I can imagine that we have all experienced situations where a friend or family member is going through something tough. While we definitely do not want to come across like we have all the answers or have it all together ourselves, we also do not want to ever believe that unless we have experienced the identical situation we cannot offer any encouragement.
Often we hear, "You just don't/can't understand." And then we think, you are right, I don't because I haven't experienced the exact scenario. However, II Corinthians 1:3 and 4, says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
That gives us a different picture. God wants us to comfort others, not from ourselves, but through Him.
I love the verse I Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except that which is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." That means, when you are going through something tough, you are not the only one. You feel like you are alone, but many others have experienced this trial. And God will provide a way for you to go through the trial without sinning. If you look, you will be able to see God's hand. ~Julia
Do you have any enemies? I don't like to believe I do. But, ya know what we all can admit to having in our lives? People we just don't like. People that get under our skin, that rub us the wrong way, that we don't agree with or we'd rather just avoid. These people can be siblings, parents, friends from church, neighbors or coworkers. With the holiday season upon us, maybe these are the people you're stuck spending extra time with...
I've had this passage of scripture tucked away from a sermon I heard several months ago. It's a good one, read it with me:
If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure to help him with it. (Exodus 23:4-5)
Now, the word enemy is a very strong word, so is the word hate. Unless you live on a farm, in the Middle East or in an Amish community, you may not be a costumed to speaking in terms of donkey's and oxen. Let's substitute a few of the words and try reading it this way:
If you come across your annoying neighbor's child or pet wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the child of someone who's generally annoyed with you heading for trouble, do not leave him there; take him by the hand and guide him to safety. (Exodus 23:4-5 paraphrased)
Now, from what I know of scripture, I'm pretty sure we're supposed to try and have a good attitude on top of all this. Notice, this passage is not directed at specific people (like "children's ministry workers" or "kid people"). Maybe you're not a kid person, or a dog person, the point is to go out of your way to help someone you don't like or that may not like you. Pretty counter-cultural don't ya think? Not only should our outward actions show love to those we dislike, "your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (Philipians 2:5).
Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice. (Proverbs 24:17)
Or how about this:
Do not gloat when a person that annoys you loses. When the person you don't really like makes a mistake, don't secretly find enjoyment. (Proverbs 24:17 paraphrased)
The best way to handle feelings of hatred, annoyance, bitterness, and distrust is to forgive and let God handle the outcome. I'm not saying we have to be push-overs. There is a place for action and a time stand up for what's right. There are higher authorities put in place to protect us, and courses of action laid out in God's Word for dealing with people living in sin, when to practice tough love, etc. But, even when justice must be served, discipline must be administered, the truth must be told and corrections made, everything should be done through love.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:35)
Why love your enemies? Because, as I am always reminded when singing these words "...I will hold your people in my heart" God loves people. So often I lose sight of people, I forget how much God loves the world, what he did for the world. There are a lot of people that annoy me and cause me moments of frustration. I get frustrated with people in the media, people in my family, people that just don't seem to ever "get it." At times, my frustrations are grounded and legitimate, at times they are not. But what I really want is to be able to say these words with sincerity:
Heal my heart and make it clean Open up my eyes to the things unseen Show me how to love like You have loved me Break my heart for what breaks Yours Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause As I walk from earth into eternity (Hillsong: Hosanna)
Lord, today we set aside an entire day to choose to be thankful. We are blessed that our nation set this day aside. We pray that we as individuals, families, and country will continue to choose to be thankful. Lord, we understand that we may not have as much as others, but help us to focus on what we do have.
Because of your sacrifice on the cross, when we accept that you are our Savior we become and will always remain sons and daughters of God.
Lord, please continue to Bless America as you have so generously done in the past. Raise a generation of Christ followers who are not ashamed to be associated with you and stand not on cultural acceptance or changing opinions, but for the truth found in your inspired Word, the Bible.
