What if You Didn’t Struggle?

Recently, while sorting through my inbox an email caught my eye with the subject, “What if You Didn’t Struggle?”. Generally in the midst of a struggle we really don’t want to be there. But thinking back on my life and where I am now and who I am today, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have a struggle. Often struggles are seen as something negative, but what I’ve found is that struggles are where we find our strength. Our human tendency is to gear towards comfort. But in the times that we don’t have it, we are left with a choice. Do we embrace the uncomfortable and embrace the pain and the struggle acknowledging the purpose and the strength and the beauty that can come from it, or do we resist and try to control the change.

Change is critical in your walk with God. If you are not changing and becoming more like Him, then you are not moving forward in the Kingdom. Without trials there is no change. Oftentimes people don’t change or submit to the change until the pain outweighs the fear. But difficult times are an invitation to grow.

James 1:2-4 says:

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (NIV)

Don’t complain about pain – there is a purpose in it. There is a strength. Praise God through the pain because it is a reminder that you can’t go through without Him.

“His power is made perfect in our weakness.” 2 Corinthians 10:4

God wants to show himself strong on our behalf. He is faithful and He is good and He is worthy of praise – no matter what our circumstances may be. Keep the faith. Hold to the promises and who God has shown you to be.

One of the greatest examples of holding to the goodness of God in the midst of trial and tribulation is my assistant pastor, Pastor Steve. He was diagnosed with cancer and has fought a good fight, and continues to fight. He’s faced this so graciously and is walking out deep faith and trust in God who is good, even when life hurts. Pastor Steve is an incredible man of God with a heart of worship even in the midst of these circumstances.

The question shouldn’t be, “what if you didn’t struggle?”

Instead, “What if you held on to the truth of who God is in the midst of your struggle?”

Be real about your pain, but be right about your perspective. Always embrace the truth of who God is and who he says he is.

Uninspired? Light a Fire!

Have you ever had one of those days, or weeks, or even months where you felt so uninspired? You loved something, or you wanted to do something but lacked the inspiration and the motivation to do it? What do you do when inspiration and motivation run cold?

LIGHT A FIRE! 

I know. The last thing you want to do when you’re feeling uninspired is something. But how do you get from uninspired to fired up?

Emotionalism aside, what had you fired up about it in the first place? If you want to burn long and strong, you have to remember what stirred the fire up in the first place.

As passionate as I am about writing, there are days where I don’t have the words.

As passionate as I am about the causes I believe in, there are days where it seems that they aren’t heard.

As passionate as I am about dancing, there are days where I can’t move or don’t feel like moving.

As passionate as I am about the Lord, there are days where I have to say to my soul, “You will bless the Lord!”

Does having to stir myself up sometimes make these passions any less in me? No, it doesn’t. Because deep inside, they are part of my cause, they are part of my purpose, they are what make my being come alive. They are what God has put in me.

Emotions can sometimes get in the way. There are going to be days where you feel like just laying around and doing nothing – this is okay. But don’t lose sight of what made those passions rise up in you.

I have to remind myself of why I write. I have to remind myself of why I believe in taking a stand against human trafficking and abortion. I have to remind myself why I want to raise up a generation of women who are whole, healthy and wholeheartedly devoted to the plans and purposes that God has on their lives. I have to remind myself why I dance. I have to remind myself that God is greater than my circumstances and no matter where I am at, He is worthy and I will bless His name.

These are some of my passions. Many days they excite me and I come alive because I GET to sit in God’s presence and commune with Him. I GET to write. I GET to take a stand. I GET to mentor young women. I GET to minister. And all of this, it makes me feel alive inside.

Sometimes there is a fight. But I’ve found when the fight comes, many times it is because you have lost sight of why you do what you do. Sometimes it is because you have lost sight of the origin of your passion: It started with God.

Passion isn’t based on emotion. It is a love and commitment so deep that it sees the vision and is relentless to see it come to pass. All of my passions come down to one thing: that God be glorified in it. I love the Lord and I am passionate about the things of God. This is why I do what I do. And if there was nothing else but Him, my passion would still burn to just sit as his feet and worship Him simply because He is worthy.

When your sights are on Him, the fire starts again.

Walking it Out: Where in your life have your passions died down. Light a fire again. Spend some time with God and then write down your passions. Write down how they came about. Write down why your passionate about it.

