Faith Inspiration - Be Thou My Vision

This hymn has been inspiring Christ followers for over one thousand years. Originally an Old Irish hymn, the song was translated into English by Mary E. Byrne in 1905, and put into verses by Eleanor H. Hull. (Information take from Hymnary.org).

“1 Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
be all else but naught to me, save that Thou art;
be Thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, Thy presence my light.

2 Be Thou my Wisdom, be Thou my true Word;
be Thou ever with me and I with Thee, Lord;
be Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son,
be Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

3 Be Thou my Breastplate, my Sword for the fight;
be Thou my whole Armor, be Thou my true Might;
be Thou my soul’s Shelter, be Thou my strong Tow’r,
O raise Thou me heav’nward, great Pow’r of my pow’r.

4 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
be Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
be Thou and Thou only the first in my heart,
O High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

5 High King of heaven, Thou heaven’s bright Sun,
O grant me its joys, after vict’ry is won;
Great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be Thou my Vision, O Ruler of all.”

— Be Thou My Vision - Psalms and Hymns to the Living God (From Hymnary.org)

I think this is a beautiful hymn, and one that is rarely sung. Some may say it sounds like a dirge, but I like the lilting, Celtic style music. Let’s take a look at it verse by verse.

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Verse 1 - The writer of the hymn pleads with God to be his vision. He wants God to consume him. He recognizes his own struggle with the flesh and realizes that God’s thoughts are his best thoughts in the day and the night. He desires God be his light.

As we saw last week, our struggle with the flesh is ongoing, but if God is our vision, we can and will have victory, and we will continually be in His light.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

— Matthew 6:33 (NASB 1995)

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Verse 2 - The author not only wants God to be his Vision, but to be His true word and to dwell in him, and he in Him, always. He recognizes that God is his Father, and he is His son.

“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

— John 14:3 (NASB 1995)

“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

— John 14:23 (NASB 1995)

“15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

— Romans 8:15-17 (NASB 1995)

God dwells with us if we love Him and keep His word. He is our heavenly Father, and we are His children. Being His children means we are heirs with Christ. We are children of the King!

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Verse 3 - He knows God is his breastplate, his sword, his FULL armor, his might, his shelter, his tower and his power. His desire is to be raised “heavenward”. This may have had two connotations. It may have referred to his mindset, his thoughts and desires, but it also may have been the longing for finally being home with his Savior.

“13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

— Ephesians 6:13-17 (NASB 1995)

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.”

— Psalm 18:10 (NASB 1995)

“4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ”

— Ephesians 2:4-6 (NASB 1995)

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Verse 4 - In this verse the author recognizes God is all he needs. He doesn’t run after riches. He doesn't seek the praise of men. He knows the “High King of Heaven” is the only treasure he needs.

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;”

— Matthew 6:20 (NASB 1995)

Image by Tim Hill from Pixabay

Verse 5 - The last verse is a final stand on the foundation of all that is God:

High King of Heaven

Heaven’s bright Sun

Great Heart of my own heart

Ruler of all

God is all these things and more that we cannot comprehend with our finite minds. The author knows that all his joy and all his victory our found in Christ. He also desires that no matter what happens he would keep God as his Vision.

“O sing to the Lord a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.”

— Psalm 98:1 (NASB 1995)

“...but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

— I Corinthians 15:57 (NASB 1995)

On a personal note, I have always loved this hymn. When I gave my life to Jesus at the age of 12, I knew I wanted it to be for keeps. I wanted Him to be foremost and forever my vision. Unfortunately, ever since that age I have struggled in that desire. My vision is often clouded by doubts, fears, and failures. My eyes often wander to things that might satisfy my flesh such as food, clothes, or fictional worlds.

The counselor I am currently going to said it is absolutely normal to have set backs in life. The difference comes in how long I choose to stay in the setback mindset. The phrase “begin again”, is a mantra we all can put into play. As long as I have breathe I will begin again. I will place my eyes back on His face and know His amazing grace. I will say again, “Be Thou my Vision.”

A Walkabout with God

The term walkabout was first heard of in 1897 and was used to describe the Aboriginal period of wandering bush life. A young man between the ages of 10 and 16 would go on his walkabout to make the journey to manhood, spending anywhere from a few weeks to six months out in the Australian bush country fending for himself. In more recent times the term walkabout is used in Britain to describe a casual outing among other people, mingling and socializing.

Image by falco from Pixabay

The other day I was struggling. I am human and real life often weighs heavily on me, causing me to lose clarity about who I am and who I belong to. I was sitting at the small, bar height, table that is strategically placed in the corner of what used to be a dining room, right next to a window. I love to sit there, (see below) especially in the winter, as that is where the sun light streams in for a good portion of the morning and afternoon. I was trying to pray, pleading with God to clear the fog out of my brain and help me to get back to His center, because that is always where I am most content.

Picture from Pantone Spring 2018 photo shoot by Rebecca Trumbull.

As I am often inclined to do when I am alone in the house, I got up and started to pace around the kitchen table and pray out loud. At times, I will stray from my elliptical orbit around the table, and walk a lap or two around the living room. I told God how I was feeling. I confessed my struggles: those of the flesh and those of the spirit. Like a young Aboriginal boy on his quest for manhood in the open country of the Australian outback, I walked, searching for a way to survive. I needed to find my place, my purpose and His peace.

The journey to spiritual maturity, or what we as Christ followers often refer to as holiness, or Christ-likeness is not an easy one.

“10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.”

— Hebrews 12:10 (NASB)

Life is often harsh and unrelenting, much like the heat of an Australian day or the deep, bone chilling cold of that same country’s nights. Survival depends on a variety of factors, including food, water, and a way to keep cool during the day and warm at night. In the same way, the process of maturing in our life with Christ is dependent on several factors. Let’s look at these more closely.

1 - The Need for Food

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Obviously, we are talking about spiritual food, but the analogies I am going to draw apply to both our physical and spiritual beings. What we put into our bodies directly affects how we feel, what we are able to do and our quality of life. Believe me, this is an area I struggle with, and I know for a fact when I am eating better, eating less and getting enough water and exercise, I feel like a new person.

