You Have the Right To Remain Silent

 "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14

There are often times in life when we are handed an injustice or an unfair decision. This can present itself in many forms and often comes from someone in a place of authority over us. How we respond to the authority reveals much about where we place our trust. When treated unfairly or told to do something we know is not in the best interest of all involved, we want to rage against the "establishment." 

Yes, we have the right to speak our mind. Yes, we have the right to fight against wrongs. Yes, we have a voice to be heard. However, we also have the right to remain silent. In fact, we are told in scripture there are times when it is appropriate to keep our mouths closed and our opinions to ourselves. God is our vindicator. He will fight for us. 

I recently witnessed this type of situation. A court order was given regarding visitation with a child and the custodial parent was threatened with contempt of court if they did not take the child to the court ordered visitations. The parent knew their child was being placed in an unhealthy environment during these visitations. Yet, they felt there was not much recourse since it was something ordered by the authority, the courts. With much stress and concern, they obeyed the court order. The parent had to trust God to protect this child while they were out of their care. 

After several months, the custodial parent was contacted by child services and informed an investigation was being made into the home of the non-custodial parent. The custodial parent never had to say a word to anyone regarding the concerns for their child. While they were obeying the authorities and spending time in prayer every time the child was away, God was at work in ways the parent could not see. 

How many times has this happened in your life? When things that are wrong happen in your life, how do you respond? Do you resolve to take matters into your own hands and blatantly disrespect the authority over you? Or do you trust God to do His job? Do you believe that all things will eventually be revealed? The authority can be a parent, a boss, or a ministry leader. Are you willing to submit to the authority God has placed in your life and give God the chance to work on your behalf? 

If there is an area in your life that causes you to rage or lose sleep, perhaps it is time to lay it down and allow God to fight for you. Stop fighting battles that are not yours to carry. 

How I Became Mrs. Foster. Pt. 1

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him." Psalm 62:5 (NKJV) 

It has been a while since I've written about anything happening in my personal life. I think it is because so much has happened over the last few months I did not know where to begin writing. Many times I wanted to write, but would hear God tell me there are some things best kept quiet. In our world we are overly saturated by social media. We can tell you where people we hardly know had lunch or their favorite sports teams. And yet, often, we know very little about what is truly happening in someone's life. Other times we know far too much information. The events of the last few months have been so precious to me that I have held back from sharing much of the details.  

In order to tell the story of the most recent change in my life, I have to go back to October 19. This is the day I heard a sermon preached by Bishop Tony Miller that impacted me deeply. The main point of the sermon was how we are to break the measuring stick we have placed on God and what He can do in our lives. During this sermon I also heard referenced all God had done in the last year in the lives of the pastors of my church. This sermon penetrated my soul to the core. I began thinking, "What will God do in the next year?" Not only did I begin asking myself what God would do, I earnestly expected God to move in utterly ridiculous ways. In order to keep track of all God would do, I decided to begin journaling the next year of my life.  

Oftentimes we can easily forget how God shows up in our lives. Things happen and we believe we will not forget them, but as life moves from one day to the next, we can easily overlook the ways God has blessed us or moved on our behalf.  

Up until this point I had been on various online dating sites off and on for years. The stories of my experiences were so comical I had mostly given up hope of ever finding anything real. I saw them more as comedic entertainment than as a means of meeting anyone serious. When I heard the sermon by Bishop Miller, I earnestly talked to God about my desire for a husband. I had been struggling with the temptation to "throw in the towel" and compromise on what I knew God had for me. I felt I had reached a breaking point where I simply couldn't take being single any longer and was fighting the urge to settle for less than God's best. I believe, for the first time, I got completely honest with myself and with God regarding where I stood in my relationship feelings.  

I was simply tired.  

This "come to Jesus" moment happened October 19. Two days later, I saw for the first time (through an online dating site), the man who is now my husband.  

More of the story to come later....

Worship

Have you ever really thought about the word WORSHIP? Most associate worship with a time of singing songs. Worship is SO much more than just songs. I looked up the definition and this is what I found.

