Instinct

February 1, 2013 By 5 Comments

When someone says something harsh about us. When there’s an attack (real or perceived) on our beliefs, values or rights. When we feel betrayed by someone. When we are faced with trials. When justice isn’t served. When we’re unfairly fired. When plans fall through. When discouragement, anger, frustration, irritation, or countless other negative feelings settle in.

What does our instinct tell us to do?

Instinct can be defined as a behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level.

So when something happens, what does our instinct lead us to do? Do we react out of the flesh side of ourselves, or from our spiritual side? Do we allow anger, bitterness, and hate to bombard us, or are we able to meet these situations with love, grace and a prayerful attitude?

The answers to these questions are crucial. For we are told that “the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” (Matt 12:34b) This means that the way we react without thinking gives us a deeper truth–the truth into what our hearts are consumed with.

This doesn’t mean that we’ll respond correctly every time. Even if we’re growing in our relationship with Christ, continually sacrificing so that our priorities will remain in the proper order, and looking for ways to honor Him in all we do…we still won’t always respond the way we know we should. The way we so eagerly want to respond.

Even if we don’t choose the best way to react, each time that we choose the better option we take a step toward the best option becoming a habit. With every better step, we make progress.

So how can we begin to make progress toward our instinct resulting in the best reaction?

  • We memorize scripture (Psalm 119:11)
  • We meditate on positive influences (i.e. music, tv, internet interactions, etc)
  • We continuously pray for it (1 Thess 5:17)
  • We think before we speak (WWJD anyone?)
  • We respond in only ways we wish others would respond to us (Luke 6:31)

If we are faithful to do all these things, I believe that little by little our instincts will align with His instincts. When this happens, we can be confident that our heart is healthy. After all, our end goal is to be so completely and utterly captivated, engulfed, and captured by Him that those who look at us no longer see us, but Him.

That is the place I know each of us here is striving to be.

Won’t you join us?

Filed Under: Balance, Battles, Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , , 5 Comments

My One Word: Reckless

January 7, 2013 By 7 Comments

I’m a very shy person.  (To my close friends who are reading this and laughing – stop.  I know you well, so you don’t count!)  Until I get to know someone, until I’m comfortable in a situation, I tend to be withdrawn and quiet.  I don’t like to make waves.  But this year is going to be different.  This year I’m going to be bolder, more daring, ready to take chances.

I’m going to be reckless.

It may seem like a strange choice for my one-word resolution, but I’ve never been so excited about a New Year’s resolution, and I’ve never felt God leading me to one as strongly as I feel this.

So what inspired it?  There were a couple of big influences.  First is the Jeremy Camp song by the same name…

Next is Francis Chan, whose book Crazy Love completely changed my life and my faith.  Kat at Inspired to Action shared this video a few weeks ago, and this sums up what God has been dealing with me about recently:

How much of my life have I spent hugging the balance beam, trying to love God and be safe?  But “safe” doesn’t do great things for God – reckless does.  God loves me with reckless abandon – how can I give Him anything less?  This year, I want to step out of my comfort zone and see where God takes me.  It’s scary…but it’s exciting, too, and I’m ready to be reckless.

Filed Under: One Word, Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , , , , 7 Comments

Your Next Step: Jump into the Jesus Zone

August 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Star jump

So, you go to worship. You’re doing your morning quiet time. Studying the Bible.  You’ve joined a small group. Maybe you even volunteer to teach Sunday School, or sing in the choir.   But there’s something missing…

What’s next?

Service.

Local missions.

Good-old-fashioned-helping-someone-in-need. Face to face. Not halfway across the world, but right-down-the-street service you can do on a regular basis. The kind of service where you’re not just collecting items for the local food pantry, but actually volunteering there and connecting with the people you’re serving…Up close and personal. Not just donating clothing to a homeless shelter, but actually going there to serve a meal to those homeless people. Being the hands and feet of Jesus.. Locally. Regularly.

Worship is definitely a big part of the picture. And learning more through quiet time, Bible study and small groups is a big piece too.  But it’s not the whole picture….

