I've Got God's Approval...I Don't Need Yours!

Oftentimes we seek out and do whatever we think we need to do in order to meet the approval of others.  We worry about what they think, about how we look in their eyes.  We aim to make them happy, and we will do whatever we think it takes to make them happy, and to make them accept us.  We long for positive reinforcement from others...sometimes even at the expense of sacrificing our own true selves in order to obtain it.  When in reality, the only approval and acceptance we truly need to be seeking is God's. 

When we have a personal relationship with God, we have an identity in Him.  We come to know who we are in Christ.  We don't need others' acceptance or approval in order to be happy.  We shouldn't rely on others' happiness to make us happy.  We don't need any of that.  We only need to know that we are accepted and approved by God.  And if we have a personal relationship with Him that brings us to Him on a daily basis in order to maintain and strengthen that relationship, and we are living a life according to His will, we've already got His approval...we don't need it from anyone else.

That's right....not anyone.  Not our spouses or our friends or our family members.  Not our co-workers or our fellow church members or even our pastor.  Not our neighbors or our children or our parents.  There is no way we can ever make everyone happy anyway.  Someone is always going to disagree with us, judge us, disapprove of us, talk about us, reject us, criticize us, and not be willing to accept us, no matter what we do.  And you know what?  That's okay!  That's their problem, not ours!  As long as God accepts us, that's all we need.  And we'll find that when He does...when we receive God's approval...we'll begin to care less and less about what others think.  And soon all of those whose approval we sought for so long won't even matter anymore. 

"...for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." ~ I Samuel 16:7

"Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God.  If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant."  ~ Galations 1:10  (New Living Translation)

Right On Time!

Ever have a day when you're running late?  Your alarm doesn't go off?  You oversleep?  You're late for work or school or an appointment?  And once you start the day late, doesn't it seem like everything else that can go wrong that day does?  Its like our bad timing messes up everything!  Our schedules may run amuck at times, but God's never does.  He is always on time...never late...His timing is perfect! 

Sure, it may not always seem like it.  We may be waiting on something from God and it seems like He's taking forever.  Or He's running late.  Sometimes it may seem like He's not showing up at all.  But we have to remember that just because we think we know what the timing of a particular situation should be, we do not always know what God's timing might look like.  And I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be on His schedule than to try to run everything according to my own timeline!

Of course there are times when we may become panicked and think that if something doesn't happen by a certain date or time that the world is just going to come to an end.  Don't we all have those moments?  But then we only have to stop and remember that while we may not know all the reasons behind His timing and His plan, we can rest assured that it is much better than anything that we could ever conceive. 

The timing of our situation may not seem to be what we think is best at the time, but that's what faith is all about.  While things may not look like what we think they should look like...when things aren't happening when we think they should happen, or the way in which we think they should happen...faith is not only believing, but KNOWING that God is in control and that His schedule and His timing and His plans are far greater and much better for us than ours could ever be. 


"Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!"  ~  Psalm 27:14

"Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield." 
~  Psalm 33:20

 "I waited patiently for the LORD; and He turned to me and heard my cry."  ~  Psalm 40:1

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."  ~  Isaiah 40:31

You Only Need To Be Willing

Have you ever wanted to do something but didn't know how?  Perhaps you wanted to learn to water ski.  Or to knit.  Or to play the piano.  You didn't just sit down at the piano the first day and start playing.  And you surely didn't knit a sweater the first time you picked up the needles.  And what about water skiing?  Chances are you didn't get up on your first try, drop one ski along the way and start doing flips.  So how do you learn to do these things?  How do you learn to do anything?  Simple.  You first find someone that already knows how to do it, you let them teach you what they know, and you start trying.  Over and over and over you try.  You practice.  You won't get it just right the first time...or the third...or maybe even the fifteenth time.  But you don't quit...you keep at it...keep trying...and eventually you learn.  But you'll never learn if you never start.

The same is true with developing a prayer life and quiet time with God.  You may think, "I don't know how to start"  or "I don't know how to pray," or "I don't understand the Bible."  But just as we would seek out an instructor for piano lessons, God gives us an instructor for developing a personal relationship with Him.  Romans 8:26 tells us, "In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us where we are weak. We do not know how to pray or what we should pray for, but the Holy Spirit prays to God for us..."

In other words, the Holy Spirit is our Helper.  Our Instructor. Our Guide.  When we don't know how to pray or how to spend one on one time with God, if we just show up...if we are just willing to try...the Holy Spirit will take over and guide us along the way, just as a piano teacher or a skiing instructor.  

