Challenge # 5 - Meal Ministry

There have been many things in my life that have ministered to me and blessed me beyond words. One of those things was the simple kindness of a meal. After I had my stroke I was unable to handle my normal day to day household responsibilities. I had so many beautiful friends and family who came alongside my family and made meals for us. For six months we were blessed rotten by various people providing meals. I can not tell you how much not having to worry about my next meal in a time of crisis blessed my heart. So this month’s challenge stems from my experience being overwhelmingly blessed by the ministry of a meal.

This challenge is for you to in some way provide a meal for two individuals this month. Maybe that means that you buy a coworker lunch for “no reason” or that you make a meal for an elderly neighbor. Maybe you call up a friend and invite her out for breakfast just for a time of encouragement. You could invite a family from your church or your neighborhood over to share dinner with your family. You may be bold enough to provide a bag lunch to a homeless person in your town, or pay for the lunch of the person standing behind you in the fast food line. This challenge can take place in many different ways. I encourage you to get creative with this challenge. I specifically made this challenge for two individuals, so if you do one meal for a family of four, then you have already gone above and beyond the expectation here. Keep in mind that when I set the guidelines for the challenges I do so knowing that we still have other obligations and I try to keep them well within the realm of doable. I want these challenges to be a blessing to you as well as for those who are on the receiving end of them. I have no intention of setting lofty goals only to fall short before we even get started.

I encourage you to bless two people this month with a meal. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just please be sure you are doing it with a loving spirit. No one likes to be labeled a charity case. Pour out an abundance of love with a little bit of food and you will not only bless someone, you will find yourself blessed as well. Blessings to you as you bless others!

Our Voice Of Action

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”1 John 3:18

The old saying that says, “actions speak louder than words” has so much truth to it. Sometimes the best thing we can say in a situation is nothing at all, simply show love through our actions. Often times our loving actions will speak volumes above and beyond what our words ever could in certain situations. The word of God encourages us to love not through our words, but through our actions.

Beautiful Example
“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:36 - 38 & 47

A beautiful example of loving through actions was shown by the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with oil after washing them with her tears and then wiping them with her hair. Her actions turned Jesus’ heart to have compassion on her. Her actions were flowing from a heart of love which was very apparent to Jesus. Scripture does not state whether or not this woman even spoke to Jesus, but I tend to envision her as the silent type. She allowed her actions, driven by love, to do the talking for her. It is examples like this that minister to the very core of others.

There are individuals out there who need to see God’s love in action. It breaks my heart to see those individuals who have been wounded by the words of others and often times those very words were not even intentional. But intentional or not, wounds were created and in some cases deep scars have occurred. For some of these individuals, they have given up on listening. This is when our actions can play a vital role in displaying Christ to those whom have been wounded. It can be easy to ignore or tune out what someone is saying to us. But it is very difficult to ignore the love someone is showing us. The images of love put into action become imprinted in the mind and are not so easily forgotten. When love in action is poured out on someone, it pulls at their heart strings. Sometimes it can be these very premeditated acts of love that can bring someone to the saving arms of Jesus Christ. What a beautiful thought! I want to encourage you today to step out and shower love on someone through your actions. It could be a neighbor, a relative, a coworker, or even a complete stranger, but whomever you show God's’ love to, do it for the sake of loving and for no other reason. Do not plan to show “love” to someone and expect to get something in return. This is not how Jesus operates. Christ came to lay down His life for us knowing full well we could never repay Him for this love put into action. When our love put into action is genuine and from the heart, it will impact the lives of others more then we may ever know. I know countless stories of people who poured out love into the lives of others expecting nothing in return. They never knew the impact they had on those individuals, but the rich heritage they started in the hearts of those they served impacted generations. My family is a product of the rich heritage of love put into action. I am so grateful to those who loved for the sake of loving, expecting nothing in return. Love put into action will impact many for eternity!  

Lord, I pray that you teach us to show your love through our actions. Your word tells us not to love in word or speech but in action and in truth. Let your love flow through us in such a way that others may see you in us, not so they merely hear about who you are, but they see who you are. We desire to live out your love in action and in truth toady. Lord, send us people along our paths that we can pour out your love upon today. Let us be a vessel of love to those around us each and every day.

A Mother's Commission

The responsibilities of motherhood are vast, and even more so of Christian mothers. In this post we will discuss just some of the many responsibilities Christian mothers face in raising up the little ones they have been entrusted with.  