Often we, as mother's become upset when our children do childish things. I am not talking about willful disobedience. I am talking about mistakes, poor thinking, etc. Childish things. Like earlier this week picking up a two liter from the kitchen literally ten seconds after I put it down, only to have it dropped and sprayed all over their bedroom carpet. I was stuck in a poor mood after my children behaved childishly. I was very irritable, and I knew it was wrong. I was doing my best to shake it. I prayed for God to help me have patience with my children.
After 38 years in the same house, my grandparents are moving from the family farm to a house in the city today. I received a text with a picture from my brother.
On top of the wooden, antique pie cooling cabinet, was my printed name in marker. I must not have been much older than my daughter is now, five, when I left my "Julia was here" impression. (When Natalie saw it, she told me that I should have washed it off :)
I have absolutely no recollection of this event. I can remember other things that I did at Grandma's, but I do not remember writing my name on top of the T.V. cabinet. Why not? I do not think that my Grandparents made a big deal out of it. They recognized my poor choice as being childish, not defiant. They didn't scold me when I spilled pop on their carpet after she advised me it wasn't a good idea to bring pop into the living room and place it on the floor.
The experience was a humbling reminder that at one time I was just as childish as my children are now. I still am in many ways. My heavenly Father is so patient with me, and does not scold me or punish me because I am an inconvenience to Him, but for my good and motivated by love for me.
My prayer for today is that, "Love one another, for Love will cover a multitude of sins." I Peter 4:8 That I would always be a source of overflowing love for my children. In my own strength, I cannot accomplish this command, but with God's help I can do all things!
I found this article on Christianity About.com by Mary Farichild. I also found a video that shows a perspective from a former witch. She was saved after she had practiced witchcraft. After reviewing this information, I really have a lot to think about.
Mary Farichild begins here:
This article will tackle the controversial question, "Should Christians observe Halloween?" With no direct references to Halloween in the Bible, resolving the debate can be a challenge. How should Christians approach Halloween and is there a biblical way to observe this secular holiday?
The dilemma over Halloween may fall under the category of a Romans 14 issue, or a "disputable matter." These are matters that lack clear and specific direction from the Bible. Ultimately, Christians must decide for themselves and follow their own convictions regarding the observance of Halloween. Together we will explore what the Bible has to say about Halloween, providing food for thought as you decide for yourself on the issue.
Christian perspectives on the observance of Halloween are strongly divided. Some believers feel complete freedom to observe the holiday, others run and hide from it, many boycott or ignore it, a number celebrate it through more positive and imaginative observances orChristian alternatives to Halloween, and still others choose to take advantage of Halloween's evangelistic opportunities.
Some of today's popular celebrations associated with Halloween have pagan roots stemming from the ancient Celtic festival, Samhain. This harvest festival of the Druids ushered in the New Year, beginning on the evening of October 31, with the lighting of bonfires and the offering of sacrifices. As the Druids danced around the fires, they celebrated the ending of the summer season and the beginning of the season of darkness. It was also believed that at this time of year the invisible "gates" between the natural world and the spirit world would open, allowing free movement between the two worlds.
During the 8th century in the diocese of Rome, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints Day to November 1, officially making October 31 "All Hallows Eve," some say, as a way of claiming the celebration for Christians. However, this feast commemorating the martyrdom of the saints had already been celebrated by Christians for many centuries prior to this time. Pope Gregory IV broadened the feast to include the entire Church. Inevitably, some of the pagan practices associated with the season persisted and have been mixed into modern celebrations of Halloween.
Ephesians 5:7-12: Don't participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.(NLT)
Many Christians believe that participating in Halloween is a form of involvement in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness. However, many consider the modern-day Halloween activities of most to be harmless fun.
Are some Christians trying to remove themselves from the world? Ignoring Halloween or celebrating it with believers only is not exactly an evangelical approach. Aren't we supposed to "become all things to all men so that by all possible means" we might save some? (1 Corinthians 9:22)
Deuteronomy 18:10-12: For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling or sorcery, or allow them to interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is an object of horror and disgust to the Lord.(NLT)
Well, these verses are pretty clear on what a Christian should not do. But how many Christians are sacrificing their sons and daughters as a burnt offering on Halloween? How many are calling forth the spirits of the dead? The verse does not say that "trick or treating" disgusts the Lord.