Girls With Swords by Lisa Bevere *GIVEAWAY*

Title: Girls With Swords: How to Carry Your Cross Like a Hero

Author: Lisa Bevere

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Release Date: February 12, 2013

Website: http://messengerinternational.org/

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Click here to order Girls With Swords on Amazon.

Click here to watch the Girls With Swords book trailer. 

“…know the weight of your moment in history…” – Girls With Swords

Do you know that you have a divine purpose and have been chosen, equipped, armed and commissioned as a strategic part of this spiritual battle raging daily around us?

C.S. Lewis said: ”There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God, and counter-claimed by Satan.”

Too few recognize that they have been divinely placed in where they are and in the time that they are in for a reason. It is time for women to reach a recognition of position. As daughters of the King there is a measure of authority that you walk in. However, it is your choice as to the position that you take in this battle be it an unarmed civilian, victim, a prisoner of war, or a hero. There is no safe middle ground.

Lisa states that women taking hold of their identity is a crucial part to taking up their swords (the Word of God) with the power and authority that is delegated to them.

Riddled with profound truths  Girls With Swords is a must-read for women. It is all about recognition of position and recognition of who God is. 

You are a target. The attacks that you experience have much more to do with who you might be in the future than who you have been in the past. “…know the weight of your moment in history…” If you have ever wondered why you are here, what your purpose is, who you are or why you are in the circumstances that you are, this is the book to read. You have a divine purpose in your time at this very moment. Girls With Swords will open your eyes to the war, the weapons and the worth! I highly recommend it.

Other books by Lisa Bevere include:

Lioness Arising, Nurture, Fight Like a Girl, Kissed the Girls and Made them Cry, and The True Measure of a Women. These are just a few of her titles and each come highly recommended.

Lisa Bevere is a best-selling author, international speaker and co-host of The Messenger television program.

Related Posts:

Lioness Arising  by Lisa Bevere - Book Review

5 Books that Changed Me

*GIVE AWAY* 

This contest is now CLOSED. The winner has been drawn and notified. Congratulations, Cassie! You will be receiving your copy of “Girls With Swords” shortly. 

Hop over to my Facebook page and hit the “Giveaway tab” to enter to win a copy of Girls With Swords by Lisa Bevere. Contest starts now through noon on April 2nd. Share for more chances to win!

(At this time giveaway is only available in the U.S.)

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Rock of the Ages

I woke up this morning with an old hymn going through my head. You may or may not be familiar with it - Rock of Ages. Just the familiar tune reminded me of when I was little and my siblings and I would crowd on the couch with my mother and we would sing a few hymns and pray and read the Bible together. Those were the simple days, (at least they were for me,) where the biggest concerns were who got the blue dum-dum when we went through the bank drive-through or whose turn it was to have a sleep over at Nana and Pap’s house.

These days my concerns are bigger (in my eyes) than the ones I had as a child. It seems that I have a long to-do list with a short amount of time. And that may be true, but even more-so, His grace is sufficient and the sufficiency of Christ is more than enough for me.

It wouldn’t be hard to overwhelm myself with the details or with commitments and deadlines – but what good is that? What good is it to get so caught up in what I do that I forget why I do it. Is not all for the glory of God? At times that can mean putting my “to-do” to the wayside, and putting my “being” at His feet simply to worship Him and to be with Him. 

Sometimes life can get messy and unpredictable. Situations you find yourself in can get hard and you can get hurt or find yourself confused and lost. You’re pushing yourself to the max but to no avail. It’s those times you need to take a deep breath, put your “to-do” to the side and sit as His feet. God is the only constant in this life – He’s the Rock of the ages. Recognize Him in the midst of what you’re going through.

How are you feeling today? Are you tired, stressed, anxious? Are you busy, distracted, concerned? Are you frightful, lonely or hurt?

“3 You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because He trusts in You.

4 Trust in the Lord forever,

For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” 

Isaiah 26:3-4 (NKJV)

No matter how you are feeling, remember God is still on the throne. He sees and cares about the situation you’re in. When you recognize where He is, those feelings will melt away and peace will follow.

“2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;

So shall I be saved from my enemies.”