Without service, real up close and personal service to those less fortunate than we are, we are missing an entire piece of the enormous picture God is painting for our lives.  Serving is where we get to worship and learn by being the hands and feet of Jesus… By directly helping those who need it most.

It’s probably outside your comfort zone. I know it’s outside of mine. It’s scary sometimes. Okay, it’s scary most of the time. But the more we challenge ourselves to step into that uncomfortable, unfamiliar place where we truly put our faith into action, the more we will be able to learn and understand about Jesus. It’s the next step in growing spiritually.

Because that scary place
outside your comfort zone?

That’s where Jesus is.

So let’s not let fear and discomfort hold us back from being the hands and feet of Jesus.. Let’s push ourselves to go out and serve.

Are you ready to jump with me

into the Jesus zone?

 

photo credit:stuart anthony

via Compfight

Filed Under: Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: Leave a Comment

Celebrate Your Freedom

July 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In July, Americans turn their focus to freedom. Red, white, and blue. Independence. Flags flying. Physical freedom.

Chains Freedom

It’s the perfect time to also focus on your spiritual freedom. If you’re a Christ-follower, you’re free. You’ve been given an amazing gift that should be celebrated even more than the freedom of a country. Take a look at these verses:

  • For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
  • For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Galatians 5:13
  • Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:16
  • that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:21
  • Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— Galatians 2:4
  • But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Romans 6:22
  • and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:18
  • and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32
  • for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7
  • The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; Isaiah 61:1
  • Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

I challenge you to meditate on these verses. Pick some to memorize. Dig into the surrounding context of these verses. (I made it easy for you; the verse links will take you to YouVersion.com.) Thank God for the freedom he has brought to you spiritually – no matter what the condition of your physical body.

Original chains photo credit.

Filed Under: Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , , Leave a Comment

There is a Season

June 4, 2012 By 2 Comments

gillette house

I grew up on a quiet street in a small town in Wyoming, in a house that looked like every other house for several blocks, in a neighborhood built for low income families. Our house was the first one finished, and my parents got to pick out the colors, flooring, cabinets, etc. It was a neighborhood full of kids, and I spent my summers on my bike, covered in dirt, with a rowdy pack of boys at my side. There weren’t many girls nearby, but I was such a tomboy that I probably wouldn’t have noticed if there had been.

I can remember the summer we planted three trees (sticks, really) in our huge side yard (we lived on a corner lot). Those trees got run over by bikes, broken off by frisbees gone wild, and were taped back together more times than I can count. My parents never expected them to actually grow, but they just kept hanging on, year after year.

I grew up in that house. My grandpa taught me to play “In the Mood” on the piano there. I had my first real kiss on the front steps. I recovered from my first broken heart in my little bedroom overlooking the street. I snuck a boy out the back door when my mom came home early one afternoon. I shot my BB gun at a target my dad set up down the hallway when I was five. We marked off my height every six months on a 2×4 beam in the basement. We lived there until I was a sophomore, when my parents split up, and my mom and I moved to a small apartment a block from the high school. My dad lost the house to foreclosure shortly after.

I drove past the old house last week for the first time in 13 years. The neighborhood is run-down. The kids have grown up. One of my trees had been cut down. The whole town has changed a lot over the years. Some of the places I loved are gone, and there are new houses, buildings, people everywhere you look.

I’m not the same person I was back then either. I’m older, more cynical, less trusting. I have more scars, inside and out. I’ve learned a lot. I’m not perfect, but God has a plan for me.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

Filed Under: Emotional, Revolution Tagged With: , , , 2 Comments

Hole-y Jeans | Praying for Our Kids

May 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Sitting around the dinner table full of steaming plates, we grasp hands and thank Him for the food.

Snuggled in bed with covers pulled up tight, we fight off sleep and ask for His blessing on our family.

Rushing through the day with errands, deadlines, and stress pulling us in every direction, we throw up a plea for help.

Pacing the hall of the hospital under the fluorescent lights, we plead and bargain in exchange for healing and safety.