The need for the right kind of food for our spiritual lives is just as important. If we are feeding our minds a steady diet of news, social media, music without a positive message, movies, books or other forms of entertainment that do not glorify God, we are going to feel it. I am sure most of you, like me, were caught up in watching the news nonstop when the pandemic began. I am also sure many of you followed the media storm leading up to the election and its ensuing aftermath. It is very easy to become discouraged and hopeless when things are out of control, thus the need to feed on the good food of God’s word.

We are living in different times, but our God has not changed. He has provided all the nutrients we need to endure in this harsh reality we now find ourselves living in.

“For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.””

— John 6:33 (NASB)

“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty.”

— John 6:35 (NASB)

Jesus said He is the bread. He also says that if we come to Him we will not be hungry. Are you feeling a bit peckish in your spiritual life? Come to Jesus. Is your heart longing for fulfillment and satisfaction? Come to Jesus. What spiritual food are you longing for? No matter what your heart is aching for, Jesus can fill it up and make it feel whole again.

2. The Need for Water

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

The human body is made up of approximately 60% water. Our cells, tissues and organs cannot operate effectively if we do not have enough water. I am constantly telling my family to drink more water. This life giving substance is even more important if you are in a survival situation like the Australian outback. The area is arid and there are very few trees. Having water with you, or finding a clean water source is essential to survival.

Once again, we see this need for water extends to our spiritual lives. Without true water, we will always be returning to the well to try to quench our thirst. That well may be food, alcohol, drugs or sex. It could also be buying more things, or immersing ourselves into romance novels and pornography. It seems to satisfy for a time, just like drinking a soda or a cup of coffee can give you a little hydration. The problem is, it does not last.

Jesus told us in John 6:35 that if we come to Him we will never be hungry. He also says we will never be thirsty. Many of you know the familiar Biblical event of the woman at the well, found in John 4. You can see two posts I did on that passage last fall: May the Source Be with You: A Woman, a Well and Some Water and May the Source Be with You: An Exclamation, an Explanation and an Effect. What did Jesus tell her?

“13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again;
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.””

— John 4:13-14 (NASB)

Imagine you are walking in that dry, arid bush country, or perhaps you are crossing a vast desert. How would you feel after days and days without so much as a drop of water, to come upon an oasis; a place of palm trees and a cool, bubbling, trickling spring of precious water? Wouldn’t your heart swell with relief and your throat constrict with tears of gratitude? My dear friends, Jesus is our oasis. He is the water we need when our lives have become a long journey through the arid regions of living. He is that cool, sweet, bubbling brook, when we no longer have the strength or the will to go on. He is the God who fills our hungry stomachs and soothes our parched throats. All this He does for us, and more!

3 - The Need for Comfort

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We all want to feel comfortable. In the cold of winter we never give a thought to turning up the heat. In the heat of summer some of you switch from heat to air conditioning. Others of us, throw open the windows and get out the fans. When we have a headache we take medicine and when we are anxious or upset we find a friend to talk to who will listen and give us comfort. Is our God, not so much more than heaters, fans and pain medication? He is the God who comforts.

“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul.”

— Psalm 94:19 (NASB)

“Shout for joy, you heavens! And rejoice, you earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.”

— Isaiah 49:13 (NASB)

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. ”

— 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NASB)

These are just a few of the verses in the Bible that mention the word comfort, but there are so many more. In addition, if you look up the attributes of God and the characteristics of those attributes you begin to realize, God loves to comfort His people. Yes, He is a righteous, holy and just God and He cannot tolerate sin, but He has provided the way, through His son Jesus Christ, the Lord of all comfort.

When we are faced with difficulties, it is easy to run to things that are convenient and well, comfortable. I have gone shopping when I am stressed. I eat junk when I am discouraged. I veg out on Netflix shows when I want to escape, but none of those things are going to give me the comfort I really need. God, and God alone, truly knows how to comfort the deep layers of my soul.

4 - The Need to Change our Mindset

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

I have to believe that a young man who walks off into the Australian bush country alone, to survive for who knows how long, has to be going into it with a certain mindset. He knows what is expected of him, because it has always been expected of young men by his people. His mother may feel anxious about this step for her son, but she knows it is what he must do to become a man. She knows he will draw upon all he has learned up until this point to survive, including how to find food and water, and how to get through the harsh conditions.

I think that we have done a disservice to our children. We have coddled them. We have protected them. We have neglected to put the expectation on them, that one day they have to grow up and be men and women. We have also not taught them the truth, that life is harsh and hard; that people will hurt them and that they will need to understand forgiveness and love are choices, not feelings.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

— Romans 12:2 (NASB)

One of the most important things I have learned over the last decade as a Christ follower, is growing in Christ is a choice. I cannot just sit around thinking I’ve got the ticket to heaven so all is good. I want to know God. I want to enter in to His inner most layers, because that is where I will truly find His peace, His joy and His contentment. That only happens as we walk, run and fly with Him. That only happens in the dark places, when the clouds are relentless and the pain is an hourly companion.

If you are struggling, take a walkabout with God. He will bend you, stretch you and sharpen you. He will also encourage you, comfort you and remind you of His great, undying love!

“37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Romans 8:37-39 (NASB)

Our Unseen Enemy - Part 2: The Manipulator

Last week we took a look at the origins of Satan. I used two Old Testament passages to explain how Satan was created by God, to be a powerful, beautiful being who was placed in the Garden of Eden. I also let you know that these two passages are somewhat controversial, as far as many scholars believe they are only referring to the two literal kings: the King of Tyre and the King of Babylon. However, I also believe there is truth in these passages that applies to our enemy, Satan.

This week I want to move away from Satan’s origins and look at his tactics. It might take a few weeks to thoroughly go over the characteristics of our unseen enemy. Before we start looking at the tactics Satan uses, I thought it would be helpful to understand what Satan’s names mean.