Putting God First

The very first and most important responsibility as a mom is that we are to love the Lord with all that we are. This will set the precedence for who our children will become. When we put God first it brings about a whole host of benefits in our relationships with those around us, especially our relationships with our husband and children.

“Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37

Putting Our Husband Second

The next in importance is the relationship we have with our husband. If that relationship is ascue, then it can really be counterproductive for our children’s spiritual growth. I truly believe that God has established an order within the kingdom and it is within this order that things will operate the most effective and efficient. This order directly translates to the home. As women it is our job to make sure our relationships stay in the proper priority, God first, our husband second, then our children, and then all others. When we put our children over our husband or even worse, our children over both our husband and God then we can expect nothing less than chaos to develop in our home. When we keep the proper order, then it brings stability to our home and security to our children. I want to discuss what that relationship with our husband should look like for just a moment.  

Love Our Husbands

“...urge the younger women to love their husbands…” Titus 2:4

We are commissioned to love our husbands! God has given us such a precious gift of our husband and it is so important that we remember just how precious he is. Yes, there are going to be difficult times. They come to every marriage, but it is important that we keep the perspective that he is a gift from God and that we married him because we loved him. Love is not a feeling, it is an action and there is no better way to put love into action then in the marriage relationship. We can never go wrong investing in the lives of our spouse. Because the kingdom of God is about loving others, we are actually investing in the kingdom when we pour out love on our husband. Hence, one of the many reasons people will say our ministry begins at home.

Submit To Our Husbands

Paul Writes:

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:21-24

I want to bring some clarity to these verses because some people like to take these verses and use them to prove that there is a power struggle going on with the man over the wife. This is not the case. When these verses are exercised properly there is no power struggle going on at all. In fact, submission is a very beautiful concept and one that we as Americans sometimes struggle with because we like our “rights.” If we take a look at verse 21, it says “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” In other words, this is a choice. We made a choice to follow the lead of Christ, just as we choose to follow the lead of someone else. If it is not our choice it is not submission, it is dictatorship. Unfortunately, submission gets a bad rap, because it gets confused with forcefully making someone do something. The true definition of submission is when we make a loving, decision to follow the lead of someone else, not because anyone is making us, but because out of love and respect we trust them to make good decisions. After all, for many of us, this is why we married our husband in the first place, we loved him, respected him, and trusted him. This is the very premise of submission! Does this mean that we as women get no say on matters in the marriage? Absolutely not! True submission does not just rely on the person choosing to follow, it also relies on the one leading to love and respect the hearts of those they are leading. Submission really is a two way street.

Let me just reiterated here. After God our next important relationship is the one with our husband, and the Bible is clear that we are to love and submit to him. We are to lovingly, respectfully, and to trustingly follow his lead. This is the Biblical order of our relationships, and this is the Biblical definition of submission.

Love Our Children

The next important relationship is with our children. This encompasses several different areas that I want to discuss. The first is that we are commissioned to love our them. This fits in right along with loving our husbands. The only difference is that the husband relationship takes priority over the relationship we have with our children. We will actually be using the same verse to show this point.

“...urge the younger women to love their husbands and children.” Titus 2:4

Train Our Children

We have also been commissioned to be our children’s teacher and trainer. God has placed these precious little hearts in our lives for us to mold and train up in the ways of the Lord. They were placed in our care for a reason. Each one of us is completely capable of accomplishing this task. This may seem so very daunting at times, but God has given us many tools to help us in this process of teaching and training our children. He has given us His word. We have an open line of communication with Him through prayer, anytime and anywhere. God has also placed people in our lives to give us support and guidance in this process. He has given us our husbands, our family, our friends, and our church family. God does not expect us to go this route alone.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

“Fathers, (and mothers) do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Training happens in the menial tasks of everyday living. The things of God really should be such a part of our everyday life that they become normal to our children. They should be part of our natural conversations no matter where we are. They should woven into our family’s identity in such a way that when people look at our family they can’t help but think of anything other than the things of God even if they are not believers. Biblical things should be the norm for our children. The things of this world should be what is strange to them, but far too often we get that backwards. Instead of talking about the things of God around the dinner table someone ends up sharing the latest gossip about the neighbor down the street. This should not be so! We have such a beautiful responsibility here. Let’s not compromise it by letting the things of this world slip in and destroy all we have worked so hard to build. Let’s work hard at teaching and training our children in the things of God!  