Psalm 18:2-3 (NKJV)

Related Posts:

She Smiles at the Future

The Color Purple

The Heart of the Psalms

 

Get Lost: Your Guide to Finding True Love – Book Review

Title: Get Lost: Your Guide to Finding True Love

Author: Dannah Gresh

Rating: 4/5 stars 

Release Date: April 2, 2013

Website: http://www.purefreedom.org

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Click here to pre-order Get Lost on Amazon.

Click here to watch the Get Lost book trailer.

You see him walking down the hall, (what do you mean who? Don’t ask me who. You know who I’m talking about!) and all the sudden your mind begins to move at a  whirlwind speed! Will this be the day that he finally notices you! How long has it been since you have wanted him to see you? How long have you waited to get his attention? And still, if you do get it, how far will you go to gain his affection? How much do you really need him?

Maybe it has been the same guy for months or years even. Or maybe it is a different guy every week. You can’t seem to help yourself with these feelings. It is a longing in your heart that you can’t describe – the need to be noticed and the need to be recognized and loved. It is as if you cannot be complete without him. And he doesn’t even realize everything he is to you.

You desire and you want…you push yourself further every time.

This is just an example of the violent craving that Dannah addresses in her book, Get Lost, to be released on April 2nd. Not only does she talk about the craving, but she also talks about the cure. Included in this book Dannah walks you through a 10 day “love feast” and finally the fulfillment. This is a book about God and guys and how we can sometimes get them mixed up.

“Discover how to get so lost in God that a guy has to seek Him to find you.” 

Love can be a complex word. We love our family, we love our friends, we love our food? The English language by far is lacking in the area of what love really is. Dannah goes though scripture and talks about the Hebrew and Greek words for love and what they mean. In example, Hesed is the Hebrew form of love to describe the God kind of love for us. In the Greek, this love is called agape. This love is unfailing, and is not rooted in emotionalism or circumstances – it is a love that is about the other and not oneself. This is the love that we really desire, and long for, and that is offered to us, but dear one will you respond? 

Get Lost with God as Dannah leads you through a 10-day love feast that will lead you to countless days in the love and presence of our Lord.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get lost!

Related Posts:

What Are You Waiting For? Review and Interview with Dannah Gresh

Lady-in-Wanting to a Lady-in-Waiting

About the Author: Dannah Gresh is the best-selling author of more than fifteen books, including, And the Bride Wore White, Lies Young Women Believe (with Nancy Leigh DeMoss), and What Are You Waiting For? A popular speaker nationwide, Dannah has long been at the forefront of the movement to encourage tweens and teens to pursue purity. Dannah lives in State College, PA with her husband, Bob.

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group  in exchange for my honest review as a part of their Blogging for Books program.)

Grace-Walk

I am currently on a missions trip to Phoenix, Arizona with my school, VSOM. We are working in the Dream Center and today was our first ministry day! Our school is divided into 3 teams and my team went to a nursing home to minister. We got to participate in their chapel service and everything was themed grace.

I, along with another student got to share my testimony, and that is when the thought came that life is a grace-walk Much grace has been given to us, and thus, much grace we should give to others.

If we don’t have grace we don’t have anything. I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without the grace of God. His grace kept me all of my life and brought me here to Arizona to change lives and to be changed into His likeness more and more. It’s only the first full day and God is already mightily at work! His perfect grace brought us here and His grace is sufficient!

Examine: Where do you need to give more grace?
Where have you walked in grace?

Bless the Lord for His graciousness.

“Be the Bigger Person!”

“Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:38 (NKJV)

“Be the bigger person.” I’m pretty sure that everyone has heard that phrase at least once in their lifetime. When you’re little (and sometimes even, not-so-little), and someone is teasing you or misbehaving or is bothering you and everything in you wants to get them right back, this is what keeps you from doing so. You decide to be the bigger person and be nice and extend grace (or just don’t retaliate).

In a way, Jesus told us to do the same thing. In Matthew 5:48 He tells us to “be perfect, just as your Father in heaven…” The word “perfect” in the Greek is teleios which can mean “full-grown,” “adult,” and “mature”. So in essence, we aren’t commanded to live a sinless life in all righteousness and holiness. We are however, commanded to “be the bigger person.” In context (verses 43-48), we are to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who persecute us. We are to love the unlovable. It is easy to love people who love us – anyone does that. But to love those who treat us badly isn’t always easy, but we are called to it and in doing so, we love with the love of Jesus.

When have you had to consciously “be the bigger person” and love with the love of the Lord?