We were dead in our sins.

Life is busy these days. I find myself defaulting to "survival mode" all too often, just simply trying to make it through these days without a major meltdown or an accidental nap. I quickly find myself living for me. I quickly forget that it's not about me. I forget the truths of the gospel, what has been given to me in Christ... I forget that I owe Him everything.

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."

- Ephesians 2:1-3

I was dead. Dead.

Dead in my sins. Following the course of this world, like the rest of mankind. Loving myself, pursuing my own passions and desires. A child of wrath.

But God...

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

- Ephesians 2:4-10

Saved. By grace. Through faith. And even this faith has been given to us. Saved... From what? Saved from ourselves, saved from the wrath of God, who could rightly and justly destroy us the moment we take our first breath. Saved to a new life in Christ. Covered in His blood. Set apart, as holy vessels, for His purposes. For His purposes and not our own.

I memorized most of this passage recently, and thinking on these few verses has been an encouragement and a challenge. I find myself amazed at these truths, and appalled a how quickly I forget them. Life would look so differently if I truly lived in light of these truths each day.

When I'm being yelled at by a customer for something out of my control... I'm quick to complain to coworkers after the fact, quick to think I deserve to be treated a certain way. But I was dead in my sins. It's only by God's grace that I can do any good thing. My heart should be filled with compassion. My words should be seasoned with grace.

When I am tired of writing papers, when school feels pointless... Again, I am quick to complain. Quick to want what I want. But I owe Christ everything. I must be a good steward, even in the little things, because I am representing Him and I must trust in where He has me in each and every moment.

When things change, when I am in the unknown, when life is confusing... I am quick to want the answers, quick to seek a solution and not a Savior. He has been so kind. I deserve nothing, yet He continues to lavish His grace on His children. If I would strive to focus my mind on these truths more and more each moment, life would change drastically. Ladies, let us not forget that we were once dead in our sins.

“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
- Jonathan Edwards

We serve a kind, gracious, patient heavenly Father. But let us not forget how helpless we are apart from Him. Let us no continue in sin because grace abounds, but let that grace be a motivation for us to continue putting off sin and putting on the fruits of the Spirit. Let us be known as ladies with gentle quiet spirits, speech seasoned with grace, and lives that are not our own.

The Pitfall of Perfectionism

I’ve been thinking about perfectionism and idealism a lot lately. Admittedly, I’m not your typical perfectionist. I’m a little messy and unorganized at times, and if you were to watch me clean out my car you’d probably hear me say a few times, “Oh! There that is!” However, in other areas of my life I let perfectionism creep in. A few weeks back I wrote an article about anxiety and how we can often deem it a personality trait rather than see it as the sin that it is. I believe perfectionism can fall into the same assumption. People generally describe perfectionists as “neat”, “organized”, or “particular”. There is nothing wrong with being neat and organized; in fact, Scripture encourages it! When talking about worship/speaking in tongues 1 Corinthians 14:40 says, “But all things should be done decently and in order.” All we do in our lives is worship to someone or something, and as Christians we seek to live lives that worship our King, and our King desires order. The key here is the order He prescribes. Not the order we prefer in our own idealistic world where everyone does the things we want them to do and everything goes our way. This is the pitfall of perfectionism. I find sometimes I can be very zealous about the things that I want. I desire to be a good employee. To work hard. To be appreciated by my coworkers and praised by my supervisor. To be liked by the patients I see. I desire to be a good wife. To accomplish all of the things on my to do list. Dishes washed, laundry folded, floors cleaned, dinner made. I also need to be sure I’m eating at least somewhat healthy and able to workout routinely. I want to be a faithful member of the church. To be there every Sunday, be involved in church functions, serve where I can. You may be thinking, “Well, all of these seem like good, harmless things. What’s the problem?” For the most part, there is no problem with the list above. The problem arises when someone or something interferes with my plan. When my schedule gets rearranged and I don’t get to accomplish the things I intended to accomplish. When the help I anticipated on having doesn’t come through. When I realize I’m not Wonder Woman and can’t do everything on my list in one day. When I work so hard and don’t get the pat on the back that I feel I deserve. It’s then that I allow myself to become frustrated. I selfishly saw the wonderful plan I had for my time and when I didn’t make it there, I had a pity party.  Man, the filthy dross that comes out of my heart! God doesn’t want me to be zealous for what I want, He wants me to be zealous for good works! For his purposes, not my own. To realize the things that come up that prevent me from doing what I had planned, those things are God-ordained. Maybe I won’t be or do everything I had planned; but if I am doing all that I do with my heart, with love for my Savior and love for others, that is what truly matters. So rather than being particular and organized about what I want, I need to be particular about what God asks of me. What does he ask of me? I’ve been chewing on Romans 12:9-13 lately. Here’s what it says:

⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,  serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

This is what He asks of me. Breaking this passage down I’m commanded to love truly and sincerely, focusing on the needs of others. To hate sin and evil. To hold on tightly to what is good and true. He also adds (somehow he knows I already forgot), to love those around me like I would a beloved sibling! This love is not based on what they do for me or how much I love (or hate) to be around them. To show a sincere appreciation and honor to those around me, no praising myself. Also, he tells me not to be lazy. He tells me to let a fire burn within my heart to serve the Lord! He tells me to be enthusiastic about what He has called me to do. When expounding on this passage MacArthur encourages, “Whatever is worth doing in the Christian life is valuable enough to be done with enthusiasm and care.”  He tells me to joyful about the hope I have in Christ. Don’t get antsy when I’m being tried. Be patient. Pray to my Father; in fact, do it on a continual basis! Make sure I’m aware of the needs of my fellow siblings in Christ, be hospitable (when Paul says, “show hospitality” in this passage, it literally means to “pursue the love of strangers”). These are the things I should be focusing on! There is so much here that can be unpacked. If you’ve got a study Bible I would encourage you to get it out and dig through the associated verses listed. When I look at the list above of what I’m called to do, it seems daunting, intimidating and even discouraging; and it is if I planning on doing it in my own strength! I know I can’t do this on my own and that I’ll mess up. Then I’m reminded of grace. That wonderful, marvelous grace of God that forgives and restores. That strengthens and encourages. That saved my soul. I read about Paul and the amazing things he did for the Lord. Paul will be the first to tell you that all that he is an all that he accomplished was only by the grace of God. 1 Corinthians 15:10 says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” It’s the same grace that he extends to the hearts of other fellow believers. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the grace of my God poured out through His people. He will give us the strength we need to be this kind of Christian.  All that energy I’ve been spending on building my kingdom, let me invest it in His Kingdom. That is something to be particular about. 

With love,

Anna Leigh

Living as Christ.

We all long for something. Whether its longing for the upcoming installment of a favorite movie or book series (e.g. "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"), a meal to satisfy the stomach rumbles, a holiday after a weary season, or a certain kind of relationship, longing is an everyday reality.

As Christians, we all long for the coming of our Lord to bring about the completion of the Kingdom of God. Especially in the weariness and uncertainty of this present life, we long for the certain hope and destination that is ours in Christ Jesus. Yet, the reality is that we have not yet entered that promised Rest. We are still journeying forward through the mire and muck of a fallen world.

How do we maintain courage and persevere in walking faithfully in this life before we enter Heaven's Rest? Paul's answer is found in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." We see here that we not only have a future hope in Christ, but also a present hope.

We are able to endure and persevere with the hope that in the end there will be certain deliverance and victory: to die is gain. This is reason to rejoice! Paul writes, "Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed" (v.19-20). Paul wasn't just referring to his hope to no longer be in physical bondage, as he is under house arrest while writing this letter, but he is also speaking of his ultimate deliverance from a weak creation longing for the perfect heavenly rest (2 Cor. 5:2).

Paul uses triumphant language demonstrating his faith in the certainty of Christ's victory. In Christ's death and resurrection, he defeated the curse of sin (death) and effectively atoned for the sin of all who believe in him. As we are united in Christ, we will never be defeated or can be condemned for the sin he already paid the price for. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Rom. 8:37). So, that's our future hope of ultimate deliverance, that is sure because of the work of Christ on the Cross.

Our present hope is found in this: Living is Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:9, Paul recognizes that he would rather be at home with the Lord, but that regardless of where he is he knows that his purpose is living to glorify the Lord: "So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him."