Satan - in both the Hebrew and the Greek the name Satan means adversary. If you look up the word adversary in the dictionary it says, “one that contends with, opposes or resists.” (Merriam Webster Online dictionary)

Devil - in the Greek this word refers to one who is a liar, slanderer and accuser.

For the purpose of these posts, we are going to stick to those two names, but you have probably also heard the devil called the Father of Lies, Beelzebub, Lucifer and many others.

I would like to start with one of the very first tactics we see Satan use in the Bible.

Manipulation.

Image by Alex Yomare from Pixabay

Webster’s online dictionary gives these as some of the definitions for manipulation:

- to manage or utilize skillfully

- to control, or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means, especially to one’s own advantage

- to change by artful or unfair means so as to serve one's purpose 

Now let’s look at the manipulator in action.

“8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.
9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

— Genesis 2:8-9 (ESV)

“15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.””

— Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV)

“1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””

— Genesis 3:1-5 (ESV)

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I know I am giving you a lot of Scripture, but it is necessary to fully understand the whole picture. We are not going to get into why God put the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden, because His ways are not our ways, and many things we do not understand, that is why it is called faith. Some may say, “Well, then, your faith is blind.” On the contrary, my faith is that much stronger, because I do not need proof that God is good. His goodness so far outshines mine there is no way I can make a comparison between what I think is good and the pure goodness of a Holy God.

If you look at the above three passages, all from the first book of the Bible, Genesis, you can see how Satan in his conversation with the woman in the garden, manipulated her and the truth. I honestly don’t know what Eve was thinking when she said, “but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” God did not say they couldn’t touch it, only that they were not to eat from it.

Satan then takes full advantage of the opportunity. Eve was already walking on precarious ground seeing that she did not remember what God had said about the tree, or what her husband had told her. She opened the door to doubt and deceit by not knowing the Words of God. Can you see how important it is to know God’s Word? Satan had her right where he wanted her. He, in his beautiful, handsome and beguiling way charmed her by twisting another truth that God said.

“You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Image by minka2507 from Pixabay

Take a minute to think about that. Satan was right. They didn’t die, at least not physically, right away, and their eyes were opened, they did know good from evil. How very sad! God wanted them to know only good. He gave them a beautiful place to live, a purpose for their existence and a relationship with Him, but now their eyes were wide open. The devastating guilt, the regret, the sadness and the pain would be felt for the rest of their long lives.

Why did Satan do it? Remember what we learned last week? He was full of pride. He very well may have been jealous of the time and attention God devoted to the mere human beings. He was full of violence. What better thing to do than to violate the precious relationship God had with His creation?

The application today.

Have you ever been manipulated by someone? It is not a fun feeling. Perhaps you are manipulated by your spouse, your boss or a friend. Perhaps, you are the one who manipulates. Why do they do it? Why do you do it? It is always about self: what I want, who I am, what I want to feel, and what I want to obtain. We’ve heard all sorts of stories in the last few years out of Hollywood about the “casting couch”, where directors, producers and fellow veteran actors have taken advantage of actors and actresses promising them jobs, popularity, money and accolades in exchange for sex. Isn’t this exactly how our enemy works?

Let’s take the application further and look at what is going on in our country with our upcoming election and civil unrest. No matter how you look at it or what side you stand on I believe we are being manipulated. The media manipulates. The candidates manipulate. The social entities who are trying to bring about change are using manipulative methods to achieve their ends. The sad thing is many of these people and groups blatantly admit they are working with our enemy to get what they want.

I am not here to win you over to one side or the other, but let me make something clear; our enemy is delighted by the violence, rioting, killing, lying and hate that is going on. I can picture him, his grin like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, delighted by the chaos of humanity. He is thrilled, because he has had to do so very little. He sends a few of his minions out, to plant a see of doubt or hold one captive to stare in the face of hate, so that eventually they are overcome by it.

I want you to take some time to think about this idea of being a manipulator. Is this something that pleases God? God does not manipulate. His will is clear in His word. He doesn’t play games, that is the ploy of our unseen enemy.

Next week, we will look at another one of Satan’s tactics. Until then, pray, rejoice, give thanks and put on the armor of God.

May the Source Be With You: An Exclamation, an Explanation and an Effect

Last week we looked at John 4:7-26. This passage of scripture tells us about the encounter a Samaritan woman has with the Lord Jesus. We learned that Jews and Samaritans had long been bitter enemies and would not talk to each other, let alone would a Jewish man approach a Samaritan woman to give him a drink. Jesus did, however, and a conversation ensued that would not only change the woman’s life, but the lives of many in her village. Let’s look at the next part of the passage.

“27 At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her water pot, and went into the city and *said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.”

— John 4:27-30 (NASB)

Image by JamesDeMers from Pixabay

The Exclamation

We can see in the verses above, the disciples were “amazed that He had been speaking with a woman.” They did not question him however, and the woman, who was obviously so excited she left her water pot behind, went into the city and exclaimed, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?”

I find it interesting that the men of the city listened to her. Once again, I think this woman, while not the most proficient at keeping a husband, seemed to have some amount of sway in the community. She asks them to confirm what she was already on the verge of believing herself: Jesus was the Messiah. She was not afraid of being laughed at, bullied or ridiculed. Her excitement seemed to overflow and she could not resist the urge to let the truth of what had happened to her and what Jesus had taught her, bubble forth, like a spring of water.

Image by Achim Böhmer from Pixabay

“31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” 34 Jesus *said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36 Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.””

— John 4:31-38 (NASB)

The Explanation

After the woman left, the disciples seemed overly concerned with Jesus’ physical need for food. Knowing their eyes were still not open at this point to His true identity he takes a few moments to teach them about His true purpose and mission, to do the will of His Father and to accomplish His work. He draws an analogy from the fields around them likening them to the harvest of souls for eternal life. While I am not Bible scholar, it seems to me, Jesus was not only teaching them about His purpose, He was going back to answer their initial question as to why He was talking to that woman. She was part of the harvest that He was going to reap. He was also drawing the parallel that physical food is not as important as doing the will of God.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

“39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of His word; 42 and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.””

