Friday Matters

Everyday Airport Righteousness

I was in the airport traveling to speak and I was crabby, and I felt negative. Things weren’t right in my head. So, I did what I tell others, “Go to the Bible. Listen to God.” I recited some scripture aloud. Nothing happened (He’s not a Genie in a Bible). I then remembered Isaiah 32:17; “And the effect of righteousness will be peace--internal and external, quietness and confidence.” Righteousness means I’m in right standing with God but it’s not because of anything I do but because of what He did on the cross.

Righteousness means I know who we are in Christ. Quietly I walked around the airport saying what I knew was true, “I’m the daughter of the King. He began a good work in me. He’s working all things for the good. “He’s not surprised by my feelings, and He redeems all things.” And after a while of repeating God’s Word the effect of righteousness was peace-internal and external just like Isaiah 32:17 says. Feelings are indicators but don’t let them be dictators. Receive His peace no matter what’s going on…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Refrigerator Peace

Isaiah 26:3 was a magnet on my refrigerator that I looked at everyday when I was raising our four young sons and it says, “Jesus keeps in perfect peace all who trust in Him, all whose thoughts are fixed on Him.” I tried to be purposeful and ask myself; “What am I thinking about?” We choose what we think on. Many times, I’m worrying and thinking, “But what if…?” I know “more is caught than taught” so I wanted the words out of my mouth to be positive even if I needed them to be firm too.

A great responsibility as a parent is helping our kids fix their thoughts on what God says and not on their feelings or circumstances. I saw a poster which read; “It’s easier to build up a child than it is to repair an adult…choose your words wisely.” Of course, there are the times were negative thoughts lead to me speaking negatively but I hope that what was also observed was that God’s grace covered me. He cares, calms and carries us through…. everyday.

Wednesday Matters

Everyday Oh God

We hear it all the time, the phrase “Oh, my God!” to express a thought or idea that is incredible or unbelievable. But as we grow in a relationship with Christ, we need to realize that when we say, “Oh, my God” we’re, in fact, violating one of God’s Ten Commandments; “You shall not use the name of the Lord your God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7) It’s often who you hand out with that determines a lot of how you speak or what you watch on the screen. That’s something I am praying about too.

My husband tells the story, when as a new believer returning to play cards with his buddies, he very intently asked them not to swear using God’s name; if they did, he wouldn’t be able to play. There was a stunned silence until one of his friends spoke and said, “Okay, we’ll respect that.” Another guy said, “But can we still say, ‘blankity-blank and blank?’” My husband said, “Sure, that’s fine, just don’t use the name of the Lord in vain.” There’s such power in God’s name. He is Holy. He is Love. He and His name should always be respected and honored…everyday.

Tuesday Matters

Everyday Walk in Strength

The devil wants each of us to concentrate on how far we have fallen rather than how far we have risen through Christ. I had someone recently help me with radio ministry and when I shared all the folders of transcripts I had written I was amazed and encouraged. I was feeling so discouraged and stuck.

Satan wants us to focus on our past instead of our futures and how far we still have to go rather than how far we have come. He wants us to think about how many times we fail rather than how many times we succeed. But God wants us to focus on our strengths through how He’s working in our lives by His grace and not our weaknesses. It’s truly focusing my mind on the truth that when I am weak, He is at His strongest Philippians 3:13-14 tells us that God wants us to press forward and respond to His upward call and forget what lies behind us. Pay attention and focus on what God gives you to do and by that obedience you will magnify the works of the Lord…everyday.

Monday Matters

Everyday Earth Life

The earth experience is hard. It’s not our home and on this earth, we are served a lot of hard and challenging circumstances and of course, difficult people, too. Ever since our separation from God in the garden, humanity has had trouble with sickness, tragedy, violence, and death which are the results of sin. Jesus made it clear that troubles would be a part of living in the world and He was the remedy, not the source. 

But I struggle with the hard commands from Jesus like, “Love your enemies,” or “Rejoice in your trials,” which are certainly not fan favorites, yet Jesus gives us the way to do the hard things, and He tells us in John 15:6, “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” So, listen up, Buttercup, the only way you can do the hard things God commands of you and allows in your life is to be in union with Him and tap into His grace…everyday.

Friday Matters

Everyday Sins Forgiven

Think how amazing it is that God chooses not to remember our sins. He chooses never to bring them up again. In Isaiah 43:25 God tells us; “I am the One who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins."

When you read Hebrews 11, you see a list of the great men of faith; Abraham, Moses, David, etc. yet none of their sins are listed even though they were sinners. This is because God chooses not to recall the sins that He’s already erased. Now travel to Ephesians 4where Jesus tells us to forgive as the Father has forgiven us. I know…right? That means when we choose to forgive someone, we also must choose not to bring up that offense again; to them, others or to ourselves… ever! Probably the hardest thing is to not allow our minds to rehearse the hurt. ONLY through His Holy Spirit strength is this possible and nothing is impossible with God…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Sign Language

It was his first day back on the job after more than a year on disability leave due to a freak explosion in the plant that, among other injuries, left him legally deaf in both ears. But when John walked into the plant that morning several of his colleagues used sign language to say; “Great to see you,” “Welcome back, John” and “We missed you.” It turns out that nine of his colleagues got together and took a sign language course, just like he did, over the several months he was absent. They did this so they could easily communicate with him when he returned.

