A Joyful Mission

Standing in the Way of Evil

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What happens to those who do evil when others stand up? Does it slink back down and try to hide? The short answer? Yes. Those who do evil things cannot stand for it to see the light of day. Those who do evil hate when their evil is exposed. They will, instead, try to justify their actions or even blame others for the acts that they have done.

Remember, these are not people with a conscience. One of the unfortunate things is that we can’t guilt them into remembering that they are hurting others. Their sole purpose is power. Once this is known and acknowledged then it can be pushed back on.

How? How do we push back against those who mean to cause us harm? How do we fight against those who want us to just give our will to them?

We stand up and stand firm on our principles. We fight back. We show the world the light that we want others to see. Remember that we are called to be a light in the darkness, a city on a hill. However, to do that we must also, according to Ephesians 6: 11-12, “Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.” In verse 16, it goes on to say, “In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one.”

In other words, we have to become God’s army. We can’t just pray evil away. In addition, we must also stand up to evil. We must stand and push back against what they want. We must hold them accountable. Also, remember that they certainly don’t have our best interest in mind. How do you fight a bully? You stand and fight. Evil can’t stand it when others show strength. Or as in the movie Air Force One, the character, President James Marshall, played by Harrison Ford said, “Ha Ha! The good guys are here!” So, let’s go win this war!

So, what did I learn from this? In order to conquer evil, I must be willing to stand up and stand firm on my beliefs. I must continually remember that God’s strength is my strength. He never asks more of me than I can give even when it may seem that way. I have to realize that He is the reason that I am where I am and that He has called me for this purpose.

What can you gain from this? Remember that the devil is sly and he hates it when others are empowered. When you stand up to the devil then your light will shine and you will be so much stronger than you ever thought that you could ever be. It also means standing firm when you want to go hide. It means that God sees all of who you are and needs all of who you can be to fight in order to help win this war.

Called to Serve

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Each of us has been blessed with our own unique talent or even, multiple talents. The thing about talents is that yours will be different from mine and mine will be different from yours. Growing up, I would compare myself to the things that other people could do well and I could only do mediocrely. I felt inferior at that time because I was comparing myself to someone else. Luckily, that is not something that God does. I feel that what God really does is that He wants for us to serve where and when and how we are the most comfortable. It’s our talent that He gives us that He wants us to then share with the world.

In serving others, we need to remember that not everyone will appreciate or be receptive to what we do. However, we should not let that stop us from serving others in whatever capacity that works.

I was reminded of this when I remembered how Jesus commissioned His disciples to go and minister to the people. In Matthew, chapter 10, Jesus told them of the trials and tribulations that would come during their time of ministry. I did come back to verse 14, in which He stated that “Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words- go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.”

What Jesus is telling us is that we can’t force others to understand or believe the way that we do, but we still need to try to reach others. We can’t save others from themselves if they are choosing to do the wrong things. Jesus is also telling us in that chapter and, in particular, that verse, that at least we tried to reach them and that makes all the difference in the world. We didn’t walk away until we realized that there would be no change within their own hearts. The only thing that we can do after, is to pray for them and hope that they recognize their sins before it’s too late. (Related post: The time for reckoning is now).

So, what did I learn from this? Even when people are aggravating and acting foolish and I want to just throw up my hands and say, “Forget it!!”, Jesus isn’t letting me do that. He wants me to help Him and the Father, to spread His love and joy throughout the world. It always humbles me to know that He trusts me to help Him in the ministry. (Related post: God Calls Us to Scatter Joy Like Seeds to Others).

What can you gain from this? If you are new in your faith, I understand the uncertainty that you are facing. It can seem a bit daunting the prospect of sharing your faith. However, when you asked God to save you then He knew that you would be faced with many obstacles. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle is ourselves. So, my suggestion, trust that God knows you and knows exactly what you are capable of. (Related post: God’s Got This). Also, remember that it is in serving others that we are also serving God.

