Your Life Matters

• Posted on February 26, 2019 at 6:29 pm

Those who got no further than the title probably assumed that this was going to be a post of psychology or a simple “God loves you” kind of post but my purpose in writing goes deeper than that.  When people talk of “finding” themselves, they typically are looking for validation, desiring to feel loved and accepted while figuring out why they were placed here on this earth. That comes closer to what I am addressing but not exactly.

Maybe I say too often that you were placed here for a reason, and you need to find that reason, but instead of rolling your eyes and moving on to other things, I want you to think about this: Your life matters. Not only to you and those around you but to future generations. Have you ever thought about that?

If you study the first five books of the Bible, you will find that God sometimes blesses future generations based on their forefathers’ faithfulness and obedience. He also punishes descendendants based on decisions their parents made. Besides that, a life lived wholly for the Lord can speak volumes after a person is dead.

I think of Jonadab who commanded his sons to never drink wine. Years after their father was gone, they were still honoring his wish. Because of this, God protected them from Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.

On the flip side of this was King Saul whose family was wiped out because he turned away from the Lord, while David was promised that one of his descendants would always sit on the throne due to David’s faithfulness. You may think that when you make a bad, selfish, or even sinful decision, that you are hurting no one but yourself. You may be hurting a lot more than you realize.

Not long ago someone made the comment that it’s hypocritical for parents who were involved in drugs or drinking when they were younger to tell their children they can’t drink or do drugs. I disagree with this statement since we learn from our mistakes, and it is a natural desire to keep others from making those same mistakes. However, think of how much better it would be had the parents not done those things in the first place. These are the things you need to think of.

For the last week and a half, I’ve been highlighting a book on my website titled Habits: The Mother’s Helper. In this book, the author talks about how you can teach character to your children by creating habits. I appreciate that she points out that this has to start by example. Whoever said “more is caught than taught” was correct.

So, you see, your life matters. Every word, every action is not only seen by your Heavenly Father, but it is also seen by those around you who will be seen by those around them and so on until, generations later, others may be carrying on the legacy that you left behind while having no idea who they have to thank for it.

Don’t take your life for granted. Don’t assume that, once you’re gone, your life is over. If you are a Christian, you will live forever. Not only in Heaven but also in the lives of those you left behind.

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Are You Burnt Out?

• Posted on February 15, 2019 at 8:11 am

Last Fall, while traveling with my brother on one of his speaking tours, I talked with a several people who mentioned that, in the past, they had become burnt out with serving, and some had even walked away from God for a while due to being tired and disillusioned. At least one person mentioned feeling like she was carrying a lot while others were doing nothing.

I suspect burnout is a common experience but one that most don’t talk about. After all, you might appear to be not very Christian if you admit that your heart is not into your service. If this is you, I hope this post will encourage you.

You may remember the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was busy serving while Mary spent the day sitting and listening to Jesus talk instead of helping her sister. I believe Scripture records this story so that we can learn from it.

“Martha” personalities have a hard time saying No. Whenever something needs done, they sign up, not really thinking through the activities they are already committed to and making a responsible decision to know whether or not this is something they can pull off.

Although I know there are some, I really don’t see many “Marys”–people who are spending quality time in God’s presence and are making that their priority. The reason most people don’t volunteer to do things is due to laziness or not wanting to come out of their comfort zones. And this is why “Martha” is getting burnt out.

If you are exhausting yourself to the point of frustration and failing health, I would like to suggest that it might be time for you to take a break and learn to become Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus and letting Him refresh your Spirit. Fulfill any commitments you have made but don’t take on anything else unless you know it’s what God is calling you to do. If you are serving out of guilt or obligation, there is a good possibility that God never intended for you to take on so much.

I believe that one can do thankless, exhausting work and yet have joy while doing it. If you are not experiencing this joy or the grace that comes from the Spirit when you are doing His work, then it’s time to reevalute. Now, if you are a complainer who doesn’t like to do anything, I am not talking to you. This is for those who have a heart to serve but who really need a break. You know who you are. The fact is, as hard as it may be for you to believe, you are replaceable. If you are like me, you don’t like to hear that, but you are. And it’s possible that, if you step down, someone else, whom God has been working on to develop a servant’s heart, will step up to the plate.

Remember the people I talked to last Fall? They had all returned to being active in the church but they’d learned to scale back and not over-commit. Even Jesus needed rest sometimes. Don’t underestimate the importance of that.

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How to Read the Bible

• Posted on February 1, 2019 at 9:09 pm

Reading the Bible is a discipline that many find hard to do. Those who do get into a routine of reading every day can easily fall into a rut where one is reading the text but it’s not impacting them any more than if they were reading a novel. I find myself going through this as well so I wrote down some suggestions that can help us all to get more out of our Bible reading.

Highlight commands. Years ago, a pastor said that he puts a “C” in front of every command he comes across in the Bible. I started to do that in one of my Bibles but lately I have started underlining commands that jump out at me. This can be anything from words of Jesus to instructions from Paul to the churches which could still be applied today. If you already underline verses in your Bible, then you may want to do the “C” method. Regardless of how you do it, I think it’s good to pay attention to the things that Scripture commands us to do, how to act, etc.

Slow down whenever God or Jesus asks a question. My brother has written a couple books titled Questions God Asks and Questions Jesus Asks. These books have helped me to read the Bible in a new way. If we truly believe that everything is in the Bible for a reason, then we should take the time to figure out what God is speaking to us through even the simplest things. It may look like God is asking Abraham a question, for example, but is there something in that question that we can learn from today?

Mark verses you want to be able to find quickly. I know there are some who believe we shouldn’t mark up our Bibles and, if that is your conviction, that is fine. For myself, however, underlining verses that I especially want to remember is very helpful in finding them again. I have a hard time memorizing references but I can sometimes remember the book a Scripture is in, and this saves me a lot of time.

Don’t read when tired. This is something I am working on. I like to have my prayer and Bible time the first thing in the morning but if I push myself before I’m really awake, I end up barely getting through a chapter before I’m falling back to sleep, and I don’t comprehend what I read. I also like to go through a Bible study at night which means making time to do that before I’m too tired. On the evenings that I play out early, I may review the previous evening’s study but I don’t try to do a new lesson if I don’t have the mental energy to put into it. If you find that this is your experience every morning and/or evening, then you will have to find a time that you can devote to reading. The answer isn’t to ignore the Bible but to find a way to get the most out of it.

Pray. Take time to pray before you read. I often pray that God will open my heart to receive His Word and know what He desires to speak to me, that He will give me ears to hear and a willingness to obey. I usually have a time of praise first as well which can help to prepare me to read the Word.

Let’s all endeavor to not just be hearers of the Word but doers as well. If you have found something that has helped you to get more out of your Bible study, feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you.

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