This kind of compassion truly shows that people are what life is all about. Only people last forever and the way we treat others is the legacy we leave behind. I can’t help but think of that verse in 2 Corinthians 1:4 that says that with the compassion and love God’s shown to us; we too can show that to others…everyday.

Wednesday Matters

Everyday Ark of Love

The Old Testament Bible story of Noah and the Ark which many of us know is where God told Noah and his family to build and come into the ark to be saved from the flood. Those who didn’t enter into the ark died for their unwillingness to know the one true God. Okay so think about this, Christ is the “New Ark”; the "Ark of Salvation.” Choosing Christ is also choosing to follow Him and choosing to follow Him means choosing to love those who are difficult, the ones who didn’t want to get on board.

Okay, so in the New Testament 2 Peter says: The person who lacks genuine love is blind and has forgotten they were cleansed from all their old sins. While we were yet sinners Christ loved us and then He erased our sins by paying with His blood. Once we’ve received grace, we don’t deserve, we can give grace. NOW, the question is, “HOW in the world can we ever really love difficult people?” Our job is to love. Christ’s job is to judge…everyday.

Tuesday Matters

Everyday Be the Church

I love people. I love traveling and meeting new people in random places everywhere, like gas stations. You can have church anywhere, a gathering of others and sharing the grace of God. Cuz when church stops being about us, it can be about God again.

Church is meant to crush our selfishness and church without God does none of that. Often our evangelism becomes winning people to our doctrine or our denomination instead of reaching the people next door who have no direct access to freedom in Jesus. As I travel speaking, I get a reality check every “church person” would benefit from. Our job is to get people to know Jesus personally. People need God desperately and not in a Pollyanna, “it’s all for a reason” sort of way. Jesus came to save the lost by letting them know they are loved right where they are at and not where they should be. Don’t just go to church, be the church…love without conditions…everyday.

Monday Matters

Everyday Job Explanation

Maybe the reason God doesn’t explain to Job why terrible things happen is that because He knows that Job really doesn’t need an explanation. Frederick Buechner’s shares this insight from his book; “Wishful thinking.” “Suppose that God did explain. Suppose that God were to say to Job that the reason the cattle were stolen, the crops ruined, and the children killed was thus and so, spelling everything out right down to and including the case of boils. Job would have his explanation.

But Job would still have to face his kid’s empty chairs at breakfast every morning. Having a complete theological justification of his boils, he would still have to scratch and burn. God doesn’t reveal His grand design. He reveals Himself. He doesn’t show why things are as they are. He shows His face. And Job says, I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.” And this is the same God we too can see…everyday.

Friday Matters

Everyday Forgiven Offender

God is bigger. We may know this in our heart but it’s acting it out like we believe it that makes the difference. One of the hardest things to do is to forgive someone who isn’t’ sorry for what they’ve done because “it’s so not fair!” And because it’s not fair we want them to know how wrong they are. What does God want? Go to 1 Peter 3:9 and read; “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That’s what God asks, and He’ll bless you for it.”

Do you think God tells us to be good to those who’ve hurt us just because He wants to watch us suffer? No. The enemy works through people to hurt us and if we end up hating that person because they’ve hurt us then Satan’s job has been accomplished two times over. But if we respond with love then we’ve gotten Satan back and he’ll wish he never laid a finger on our lives…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Job Bedtime Story

I still remember years ago returning home from my son’s skating class and thinking it probably wasn’t a good time to tell my husband Dan that our "check engine soon" light was on again even though the next day I had to make a trip which was 200 miles away. I didn’t tell Dan about the engine light because he was in the basement shop-vacing water due to a plug in our sewer line. My journal indicates that Joey was 7 and he asked again for The Book of Job for his bedtime story. “Irony,” I wrote. But I was immediately struck by Job's response after all his belongings and children are taken away; "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD."

Eventually, I had all four boys in bed and while I was folding laundry, I had a peace wash over me as I repeated over and over, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” No matter what happens there is peace… not because all that happens is good, but because God always is good…everyday.

Wednesday Matters

Everyday False Christian

Okay so you’re talking to a person who says they know and love Jesus. Great. But the more you talk the more you realize that you’re kinda saying the same thing but you’re not. I love to talk about Jesus and His character, promises and the Good News. And now I realize that not everyone who agrees Jesus is love understands that He is holy and what that means.

I’m on the same page as pastor and theologian Warren Wiersbe. “False teachers deny the inspiration of the Bible, the sinfulness of man, the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross, salvation by faith alone, and even the reality of eternal judgment. They deny the deity of Jesus Christ, for they know that if they do away with His deity, they can ignore the entire body of Christian truth.

Christianity is Christ, and if He is not who He claims to be, there is no Christian faith.” Christ is our Savior and through Him dying in our place to cover our dept of sin are we free. It’s respecting His holiness and Love to understand why He came and how deeply He loves us…everyday.