Whether it’s a memorized blessing, intense time of intercession, or a quick sentence of “Help me, Jesus!” – prayer has proven to be a “staple” in the diet of a Follower of Christ.  However, there are times when a situation calls for extended periods of intensive communication from our hearts to the Throne Room of God.  In my short time as a parent, I’ve seen the need for and tremendous impact of these dedicated prayer times for my son.  When I’m on my knees, calling on God to work out His will in the life of my Augustine, I am surrendering my own control and admitting that I alone cannot create “change” in his heart.  I truly believe that prayer is the single most effective and powerful tool I have in my “mama toolbox.”

Praying for your children can be a daunting task – there’s so much ground to cover!  And there are countless resources on praying for children – a simple Google search will generate over 31 million potential hits – just a bit overwhelming!  It’s obvious that great men and women of faith have recognized the need to approach God on behalf of the next generation and have taken the time to equip us to lay the foundation of faith before them and ask for God’s blessing on their lives.  To help narrow that search down, I’ve selected two affordable, eBook resources for you to consider:

“31 Days of Prayer for Our Daughters” by The MOD Squad

While I am not a “mama of girls,” I have friends who have attested to the power and need for this resource as they pray for their daughters.  In a world that degrades, pressures, and can demoralize our girls, we have to stand on the front lines to fight for their hearts.  This eBook is available for $1.99 on Kindle and Nook.

“Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys in the Areas They Need it Most” by: Brooke McGlothlin

I’m blessed to call Brooke a dear friend and have been incredibly impacted by her words to intercede on behalf of my son.  To raise up a generation of men who are firmly grounded in Christ and who uphold His laws has earth-shaking impact.  This eBook is available for $3.99 on Kindle, Nook, and for PDF download.

These resources are a great jumping off point if you’re looking for a way to organize your prayer time for your kids!  Additionally, during the month of May (1-21), TheMOBSociety is hosting a 21 Days of Prayer for Sons challenge, inspired by Brooke’s book, “Warrior Prayers.”  Each day a group of over 900 women gather to pray through Scripture for their sons and encourage each other.  I’m blessed to be leading the challenge over there, so if you’d like more information or want to join us, please send an email to alle.warriorprayers@gmail.com and I’ll connect you.

Let’s wear some holes in our jeans as we pray for our sons and daughters.

Filed Under: Book Review, Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , Leave a Comment

Battleground Faith

April 7, 2012 By 1 Comment

What does your faith look like? 

When some people think about faith in God, they think of worshiping and singing in church, of praising God in peace and calm.  They think of happiness and joy and peace.  They think of pretty faith.  Sometimes that’s exactly what our faith is like, and it’s a beautiful thing.  But sometimes we have to live our faith in the middle of a battle.

Battleground faith isn’t always pretty faith.  When you’re in the middle of a battle, everything changes.  Faith becomes raw and real.   It becomes a faith that bears your soul, your deepest emotions, your hidden sins and scars.  Sometimes, it can get downright ugly as our truest self comes to the surface. 

I’m convinced that the battlefield brings out our most authentic faith, because we never know our true measure of faith until it’s tested, and our faith is never refined and purified until we’re in the fire.

Elijah experienced battleground faith in 1 Kings.  In chapter 18, he’s on a high – he’s just watched God prove Himself real and put to shame the prophets of Baal.  He saw God rain down fire from heaven in a great victory.  But in the very next chapter, everything changes.  Elijah suddenly finds himself on the battlefield, alone and exhausted and ready to give it all up.  He had reached his limit.  He couldn’t go on.

What’s so amazing about this chapter is how God shows up.  Yes, He showed up in miraculous ways in chapter 18.  But in chapter 19, in the darkest time in Elijah’s life, God revealed Himself like never before.  I love this passage…

 11)  So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

12)  After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

13)  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

In the middle of the biggest battle he had ever faced, God came to Elijah’s rescue.  He took Elijah’s raw, emotional faith, his exhaustion, his desperation at having reached the end of his rope, and He gently picked up the pieces.  He gave Elijah a new direction, a fresh purpose and assurance that all was not lost.  Elijah was still in the heat of battle, but now he had a fresh reminder of Who was fighting with him.

