Monthly Archives: July 2013

July 3, 2013 · 7:54 AM

Worried About the Wrong Things

I got corrected by God this morning. In my prayer time, my mind was busy going on about all the uncertainties in my life. My mind jumped from my job to my car to my future to my family. I was all over the board with questions seeking answers. “What about this? How do I handle that? When will I know about the other?” My mind lit God up with question after question without pausing to listen. My mind would dream of what could happen in each situation. “Why can’t that happen, God”, I asked.

God quietly answered back, “You need to be more like Mary and less like Martha.” Immediately my mind went to the story where Jesus had come to their house. Jesus was in the living room teaching and Martha was busy in the kitchen preparing a meal. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet hanging on every word when Martha poked her head out of the kitchen and said, “Hey, Jesus, tell Mary to get in here and help me.” His reply to her was what He was telling me.

In Luke 10:41,42 He said, “Martha (Chris), you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it.” I love knowing the details, especially when my future is at stake. I get worked up and worry about them. Jesus simply reminded me that it’s in His hands. I can relax. What I need to concentrate on is sitting at His feet and listening to His every word. That’s where peace is. That’s where my answers are.

It’s when I seek Him first that all these other things are added to me. It’s not when I seek the answers for everything on my mind. It’s when I seek Him. God’s desire for us is to sit at His feet and to learn from Him. Somehow my time with Him gets hijacked by my thoughts and concerns. Instead of listening to His every word, I speak out of turn and try to make my petition known. I want someone to come help me.

Today, after that correction, I sat down and listened. I quit trying to bombard Heaven with all my requests. I quieted my mind, focused on Him and listened. He spoke peace into my life this morning. He’s aware of my needs and dreams. He needs me to be aware of His. God wants to share His needs and dreams with you too. He wants us to be concerned with what concerns Him. He wants us to be His hands and feet. That’s what it is to seek first His kingdom.

Where are you today? Is your mind filled with all of the what if’s? Are you having trouble worrying about all the details too? Jesus said there is ONE thing to be worried and concerned about. That’s sitting at His feet and learning from Him. Take time today to put aside your dreams, needs and concerns. Ask God what His dreams, needs and concerns are and how you can help Him. You’ll find that peace you’ve been looking for and the answers too.

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July 2, 2013 · 7:27 AM

This Year’s Halftime

Today is the first day of the second half of this year. We reached the midpoint of the year sometime yesterday. I think it’s good to stop and reflect on the first half of this year before going into the second half. There are several questions I like to ask myself. Am I where I thought I’d be at this point in the year? If not, what course corrections do I need to make to get to where I want to be by the end of the year? What unforeseen events have happened so far that changed things in my life?

I believe in planning. I believe in setting goals for yourself, both physically, mentally and spiritually. In January, I decided that my personal spiritual goal this year was that Christ would increase in me and that I would decrease. There are areas where I have seen Christ increase in my life this year, but there are still a lot of areas where I’m not seeing the progress that I want to see. That’s where today fits in.

Just like in most major sports, there’s a half time. It’s a time to reflect on how things are going and what changes need to be made. It’s a time to be honest with yourself and God in where you are. I know I’ll never get to perfection, but that shouldn’t keep me from pushing towards it. Paul said, “I don’t mean to say that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection.” Paul understood the importance of understanding where he was and where he wanted to be.

He knew he wasn’t perfect or going to be, but he still pressed on for it. The next couple of verses in Philippians 3 give us more insight into his thinking. The next step is to forget the past and look forward to the future. You can’t change what’s happened so far this year. It happened. What I can do is learn from it, put it behind me and make a course correction with that in mind. I still have to move forward in Christ.

If you’re reading this, life has thrown you some curve balls this year. Chances are, you aren’t where you thought you’d be. That’s ok. You’re right where Christ knew you’d be. What’s happened in your life that has lead you to this point did not catch God by surprise. He’s built it into the plan for your life and who He is forming you to be. You may not be where you want to be, but that’s ok as long as you’re where He wants you to be.

I’ve dealt with set backs. I’ve lived through failures. I’ve watched as my plan for my life got thrown in the trash and burned. I’ve fallen down and tripped in places I never thought I would. I got up, dusted myself off, learned from my past and prayerfully created a new plan with God’s help. Does that mean those things won’t happen again? I’m sure they will, but now I know to keep pressing forward when things don’t happen the way I want them to. I know that my life is in God’s hands. He sees my tomorrow and knows what I need to go through today in order to be the person who can endure what’s coming.

How about you? Have your plans been ripped up and thrown away? Has your life veered off course? Did you envision your life differently than it’s turned out? It’s half time. Get your second wind, listen to what Hod has to say to you about the course corrections He wants you to make, pick your head up and get back out there. Keep pressing for the mark for that high calling in Christ. He will give you the strength you need to finish the second half of this year right where He wants you.

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July 1, 2013 · 8:21 AM

When I Look at a Penny

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I never want to get to the point in my life that I’m too good or have too much that I won’t bend down to pick up a penny. I especially make sure that I pick them up when I’m going through a difficult time. There’s a lot to learn from a penny when you stop and look at it, but most of us toss them aside as worthless. When I look at a penny, I see things in it that help me through tough times.

One of the first things I recognize in a penny is that it costs more to make a penny than it’s worth. The government keeps producing them because they are an integral part of our monetary system in giving back exact change. There are times in my life when I don’t think I’m worth much. When I think of the cross and the price that was paid for me, I realize that it cost more to save me than I’m worth. I then realize that God sees me as worth it and as an integral part of His plan.

I also see on the penny the words “In God We Trust”. Those words are words of comfort in difficult times. They remind me where I need to place my trust when things are too hard to handle on my own. I try to face each trial in my own strength to prove to God that I can handle it. In reality, I feel the trials and tests are there not to test my strength, but my reliance on Him. In difficult times, I can trust in God.

The president that is on the front of the penny is Abraham Lincoln. There’s probably not another president who went through something as difficult as leading a nation divided by civil war. He relied on God to help him navigate that difficult period. One of the quotes I heard that was attributed to him was, “My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side.” He knew that God’s plan was more important than anything. I can learn a lot from that.

Another thing that stands out to me on the penny is the date. One of the things I like to do when I see the date on a penny is to think back and remember one thing that God did for me that year. When I recount the blessings of what God has done in my past, it gives me hope and strength that He’ll do it again. God has been faithful in my life. I just need to take the time to remember it. When I do that, my confidence in Him is bolstered and I know with Him I can face whatever comes my way.

I know there’s a lot more on a penny than what I mentioned here. You may not have looked at a penny the way I do. I see a lot of value in it beyond what it’s worth because of what it reminds me of. When God looks at you, He sees the same thing. He sees value beyond what you think you’re worth. He sees someone worth dying for. He sees someone worth spending eternity with. He sees what no one else sees, smiles and picks you up when others have discarded you. That’s what I see when I look at a penny. What do you see?

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