Discipline our children

Another area with our children that falls under the umbrella of teaching and training is discipline. This is an area that people get very touchy about because the Biblical view on discipline to the world seems so harsh and cruel. However, if you take a look at it, the world’s view of "letting a child be a child" is more harsh than actually carrying out Biblical discipline. When we allow children to govern their own wills, we are actually allowing them to go down a path of self destruction. I don’t know a loving parent alive that would willingly stand by and watch their child destroy their own life right before their eyes. Loving parents step in and teach their children right from wrong. Loving parents teach their children how to be full of love, how to be full of joy, how to be peaceful, how to be patient, how to be kind and good, to be gentle and how to be self controlled. These things are all taught. We do not somehow just stumble upon these things by chance. They were taught to us, and so it is necessary for us to teach them to our children. And yes there are times when Biblical discipline comes into play. Please note that what scripture states about discipline must be carried out by a parent who also exhibits love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control. Otherwise, you can throw Biblical discipline out the window and yes, you then can call it harsh. Because if we do not have the fruit of the spirit operating in our lives before, during and after a time of discipline then it will be exactly that, harsh and cruel. Biblical discipline comes from a place of love not anger.  

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11

“Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.” Proverbs 19:18

“Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” Proverbs 13:24

“A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom, but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother. Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;  they will bring you the delights you desire.” Proverbs 29:15,17

The benefits of discipline far out way the things we will reap when we leave our children to govern their own wills. When we disciple our children with the fruit of the spirit flowing through us we will see those benefits become our inheritance! When we allow children to govern their own wills, it is only a matter of time until we reap havoc. It is like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off, and make no mistake, it will explode with extensive proportions! I know that none of us as parents want to live in a place of havoc. So, let’s be sure to use Biblical discipline in the manner of which it was intended, to be done in a spirit of love.

We hold so many different responsibilities as a mother and there is no possible way we could touch on all of them today. But if there is anything I want this post to bring out it’s this, that we are to make sure we have our relationships in the proper order. God must be first, then our husband, then our children, and then all other relationships. If this gets out of order we will end up reaping a whole lot of hurt. God runs an orderly kingdom. We should in turn order our relationships to line up with his kingdom order. We will reap so many beautiful benefits when things are in their proper order.

Lord, I thank you that you are a God of order. I thank you that you have entrusted us as mothers with such precious responsibilities. Help us to keep a proper perspective on things. Help us to keep our relationships in proper order. Help us to operated with the fruit of the spirit flowing in our lives each and every day so that the things you have commissioned us to do will be carried out correctly. Help us to live each and every day for you.

Seeking The Value In God's Reward

One of the many amazing things about our Lord is that He wants better for us then what we even want for ourselves. God’s best is above and beyond the best we can even begin to imagine for ourselves. We often will limit God by thinking what He can’t do, or even what He won’t do for us. I wonder if part of this is because in the midst of our tough times we question God and wonder why it is we have been put on such a difficult road of travel. What is so interesting is this, when we finally do get to the end and see the reasons God put us on that difficult road, we realize that the lessons we have learned along the way have been invaluable to our spiritual walk and we would not have learned these precious lessons by being on an easier road. God has to work things out in us before we get to the end and reap the precious rewards He wants to bestow upon our hearts. If He simply gave us His best without ever working His character in our lives, then the blessings wouldn't stay. We would lose the blessings because we would inevitably end up walking away from them. We would not have the character traits required to keep those blessings in our lives. The rewards would have little to no value to our hearts, or as I like to say, the rewards would not have any of our sweat equity in them. This in turn makes them of little value to us. When we have to work for the reward, it holds a greater value in our hearts and we are not as quick to forget the faithfulness of God when the next trial comes our way.  

The Prodigal Son

This reminds me so very much of the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32 (feel free to take a moment to visit, or revisit this story if it has been a little while since your last visit.) The son was already in a time of character building by working in the vineyard with his father and brother. However, he demanded his reward long before the character had reached maturity and this was evident in his life choices. Due to his impatient nature, a character trait yet to be developed in his life, he lost his reward. He squandered it on selfish desires. God does not want us to lose our reward. He wants us to be blessed and to keep that blessing, but in order for that day to come, we must walk through the hard times and go through the character training necessary that will prepare us for the day that reward comes. There are no shortcuts in character training. When we try to take a shortcut, we end up like the prodigal son and lose the reward.