I read a devotional recently that dealt with the topic of the Holy Spirit being our Helper.  It used the illustration of the little boy that disappeared from his parents at the concert of the world renowned pianist.  You've probably seen the commercial that has been made out of this story.  The little boy reappears on stage, sitting at the piano, playing chopsticks.  Just when he realizes he has made a mistake and probably isn't doing something right, the pianist comes alongside him, encourages him to keep going, and joins in playing with him.  In the same way, the Holy Spirit will come alongside us and encourage us and help us...as long as we're willing to try. 

There is no right or wrong way to spend time with God.  Yes, he is Holy and should be approached with respect, but that doesn't mean our words have to be flowery and ornate.  And we should never be like the hypocritical, arrogant Pharisee in Luke chapter 18.  Jesus says unless we come to Him as a little child, we will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.  And only when we are humbled will we be exalted. 

And when we are willing to try...to humble ourselves and make time with God...the Holy Spirit will come alongside us and assist us.  Sometimes you may not need words at all.  Sometimes just quietness will suffice.  Or a simple "Please," or "Help," or "Thank You," is all that is necessary.  God knows our heart and He knows our motives.  A one-word prayer from a humble, spirit-seeking heart is far greater than a lengthy drawn-out prayer from an arrogant, self-serving one. 

So if you don't have an established prayer life...if you don't find one on one time to spend with God daily...what are you waiting for?  You'll never have one if you never get started.  The Holy Spirit will guide you, will teach you, will intercede for you...but you've got to be willing to try.

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."  ~ John 14:16-17

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."  ~ John 14:26

Do I Know You?

Who do you know?  Really know?  Your spouse/significant other.  Your friends.  Your family members.  Your co-workers.  Think about it...how many people do you truly know?  And how did you get to know them? 

If you're married or in a relationship, you got to know your significant other by spending time with them.  You talked, you courted, you dated.  You spent time together.  The same is true with your friends and family.  You've spent time together.  You make plans to do things and go places together.  You make time for each other.  And if you're blessed to be friends with your co-workers, its likely because you spend so much time with them every day.  The only way to really get to know someone is to spend time with them.  Talk to them.  Listen to them.  Share yourself with them.  Celebrate with them.  Cry with them.  Mourn with them.  Tell them your burdens and help them to carry theirs.  Regularly.  Consistently.  Unwavering.  Unconditionally. 

That's the only way to get to know God, too.  It has to be a consistent, unwavering effort on our part to carve out one-on-one time to spend with Him every day.  Not just when we're in crisis and need something.  How would your friends feel if they only heard from you when you wanted something?  How would your relationship with your spouse/significant other be affected if you woke up in the morning and decided you just didn't have time for them that day...and you told them you'd get to them later when it was more convenient?  Chances are you wouldn't have those friends or that spouse for very long. 

Relationships take work.  They require communication.  They require sacrifices.  They require one-on-one time and unwavering, unconditional dedication.  And just like this is true of our earthly relationships, its also true if we're ever going to have a real relationship with, and truly come to know God.  Day after day after day we must not only make time for Him, but we must make making time with Him a top priority.  By putting our personal, one-on-one time with God above all else, all of our other relationships will flourish and be blessed as well. 

And the great thing about spending time with God is that we don't have to get our calendars out and plan and schedule time together like we have to do with our family and friends.  We don't have to plan a date night like we may have to do with our spouse....or a vacation with our family...or a cookout with our friends.  We don't have to check our calendars and arrange our schedules so that they agree.  We just have to decide to show up....He is always there. 

So ask yourself who you know.  Then ask yourself how you got to know them, and what are you willing to do to keep knowing them.  Then ask yourself if you know God...and what you're willing to do to obtain or to keep a relationship with Him. 

"So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God."  ~  Romans 5:11  (New Living Translation)

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”  ~  Luke 12:21  (New Living Translation)

Come On, Get Happy!

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  ~  John 10:10

Notice the last word in this verse:  abundantly.  Dictionary.com offers the following synonyms for "abundantly":  affluently, amply, fulsomely, generously, handsomely, inexhaustibly, lavishly, luxuriantly, profusely, richly, satisfactorily, sufficiently

Other Bible translations provide these interpretations of this verse.  Again, pay attention to the last part of the verse. 

"The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."  (New Living Translation)

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."   (New International Version)

"The robber comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I came so they might have life, a great full life."   (New Life Version)

An abundant life, a satisfying life, a life to the full, a great full life...however you choose to say it...whichever interpretation you like the best...the point is the same.  Jesus came so that we can have a wonderful, abundant, joy-filled life. 

But He didn't just come... He came and He suffered and He died.  So often we neglect to see the full impact of this statement.  Think about it with me for just a minute.

