True Colors....

Recently, I had someone very close to me tell me that they had seen my "true colors" in the midst of a very difficult and emotional situation. I'd like to say I'm perfect and always respond in an appriate manner but I have to say during that time I did do and say some things out of anger that are outside my normal character. I wish I were infalliable but despite all my efforts I am not.

Hearing those words really hit me hard and left me feeling as if who I'd been consistently in the past wasn't real or that I had been faking or hiding my true identity. It left me feeling as if my moral character at it's very core had been attacked.  It left me wondering if this is how my dear friend really sees me, but I can't worry about that now.

As much as it hurt, I had to let it roll off of me because I am painfully aware that all of us are capable of some down right ugly things in the heat of the moment. We should be cautious; however, about judging one's entire being based on those moments.

All of us have a full pallete of colors within us. Some are beautiful and vibrant. Some are dull and drab. Some are so bright we blind those around us with the sight of them. Some are dark and mysterious. Others are down right ugly.

The beautiful and vibrant represents those colors that tend to be attractive and appreciated by others. The dull and drab represent those times when we are down and struggling with difficulties. The bright blinding colors represent those times when we are overly zealous and so over the top others often cannot even begin to comprehend or tolerate us. I know, ask me about autism and medical research and your eyes will start glaze over!  Anyway, I think you get my drift.

Unfortunately, we are all capable of tapping into any of those colors at various times in our lives, but are those moments when our character weakens and ugliness overwhelms us supposed to so completely define us that we are said to be "ugly people"?  Perhaps, but in a greater sense, I think that the answer is "it depends".  But what does it depend on? I believe the colors we choose to tap into consistently on our daily walk are those that actually define us. Hopefully most of us are tapping into the colors of love, compassion, kindness, patience and mercy. Whatever those may be. I realize this is a very subjective statement I am making here. Each of us much examine ourselves to determine what colors we are tapping into on a regular basis.

Hopefully in the end we are forgiving of ourselves and others when we make bad choices out of the heat of the moment, out of raw emotion and tap into the wrong colors. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes and try to make better choices the next go around.

All in all, we should exercise caution when we use the term true colors to define someone's moral character as a whole, because we may find ourselves in error. Judging others is serious business we shouldn't take lightly.

I love the good book and it has a few nuggets of wisdom when it comes to judging others. Consider this:

  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 

 Luke 6:37

I don't know about you but there are plenty of times I deserve to be judged and condemned. What a blessing it would be to find myself pardoned because I first chose not to judge and comdemn others.

    "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Matthew 7:1-3

OUCH! Tough word!!! Our measuring stick towards others can be pretty harsh at times. Not sure I would want God pouring my own judgements against others back out on me. Lord, help me be more concerned about the spec in my own eye!!!

There are likely a ton more I can find but will stop here. In the end, here is the ugly truth about "true colors"...we are all typically guilty of the same things!!! So don't forget these strong words...

" You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?"

Romans 2:1-3

Am I saying we should never judge? Heaven forbid, no! But caution should be exercised.  When we do forget, when we do harshly and wrongly judge, thank God for His boundless grace and mercy. The rest of Romans chapter 2 speaks of this and I recommend the entire chapter for a really good read. The point is we should make a concerted effort not to be overly judgemental of others and walk in His loving kindness and forgiveness.

I guess in the end I am writing this because in general I don't think I like this "true colors" statement very much. When we use it I think it may show an ugly side of us and may demonstrate one of those times when we ourselves may be guilty of tapping into a "not so good" color.

So, I've said all of this to ultimately say: May all of your beautiful colors shine through daily, but when they don't know you are still loved through the great mercy of our kind savior, Jesus Christ. Lastly may those you offend forgive you quickly!

Until He comes again...God bless,

Toni Lynne

Yeah, but God!

"Yeah, But....."

Last night I attended a Bible study with my dear sister in faith, Colleene. The Bible study focused on people who have experienced hurt of any kind and are in need of healing or restoration. The specific point of the evening was on guarding ourselves against allowing bitterness to take root in our lives.

It is a powerful and timely word. It also brought back to memory a blog I wrote back in February of 2007. Much of what you see below is the original text. Just a few tweaks here and there.