We have good work that was created for us by God, and we are strengthened by God's abundant grace to invest the different gifts he has given to us individually in his wisdom (Eph. 2:8-10). If we invest and cultivate skills in any area of our life, we are expecting a certain result. If you want to be a good cook, you read some recipes and learn from the example of an experienced cook. If you want to do well at a sport, you practice and go hard in the games. God tells us that we will "reap what we sow," and that he supplies all that we need to invest and grow in godliness and the Kingdom of God: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8).

Paul recognizes that, in living and life, he has a fruitful labor given to him by God. He says that living will benefit the Philippians and be used to bring them "progress and joy in the faith" and glory to God (Phil. 1:25-26). This is a labor shared by every believer. God calls us to live lives worthy of the gospel ,wherever we are. Whatever roles you are in: wife, daughter, mom, sister, friend, Church member, student, employee, we have the opportunity to honor God and live lives worthy of the gospel (Phil 1:27). In Christ, our living always has purpose.

Jim Elliot once wrote, "Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living." If we only dwell on the future hope, and neglect the present hope offered in Christ we kill the abundant joy of living for Christ. So, we cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus!" and rejoice in the Lord, while we are still waiting and laboring.

Pain, Pride, and Priorites

For the past couple of months I have been dealing with severe lower back pain.  The kind of pain that won’t let you sit, stand, move, or sleep without constantly reminding you it’s there.  I knew I needed to go to the chiropractor, but I stubbornly put it off. I made excuses as to why I didn’t really need to go and foolishly spent way too much time combing the internet for ways I could treat myself at home. Time after time, Tyler would gently encourage me to just go to the chiropractor, but I would not heed his clearly superior advice. And so, I remained in pain . . . which just got worse.  Finally, about a week ago, I listened to Tyler’s urging and made an appointment for the next day.  

At the risk of sounding overdramatic, words cannot accurately express what relief I found by finally going to my chiropractor.  Seriously.  I was able to sleep through the night for the first time in weeks.  I could sit and stand without moaning or grimacing.  When I went in for a follow up appointment, my chiropractor asked me, “Why did you wait so long to come in?  You knew this was the only way you’d feel better.  Why did you wait?”  

Her words made me think . . . not just about my back pain but also about my faith and walk with the Lord.  How often have I been in a situation where I am struggling — with a sin, with a conflict, with an attitude, with a difficulty, with feeling dry in my soul — and yet I delay and, in many cases, refuse to go to the Source of relief & comfort?  To my chagrin, I must admit that it is too often.  And why would I wait? Especially when this is what I can find . . . 

Isaiah 26: 3 - “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts You.”

Phil. 4:6,7 - “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Proverbs 18:10 - “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”

For me, I have found that the answer to why I delay to seek the Lord in His Word and in prayer is ultimately rooted in pride.  I think I know better.  I don’t feel like running to the Lord and scripture because I know I will have to submit to Him and His truth.  I foolishly listen to my feelings that it will be easier if I just keep plugging along in my current state.  Like I said, good ol’ fashioned pride.  

All too often pride keeps us from being able to partake in the joy of resting in Christ.  It prevents me from the blessedness that comes from submitting to God’s will.  Seeking Him, knowing Him, and communing with Him is one of the things that Paul tells us is God’s will for our lives.  

Romans 12:2 - “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

How else can I renew my mind than by pursuing the Lord in His Word and in prayer? It grieves me when I realize how I have failed to keep time with the Lord as a priority because I know that regardless of how busy you or I may be, we always make time for the things we want to do.  Always.  

I know how easy it is to become distracted, burdened, and busied by so many other things.  If I am not careful and vigilant I let those things (some of them very good in and of themselves) slowly take over my focus and become much weightier in my priorities.  God is crowded out, and I am left dry in my soul and ineffective for the kingdom.  

My pride will tell me I can make do or even thrive if continue on in this way, but that is nothing but a lie.  I have been reminded yet again how desperately I need my God and His precious Word.   It isn’t just that He must have 1st place . . . He must have preeminence in everything I do.  Seeking the Lord isn’t just something I do with my Bible and a cup of coffee each morning.  Seeking Him must be part of all that I do.  