However, what if you have come to the Christian faith from a background in the occult? What if, before you became a Christian, you did practice some of these deeds associated with witchcraft and sorcery? Perhaps refraining from Halloween and its activities is the safest and most appropriate response for you as an individual.
There are many other Bible verses similar to these two, but nothing that specifically warns against observing Halloween. Rather than providing an answer, the purpose of this article is to cause you to ask yourself questions and think about your convictions on this issue.
As Christians, why are we here in this world? Are we here to live in a safe and protected environment, guarded against the evils in the world, or are we called to reach out into a world filled with dangers and be the light of Christ? Halloween brings people of the world to our door step. Halloween brings our neighbors out into the streets. I can think of various creative ways to seize this opportunity for developing new relationships and sharing my faith. Is it possible that our negativity toward Halloween only alienates the people we seek to reach? Can we be inthe world, but not of the world?
I close with a recommendation to give serious thought to the appropriateness of judging another Christian for observing or not observing Halloween. We do not know why another person participates in the holiday or why they do not. We cannot accurately judge the motivations and intentions of another person's heart.
I believe the most appropriate Christian response to Halloween is to study the matter for yourself and follow the convictions of your own heart. Let others do the same without condemnation from you. Perhaps the answer to the Halloween dilemma is ... there is no right or wrong answer! I believe one's unique convictions about Halloween must be individually sought, independently found, and personally followed.
Often I struggle with the mundane aspects of my life. Instead of having fun, I sometimes just focus on the part that is boring or an inconvenience. So today, when I was preparing Jude for a bath, and just thinking how nice it was that he hadn't peed on me lately. He did right then. By the time I realized what was happening, my jeans were wet, my tennis shoes were wet, the floor was wet, and my hand that I tried to use to block the steady stream was wet. So, I looked on my iPhone camera and here is what I found.
My kids are a joy, and I am blessed to spend time with them. (Even if I do have to repeat that to myself more than once a day :) My kids are not in the way of what I need to do, they are what I need to do. Sometimes I need to refocus and realize what my real priorities are!
I LOVE Change! Did you hear me? Seriously, I love it! Changing my hairstyle, a new color of paint on the wall, fresh sheets on a bed, rearranging the furniture, swapping out something old for something new (or something new for something old). I realized today for the first time, that my favorite season is... the changing of the season! I love living in Michigan where we experience four very unique and wonderful seasons of change. Just when you're getting tired of one thing, wallah: something new! The changing of seasons got me thinking, how at a very young age I learned to embrace change as an exciting opportunity for a fresh start. I've moved enough in my life to thank the Lord for blessing me with this kind of an outlook.
Now, I know not everyone is as excited about change as I am. Many people appreciate things that are familiar, comfortable and safe. Don't get me wrong, I'm also a HUGE fan of commitment to the important things: one spouse, one church family, kids, responsibilities, etc. I'm all about peace in the home, routines and structure. But there is no talking me out of the fact that change can be very refreshing.
The kind of change I am most psyched about? Growth! I love seeing growth in a persons life that is so evident, you have to notice! I love seeing the process of change that takes place, from the old to the new, when someone begins living their life for Christ. Just as exciting, is seeing a person that has been saved for years, continue to grow and mature. I want growth in my life to be evident. I don't want to get stuck or complacent. Change is good.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Ephesians 4:22-24 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Colossians 2:6-7 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
This Father's Day is a great time to remind yourself of how thankful we should be for our husbands. I have been blessed with an AMAZING husband. He is so great with our kids and seeks to put God first in his life. However, no matter how great our husbands are all of us need a little reminder from time to time of how much we love them.
Remember what it was like when you could not wait to get married. The butterflies you had in your stomach when you were about to see him, or just longing to be with him when you had to separate after a date. How much you couldn't wait to talk to him even after you just spent all day with him.
