Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

3/31/2021

God Calls You

Wednesday Matters- March 31, 2021
Everyday Called

I am thankful for God’s call on my life to love others. He hasn’t called me to hand out a rulebook or a list of “you should” and “you should nots,” which means He hasn’t called on me to point out the sins of others. He knows I have enough of my own stuff to cleanup, and with His grace, how can I afford not to extend this gift to others?

I love people. I want to have fun, be real, love God and love others. But it’s also important to note that at no point does God not stop being holy. Out of His great holiness and power and might and mercy, do we then deny our own sinful desires and bow to Him. Our flesh wants what it wants and more of it. So it’s only by God’s Holy Spirit in us that we can deny the flesh. I know the message of “sin is not in” and love always wins, but true love involves compassion with truth…everyday.

3/30/2021

God LOVES Sinners

Tuesday Matters- March 30, 2021
Everyday Completely

It’s taken me years to really grasp that God fully knows me and yet He fully loves me, completely, just as am. I can live authentically, free and unashamed and I can share this love with others so they too can be set free. What God doesn’t love is sin because it’s a barrier to us having a relationship with Him. Sin wins unless pardoned.

I know that all are welcome at God’s table because we’re all His children. He will never reject or withdraw His love from us, but He does reject sin. Sin is not welcome at the table. God is absolutely holy. In His holiness He must punish sin. We are all sinners. Yet because He is love, He didn’t want to punish us. He offered Himself as a sacrifice on the cross to pay the full price for our sin. His resurrection proves He succeeded. The best way to welcome people to the table is through love and by God’s love He will show Himself with all we need to know…everyday.

3/29/2021

God IS Your Friend

Monday Matters-March 29, 2021
Everyday Best Friends

“We’re best friends now!” is something I seem to be saying a lot lately.
Everyone has a story and I find myself taking the time to listen to people’s stories. I always take a selfie afterward too. This fall is Gigi, who is originally from Brazil. She loved this whole concept of “best friends in 30 minutes or less” because when you ask questions and listen to the heart there’s this wonderful joy that turns to love as you begin to fully know a real person and not a performer or poser.
Gigi shared her wild child past living in Brazil and as I listened to Gigi, it was fascinating to hear about her life. For many seasons she lived in darkness, making harmful choices and yet, because of her relationship with God, she has not let her past define her future. She is fully known by God (I mean Jesus knows the good, bad and ugly), loved and redeemed, which enables her to be a huge blessing as a friend, wife and mom…everyday.

3/26/2021

Confident & Secure Love

Friday Matters-March 26, 2021
Everyday Confident Love

Our family was stunned, when years ago, our seven-year-old David, the fourth son, decided to walk down the aisle at church. The pastor invited a child to come forward to read a Proverb. As David left the pew he said, “I’m a really good reader.” The truth is most of first grade he had a tutor for reading but progressed so much that by the end of the year the tutor had been dropped. Plus, as a family, David read a lot to us aloud and each time he’d read we’d say, “David, you’re a really good reader” and then we’d hug him. David was confident when he read his verse (never mind that he pronounced a few words wrong).

And I thought, “Think of all the things we could do if we believed what God said to us?” I mean like… how much He loves us, He’s cheering for us, He sees our hearts and knows and cries with us when we’re hurting. Go forward in that confidence, fully known and fully loved…everyday.

3/25/2021

The Meaning of Love

Thursday Matters- March 25, 2021
Everyday Love It

I love Jesus. I would also say that I love ice cream. But did you know that 75 years ago people didn’t say they loved ice cream but instead they’d say they liked it? The word love was so special that it was only used to describe something that was worthy of loving...like another person or God! I mean really, how do we find words anymore to even begin to convey how great and awesome God really is? It’s actually kinda sad that words, like love, which really can only apply to God, get trivialized.

But can I say, “I love the Psalms?” Nothing is more comforting than to read the Psalms aloud like Psalm 116:1; “I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. God loves us so much, right where we’re at, not where we should be cuz we’ll never be where we should be. And there’s nothing trivial about that...everyday.