— John 4:39-42 (NASB)

The Effect

It is with excitement and awe we read about the effect of this woman’s testimony. The Word is clear, “From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all the things I have done.’” Jesus stayed on two more days at their request and, “Many more believed because of His word.”

There are several things I want us to take away from this: As women we have value, we can and should be bold, and we have the source of living water.

What prompted me to go this direction on my Faith page was a devotion I read in Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His highest. If you regularly follow me, you know that is one of my favorite devotional books and I use it regularly. The title of September 7th’s devotion was, “Fountains of Blessing.” You can read the entire devotion by clicking on the link.

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

Our value is directly tied to the fact that we are a creation of God, and His Son, Jesus, chose to give His life for our eternal well being. It doesn’t matter if you are a man, woman, adult, child, black, white, red or yellow; you have value because of who God is and who you are to Him.

Image by skeeze from Pixabay

We can and should be bold in our witness for Him. That doesn’t mean we need to know special verses or have just the right words to say. All we need to do is be obedient. If He gives us the opportunity to share the gospel, we need to do it. If we merely share what Christ has done for us, or as the Samaritan woman did, share that Jesus knows everything about us, yet He still loves us. There is nothing in the Bible that says we have to be another Billy Graham to share God’s love. Believe me, in the world we are living in right now, we need to speak truth, His truth, even if it is uncomfortable.

Image by Pezibear from Pixabay

If we have the Spirit of Jesus living in us, we are a fountain of living water for everyone around us. A fountain continues to give water, at all times. It doesn’t get tired or turn itself off, because its source is coming from deep down inside. Recently, I have seen how Christ has been this source of living water in my own life. It seems everyone around me, needs something and many around me are tired, overwhelmed and negative. All of that has the tendency to suck us dry. However, when I know the source of my strength, joy and peace is coming from Him, I never do run dry. His living water keeps me from becoming a desert wasteland.

The best way to receive the living water is to know the source of that living water. If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior you already have that source and you only need ask and He will give you refreshment over and over.

I hope you are having a great weekend and don’t forget to spend some time going to the source .

May the source be with you always!

Be Encouraged! Remembering the Spirit.

The last two weeks, I have been taking you through a journey of encouragement by looking first at the characteristics of God, then the characteristics of Jesus. I find encouragement during these difficult times by remembering these unchanging characteristics of the triune Godhead. The reason these things are encouraging is based on Philippians 4:8.

“8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

— Philippians 4:8 (NASB)

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We are told in this verse to dwell on these things; the things being whatever is true, honorable, pure, etc. What I do know at this point in time is that not everything that is being written and put out by the media is true. Certainly, many of the goings on in our country are not honorable or pure. When this sort of chaos ensues, I think the best place to focus our minds is on God Himself. He characterizes every single one of the traits mentioned in Philippians 4:8. How do we know these things to be true? This is where we look at the Holy Spirit. One of His main jobs is the communication of truth to our spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Each of these Holy Beings is separate, yet they all have one mind and one desire: our salvation and glorification. There are churches that place too much emphasis on the Spirit, claiming that without the filling and subsequent slaying of the Spirit we are not saved. There are also churches that don’t place enough emphasis on the Spirit, claiming that it is the mind that is influenced by God and emotions have little place in the Christian religion.

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My view, is one of balance. The Holy Spirit is just as important as God the Father and God the Son, but He is not more important than them. He is not mean to be worshipped as first and foremost, but is is also not meant to be excluded.

Let’s look at a a few of the traits of the Holy Spirit.

He is a helper.

“26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

— John 14:26 (NASB)

I think the Holy Spirit helps us in many ways, but Jesus points out a few important ones in this verse.

He will teach us all things. I believe that when we become a Christ follower, the Spirit comes and takes up residence in us. He then works to teach us things we didn’t know; things like what sin looks like, who Jesus is, and how we are able to relate to an Almighty being like God.

He helps us remember what Jesus said. Have you ever memorized Scripture? It is amazing how, the Spirit will bring it back again and again. even when we no longer remember exactly what book and chapter it is in. Even when our minds are cluttered with so many things, the Spirit can still bring to our memory concepts and truths, even when we don’t remember the actual scriptures.

He baptizes and fills.

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There is plenty of confusion and debate over the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit, and I am not claiming to know exactly when and how each of these things happens. I believe we are baptized with the Spirit when we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. This happens once, just as the literal baptism with water is a one time act to identify ourselves in the life, death and resurrection of Christ.

“for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

— Acts 1:5 (NASB)

Filling, seems to be a more repetitive act that occurs as we give ourselves to God and to His work, not only in ourselves, but in the world.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”

— Acts 2:4 (NASB)

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people,”

— Acts 4:8 (NASB)

“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”

— Acts 4:31 (NASB)

“And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

— Acts 13:52 (NASB)

He speaks and directs.

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The Holy Spirit is the one who leads and directs us. He helps us to have wisdom, make decisions and understand the will of God. Some people will claim that the little voice inside our heads is our conscience. For those of us who claim to be Christ followers we believe those whispers and urgings are from the Holy Spirit Himself. This is especially true when we are faced with a temptation to sin. Have you even felt that tug or check from the Spirit I am talking about? Often, it is a thought that pops into my head. “Don’t do that,” or an urging in my spirit, “Go talk to that elderly lady.” Many times the Spirit brings back to my mind those Scriptural truths that I need to remember at just the right time. During this overwhelming time of Covid life, He constantly reminds me of Philippians 4:4-7 which is one of the best passages for dealing with anxiety.

“While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.””

— Acts 13:2 (NASB)

“So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.”

— Acts 13:4 (NASB)

““For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:”

— Acts 15:28 (NASB)

He embodies fellowship.

