Pray for Me

 

I was struggling and I knew it.  My emotions were all over the map, I was teetering on the precipice of depression as I huddled in my corner alone.  I longingly desired to say the simple words: pray for me.  I couldn’t.  My mind shouted lies at me: you should be stronger than this; you’re supposed to be leading others; you can suck it up and fake it till you make it; Christians are supposed to be happy. 

Have you been there?  Those three little words, “pray for me,” can be so difficult to speak.  They admit need.  They declare an inability to measure up in some way.  They open the door to being perceived as less than. They possibly announce sin or failure.

At times we rationalize not speaking up because of humility. We don’t want to make everything about “me.”  We might even (mis)quote Philippians 2:3 & 4, “Don’t be selfish…think of others…take an interest in others.”

Let me be forthright: not being able to say those three small words is pride. Galatians 6:3 basically says if you think you’re “all that,” you are deceiving yourself.  If you think you are someone without a need: you’re lying to yourself. If you think you are someone who doesn’t struggle: you are fibbing with the best of them. If you somehow think you are someone who doesn’t sin (and that others think you don’t sin): boy has someone pulled a whopper on you!

We are nothing without grace. 

This is the truth of the gospel:

·       We are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:4 & 5).

·       Salvation is not a reward for good works that we have done (Ephesians 2:9). 

·       We all have weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). 

·       God is merciful and will provide grace to help us when we need it most (Hebrews 4:16).

One of the ways God provides for us is through each other. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9 & 10 tells us two are better than one.

James 5:16 teaches us to confess to each other and share our spiritual needs with one another. We are then to pray for each other so that we find healing. If we want a life that is free from sin’s sickness, we must ask others to pray with us and for us.  I know, in my own life, there are many times others have interceded for me and rescued me because I was unaware of how sick I was. When we pray for each other, we are uniting (two are better than one!) before our heavenly Father so that God will bless us with spiritual health and wholeness.

In Matthew 18:19 Jesus says, “. . . if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you . . .” This isn’t a way to beat the system.  You can’t create a pact that you and another will pray to win the lottery and BAM! You’ve won!  The context of the passage is dealing with lost people and restoring someone who has stepped away from following Jesus. Jesus is reminding us that He wants us to be successful in living with Him and for Him.  When we share a need with someone and she prays with us to overcome a temptation, or to step boldly out in faith, or to love more compassionately or whatever our spiritual life needs, God shows up -- guaranteed.

We are on this journey together; that’s the way God designed it.  We need each other. We need to be humble enough to allow others to carry our burdens, even as we willingly carry theirs. 

Will you please pray for me?  How can I pray for you? 

Photo by Rosie Fraser on Unsplash

Mother's Day: Yeah?

 

Mother’s Day is fast approaching.  The local Wal-Mart has boxes filled with flowers.  Every type of store has a collection of cards.  Childcare providers are planning art activities with macaroni and yarn.  Fathers are beginning to panic because they aren’t sure what will make mom happiest.  Mother’s Day is like Spring’s celebration of life, and everyone is invited to the party.

Not everyone anticipates Mother’s Day.  For years, a friend of mine would grieve because she didn’t have the child she longed for. Other’s have lost a child and every day is still painful. Some grieve the fact that their mother wasn’t much of a mother.  Some are mothers who feel like a failure because their child has shut them out of their life.  Some are annoyed over the celebration because they are experiencing a season of motherhood that is hard; motherhood wasn’t what they thought it would be. And there’s those whose mother is no longer living. They ache to make a phone call to someone who no longer can answer. 

I want to tell you: you are seen.  I see you; I ache with you.

More importantly, God sees you. 

In the Old Testament there is a story about a woman named Hagar.  She was the slave of a woman named Sari.  Sari’s husband was Abram, later called Abraham.  In Genesis 12, God promises Abram that He will make Abram into a great nation.  That promise is repeated in Genesis 15 when Abram talks with God about the fact that he doesn’t have any children. God promises Abram that he will father a child.  Life goes on and still no child.  In Genesis 16, Sari suggests a common cultural solution when one doesn’t have a child; she recommends Abram sleep with her servant and if a child is produced, it will be their child.  Abram thinks the plan is solid and he sleeps with Hagar.  Hagar gets pregnant, but the story doesn’t end with a happily ever after. 