My hope is that this simple message somehow speaks to the hearts of those in need and leads them down the path of true healing through Christ. May you be restored to the place God intended you to be all along... Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

II Chronicles 7:14

Restoration is such a good and timely message for so many of us in so many different ways, and I see this verse holding some very basic principles on how to seek God's restoration in our lives. If you look at this verse in II Chronicles, it's like a mini but mighty formula to do just that. It's obvious here that He is speaking to His people (that's us) when it comes to restoration (healing their land). In this scripture we are asked to do three simple and basic things and in return God promises three things:

God instructs us to:
1. Humbly pray
2. Seek His Face
3. Turn from our sins (wicked ways)

In Return He will:
1. Hear our prayer
2. Forgive our sin
3. Heal our land (bring restoration)

This seems so simple, but for many of us it's a real struggle to do. Many of us as Christians might think, I'm not wicked. I don't murder, drink, lie or steal (well, some of us might, but that's a different story), but our wickedness can take root in the form of malice, bitterness, anger, hate, etc. Maybe not as visible, but these can be equally destructive if allowed to take hold in our lives. The Bible clearly instructs us to rid ourselves of these types of behaviors (see I Peter 2:1 and Colossians 3:9). Colossians 3:12 goes on to say that instead of these we should walk in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness all wrapped in love.

For many of us our bitterness, anger, or hate can be wrapped in a "Yeah, but..." You know what I mean, "Yeah, but so in so did blah blah" or "Yeah, but [whatever] happened" as a justification as to why we act or behave the way we do. We need to recognize that this is an act of holding onto these things and not letting go. And if we hold on then it will hinder God's work in our lives. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to cast away EVERYTHING that hinders. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells up to cast down every thought that sets itself up against the knowledge of God (my paraphrase).

We have to begin to realize that we are ultimately accountable for ourselves and the actions we take. "So in so" or "whatever event" is not. We choose, we decide what path, action, or direction to take. Which path will you take? The road of anger, rage, bitterness, malice, and unforgiveness? Or will you choose to walk with compassion, humility, kindness, forgiveness, and love? Ultimately the decision rest in our hands.

So, to all the "Yeah but..." comments out there start to say instead but God! Find a promise in his Word and stand on it everyday until you see breakthrough. Dare to believe God's word and everything He has in store for you! You can start with this if you have no where else to begin:

"Father, All these things, events, [tell God exactly what happened] have happened to me I give to you and today I start to say, "Yeah but God."  Your word says that if I humble myself and pray, seek your face, and turn from my wicked ways, that You will heal MY land.

Lord, I turn to you now. I forgive [so in so] for [whatever event happened], and how it made me feel [confess to the Lord how it made you feel...angry, rejected, thrown out like the garbage, whatever it is...]. Father, I give this all to you now.

God, here I am, I am humbling myself,  praying, I am seeking your face. God give me strength to turn from m my wicked ways. Father, I give you my unforgiveness, my hate, my malice, for I know your son took all my sins on the cross.

Father, replace them with your loving kindness, your compassion, your grace and mercy. Father, step in heal my heart and restore my land! Father, I acknowledge you, I acknowledge Your words as true, and I stand on your Word and Your promise until it returns fully accomplished!

I love you, Lord. Amen."

Until He returns...God bless,
Toni

Is Your Desert Blooming???

I had lunch with a dear friend of mine and sister in faith, Audrey, today. We hadn't talked in a while but recently reconnected when she came to my father's funeral to show her support. It was so good to see her there.  Before going to lunch she e-mailed me the above PowerPoint slide she had created based on a sermon she recently heard on Isaiah 35.

I spent this evening after my kids turned in reading through Isaiah 35 and found it interesting how much it aligned with what my sister in faith, Colleene, shared with me over the weekend in Psalms 143 (see  previous entry) and how much it also resonated with where I am at right now, especially this verse from Psalms 143:

"I spread out my hands to you, I thirst for you like a parched land.  Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails...."

Psalms 143: 6 - 7

Colleene shared with me that the parched land represents a desert. Ironically, coincidentally, or completely spirit led the particular verses in Isaiah 35 that Audrey shared with me were in reference to the desert and parched land being glad and rejoicing....literally bursting into bloom like the crocus flower.