First of all, God had to send His son for Jesus to come.  Now I don't know about you, and I've never been to Heaven, but there is no way I would ever want to leave there to come to this earth...and I sure wouldn't want to make my children do it.  But Jesus did.  God sent Him and He came.  He left the splendor, the glory, the perfection of Heaven to come to this ugly, dark, sinful, mean world...knowing what would happen to Him.  And did it ever happen.  He was persecuted and teased and harassed and mocked and eventually killed in a very cruel and inhumane way...all so that we could have life. 

Think about that.  All of that was done for us.  For me.  For you.  So why in the world would we ever go through our lives grumbling and complaining and moaning and groaning?  Yet we do.  We let this ugly, dark, mean world steal our joy and rob us of the very reason Jesus came and died....so that we can have an abundant joyful life. 

You may say, "But I've got problems," or "You don't know my circumstances.  I've got a lot to complain about."  That may be true.  But there's not a person on this earth that doesn't have problems.  You may have a lot to complain about, but you've got a lot to rejoice about, too.  You just have to make up your mind to focus on one instead of the other.  It's all a mindset.

So what are you waiting for?  Make up your mind that no matter what your circumstance, no matter how deep the valley you may be in, no matter what happens in your life today...make up your mind that you're going to find some joy in every situation and start living that abundant, satisfying, great full life that Jesus died for you to live!  Come on, get happy!!

Not Guilty...Forgiven!

Do you carry a load of guilt around with you?  Are you so burdened by something you've done that it weighs you down more and more day after day?  Guilt is a feeling, not a life sentence.  We're not destined to a life of guilt, even if the things we've done, and the world around us, would seem to suggest so.

The Bible tells us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.  Done. Over. Forgiven.  So if we've asked for forgiveness, and we've been granted that forgiveness, then why do we still carry the burden of that trespass with us?  The answer is simple.  Satan uses our feelings to try to control us.  He will use anything and everything he can to rob us of living a joy-filled life, and to make us doubt our forgiveness and our salvation.  And attacking our feelings is one way that he does this.

Just because we feel guilty, doesn't mean we are guilty.  Remember, if you've confessed your sins, God has forgiven you and the slate is wiped clean.  As far as the East is from the West...those sins have been removed from our lives.  But satan is such a master manipulator that he sneaks into our minds and reminds us of all the bad things we've done over and over and over again and we end up carrying a load of guilt that's too much for anyone to bear. 

But we don't have to.  We need only to reclaim the victory of our forgiveness.  Weekly. Daily. Hourly.  How ever often it takes for us to become assured...truly assured...that we have been forgiven and our feelings of guilt and shame do not have to control us anymore.  "Well surely there's something I have to do to make up for all the bad I've done," we may think.  NOPE.  Jesus did it all at the cross.  Your forgiveness and salvation do not come through works.  There's no amount of work you can do to earn your forgiveness.  Sure, you may feel better about yourself if you assign yourself some outrageous workload...but you won't be any more forgiven.  Letting our feelings and our thoughts run our lives and clog our minds is a surefire way satan uses to steal our joy.  And it works every time if we let it.
 
But Jesus died so that we can have an abundant, joyful life....not one filled with guilt and shame.  So what are you waiting for?  Whatever it is you're feeling guilty about today, if you haven't already asked for forgiveness then do so.  And if you have, let it go.  Cling to the promise that once God has forgiven you, you're forgiven forever.  Claim the blessed assurance that His forgiveness provides and remember that when that feeling of guilt sneaks up on you again...it's only a feeling.  The sin is gone.  You've been forgiven. 

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  ~ 1 John 1:9

 "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."  ~ Psalm 103:12

The Power of Friendship

I seem to write a lot about friends.  Having friends.  Being a friend.  Important friendships.  It never ceases to amaze me the difference a friend can make in one's life.  And it seems they tend to show up just when we need them most, even though they may never realize it. 

I've been reminded lately that friendships are so vital to our lives.  I saw someone on Facebook recently post a quote that read, "I asked God to protect me from my enemies and I started losing friends."  How sad, but how true, that statement is.  And just yesterday I heard Joyce Meyer say that she started losing friends when she decided to enter the ministry.  Time and time again she found herself crying out to God, but as she went along and as her ministry grew she realized that having God and being in His will was better than having 1,000 mean-spirited, hypocritical people in her life that called themselves "friend." 

So when you have friends in your life - true genuine friends - treasure them.  Cherish them.  Thank God for them.  And do whatever it takes to maintain and nurture those friendships.  They are vital to our existence. 