Pregnant Hagar sees herself as better than barren Sari. Sari, living in her own pain, begins to treat Hagar exceedingly cruel, and Hagar runs away.  An angel of the Lord finds Hagar by a spring in the wilderness, and he asks her what her story is.  Hagar takes advantage of the willing ear and reveals all. The angel tells Hagar she needs to go back, and she will indeed have a son, a blessed prize in their culture.  In Genesis 16:11, the angel tells her, “You will name him Ishmael (which means God Hears), for the Lord as heard your cry of affliction.” Verse 13 of Genesis 16 says, “So [Hagar] named the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are El-Roi,’ for she said, ‘In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?’”

From this point on in the Bible, God is known as the God who sees.  He saw Hagar in the wilderness, and He sees you as well. No matter where you are, what you are experiencing, God sees you.  He knows exactly what you are facing and feeling.

The story of Hagar doesn’t end there.  She has a second encounter with God in Genesis 21. God has changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sari’s name to Sarah.  Abraham is 100 and Sarah is in her 90’s when God blesses them with a son they name Isaac.  Despite God’s faithfulness to her, Sarah continues to believe Hagar and Ishmael are a threat, so she banishes them. 

In devastation, Hagar trudges back to the wilderness, this time with her son Ishmael. Her water is gone too soon, and scripture says she places her son under one of the bushes and sits a distance away because she can’t bear to watch him die.  Hagar has circled back to the end of her rope.  She may have remembered all God told her when she was pregnant.  The thought that God sees her may have been flitting in and out of her consciousness, but her fear and anguish are too great for the idea to gain any solid footing in her mind. 

Genesis 21:17-19 reads, “God heard the boy crying and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What’s wrong Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the boy crying from the place where he is.  Get up, help the boy up, and grasp his hand, for I will make him a great nation.’ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well.  So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink.”

In Hagar’s first encounter with God, she knows God to be the one who sees her.  In her second encounter with God, God helps her to see.  That’s who God is for all of us.  He sees us, and He helps us see what we need to keep living. 

This week when your emotions are raw.  This week when grief overtakes you in a moment.  This week when memories aren’t enough to fill the ache.  This week when your dreams seem excruciatingly unfulfilled.  This week when your pain and longing run too deep to describe.  God sees you. He is waiting to help you see.  He’s prepared to show you how there can still be life. 

I’m praying for you.

Freedom

I work at a retail store and the shelves are crowded with Fourth of July decorations.  Customers are stocking up on flags and stars and decorated little red trucks. I admit I’ve purchased my own little stash. There is no doubt we are longing to celebrate the idea of freedom. 

We like the idea of freedom.  We each want to do whatever we want.  We aspire to be in complete control of our own lives without hindrance.  None of us relishes being told what to do. 

I’ve struggled with the idea of spiritual freedom.  I accept the truth that Jesus has freed me from the penalty of sin which is death (Romans 8:1-4).  I believe that God did for me what I couldn’t do for myself.  I know that I can’t earn my salvation in any way by following a list of rules or laws.  That’s all good.

Confusion flooded my mind when I contemplated other scripture.  In Romans 6, Paul says, “But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God . . .” (verse 22) What?!!  Many times, I felt as if I traded in one task master for another.  I was weighed down by all the things I perceived a Christian should do like be kind, love your neighbor and help the unfortunate.  It’s not that I didn’t want to be that person, I felt cornered by the obligation to be “perfect.” Have you been there?

God doesn’t want us to feel trapped by what we read in His Word.  God sent Jesus to free His followers from fearful obedience to the Law. Jesus died to rescue us from living a life of “should:” I should be (blank); I should behave (blank).

Early in my marriage, our budget was squeaky tight.  My husband was working on his masters and we aimed to accomplish it debt free.  During that season we lived near two of my sisters.  They periodically created plans for the three of us to go and spend a day together.  My typical response was I needed to check with my spouse.  He was the one paying the bills and balancing the checkbook; I didn’t always know if there were funds available.  They were frustrated with this sequence of events, telling me I should just do whatever I wanted.  They perceived that I was being controlled. I didn’t see it that way.  I wasn’t upset about having to “check in;” I wanted to please my husband. I wanted to keep our relationship at its absolute best.  I felt the freedom to do what I wanted, and I also desired to stay within our budget.  I knew that there were boundaries that kept us living well.

Our freedom in Christ is similar; the key is to focus on relationship.  Just like I wanted our marriage to be its best, we are to prioritize our relationship with Jesus.  It’s not about what we can or cannot do, it’s about delighting the One we love.

Galatians 5:10 says, “…If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.”  Jesus leads us how to live.  We need to “check in” with Him, trust what He knows and follow His guidance.  We are to live within the boundaries that safeguard our relationship and keep us living well.

Freedom is found within the boundaries God provides.  