We can’t escape the fight.  As Christians, we’re all warriors, and we’re going to spend a lot of time on the battlefield. It’s not easy, and sometimes the battle will wear us down until we feel we can’t go on. But we can never forget that God is with us.  He has a plan for the battle, to build our faith and perfect us in Him.

Filed Under: Battles, Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , , 1 Comment

One Thing {CMA}

February 9, 2012 By 24 Comments

So, when I get to the real nitty gritty of the who, what, when, where, and why of my being overweight I can easily get brought down. I’ve tried and tried to get motivated enough to lose weight, and nothing has worked. I mean ab-so-lute-ly nothing. I’ve never been really committed to diets (because I know how they have tricked failed most of those around me.)

This year, I decided to take a different approach to my weight issue. There’s a familiar verse that my mind likes to skip right over when I read it because it digs right to the core of this battle.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own ? For you have been bought with a price : therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

So while I’ve known this Truth for a long time, heard it preached about several times, and have read it just as many times, I haven’t ever given it the time of day.

A week and a half into this year, a friend of mine posted on Twitter about doing a 21-day fast from bread and grain. Immediately my spirit united with hers. I felt it impressed upon me to join her on this journey. I’ve learned this much–when the spirit impresses something upon me…I’d better not hesitate.

It was exactly what I needed to shift my focus.

Before, my focus had always been on losing the weight for this reason, or that event. This fast, however, shifted my focus to the verse above. It shifted my heart to longing to lose the excess weight in order to become a better steward of the temple that has been entrusted to me. The best way to do this? Living a life in Him fueled by fasting. Relying upon Him to fill me instead of food.

After all, who better to be accountable to than the One who knows, sees, feels, and understands your struggles. Not only does He do all those things, but He still loves you, and He wants you to share those things with Him.

Fasting. It can be such a sticky subject. Why is that? I mean, if you read through the Bible, there are so many places that mention fasting. Oh, and they don’t say if you fast…most of them say when you fast. Some examples being:

“When you fast, do not look somber…” [Matthew 6:16]

“But when you fast, put oil on your head…” [Matthew 6:17]

“…The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.” [Matthew 9:15] P.S. That time He’s referencing in this verse…is now.

So, not only is fasting expected of us, but take a look at these examples of the power of fasting:

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ’Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” [Acts 13:2]

“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” [Acts 14:23]

However…the biggest reason I can find to fast is to become like the One I proclaim to be following. He set the example and fasted–especially through trials. If He did, what says I shouldn’t? Sure, He was perfect, but He still went through all the same temptations we struggle with. He could have chosen to give in and break the fast, but His eyes were on the Prize. He made fasting a priority in order to show us that it should be essential to us, too.

I want to encourage you to take the time to sit down with God and work through this concept. Take a few moments and think over these questions.

Don’t just take my thoughts and run with them. I challenge you to do an in-depth study into what God has to say about fasting. Then I encourage you to seek Him.

Fasting doesn’t always have to be from food, but I do think it should at least occasionally be from food.

I ask that you set aside what the “medical professionals” have to say and listen to the Great Physician.

Father, humbly I come before you, unworthy of this privilege. I pray that You would set it in our hearts to seek You, Your truth and Your path of life above all else. Help us to trust You over mere man. Papa, with all the technology we have in today’s society, it is so easy to lose site of all that really matters. It’s easy to get caught up in the fads that surround us. I pray You’d give us eyes to see Your will for us, ears to hear Your voice, and hearts willing to follow Your call. In Christ’s precious name, Amen



Filed Under: Accountability, Battles, Emotional, Mental, Physical, Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , 24 Comments

My Glorious Revolution

January 27, 2012 By 3 Comments

Historically, the Revolution of 1688 (in which James II of England was overthrown) is referred to as the Glorious Revolution because it was accomplished without the spilling of a single drop of blood.  The English Parliament worked in beautiful accord to remove an unsatisfactory leader and promote the growth and stability of the kingdom.  

