Every Spiritual Blessing

I had a very good friend whose life was less than perfect. We’ll call her Becca. Her language was colourful, her habits questionable, her past mistakes regrettable. I invited her to church one time. She scoffed. She claimed the church was not a place where she belonged. She shuddered, not in distaste, but in fear.

“God will smite me the moment I walk through the doors,” she joked.

Of course, if that were true, then God would have obliterated the human race in holy fire and brimstone a long time ago. Becca didn’t realise she was no more terrible than the rest of us. She was no more unworthy than the holiest of saints. She didn’t know that it’s not about brownie points, punishment or perfection.

None of us deserve God's love.

None of us can earn His forgiveness.

But all of us belong in Him.

When we approach Him and ask for forgiveness for our wanderings, He won’t judge the filth under our nails, He won’t condemn us for the sludge in our darkest corners, He won’t smite us for our past. God will accept us as we are. He doesn’t hold back from us. He doesn’t wait for us to deserve His gifts. He doesn’t keep a tally or a scorecard. He blesses us with EVERY spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3).

Our God is an amazing God.

God’s Love

How often do you hear, “Love thy neighbour”? How often do you want to do just that but their selfishness makes you want to hold back or their insensitivity makes you impatient? How often do you beat yourself up for failing to be the Christian you want to be?

We all want to do as God tells us but we can’t if we try to go it alone. He gives us the power to be the people He wants is to be. This power is based on love. We can’t give love if we don’t first accept it. I’m not talking about the fickleness of human love. I’m talking about the faithfulness of God’s love. When we let it, God’s love fills us up and overflows in a river of kindness, patience, forgiveness, and mercy.

God’s love is the only love we can rely on. God’s love is a power like no other. It can change us. We no longer need to rely on others to give us acceptance, recognition, or self worth. Our love is born from gratitude towards the amazing things God has done for us.

How does God’s love sustain you?

Being Led

When I was young I used to have big plans about all the things I was going to do with my life. I was going to be a great artist, a world traveller, a famous writer, an adventurer, a movie star, an animator, a dancer, a singer and I was never going to get married. Some things came to pass, others did not, and there are still others yet to come.

Did I plan even half the things that happened in my life? No. God had better plans for me. I am married to the most wonderful man in the world. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better man. He is good for me in ways I could never have written on a shopping list for the “perfect man”. He taught me to trust, and to love, and to be myself.

I never dreamed I would end up leading youth groups or fellowships, or even the elders of the church. But I did. I never dreamed I would grow such a passion for my Lord. But I did.

He leads me in ways that are both scary and exciting. He takes me down roads I would never have walked on my own. He carried me through darkness and safely delivered me into His Light.

I can’t imagine what tomorrow will bring, but knowing my hand rests in His, I will gladly walk with Him wherever He will lead me.

Where has the Lord led you?

Cascade

I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. Mark 9:41 (NIV)

The benefits of belonging to Christ and living in God’s kingdom are many. God’s blessings are bountiful and it is a great privilege to be counted as one of his own. But it is not a thing to hoard away as a private treasure. It is not a thing we are meant to hide for fear of it being taken away. No one can take it from us and we only gain more by giving more.

So, walk tall, showing pride to bear Christ’s name and know that anyone who blesses you because of that name is also blessed. It doesn’t diminish your own blessings, but instead increases it. It’s a wonderful cascade of blessings. A thing to be shared. And it’s all because of the love of God.

Child of God

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 1:12-13 (NIV)

To be a child of God is to know that we belong to God, that we are dearly loved by God, and that we will inherit his kingdom.

To be a child of God is to know that we are God’s creation, that he chose the time and place of our birth, and that his individual plan for us began before even the world was born.

To be a child of God is to live refreshed and daily renewed in his Spirit. It is to be washed clean by Christ’s precious blood and to be set free from the shackles of sin and darkness.

To be a child of God is the greatest blessing we can know.

Finding Satisfaction

Only through God do we find true satisfaction in our lives because He gives us purpose and fulfilment. So, what is satisfaction?

