Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

11/29/2019

Honestly & Transparency

Friday Matters-November 29, 2019
Everyday Sharing Our Hurt

Believe me I know what it means to hurt. The recovery from my scoliosis back surgery was horrendous both physically and emotionally. And I was surprised at how the issues resulting in my parent’s divorce of 44 years affected me emotionally and physically too. Hurt from someone you love is pure pain. But I’ve noticed that the more I open up and share my heart of pain the more people respond to share their own hurts of an unfaithful spouse, abuse, absent love from a parent and the pain from their own children. Oh, the sins of others have such painful consequences for so many of us.
So more than ever I’ve been holding on to Zechariah 9:12 by returning to Jesus my stronghold of security and prosperity as a prisoner of hope; believing that God will restore double for my trouble. Real hope is a constant positive attitude that in trusting my Redeemer, and despite what may happen, things will change for the better…everyday.

11/28/2019

Forgiveness of ALL Sins

Thursday Matters-November 28, 2019
Everyday Sins Forgotten

When we’ve been hurt AND the person who’s hurt us isn’t even sorry, our flesh wants nothing to do with this person but to reject them. But what does Jesus do?” Jesus never rejects us but He does reject our sinful behavior.

The two greatest commandments tell us to love God passionately and then to LOVE OTHERS as He does. So when someone has sinned against us, whether intentionally or unintentionally, we must actively choose to forgive them and then choose NOT to remember their sins against us. Actively choosing not to remember is different than forgetting. In Jeremiah 31:34 God says He will “remember no more” the sins of His people. This is not memory failure. This is God’s choice to no longer hold our sins against us. God will vindicate us as He promises. I know it’s hard but do what you know because it hurts something fierce but do what is right rather than what you FEEL is fair…everyday.

11/27/2019

Sharing Your Faith

Wednesday Matters-November 27, 2019
Everyday Airport Lady

I was in the airport waiting to board yet another plane. It was all taking too long and it was crowded. I found a spot and sat down and the woman next to me was crying and shaking she was so upset. And as natural as could be I put my hand on her back to sooth her. I leaned in and asked, “What’s wrong?” She replied, “No hablo Ingles.” So I did the other thing that seemed natural, I prayed aloud still rubbing her back while she leaned against my shoulder. I recited the name of Jesus over and over because there’s such power in His name.

The woman stopped crying and walked on the plane. A gentleman asked if we wanted to sit together, “Oh,” I said. That’s okay, I don’t know her.” “Oh, I thought Y’all was together?” Nope. The woman departed the plane before I saw her again. This was Jesus at work from 2 Corinthians 1; “Comfort those in distress with the same comfort you’ve received from God…everyday.

11/26/2019

God IS always working

Tuesday Matters-November 26, 2019
Everyday Help from God

“The fact is, I need God to help me love God. And if I need His help to love Him, a perfect being, I definitely need His help to love other, fault-filled humans,” this is wisdom from Francis Chan. In order for genuine love for God to grow in our hearts the Holy Spirit has to move in our lives. Lately I’ve been talking to God and asking for His Holy Spirit to move in me. I haven’t been able to really let go, like God, and forgive completely.

Sometimes it helps to think about Corrie Ten Boom’s who personally forgave the Nazi officer at the Concentration Camp she and her sister were held. She said; “The will can operate regardless of the temperature of the heart.” We can choose to forgive even though our anger and hurt make us feel like we can’t. The truth of Philippians 4:13, “We can do all things through Christ’s strength.” Let’s pray, “Jesus help. By Your Holy Spirit give us the strength to let go and forgive…everyday.

11/25/2019

Applying the Bible to your life

Monday Matters-November 25, 2019
Everyday Airport Crabby

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 began to do what I tell others, “What does God have to say about “this” right now? . I recited some scripture aloud. Nothing. Then I realized I needed TO APPLY what God was telling me. I 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 we do but because we receive what HE DID for us.

Righteousness means we know who we are in Christ! Quietly I walked around the airport saying; I’m the daughter of the King. He began a good work in me. He’s working all things for the good. And after a while of repeating and applying Isaiah 32:17 the effect of righteousness was peace-internal and external. Remember feelings are indicators but don’t let them be dictators. Walk out the truth and find peace…everyday.