Noun:
1. Reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.
2. Formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: They attended worship this morning.
3. Adoring reverence or regard: excessive worship of business success.
4. The object of adoring reverence or regard.

Verb (used with object)

5. To render religious reverence and homage to.
6. To feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing).

Verb (used without object)
7. To render religious reverence and homage, as to a deity.
8. To attend services of divine worship.
9. To feel an adoring reverence or regard.


Worship can mean many things to different people. When I hear the word I think of it as it relates to the first definition. It relates to Christ and not some “sacred personage”. However, it is easy to see areas in my life where worship relates to work or money. People in a higher “class” are often seen as better or looked at with “reverence or regard”. By definition, this is worship also.

John 4:21-24 says "Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Ouch! Did you notice it doesn’t say “might” worship Him? It says if we worship Him, then we MUST worship in spirit and truth. If I am not worshiping Him, then truth can become distorted. My spirit can go astray from His presence.

This verse also references true worshipers. This implies there are many who worship, but are not true in their intent or in spirit. What kind of worshiper am I? I will admit there are times in my life when the last thing I feel like doing is worshiping. It could be that I don’t even think about worshiping because I just have too much going on. My schedule is too busy. How many times have I gone through my day without noticing all God has provided for me? I don’t even mean my home, clothing, food, family, etc. I’m referring to the song of the birds; the way He paints the sky with just the right amount of blue, pink, and purple; or the breeze across my face as I step outside and He kisses me good morning. The last definition listed says worship is to feel an adoring reverence or regard for. When I notice the things mentioned, I can’t help but worship God. They are all reminders of his presence. It is in these things that my SPIRIT worships.

Beautiful

I've been described as many things in my life, but beautiful has rarely been one of them. I don't remember ever hearing this word from my parents. Maybe they said it, but I don't remember hearing it. I know I definitely never FELT beautiful. I remember being told to change the way I dress or change how I wear my hair. If only I would change ________, I could be pretty too. Every little girl wants to feel like a princess and hear that she is beautiful. If this is not something you hear or feel as you are growing up, you become a woman who seeks to hear this word about you. You seek to gain attention, even when it is not in a positive way.

The reality is our society's definition of beautiful excludes most of the population. It's this idea of beauty that leads to eating disorders, be it not eating or eating too much. This picture of beauty is why billions of dollars have been spent on plastic surgery to change some perceived imperfection in ourselves. While the economy is in a downturn, the cosmetics industry is still making a big profit. According to Bloomberg, in 2010, L'Oreal reported a 25% increase in profits!

As I've matured in age and grown in my walk with Christ, my definition of beauty has changed. Many of the women I consider truly beautiful may not turn every head the minute they walked into a room. As I've come to know these women, it's because of their spirits that I consider them beautiful. It's their brokenness, their honesty, their integrity, their obedience to God's voice, their unwavering faith that make them amazingly beautiful. This is the kind of beauty I seek to have.

As I was listening to music this morning, God spoke to me through this song...



I was singing the lyrics when I heard God speak to me. He said, "stop singing, I want to sing this to you. This is how I feel about YOU." He says "I just want to wait on you. I want to dwell on who you are (how I made you)....beautiful, beautiful I'm lost for more to say. Beautiful, you're beautiful to me. Here in your presence, I am not afraid of brokenness (I was broken for you). To wash your feet with humble tears (because when you need me, I'm here and I cry when you cry)."

The little girl who has so longed to hear she is beautiful no longer has to yearn for those words. She hears them now. She hears them often. She hears them from her Daddy.

Playing Favorites

 The title given to the first part of James 2 in my bible is "The Sin of Favoritism." I think we can all become guilty of this sin. There are people in our society who are easily recognized as being the "cool kids." I wish I could say I have seen this only during my high school years, but I have witnessed it many times in my adult life and also within the church. I have watched as the wealthy were treated differently or ushered to sit in places of honor within church services. I have witnessed others being asked to sit in the back of the service so as not to be a disruption to others. I have seen many times how churches can have cliques made up of different economic statuses. There are always people who are the exceptions to this rule, but for the most part it has been what I have witnessed. There are people who are kept out of certain "circles" because they don't fit the dress code of the group. I am sure this is not the primary reason for the separation, but have you ever noticed how most groups of friends tend to dress alike? What about where they gather outside of church? If we all have Christ in our hearts, then certainly we should have more in common than just our clothing or are choice of hang out spots, right? Should we not find reasons to love all believers and not just those who "fit in?" 

