The Ability to See “WHY”

I looked in the mirror staring at the dark circles under my eyes. My stomach hung over my waistband, my bra ill-fitting, barely supporting my furlong breasts; everything was loose where I desired firmness. My answer, as always, included extensive exercise for 3-5 days followed by a fully loaded dinner date with my husband, and/or girlfriend’s. This always displaced me from the balance beam of health and fitness. As soon as I began, no sooner would I end. It served as a disheartening game of Ring Around the Rosie.

Galatians 6:9 reads: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

I somehow could never fester up enough strength to make it past the infant stage of weariness. My goal was clear; I wanted to lose weight..but my motive remained superficial. My “why” revolved around the aesthetics of it all.

I wanted to workout so that I could look like... her. I wanted to be happy when I looked in the mirror, instead of remorseful for eating that extra piece of cake. I wanted to wear a swimsuit that made my husband drool with admiration.

To assess the motives behind my “why” brought me to the bombarding conclusion that my reason for exercising, my “why”, was not strong enough to bear the burden of weariness.

On the surface I felt these things, but in my heart...overtime, I learned how to deal with defeat. I learned how to turn off ambition, and shake my head in agreement.

This will have to do.

Yes looking in the mirror was not a sensational experience, but I had done this for years. My eyes..what I saw, went against the desires of my “why”, and I had become comfortable with temporal succession; the rise, and fall...the ascending only to descend again.

It did not last, but it felt good for a moment.

Mark 4 Reads:

The farmer sows the word. Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”

Jesus knew that we would struggle with consistency; that the lure of the familiar, and all that is comforting would entangle us, and keep us bound to the ordinary. To achieve the extraordinary we must protect the seed of our faith… we must protect our “why”.

To make it more visual, when you start a new exercise plan, or tackle a much needed lifestyle change; when you come back into the boxing ring of life, ready to be a better mom, or a better wife, and the enemy throws a punch your way.

Duck.

When you forget to duck,

and a jab lands...

knocking the wind out of you...

acknowledge the pain...

then get prepared to block the next blow.

You are not without protection. When we don’t realign why we do what we do with God’s perspective, with God’s word; we will fall short.

Colossians 3:23 reads:

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

This scripture confirms that God cares about the little things. He cares about why you do what you do. He’s after your ability to persist in the smaller things that make-up your everyday routine, so that he can bless you on a larger scale.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. -Luke 16:10

Your ability to commit, and stick with something as simple as doing 100 squats a day; will drip into your precision, and stamina in the pursuance of larger things, like a successful/biblical marriage, and unwavering self-worth. The denial of flesh during a period of fasting, will bleed into your ability to pursue sexual morality, and deter you from overspending on worldly possessions.

You are as strong as your efficiency to serve not only in the formal, but in the informal. Whether you’re speaking to a large group of people, or mentoring a small group of people; whether you’re sweeping the floor at home, or at work...you are a guardian of the light. You must protect the seed that God has planted in your fertile heart.

Don’t engage in the deceit of the enemy; and believe that washing the dishes does not matter. Your ability to maintain your home consistently will develop your heart for hard work needed to achieve a goal of higher status.

God is looking for someone that doesn’t mind being a janitor, and then changing into a suit and tie for a boardroom meeting. He’s in search of a stay at home mom that instills the love of Christ in the hearts of her children during the day, while still having the energy to make love to her husband at night.

He’s after the girl that has little money, but still offers what little she has to charity. He’s after your “why”. And why do we do this?

The lyrics to “The Passion” by Hillsong explains it best:

The passion of our Saviour

The mercy of our God

The cross that leaves no question

Of the measure of His love

Our chains are gone

Our debt is paid

The cross has overthrown the grave

For Jesus’ blood that sets us free

Means death to death

And life for me

The Innocent judged guilty

While the guilty one walks free

Death would be His portion

And our portion liberty

I give my whole life

To honour this love

By the Lamb who was slain

I’m forgiven

The sinner’s Saviour

Crown Him forever

For the Lamb who was slain

He is risen

Prayer

God we give you our “why” today...

We give you our whole life, to honor this love.

We are your hands and feet...

Everything we touch should leave a

drop of Jesus’ blood… serving as evidence

of the change that’s happened inside of our hearts..

Let us serve you in “all the things”, everything big and small

matters to you...bless us from the inside out, and grant us

a new perspective, and a new motive to be light bearers,

and transcend your love in everything we pursue.

Thank you for hanging your head, for a wretch like me.

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ...we pray,

Amen.

A Season of Cleaning

We live in a series of seasons in life; can we admit that something negative transpires in us when we are not enjoying our current season? When we ponder moments of wasted time, and regret.