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
   the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
   it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
   the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
   the splendor of our God.

Isaiah 35:1-2

As for me, I've never heard of a crocus flower but thankfully Audrey did some research and found that these flowers are remarkably beautiful and unpretentious. They also tend to bloom before and after season. Meaning they are the first to bloom before any other flower and tend to bloom in the fall after all other flowers have withered away. What a beautiful picture of God's grace and endless mercy. Maybe we don't have to wait for the spring to come after all for our desert to burst forth in bloom...

She also found that the bulbs of these flowers are edible, which means they are nourishing to our soul. A sweet picture of how God comes in an nourishes our spirit, soul, and mind. He certainly has used both of these sisters to do just that for me during this time. He didn't have to use them because He is Sovereign and His grace is sufficient for me and you (II Corinthians 12:9), but I like what Pastor Sabella at Covenant Presbyterian Church said this past weekend... "He doesn't have to use us but it pleases Him to do so."  I'm so thankful that He has chosen His faithful servants to be His hands and feet for those in need. 

These flowers are also used to produce the spice saffron, which is one of the most expensive of the spices and is often used as a medicine for many diseases.  How wonderful it is that God through His Grace and Mercy chooses to bless his children with the best of the best and in process heals their diseases (Psalm 103:3).  So, praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits! (Psalms 103:2)

What's even more interesting than the blooming process and the flower itself is the planting and growing of this flower. In order for it to burst forth in all it's glory, the bulb that is planted must have no damage or spots. A wonderful metaphor of God's healing power to make us whole and without blemish through the work of Jesus on the cross. 

Once the spotless bulb is planted, it can produce up to five times in a season. It spreads and propagates very quickly and can grow in one place for several years. So, this plant doesn't produce a few little flowers for a single season and then die. It grows and spreads and continues to show forth it's unpretentious beautiful show multiple times throughout the season. Then it comes back to do it all over again year after year. 

You see, when God works something out in us it does not last just for a season, but what he works out in us has the potential to last a lifetime. So embrace your desert and know there is something beautiful on the other side...

It grows best in sunlight or in our case Son-light. So, stay in the Word and keep your eyes fixed on Him (Hebrews 12:2). It's also not suitable for growth where water stagnates.  So don't sit still, give God your reasonable service (Romans 12:1). Act on your faith and do something; otherwise, we run the risk of becoming complacent and ultimately stagnating. James 2:17 reminds us that faith without action is dead.  So keep your water flowing and fresh by acting on what God has planted inside of you.

Isn't it amazing that through a dry and parched land, God can produce such an glorious display of beauty? He uses the adversity we face to mature and grow us. What a demonstration of how God will use the desert times that come into our lives to perfect our faith (Hebrews 12:2). It's no wonder James 1 says:

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

James 1:2-4

I am so thankful to be "surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1).  Sisters in faith that have in many ways been faithful to me even when I have invested so much time and been consumed by other  interests that I have  been largely absent. I have always struggled with balance and hope I can keep that in check in the future because I am truly blessed to have such wonderful women in my life who are there and willing to support me when I need it most. They continually demonstrate God's love and mercy through the actions of their lives.

I pray what they have shown and taught me with in past few days will bless and help some of you who may also find yourself in a dry and parched land during this time. May your desert burst forth into bloom like the crocus; greatly rejoicing and shouting for joy, because you have seen the glory of the Lord, and the splendor of our God through the mighty work He has performed in you during your time in the desert.

Patiently waiting for my desert to bloom...

Toni

Isaiah 35

Joy of the Redeemed

 ¹ The desert and the parched land will be glad;
   the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, ² it will burst into bloom;
   it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
   the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
   the splendor of our God.

 ³ Strengthen the feeble hands,
   steady the knees that give way;
⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
   “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
   he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
   he will come to save you.”

 ⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer,
   and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
   and streams in the desert.
⁷ The burning sand will become a pool,
   the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
   grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

 ⁸ And a highway will be there;
   it will be called the Way of Holiness;
   it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
   wicked fools will not go about on it.
⁹ No lion will be there,
   nor any ravenous beast;
   they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
 ¹⁰ and those the LORD has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
   everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
   and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Amazing Love.... How can it be? (The first song we heard at the Cafe')

Beautiful Roses in a handcrafted canister by a dear friend....

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend the day with a beautiful sister in Christ. She is also the one who gave me the beautiful bouquet of roses above. The roses have such an unusual dusty rose color. It gives them the appearance of being silk and makes you want to reach out and touch them.

My friend and sister in faith knows I am dealing with quite a bit of pain right now on a number of fronts, but nothing matches the pain of losing my father a little over a week ago.  We spent quite a bit of time together just fellowshiping, talking and cleaning our Springfield EMPs.

It was getting late so ended up heading to a cafe' nearby her home for dinner. While there Colleene shared Psalms 143 with me and gave me her notes literally broken down by every verse in this Psalms. The notes contained  what God had impressed her to share with me. Things to encourage, sharpen and strengthen me during this difficult time. It's not often anyone would go to such Length to help another.  

I've read it several times today and it resonates deeply in my heart.  I appreciate her faithfulness to God and her willingness to share her experiences and heartfelt genuine love. So, I share this with all of you not to bring glory to Colleene or myself, but to preserve the memory of the moment and in hopes this Psalm may bless some of you the same as it is doing for me right now.  I'd share the notes too but for now those are between God, Colleene, and myself.... 

Take care,

Toni

Psalm 143

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance.

    A Psalm of David.

 ¹ Hear my prayer, O LORD,
Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!
² And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no man living is righteous.
³ For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
⁴ Therefore my spirit ^[a]is overwhelmed within me;
My heart is ^[b]appalled within me.

 ⁵ I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your doings;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
⁶ I stretch out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You, as a ^[c]parched land.
                         ^[d]Selah.

 ⁷ Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.
⁸ Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.
⁹ Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
^[e]I take refuge in You.

 ¹⁰ Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ^[f]ground.
¹¹ For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
¹² And in Your lovingkindness, ^[g]cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am Your servant.



When Others Disappoint You....

                                                                                                            Tuesday, August 02 2011

"Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica"

2 Tim 4:9-10

Adversity molded the apostle Paul into the greatest warrior for Christ the world has ever known. But there were times when adversity and disappointment took its toll on this rugged warrior. We can sense Paul's hurt and discouragement near the end of his second letter to Timothy:

Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica... At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me... Do your best to get here before winter

II Timothy 4:9-11,14,16,21

Do you hear the pain in those words? Twice he urges Timothy to come to him. Do you feel his anguish when he twice speaks of being deserted by his friends?

In most of his letters, Paul seems to have an invincible spirit. Yet he was a man who suffered, felt betrayed, and was at times very lonely. However, Paul chose to look at life from a heavenly perspective. That's why he could write:

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body

 2 Cor. 4:8-10

Paul had experienced a level of opposition and suffering that you and I can scarcely imagine. People said they would do things but did not follow through. He could not depend on certain people. Yet he was not crushed, and he refused to give in to despair. He viewed his life as a continual process of dying. His goal was to live in such a way that the life of Jesus would be revealed in his response to adversity.

 

Beware of placing too much expectation on others. Realize that people will let you down from time to time, but do not let that impact your faith. Trust God to work even through these disappointments.

Where Your Treasure Is....

...There your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:21)

Today I visited First Church of Christ in Burlington, KY.  It was the first church I've been to that felt like a place I could call home since my old church, Journey, closed it doors several months ago.  I walked into the middle of a series called "The Monster Inside Us."  Today's monster was a little sin called "Greed".

First I'd like to share with you a few nuggets I took away from this message then I'd like to share with you how it personally spoke to me, which will require a some vunlerability on my part but what do I have to lose? Not much...

You see Greed is like an invisible sin since most of us don't even recognize it when we see it...in ourselves that is. Besides, what is it exactly we should look for to find it?  How many folks ever call someone to talk about thier problem with greed. I've had a lot of people chew my ear off about their problems and issues in my 42 years of life but no one has ever called on me to talk about their struggle with greed.

