Bearing One Another's Burdens

By the grace of God, I was able to cross the finish line in a recent road race with my dear sister in Christ and running partner. God worked in some amazing ways during the run to help me keep my pace and stay strong. Here are just a few of the ways:

• His precious word hidden in my heart and resounding in my brain as my feet pounded the pavement.
• Many faithful volunteers handing out water, oranges, and even chocolate!
• Great Christian songs with inspiring lyrics on my iPod.
• A random runner wearing a shirt with a verse on it that I’d never read before. (Zephaniah 3:17)

One way surpasses them all though: the way He strengthened me through the body of Christ. I received great encouragement and inspiration through my sister in Christ, as she ran alongside me. We cheered each other on and challenged each other along the way. Crossing the finish line with her is a moment I will never forget. She is the one in the picture waving and smiling. I’m the one that is in her arms about to collapse. This is a great visual of what happens within the body of Christ as we rejoice with one another and we bear one another’s burdens in life.

“Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

Since I was adopted into the body of Christ in recent years, I have been blessed to experience the love of this great family under our Almighty Father. I have learned so much during this time about what it means to truly love one another and have authentic fellowship. In Blackaby’s “Experiencing God” study, he explains that the Greek word, koinonia, is most often translated “fellowship” in the Bible. He describes it as the most complete expression of a love (agape) relationship with God. He says that when you live in this kind of love relationship with God, you will have the same quality of loving fellowship with other believers. He also says you cannot be in fellowship with God and His Son and not walk in godly fellowship with one another!

“If anyone says, ‘I love God’, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” I John 4:20-21

“If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” I John 1:7

I have found this to be so true in my own life. The more I know God, the more I love Him, and the more I love Him, the more I want to be surrounded by other believers. I absolutely adore the followers of Jesus Christ and I find the more they love Him, the more I want to be with them. There seems to be a supernatural kinship between believers whether they've known each other a few minutes or a few decades. I am continually blessed when I meet another believer for the first time and have the feeling that I’ve known her all my life. Being daughters of the Most High God unites us in a way that transcends human understanding.

There are so many things I love about being a Christian and following Christ, but experiencing koinonia with the family of believers is one of the most treasured. I have never experienced such a great love from people outside my own biological family. I have rejoiced with them in times of joy and wept with them in times of sorrow and they are both equally sweet. Though we will each stand alone before God on judgment day, He allows us to walk through this life together, hand in hand. In fact, He commands us to do so. He does not expect us to do it alone. He brings along people to help carry the load and extend a helping hand. I have sensed the presence of His Spirit through other believers in so many ways. There have been times when I could not find the words to pray what the Spirit was groaning in intercession (Romans 8:29), but these dear people spoke out words in prayer on my behalf. They have stood in the gap for me in so many ways. During times when I most needed encouragement, I have received unexpected phone calls and emails from my sisters saying something like, “God laid you on my heart today for some reason and I just want you to know I'm praying for you." How did they know? Because the same Spirit lives inside of them that lives inside of me and He prompted them to respond to His call. I have learned to never ignore it when He pricks my heart to reach out to someone specific. How gracious is our loving Father that He gives us one another! We need each other. Each of us is a vital part in the body of Christ and when we walk in the light of Christ, we are in perfect union.

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 1 Corinthians 12:26

New Glasses

My little boy got glasses this week. Besides the fact that I think he looks adorable, he has also given me something to think about. He is far-sighted, so everything is now magnified by the prescription lenses. One of the first things he said to me with his new specks on was, “Wow, Mommy, you’re HUGE!” Thanks, Zach. A whole new world has opened up for him through his new little peepers. He is seeing things all around the house that before went unnoticed. Yes, like the cobwebs and dust-bunnies that need to be swept away.

That’s a lot like our spiritual blindness. We often don’t know what we don’t know. That was true of my own life before Christ gave me a new heart and made me a new creation. I was going through life doing all kinds of righteous acts like praying, going to Bible study and even talking about Jesus. I believed all the facts about Jesus, including His death and resurrection, but I was still blind and I didn’t even know it. I was a theologically informed Pagan with a great evangelical vocabulary, but I wasn’t a Christian. I came across something quite meaningful in this regard in scripture recently. I have been reading John Macarthur’s book, “The Gospel According to Jesus” and was led to see something in John chapter 9 that I had never understood before. In the account of the blind man’s healing, I saw great similarities to my own life. You may recall how Jesus mixed spittle with dirt, made a clay-like substance, and told him to go wash it off. After he did this, he could see and his physical blindness was healed. Soon after, there was quite a stirring amongst all the people who saw this great miracle. The man gave testimony several times about what Jesus had done, yet this man was still unregenerate and unredeemed. He was walking around talking about the good thing Jesus had done and yet God had not yet removed the veil over his heart and healed his spiritual blindness. It was not until later that Jesus came to him and asked him,

"Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you."
And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him. John 9:35-38

It is here within these verses that this man is saved. Though a miracle occurred in healing his physical blindness, the divine miracle of his salvation was even greater. With his understanding of the truth about Christ, he had newly opened eyes of faith. His response in verse 38 says it all: “he worshiped Him.” Is there any other response for one who now has eyes to see Christ as sovereign Lord? When God opened my eyes to my own sin and how I had offended the very One who gave me breath, I had the godly sorrow that led me to repentance and thereby salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10). My eyes were wide open to my terminal illness of sin and my due punishment of eternal condemnation because of it. As I looked at the ransom paid by Christ on the cross, it was ever so much sweeter than it ever was before. I came running to the mercy seat and I have been dancing ever since. As I read scripture now, I am amazed at my understanding of it. I see things there I never could comprehend before, which is explained in 1 Corinthians.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corithians 2:14

Before I was saved, I didn’t have the Holy Spirit dwelling within me, teaching me continually through my understanding of the word of God. Now, reading my Bible has become a daily nourishment for my hungry soul and I am so thankful that God opened my eyes to the truth. He has really impressed upon my heart this week that it is He alone who opens eyes and changes hearts. This has been especially meaningful in my relationships with people, especially those who may not yet be born again. I have a peaceful reassurance from Him that if they are to come to salvation, it is He alone that will open their eyes. That doesn’t mean I should stop sharing the Gospel. It is still true that faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). However, all the light in the world will not make the blind see apart from the work of Christ. Even Peter could not have said, “You are the Christ”, if God had not removed the scales from his eyes.

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 16:17

So my son has a new pair of glasses and so do I. Yes, I have a whole new set of lenses and they are dramatically different than they were in my unregenerate state. Then, I was an enemy of God and did not have the Holy Spirit. Now I have become a child of God and have the Holy Spirit living within me to continually teach and guide me. With my new specks, He is able to continually perfect my vision. Just as Zach is learning to clean his new lenses, God also gradually wipes smudges off my lenses and shows me something new. He who began a good work in me will see it to completion (Phil 1:6). But it will be in His timing, not mine. I want to hurry through trials and get to the other end of them, with as little discomfort as possible. I want to learn the lesson quickly and be done with it. But I must go through the valley if I able to see clearly what it is He wants to show me on the other side of it. As I cry out to God for wisdom and direction in various areas of my life, I often hear Him say,

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.” John 16:12

The way Christ reveals things to me is always slower and more painful than I would like. I want to know and understand it all immediately, without the trial. In a quote from Spurgeon, I was recently reminded of the value of troubles we may face. “We should never enjoy the juice of the grape were it not trodden in the winepress.” Many times I feel like I’m being trodden in the winepress, but I trust that the juice will be ever so much sweeter because of it as I learn all that Christ has to teach me this day.

Be Content With What You Have

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have.
Hebrews 13:5

God spoke to my heart and brought me deep conviction through this verse last summer. It was during a time when I was pouting over the decision to stay in our modest home instead of building a new, big and beautiful home in the woods. Through prayer, his Word, and other believers God made it clear that we were not to move. But that didn’t make it any easier to be “content” at that time. How could I be content with what I have knowing what I could have? But, God is faithful and over time He did just that. He comforted my heart and brought me a deep contentment in our present home as I settled into staying put.

Recently though, the more time I spend at home, the more I notice all that needs to be done here. In my plight to become a Proverbs 31 wife, I have realized I must be careful that I don’t fall into the sin of idolatry of my home. I must remember it's about the people here, not the stuff. Just like it says in I Corinthians 10:12, “be careful if you think you are standing firm that you don’t fall”. And that’s just what I did in my endeavor to redecorate. I fell by letting this desire become an idol in my life, distracting me and consuming my thoughts that should be on Jesus and knowing Him.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

My treasure had become having the perfect home instead of being content in Christ. Getting my new “Safari” paint on the walls had become much more important than it should have been. I’m not saying that having nice things is a sin, or even building a big new beautiful house in the woods is a sin. It’s not. But the place it holds in my heart should never take the rightful place of Christ, as it had for me during these past few weeks. As much as I hate to admit it, it was true. It became painfully clear to me when I sat down to pray or read my Bible and found myself daydreaming about what my home would look like when it was all “done”. It was as if I was saying “when that's done, then I’ll be content.” I thought about how many times I have done that, basing my contentment on my worldly, temporal circumstances. When I get my house the way I want it, then I’ll be content. When this or that happens, then I’ll be content. All of this caused me to take another look at that verse, “be content with what you have”. I started really thinking about what it means to be content and what exactly it is that I have. I was reminded of what Paul said in Philippians.