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One of the things that many of us are missing right now is the ability to fellowship with other believers. It is good that churches are doing live streaming and a number of them are also doing outdoor services to provide another option for people to be together and still maintain social distancing. My spouse and I left the church we had been attending for over 20 years a few years ago, for reasons I am not able to disclose, so we have been without regular fellowship for a long time. We have looked at other churches, but as of yet have not found a new church home. I believe there are times that God leads us out into the wilderness for reasons only known to Him. While this journey has been difficult, I will say the Holy Spirit has been a true and faithful companion each and every day. There are moments where my fellowship with Him, the Lord Jesus, and God my Father, are sweeter than anything I have ever known with a person. If you are feeling alone and cut off from your family of believers, remember the Holy Spirit lives in you and you can have sweet, blessed fellowship at any time with Him.

He gives gifts to us.

Image by Michael Schwarzenberger from Pixabay

One of the reasons we are able to have sweet fellowship with and through the Holy Spirit has to do with the gifts that He gives to us.

“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

— Romans 14:17 (NASB)

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Righteousness - It is through Jesus’ work on the cross and the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives that “we become the righteousness of God in Him,” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is such an encouragement to me and where Christianity differs from all other religions. It is not our goodness that makes us righteous and holy, but Christ’s shed blood and the Holy Spirit’s possession of our hearts.

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Peace - Who couldn’t use a little peace right now? Yet peace is something we are guaranteed as a Christian, if we put our minds in the right place.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.””

— John 16:33 (NASB)

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.”

— Psalm 4:8 (NASB)

“The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”

— Psalm 29:11 (NASB)

“Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.”

— Psalm 119:165 (NASB)

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,”

— Romans 8:6 (NASB)

“for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”

— I Corinthians 14:33 (NASB)

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

— Philippians 4:7 (NASB)

If you are lacking peace right now, do a Bible study on the word. You will find many scriptures that talk about peace. It is definitely worth while to know some of these scriptures.

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Joy - This is another word that has been the focus of some debate in the Christian community. What is the difference between joy and happiness. I personally think joy is much deeper and more enduring than happiness. Happiness is based on our present circumstances or attitudes, whereas joy is ours simply because we are His, no matter what the circumstances. I am sure many of you have heard the phrase, “Choose Joy.” While this might seem a bit trite in our current circumstances, it is a good idea. Just as we need to think on those things that I mentioned at the beginning of this long post, we also can choose to focus on the joy we have because of our relationship with Christ.

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

— Psalm 16:11 (NASB)

“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.”

— Psalm 30:5 (NASB)

He intercedes for us.

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The Holy Spirit does many things for us, but this is perhaps my favorite. We went over this portion of scripture when we did our study of Romans 8.

“26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

— Romans 8:26-27 (NASB)

To know that the Spirit is praying for me, not just praying, but interceding with groanings to deep for words makes me feel overwhelmed with gratitude. How many times, especially over the last few months, have you found yourself not even sure how to pray? I know I have many times, but it is during these difficult days our Holy Spirit is taking up the cause and praying to the Father on our behalf. The beautiful thing is, He is praying according to the Father’s will which is always for our good.

There are many other characteristics of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in the Bible. If you are feeling discouraged, I want to encourage you to dig deep into the truth of God’s word. It will lift you up, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Have a great week!

How Will You Answer These Questions?

These last several weeks, I have been looking at the 8th chapter of the book of Romans in the New Testament. The book of Romans was written by Paul the Apostle to the Christian believers in the church at Rome. The basic theme of this book is the gospel message, thus when we come to chapter 8 it makes sense that Paul would discuss the battle between the flesh and the Spirit. We cannot accept Christ as our Savior and then expect to go on living just as we were before we made that commitment. The Spirit of Christ in us changes us, if we let Him have His way with us.

Let’s take a look at the next portion of Romans 8:

“9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

— Romans 8:9-11 (NIV)

I chose the New International Version of these verses because I like the picture it paints. There are three pictures I want to look at in the form of three questions.

1 - What realm are you in?

I like that the NIV uses the term realm. Since I am a fiction writer, specifically trying to focus on science fiction and fantasy, kings, kingdoms and realms are easy ideas for me to imagine. Paul says that we, if indeed, the Spirit of God lives in us, are not in the realm of the flesh, but in the realm of the Spirit. Why, then, do we spend so much time living, working, striving and worrying in the realm of the flesh?

We worry about money. We fuss over our homes, our clothes and our personal space. We worry about our families, our parents, our kids and our grandkids. We obsess over movies and books. We plan for vacations and save our pennies, just in case the economy crashes. We search for the perfect home, car, job and partner. We do all this, pulling ourselves along by our own bootstraps, willing ourselves to fight, to claw, to overcome and to win. All for what? In the end our flesh decays, just like all the stuff and we all end up in the land fill.

That is the realm of the flesh. This realm is built on a garbage heap of lies, circulated by an enemy unseen, who comes unbidden, crouching outside the door of the home we think is so secure, waiting for the opportunity to pounce and devour. Yet, because we live in the flesh, we do not see him. We do not realize the effect he has had on our lives. We do not even care, because out of sight is out of mind.

But, we are not in the realm of the flesh. We are in the realm of the Spirit. This realm is the realm of light. It is light that only those who know the Son can see, if they are brave enough to look. Often, as we walk in the flesh, in this world, we forget that there is a real spiritual world moving and operating behind the scenes. This is the world, that we, who walk in the Spirit, have access to. It is in this realm that things can be changed: hearts moved to Christ, battles won against the enemy, prayers answered, miracles performed.

There is no doubt, we need to take care of ourselves, our families and our affairs, but when we allow this world and things put out there by the enemy to consume us, then we are living, not in the realm of the Spirit and light, but in the realm of the flesh and darkness

2 - Sin or righteousness?

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We are faced with a choice as we walk through life. Am I going to choose to sin or choose to be righteous? What is sin exactly? Sin is anything that separates us from God. Things like hate, envy, lust, murder, adultery, lying, eating too much, spending outside our means, stealing, cheating, gossiping, etc. are all things that bring darkness into our lives. The Bible says God is light.

“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

— I John 1:5 (NASB)

Living in the Spirit means we are fellowshipping with the light of Christ. Our desire should be to be like Him. He was the perfect man.

“You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.”

— I John 3:5 (NASB)

We should strive to be perfect as well. You might say that is not possible. It isn’t possible if we are living in the realm of the flesh and choosing to sin.