11/22/2019

God's Inexhaustible Grace

Friday Matters-November 22, 2019
Everyday Grace Giving

“Honestly this person has had way too many moments of grace from me,” said Susan. “I know love forgives despite what the other person does and I know about setting boundaries with the person who is still operating in dysfunctional behavior. Okay great but what about really forgiving someone who’s hurt you and making the decision to stop rehearsing the hurt by playing the memory around in our heads everyday. It’s hard.

For the most part Susan had forgiven Steve but some days she was trigged by the past hurt and then any peace she had would disappear. There’s always this temptation to rehearse our hurts and expectations so that’s why there’s a God and He’s not you. The woman prostitute, who anointed Jesus’ feet with costly perfume displayed an act of tenderness and Jesus said this about her; “She loves much because she’s been forgiven much.” I have been forgiven much. Have you? We all need grace just as much as the next person…everyday.

11/21/2019

Care about what God thinks

Thursday Matters-November 21, 2019
Everyday Acknowledge God

Wouldn’t it be nice if every time we asked God a question we could just randomly open our Bibles and there’d be our answer? Hey this is Debbie Griffith with Everyday Matters. But the thing is, our answers are in the Bible and when we spend time there everyday we begin to learn the ways of God. We also begin to trust God knowing from Proverbs 3:6 that if we acknowledge God in all of our ways, He will direct our paths. Acknowledging God really means to care about what He thinks.

In the Bible in I Chronicles Prophet Nathan told David that he could go ahead and build a house for God. But the next day Nathan got word that one of David’s sons would build instead. What’s cool is that because David had a heart for God he could praise God for this answer even though he might have been a little bummed. Caring what God thinks makes a huge difference in how we respond to things…everyday.

11/20/2019

Become One in Marriage

Wednesday Matters-November 20, 2019
Everyday Unity in Marriage

I was absent one summer, for an extended period of time, and even though I’m not a “flower person” I cried when I came home and saw this large bouquet greeting me on the kitchen table. It was special and apparently so for our teenage son Joey. He seemed to be continually asking me, “Mom, aren’t those flowers from Dad beautiful?” “Yes. Yes they are Joey.” And yes, the best thing we can do for our kids is to love our spouse.

If our children see a crack in the foundation, they often find a way to slip through. Of course we have disagreements and we have had our share of fights but it is how and where we choose to handle conflict, especially with our spouse. It’s important for our children to see unity, not division and so we often have to “agree to disagree” while privately we try and work things out. Jesus tells us that, “A house divided against itself cannot stand. When you’re marriage stands strong so does your family…everyday.

11/19/2019

Treat others the way you want to be treated

Tuesday Matters-November 19, 2019
Everyday Golden Rule

How many kids, when asked, would know what the golden rule is? Do you? Two of my four sons knew the answer: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” We may know it but do we live it? There are broken marriages, churches, friends fighting, there’s brokenness. Taking this golden truth to heart is another matter.

Jesus loves us….really loves us…as we are. And He says; “I give you a new commandment; it is My commandment; it is all I command you; Love one another as I have loved you.” Only compassion and forgiveness count. Love is the key to everything. I think most times we treat others how we think they deserve to be treated but think if Jesus did that with us and gave us what we deserved? I know right? We’d be toast. Not only do my kids need to be reminded of this. I do too. Love one another…everyday.

11/18/2019

Choose What You Think On

Monday Matters-November 18, 2019
Everyday Thought Life

We live in some dark times and a lot of that darkness is in our own thought life. The best way to overcome the enemy and his dark lies is to think on truth and light. We choose what we think on. I chose to memorize Ephesians 3:16 which goes, “God grant me out of the rich treasury of Your glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power
by the Holy Spirit Himself indwelling my innermost being and personality,” I think of that verse as a “sign-me-up” verse. Don’t you want that in your life too?

God gives us His Holy Spirit to make His home in us by the relationship we have with Christ. When the Spirit is stirred in us then there is no place for dark and destructive thoughts. God is good, with good truth and promises. Let Him direct your thoughts. Choose what you think on…everyday.