God’s Got This

You know when you work with a group of people, there is supposed to be a level of trust within the group. There’s also a trust game that you can play as a group where 1 person turns their back, closes their eyes, and falls back, trusting that the people behind them will catch that person when they fall. That’s the same concept of trust that I think about, that God wants for us to have towards Him in our lifetime. Sometimes, we just have to close our eyes and trust that God will catch us when we fall.

The reason why I bring this up is that this is the same sort of thing that I’m going through right now in my life. I had recently gone to the doctor and mercifully she discovered that I had pre-cancerous cells in my uterus. I say mercifully because, after further explorations, it was determined that what was in my body is the stage right before it could become full-on cancer. Due to my wonderful doctor and pathologist, we were able to catch it before it became something more and will be taking that part out very soon.

Could there be more in my body? I don’t know. Although, I will tell you that I’m not worried about it at this point. Whatever happens and however it happens, I’ve gotten a miracle and I can truly say that God’s got this. He holds me in His hands and covers me with His love and care. It’s part of that trust exercise where I can close my eyes and know that He’s always there to catch me. Am I scared? Amazingly, no. It’s just life and life is for the living and in whatever way that you choose to celebrate it. However, my suggestion….give a little bit of that love to the Man upstairs. I think that He would appreciate it!

So, what did I learn from this? We will always go through things that are hard or difficult in this lifetime. We will also always go through things that are wonderful, miraculous, and beautiful as well. I know where God is in each of those times in my life. I may not always understand it but I have certainly come to appreciate it!

What can you gain from this? Trust is the cornerstone of any relationship that we have. When we trust that our God is there to catch us when we need Him the most, then we can rest assured that we are in the best possible care. So, my hope is that you can find that same level of trust that I’ve come to appreciate and look for.

Finding the Strength Within Our Struggles

I know that it seems like I’m always an upbeat sort of person probably based on the posts that I write, however, that is not always the case. There are many things that can bring me down. Things that I have found that I can’t control. So how can I, or any of us, get to the point where we can find the strength to deal with any of the many different struggles that we can go through?

The following bible verse is a wonderful statement that helps me to put in perspective what I most need to hear when I need to hear it. Philippians 4:13 states that “I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.”. You see, it’s not my strength that keeps me going, it’s Christ’s strength. When I think about something that is troubling me or bringing me down, I remember that Christ came to this earth and showed us what strength really is through His sacrifice on the cross. (Related post: In confronting the darkness, we can begin to see the light…)

God came down in human form as His Son, Jesus. He walked among us, talked with us, taught each of us that He loves us, and gives us the tools that we need to grow and prosper even when we seem to be standing still. He has a plan for each one of us. We only have to turn our eyes to Heaven in order to give Him the glory and the praise that He deserves. We also need to trust Him in the path that He knows that we need to take in order to find that strength and persevere. (Related post: Just going with the flow….).

So, what did I learn from this? Just because I am mostly an upbeat person, it doesn’t mean that I won’t have days or periods that I feel down. I accept that because I am human. However, I do know that I can turn my eyes to Jesus, anytime and He will hear me and give me His comfort. The funniest thing is, is that I tend to get positive messages that I needed to hear from YouTube and Pinterest! I guess that He uses whatever methods that work, in order to reach out to His people. It always seems to cover what I am feeling at that time. And it also lets me know that God knows everything about me and He loves me very much. He also knows that I am so much stronger than I ever believed.

What can you gain from this? Believe it or not, when you turn your life over to God and accept that He sent His Son, Jesus to earth so that we could be saved after He died on the cross, then you have become stronger! Just like that! It’s not that you will not ever go through sorrow or suffering in this life, but He has a purpose for YOU. Your sorrow and suffering have a purpose as well. Remember, that He came and died for YOU. He doesn’t hold it over our heads what we’ve done in the past but He wants us to learn and grow from our past mistakes so that we are becoming the people that He knows that we can become. We have been made anew in Him. We have been washed clean of our sin by His blood and sacrifice. That’s pretty powerful stuff!

A Rainbow’s Promise

I love seeing a rainbow in the sky. It’s something that I look forward to possibly seeing when there is just the right amount of sun and cloud mix to possibly produce one. I also know that science can explain the cause of rainbows, but I believe that God is the greatest scientist of all time. I also know that He hasn’t been given enough credit for His creation.