“By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”

— I John 4:17 (NASB)

This verse says that as He is, so also are we in this world. He was perfect and by His Spirit, we are able to be perfect as well. Don’t misunderstand, as Paul said,

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”

— Philippians 3:12

Our complete perfection will not happen until we are with Christ, but day by day, as we make the choice for righteousness, we sin less and less.

3 - Living or dead?

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If Christ is in us and we are walking in the Spirit, rather than the flesh, we will have life. This doesn’t just apply to the afterlife. Many Christians sit around, mistakenly thinking that life only happens after we are dead. While that is true and we who are in Christ will live for eternity with Him, look at what Jesus said in the gospel of John.

“9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

— John 10:9-10 (NASB)

The life that He gave to us, starts the moment we enter through the door of belief in His sacrifice and resurrection from the dead. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to have the abundant life.

Does that mean we will never struggle again? Does that mean we will float along with no more storms or difficulties? No way. What we will have is a life that is full of joy amidst sorrow, healing amidst pain and peace amidst chaos. I know, I am living it.

What it really comes down to is one word…Him, Jesus, Lord, Savior, Lover, Friend, Defender….okay, so that is more than one word, but I know, many of you who follow my faith posts, know exactly what I am talking about. You have experienced His peace, love, forgiveness and joy even when your world is rocking like an earthquake of epic proportions.

I leave you with those three questions, based on three little verses in Romans. How are you going to answer them?

Until next time, keep fighting the fight.

How Do You Walk?

This is not going to be a post about exercise, although, when it comes to self-control and discipline, it all ties in. This walk refers to our spiritual lives. When you go out for a walk you can walk in different ways; you can walk at a park on a pave trail, or down the sidewalk in your neighborhood. You can also go off roading and hike a more rugged path strew with rocks, streams and logs. Walking isn’t that difficult for those of us who have two good legs, but it still requires that we place one foot in front of the other.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

“5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ”

— Romans 8:5-6 (NASB)

Verse 4, which we looked at last week, mentions the word walk. Here are a few other verses that use walk as a way to show our being or not being in Christ.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

— Galatians 5:16 (NASB)

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

— Galatians 5:25 (NASB)

“in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”

— Ephesians 2:2 (NASB)

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

— Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)

“for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light”

— Ephesians 5:8 (NASB)

There are numerous verses in the Bible which use the word walk as a way to describe our relationship and standing before God. The very first Psalm uses walk as an active marker for the righteous man.

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”

— Psalm 1:1 (NASB)

Let’s take a closer look at our Romans 8 verses.

1 - For those who are according to the flesh - we have to make the point here that there is a definite distinction between those who are according to the flesh and those who are according to the Spirit. At some point in time, we all have been, according to the flesh.

2 - Set their minds on the things of the flesh - In other words, flesh begets flesh.

3 - but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit - Spirit begets spirit.

4 - For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace - there is one word I want you to focus on in that verse, set. The word set as defined by Webster’s online dictionary has a number of different definitions, but the one I want to focus on is, “to direct with fixed attention.” We either can fix our attention on the flesh or we can fix or attention on the Spirit. The outcome of setting our mind on the flesh is death. The outcome for setting our minds on the Spirit is life and peace.

Let’s examine this for just a moment. When we talk about death, there is a two fold meaning. If I think about something fleshly, like feeding my stomach for example, I won’t die (unless I eat something really nasty - ha, ha), so what death is Paul talking about? Spiritual death. If we only spend our lives worrying about what to eat, how to make ourselves feel good, how to make more money and so on, we will eventually die, both physically and spiritually.

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The opposite situation occurs when we set our minds on the Spirit. Obviously, we are talking about the Holy Spirit of God, not just some random spirit. If we seek to know Christ and follow Him and really desire what His Spirit desires we will have life and peace. Once again, the life here is referring to Spiritual life, as we will physically die at some point. I also want to point out that Paul added the word peace.

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Don’t we live in an anxiety ridden society? It seems more and more people are taking medication to help keep them from feeling anxious. Once again, let me reiterate mental health is a key component in being a functioning person and sometimes that does mean medication, but since when did it become not okay to feel nervous? When did it become not okay to experience fear, or worry, or discouragement? These are real feelings and emotions that are just as much a part of being human as joy and happiness. No, a person should not have ongoing anxiety, irrational fears or depression and those things should be managed by a professional doctor and phycologist or psychiatrist. But, the Bible says when we set our minds on the Spirit we will have life and peace.

Perhaps part of our problem is that we are not setting our minds on the Spirit. I am specifically speaking to those of us who call ourselves Christ followers. How many of us struggle with anxiety? How many of us daily battle fear, discouragement, anger, lust, jealousy and on and on? How many of us struggle with having discipline and self-control? Can’t we trace most of those feelings to the idea that we are not setting our minds on the Spirit?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

What are you setting your mind on today? Are you, like the woman in the picture above being overwhelmed by everything around you? Fix your focus on Jesus.

“6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things”

— Philippians 4:6-8 (NASB)

I will throw these verses at you over and over and over again, because this is God’s truth. Do not be anxious! I’ll save that study for a different time, but today, make the choice to fix your attention on the Spirit.

Next time, we’ll explore a few more verses from Romans 8. What are your thoughts on these verses today? I always love to have your feedback.

Dare to be Disciplined? Doubt it!

Wow! I just looked at the last time I posted on this faith page. It was November 20th. Yikes! That is way too long. I apologize for the absence and hope to get back to a more regular posting schedule as soon as possible. I have realized over the years that I am not a very disciplined person. I mean, sure, I can get up and go to work when I have to. I make sure there is clean underwear and clean dishes to eat off of on a regular basis, but when it comes to creating new habits, or being self-motivated….that’s a different story.

Image by _Alicja_ from Pixabay

Taking a look at Webster’s online dictionary we see that discipline falls into two categories. The first uses the word as a noun and includes the ideas of self-control, orderly or prescribed conduct, punishment, instruction or a field of study. The other use is as a verb and is the action of imposing punishment, order or training.