Our relationship with Christ evokes celebration!

A Second Piece of Cake

 

Confession: I ate a piece of cake.  It was delicious.  It made my mouth so happy; I ate a second piece of cake.  I wasn’t hungry.  I didn’t need the additional slice to give me sustenance or tie me over till my next meal.  I desired the taste, and I gave in.

Later that night, as I lay in bed, I decided the second piece wasn’t a good idea.  I didn’t feel awful, like I was going to “re-experience the cake,” but I definitely wasn’t feeling the joys of a happy and contented stomach.  God chose that moment to pose a question: In what other ways do you choose desire over need?

I didn’t want to answer the question.  Would you?

I processed through God’s question for several days.  In my cake story, I realized if I were to continually choose my desires and consistently consume seconds and thirds, my stomach would revolt.  I would pack on additional weight becoming self-conscious about my appearance.  I would find it difficult to move, possibly becoming short of breath. A new wardrobe would be in my future, but it wouldn’t come with the excitement that idea normally brings. Desire would become the driving force of unwanted circumstances.

How many times do we make a choice just because we want what we want?

•    online shopping
•     procrastinating on chores
•     watching a questionable movie or TV show
•     sleeping in and missing church
•     making fun of someone so we feel better about ourselves
•     going over budget because “it’s such a good deal”
•     avoiding someone so that we don’t have to talk to them
•     playing games on our phone instead of investing in our family

Choosing desire over need is a spiritual issue.  It’s not about what we eat, the new shoes, our appearance or finding “me time.”  It’s about Lordship. First Corinthians 6:19 & 20 says, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?  You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.  So you must honor God with your body.” (NLT) We are God’s temple, the place where a holy, perfect God dwells.  Paul clearly states that we do not belong to ourselves; we belong to God Almighty.  When we choose to live according to what we desire, we are not living within the boundaries of “you do not belong to yourself.”

Processing God’s hard question led me to a more difficult question: “Does the decision I am about to choose fit with the goal of knowing Jesus, following Jesus, and living out the truth of His Lordship?”  I admit I originally fought the idea of asking such a question over every detail of my life including second helpings of cake; then I recognized I wasn’t honoring God.

We need Jesus.  We need forgiveness.  We need God’s grace to make us holy. We need God’s wisdom and strength and direction and peace.  We need God to be Lord if we desire abundant life. I believe we need to willingly ask ourselves the hard question of Lordship, so we continue to remember we do not belong to ourselves.  When the Holy Spirit resides firmly within us, it’s a life-celebration and God provides the cake.

Autopilot

 

I remember when we first moved to the small town of Ontario from Salt Lake City.  The kids and I arrived first because school was starting.  My Pastor husband didn’t start his new job for at least a month, so every weekend we would head back to SLC.  Tim and I would pack; the kids would hang with their friends.  We traveled that road so much I began to believe the car could drive the route on autopilot.

Sometimes we live on autopilot.  It may be because we are in a good rhythm. It could be because we’re emotionally exhausted, so we just do the next thing, and the next, and the next.  There are times we are in a season of waiting and we don’t know what to do except what we’ve always done.  During times of grief, we function on autopilot because we are in survival mode.  When we are learning something new, chunks of our lives are operated automatically because our mental energies are focused elsewhere.

And let me just say: It. Is. Okay.

We just came through the season of Lent and the celebration of Easter. Somewhere in my head I perceive I should be living a utopia of exuberance due to freshly experiencing the wonder of God’s grace and hope. I’m not.  Monday came after Easter Sunday just like every other week. 

Every weekend ends and a Monday follows.  Life marches forward.  Sometimes we aren’t ready for the every-day-ness that Monday brings.  Know what I mean? In those moments do you tend to slip into autopilot and just go through the motions of life? Do you wonder why you don’t feel joy or gratefulness the way you think you should? Are you like me?

When life shifts into autopilot, we need to carve out moments to live in Psalm 27:4.

“I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple.” (CSB)

The Psalmist reveals 3 things we can do amid the every-day-ness of life.

1. Talk to God about your desire for Him. The Psalmist only wanted to be with God.  I know I am not always that dedicated, and I know God wants me to seek Him. Acts 17: 27 says God intended for us to seek after Him so that we could find Him.  Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness first, before anything else.
2.  Focus on how beautiful God is. When we dwell on the glory and wonder and goodness of God our thoughts and our attitudes change.  In Romans 12:2 we are told “…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think…” (NLT) God longs for us to see life from His holy perspective.  What better way to alter how we perceive our daily life than to be focused on how glorious and wonderful and magnificent God is?
3. Seek to know God better in the company of others.  The Psalmist says he sought God in His temple.  It’s where he knew God was, and it’s where everyone else was seeking God as well.  Learning with and from others reminds us we are all on a journey, and we all have a way to go! God did not mean for us to deal with life as individuals.  He gifted us community to strengthen us and to enable us to see Him more clearly.