Tuesday Matters

Everyday Underdog

God often chooses the underdog. Think of David in the Bible who is the youngest of his brothers, a shepherd boy and was made King. And then there’s Gideon, who was threshing wheat at night and God tapped him and said, “Gideon you mighty warrior.” He was used to conquer the fierce and large group of Midianites. Jesus chose everyday people for most of his apostles and hung out with “sinners” more than the upper class.

We most often look on the outside and judge a person’s success based on what we see on earth. Our real success is not here. It’s in eternity. Matthew 19:30 says, “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” One of the simplest instructions from God is one of the most challenging from Mark 10; “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you’ll have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me” …everyday.

Monday Matters

Everyday Treatment of Others

How we treat others, including family members, from day to day, or how we react to the alcoholic who just can’t seem to get their act together or the people we don’t like, says a lot about us. How we respond to interruptions from people and how we deal with the frustrations of everyday life will speak the truth of who we are more clearly than a Christian bumper sticker on our car.

Life is not all about us but about God and His love of us and others. So, as children of God we need to reach out in love to others by listening and responding in love with our actions and words. We are all of equal value with a need for affirmation and real love and acceptance. Jesus tells us in Ephesians 5:15; “Make the most your time on earth with taking advantage of each opportunity and using wisdom because the days are filled with evil. But God is good and He’s love is unconditional. Show others real love by the way you live your everyday…everyday.

Friday Matters

Everyday God is Bigger

God is bigger. We may know this in our heart but it’s acting it out like we believe it that makes the difference. One of the hardest things to do is to forgive someone who isn’t’ sorry for what they’ve done because “it’s so not fair!” And because it’s not fair we want them to know how wrong they are. What does God want? Go to 1 Peter 3:9 and read; “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That’s what God asks, and He’ll bless you for it.”

Do you think God tells us to be good to those who’ve hurt us just because He wants to watch us suffer? No. The enemy works through people to hurt us and if we end up hating that person because they’ve hurt us then Satan’s job has been accomplished two times over. But if we respond with love then we’ve gotten Satan back and he’ll wish he never laid a finger on our lives…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Drunk Righteousness

What does it mean to be righteous? Well, it means we are in right standing with God and that means we know who we are in Him…. loved, redeemed, not a mistake. Greater self-effort and determination will never liberate you. Shifting your focus will. This means letting God lead you and not your flesh.

Again, in the Bible, Ephesians 5, tells us not to be drunk with wine but instead to be drunk with the Holy Spirit. When a person is drunk on alcohol, they feel, think and act differently. I’ve been there, done that. But the exact same is true when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we feel think and act differently. The Christian life is not the result of trying to act like a Christian; that’s only frustrating. The secret is developing our relationship with God empowered by the Holy Spirit. As God's Spirit fills us, we better understand who God really is. Our lives are changed from the inside out and good behavior is the end product…everyday.

Wednesday Matters

Everyday Pride

I was stinky. Oh, I had taken a shower, but I had pride and pride stinks. Pride is difficult to deal with because we don’t think we have it. I notice my stink most when I have zero patience with someone who’s hurt me. In the Bible in James 4:10 I read to ask God to humble me so I can see the other as He does. He then promises to lift me in hope. The signs of pride include an unwillingness to admit fault or take responsibility for our actions.

Pride wants to do all the talking and none of the listening. Yeah, I know you’re probably thinking of someone who needs to hear this, but perhaps it’s you! God gets you. He sees the hurt. I get you because I’ve been there. Are you still screaming? Maybe it’s time to stop and listen.” Humility and your surrender to God will set you free and you’ll be a sweet fragrance for everyone to be around…everyday.

Tuesday Matters

Everyday Gentle Answer

Sometimes I talk too much. Even if I’m talking about good things, it’s still better if I follow the advice of Proverbs 10:19; “Don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow!” I know that the mouth that blesses, praises and prays can also irritate, hurt and harm.

I remember a time when I was home from college and having a heated argument with my dad, who’s an unbeliever. I was so frustrated, and I wanted to lash out and say something to prove my point but from experience I knew my brilliant but angry words would not change a thing. It’s crazy but I actually said aloud Proverbs 15:1; “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” It was weird but the argument stopped immediately, as soon as I spoke the Proverb. God had the last Word. My prayer is Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to God in every way...everyday.

Monday Matters

Everyday “I Should”

Today I want to encourage you to ask God to help you take the “should” out of your life. Think how often you say, “I should read the Bible, I should memorize scripture, I should attend a Bible study, I should lead one.” But remember what Paul says in 2 Corinthians; “The code of the Law kills but the Holy Spirit makes alive.”

When we start thinking “I should” is when we get stuck in being religious. Some religious circles want you to believe that God can only be reached through rule keeping and good behavior. This “religious spirit” was alive when Jesus walked the earth, but He died so we could have a close personal relationship with Him and not a religion. Today, that same religious spirit still trips people up if they don’t know the truth. Remember the Law was given to show people their need for a Savior. A relationship with Christ enables us to walk in freedom and to be loved by grace and not by the law of, “I should,” …everyday.