So, what is the promise of a rainbow?

In Genesis 9:13, God told Noah that “I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” In this verse, God is saying that He will have a reminder to Himself as well as to His people that He will never destroy the earth or all the living things on the earth with a flood. How does He do this? He gives us a rainbow.

Every time that I have seen a rainbow, I’ve gotten chills because I am feeling God’s presence. I am in awe and humbled by the thought that He loves us so much, that He would send us this reminder. We need to go back and remember the wonder of this creation. We don’t need to be bogged down so much by the science of how it came to be, but, instead, see the rainbow as a sign of hope and love from our God.

So, what did I learn from this? Our God has been more than patient with me. Even with each of my missteps, He has shown me time and time again that He values me and wants me to be a voice for Him. That humbles me. I also know that I’m not afraid to die because I know that my path leads to being with Him for all time.

What can you gain from this? The next time that you see a rainbow, remember God’s promise. Remember that God loves you and sees your value in what you can do and become in your lifetime. He knows that path that you could take, so will you trust Him enough to guide you?

Knowing and Believing

Which statement is more truthful than the other one?

Is it: (1) in knowing that there is a God, first that I am then believing about Him? Or is it: (2) in believing that there is a God, first, then knowing more about Him and His purpose for us?

There is a reason why I ask these questions, but I will get into that soon about which on these is the answer that I believe is the most truthful.

First, let me say that I know that each one of us has stories to tell about how we have gotten to this point in our lives. I’m very sure that some of those stories are very sad and hard to hear, much less have to tell others. I’m also positive that some of those stories are full of light and hope and are a study in perseverance.

In that vein, I look back at my life, so far, and I see so many times when my path was redirected. It is only in looking back and seeing where I’ve been and what I’ve done, that I’ve noticed the pattern or could we say, the purpose, behind it at the time. (Related post: The Seasons of Change). At the time, I just thought that it was a “me” thing that caused me to be unable to stick to one career path for a long time. However, what I have come to realize, now, is that God needed me to go down all those paths, so that I could end up here at this point in time. Is He done with me yet? No, I think that He is just beginning. So, that leads us to the answer to our question. While I do believe that each is truthful, I think that the more truthful statement is the second one. When we believe that there is a God in Heaven who loves us and chooses us as His vessels, then we can come to more fully know Him and what He wants from us.

When I began this blog, I knew that it was God who wanted me to do it but I had looked at it more as a hobby. It was my sister who pointed out that it’s actually a ministry. She’s absolutely correct. I just hadn’t seen it that way at that time. I realize now that God had chosen me as a vessel to carry His word to others in a very updated fashion. He can and will do that with all of us, we just have to believe in Him so that we can then know what He wants us to do with it.

So, what did I learn from this? God uses us to help each other and He uses each of us according to the talents and skills that we have. When I said “Yes!” to God, I was also saying “Yes!” to the purpose that He has for me. I’ve learned a lot over the years and I’m still learning. I’m also learning that God’s not done with me yet! (Related post: What is our purpose in life?).

What can you gain from this? As I’ve asked in previous blog posts, what do you want to gain? If your purpose is to grow in your faith, then you just need to open yourself up to Him. He’ll guide you where He wants you to go according to what you do best. I know, I know! It is very hard to take that leap of faith and trust Him to take the reins, but trust me when I tell you that, “He’s got this!”

The Value of Our Perceptions

An interesting thing happened to me when I was looking up the definition of perception, the word discernment came up. “Why is that interesting?”, you may ask? Well, I will tell you.

According to http://www.merriam-webster.com, “Some common synonyms of discernment are acumen, discrimination, insight, penetration, and perception. While all these words mean “a power to see what is not evident to the average mind,” discernment stresses accuracy (as in reading character or motives).” And according to Oxford Languages, the definition of perception is, “the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses or a way of regarding, understanding or interpreting something, a mental impression.”

So, how do we marry these two similar definitions? Let’s, instead, think about it this way, when we discern then we are taking our perceptions a step further. We are using our senses to understand the motives behind what we are seeing and hearing. We are becoming…..enlightened or insightful. We are beginning to see what others may want to keep hidden.