In the midst of the next hard time, go to the Lord and ask Him what it is He desires to work out in your heart so that you can not only obtain the beautiful reward at the end of the trial, but more importantly, so that you can become more like Christ in the midst of the trial.

Lord, I pray that as the difficult times come our way, that we are going to remember that you are working your character out in our heart. You desire to give good gifts to your children. And you desire those good gifts to be kept by your children. Help us to not grow weary in the midst of the trials, but to focus on you and what it is you desire for us to learn through it all. Thank you that you do not place us in the middle of a storm and then walk away from us to fend for ourselves. Thank you that you do not leave us or forsake us. You are right there with us, helping us grow and mature in our walk with you. Thank you that you are not only here helping us through it all, but you are also cheering us on as we go through it and waiting patiently for us at the finish line with our reward. Thank you that you reward those who diligently seek you. We desire to be diligent in seeking you in the midst of our trials.   

The Art Of Gift Giving

I don’t know anyone who enjoys getting a gift from someone who is giving that gift out of obligation, or giving it when they have a chip on their shoulder. God is no different in this area. He desires that we give without any strings attached, with joy, as a love offering, and with pleasure and delight flowing from our hearts. He would much rather we keep our gifts to ourselves then get them handed to Him on a plate piled full of obligation, grumbling and complaining. I realize that the verses I have chosen to share with you are often used to describe how we should give monetarily to the church, but for our purposes today I want to look at them through the lens of giving to others, and I am not necessarily speaking of money. Seeing that we are fast approaching the time of year that we celebrate the ultimate example of gift giving, God sending Jesus Christ, I felt that it was only befitting that we discussed the art of gift giving. So let’s take a look at what gift giving should truly look like shall we.

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Be Generous 
God is looking for us to be generous in our giving and I don’t necessarily think it means going out and dropping a boatload of cash either. When someone is generous, they go out of their way to bestow an abundance of kindness and concern for others.This can come in many different forms. It may be that we take a day to do yard work for an ill neighbor or we “kidnap” our best friend's children so she and her husband can go out on a date. These are both forms of generosity where money are not even in the picture. We must be willing to pour out into other’s lives in a real and true generous way. According to this verse, the more generous we are the more we can expect generosity to help us out in our times of need as well. I don’t believe this verse is telling us to be generous so that we get something in return. But when we find ourselves in times of trouble it sure goes a long way when we can turn around and see the people we have reached out to in their times of need reaching out to us in ours. Sowing generously will never be in vain. God uses this as a means to line up support when trials come our way. I truly believe that “what goes around comes around” applies quite literally in this verse.

Be Deliberate
The second key point I would like to emphasize is that we should be deliberate in our giving. “each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give” We should be proactive and plan out what it is we are going to give. We should not give because we feel obligated or because it was a spur of the moment thing. We should give because we have decided in our hearts that it is right. Giving under obligation or compulsion only makes the one receiving feel like it was forced or that no thought was put into the gift whatsoever. When we think about our most prized gift ever given to us, many of us think about those gifts that much time and effort went into. For me, the gifts I know that were given to me because someone felt obligated to do so had little to no impact on my heart. We want our gifts to impact the heart of the one on the receiving end, and the best way to do that is to spend some time planning and putting the other person first. 

Be Cheerful
The last key I want to bring out is that God loves a cheerful giver. No matter what the gift is that we plan to give we should do it with joy in our hearts. People have a way of knowing when we are giving a gift with an apathetic heart. This can often translate as a lack of love for the one on the receiving end. The opposite of this is also true, that a gift given in cheer and with a joyful spirit will in turn translate as a gift of love for the one receiving it. When we give with a cheerful heart it will not only translate to the person who is receiving the gift by bring joy to their heart, but it will also bring joy to the heart of our heavenly Father as well. Our ultimate goal in gift giving should be to bring joy to the heart of our Father and when we accomplish this, we have succeeded at the art of gift giving.

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

This verse reiterates the importance of giving in the right manner. When we give with thoughtfulness, careful planning and a joyful attitude it will come back to us with that same spirit. On the flip side of that when we give out of obligation and with a begrudging attitude we should not be surprised when others treat us the same way. What we give out will eventually make its way back to us, so why not give for the right reasons and with the right spirit. Let’s start being generous givers who overflow with the spirit of joy this holiday season.

