Discover your more when you give god your YES.
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:11-12 NIV
One of my favorite places is the beach. I love to stand on the sand with the expanse of the ocean in front of me, miles of blue over my head and a long stretch of sand as far as my eyes can see to either side of me. Can you see it? Ahhhh!
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“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Galatians 5:13-14 NIV
Have you ever been to an emergency room? I have so much respect for emergency room personnel. They never know what they are going to face. From tragic accidents to homeless drug addicts, to babies with fevers and frantic first-time parents, they need to be ready to serve each patient with care and concern. But the first thing they need is wisdom. The very first task in an emergency room is to assess the patient and decide how serious their condition is and how quickly they need treatment. The emergency room personnel have to objectively determine what needs to be taken care of first. It’s called triage.
You and I need the same kind of wisdom, don’t we? We need to be able to honestly and objectively assess our own selves so that we can treat others with care and concern. It’s difficult to love and serve others if we haven’t taken care of our own issues. Our “triage” starts with looking in with honesty so that we can look out with love.
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“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 NIV
“Why did I say that?!” The toothpaste words that had just come out of my mouth hung in the air, and I was horrified. Jesus said that what is in our hearts comes out of our mouths (Luke 6:45, Matthew 12:34). What had just come out of mine startled me into reflection and unpleasant revelation. Have you ever had those kinds of moments? Before you even realize it, you’ve said something you wish you could take back. Your words have revealed something you didn’t want to know about yourself and now reality is staring you in the face and you find yourself asking, “What do I do now?”
If what comes out of the mouth reveals what is in the heart, as you look back over the last few months, what have your words uncovered about you? There’s a good chance that your words have revealed something you need to deal with. It’s important that you do. You have more influence than you realize and your influence matters.
What comes out of you matters because it affects those around you. You impact so much more than you think. There are people in your world you touch that I don’t touch, that the most intelligent teacher, the most famous preacher, the most powerful politician in the world do not touch. Your influence matters.
So, as you consider what is coming out of you during this time of pandemic, also consider how what is coming out of you is influencing the people in your world. Are you afraid? How is that influencing your family, your friends, your neighbors, the gas station attendant (yes, your reactions really do affect those small, seemingly random, encounters as well).
How are your reactions affecting your physical health? Are you angry? How is that affecting your blood pressure, your food choices, your exercise habits?
What comes out of you affects what you choose and how you interact with every aspect of your world. How are you spending your money? Are you hoarding? Spending as “retail therapy”? Sharing? Giving to church and charitable organizations?
Above all else. Jesus hit the nail on the head, didn’t he? What comes out of the mouth reveals what is in the heart.
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What is it about a crisis that brings out the best and the worst in people? When news of the pandemic began to affect our area the first visible result was a run on toilet paper and cleaning supplies and empty grocery store shelves. People bought in bulk without thinking about how their choices might affect someone else. Toilet paper is returning to the shelves, but it is still difficult to find certain cleaning and disinfecting supplies as a result of the crisis.
But as time moved on something else has happened. The local grocery story collects donations of food from people in the community to be distributed locally and our church’s food pantry is one recipient of those donations. Their bins have been regularly overflowing. We have been called to pick up our share of the contributions more frequently than we usually are and our food pantry is well stocked as a result of the crisis.
What is it about a crisis that brings out the best and worst in people?
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“For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.” Romans 14:7-9 NLT
Every decision looks a little different right now, doesn’t it? Even the decision to go to the grocery store carries different risks and restrictions than it did a few months ago. With so much uncertainty in the world right now, how do we evaluate our decisions? What should guide us? What does the word of God say about living in a pandemic? Well, it may not give us specifics, but there are principles to guide us. Here are some principles to get you started:
You don’t live for yourself. If you have confessed that Jesus is your Lord then that means that you belong to Him. Simple and clear. You are not your own, you were bought with a price, the blood of the Lord Jesus on the cross. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) He paid for your sins and purchased you for His purposes. If you and I believe that, then we must remember that whatever choices we make must reflect that belief. I don’t live for myself, I live for God. And If I live for God, then honoring Him is the purpose of my life. Every decision I make is a reflection of what I say I believe. As you face the choice ahead of you, how does honoring God come into play?
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Reopening. There's a word we never expected to be using to describe our towns, our nation, our churches. Reopening is the current word, and with it there are so many questions. Too fast? Too slow? Should we hold this event? Should we go to this place? Should we wait to do this? Go ahead with that plan? Is this the right time? Yeah, a lot of questions. And they affect each one of us differently.
How are you facing the reopening questions in your life? Are you one to forge ahead or do you prefer to hunker down for a bit longer? What about the people in your life? What kind of reopening decisions are they making and how do you feel about them?