If I scrutinize my own life, I can see areas where I do have the noun discipline. The regular habits of brushing my teeth, taking a shower, getting out of bed at a similar time every day, etc. are all done out of discipline. However, there seem to be an inordinate amount of areas where I don’t exercise (verb) discipline. These would include eating healthy, exercise, blogging, writing and spending (or not spending).

Image by Jenny Friedrichs from Pixabay

Obviously, I wouldn’t have survived to the age of 56 if I wasn’t doing something to take care of myself. I honestly don’t get sick very often, unless it is from being around my Grandson and we all know children are walking petri dishes full of all manner of bacteria and viruses. I wouldn’t have survived working seasonal at Kohl’s if I wasn’t used to walking and working hard. I also wouldn’t still be blogging if I wasn’t exercising some amount of discipline with regard to regularly posting and giving you new content.

So why all the fuss over this idea of discipline?

It seems every New Year our minds are full of ideas of what we want to accomplish in the coming year. We are thrilled to start with a blank slate. We make lists of things we are going to do, which often include: lose weight, join a gym, exercise, eat more veggies, spend less money, treat our spouses and families better and more. These are not bad. It is a good thing to want to do better, to change, to grow, to get rid of old bad habits and start doing good ones.

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I read a post from jillsamter on Instagram, that by January 3rd 75% of people who made New Year’s resolutions give up on them. Wow! That is crazy. That is only three days. Not very hopeful, is it? So why do we desire to change so much, but seem so incredibly inept at actually making those changes happen and stick for good?

Try these ideas on for size:

1 - Laziness - I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t like to think of myself as lazy, but I am. Webster’s defines lazy as, a disinterest to activity or exertion. That describes me on more than one occasion. Ha, ha. How many of us hit the snooze button on our alarms? How many times do we choose to binge watch a show rather than going out for a walk, or doing the dishes? How often do we go out to eat, rather than going through the work of planning, cooking and cleaning up after a meal? Isn’t it just easier to not get a good habit started at all, than to put in the effort of trying, only to give up after a few days?

Image by M W from Pixabay

2 - No accountability - If no one is watching what will we do? Probably nothing, or maybe everything. We will eat that extra piece of cake; spend the afternoon watching Netflix and turn ourselves into an ingrown toenail of discouragement and unchanged habits. Even God’s Word tells us victory is obtained with help from others.

“Where there is no guidance the people fall,
But in abundance of counselors there is victory”

— Proverbs 11:21 (NASB)

There is something good about having others hold you accountable. There is also something humbling about it. That leads me to the next point.

Image by rudamese from Pixabay

3 - Pride - “I don’t have a problem that needs fixing. I am just fine, doing what I am doing.” “There is no way I’m going to the gym. I don’t want everyone staring at my booty!” “Discipline is overrated. I read my Bible once in a while and I even pray before most of my meals.” “I don’t want people holding me accountable. My time is my own and what I do with it is my business.”

Have you ever found yourself thinking these thoughts. I have. Discipline is hard work and we don’t like to think that we haven’t got everything figured out.

4 - Fear - This is probably one of the biggest factors that keep us from being a more disciplined people, but the fear is real, folks. Whether we fear what others will think of us, how much effort it is going to take, or what we are going to have to give up, we are afraid that in gaining control over ourselves and our lives, we will lose control over all of the things we really don’t have any control over.

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Honestly, think about it. I’m afraid, if I really start eating healthy, I’ll never be able to have another piece of pizza or chocolate cake again. I am afraid, if I go to the gym, I am going to look like an absolute fat fool surrounded by all those skinny people in their cute little leggings and pony tails. I’m afraid, that if I try to be a better person it will kill me! Ha, ha. That last one might be a little extreme, but we often think in dramatic, extreme terms.

So how do we deal with this idea of discipline?

“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

— Hebrews 12:11 (NASB)

God knew this idea of discipline would not be easy. Our desire for things to be easy, compounded by our desire to satisfy our flesh means discipline is going to be a full time, life long job.

Recognize reality. Discipline is work. We’ve all heard the saying that work is a four letter word; this being from a time period when four letter cuss words were taboo. Discipline is your job. When I became an employee, first at the bookstore and then at a retail business, I committed to a contract. I committed to working for the allotted time I was scheduled. I committed to coming in on the days I was scheduled at the time I was scheduled. I committed to not stealing from the company. I committed to doing my job to the best of my ability. The only difference between the job and the gym (or other areas of discipline) is my level of commitment.

Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Now that I am currently not employed I thought, why not make writing my job? Writing is my dream career, so why not treat it like it is? Why not get up at the same time every day, get my cup of tea and start working on finding freelance jobs, writing a short story to submit and working on that novel that has been simmering in my mind for a long time? My plan is to commit to a time period every day similar to a job, so maybe four to eight hours (with breaks of course). Discipline is work!

Examine expectations. Expect the unexpected. I think what often derails our plans to be more disciplined are real life distractions. I’m calling them distractions, but sometimes it is just life: your child gets sick and is home from school, your mother fell and broke her ankle, you had to work extra hours this week. All of these things sap our energy and take away time that we committed to being better disciplined.

Are you placing expectations on yourself that just aren’t realistic? My spouse and I have family out of state. We know that traveling to visit family is a priority. That means things like having a garden, and keeping a perfectly clean house are not going to be realistic at this time in our lives. I’d like to go to the gym three days a week, but right now I’d be happy with one. I’d like to walk three miles every day, but a more realistic goal is once a week (especially since it has been raining for two days now).

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

I am not saying we shouldn’t push and reach. Of course that is part of the work idea of discipline, but expecting to much to start and then failing may thwart our efforts permanently.