Lord, I thank you that your word shows us how to master the art of gift giving. I thank you that you have set for us the perfect example of giving a gift by giving us your son to save us from our sins. Help us in our gift giving to be careful planners and to put others first. Help us to give for the right reasons and with the right attitude, with no strings attached to the gifts. Help us to be full of your joy as we bestow gifts this holiday season. Thank you for who you are and all you have done for us.

The Growing Pains Of Motherhood

I recently had the precious opportunity to spend several hours with a new mom and her little bundle of joy. I was overwhelmed by the host of memories and emotions that flooded my mind as she began to share her heart. It has been over nine years since I stood in her shoes as a first-time mom, and yet I felt as if I was walking in them simultaneously with her. Becoming a mom for the first time is something that leaves a definite imprint on the heart and mind. In those early days, I found myself looking at other moms who “had it all together” and thinking that I was nothing short of a failure. These thoughts were overwhelming and daunting in those early days of sleepless nights. I would find myself crying for no reason at all and wishing I could just crawl in a hole am make the cycle of sleeplessness and nonstop baby cries disappear just so I could feel normal for just two seconds. But wishing never changed the fact that God had blessed me with a precious little life, even though it did not feel much like a blessing at the time. What I failed to see and I’m sure many new moms overlook this as well, is that every single new mom faces the same struggles when a little life is brought home from the hospital. It is not just new moms, but every mom, even the experienced moms also face these same set of circumstances. The list includes; hormone levels that don’t know which direction they are going, emotions running rampant, feeding issues (nursing or formula included), sleepless nights, crying babies, dirty diapers, multiple outfit changes each day (sometimes for both mommy and baby), a month's worth of bleeding, the never-ending piles of dirty laundry, not having time to eat, take a shower, or brush your teeth, balancing new baby with existing relationships and wishing this phase was all over! Did I miss anything?

Struggle

All moms start out with these same set of circumstances handed to them when they leave the hospital and sometimes we don’t realize that despite what it looks like from the outside, the circumstances are still the same for every momma. We moms can sometimes get tunnel vision and only see the good, but fail to realize that amidst all of the good things we see, there has been much toil and pain that had to take place in order for the fruit to appear. Just like in child labor, in order for a baby to enter into the world, momma had to experience significant pain and trial. God has orchestrated a beautiful thing here. The process is hard for a reason. It is in the midst of the process that we grow and learn. 

Ladies, may I encourage you in something here, enjoy those early moments! You never get back the late night feedings, the middle of the night cuddle times, or the tiny little fingers and toes because the time slips away so very quickly. I think this is one of the reasons why the emotions and memories were so very vivid to me when I spent time with this new mother. The time slips away so quickly that it truly felt like yesterday that I was pacing the floor in the middle of the night with a screaming baby in my arms and tears running down my face wishing the crying would stop so I could just crawl back in bed.

Why the Comparing?
As it is true that all moms are faced with the same set of circumstances upon leaving the hospital. It is also true that not all moms handle those circumstances the same way. God has designed each of us very differently, and for good reason. So because each of us were created so differently, what makes us think that we are going to handle that set of circumstances perfectly or that it’s going to look like Mrs. Jones? The truth of the matter is that God did not make us to be the clone of Mrs. Jones. So, spending our time comparing ourselves to her is nothing more than a waste of time. God wants us to raise up our children in the way He wants them to go. Not in the way He wants Mrs. Jones' children to go. God’s vision for our family is going to look completely different than the vision for Mrs. Jones' family. We should not waste our time trying to be like someone we are not, and trying to walk in someone else’s vision. Let’s not waste time comparing ourselves with other women. Let’s spend our time seeking out what God desires for us to do in the process of raising up these precious gifts He has entrusted to us. I personally have wasted so time wishing I had it together just like Mrs. Jones and truly the only thing it did for me was make me discouraged. It was not a fun place to be!

God gave us these precious little ones to raise them up in His ways. Let’s try to wrap our minds around this just for a second. God trusts us so much that He would entrust into our keeping these helpless, defenseless little lives, not so we can mess up and be a failure, but so that we can pass on to them the knowledge of the saving grace we have found in our Lord Jesus Christ. So that the joy of the Lord can be their portion. So that their cups can be full and running over with all that God has to offer. We are not raising up our children for ourselves. We are raising up our children for the Lord! What an honor and privilege that is! I wonder if I had entered into motherhood with this concept that children are a special blessing a, a precious gift sent by God that He entrusts me with if I would have felt quite so overwhelmed in those early days. Please don’t get me wrong here. I by no means think it would have made me into a saint. I am quite sure I would have had plenty of discouraging moments, but I just wonder if my overall outlook would have been more balanced in those early days. I guess only God knows the answer to that one.