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 living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13

Paul was clearly talking about a deep contentment that goes beyond physical and earthly comfort. After all, he’d been beaten, stoned, imprisoned, and persecuted and yet he was content. What was it that Paul had that gave him that true peace and contentment?
God showed me the answer even as I pondered what picture to put with this blog. What picture would capture what I have and what God calls me to be content with? What do I have? Putting a picture of my home would be silly. My home is just a place to lie my head and could be taken away in a tornado. What about putting a picture of my family? But I don’t really even “have” them. They all belong to God and could be taken away from me in illness or a car accident. Throughout the course of this week, He has shown me that what I have in Christ goes much deeper than any of that. The second part of Hebrews 13:5 is the answer to how I can always rest in contentment.

He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU”

That alone is the secret of being content. That is what I “have” and where my treasure really lies – in Christ, in my redemption, in my being bought by His ransom, in knowing Him and belonging to Him. No matter what happens, I am in Christ and He has promised never to leave me or forsake me. He has already given me every spiritual blessing under heaven (Ephesians 1:3). How dare I not be content?

So, the test splotches of my new Safari paint still stick out against the old paint like a sore thumb waiting to be painted in full. The old green chair still sits there waiting to be reupholstered. And yes, it still bothers me. But God is patiently teaching me and growing me. So next time I sit down and see the little splashes of Safari paint on the wall, I will remember where my true source of inner contentment comes from and rest in that.

His mercies are new every morning

“I wish I could start over!”

Those were the words of my 10 year old son as he "fell apart at the seams" one afternoon. For no apparent good reason, he was completely unreasonable and uncooperative and couldn’t concentrate on any particular task despite his desires to do so. In my frustration, I recalled that the weekend had been packed with activity including camping in the woods, playing in his junior football game, and doing homework. Though he wouldn't admit it, I knew he was exhausted. He takes after his mother and requires a great deal of sleep in order to be coherent and cooperative. If we don’t get that, things can get a little ugly in our house! Despite multiple attempts, he just couldn't pull himself together. He fell into a puddle of whimpers, whines and cries that sounded more like my 4 year old, than my oldest and most responsible one. Through the tears, he explained to me that though he wanted to calm down, he just couldn’t. He didn't like the way he was acting and he wanted to feel different, but he didn't know how. Finally in an exasperated sigh, he put his head in his hands and sobbed, “I wish I could just start over!”

Oh, how often I have felt that same way! Whether it’s sleep deprivation or any other thing that sets me off my game, it’s a miserable feeling to “feel” one way when you want to “feel” another. How marvelous is our God that despite our “feelings”, He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and His mercies are new every morning. Perhaps our circumstances haven’t changed, but neither has He. He is still the sovereign ruler of the universe and I am finding that He alone is my peace (Ephesians 2:14).

Just recently, I had one of those days. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. I found myself depressed and downcast. I had quite the little self-pity party and wondered where my peace had gone. I knew I should probably pray and read my Bible, but I just couldn’t, or wouldn’t. So my dear beloved husband prayed over me and sent me to bed, knowing a good night’s rest would be one of the most beneficial things for me.

About 3:30 in the morning, I was awakened, most surely by the Spirit as I felt Him whisper across my soul, “Seek…don’t sleep. Seek….don’t sleep.” In my fatigue and stubbornness, I laid there for two hours wrestling with that thought. Finally, I arose and opened my devotional. Of course, He met me there in His word and spoke right to my heart. The verses for the day were the following:

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. Isaiah 32:17

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. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4: 8-9

So, if I want peace, I must seek righteousness. I must arise and seek Him and His word. I must fall on my face and cry out to Him and He alone will give me peace. I must fill my mind with the wonderful things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent and praiseworthy – things that are of God. When I dwell upon the things of God and memorize His word, there is no room for self-pity and depression. Oh, how my perspective had changed that morning. I am so thankful God allows us to “start over” with new mercies every morning.

For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Lamentations 3:22-23