Our perceptions and discernment of any situation that we come across are more akin to, I think, trusting your gut. If something smells fishy and rotten then it usually is. I think that we have come to a point where we are believing too much of what someone says and not focusing on how they are acting. This is the value that you give your perception and discernment of the world around you. My advice? Stand firm on the values that have meaning to you regardless of what others try to tell you. This can be the foundation that helps you to discover happiness more fully.

So, what did I learn from this? I have found that how a person acts or behaves is more a true assessment of their overall character. I have learned how to discern who and what is good for me. I have also found that I value those qualities in whom I choose to surround myself with and what I am willing to put up with.

Trust me, it is not always easy to stand up for myself. Unfortunately, I’ve had to do it but it takes a lot for me to get to that point. However, when I have, then I know that I was and am justified in doing so.

What can you gain from this? Pay attention to what people are saying and how they are saying it. If someone is talking down to you in a demeaning way, then stand up for yourself. Learn to trust your instincts more and then you will realize who your true allies are. Trust me, you will be better off in the long run.

The Perfection of God’s Love

According to 1 John 4:16-18, it states that “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.”

Isn’t that the most amazing thing? God loves us and we did nothing to earn it or even deserve it! However, that is the beauty of God’s love. It doesn’t come with strings or conditions. It just is. In fact, to ensure that we were going to be able to be with God in Heaven, He sent His Son, Jesus down to us. God sacrificed His own Son to die on the cross in order to take our sins from us. He essentially freed us, so that we could be with Him!

If that is not perfect love then I don’t know what is!!!

In the passage of 1 John 4:16-18, John is telling us that knowing what we know about our God, we don’t need to be afraid. We don’t need to have fear. If you have lived a good life, God knows and sees that. Even when you’ve made mistakes, He knows that as well and loves us despite when we’ve done wrong things. He knows what is in our hearts. He can and will forgive us but we have to be willing to ask for forgiveness. We know that we can’t hide from God, because when we try to hide, then we aren’t understanding that He loves us despite our many faults. He just desires to have a relationship with us. When we talk to Him, give Him our thanks, our burdens and ask for forgiveness then that is when we begin to understand that all of our fears can just melt away. (Related post: Unending Love)

So, what did I learn from this? The world (and I include myself here) sees all of my imperfections but God sees what’s in my heart. The world (and I include myself here) judges me based on how I look and act but God knows what’s in my heart. The world doesn’t love me for who I am and what I could be but God loves me because I’m me. I am the imperfectly perfect person that He created. That right there cancels out any fears that I could ever have.

What can you gain from this? We live in such a highly digital age, that we tend to judge others based on what they report is happening but we don’t actually know what really is going on. God’s not like that. He knows what we want even before we do. How? He knows what’s in our hearts. There is never any need to be afraid to share with God our deepest desires and hurts. He wants to be a part of the solution that causes all the fear you feel to be replaced by love.

There is no such thing as wasted time….

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I know, I know, I know…. But what I’m talking about is the time that we spend waiting for things and how we can use that time in a more productive manner. My point is, is that it doesn’t need to feel like wasted time. So, let’s talk about some examples. Think about when you are in the line at a grocery store and the person ahead of you has 50+ items (forgets one thing at the very back of the store) and you are both standing in the 20 items or less line. Another example is all the times that you were stuck in traffic either going to work or coming home from work or somewhere. What about when you are waiting in a long line for a COVID-19 test? I don’t mean to say that we can’t or even shouldn’t get justifiably angry at times, but….

Where is our patience? It’s not always there, is it? This new reality has become very challenging to all of us in my way of thinking. Don’t you agree?

So, what if we TRY something different, instead? What if we try to DO something different, instead?

Hmmm…. so, our first reaction is usually to yell and get angry. Question…. how is that going for you? It doesn’t solve anything at all, does it?

I can’t tell you what to do, I will only give some suggestions. You are responsible for how you react in any given situation. I will tell you that I always, always, always hate it when I have to second guess myself later about the choices that I made in a given situation. I’ve learned that you can’t change the past but you can learn from it. (Related post: My dad always said that “You can’t woulda, shoulda, coulda…..”)