Lord, I pray that as we find ourselves entering into the various phases of motherhood that we seek your face in each step of the way. Help us to remember that you have created us and each of our families with a special vision in mind. Help us not to compare ourselves to others when we lose track of that vision from time to time. Thank you that we are not all called to do the same things, but you have called us each uniquely into the kingdom for very different purposes. Help us to raise up our children in the ways you want them to go. Help us not to get overwhelmed in the processes because at times we can feel like it is more then we can handle. I thank you for being with us each and every step of the process of raising up these precious little ones!

Touching The Hem Of His Garment

I would like to refresh ourselves on the story of the woman of the issue of blood. Please bear with me as I share a longer section of scripture than I normally do, but I feel that it is necessary to examine this story completely in order to share what is on my heart to share today.

“A large crowd followed and pressed around him (Jesus). And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:24-34

The Struggle
I want us to get a clear picture of what is going on in this section of scripture.This is a woman who has been bleeding continuously for 12 years! She had been to every doctor known to man and quite possibly done and tried some things outside of the realm of doctors. In her day and age she was considered ritually unclean. In other words, she was a social outcast. She would have been treated much like a leper would have been treated in many cases. She was shunned from her community of family and friends. This woman was desperate to get any form of help that she could to become a functioning member of society once again. She had tried every avenue she knew to get herself back into good social standing, but everything she had tried failed. And not only did they fail, they had left her destitute, impoverished and penniless. Unable to help herself any longer she had heard of a Jewish leader named Jesus. Now Jesus himself was a very controversial man of His time. He went around healing people, forgiven people of their sins admitting that He was the son of God. The priests wanted Him dead, as well as many in the Jewish community. However, He had a very devout following and if the things this woman had heard about Him were, true then all she needed to do was merely touch the hem of His garment and her problems could be solved! One major issue still loomed over her head as she contemplated her decision to go search out Jesus. He was a Jew and she was unclean. According to Jewish law if she even so much as touched Him then He would be considered unclean as well. I believe this is the reason behind her seeking out to touch the hem of His clothing rather than His physical body. If she touched His physical body, beyond a shadow of a doubt He would have been labeled unclean. But by her touching His clothing and not His physical person, she would be able to justify that she did not touch Him, but rather His clothing and she could quite possibly plead her case.

With her mind made up she set out to find Jesus. I’m sure He was not a hard man to track down considering the news of Him traveled like wildfire. As she gets there, she sees Him surrounded by swarms of people all begging for Jesus’ attention. This woman only had one thing on mind by the time she caught up with the crowd. “Touch the hem of His garment.” That was her goal and nothing was going to deter her from attaining that one thing she came for! She forcefully and strategically worked her way through the crowd. Her body weak and fail, but her mind was strong and steadfast on this one thing. She had determined that she would die trying to get to Jesus if she had to. With Jesus in her sights her mind began to get even more determined. With a last stitch effort she crawls her way to His feet. With her pointer finger she ever so strategically touches the very hem of His garment and in that very instant she feels a change in her physical body. She feels the healing power of God rush into her like a raging river, restoring her body wholly and completely!

Jesus First
I want us stop here for just a moment and examine our own lives. When have we ever sought after God in such a way that no matter what happened we were determined to get to Him? I know for me, I have failed on this level more times than I care to admit. God’s desire is that we long to seek after Him, that we push through all of the distractions that this life will inevitably throw at us, and get to Jesus! Change can not come unless we get ourselves at His feet! Some of us are facing some pretty enormous challenges in our lives and we desire change to come, but it is never going to come unless we desperately seek out Jesus. This woman suffered for 12 years. She desperately wanted her situation to change, but it wasn’t until this woman whole heartedly sought out the Lord that change became her portion. She had gone down every other avenue first. She had made Jesus her last resort. This really should be the opposite. Jesus should have been her first and only avenue! Many of us make that same mistake. I know I am guilty of trying to figure things out on my own before ever taking it to Jesus. God desires that we cast all of our cares on Him, no matter how big or how small they may seem. 