When we wonder why we chose the way we did, and how much we dislike the outcome of our decisions. Let’s answer the question of how do we live with our right and our wrong choices? How do we live with ourselves after planting, and reaping from the wrong harvest?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Truth number one: God is using “all things” in your life, even your mistakes.. to build something beautiful with your hands. It’s when we refuse to acknowledge that we dropped the ball...that we enable pride to work within us.

What hill and what mountain are you sitting on that you need to climb down from? God wanted you to climb and ascend to purity and holiness, but you instead chose to climb the mountain of pride, malice, gossip, and confusion. Now you are stuck in a place you were never intended to be.

God wanted to see you captured in his presence when the winds blew, and the temperatures were less than desirable...but you decided to warm up to the ways of the world, running from him and his aid. You are now captured by fame, fortune, and lust. You are ascending in the wrong direction on the territory that the enemy employs.

He says, It’s time for us to stop ascending in the wrong direction with the wrong tools. We must repent. We must run away from the capture of the enemy, and rest in the valley of grace while the Lord restores our souls.

This is the season of “cleaning” where everything we clung to..in an effort to maintain our selfish desires... must now be taken away. Every sinful leech that has grasped hold of our flesh causing us pain, and distraction ...must be removed from us.

Awaken, awaken,

clothe yourself with strength, O Zion!

Put on your garments of splendor,

O Jerusalem, Holy City!

For the uncircumcised and unclean

will not again enter you.

Shake off your dust!

Rise up and sit on your throne, O Jerusalem.

Remove the chains from your neck,

O captive Daughter of Zion.

For this is what the LORD says:

“You were sold for nothing,

and without money you will be redeemed.” (Isaiah 52:1-3)

You have a God that is in the business of reclaiming brokenness for guaranteed strength. Stop hiding in shame, stop justifying your wrongs, stop being restless with conviction. Repent now and be cleansed ...let him clean you from the inside out. Trust him, he will lead you to the way everlasting.

Spend 15 min on your knees in prayer today. Tell on yourself. He will love you for it in the end. His love will cover you ...when you bare truth in his presence. Stop pretending, stop grieving the holy spirit, and move towards the valley of grace.

A Storm is Coming...

I glanced down at the table, and found myself staring at my reflection; though it was blurred with finger prints from the children...my heart was somewhere far from where I sat. Time continued to strain forward. I sat with a teary gaze... at that moment I knew I needed to get out of my head.

I was in a dangerous place filled with destructive thoughts that I knew would lead to the storm I was not yet ready to fight. Why do I constantly find myself in this place of isolation? I should be overjoyed as I have more than most. “Mom, she cried! I’m hungry ...can you make me some dinner? Mommm where are you?”

That question resounded through the dry air, and the tears began to stream down my cheeks onto the table…muddling my reflection even more.

Is this you, woman of faith? Can you relate? Are you able to recognize the storm brewing within the atmosphere...lodging beneath your flesh, confusing your normalcy with discontentment, and a surge of overwhelming emotion?

All of this leads you to wonder, why does this hurt so much? Is this even the storm? I thought that if I was going to experience a storm it would be something more assertive, like death ...or adultery. But this ...this right here…..I didn’t see brewing. This storm I was not prepared to fight.

Please understand that the enemy wants to conquer you on your own terrain including: your home, your job, your self-worth, your identity, your church, your friendships, your children ...and your spouse. He is coming for blood, but you must realize that you’re not without defense!

God is here to rescue you from the doubtful moments that cripple you from moving forward. He is able to dissolve the anxiety, insistent worries, and intense moments of depression. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalms 34:18).

I know the weight is great ...don't let the enemy make you feel... less than... during this time.

Let go of pride, and seek help; seek godly counsel within a small group, mentor, or a Christian friend. Leave a comment below with your prayer request. Isolation is not the answer, nor is becoming frozen by the attack of the enemy. Get dressed every morning with the full armor of God, and fight on your knees. Let them be bloody from constant prayer. Prayer is your life line, and your communication with the Father, you can’t win without it.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

(Ephesians 6:10-18).

I say to you today... wipe those tears Woman of Faith, and know that you are more than a conqueror. You are a daughter of the living God, mount up...and don’t succumb to the ploys of the enemy. You are beautiful, you are worth it, you are an heir to the throne of grace.

God saved you knowing all parts of you...the good, and the bad. He still says yes ...you are my daughter, and I love you. Stop wallowing, stop sulking ...stop comparing…and simply have faith. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Not now…… not ever. He's calling you to spend time in prayer today, and lay at his feet. Rest in the arms of the Father.