A Mouth Full of Candy

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether in plenty or in want.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” Phil 4:11-13.

About a month ago, my grandson and I were traveling to Virginia for a mini-vacation.  We were making great time when traffic came to a screaming halt, forcing us to remain in that town for the night.  In an effort to entertain him, we went into Wal-Mart and he chose a video game for his DS.  In addition, I allowed him to choose various treats such as candy, snacks, etc…  We checked into a nice hotel and within moments we were at the pool and hot tub relaxing.  With his hair soaking wet, his new DS game on the table and his mouth stuffed with candy he asked… ‘What’s next Emmy?’ ‘What about tomorrow?’  I was tired and frustrated at his lack of being satisfied in the moment.

How many times is our life full of candy but we look to God and say ‘What’s next?’ ‘What about tomorrow, next week, next year?’ ‘What will you do for me today?’  Paul learned the secret to joy and contentment, and it had nothing to do with this world.  His joy and satisfaction came from his relationship with Jesus Christ…not what he had in the bank or what his comfort was at the time.  He was well aware that true joy came as a gift from the Holy Spirit. 

Attaching joy to future events, relationships or expectations will produce certain outcomes.  We will miss out or minimize any present joy we could have experienced.  We will miss God’s message to us in the present situation.  We can’t be fully engaged in our present life if our heart is in the future.  Most importantly, when looking to the future for joy, we fail to appreciate the blessings of the day from God. 

True joy will be realized when we recognize that while we have been delayed from our destination we still have candy in our mouth and dripping wet with blessings!

Digging Into Rock

“My people have committed two sins:  They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” Jer. 2:13.

‘In Israel at that time, springs provided the most dependable, refreshing, cool, clear water available.  Cisterns, by contrast, were large pits dug into rocks that were used to collect rainwater’ Choose Joy, p. 79.  One of the characteristics of a cistern was the possibility of cracks developing when seasons failed to produce rain.  God’s statement was due to the fact that the nation of Israel had rejected Him and turned to false gods.

For many years, I dug my own cisterns in looking for joy and fulfillment.   In marriage, I laid the responsibility of my happiness at Bruce’s feet.  In motherhood, I assigned my sense of worth to the actions of my children.  In family and friendship, I tied my expectations to their responses …if only they will or would have…all broken cisterns.  The relationships with which God has blessed us were not put here to complete us or fulfill some need in us…they were placed in our lives to bless us and help us grow.  God also never intended for us to dig into ourselves for security, power and strength.  In considering cisterns, I find it interesting that while cisterns are man-dug caves, springs are God-created resources.  Anyone or anything to which we tie our joy or contentment will dry up when the rain falls.  Nothing short of God, the Living Waters, will be enough for whatever we need.

Even last night I was guilty of turning to broken cisterns in an attempt to gain something…I didn’t even know what I was thirsty for…so how could my cistern quench what was unclear to even me.  If we are to experience lasting joy, it cannot be tied to anything but God.

Hold Onto the Good

“Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus…Hold onto the good…May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through” 1 Thess 5:16-23.

Have you ever met someone who seemed to exude joy no matter what that person was experiencing?  More than likely someone just came to mind, and most likely this person has a strong walk with God.  With the challenging circumstances of this world, joy is not something that we can manufacture.  We are given several thoughts on the way to find joy as Paul suggested. 

Joy is the ‘settled assurance that God is in control of every detail in our lives, the quiet confidence that ultimately all will be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in all things.’  Choose Joy – Kay Warren.  Paul knew that the only way to receive joy was to pray continually and to give thanks constantly.  Our instruction to ‘hold onto the good’ means to intentionally replace the lies our feelings tell us with the truths that God has already taught us.  We are to hold onto the spiritual progress we have made, not allowing our thoughts to derail our faith.  ‘What we think determines how we act, and how we act determines how we feel’ p. 72.  As our passage states, it is God’s will for us to attain joy which can only happen through our faith. 

Consider the words in our definition…settled assurance – once and for all acceptance …quiet confidence - a calm and peaceful belief…determined choice – intentional praise when our emotions say otherwise.  Two precious women have certainly come to mind when thinking of our definition.  Their daily lives revolve around the challenges associated with cancer.  When I look at these women I do not see illness…I do not see suffering…I do not see fear and emotional weakness.  I see beauty…strength…gratitude…peace.  It certainly sounds like our definition of joy as these women 'hold onto the good.'

Indeed, joy begins in the mind so what we feed our mind will determine how we respond to trails in our lives.  

Pulling the Ripcord

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” James 1:2-4 (Message)

The word parachute comes from the French prefix paracete, originally from the Greek, meaning to protect against.   Chute, the French word for fall placed with paracete forms a word meaning “that which protects against a fall.” A parachute rigger is a person who is trained to maintain, pack and repair parachutes, applying their understanding of fabrics, webbing, sewing, packing, and other aspects.  The work accomplished before the ripcord is pulled determines the failure or success of the fall.

The same is with our faith according to the work we invest.  There are certain elements of our faith that we claim to possess but really cannot be proven until life goes wrong.  ‘James says that in tough times our faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors…No matter what you say you believe, or what others think you believe, there’s no hiding or pretending when the bottom falls out…An untested faith is an unreliable faith.’ Choose Joy, Kay Warren. 

None of us would grab an untested parachute when contemplating a jump.  We would want confidence that when the ripcord was pulled the parachute would successfully perform.  We want to know that when needed, the chute will open displaying the beautiful colors of the silk, and that our landing will be soft.  In regard to our faith, we must study the Word, be trained in the truths, pack our life full of confidence in God.  We need to be people who prepare for the fall…faith-ready Christians when life nudges us out of the plane.  We gain more confidence with each fall, perfecting our faith through each experience.  We can stand at the door of the flight securely grasping our ripcord of faith.  Our confidence during the fall is the knowledge and complete belief in God providing a secure and safe landing.  I can just picture the spiritual skies peppered with thousands of deployed parachutes displaying the gorgeous colors of faith. 