Things are different now, but regardless of how youfeel today you can pray and ask God to either restore or solidify your relationship. Marriage is not without hard work, but God does not call us to live an easy life. He does call us to live a life worthy of our calling Ephesians 4:1.
As David wrote, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me." Psalm 51:10-11 We must constantly be checking our thoughts and when we find ungodly thoughts, we need to get rid of them quickly, and replace them with godly thoughts. Romans 12:1 & 2.
For example, if your husband isn't doing what you think he should be in any category, remind yourself you are not his boss, God is. Cover him with loving thoughts because Love covers a multitude of sins I Peter 4:8. Ask God to renew a right spirit within you. Ps 51:10.
This same principle can be applied to any relationship in your life. Good, godly habits will help you feel much better.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9
We are a forgetful people! Deuteronomy 6 is a passage originally directed to the people of Israel, not long after they had been freed from the hands of Pharaoh and witnessed the parting of the Red Sea. Yet, they grew forgetful and unappreciative of all God had done for them. We all the more, need constant reminders to keep our focus on God and to keep His Word on the forefront of our minds. Take this passage literally! Surround yourself with scripture. Write memory verses on index cards and tape them in your car. Use window markers to write on your mirrors at home. Write out verses on pretty paper and hang them on the fridge. Incorporate verses into your decor - there are so many nice wall stickers available today at Hobby Lobby, Kohls, etc. Impress upon your children the importance of hiding God's Word in their hearts by living it out in a practical, tangible way.
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Psalm 119:9-16
Etsy has a wide variety of these available, plus the option of customizing. Wall decals are also available at Hobby Lobby, JoAnn Fabric, Michael's, and Kohl's to name a few. Check out the variety also available on Amazon: Vinyl Wall Decals on Amazon
Children are great at memorization! Teach Bible verses when they are young and you will be amazed at how well they memorize and retain. There are whole chapters of scripture that I memorized as a child and can still, quickly bring to mind. I am grateful i learned them while young, because it is much more difficult now that I am sleep deprived and have had three kids turn my brain to mush! Many children are great audio learners. Play scripture songs in the background while driving, eating breakfast, etc. Some great options can be found here:
Originally posted 2.4.2012 This little rambling has single handedly received more responses than any other post I have written. So, I thought it deserved a take 2!
I believe I was about 13 years old when I first heard the phrase:
"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself, less."
The need for humility hit me hard when I was a teenager, deep in thought and dreaming about the future. I thought SO hard about my future, from who I was going to marry, to what I was going to be and where I would live, what degree to get and where to go to college. I thought myself in circles, which eventually landed me in the ER to be treated for stress induced ulcers and acid reflux. During that time in my life, God taught me a lot about learning His will and trusting Him with my future. He also taught me that at the root of my stress, was selfishness. There was an obvious imbalance in the time I spent thinking about myself, to the time I spent in the Word and thinking of others.
Later on, this same concept hit me in the face as I dealt with self esteem issues. At the heart of my self doubt, lack of confidence, desire to be prettier, skinnier and more popular, was the fact that I was plain old, spending WAY too much of my time thinking about...myself!
I again needed a reminder of this in college, as I got caught up in the stress of classes and work, making more life changes and decisions on what direction to take. I find it most difficult to keep my focus on others when I have decisions to make, and for some reason, way too easily find justification for stressing over the future.
I love how Francis Chan puts it in his book, Crazy Love
"Both worry and stress reek of arrogance."
Did you catch that word, reek? How true is that! Arrogance is pretty strong stuff, and chances are, if you've been infected with it, your friends have noticed! He points out that stress "...says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace towards others, or our tight grip of control."
The human race was born into selfishness, it is our natural tendency and biggest downfall. Yet, I am still amazed at how well it hides itself and manifests itself in so many ways.
Look hard, selfishness goes by many other names.
At the heart of your self esteem issue, stress, anxiety, tiredness, many forms of depression, even good things like volunteering at church, serving the homeless, and so on - selfishness may be hiding. Even on our BEST days, in our BEST intentions, selfishness may be lurking around somewhere. With every "selfless" deed we do, there is very often a small part of our mind that, if nothing else, hopes to be seen and praised. Wow, this all seems rather bleak doesn't it? Read on, you can do something about it!