So, my first suggestion is to stop and think before you open your mouth. Ask yourself what you would want someone else to do in your same predicament.

My second suggestion is to realize that time is relative, you can’t get it back but you can choose to take a different path. (Related post: Just going with the flow….). You can pass the time, instead, empathizing with another person, maybe helping them out in some small way or trying to find a way to make them and yourself laugh over it. Either way, the time you spent has become more pleasant instead of dissolving into anger.

My third suggestion is to start a dialogue with God. Say a quick prayer about some of the positive things that have happened in your life or thank him for being able to have a home or workplace to go to. Ask God to give you patience and then pray for others that you see around you.

Remember that it’s not wasted time if you gain something from it in the long term.

Realize that we are never going to agree on everything that others choose to do. The only person that we can control is ourselves. Remember that we all have our own thoughts and opinions but we can at least TRY to show more compassion when we are dealing with others even if we don’t agree or even understand what that other person is going through. It’s always worth a shot and, the end result just may be that you leave in a better mood than you would have thought otherwise. Times not wasted after all and there… don’t you feel better already?

So, what did I learn from this? Trust me when I tell you that this is something that I need to work on as well. However, I will tell you that when I have used these suggestions that I gave to you, it lifted up my spirits as well. I was left feeling as though I had passed on a little bit of goodwill. Isn’t that the point? To leave this world a little bit better off than we found it? Life is all about choices so I need to make sure that I make some good ones that I know that I can live with.

What can you gain from this? Maybe a better question is…. what do you WANT to gain from it? If you are angry all the time, then you might need to ask yourself why. You might want to consider talking to someone about it. Trust me, there is nothing wrong with getting some therapy. Twice, I’ve chosen to do it and each time it helped me see things a little clearer. When we are honest with ourselves then it can help us to find our happy places within. Isn’t that the point as well? Just, food for thought.

The Benefits of Kindness

We live in a world today that is mired in technology and we have seemed to forget the benefits of simple kindness to our fellow human beings. ‘Tis the season of giving, yet we focus instead on getting the perfect gift and snarl and snatch from others. When Jesus came to this earth, he was born in a stable because there was no room for Him in the inn. He was placed in a manger because there was no bedding to lie Him in. He came as a child who grew into a man, who was loved by His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph. But He showed us the greatest benefit of the kindness of all because He was born for us so that He could die for us. God sent His only Son that He might come not to condemn the world but to save it.

That, to me, is the greatest benefit of the kindness of all. I don’t deserve that level of kindness. None of us do, but many of us have taken it for granted. We’ve lost our way, yet we have a God, who, time and time again, patiently waits for us to understand the level of His love and kindness that He feels towards His people.

So, how do we show God that we are beginning to understand?

Jesus gave us the greatest of commandments that God wants us to follow, that is according to Matthew 22: 37-39. “He said to them, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

I also have found that these should be the simplest commandments to follow. And when we do follow them? What will happen then? The world will become a better place. It is that simple and that is the very best benefit of kindness. We are given love so we need to give love in return. (Related post: The Blessings That We Receive)

So, what did I learn from this? Having been married for 26 years with 2 grown children, I can tell you that I love my family all the time, I just don’t always like them because of the way that they may act or the things that they do. I wonder if God feels that way about us too, sometimes. Of course, He loves us because He wouldn’t continue to desire to have a relationship with us, otherwise. I am also sure that, like any parent, He can get frustrated with us when we don’t listen or obey. So, when I do God’s bidding of showing kindness to others, then it helps me to be better as well and I feel God’s love.

What can you gain from this? Love given is also love received. Not everyone will understand it or even appreciate it, but we have to try continuously. We can’t change another person’s circumstances that they are in, but we can pray for them and hope that they may find comfort in God’s ever-loving arms. The truth is that God loves us even when we aren’t at our nicest. I don’t know about you, but I like the fact that I AM loved all the time, even when I don’t deserve it. That, to me, can be the biggest gain of all.

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