In one place...

Every time I approach the Lord, in every battle, in every struggle, on every mountaintop and in the lowest valley, I approach him as his little girl.  I put down every guard, everything I think I know, every responsibility.  I approach him as his daughter and he’s my Daddy, my safe place, my protector, my strength.  Yes, I will fight.  Yes, I will be a wife and mother and answer God’s call on my life with all it’s uncertainties, and face every fear with boldness, because I know he’s with me.  I will stand strong.  I will be victorious in him.  But, in my heart, there’s one place where I can be so vulnerable, clumsy, so unsure about everything else, yet so safe.  It's in His presence. I’m just his little girl desperately wanting to be held by him and for him delight in me so when I rise from his embrace, I can face all that’s before me.

When the Church Doors Hurt

The enemy would love to isolate us and keep us from church.  And he would  love to at least get us sitting on the back row, slipping in late & slipping out early, and not be involved.  I figure instead of hide in shame for what the enemy tries to do, let's just expose what he's up to & what God's got to say on it.  The enemy knows who to use and what they need to do to get you offended to get out of church; or get you feeling unworthy to step foot in a church door.  Maybe you've been called a hypocrite by fellow christians, or judged for your sin or the sin of your family.  Maybe you've seen sin defended and truth rejected inside the church.  Maybe you've experienced a church split. You're hurt. Maybe you've been corrected for something you've done and are feeling condemned. I know a few who have been put out of a church as well.  Whatever it was, the enemy likes to get you doubting you should go to church at all. 

Let's look at a parable Jesus shared:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other” (Luke 18:10–14).  

Above, we read about two people at the temple or "church"  Both believed in God, both went to  church, both prayed.  So, what's the difference in them?  One acknowledged the sin of others, while one confessed his own.  One acknowledged all his good works aloud, while one wouldn't didn't dare.  One called out the other to make himself look righteous.  One criticized others and one only criticized his own heart. One weighed himself by the standards of men to feel superior, while the other humbly judged himself only by God's standard.  To sum it up, one was proud and one was humble.  

Let me just confess.  I've been both of the people in this parable above at different times. Unfortunately, the longer we're in church the easier it is to fit into the "culture of the church" and expect others to do the same, and if we're not careful we can judge others by our own standards.  Meanwhile, we miss that God can do nothing in the midst of judgments, name calling and gossip.  He moves where he's being praised, not where we praise ourselves, He moves where our flesh isn't being glorified, but his Son is.  He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  We see how God wants us to be, but so many times in church we experience the opposite. 

So, if you've been hurt in church, by church folk, why even bother?  Why be a part of a fellowship of believers?  Why is it encouraged in the Bible?  Here's a few reasons:

Church is to fellowship & encourage one another:  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

We experience God's presence:  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20

We Receive Faith: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  Romans 10:17

We have a spiritual covering: Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.  Hebrews 13:17

We experience the blessing that comes with unity of believers:  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head,Running down on the beard,The beard of Aaron,Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon,Descending upon the mountains of Zion;For there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore. Psalms 133:1-3

I recently heard someone say, "Church isn't supposed to be perfect, it's supposed to be a home".  Our homes aren't perfect and we don't expect everyone in our home to be. We love, correct, nourish, teach, fellowship, forgive, and feel safe in our homes.  It's where we can relax and be ourselves.  Home is where we are accepted, where we grow.  If you've been blessed to experience a loving home, bring that with you to the church.  If you haven't known a loving home, then the church should be that home to you.  Jesus is the head of this home. 

So, I encourage you, come home. Yes, at some point, we're sure to be hurt by someone in our "home" and have to forgive, but learning that is part of growing up.  Receive faith, the blessing, the covering, fellowship, encouragement, and God's presence. Know there's others hurting that need your fellowship, your encouragement, your testimony.  Come home, be built up, encouraged and equipped, so you can go into the world, share Christ and invite others into God's family.  See you at church!!

Sit & Listen about the one-eyed hamster

Who's got time for that?

So many things call.  So many good things, so many helpful things that I could do.  See something that needs to be done and do it.   But they call me away, away from the best.  If the enemy can’t make us miss the mark with sin, then he would love to make us miss the mark by making us so busy doing  good things that we miss the best thing.