As a mom, too often I get up in the morning and find the first thing out of my mouth is "uugh, the kids were up soooo many times last night, I hardly got any sleep. I feel miserable." Unfortunately, it usually doesn't end there. Rather than praying for an attitude check and making a conscious decision to be "joyful always" my misery continues through the day as I choose to stay consumed in myself. This is the stage of life I am at right now. God has done some amazing work in my life when it comes to trusting Him and not stressing about things. Lack of sleep is my current greatest offender. I am learning to anticipate the times my selfishness is apt to affect how i handle my kids, answer my husband, or respond to someone in need. I need to frequently take stock of my thought life and ask, is the majority of my time being spent thinking of myself?
Humility is not self deprecation, it is laying aside our own agendas, pity party, stress, bad moods, tiredness and excuses, for the good of others.
~Sarah
"Be joyful always; pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances..." -1 Thes. 5:16-18
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves." -Phil 2:3
"...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." -Col. 3:12
All kids are the same, and yet so different. I have three little ones. Natalie is 5, Noah is 3, and Jude is 11 months. They each have their own personalities and interests, but they are all my favorite little sinners.
We understand the Bible tells us we need to "train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it", but how do we do that? Ephesians 4:25 thru 32 gives us the practical solution we are searching for. The Put Off and Put On principle.
Paul outlines several sins and then explains how to overcome them. For example, stop stealing, start working, and then give. Stop being angry, and start loving. Stop lying, tell the truth, and then become transparent. We often fall short when correcting our children. We tell them to stop complaining. Then what. Just like if I tell you, don't think about an elephant wearing pink polk-a-dot shorts, sipping lemonade on the beach. What are you going to do? Exactly. In order to stop thinking or doing something you must replace it with something else. If you want your child to stop complaining, ask your child to do the opposite = be thankful. When he is crying because his sibling is playing with a toy he is now suddenly interested in, ask him to tell you five things he is thankful for. He will most likely need your help because he is used to complaining, but make sure you follow thru with what you've asked.
I created these flash cards about two years ago to help the kids remember verses to go with each offense. Red means stop. Green means go. These are my original flash cards that I made as a reminder for me, and a learning tool for the kids. If you are proactively teaching, you will be amazed what they remember when a similar situation occurs. BTW: We can learn this way, too :)
Put OFF Selfishness
Put ON Generosity
Update: We now have a completed, downloadable study on putting off tattling and putting on peacemaking. Check it our in our Store!~Julia
There are moms that constantly brag about their kid's accomplishments, to the point of annoyance. Then, there are moms that are so focused on what their kids are NOT accomplishing that it's disturbing. Secretly, many of the moms that are bragging about accomplishments are still inwardly comparing their kids to everyone else, hoping to stay ahead of the game. Many mom's suffer anxiety over what their kids aren't doing, what milestones they have not reached and if anyone else has noticed. We live in a society where the comparison game will drive you insane! We're given check lists of what our kids should be doing and when. The problem is, no kid is the same. God has created us all uniquely and individually. Your kid may not fit the mold or even come close to resembling the mold!
Early intervention is extremely helpful for some children, yes. But the system is flawed, because it assumes that all children develop at the same pace. Use milestone check lists as a very loose guideline, but don't get too freaked out if your child falls behind in any one area. My girls were slower verbal developers, but they were both running and jumping by 10 months. My 5 year old LOVES art, crafts, activity, reading, words, phonics, etc. (right brained, ya think?) but is struggling with "getting" anything numbers and math oriented. I am the same way! One of the best parts about homeschooling is that I can keep her moving ahead in the areas she is excelling, while taking extra time to focus on the things she is not grasping yet. We work at her pace, not a nation-wide, general pace set by the average student.
