be willing to give up our seat at the table so that others would be able to sit and eat?  How many of us would continue to serve God whether anyone of importance noticed or not?  How many of us simply serve out of love, when there isn't anything we can gain?  How many of us willingly do the jobs that no one else wants to do?  I know people who are humble and consistently serve with joy and gladness - never seeking attention nor serve for personal gain.  I sincerely admire those people. 
• Humility is unselfish and looks out for others.  Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:3-4  Our motivation should be born out of an unselfish heart, one filled with love and desire to serve Him.  We must love others as Christ did and act out of that love.   Keeping our motivation in check by  surrendering our hearts to Christ moment by moment is the antedote to pride and selfish living.
• God favors the humble.  What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? 6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,“God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”  7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  James 4:5-7   Not only does God favor the humble, but he gives us all that we need to remain humble and flee evil desires - even pride.  Pride was Satan's downfall - he desired the same status as God.  Spiritual pride can come between God and us.  Therefore, He will even oppose us when we have spiritual pride in order to discipline and restore our relationship with Him. 
• God honors the humble.  Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.  James 9:10   Humility requires that we recognize our own sin, confess it before God, repent, and seek forgiveness.  Then, God will answer our request giving us all that we need to live humbly.  What's more, God honors the humble - though we may not be honored in this world, God will honor us.  So be patient.  Remain steadfast.  And rest assured that all things He promises will come about in His perfect timing.

We must be thankful for whatever good things God blesses us with in this life - including times we are honored or rewarded.  But we must receive all such blessings, honor, wealth, position, and good gifts with total humility...accepting such things with a thankful heart and always ready to give away that which we have received.  Most importantly, we must remain humble, not boasting upon ourselves or our own works - for we are nothing and have nothing aside from Jesus Christ.  Instead let us boast in what the Lord is doing despite our weaknesses - pointing others to the cross with our testimony.     

Thankful for my husband who has taught me the importance of taking the lower position in life.  I'm learning how to remain humble. 

Grace and peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy

Overcoming the Overwhelming

"But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happend in the prison. The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed." Genesis 39:21-23 (NLT)


As I was having my quiet time this morning, I came across the story of Joseph, specifically, the story of how he was wrongly accused by Potiphar's wife and then thrown into prison. No trial, no lawyer, no hope. Joseph was wronged, no doubt about it. It wasn't the first time. He had also been wronged by his brothers and sold into slavery which is what landed him in Egypt, in Potiphar's home as a slave. Instead of succombing to his circumstances, he trusted God. He didn't give up. The Bible says that the "LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did." (Genesis 39:2) As a result, "Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did." Genesis 39:3

After being arrested, Joseph could have just given up. Thrown in the towel, convinced that the world was out to get him, that he couldn't win for losing. Do you ever feel this way sometimes? When it just seems that nothing goes your way and everyone has it in for you? I would be less than truthful if I claimed to never feel that way. I think we all experience this from time to time. I have especially experienced this in tough situations God brought me through this year. I guess that's why God brought me to Joseph's story today.

As I prayed over and studied this scripture, God impressed upon me to look at Joseph's response. Instead of giving into hopelessness, he leaned on God. He continued to do his best at everything that was given to him, no matter how big or small the task was. And once again, though imprisoned with no hope of ever being released, "...The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed." Genesis 39:23 (NLT)

Like Joseph, are you facing a hopeless situation? Are you struggling in an area of your life in which nothing seems to go your way? Has someone wronged you? Is there something that has happened at home, work, or school that you don't think you can overcome? Has your reputation or integrity been called into question? Have you been falsely accused or betrayed?

If so, we can respond as Joseph did. Lean on Christ. Pray and seek his help. Be faithful and obedient. Do your best at every task no matter how big or how small, whether it's appreciated or not. Do so WITHOUT COMPLAINT. Trust God to turn your situation around. God will see your efforts, hear your prayers, and He can reverse overwhelming circumstances to your favor. RELY on HIM. And if He doesn't change the circumstances, He will bring you through it. God can use our circumstances, hardships, and trials to spiritually transform our character to be more Christlike. And what's more...through YOU others can see God's great power working in your circumstances. Seeing your faith in action and God's work, others may come to know Jesus Christ as Savior.