History is riddled with tales of revolution and uprising. The glory and desolation of civilizations are the hallmarks of our species.

But, how much is at stake when one individual is faced with the inevitability of revolting against one’s own nature?

This confrontation was one that I couldn’t avoid.  The circumstances of my life changed so drastically in such a short amount of time that any semblance of control I might have possessed was torn from my grasp, and I was left standing in my own fog of misery and fear with no idea of what to do next.

The end of my marriage meant more than a just a broken relationship.  I had to relocate – returning home after 10 years of living on my own.  I had to give up my job, leaving me unemployed during one of the worst periods of economic downturn since the Great Depression.  The fragile world I’d built for myself fell to pieces, and I was left only a pale shadow of myself.

Over the months that followed I tried and failed (repeatedly) to rebuild myself.  My confidence was broken, and one failure after another only served to leave me feeling more hollow and unnecessary than before.

Yet something still stirred within.  Some crystalline voice that rose up out of the fog and told me that I knew better.  Before I’d lost myself in an unhappy marriage, I’d been a force of nature.  I was full of love and light and the capacity to find joy in the tiniest moments of living.  Where had I gone that my true self couldn’t follow?

All the fancy motivational sayings and well-meant advice didn’t help.  As a general rule, they only made me feel like the anti-positive – something falling squarely between negative and total worthlessness.  But still, that voice rose up.

Slowly (oh, how slowly), that voice became louder.  It came from the comfort I took in my faith that God still had a plan for me.  It came from the vocalizations of the treasured few who saw my real suffering and not just the symptoms.  It even came from those whose words I’d read but whose voices I’ve still yet to ever hear.

It came from me.  The “Me” I’d shoved so deep down that I’d forgotten about her.

Then I stopped being sad – it was time to get angry.  I’m not talking about ex-bashing, railing-railing-against-the-unfairness-of-the-universe angry.  I’m talking about how-dare-I-let-myself-think-this-way angry.

The devil may be in the details, but he had most certainly taken up residence in my self-esteem.

Filed Under: Battles, Emotional, Mental, Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , 3 Comments

My One Word: Discovering Perfect

January 25, 2012 By 4 Comments

I’m a recovering perfectionist. I’ve been on a journey for several years to let go of doing everything right and stop worrying about what other people think of me. Easier said than done, right? Last Fall, God brought several opportunities into my life that started to revolutionize my thinking about the word perfect.

When the time came to prepare for 2012 and ask God what He wanted me to focus on this year, it was clear what my one word for the year should be. God called me to research the biblical meaning of the word PERFECT and live it out. And so began my revolution: discovering perfect.

I cannot ever be perfect as the Old Testament Law would define perfect. I’m sinful and I live in a fallen world. That’s why God sent Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for my sins. Because I have received forgiveness and salvation, God now sees me through that atoning sacrifice.

If I can’t be sinless, what kind of perfect is God calling me to live?

In the English Standard Version, the word perfect can be found 53 times in 50 different verses. Digging a little deeper, I found that there are several different root words in both Hebrew and Greek that can be translated into English using the word perfect. As with any language translation, it can be difficult to find a precise word-for-word equivalent in English for words in Hebrew and Greek. More often, there is a range of words and meanings, the best of which is chosen based on the context, and the additional range of meaning for a word enhances our understanding of what a word means in a particular passage.

Using that as my foundation, I’m now working my way through the Hebrew and Greek words that we translate as perfect. So far in my study, I’ve found that perfect really has little to do with being sinless and without failure. It really has more to do with peace, wholeness, completion, and maturity.

What do those things all have in common?

I can’t bring any of them about, in, or of, myself. I must rely on God. This is the process of sanctification, a big theological word for the process God uses to bring me to maturity and set me apart for His work. It’s an on-going process that doesn’t end until I’m in the presence of God.

Are you ready for a revolution in 2012? Are you ready to redefine perfect?  Ready to seek after God for peace, wholeness, completion, and maturity?

Join me here at Must Love God and at The Pelsers as I continue my journey to discover perfect in 2012.

Filed Under: One Word, Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , 4 Comments
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