This reopening process puts each one of us in the same predicament with different details. How do we handle this? Let me propose a guiding Scripture. If something is repeated in the Bible it is worth paying attention to and this verse is quoted verbatim twice in Proverbs:
“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Proverbs 22:3 NLT
“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Proverbs 27:12 NLT
Prudent. Now, there's a word we don't use that often. To be prudent is to be "careful in the way that you make decisions or spend money so that you avoid unnecessary risks" (dictionary.cambridge.org) Prudent people avoid unnecessary risks. Notice the word unnecessary. There are real dangers. There are risks that must be taken in order to live in the world, in order to live for God, in order to fulfill His purposes. There are times when God asks us to face the dangers head on. But then, there are the times when we are hard-headed, selfish and stubborn. Those are the times when we ask ourselves to face things head on.
There are people who may declare that they are bold and faith-filled, but are actually foolish and taking unnecessary risks. They aren't being prudent, they are putting God to the test. When we take unnecessary risks, we put ourselves out in places that God has NOT asked us to be and call it faith. Boldness takes the risks that are necessary to accomplish God’s purpose, not our own.
True faith looks to God for guidance and wisdom. WISDOM. Wise people know what is appropriate for the situation. What is wisdom? The way I like to define wisdom is "to see things from God’s perspective". When I ask Him to help me pull back and see things from His vantage point, that is when I begin I to understand what I need to do.
I am foolish, a "simpleton" as the Proverbs say, when I "go blindly on", when I rush ahead without asking for help. Then I presume to know what God, or someone else, wants and take unnecessary risks. I have been there and you have too so we might as well admit it.
So, what do we do now? Do we stop all activity until things are absolutely safe? It doesn't seem like that will be happening anytime soon. And what do we do when others make reopening choices that they are comfortable with and we are not? How do we navigate this unusual and frightening reality?
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So, it’s July and I saw my first “back to school” commercial on TV. Really?! But, are kids going back to school in the fall? Actually, the right question is: How are the kids going back to school in the fall? Virtually? In person? A blend of both? My life was structured around the school schedule for more than twenty years when my kids were in school and I worked in schools. It brought a sense of order to all my days and years. Now...what school year schedule?
This is normal?! School plans in the air? Face masks in public? But, that is the new normal, isn’t it? Not knowing what is going to happen. What would normally be anticipated can no longer be expected. Things we didn’t ever imagine are now reality. As you try to plan your calendar for the rest of 2020, I hope you don’t have a pen in your hand! Pencil is the only way to plan these days.
How are you doing with the new normal? Are your fighting it internally? Are you just hanging on until “normal” comes back?
Do you find yourself longing for the normal that you used to know? The normal that you anticipated? Yeah, me too. But it isn’t happening now and won’t be happening in the near future. I hate to break it to you, but the normal that you and I knew is gone for good. There is no turning back. What you and I have to do now is learn to navigate the normal that is, not look back to the normal that was.
How can we make it through the new normal? No, not just make it through. How can you and I thrive and honor God in the midst of this unexpected reality?
First, forget what is behind and accept what is. The key is in recognizing what is real and living there. You can’t really forget what was. That’s not what I am saying. But when we look back at the past and long for it, we can’t move forward. The key to moving forward with grace is to accept what is and let go of what is not. Take a deep breath and then take one last look back. Go ahead! Take that deep breath now! Now, turn your face forward. There, that’s better!
Second, set your mind on the future and look forward to what is ahead. It’s up to you to decide where you will let your thoughts dwell. No one else can do that for you. When you decide to focus on the current reality and look ahead, anticipation will grow within you. Really, it will!
Ask yourself: “What might God want to do in and through me in this new normal? What might be possible now that was not possible before? How is God growing me through this so that I can become the person that He has always intended me to be?”
This new normal is just as full of possibilities as the one we have left behind. When you shift your focus to what lies ahead, the fog begins to clear a bit and you just might be able to discern some shapes on the horizon. Decide how you are going to think about this. Determine where you will let your thoughts wander to...and where you won’t.
Pivot your perspective and press on. What lies ahead is more than just schedules and plans. There is a reality that stretches far beyond the end of your calendar years. Eternity is ahead and that’s what is worth living for. Press on and take hold of the prize of living forever in the presence of the One who loves you completely and continually. This world is temporary and in constant change. What matters most, what really matters, is eternal. The eternal never changes.
Long before the pandemic of 2020 I found myself in the midst of a new normal I didn’t expect. I’d love to share details with you, but it wouldn’t be appropriate. Just let me say that all that I imagined, planned and prayed for seemed to be replaced with the exact opposite, and my new reality was outside the realm of anything I ever imagined.
My life looks nothing like I expected and I have had to wrestle with that in God’s presence...a lot. In all my wrestling I have come to this conclusion: This life is not all there is, and if I say that I believe in heaven and eternity, then that is what I need to live for. Jesus did not die so that I could live a comfortable life on earth, but so that my relationship with God could be restored. Because of the cross, I can taste eternity now and experience complete restoration when this life is over. He opened the door to heaven and I choose to set my mind on things above, not things here on earth. (Colossians 3:2)
The key to remaining steady in uncertain times is to keep the end in mind. What do I really want? More importantly, who do I want to be? What do I want to be known for? Is my strongest desire material comfort and stability, or Is it to represent Christ well?