Just one last word of encouragement, turn your circumstances over to God. Trust Him to take care of you according to His plan. He is faithful and just.

"Give your burdens to the Lord,and he will take care of you.He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." Psalm 55:21-23

I pray for God's peace upon you today, in whatever circumstances you are in.

In His Love, Cathy

The Extraordinary in the Ordinary

I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel.  Ezekiel 39:29

My devotional this morning made an interesting point:  on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples in the upper room of an ordinary house.  Had this happened while they were in the Temple, perhaps we would have associated that the Holy Spirit was limited to sacred places.  After all, that is the way it had been under the Old Testament system.  You see, up to that time the people relied on the priests to petition God on their behalf.  It was the priests who offered sacrifices provided by the people for atonement of sins.  It was only a selected priest who could enter the Holy of Holies.

However, all of this changed the moment Jesus Christ came into the world.  God sent His beloved Son, His ONLY Son to be born into the most ordinary and simple of families.  Christ grew up with an ordinary childhood as the earthly son of a carpentar.  When He began His ministry on earth, He picked ordinary guys - fishermen, commoners, tax collectors - some not well educated, others hated by society.  These guys were living an ordinary life until their lives intersected with Jesus Christ.  Jesus took these ordinary men and they became extraordinary through Christ!

Though Jesus did preach and teach in the synagogues and in the Temple, He was mostly found among the ordinary people - healing the sick, lame, blind, and deaf - teaching them the things of God.  His message was rejected by those who considered themselves 'sacred.'  Jesus made it clear that His message wasn't for the elite few, but that He came to rescue ALL men and women, offering Himself as a sacrifice for their sins!  And on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit wasn't reserved as a spiritual luxury for the outwardly pious elite - but was poured out on ordinary people, His followers, who were in the Upper Room of a most ordinary house.

On that day, the extraordinary came to the ordinary! 

With God, it's not about location, location, location.  It's about our personal relationship with Him.  He takes us just as we are - no matter our past.  Once we turn to Christ, He sends His Holy Spirit to live in our hearts.  We have the promise that His Holy Spirit will NEVER leave us!  He is with us everywhere and in every moment!

Today, invite the extraordinary to permeate the ordinary of your life.  Tune in to the Holy Spirit even in the most mundane moments of your day.  Know that He is always with you!   

Grace and peace, friends!
In His Love, Cathy

Lead

So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different.  Whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:42-45

There is a scene in The Polar Express where the conductor punches the word "LEAD" on the ticket of the little girl.  She mispronounces it as led with a short 'e,' ...as in a lead weight.  He quickly corrects her and pronounces it as lead, with a long 'e', as in leadership. 

So what does leadership look like in the Body of Christ?

Much has been written about servant-leadership over the last few years.  I'm not going to rehash all that has already been said on the topic of servant-leadership, but as I studied this passage in my daily Bible reading I realized that the following characteristics are a must for Christians who lead:

1.  Humility - (You must have the same attitude as Christ Jesus had.  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8)

2. Righteous Motivation - (The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases. People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.  Proverbs 21:1-3)

3. Be Unselfish, Look Out for Others - (Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.  Philippians 2:3-4)

4.  Self Control - (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:22-24)

5.  Good Reputation - (He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. 1 Timothy 3:7)

6.  Submission to God and One Another - (Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Ephesians 5:21)

7  God is First and Foremost - (“I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. You must not have any other god but me.  In summation, those who wish to be great among us must become the least...But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on thosewho love me and obey my commands."  Exodus 20:3-4, 6)

8.  Love - (“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.   Matthew 22:36-38)

But what if you have no plans or desire to lead? 

Well,  these same qualities that Christ laid out for leadership in His church actually apply to all Believers - even those who do not wish to or are not called to lead.  The qualities mentioned here simply lay the foundation for Christian character.  Without these basic character traits, leadership in the Church would be no different from leadership in the world.

But WE are different. 

WE are called to higher standards. 

WE are all to exhibit these basic qualities as Christ's followers if  WE are to LEAD others to the cross.

And though we do not all have the gift of leadership, He still commands all of us to go out and make disciples of the nations - using the talents and abilities He's given to do so!     

So we can ... lead in Christ!

Grace and peace!

In His Love, Cathy