When life nudges, pull that ripcord!

The Joyful Side of Jesus

“Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.  ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’”  Matthew 14:31.

When my children were toddlers there were times when they wanted so badly to attempt something new but were fearful, such as jumping off the side of the pool into the water.  As a mother, I knew that I would catch them but as the small child they doubted.  It was new for them…scary…unchartered waters.  I would plead for them to look at me instead of looking at the distance between us.  After coaxing and convincing, our eyes would finally meet, followed by the leap, and falling into my arms…both of us laughing, rejoicing and sharing in that moment.  ‘See, I told you that you could do it!  I don’t know why you didn’t think you could!  Look at what you did!  We had that moment of shared joy and accomplishment.

Kay Warren, author of Choose Joy, encourages me to see Jesus in a different way.  Instead of seeing Him the way most art depicts Him…somber… suffering… burdensome…she entreats me to see Him for the way He was.  ‘The Son of Man came, enjoying life’ Luke 7:34 (PH).   I have always thought the above exchange between Peter and Jesus was more about Peter’s lack of faith being highlighted.  This morning, however, I believe it was similar to what I experienced with my own children when they were young.  It brought me such joy and laughter when they attempted something beyond their confidence.  I delighted in their sense of accomplishment, scooping them up, hugging and kissing them.  My encouragement after the jump was to convince them of their abilities and share in their new confidence. 

This is the essence of Jesus Christ…joyful, encouraging, catching us, lifting us up in celebration when we attempt to jump as a result of our faith.  We allow Him to catch us when we lose our breath from the jump.  We rest in His arms as He carries us back over to the side with a new found confidence.  We have shared in joyful intimacy and confident accomplishment.  Sure, there will be more jumps to take, more leaps of faith and more water in our face with the plunge.  But, He lovingly and delightfully looks into our eyes as He holds us close and says, ‘And you didn’t think you could do it!’ 

And then we laugh because we don’t even know why we doubted.

One Small Bush

“A champion named Goliath…came out of the Philistine camp.  He was over nine feet tall…Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks… ‘Why do you come out and line up for battle?’… and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified” 1 Samuel 17:4, 8, 11.

When I was a little girl we moved into a new home where each of us was fortunate enough to have our own room.  The blessings of my new found privacy were interrupted one night when I awoke and became terrified.  The light of the moon and the shape of the trees were casting scary shadows that wrapped from the ceiling to the floor.  As my heart pounded, my legs became paralyzed with fear as I lay wide-eyed in my bed.  I could not move and certainly wasn’t going to approach the huge shadow.   My security returned when daylight revealed that the shadow had no substance and my fear was all in vain.

Scripture states that ‘all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.’  They had all bought into the fear and were paralyzed by this taunting image.  It took a small boy with a sling and a stone to defeat the nine foot giant.  It wasn’t just any stone…it was the cornerstone that held up his entire life…his faith in God.  ‘So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:  See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed’ Isaiah 28:16-17.

What nine foot Goliath is casting its intimidating shadow over your life?  What fears and threats in your circumstances taunt you convincing you they are bigger than your ability to bear?  When will the sunrise come and reveal the real size of the issue instead of an exaggerated image?  Stones of fear seem to be boomerangs that always return to us.  We must select stones of faith instead of fear so that when the darkness casts the ugly lies we sling truths.  One stone…‘God will not forsake me’…another stone…‘The Lord fights for me.’  By replacing our stones of fear with God’s stones of truth we see the image for what it really is…the light of the moon shining against one small bush.

By the Hand

“After a long time the master of those servants returned… ‘See, I have gained…’ ‘See, I have gained…’ ‘I knew you were a hard man…’” Matthew 25:19-24.

A few months ago I went over to my daughter’s home to visit with her and my grandchildren.   When I arrived the front door was locked so I knocked on the door to let her know I was there.  Suddenly, I heard the footsteps of my granddaughter rushing to the door to let her Emmy in…my little Kherington, or Kherbear as we lovingly refer to her.  The door was barely ajar when she grabbed my hand and excitedly rushed me to her upstairs bedroom.  As I was trying to regain my breath she opened her door and said, ‘Look, Emmy!  See….I made my bed up all by myself!’  She was so pleased that what she had accomplished would please me. 

So were the two responses of the stewards who had doubled the worth with what their master had entrusted to them.   Much like Kherbear, they grabbed his hand and couldn’t wait to show him how they had grown what he had given them.  The third steward greeted his master with ego, pride and accusations.  His attitude held no joy, sense of accomplishment or respect for the master who had given him the same opportunities…to use what he was given and grow the worth of the master’s estate.

Our Master has given each of us certain gifts and talents to not only use in the secular world but in the kingdom of God.  To one is given a beautiful voice…to another is given the gift of speech.  He assigns some to teach Sunday School while others He calls to financially support ministries.  He gives the gift of writing to him and He enables her with the gift of nursing.  We have all been given something that furthers the kingdom of God.  Will we use our spiritual gifts with joy and embrace the responsibility with the attitude of Kherington?  Will we complete things for God and then bury it in a hole?  We will receive the things of God with a me-first focus like the third steward or will we grab His hand and joyfully run to show Him?

God delights in us delighting in Him.  I believe that whatever the master had given the first two stewards, they would have been happy because their joy was in pleasing God, not themselves.