I encourage you to take some time this week and consider if pride or misplaced priorities are keeping you from knowing our great God as intimately as He desires us to.  I know I am, and I ask that you keep me in your prayers! 

Much love and God bless!

Elisabeth 

Unmet Expectations and the Goodness of God

We all have expectations. Each day we wake up we have an expectation of how that day is going to go (whether big or small) and yet every day we face unmet expectations. The past few months the Lord has been teaching me that in spite of my expectations, God is the one who determines my path… and is to be trusted. That path isn’t always easy.  In fact, sometimes it’s really hard.  Sinners that we are, we too often focus on our desires outside of Him. Here’s a confession: It is impossible to be content with anything if focused on earthly desires and not on the God who gives grace. In fact when we realize that those are the only options, the circumstances of life show us where our desires are truly rooted! We must not find contentment in our circumstances and we must have faith in God who has allowed us to go through whatever we are facing.

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “IF ONLY__________then I would be happy”? Many times we think that if our circumstances were different then we would be happy or content. However, this is sinful thinking and will lead us down a path of wrong thinking that will make us discontent. When we ask the “what if’s”, we are not trusting God and allowing ourselves to think rightly about Him.  We know we will all face trials and afflictions in this life.  Yet many times they come as a surprise to us. Why is this? Well, our expectations of how we thought life was meant to be have been overturned.  We love and cherish our thoughts and ideas about how we see our life above that of the infinite mind of God.  As believers, we shouldn’t be surprised when we face trials.  Even when the unexpected takes us by surprise, we must trust that God’s sovereign plan has allowed it in our lives for good.  Why?  Because ultimately, it’s not about us and what our flesh craves.  It’s about bringing glory to Jesus Christ by trusting in the grace only He provides.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him… For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from heart or grieve the children of men." (Lamentations 3:22-25;31-33)

“All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (Ps. 25:10)

What a good and loving God we serve that He is faithful to keep His promises to us and that He has compassion on us!! I am a sinner who has already been given more than I deserve, which is Christ who took my sin and declared me righteous that I might have eternal life with Him!! The Lord will not disappoint us if we put our hope and trust in Him.  I can say that I am so thankful for the trials the Lord has allowed in my life because through them they have grown me closer to Him and have caused me to realize how sinful my heart really is and my need of Christ. I pray that I would set my expectations and hope in Christ and trust Him that He will direct my steps.

I would encourage you to take some time to think about what expectations you might have and ask God to show you through His Word if these are right. Whatever circumstances the Lord is allowing in your life right now are to grow you and make you more like Him. We have to cling to the Lord and place our hope in Him and trust that He is good.  I pray that we can “count it all joy when we face trials of various kinds, for we know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,
Brooke

A Heart of Submission and Prayer

Lately my heart has been so thankful for God’s design of submission. And that through His Son, I can learn to be submissive in the most impactful ways that glorify Him to the up-most. Before the Lord so graciously saved me, I viewed submission in all the wrong ways. I thought of it as a demeaning term and that it was something I had to do because it was “right” or because my guy friends told me I needed to do it ‘cause I was a girl. You can imagine my attitude towards submission then as an enemy of God. But through God’s grace He changed the way that I viewed and lived out this term. He caused me to realize the great privilege I have in learning what it means to submit to the glory of Himself with all my “…heart, soul, mind, and strength.” (Matthew 22:37) I’ve experienced the joy that comes when I submit my will to the Father’s. Learning to trust in Him in the day to day circumstances excites my heart to further serve the Lord. Sometimes submission isn't always the easiest thing to do or even what I want to do when my flesh fights it, but as a woman of God it is something I must learn to do in the hardest of times.

In the past few weeks the Lord has granted me an incredible, wonderful new avenue for me to learn submission. Just when I thought I had a good handle on it, God had a new challenge for me and knew the need for me to learn still. I honestly never thought I could learn so much in such a short period of time, but through marriage God has continued to open my eyes to my daily need for Him in order to submit and serve Him and my husband the way I am called to. When I fully submit to my husband I am ultimately submitting to the Lord. Learning to humbly serve the Lord as a single person has just continued into the relationship I have with my husband.  How thankful I am for this area where I can continue to be challenged to grow!