The new normal is not what I had hoped for or expected. The new normal looks nothing like what I dreamed of. The new normal in some ways is horrifying to me, but, one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and reaching out for what is ahead, I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. He is the one at work in me both to want to and to do what pleases Him. (Philippians 3: 13-14 , 2:13)
Press on, Dear Friend, because in the end our normal will be in His presence forever. That’s a reality worth reaching for.
Key thought: An eternal perspective will help you adjust to what you didn’t expect.
A Scripture to consider: “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:13, 14 NLT
A YES challenge: As you face your new normal, ask yourself some questions in God’s presence. “What is it that I really want? What matters most to me?” Allow Him to reveal your own heart to you and ask Him to help you focus on pleasing Him above all.
Prayer: Lord, this normal doesn’t look anything like I expected and I don’t know what is going to happen next or how to prepare for it. Help me to let go of all my expectations and focus on being the person You want me to be, whatever happens. Amen.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
I like to know what’s coming next, don’t you? How do you handle the unknown? Do you try to anticipate every possible outcome and strategize how to handle each scenario? Maybe you throw up your hands in hopelessness. Do you work hard to protect what you have?
There are a lot of responses we could have to an uncertain future. The future is always a question mark, but the current world situation makes it more clear than ever. How are you doing with your questions? Do you have a knot in your stomach as you try to figure things out or are you at peace with the unknown?
I have come to realize that I am a fixer and I like to plan. How do those things go together, you ask? Many times I make plans as a way to “fix” anticipated negative outcomes. In short, my plans are often an attempt to “fix” n advance. I would not have recognized that years ago, but I have learned that every one of us, including me, has a problem with control. Wasn’t that the real issue way back in the garden of Eden? “Eat the fruit, be like God, be in control!” That’s what attracted Eve and Adam. It’s the same trap you and I fall into, although we don’t always see it.
When we can’t control what we don’t know, we work on controlling what we do know. Save a much money as you can. Hoard toilet paper. Arrange the family schedule just so. Try to find out as much as possible by watching the news 24/7. You get the idea. Is there anything wrong with saving money or stocking up on supplies, making schedules or staying informed? Absolutely not. But what you and I need to evaluate is our motivation. If it is fear or control, then I am not trusting God. How can we learn to really trust God in uncertain times?
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This is an anxious time. Whether you and I are aware of it or not, we are living in a constant state of anxiety. Circumstances are way beyond our control and the outcome is far from certain. Anxiety is a natural reaction in such times. Are you aware of yours?
Lexico.com defines anxiety this way: “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” Isn’t that what we are in the middle of right now? Something with an uncertain outcome? How aware are you of the anxiety you are living with? What are your clues? Do you know?
When I was a baby believer in Jesus I was in that transition time of learning to be a grown-up outside the academic world and was in the midst of learning my first real job. I asked my pastor for prayer because I was eperiencing a strange discomfort. I felt like my tongue was swollen. A really weird feeling! I wasn’t sure what to do about it and, like most discomforts we face, I just wanted it to stop. As my pastor and a few others prayed for me, he shared that God had showed him that anxiety was causing me to rub my tongue angainst my teeth and that was the source of my trouble. That wasn’t what I expected! So, the problem wasn’t my tongue, it was anxiety. I wasn’t aware of feeling anxious, but that surprising and nebulous answer helped me begin to recognize it.
Over the many years since, it has been a source of help in identifying anxiety in me. From time to time I notice a constant tension in my jaw. When I recognize that feeling, it’s a clue that I am experiencing anxiety, even if I have not been aware of it. The tension makes me aware of it and I continue to grow in understanding what to do when anxiety comes to my attention.
I have learned to go to God with anxiety and to take a journey of discovery with Him. The tension indicator leads to questions that I process with God: What am I anxious about and why? What do I need to change?
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There is a lot to be sad about in our world right now. What have you lost as a result of the pandemic? What dreams dd you have that had to be put on hold? What struggles have you faced because of lost freedoms, a lost job or even a lost loved one? I pray that is not the case for you. If it is, I am so sorry. Words are not enough.
You have lost a lot. There is no denying that. Dear One, the fact that God has allowed loss into your life does not mean that He doesn't love you. It means that He wants to pull you closer as you talk to Him about it and He wants to soothe the hurt and help you through it. Did God make it happen? No. But living in a sin-cursed world means that unhappy and hurtful things will happen here and we don't like that at all!
Somehow we have gotten the idea that being a Christian means we should always be happy. We skip over sadness as if it were a lack of faith to feel sad. Even non-Christians believe they should always be happy. It seems that happiness is everyone’s goal and we all struggle when we face obstacles and loss.
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