Don’t be so busy serving me that you miss my presence

Oh, by nature I’m totally a Martha.  But in all my Marthaness, no matter how hard I try, things still get missed and some ball is still dropped.  At the end of my most productive, task filled day, there’s still more to do. That's so frustrating for a Martha.  Every day, there’s more tasks than I could dare accomplish.  One of the biggest challenges about being such a Martha is that we can be so busy serving that we forget to slow down & love on the ones we are serving. Jesus was all in her house and the Bible said she was distracted with much serving.  Can you imagine what you’d do if Jesus was in your house?  I mean, I can totally picture myself like all spiritual, sitting on the floor looking at Jesus, washing his feet with my tears, as my children float by in moments of bliss.  But in reality, It would be wild, loud, kids running, dogs barking and messing on the carpet & I’d be running around cleaning  up & serving up the fanciest food I could muster up (Cocoa Krispies or Frosted Flakes, with some Ghirardelli chocolates on the side).   Seriously, I’d be so tempted work my heart out to serve him and everyone else, that I would miss him just being there. I’m the one who would be thinking about all I could do to make his stay nice.  But what a trick of the enemy.   In the busyness of serving, if we are not careful, we can neglect the very ones we serve.  

Sometimes, it’s in the slowing down that we serve others best.  People often don’t want our service as much as they just want us.  Your attention, your care, your ear, your joy.  Ahhhh....slowing down enough to listen, to laugh, to enjoy those we serve.  That’s what Jesus wanted of Martha. I can hear him saying, “Don’t be so busy serving me that you miss my presence.”

Your value is not in what you do, but in whose you are

Another issue Martha likely faced was in finding her value in what she did.  I know, because that’s how I lived for years.  What a lie the enemy plants that we are only as valuable as what we accomplish. The lie that if we are not doing something for someone at all times, we are not valuable.  The truth is, we are valuable because we are His.  On our best day, it’s the blood of Jesus that makes us valuable, and on our worst day, it’s still the blood of Jesus that determines our value.  You are valuable because He gave his life for you.

I choose that needful thing

My relationship with my children grows the most when I slow down and sit on the floor with my kids one on one and listen; listen about something that they made in art, or listen and care why a certain sock must be found because it fits just right and doesn't have bumps like all the rest, or listen compassionately again about the one-eyed hamster that's been deceased for two years now.  It's those moments that mean so much to my kids, but are so hard for me, because I'm not doing something.  Even if I never find the sock, or don't replace the one-eyed hamster, it matters most to them that they had all my attention and that I genuinely cared.  It’s when we slow down and listen that we build relationships.  We are not here to merely serve, but to know and be known, to love and be loved, to listen and be heard.  Sometimes, that requires that our eyes be taken off our “service” and put on that one that we’re serving.  Similarly, when I sit at the feet of Jesus like Mary, and He has all my attention, our relationship grows.  When my attention is all on him, I can hear his heart.  “Lord, what would you have to tell me.  This is the most needful thing I can accomplish today.  To sit at your feet and learn of you.  Your yoke is easy and your burden is light.  Speak to me, Lord.  So many things call for my attention and energy, but you are the needful thing.  I choose you.  Show me what I am to do today in this season.  Show me what is merely a distraction from your purpose for me today.  Show me what is keeping me from the best you’ve called me to.  Let all the duties and tasks call, but they will just have to wait.  I choose you, Lord.  You are my needful thing.”   

Friend, my prayer for us today is that no good thing will pull us away from the very best thing.  May we choose to make time to sit with those we love and listen wholeheartedly, if only for a moment.  May our most needful thing be sitting at the feet of Jesus each day.  Such wholeness awaits us there at his feet.

Love, Chrissy

Mommyhood

Motherhood

My highest honor, reminding me of my inadequacies and God’s grace, my greatest joy, my struggle, my purpose, stretching me to see things from another perspective, my call to pray and intercede, my protective nature revealed, my organizational skills thrown out of the window, my realization that cleanliness is relative, socks don’t have to match, Pooh Bears are essential,  boundaries are necessary, wooden spoons are effective, and pizza is all 4 food groups in one.  My reminder to stop and enjoy, hide chocolate, play memory and basketball, win sometimes, hug often, share Truth, forgive quickly, love purely, deeply, and without restraint.  It’s my way to make an eternal difference.  My greatest reminder that God’s grace is sufficient to cover my insufficiency.  

Praying for all the Mom's out there today, that you will draw all you need as a mom and woman from Jesus.  He is more than enough, our teacher and example, empowering us to walk in love and truth and to instill the same within the next generation : )

 Love, Chrissy