Faith "&" Works

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”  1 John 5:14-15 (ESV)

Jesus continued from there toward Jerusalem and came to another village. Martha, a resident of that village, welcomed Jesus into her home. ³⁹ Her sister, Mary, went and sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him teach. ⁴⁰ Meanwhile Martha was anxious about all the hospitality arrangements.  Martha (interrupting Jesus): Lord, why don’t You care that my sister is leaving me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to get over here and help me.  Jesus: ⁴¹ Oh Martha, Martha, you are so anxious and concerned about a million details, ⁴² but really, only one thing matters. Mary has chosen that one thing, and I won’t take it away from her.  Luke 10:38-42

Poor hardworking Martha.  Being a Martha-type myself, more of a doer than a thinker, I’ve always related better to her than Mary. 

Need a volunteer at church?  I’m your girl.  Co-room mom?  Sure.  Girl Scout Co-leader?  Of course.  Finances tight?  I’m on it.  Fill in for a coworker?  Absolutely.

Recently, my bestie and I went to my friend’s Semi-Annual Women’s Clothes Swap Event. I normally detest shopping for clothes but the lure of next-to-free clothes and a girls night out proved more than I could resist. 

Before the event, we visited the vendors' tables set up around the church gymnasium.  With tight budgets, we were hesitant to waste anyone’s time, but we soon found that the ladies were happy to just talk.  Pretty bags and bows over here.  Hair and skin products over there. Interesting things to look at as we passed the time.

So the Holy Spirit is the only explanation I have for what happened next.

Glancing around the room to ensure I hadn't missed anyone, I was drawn to lady who seemed to radiate peace.  Was it her kind eyes, gentle smile? No, something more.  I could literally feel the sweet spirit surrounding the table pulling me towards it.  As I got closer, the items on her table became clearer. 

A puzzle card?  That’s neat.  Children’s books.  Cool.  Serving dishes and cups.  Okay.  Though a wide variety of items, a common theme became obvious...these were faith-based pieces, infused with scripture.   

Penny shared with me her story of Mary & Martha, the company for which she consulted.   She expressed gratitude that proceeds from her sales had funded cancer research, adoptions and mission trips, her husband being a pastor.  How she still got chill bumps when she thought about how each shipment is prayed over.  And it was just her story, not a sales pitch.  No pressure, just a feeling of peace.  I could almost envision her, a Mary, at the feet of Jesus, listening intently.

Days after the event, I was still thinking about Penny and Mary & Martha.  Though I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to call her, I resisted. 

No time.  No energy.  No resources.  I don’t know enough people. I've never done anything like this before. My plate is so full already.  In an instant, old familiar worries and excuses rose up like flames, threatening to consume me. Tweet this!

Like so many times before, I was at a cross roads.  Which path would I take?   

Memories of His goodness rushed in like flood waters, filling me to overflowing with His peace in an instant.  He reminded me of His command to go and tell the world about Him, the Good News.  He reminded me He would be my helper and hadn't I been praying for just this thing? 

For Him to use me, give me more opportunities to share about my faith and encourage others in theirs, provide a way for our family to continue rebuilding our financial security and freedom, to help us provide some of the basic needs for the newest member of our family, Olga? 

His words of comfort reminded me of what He had told Martha over 2,000 year ago, “Oh, Patty, Patty, you are so anxious and concerned about a million details, but really, only one thing matters. Choose that one thing that will not be taken away from you.“

So I am choosing obedience to Him in traveling this new path He has set before me at Mary & Martha.  And I'm so excited to be a part of a faith-based company where we are encouraged to live in the "&" - that place that brings together our faith and our works.  Tweet this!

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

 “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”  James 2:25 (ESV)

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;…”  Psalm 46:10(a) (NIV)

The {Word} Wednesday, September 25: Fear

Definitions:

Fear - an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.  [terror, fright, horror, alarm, panic, agitation, trepidation, dread, consternation, dismay, distress, anxiety, worry, angst, unease, apprehension, nervousness, perturbation, foreboding]

Fear - regard (God) with reverence and awe [revere, reverence, venerate, respect]

God gave us the emotion of fear as (1) a warning signal to keep us safe and (2) a way to experience a healthy boundary with, and view of, our Holy and Almighty Father.  But when we allow fear to go beyond these purposes created by God, we are falling prey to one of the devil’s greatest lies. One that he loves to use on us Christians because it paralyzes us, renders us useless, and holds us back from obeying Jesus. 

What does the Bible have to say about fear? 

You will find the command “fear not” in variations in Scripture nearly 150 times, most often accompanied by a loving reassurance from God. 

Consider just the following samples:

Genesis 15:1 - “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield.”

Genesis 26:24 - “I am the God of Abraham your father.  Fear not, I am with you.”

Genesis 28:15 - “I am with you.”

Exodus 33:14 - “My presence will go with you.”

Psalm 23:4 - “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

2 Chronicles 20:17 - “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed.  Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

Isaiah 41:14 - “Fear not, you worm Jacob….I am the one who helps you.”

Jeremiah 1:8 - “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.”

Consider the following samples about fearing God:

Psalm 111:10 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.  His praise endures forever!”

1 Peter 2:17 - “Honor everyone.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honor the emperor.”

Proverbs 19:23 - “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.”

Proverbs 14:27 - “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.”

Proverbs 8:13 - “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.  Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”

How do we combat sinful fear?

Prayer.  It’s your 24/7 hotline straight to God. Your Father, the Creator of the Universe, has access to unlimited resources and longs to pour out His peace and blessings on you, if you will only seek Him through prayer.