Submission has also made me incredibly aware of the need for prayer and the importance of it in my life. Apart from the well-known scriptural calls to prayer, there are really two great human reasons, I've learned, why we ought to pray. One because of the fact that prayer is the source of power for growth and perseverance in our spiritual lives. How am I to know how to best serve and love my husband, others, and my Savior unless I am constantly on my knees asking for the knowledge to best do so? How am I going to grow in endurance in the various areas of my life if I am not going and laying down my life before the Father daily? The scripture tells us that “…He has given us all that we need for life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3), through the living out of His Word. What better way can we honor and glorify the Lord than to align ourselves to His Holy Word and praise Him for it every day that we live? The second reason is that prayer bends our will to God’s will, which is what submitting our life is all about. Prayer and submission weren't designed to pull God to my will, but to align my will to His. How awesome is this?! How awesome is it that we as God’s children have the privilege to have our wills aligned with our Savior! Even when we don’t understand why life brings hardships and trials, we can fully trust in the Lord and have a true peace when we submit to Him and trust that He knows and has the best in mind for us "...for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28-30)

Yet how few of us exploit this opportunity to draw from Him the power we need to press on or to have our will bent to God’s. How I have failed in the past to try to understand how to better serve my Lord, how to submit my life to Him, and praise Him in thanksgiving. Yet, He is SO gracious! He has provided us a way to draw closer to Him and enter into His presence daily….through the saving power of the Gospel and through prayer! Adoration and praise for our God quite naturally leads to the presentation of our bodies – our entire lives – in an ultimate act of worship. After the apostle Paul says, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:36), he immediately calls us to submission: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1).

Through learning about submission to God I realize that my devotion results in a conscious yielding of every part of my personality, every ambition, every relationship, and every hope to Him. This is a daily task of laying down my life in which, by God’s grace, you and I can grow and one day be presented "...fully mature in Christ." (Colossians 1:28) I pray that this encourages you to submit and praise the Lord in whatever stage of life you are in. Submitting to the Lord is one of the single most effective ways we as women can make the Gospel attractive to others and exhibit a true heart of worship!

"In all things, praise Him."

Tiffany

It's gonna be okay...and even better than that.

To be completely honest, this last month has been the hardest month I have had in a long time. Details aside, it was mixed with decisions that needed to be made, uncertainty, anger, fear, sadness, restlessness, lots and lots of tears (which I blame at least 50% on being 32 weeks pregnant)...lots of highs and lows. I found myself being "okay" one minute to being a puddle of tears the next. "What the heck is wrong with me?!" I kept asking myself. I knew some of the things I felt were valid, human emotions, but I also knew that I couldn't go on like this indefinitely.

Our pastor here has been preaching through Ephesians, and the last several weeks has been on the armor of God (Ephesians 6). Last Sunday was just what I needed to hear...balm for my soul, really. He was talking about how Christians have to constantly remind themselves of the gospel in order to be armed against Satan's attacks- not just reminding ourselves what Christ has done for us on the cross (although it definitely includes that!), but also the present help and future hope that we have as His children. It was nothing new, nothing I haven't heard before, but it spoke directly into my fears and sadness. Even hearing Pastor Todd simply say, "it's going to be okay!" was a relief to my restless heart.

You know what? At the end of the day, Christ is still King. He is still my Savior, He is still the one that holds me in the palm of His hands. Even though the present trials are not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, He still cares. That truth alone brings me to tears (as if I haven't cried enough this month!) :) Not only does He care, He has secured for us, His precious children, a certain hope of a new heavens and a new earth with Him eternally. So while it doesn't discount the hardships we face day to day, it gives us perspective and the strength to keep going.

So as simple as it may seem, remind yourself of the big picture. We don't have to pretend the trials aren't there, but we don't have to go through them as if there is no end in sight...because there is. A beautiful, glorious end where He will make all things new.

Sweet Jesus Christ, my sanity
Sweet Jesus Christ, my clarity...
Christ has died and Christ is risen
And Christ will come again 
("Mystery" by Charlie Hall)