Start small. Baby steps. I got out of bed this morning by eight. I had more mornings this week, where I had to be out of bed by six, because I was helping my daughter get my Grandson to school. Seasonal Affective Disorder makes everything more difficult in the winter. Especially all of the things that take discipline. This is how I really feel…I want to stay in my pajamas, turn on Netflix, have a cup of tea and a bag of cream filled donuts, a few chocolate chip muffins (even better if they are chocolate chocolate chip), and maybe a piece of fruit for breakfast. For lunch, I’d still be in my pajamas watching Netflix, but now I would have a Diet Coke, a couple slices of pizza and a bag of something salty. I might just munch on some chocolate after that. For dinner, I would finally shower so we could go out to eat. I’d feel numb and depressed from watching Netflix all day, so I would order something so loaded with sodium and carbs my kidneys and pancreas would scream in horror.

Image by Jade87 from Pixabay

Do I ever do that? No. But seriously, that is how I feel. That is what I want to do. When you start throwing ideas at me like, go to the gym, start writing that book, go through that closet, well, it is just plain overwhelming. Does that mean I don’t want to be disciplined? No. It just means, I have a mountain to climb while dragging a ball and chain the size comparable to what Ebenezer Scrooge was forging before Marley sent him on his redemptive journey.

Image by Couleur from Pixabay

I honestly don’t think there are easy answers to the discipline conundrum, other than en media res - in the midst of things. When I was taking a writing class a number of years ago at the college where my spouse works, the instructor brought up this Latin phrase with regards to writing. If you don’t know where to start, just start in the middle of it all. For me, that simply means, just pick something and get started. This morning, I chose to get up and finish this blog post. Writing for today….check! A little later, I’m going to finish putting away the Christmas stuff. Cleaning for today…check! For breakfast I had a multigrain english muffin and a grapefruit. Good eating choices for today…check!

In time, perhaps, one baby step will lead to another and another and another. Disciplined life….Check!

Getting Through the Holidays Without Losing Your Mind

Most of us are aware, the holidays can be an incredibly, busy time. As women, the bulk of the preparations for holiday gatherings fall on our shoulders. Things might be different for you, but I know for me I am the one who makes the holidays happen. I do the shopping, the decorating, the baking, the meal planning, the wrapping and the packing when we travel out of town. I am also the one to clean up after the gatherings, take down the decorations, get rid of the torn paper, ribbons and bows and unpack and do laundry when we come back into town. This is also a busier time of year at a university bookstore as we are checking in students’ rental books, getting in books for next term and making those available for students who want to buy their books early.

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You might wonder why I do it all. Why don’t I delegate some of the holiday responsibility or just not do some of the typical holiday activities? Realistically, I do it because I want to. I love Christmas. I love everything about it. However, I do understand that not everyone feels this way. In fact, contrary to Andy Williams song It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, the holidays can be the most difficult time of the year.

There are numerous factors that can make the Christmas season more of a burden, rather than a delight. Financial strain, job loss, illness, family tensions, influences from our pasts and the loss of a loved one, can all make the upcoming festivities seem more like a chaotic, commercial filled nightmare.

For those of us who call ourselves Christians, the meaning of Christmas is clear. This is the time we celebrate and remember the birth of Christ, the one we refer to as our Savior and King. Knowing this and believing in Him are key to understanding the Christ part of Christmas. However, our society celebrates Christmas without Christ. The gift giving, family gatherings and well wishes are a way of showing love and of reconnecting with those who are important to us.

I’d like to offer a few ways to get through the holidays without losing your mind, even if you don’t celebrate because of Christ. I will do another post, specifically to that next week.

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1 - Pick and Choose

You honestly do not have to do everything. Figure out which things you absolutely love about Christmas and which ones don’t matter as much. I used to send out Christmas cards. I still love receiving cards in the mail, but I have found that is one thing, at this point in my life, that I had to let go of. As much as I love this tradition, I don’t have the time to commit to this holiday task. Perhaps you could do without all the decorating; a single Christmas tree in your window is as much decor as you need. Don’t worry about lights in the windows or a Better Homes and Gardens tree in every room of the house. Love baking, but feeling stressed out? Pick out one or two favorites to make. Let’s face it, often we just plain overdo.

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2 - Set Boundaries

You don’t have to go to every holiday party you are invited to. You also don’t have to be at every family gathering. If you have family out of town this can get a little bit overwhelming. For years after we were married my spouse and I traveled back to NY and WI every Christmas. We’d do four or five days in one place, come home for two days and then go to the other place for another four or five days. My spouse being a professor and homeschooling our girls made it easy to make this sort of commitment, but it was hard! We went through bouts of stomach bugs, snowstorms and not being able to have our own Christmas traditions. It was great for our kids in that they built an amazing relationship with both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, but there did come a time when we said, we couldn’t do it any more. Now we usually go to one place for Thanksgiving and the other for New Years, that way we are home for Christmas with plenty of time in between to regroup and prepare for our own holiday celebrations.

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3 - Take Care of Yourself

At the holidays we tend to get less sleep and eat more foods that, while delicious, are not necessarily good for us. Extra calories in cookies, rich high fat meals and eating out more when shopping and party going make us feel sluggish and tired. Those types of food need to be eaten in moderation and we still need to make good choices by eating enough fruits and veggies, as well as drinking lots of water.

In addition, make sure you are getting sufficient rest, as well as exercise. I am preaching to the choir here, everyone. I struggle with getting exercise at other times of the year, but the holidays and the cold, drab weather make it even harder, but we all know that exercise is not only good for our physical health, but our mental health as well.

Investing in your hobbies or learning something new can also be good for you. Knitting, painting, playing music or doing puzzles can give your mind a much needed break from the stressors of the season.

If you have the time and resources you can also invest in your well being by scheduling a massage, a manicure or taking yourself out to do something you enjoy, like a movie or a visit to a coffee shop to read a book.

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4 - Be Grateful

No matter where you are at in life, you have things you can be thankful for. Food, clothes, heat, a bed to sleep in and a pillow to lay your head on. Things might be difficult for you this Christmas, but you can still find things to be thankful for, if you look. Every morning I am able to get out of bed and stand in a hot shower, I am thankful. During loss, and difficulty gratitude can make the difference between thriving and floundering,

These are just a few ideas of how to get through the holidays without losing your mind. I hope you find these helpful.

Do you have lots to do at this time of year? Be sure to take time to relax and enjoy the season.