God’s Word.  It’s your sword and shield in the battle against the devil‘s lies.  Hide it in your heart by memorizing verses to use when you feel afraid.  Verses that empower you and remind you of His sovereign and wholly good character.

The Church.  Not the building.  The people.  The fellowship of believers.  Foster strong relationships with His people and reach out to them in times of distress. 

When we do these things, it will remind us that our human view is limited and faulty and will encourage us to trust the One who knows it all.  Instead of losing hope for the future, we will begin to see a future with Him in it, actively helping us.  Instead of worrying, it will help us stop predicting things that may not - and most likely will not - come to pass.  But we must surrender control of our lives to Him daily. 

Because we live in a sinful, fallen world, sinful fear permeates our lives but that doesn’t mean we have to succumb to it.  Instead, we should engage ourselves in an intentional battle of spiritual warfare against this force that threatens to disarm us and render us useless for Christ. 

We can draw comfort from the promise Jesus made to his disciples, which is still true for us today -  “I am with you always to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20

Taken in part from “4 Reasons Why We Fear” by Pastor Mark Driscoll, May 9, 2012  <http://pastormark.tv/2012/05/09/4-reasons-why-we-fear>

My “go-to” verses in dealing with fear:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.“  Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.”  2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.  They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 (NLT)

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

“ Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. . . . And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? . . . For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”  Luke 12:22-31

Questions for thought/discussion: 

What fears have you paralyzed today? How are you dealing with those fears? Is your method of battling fears working? Why or why not?

Panic Attacks and Trust

Panic Attacks and Trust

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.”  Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

 

 “How are we going to pay for this?” he asked. 

 

“I honestly don’t know, honey. ” I replied.

 

The idea of sending our youngest to a private Christian school was ridiculous.  She and her sister were less than a month from starting back to school at one of the top academic elementary schools in the southeast.  She’d finished last year with all A’s and having won the good character award in her class more weeks than not.  And tuition?  Free. 

It all started innocently enough. 

“So who is excited about school starting back next month?  We need to start getting ready for it, don’t we?” I said.  What took place over the next hour can only be described as a series of panic attacks.  “Please don’t make me go back.” 

Over and over again the plea came between uncontrollable sobs.  I prayed for God to intervene, to calm her spirit, to give us peace, to guide us and be with us.  I told her that mommy and daddy’s plans were for her to go back to her normal school this year but...maybe we should ask God what His plans were for us.  A calm came over her and minutes later, she fell asleep.

Sleep did not come so easily for her father and me, though. 

“How are we going to pay for this?”  “We can’t pay for this.”  “This is ridiculous.  She just needs to suck it up and go.”  “Yes, I remember her not wanting to go back after holidays and time off from school last year…about how difficult it was for her to adjust to going there…but she did fine.”  “What about our oldest child?  Will she want to go too?  Will she feel slighted if we send her little sister but then don’t send her?”  “What if she doesn’t like it at the new school we send her to?” 

The angry questions bounced around in our minds and between us, taking on a life of their own, as we struggled to comprehend what this change would mean to us financially and as a family and individually.

In the weeks to come, God would make our path to the new school abundantly clear…which did NOT necessarily make it any easier to follow it.  I actually prayed at times for God to close doors.  To just turn our youngest's heart around.  To make it so that she wanted to go back to her old school. 

But God’s plans were bigger than our fears Tweet this! and the doors leading to this path were being flung wide open.  The choice was ours...would we leap through them?

“Why, yes, we do have just a spot available in our first grade class but just one…”

 “Why, yes, we do have financial aid available but the Board is actually meeting tomorrow to decide about financial aid recipients.  You could just turn it in and see what happens...” 

“Mrs. Mills:  I just wanted to let you know that the Board has approved your request for financial aid.  Oh, you are welcome.  You will have five days to either accept or decline acceptance..." 

Five days.  We were still far from being able to pay for tuition, much less the other fees.  But God had a plan for that, as well.  We were given half of the money as a gift – not a loan – a gift.   The remaining money we had to take out in a loan. 

Last month, in an effort to save money, we had found ways to reduce some of our outgoing monthly expenses to the tune of saving $165 a month.  Our new loan payment would be $161 a month.  This was not a coincidence.  It was also not a coincidence that our oldest had no interest in attending this new school.  She was perfectly happy going to her old school. 

But still hurdles to jump and quickly, as school starts now in two weeks.  Letters of reference are needed, school supplies, uniforms, a preplanned family vacation that had already been scheduled to take place the same week the new school starts…all of this was handled in ways that only God could have managed.  He smoothed out every last detail, took every last worry (that we would give Him) and turned them into praises, into this testimony of faith. 

It’s been 3 weeks now since our youngest started school and she loves it.  She is thriving, flourishing, and looks at us with grateful eyes that say, “Thank you.” 

Our oldest started school this past week and she loves being there, as well.  We'd always been told that this particular school wasn't the right fit for every kid.  I'd have to enthusiastically agree.

And my husband and I still worry at times.  "How we will pay for other upcoming expenses?"  "What about our plan to get out of debt?"  "Summer care?"  "Next year?"  "What if..."

That's when God reminds us to captivate those worry-filled thoughts.  To pray, instead.  To tell Him what we need.  To thank Him for all He has done.  All He is doing for us.  For His many promises that His path is always right, always good, always one that leads to life, not death.  And that if we will just continue to trust and obey Him that He will continue to pour out blessings upon us, more than we could ever imagine or dare to dream.  

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  Romans 8:28 (NLT)

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’  declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you.’”  Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

"Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26 (NIV)