That's likely why Jesus said in Luke 12:15 to watch out and be on your gruard against ALL KINDS of greed (my paraphase and emphasis by me). 

"Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Luke 12:15

The words "all kinds" stand out because there is simply more than one way to be greedy. We are all likely guilty of greed in one way or another.  The "watch out" part is simple....we really do have to "watch out" for this one because it may not be evident to us that we even have an issue or problem in this area.

It should be obvious that we can be greedy with more than just our possessions. We can be greedy with our time, our relationships, with all kinds of things... This silent killer (not literally) can destroy us or our relationships before we even know it....in many cases we may never know it was the cause. So then what should we do and what do we look for?

First of all, we have to realize that greed isn't a feeling....it's a refusal to act. The only way to overcome it is to give until it literally effects our lifestyle.  Therefore, the only way to overcome greed is by rich generosity.

One way to check to see if there is a problem of greed in our lives is to look back and check where you invest your time, energy, money, resources etc.  Do you spend most of your time fulfilling your own selfish needs or do you spend your time investing in others the way Christ called us to?  This can be a tough one to analyze but through prayer and real earnest seeking, God does reveal.

One quote that stood out to me today as the preacher man spoke was this....

 "A real tragedy in life is when we sit back at home serving facebook while kicking back drinking coffee."

Oh wow, we have all been guilty of this. Not that these activities in and of themselves are wrong, but when it becomes excessive or even an addiction consuming a majority of our time we may be tipping over the edge.   More consumed with fulfilling our insatiable appetites than investing in real relationships. Those that matter most. Those you can see, speak to and touch everyday. Some of us can't wait for the next comment. And Lord help us all if we try to mess with someone's addiction!. I'm sure there is a deeper root than greed on this one. Likely accecptance or something of the like. I'm not a pyscologist and couldn't say...

In the end, the key thing is we should all be weighing and checking ourselves regularly for the sin of greed. Give of yourself in all ways until it starts to hurt. Build up your treasure in Heaven by investing in others.  In the end, relationships with people are what counts most.

So what this message spoke to me personally...

In general I tend to be a generous person with my time, money and other resources. It's just who I am but the part that really hit me was "Where your treasure is there your heart will be also." Luke 12:15. 

Recently I was hit by an unexpected tragedy that totally caught me off guard and threw me for a loop. I had made significant investments in numerous ways that ultimately paid no dividends (figuratively speaking) or at least not the dividends I had hoped for.  I was left standing beside myself wondering why and what went wrong.

This message hit me right between the eyes. I was giving generously but my treasure wasn't in Heaven but somewhere else. In the end, that meant I was not faithful with what God had given me and had ultimately made an idol of it.  What happened next is what had become so incredibly precious and dear to me was ultimately taken away.

I was and still am devastated.  But the Lord does give and take away. The taking away part can be painful and tough to get through. The important part is that we take a step back and recognize why it happened.  Will he one day give it back because of my repantance? I don't know.... maybe.

The important thing is that I don't look for God to do that. He ultimately is my rescue and He will replenish and restore me the way He sees fit. He is a soveriegn God and in the end all I can do is admit I am an utterly depraved human being and it's only by His Grace, Love, and Mercy that I am anything at all.

All through the message today, I found myself praying, trying to understand how one makes an investment in the kingdom by investing in others and keep it all check. In check where Jesus remains the central focus of my life and nothing / noone else is.  It feels like a tough one to me but that doesn't mean that by His Spirit He can't lead, guide, and teach me. I pray He does because this is one thing I hope I never screw up again.

So, guard your heart, examine it regularly. Check to see where you are making investments, watch out for greediness since it can creep in unaware, and lastly always remember relationships are more important and should be valued above our possessions and ourselves.

Johnny Cash said it best when he said "You can have my entire empire of dirt" because when it comes right down to it our possessions and those "things" we tend to selfishly hold on to don't hold a candle to God or the people He's placed in our lives..

"My Empire of Dirt" - Johnny Cash

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

God bless,

Toni

Serving God from the Inside Out...

Serving God from the Inside Out

"...'Well done, good and faithful servant..."