 

David, the author of Psalm 27, writes about fighting his enemies.  He’s experiencing significant danger in his day-to-day living.  I can’t imagine a daily life with such turmoil. Yet His declaration of certainty toward the end of Psalm 27 is what our every-day-battle longs for.  “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.” (verse 13, CSB) On Monday, when Sunday seems like it was a month before, I want to know God’s goodness.  Don’t you?  God’s goodness can be discovered when we talk with Him, focus our thoughts on Him, and put forth the effort to learn more about Him, on our own and with others.

I’m praying you will be able to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) when Monday rolls around again.

(photo by Salvador Godoy on Unsplash)

Something Spectacular: Another look at Psalm 103

 

Have you ever seen the movie “The Money Pit?” It’s a 1986 comedy starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long.  They buy a large old home with the belief that they can make it spectacular.  Everything that could go wrong does go wrong!  The stairs collapse, the tub falls through the floor, there’s an electrical fire and even the gorgeous chandelier crashes to the ground.  Add in contractor issues plus an old lover and you have the basic story line.  In my unique way of looking at scripture, that movie came to mind when I read Psalm 103.

Psalm 103:14-16 says, “For [God] knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.  As for man, his days are like grass – he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known.”

My guess is you aren’t automatically seeing the connection between those verses and The Money Pit. 

The Psalmist basically says man is fleeting; who he is and what he does just doesn’t last.  He may look good for a while, but it’s not sustainable.  We think if we work hard we can make ourselves into something spectacular!  Think of all the self-help books, and the diet options, and the posts on Instagram that tell us we are worth it!  Psalm 103 doesn’t say that; Psalm 103 says we are dust. 

 And God…

It doesn’t seem to matter to God that we are like a worthless beat-up old house.  Just like the characters in the movie, God dumps everything He has into us.  He pours all He is worth into making us spectacular! In Psalm 103:3 & 4 we learn God forgives all we’ve done wrong; He heals or fixes what is wrong with us; He redeems us, restoring us to value.  In Money-Pit-fixer-upper terminology: God forgives all the mistakes we made in trying to improve ourselves. He rebuilds the foundations, the walls, the stairs and the ceiling; He recreates the flow from room to room establishing a welcoming open concept; He sands down old floors and re-grouts tile; He replaces windows and carpet and light fixtures all the while maintaining the home’s unique charm. 

And God… 

God is amazing! He doesn’t stop with just rebuilding our house. God does more. He crowns us with faithful love; He satisfies us with good things; He renews our youthful energy and exuberance (Psalm 103:4 & 5).  In Money-Pit-fixer-upper terminology: God decks out each room with amazingly comfortable and beautiful furniture; He decorates the walls and the tables with original décor that speaks of Him and of us; He forms a space that energizes and also soothes one’s spirit.  He creates a spectacular home.

Here’s what really gets me.  When people look at a home that’s been rebuilt or redecorated they go on and on about the changes: the finishes and the colors and the ambiance.  They gush over all the amazing details.  They notice all the things that are different and better exclaiming how impressive the update is.  But it’s not about how great this new space looks.  It’s all about the one who fixed it up

I think that’s where we get messed up. 

• When we accomplish good things and people compliment us it’s not about us. It’s about the One who fixed up our lives.
• When we say encouraging things to someone and she expresses deep gratitude, it’s not about us.  It’s about the One who formed us to be people of hope.
• When we treat someone with kindness after he has been mean or rude to us and someone else compliments us on our restraint, it’s not about us.  It’s about the One who created a space of peace in our souls. 
• When we hold onto faith while our circumstances scream life is falling apart and others are impressed with our stability, it’s not about us.  It’s about the One who is our anchor and foundation. 

We may each be a money pit and God…

Psalm 103:17 reassures us by declaring “But from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him.”  He is the One who is faithful ~ always. He is the one who loves ~ always.  He is the one who dumps all He is and all He has into each of us ~ always.  

He is the only way to be made into something spectacular.  