I am one of those moms that got freaked out early-on, when I saw other kids progressing faster than my daughter. Isn't it just crazy that at 6 months, we're already comparing our kids and taking note of the things that they're doing in comparison with everyone else? Wait a second, it starts earlier than that! How about within the first week of life? We've been programed to search for something that will give us bragging rights, something that will immediately label our child as "above average." Whether it be, how early they sit up, how early they say their first word, how early they start reading, at what age they master algebra or graduate high school. It's a never-ending comparison game! Have you lost your mind yet?
Today, I sat down to write up a progress report for my 5 year old. Initially, I was just curious to compile a list of the academic milestones she has reached and see how it measures up with the national average. I was again reminded of how far she has come. I am so quick to get down about the areas she is struggling in, but God really reminded me how blessed I am by all the things she CAN do! I ended up making lists for all 3 kids, writing down as many positive things that I could think of. I would recommend for anyone that is getting freaked out over what their kids AREN'T doing, to make a list of all the things they CAN do! Pray for your child and thank God for blessing you with their life. Your child may have been diagnosed with a learning disability or have mental and physical limitations - thank God for their accomplishments and talents! These may include things like: being kind, sensitive, having a joyful personality, affectionate, etc. Assessment has it's place, but remember that each child is unique, "fearfully and wonderfully made!"
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. -Psalm 139:13-16
I believe I was about 13 years old when I first remember hearing the phrase:
"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself, less."
(Dad, I'm pretty sure I heard this from you!)
The need for humility hit me hard when I was a teenager, deep in thought and dreaming about the future. I thought SO hard about my future, from who I was going to marry, to what I was going to be and where I would live, what degree to get and where to go to college. I thought myself in circles, which eventually landed me in the ER to be treated for stress induced ulcers and acid reflux. During that time in my life, God taught me a lot about learning His will and trusting Him with my future. He also taught me that at the root of my stress, was selfishness. There was an obvious imbalance in the time I spent thinking about myself, to the time I spent in the Word and thinking of others.
Later on, this same concept hit me in the face as I dealt with self esteem issues. At the heart of my self doubt, lack of confidence, desire to be prettier, skinnier and more popular, was the fact that I was plain old, spending WAY too much of my time thinking about...myself!
I again needed a reminder of this in college, as I got caught up in the stress of classes and work, making more life changes and decisions on what direction to take. I find it most difficult to keep my focus on others when I have decisions to make, and for some reason, way too easily find justification for stressing over the future.
I love how Francis Chan puts it in his book, Crazy Love: "Both worry and stress reek of arrogance."
Did you catch that word, reek? How true is that! Arrogance is pretty strong stuff, and chances are, if you've been infected with it, your friends have noticed! He points out that stress "...says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace towards others, or our tight grip of control."
The human race was born into selfishness, it is our natural tendency and biggest downfall. Yet, I am still amazed at how well it hides itself and manifests itself in so many ways. Even on our BEST days, in our BEST intentions, selfishness is usually lurking around somewhere. With every "selfless" deed we do, there is very often a small part of our mind that, if nothing else, hopes to be seen and praised.
As a mom, too often I get up in the morning and find the first thing out of my mouth is "uugh, the kids were up soooo many times last night, I hardly got any sleep. I feel miserable." Unfortunately, it usually doesn't end there. Rather than praying for an attitude check and making a conscious decision to be "joyful always" my misery continues through the day as I choose to stay consumed in myself. This is the stage of life I am at right now. God has done some amazing work in my life when it comes to trusting Him and not stressing about things. Lack of sleep is my current greatest offender. I am learning to anticipate the times my selfishness is apt to affect how i handle my kids, answer my husband, or respond to someone in need. I need to frequently take stock of my thought life and ask, is the majority of my time being spent thinking of myself? Humility is not self deprecation, it is laying aside our own agendas, pity party, stress, bad moods, tiredness and excuses, for the good of others.
Time and time again I am reminded to stop thinking about myself!
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances..." -1 Thes. 5:16-18
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." -Phil 2:3
"...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." -Col. 3:12
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: "Both worry and stress reek of arrogance."