Satisfaction is contentment: being satisfied with everything we have no matter our circumstances. (Philippians 4:12 NIV)

Satisfaction is the absence of fear: we are able to trust God with all aspects of our lives. And in that trust we don’t need to fear anything. (Hebrews 13:6 NIV)

Satisfaction comes from being equipped: The more we learn about God, the more we are prepared to face anything that life throws at us. If we learn His ways then we will respond more in His ways also. And peace will be ours. (Philippians 4:9 NIV)

Satisfaction is dependant on saturation: The more we allow God in our lives the more His power becomes evident and the less likely we will take Him for granted. (Luke 9:23 NIV) 

Satisfaction is dependant on fellowship: Through fellowship we are encouraged, strengthened. We find a sense of belonging in the family of Christ. (Hebrews 3:13 NIV)

What areas in your life do you know your satisfaction takes a hit?

Finding Home

Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;

save me and I will be saved,

for you are the one I praise.

Jeremiah 17:14 (NIV)

Believe this truth and it shall be done.

Believe it and your world will open

in a way you may not have ever imagined.

Praise your Lord

and discover that

He is your Master

Your friend

Your life

Your everything.

You will find love.

You will find belonging.

You will find peace.

You will find Home.

Is Aging an Illness?

I read an article recently about how the treatment of ageing could be revolutionised by a new approach that classes it as an illness. David Gems, a biogerontologist, is quoted to have said at a conference in London, “If ageing is seen as a disease, it changes how we respond to it. For example, it becomes the duty of doctors to treat it.”

This statement upset me a great deal. Yes, ageing is a difficult process. I’m not as physically or mentally fast as I used to be. I’m more fragile. I have grey hairs, laugh lines and my eye sight is failing. But I’m not about to call it an illness.

Ageing is a natural process. It reminds us that this world and these bodies are only temporary. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

I’m not about to go all dark ages on anyone either and claim we aren’t allowed to cover up those grey hairs, or can’t use technologically advanced moisturiser. What I am saying however is that we don’t need to be afraid of our mortality. We don’t need to become obsessed with our appearance.

God will love us no matter how withered we become. He will be our strength when we grow weak (Isaiah 46:4). He is the light that shines out from us and makes us eternally beautiful (Revelation 21:23). He is our home. He is our forever.

Who Are You?

Are you are mother or a daughter?

Are you a father or a son?

Are you a sister or a brother?

Perhaps you are an accountant or a secretary?

A writer or a painter?

A fighter or a runner?

A speaker or a listener?

A leader or a follower?

Perhaps you are none of these things?

Perhaps you are many?

Or maybe

you are still trying to decide?

Who are you?

You are Christ’s

You are Loved

You are Eternal

You are Saved.

Attack of the Mutant Carrots

Do you like my carrots? Yes, they are carrots. No, really. I grew them and then yesterday I harvested them. I’m very proud of these carrots. They may be too embarrassed to show themselves to the other shop-bought vegetables, but I love them because I grew them. So what if they aren’t perfect? So what if they are a little strange and very stumpy?

Even though I’m not a skilled gardener, I managed to grow these little nuggets of sunshine all by myself. I think they are beautiful.

God thinks we are beautiful for the same reason. He made us and He loves us. It doesn’t matter about the environment we grew up in. It doesn’t matter if we have physical defects. It doesn’t even matter what we think about ourselves. We can be a little strange. We can be a little stumpy. We can be considered outcasts. And God will love us anyway.

Because God sees our beauty, we are free to be ourselves. We are free to allow God to shape us, rather than society.

Do you allow society to guide the way you think about yourself? Are you influenced by all the beautiful models and celebrities we see everywhere? Do you really believe you are beautiful because God believes you are beautiful?

Friend for Hire

In countries such as India and Japan there are a number of companies that have actors for hire to attend weddings or any other social event. It sounds like a strange concept to hire fake guests for your special occasions but apparently it is becoming more popular. This is because the more people you know the greater prestige you are perceived to have.

This strange fact comes to me as a reminder that we live in a world where appearances often matter more to us than the truth. This is why Jesus says we do not belong to the world.

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. John 15:19 (NIV)

Jesus is our Truth. He is our Comforter. He is our Salvation. He is what really matters.