A Greater Miracle
Let’s continue on in our story because there is one more thing here that I think is important to bring out. The instant that the woman touches Jesus, He feels the power leave Him. He knew that someone had just received healing. When Jesus poses the question to the crowd "Who was the person who just touch me?" It wasn’t because He did not know who it was. This question was truly a leading question. It allowed Jesus to see the heart of the woman. She laid herself at His feet and wept, confessing and sharing all that had just happened. She shared her reasons and intentions and basically laid her heart out in front of Jesus. The beautiful thing about this story is this, Jesus asked this question so this woman would come forward because it was in that moment of vulnerability that He was able to do an even greater work than her physical healing. Jesus healed her heart that day as well, a miracle she herself did not even expect to get!

The one thing Jesus is most concerned with is not our physical bodies, it is the condition of our heart! He desires for our hearts to be whole because ultimately we leave behind our bodies, but our souls stay with us in eternity. It is our hearts that connect with God, not our bodies. So we can see why Christ would desire our hearts get his utmost attention when it comes to the healing process. What a beautiful thing that God does for us. He heals our hearts! I am so thankful to be serving a God who is more concerned with the eternal things than the things that are merely temporary.

Lord, thank you that you desire for our hearts to be whole. Help us to be steadfast in putting off the distractions of this life and seeking you for the trials that we will inevitably find ourselves in. Help us not to go searching for other avenues to “fix” our problems, but help us to come to you first when we are struggling with things. We do not want for you to be our last resort but we desire to seek you and your kingdom first. Thank you that you are more concerned with the healing of our hearts then the healing of our bodies. You are concerned with all things eternal and that is a true blessing!

Carrying One Another's Burdens

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

What does this verse look like in our lives?

Before this can be answered, let’s first establish what “carrying one another’s burdens” is not. It is not pointing out someone’s faults. It is not telling someone what they should have done. It is not telling someone what we would have done in their situation. It is not waiting anxiously for someone to ask us what we think and then giving our opinion. It does not have all of the answers, in fact it does not have most of the answers. It is not preaching a five point sermon to someone who is struggling. (Are you beginning to catch a common thread here?)

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” James 1:19

Don't talk, Listen!

We are all going to face struggles and hardships in our lifetime. We all know what if feels like to be in the trenches or to find ourselves in a dark and lonely place. For many of us, the very thing we need when we are going through our struggles unfortunately, is not the same thing we give out when others come to us with their struggles. Let me explain. Sometimes in our struggles we need a listening ear and instead of getting a listening ear, we get a person sharing their experience and how they did things a specific way. Please don’t get me wrong here, there are times when those experiences need to be shared, but there are also times when the person struggling simply needs to talk through some things with no advice attached to it from the one “listening.” 

I know for me, my times of struggle have often been spent in silence when I should have been sharing with someone, crying on their shoulder and the time together ending in some serious prayer. However, silence became my companion in so many of those times. I blame myself for much of this because I, like so many others I’m sure, walk through life as if constantly attending a masquerade ball. So often others around me are unable to tell I am struggling unless I am asked directly. I conceal my breaking heart behind a smiling mask. 

Carry!
So, because of this I find that in my times of struggle I am not typically asked how I am doing. I mean really how I am doing. You know the kind of asking that the person does when they look straight into your eyes as if they are looking directly at your very soul. Yet, it comes across like this “I’m asking you how you are doing because I love you, I care about you and I want to pray for you. I want to invest my time in you. I am in no hurry to go anywhere else. I will be here as long as you need me. I am here to cry right along side you and pray with you as long as you need. I more then likely don't have any answers for you, but I serve a God that we can talk to about everything.” Instead, it often comes across more like this “I’m asking how you’re doing because I am curious, and because it is a common courtesy to ask you how you are doing, not because I want to invest my time in you, but because this is what I am supposed to do. This is the socially acceptable thing to do.” Can you see the difference here? Which person would you open up your heart to? The sad part about this is the fact that we as a society have made ourselves unavailable for people. We have become so immersed in so many things that we have lost the ability to even have time to invest in the hearts of others. I am guilty of this very thing myself. My heart longs for these types of relationships. Not just in my life, but in the lives of others. I truly believe that when God created us, that it was not His intent for us to try and figure this thing out on our own. God has designed us to have close relationships with fellow believers in Christ so that when we struggle, we can carry each other’s burdens and place them at the feet of the Father rather than simply tell each other what to do.