 As I think more on James 2 I realize I have heard many sermons on the second half of the chapter regarding faith without works. It is quite a popular scripture, especially when volunteers are needed. However, I can't recall preaching on the verses on favoritism. Perhaps it is because it is a sin we are all guilty of committing. I am including myself in this statement.  

 "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, You sit here in a good place, and say to the poor man, You stand there, or, Sit here at my footstool, have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." James 2:1-13 

 These verses have caused me to examine my circle of friends. I truly need to do a better job of being open to more diverse friendships. According to these verses, showing favoritism is no less sin than murder or adultery. If I show special treatment to someone simply because of their financial status, then I have sinned. For this I repent Lord. Please show me ways to show your love to all people! I pray for this to change within our churches as well. Let the poor be given as much honor as the wealthy. What stirs in your heart when you read these verses?

How Can it Be?

Grace is such an interesting concept. How do you define something you don't deserve, could never purchase, and yet are freely given? I searched the definition of grace online and found two interesting results:

1. (in Christian belief) the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. 

When I began writing this post, this is the definition I had on my heart. However, the second definition I read has given be pause. 

2. Simple elegance or refinement of movement. 

The reason I paused is because in many ways these two definitions are one in the same. In my personal experience of encountering the grace of God, it's led me to move through life differently. I don't always get the movements correct. As with any dancer, there are many rehearsals to prepare for the day of the big performance. Our final performance does not happen in this lifetime. 

So many times when we fall, we want to quit the dance altogether. We think because of our mistakes we are unworthy of continuing to walk with Christ. The reality is, we never were and never will be worthy. Christ's love for us has nothing to do with us. We are only able to love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). The world fails to exhibit true love when it walks apart from Him. How can one know love unless they know the One who created love? 

I've never felt more loved than when I've felt God's grace. In the ministry work I do, I have seen many instances where someone has made decisions reflective of their life before coming to Christ. Satan uses these instances to try and convince them they are failures and should just give up trying to change. I believe it is these moments when someone can draw even closer to God. It is in these moments we experience new levels of grace. As a fellow believer, it is my job to extend this same grace to someone who has stumbled. We are called to lift one another up. There is no greater opportunity to show the love of Christ than when a brother or sister has fallen. When we feel most undeserving is when we need God's love and grace the most. 

Where are you in this example? Are you the one in need of extra grace today or are you the one who is being called to show grace? Is there someone in your circle of influence who is fighting to stay on course in their walk with God? How can you reach out to them to show grace where others are showing shame and condemnation? If you are the one who is struggling to keep your head up, then let me be the one to tell you to rise up. Grace is given freely. There is nothing you could do that God was not aware of before you made your choices. His forgiveness is for all your sins, not just the ones committed before accepting Him into your life. You are not the one person on earth who is unforgivable. His grace is sufficient for you. 

One of my favorite songs right now: 

Yawning at Tigers: You Can't Tame God So Stop Trying by Drew Dyck

I am encouraged by the number of books appearing lately regarding recognizing the power of God. Yawning at Tigers is one such book. We can become so "churched" that we forget we are worshipping and serving the God who created the universe. In this selection Dyck reminds us of His power. If you are looking for a book that will challenge you to take bolder steps in your faith walk, this is one you don't want to miss.  

I found this selection full of biblical truths and modern day examples of how God continues to move in the lives of those who serve Him. One of my favorite examples given in the book of how God pursues us is the reference to the movie Taken.  The author weaves many current media examples into sharing how God wants to operate in our lives. Dyck did an excellent job in posing questions to cause me to examine my boldness in my personal walk with God. Many parts in the book caused me to stop and reflect on the subject matter.  

I would definitely recommend this book for a personal or group study. The discussion guide at the end of the book is great for either time alone in reflection or with others.  

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”