3/24/2021

God Delights in You

Wednesday Matters- March 24, 2021
Everyday He Delights in You

God loves us like CRAZY! Zephaniah 3:17 tells us He delights in us with gladness which in the Hebrew gives us the image that He is literally spinning around us in love. The picture of Him spinning around me in absolute unconditional love…WOW….it is so amazing.

Also, from the same verse we know “He rejoices over us with joyful song.” There is nothing we could do that would cause Him to withdraw His love from us. He will never stop loving us and He loves us with all of who He is in so very many ways. God is “in love” because He is the Bride Groom and we are His bride; His church. I know this is especially helpful to women who have never know the unconditional love of a man, be it a father or husband….God is really enough and it’s our maturity and receiving this love that confirms it is true love…everyday.

3/23/2021

God LOVES Everybody

Tuesday Matters- March 23, 2021
Everyday Enemies

God will never stop pursing us no matter how far we run and no matter what we do or don’t do. Hey this is Debbie Griffith with Everyday Matters. He loves us. His heart breaks when we choose to do things that hurt ourselves or others. That is why He commands us in Matthew 5:44 to; “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

What? How does that make sense? Well, God created us in His image and we are His children whom He loves so just because someone is your enemy doesn’t mean they’re God’s. They’re His lost child, and He wants them back. Yes, there are circumstances where we’re called to face the bully, the tyrant and say; “No more,” and fight back. But not out of revenge. God is not willing that any be condemned, but that all come to repentance. His great love says; “Confess to me your sins, turn back to Me. Nothing can separate My love from you.” This earth is temporary and heaven is forever but so is hell. Choose Love, receive love and follow Him…everyday.

3/22/2021

Unconditional True Love

Monday Matters-March 22, 2021
Everyday In Love

I believe God is crazy in love with us because He’s thinking about us all the time and wants nothing but the best for us! But I had someone write who asked; “Why does using the phrase ‘in love’ when referring to Jesus’ love for us seem a little inappropriate to me? ‘In love’ always makes me think of the kind of infatuation feelings you get in Jr. High or something.”

And another friend on Facebook responded; "It's uncomfortable because we only have one word for all three kinds of love which in the Greek is explained clearly; Eros (romantic), Phileos (brotherly love) and Agape (Godly love). God has the purest kind of love for us-Agape. It's interesting too that true love between a husband and wife doesn't really happen if they are stuck in Eros- they have to expand to the other two higher levels to really love each other unconditionally. God doesn’t love us romantically, but He is totally crazy in love with us …everyday.

3/19/2021

Living in Peace

Friday Matters-March 19, 2021
Everyday Airport Crabby

I was in the airport traveling to speak and I was just so crabby, and I felt so negative. What was going on? I began to recite scripture thinking this would help get me out of my muck. Nothing. Then I realized I needed TO APPLY what I knew. I heard Isaiah 32:17; “And the effect of righteousness will be peace--internal and external, and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.” I thought about why I can say, “I am the righteousness of God.” It means I’m in right standing with God but not because of anything I do but because I receive what HE DID for me.

Righteousness knows who I am in Christ! So quietly I walked around the airport saying, I’m the daughter of the King. He began a good work in me. I know He’s working all things for the good. He’s planned a wonderful future for me. AFTER I repeated the truth …guess what? I was quiet in my spirit and had peace. Our feelings are indicators but should not be dictators…everyday.

3/18/2021

Sharing God’s Grace

Thursday Matters- March 18, 2021
Everyday Airport Shopping

Walking around the airport waiting for my next flight I became anxious and just negative as I thought about the circumstances and people that were making my life unpleasant. I said some verses but didn’t apply them; all I could think about was the people and circumstances that were making me crazy. So, I started thanking God for what I did have, which is my relationship with HIM, and all the things He is in my life. Then I realized I love to shop.

What I mean is this; when I’m thinking “It’s all about me,” I’m a mess. But when I think about how much God loves me and how much I love people and sharing God’s love then peace sets in. I went shopping at the airport mall hoping I might connect with someone. I did. It was with Jolene the salesgirl where I bought a really cool scarf. I used my receipt to draw an illustration about Jesus being on the throne in the center in our lives because with Him we have peace and without Him we’re “toast.” It was amazing. God is real…. everyday.