There has been several occasions over the years that women have poured out their hearts out to me. I have cried right along with them. In just about every case I did not have a single word of advice to give them. All I could do was hug them, cry with them, and pray with them. I thank God for these opportunities. I pray for more like them. These opportunities have brought such blessing to my heart because I see the beauty of the hearts of these women and it is so very precious. My hope is that when you find yourselves in similar situations that you will remember to simply carry these precious hearts to the feet of our heavenly Father and stay there with them as long as they need.

Related Posts: The Call To One Another Living

Lord, I pray that you give us the courage to ask others how they are doing and in such a way that we are willing to invest the time into carrying their burdens. I pray that we be willing to lay aside our busy schedules and make time for those who are hurting. Father, help us not to approach these times with advice, but rather with a heart full and overflowing with your love and compassion for them, with arms wide open and hands ready to embrace them. Lord, show us how to guard and protect the hearts of those hurting, but most importantly to lay their hurting hearts at your feet with as much love and compassion as you have shown us on the cross. Thank you for the example of love you have set for us.  

Leap Of Faith

A leap of faith is simply jumping out of the boat of our own comfort and into the hands of the Father. I know for me personally, I had found myself in a place of comfort for far too long. I have had some desires in my heart for many years and it wasn’t until I jumped out of the boat of my own established comfort that I was able to see some of those desires come to life. Sometimes what the Lord requires of us is to stop being comfortable in who we have become and start taking a leap of faith into who He is going to make us. Starting this blog was a huge leap of faith for me. First of all, it requires me to write. I have little to no confidence in my ability to clearly communicate  my thoughts effectively. Secondly, it requires me to be in a place of openness and vulnerability, a place I am completely uncomfortable with. And to add to that feeling of discomfort, I am opening my christian walk up to a world of potential criticism. These areas of weakness and vulnerability can be a frightening place to be without the Lord. So, in thinking about jumping out of the boat I found myself looking at the life of Moses. Even Moses questioned the Lord when his calling came to go to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh. I am no less human than Moses, but even Moses jumped out of his boat of comfort and God came along side him and equipped him with all the means necessary to accomplish the insurmountable task of delivering his people from the hand of Pharaoh. Why would the Lord do any less for me when the calling comes?

“Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:10-12

My mind is also drawn to Peter, whom Christ Himself beckoned him to literally get out of the boat and walk on the water. Peter, being just a mere human, whom I’m sure had his moments of questioning Jesus, in that moment of beckoning did not hesitate, but stepped out of his boat of comfort. If you recall the story, Peter was not the only one in the boat. The other disciples who had walked and talked, seen and experienced all of the same things that Peter had were right alongside Peter in that boat as well. Yet, Peter was the only one to get out of the boat, causing me to realize that our boat of comfort is just that, comfortable. So many of us do not want to leave our comfort zones when Christ beckons. Believe me I did not want to either!

“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:29

As I continue to stay out of my boat of comfort, I can honestly say that the Lord has been so faithful to His promise that He will go before me. I am so thankful that when He calls us out of the boat He does not leave us to drown. Yet, it is not until we are out of the boat that the impossibility of walking on the water is made possible. Walking on the water did not happen for the disciples who stayed in the boat, only for Peter, the one disciple who had the courage to take the leap of faith.

“The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” Deuteronomy 1:30-31

As I continue to grow in my walk with the Lord I am seeing new areas open up that I never knew existed, new boats of comfort I am finding that I need to step out of. In our Christian walk we never “arrive.” The Lord is continually finding new ways to stretch our comfort zones a little farther than we had ever imagined they could be stretched. As the Lord beckons you to “come,” I want to encourage you in this, He is there in the waters waiting for you. He will not let you drown. 

Lord, as you beckon us to “come,” I pray that we will take a deep breath in and then take the leap of faith right into your arms. I thank you that you do not call us out of the boat only to watch us drown. I thank you that you promise to go before us, that you will give us the words to speak in those moments of stretching. I thank you that you desire us to get out of our boats in order for us to accomplish your will and purpose in our lives, not to harm us, but to bring about much needed spiritual growth in our lives. I thank you that you have our hearts in the palm of your hands. Fill us with a spirit of boldness and bravery to look fear in the eye and just leap.