This is what I've discovered the past few days about friendships:

A true friend is a forever friend.  I had the opportunity to spend Sunday with two friends that I made when I was 6 years old and they moved in next door to us.  And just like with my closest friends from high school, we instantly picked up right where we left off the last time we were together...even though it is sometimes months, or even years, between visits.  Never discount old friends...especially childhood friends.  They know where you've come from because they've come from the same place, and they can often relate to you much better than friends made later in life.  Those that have loved you the longest often love you the most.   

It's important to share yourself.  You may be going through something in your life and have no idea that your situation can impact someone else.  Just the willingness to share yourself, your thoughts, your ideas, can mean the world to a friend.  So be willing to open up a bit.  You never know who might need to hear what you have to say.  And if you read or hear something and you think, "Peggy might like to hear this," share it with Peggy.  Because if you're a Christian, that's most likely the Holy Spirit giving you that idea...and it's exactly what Peggy needs to hear.

Ask for help.  If you're dealing with a difficult situation in your life, tell a friend.  Get things off of your chest.  Maybe even get some feedback.  But most importantly, ask your friend to pray for you.  The power of prayer is life changing.  And while you may not want your situation shared with everyone, you should always have at least one or two close friends with whom you can share your struggles, ask for their help, and trust them to pray you through it.

Make time for others.  You have no idea how much a simple quick, unexpected visit in the middle of the afternoon can affect someone's day.  Just stopping in to tell someone you love them and you're thinking of them and praying for them can make all the difference in the world for that person.  It did for me just yesterday. 

Share what you have.  No matter what it is, there's someone that you know that would appreciate your sharing what you have with them.  Whether your chicken is laying more eggs than you can eat or you've cooked too much food and have lots of leftovers....Share what you have.  Both you and the recipient will be blessed. 

Pay it forward.  Whenever you find yourself the recipient of a blessing, make a decision to be a blessing to someone else.  In whatever way...small or large...find a way to pay it forward.

A simple text message, email or FB post can go a long way.  Just taking time to quickly say, "I'm thinking of you."  or "I miss you." or "I love you."  can make a huge difference in someone's life.  And with the modern technologies of today, it takes almost no time to do.  You never know how lonely a person may be feeling and just a quick, simple message can make a world of difference.

Make plans.   It's so important to nurture our friendships, and one of the best ways to do this is to spend time together.  So make plans.  If a friend is a few hours away, meet half way one day.  Make reservations and meet up with friends for a mini vacation.  Take off to a land far far away.  Meet a friend for lunch.  Go shopping.  Go golfing.  Go walking.  Just GO!

Be grateful.  If you have true friends in your life, be grateful.  Appreciate them and tell them so.  Thank God for them.  Don't ever underestimate them or take them for granted.  Cherish them.  Treasure them.  Love them. 


"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."  ~ Proverbs 18:24
  

Just Keep Swimming...

Our church celebrated it's 100th Anniversary at our Homecoming Sunday yesterday.  What a glorious day it was remembering the past and looking to the future.  It was made evident through historical accounts that we have come a long way in 100 years.  Our church has been blessed over the years because of the dedication of our founders and because of the faithfulness of so many through the years. 

In order to continue to grow and prosper, it was pointed out that we need only to keep doing what we've been doing all those years.  To continue to reach others for Christ and to reach another milestone, we must keep following in the footsteps and traditions of those before us.  In the words of Dory the fish from the movie Finding Nemo, we must "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..."

That advice rings true for many aspects of our lives.  When we know that we know that we know that we are doing what God has told us to do, we mustn't quit - not matter how bleak the horizon may seem to us.  We may not even know why we are doing what we're doing...but if God has told us to do it, that's all we need to know.

I'm sure there were several times over those 100 years that our forefathers sometimes became discouraged and wondered if they should even continue.  Especially in the early days when there were only a handful of people meeting together, when the pastor was paid with a hog, and the church members were asked to donate an acre's harvest as offering.  Chances are that someone somewhere down the line thought about giving up...throwing in the towel...calling it quits.  Well, I'm certainly glad they didn't quit; and I'm sure there are hundreds of others who have been touched by our church over the years who are also grateful that they never gave up.  Because of the dedication of others all those years ago, many have been blessed through the years.  Because they "just kept swimming," a wonderful heritage was formed and countless lives have been touched.  There is no way they could have known all those years ago what a lasting legacy they were creating...they were just doing what God had told them to do.

The same is true for us today.  We may not have any idea who we are affecting, who may be influenced in the future, or what the outcome of our actions may be.  Our present may even seem very dark, and we may be unable to find any clarity about our current situation.  But if we are walking on the path where God has placed us...and if we continue in that path, even though we may not can see more than a couple of steps ahead of us...the results can be phenomenal; even everlasting. 


"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. "  ~ Philippians 3: 12-14