Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

6/28/2019

No More Shame

Friday Matters-June 28, 2019
Everyday Holy God

The earth experience is hard but it’s not our home. And while we are here in hard places let’s be honesty and real with one another.

It’s only by admitting our weakness and humbly changing direction toward God that we are repaired by God’s generous love. In his holiness He must punish sin because sin separates us from God but in His love He cannot punish us. Christ proclaims our infinite worth and His eternal love for us aside from any human standard, even our own. Remember Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” Our temporary imperfection is a quality which actually connects us to others rather than a secret shame which sets us apart. Becoming transparent and vulnerable will set you free and change you as well as other lives around you…everyday.

6/27/2019

God’s Gift of Grace

Thursday Matters-June 27, 2019
Everyday Jesus did IT

How do you know when you’ve given enough to get to God? You don’t. Yet many people believe that there are many roads to God and that true spirituality is just to love your neighbor and help the poor. What about the people that have been taught to hate? Are the poor just virtuous? That sounds right, but it is not what Jesus said.

Jesus said you cannot earn salvation by taking the executioner's cross yourself. We instinctively know this. If a soldier drapes his body over a grenade to save his friends, we recognize it as a sacrifice. Something we honor, but not something we can pay him back for. In fact to suggest we could pay Him back is an insult to His sacrifice. The same is true with Jesus. He loves us for who we are and not for what we do. The good things we do, like soup kitchens for the poor, are out of our love for Him but no matter what He loves right where we’re at by His grace…everyday

6/26/2019

Fully Known-Fully Loved

Wednesday Matters-June 26, 2019
Everyday Journey

In life’s journey we all want to be known and loved and Jesus knows us better than anyone and still loves us. I remember teaching Zephaniah 3:17 and God’s main point is the constant, never ending love He wants us to know and experience. He delights in us as His child.

He knows us, our pain, the ache from the loved lost, the cancer that came, anxiety attacks you may have along with depression, the lie that spread— He knew before I knew. HE IS here, waiting to make creative, redemptive use of what has happened. He is always on the move. He isn’t wasting time thinking about all the trouble He has with us or how awful we feel about where we are with ourselves and our troubles. God is not mad at you. He grieves for wrong choices or things done to us but He loves us madly and deeply everyday.

6/25/2019

What Would Jesus Do?

Tuesday Matters-June 25, 2019
Everyday WWJD

I love people. People also make me crazy and more so the ones that I love who’ve hurt me. My problem is that I often carry the offense around and don’t let it go. Hey this is Debbie Griffith with Everyday Matters. People are hard. Life is hard. I hear all the time “What would Jesus do?” but really the question should be: “What DID Jesus do? He loves and forgives and that means right now…currently in session. And Jesus then asks us to forgive others as He does.

ONLY God power, Holy Spirit power can set us free. We need to ask these questions, “Is it enough for God to know our pain, for God to know our disappointment, our frustration? Can we hand our offense entirely over to Him and move forward treating others better than they treat us? What if it means only God knows our hurt and nobody else?” I am not there…yet. But that’s how real God has to become to us. You’re not alone. I could sit with you for hours and discuss the pain but let’s pray: “God set us free with Your love to forgive others completely. Amen…everyday.

6/24/2019

Swearing

Monday Matters-June 24, 2019
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. Hey this is Debbie Griffith with Everyday Matters. 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)
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

6/21/2019

Honestly with yourself & others

Friday Matters-June 21, 2019
Everyday Transparency

“I just hate to pretend like everything is okay when it isn’t. I’m in a hard place and I’m just so tired of it all.” Have you ever had those thoughts? There are some real problems with projecting the perfect image. First of all, it’s simply not true—we are not always happy, optimistic, in control. Second, projecting the flawless image keeps us from reaching people who feel we just wouldn’t understand them.

The more I share my own missteps and failures the more I’m able to share the hope of Christ. When you’re hurting you don’t need a person saying, “You should do this.” What you need is the person who can say, “I’ve been there and I understand. I love 2 Corinthians 1:4; “There is God who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the same comfort we received.” The mature Christian is a person who has failed and who has learned to live with their failure, share it and walk with hope…everyday.

6/20/2019

Forgive as God Forgives

Thursday Matters-June 20, 2019
Everyday Offense Taken

We can say we trust in God to avenge or defend us but when we take matters into our own hands we aren’t putting a lot of trust in God taking care of our hurt. A big challenge is not to pick up the offense of a friend or family member who’s been hurt. I’m guilty there. But when we take on someone else’s offense we’re sucking the poison of their sin and we become bitter along with them.

I’ve seen this happen when a parent’s anger towards someone passes on to their children. Remember if only one side of the story is presented you don’t have the whole truth and may have a cocktail of lies. It’s the enemy’s plan to ruin relationships. God’s plan is to restore. Follow Deuteronomy 30:19 which tells us to make the choices which bring life so that we and generations to come may live meaningful lives. More is caught than taught and the way your children trust God will have a lot to do with the way you trusted God in relationship conflicts…everyday.

6/19/2019

Addiction

Wednesday Matters-June 19, 2019
Everyday Recovering Addicts

As a recovering self-addict I try and focus on what God needs to change in me rather than asking Him to change everyone else and my circumstances that bother me. You see the self-involved person is always seeking a way to avoid pain whereas the God involved person embraces pain and they actually go to the Word of God to guide them through life. Instead of becoming bitter they become better.
1 Peter 5:10 really offers us hope and encouragement because it tells us that after we’ve suffered a little while, the God of all grace Who imparts all blessings and favor, Who has called us to His eternal glory will complete and make us what we ought to be. He’ll ground us securely, and strengthen, and settle us. That’s a great promise. And I want it! So ever so slowly I’m able to praise Him in the pain for I know that’s His will for me. Think about it. There are blessings and favor from Him in our trials…everyday.

6/18/2019

God’s Will Be Done

Tuesday Matters-June 18, 2019
Everyday Strong Will

I have a strong will. I’m sure someone listening right now can totally relate to the fact that while our spirits may be strong and willing our flesh fails us time and time again. Jesus tells us we do not "watch and pray". The flesh does not conquer the spirit. The flesh is weak - as Jesus said - and the flesh is a stumbling block to our spirit. I want to go to church on Sunday mornings but I’m tired so my flesh gets its way and later I have regrets. I have to pray and set my mind and will the night before to get up in the morning. My prayer is often this simple, “God You’re stronger and You live in me. Help. Amen.” Sharing areas of weaknesses, with someone, also helps for accountability and strength too. You can overcome. Jesus is there. He’s never mad at you and when you do fall He will help you get back up. He loves you and He’ll never give up on you. Don’t give up on yourself…everyday.

6/17/2019

What Does God Say?

Monday Matters-June 17, 2019
Everyday His Thoughts

Well what in the world are you up to God. I. Can’t. Even. We can’t know the mind of God. Isaiah 55:8 says; “His thoughts are nothing like our thoughts.” But we can know the heart of God. We can TRUST and hope in His promises. I know it should be obvious to us that His ways are past finding out. He wouldn't be a very big God if we could fully comprehend Him with our finite minds. Walter Wangerin wrote, "We chirp theories because we can't stand the silence." I guess that’s how it is when we try to fully understand the purposes of suffering. It’s better to admit, "We don't understand, but we believe that God loves us and, that 'our Redeemer Lives'."

Someone has suggested that in the margins beside many of our life's experiences is simply written: "to be explained later." Success for each day is not waiting for an answer to our whys but walking in the hope that He is making a way and there’s a purpose for it all…everyday.