Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

7/31/2019

God knows your pain

Wednesday Matters-July 31, 2019
Everyday God Shouts to us In our Pain

Emotional pain is harder than physical pain? Can I get an “Amen?!” I mean I get physical pain from my recovery with scoliosis back surgery and having mono and flu where I never thought I’d leave the bathroom floor. However broken relationships, the loss of a loved one, and the failure of a plan or dream, well … that kind of pain is so much harder for me.

But it helps to remember God uses pain to get our attention. C.S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasure, but He shouts to us in our pain.” Pain is God’s megaphone. We rarely change when we see the light. We change when we feel the heat. But why does it get so hot? I hear ya. The answer is God’s love turns-up, it warms when it all seems so cold and hopeless. He’s always aware and He always cares. Proverbs 20:30, “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.” Yes, God loves you, everyday.

7/30/2019

Healthy Diet

Tuesday Matters-July 30, 2019
Everyday Have a Healthy Diet

About nine years ago I never really ate breakfast; unless you counted the Diet Coke and chips. I ate what I wanted when I wanted. I even remember standing in my kitchen one morning at age 41; eating chips and drinking my Coke thinking, “I feel so great! I wonder how long I will be able to keep this diet going?!” And I thought because I was healthy in my relationship with God, reading the Bible and doing Pliates occasionally I’d be just fine. “Who needs green leafy vegetables?” But five months after having these thoughts I started getting sick with a lot of different infections and then came emotional anxiety and… well…I kinda crashed.

There were other factors that played into my “crash” but I heard God clearly speak to me. Yes, He had great plans for me but I needed to take care of my diet. 1 Corinthians 16:20; I don’t just belong to myself; I’m God’s girl and I honor Him by the way I live my life and take care of myself….everyday.

7/29/2019

Swearing

Monday Matters-July 29, 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 Holy. He is Love. He and His name should always be respected and honored…everyday.

7/26/2019

Where to these thoughts come from?

Friday Matters-July 26, 2019
Everyday Crazy Thoughts

Do you have crazy thoughts? And by that, I mean the kind of crazy negative thoughts that swirl in your mind which come from past hurts or present crazy circumstances. When I have them they seem to creep in when I’m traveling a long distance by myself. BUT I know we can choose what we think on. WE can release God’s plan for our lives by no longer thinking about the things of old and believing instead that God has a good plan for our future.

Since what we think about eventually comes out of our thoughts, we will never get our mouths straightened out unless we do something about our thoughts. We need to stop mentally living in the past and begin to think in agreement with God. Then once we do that we can begin to speak in agreement with Him. We can actually see our own future and think on truth from Isaiah 43:19; “God makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. He can make a way for you and me…everyday.

7/25/2019

Choose your thought life

Thursday Matters-July 25, 2019
Everyday Choose Your Thought Life

I just stared at my journal looking at the verse I had written down from Psalm 139:5, “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” I didn’t believe it. I was feeling sorry for myself and God felt far away so I slammed my journal shut.

We have a choice on what we think on and I was making bad thought choices. I felt my circumstances weren’t fair and I was tired of waiting. I know where the “Poor Me” road leads so out of obedience I put on fun music and said the verse aloud, “God I trust that You. Your hand of blessing is on my head. It wasn’t an immediate shift in my attitude but the choice to think on what I knew was true and then names things aloud that I was thankful for, made a difference. The truth is, God loves you right where you’re at, no matter how you’re feeling …everyday.

7/24/2019

Be a BLESSING to others

Wednesday Matters-July 24, 2019
Everyday Blessings when Hurting

Jan wrote; “I try to be compassionate and kind with a sense of humor but today I was feeling small-minded, hurt and mean spirited. Jan had commented on my Facebook post about loving others, “When people are less than kind it’s then that I have a hard time 'loving' them....mostly at work. The office can bring out the worst in people…including me.” Oh my, I so get it. Sooooo when someone hurts me I try and pretend their “nasty” aimed at me was only a sneeze and I respond (mostly under my breath) with “Bless you!” and guess what? It works!
God tells us in Luke 6:28 to bless those who curse us. Because if Satan works through a person to hurt us and we end up hating that person back because we’re hurt than the enemy’s job has been accomplished two times over. But if we respond to another’s curse with a blessing then we’ve gotten Satan back and he’ll wish he never laid a finger on us. God bless you…everyday.

7/23/2019

God’s not mad at you

Tuesday Matters-July 23, 2019
Everyday Performing

I am a theater major. I get how to portray characters on stage. I also know how to perform as if the world was the stage but it’s not the way I want to be. Who really wants to be around pretenders or performers? Don’t we all want REAL sincerity, honesty? The more I live life I see no benefits to performing or pretending like everything is okay when it isn’t. It doesn’t mean to walk around with a bad attitude if life but being transparent in your hard place will help someone more than your sing-song performance that life is all butterflies and bunnies.

Oh look how God loves you in it all. He’s not mad at you. He may be heartbroken over your choices in sin but with confession He takes your sin, offers forgiveness and frees you. No more pretending or hiding. His grace is always there. Look up. Be honest. Let go. Surrender and let the risen Christ live in you so you’re a new creation, the old life is gone and you’re made new…everyday.

7/22/2019

God loves you no matter what!

Monday Matters-July 22, 2019
Everyday Questions

God will never tire of us seeking Him or asking questions. I think of my kids and especially when they were younger and all the questions they had. But I always want them to know I love them no matter what. I imagine it’s a lot like God with us. As T.S. Elliot put it; “Oh my soul, be prepared to meet Him who knows how to ask questions.” I imagine question from God might be? Did you know Me and how I much I loved you?

There are things about God that are mysterious and secret, things we will never know about Him. But there also are things revealed, and those belong to us. Deuteronomy 29:29; “The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all He has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.” I follow and trust God because I know He loves me no matter what, as He does you…everyday.

7/19/2019

Resting and Being Still

Friday Matters-July 19, 2019
Everyday “NO” is my answer

Hearing our children’s first words are memorable such as, “Dada,” “Nana,” or “Puppy.” The word “NO” is also among those words and it can be harsh. I remember telling our son Joey when I was nine months pregnant, “Joey look at Mama’s belly. There’s a baby inside.” “Ah NO, Mama that’s a ball,” said Joey. “No,” screamed at you by a child isn’t a fun word to hear. Yet I’ve found that the word “no” is one our hearts need to hear when the truth isn’t being told about us. Perhaps there’s ugly and untrue gossip about you and so you need to remember, “NO, that’s not who God says I am,” or maybe it’s “No, I cannot take on another volunteer position at school.”
Jesus mostly used the word “no” when speaking to the religious leaders who were trying to boss everyone around. He came to fulfill the law by His grace, not by giving us more rules. The word “no” is a useful word when guided by God…everyday.

7/18/2019

The enemy has NO power over you

Thursday Matters-July 18, 2019
Everyday Enemy Alert

There’s evil in the world but often we don’t really think it’s something we have to be mindful of in our everyday lives. Oh but we do. The Garden of Eden was a perfect paradise God created for Adam and Eve until Satan got them to doubt and distrust God. The devil is still on the move working because he knows that the only way he can overcome a believer is through deception and intimidation. In the Bible in 1 Peter we’re told to be alert because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he will devour. Notice the verse doesn’t say “irritate” or “frustrate” but “DEVOUR!”

A lion often scares up its dinner by roaring. Its prey freezes in fear simply due to fear thus becoming an easy meal for Mr. or Mrs. Lion. That is what we face. God is the king. The devil is an impostor. We have the power from God to tell him to get out of our face…everyday.