A Conversation with the Spirit

Have you ever chatted with someone and felt as if they were using a totally different language, even though you know you are both speaking English?   I felt that way when I first started texting.  I wondered: What are these weird letter combinations?  Why isn’t the person texting me writing in complete sentences? If I ask what the letters mean, do I look stupid?  My guess is that it happens to every generation.  I’m sure I used slang terms that made my parents wonder if I was cussing.  Groups that are similar in thought, interest or belief seem to have their own language.  I admit I often don’t understand anything my husband and son are discussing once they branch into guns and hunting.  Admittedly they don’t understand what I am saying to crafty friends.  Christians are no exception.  We have our own set of terms that we fall into using.  Sometimes, like when texting abbreviations, it seems to make communication easier.

I caught myself falling into “easy Christian-ese” the other day when I was reading Psalm 103.  It’s not a habit I recommend.  The Psalm begins by declaring we should bless the Lord and not forget all He has done for us.  The psalmist then lists some amazing things God does for us, His children: He forgives our sins; He heals our diseases; He redeems our life from the pit; He crowns us with faithful love and compassion; He satisfies us with good things.  As I read I caught myself mentally giving a pious Christian nod.  I knew this stuff; I was grateful.  I checked things off a mental list of God’s benefits:

·        I asked Jesus into my heart so I am forgiven

·        I’m currently not sick so no need to worry about diseases

·        I am redeemed because I’m forgiven (since I’m not convinced I was ever in a pit, I offered a quick obligatory thanks to God)

·        Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so

·        He has given me good things like a loving family, a nice home and a well-stocked pantry. 

I religiously identified somewhat with the passage but it wasn’t reaching my heart. I just skimmed over the words forgive, heal, redeem and faithful love. They are part of the regular Christian vocabulary after all.

I think the Holy Spirit may have been a bit perturbed with me for not seeing the wonder in what the psalmist had written.

He brought verse 7 to the front and center of my thoughts.  “He revealed his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.” (Psalm 103:7 CSB) I felt a bit of awe over the truth that Almighty God revealed who He is to a group of grumpy complaining slaves.  It was almost like God was saying, “Hey!  Over here!  I’m doing really cool and awesome things you’ll want to check out. Can you come over here? Come over here by me!  Come see! Come be with me.”    I’ve done this with people I love.  I do something I know my loved one will appreciate and I eagerly point it out because I want to experience their joy.  I want to revel in the delight I have created for someone else.  I want to relish the relationship.    

The lesson that God wants to relish His relationship with me didn’t seem to find anchor in my soul.

As I moved on to verse 8 I started to fall back into the habit of self-righteously mentally affirming what was written. I wasn’t reading the words with a seeker’s humble heart.  Psalm 103:8 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.” (CSB)  God’s Spirit forced me to slow down when He asked me: How do you see this in your life right now? I paused realizing to honestly answer the question I had to face my own recent sins and failures.  The typical Christian-ese answers weren’t going to fly with God’s Holy Spirit.

It’s much easier to live a Christian life over a holy life. 

In that moment I was able to see the battle that was being fought in my heart and life. I wanted God to affirm my ideas of success and comfort more than I wanted to live a life completely sold out.

• ·        I saw the many times during any day when I was thinking only about me: not about the ones I love; not about the Kingdom of God; not about those who are lost. 
• ·        I saw the little daily decisions I made based more on fear than faith and trust.  
• ·        I saw how often I made a choice without asking God if that was how He wanted me to spend His money, if that’s how He wanted me to spend our time, if that’s how He wanted me to treat my body, His temple.

God wondrously kept whispering “I love you.”

He didn’t raise His voice to me. He didn’t slam a door, give me an ultimatum, or ground me from any fun.  God was holding out His arms waiting to draw me into His all-encompassing embrace.  His gaze was focused on me.  “Hey!  Over here!  I’m doing really cool and awesome things you’ll want to check out. Can you come over here? Come over here by me!  Come see! Come be with me.”   It’s as if I could see His eyes twinkling as He anticipated how delighted I would be at what He wanted to reveal about Himself to me.  He was waiting for me to lay aside my selfish wants and ideas again, and embrace His compassion and grace and faithful love. 

I don’t think God cares how Christian we are. 

I think God wants to relish a relationship with us more deeply than we can imagine. To be with Him though, we have to face up to our own sin and accept His compassion and grace and love.  There’s no need to fear that He’ll be angry with us. He is the God who forgives all iniquity.  He heals all diseases, including fearfulness, pride, worry, self-centeredness and more. He is ready to redeem anyone from the pit they’ve dug themselves into.  We need to come humbly and honestly.  He will crown us with love and compassion

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.” (Psalm 103:8, CSB)  How do you see this in your life right now?