Matthew 25:21

 
Friday morning as I was driving to work, I was thinking about how different my life is now at the ripe old age of 41 compared to my younger years.  As busy as my life can still be these days things just feel more balanced and right, especially as it relates to my family. I feel like I really have my priorities straight.... FINALLY! I'm not at the church all the time involved in "ministry" (Ladies Bible Study Monday night, Regular Bible Study Wednesday night, out serving Thursday night, back to church Friday night)  like I use to do in the past. Instead I am consistently home investing in my children.

This has me thinking about missions work and how most think of missions as something that happens oversees.  Sometimes you hear people talk about the 'mission field in our own backyard'. When I've heard this statement in the past,  it's almost like mentally I was  looking  out my window at  my neighbors house, or my community or the trailer park up the street, which still left me feeling like the work is somewhere outside my home. 

At this point in my life though, instead of looking out the window thinking the work is somewhere out there, I'm looking inside at my own home. I'm looking at my own kitchen table, and am finally realizing the mission work literally IS in my own backyard ...   In fact it's my own family!!!  

I think sometimes we get so busy "doing work for the Lord" that we are not even taking time to make sure our own shop and what  God has directly trusted us with is in order first. We give all the other "mission work" a priority and  are often doing it in the name of the Lord.  Mainly because we think this is how we serve God and maybe on some level how we earn "brownie points" with Him. In essence, it's nearly works righteousness, even though myself and others I know who do this would never call it that. But I think on some level we've bought into a lie in disguise and have ended up living a life trying to cram in our families on the side. It's really sad...

When I think about focusing on those things God has directly entrusted us with and being faithful with those first before taking on more responsibilities, I think about the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30.  Here a master is going away and has entrusted his servants to oversee his money (talents).  The first servent he gives five talents, another he gives two, and another he gives one. When the master returns he finds the first two servants had doubled his money, while the third with the one talent hid his talent away and earned nothing.

I know this parable is about money, but what I see in this series of verses is a principle of being faithful with whatever God has given you no matter what it is.  It could be money, it could be a job or it could be your family. It could be anything. Sometimes I've heard friends or family members complain about where they are at and the fact that they are not getting ahead. If you find yourself in this place, then take a step back and ask yourself if you are being faithful with what God has given you. That job might really suck, it might  be minimum wage, but if it's where God has placed you then be faithful with it. Work it as if you were working for God Himself, because if God's word is true then more is coming to you.  On the flip side, when we are not faithful with what God has given us then even what we do have can be taken away (see Matt. 25:29).

God has blessed us with so much, and some of us work so hard to please Him but I have to wonder if we are always focused on the right things.  It's up to each of us to look in the mirror and be completely honest with ourselves and to do what it takes to make our priorities straight. Sometimes that may mean taking on a role that does not receive attention or praise from others, but that may be exactly the place God wants us...when it's all about Him and not at all about us!  The more I check my heart lately and the more I examine myself, the more I realize how wretched I've truly been most of my life.

In the end, I hope I've learn my lesson well and start to focus on the inside first. If that starts to eventually trickle out on the outside too then so be it, but my first focus is exactly that...those things my God has placed directly in my hands: my home, my family, my work, etc. 

I am not saying that going to Bible Studies, serving our communities, our churches or even doing overseas missions work is wrong. Many are called to do this and each of us need to follow the convictions of our hearts and what we believe the Lord has called us to do. Not all of our called to be apostles, prophets and teachers (I Corinthians 12:27-30). However, my prayer is no matter what you are called to do that we learn to live and serve God from the inside out because I really believe if we do this one thing when serving our God, that that is when we will hear Him say to us:

 "...'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little;

I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."

Matthew 25:21

So, if you find yourself frazzled and frustrated just trying to keep up with it all then maybe your doing too much. Maybe your stretching out beyond where God wants you to be right now. Maybe He's sitting there waiting for you to take care of the things He's already given you while you are focused on everything else. Maybe it's time to simply take a step back and evaluate where you are and where you are spending your time.  God has placed treasures in our hands...be sure to know what those treasures are and be sure to take time to invest in them. And always remember when you are faithful with little God has already given you then and only then will He make you faithful with more.

Grace, Peace, and Love,
Toni