Eyes of Grace

I just want to throw out a reminder that is on my heart today after talking with a friend last night...

Don't judge people's heart motives; judge only their fruit. That's what the Word says. Instead of saying don't judge, we would be better to say don't condemn. Judgement, we are instructed to do...it is when and how that we need to get straight.

Don't compare yourself or your family or your anything to any other...only to Jesus...The Word.

Remember when we read in Colossians about Paul encouraging them not to judge about how people do things...whether they observe certain festivals or not, etc...? Really ask God to make it revelation to you that there is now NO condemnation because you and your Christian brothers and sisters are IN Jesus.

Don't fall into any condemnation about how your family celebrates this time of year. Walk out what God puts on your heart. Don't compare your family or traditions to others...examine them before the Word.

I remember last year watching a lot of strife in the Body of Christ on whether we should be in a church building on Christmas because it fell on a Sunday. At a time we should have been lifting up Jesus everywhere because we ARE the Church, sadly many high and lofty opinions were being lifted up and separating the Body instead.

Who are we to say what another's walk should look like? The Bible is full of examples that didn't look like good ones on the surface, but God confounded the wise and logical thinkers with what looked like a whole hot mess of foolishness!

If I have learned anything, it is to not put God in a box. It definitely wouldn't have "looked" holy or right for little virgin Mary to be pregnant with our Savior or for Joseph to be with a pregnant fiance! "Pregnant by divine intervention you say Joseph? You really believe her? Bhaaaa!" I'm sure there were many condemning fellow believers in their midst, but the Word of Truth lets us clearly know that both of them had upstanding character (fruit) and what looked to be scandalous was the very hand of God working!

We can feel so certain that we know what someone else should or should not be doing...that if they are not doing it like us they must be wrong or in sin. We can feel like we are wrong by comparing ourselves to others. Jesus came to free us all from that garbage! Don't fall into it. Don't waste time feeling badly. Do what YOU are called to do and go light your sphere of influence!

Our walks look different because we are all created individually. We all have different calls and different people to reach.

So in this season or whatever circumstance you may be in, don't waste time feeling condemned about not doing something someone else is or about doing something another person is not. Seek God's plan for YOUR life and trust that in our differences, He is building pieces of a very beautiful puzzle...that we can help one another experience the many aspects of Him by looking through the eyes of grace!

Lukewarm? NO! Zealous!

Paul tells the Colossians that he has agonized for them and others because he wants them so badly to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love...to have complete confidence that they understand God's mysterious plan, which IS Christ himself...and that in Christ, ALL the treasure of wisdom and knowledge are hidden! Then he goes on to say that if anyone tells them differently, those peeps are trying to deceive them.

I love Paul's zeal! I want his heart for others...believers and non-believers! I want to feel the burden on my heart to pray for others and think of others before myself! I want to be consumed with the want of leading anyone and everyone to Christ himself so all people can find the treasures!!! Too often I want these things second to whatever is going on in my little world. Anyone else experience this?

Then Paul tells them that even though he is away from them, his heart is with them. I think I love this so much because it is so real and raw. I mean, how often do we feel this? My physical body may be in one place, but my heart, thoughts, yearnings are with another...with a friend who is in the depths of heartache, etc.... I think I always enjoy spending time with Paul in the Word because I can identify so much with him, yet I still want to be more like him!

My study note spoke of Paul's warning against deception and how he wanted this letter passed on to the church at Laodicea...the one that Jesus later rebukes for being lukewarm! God always raises up a forthtelling prophetic voice of warning to bring believers back to the right path! Praise Him! 

WE have to be vigilant that we are not deceived in these days. We can only do that through knowing the Word. We can only know the Word by soaking in it. God flipped my mindsets and homeschool upside down this year by focusing us on the Word first and foremost and fitting everything else into it, instead of fitting "Bible" into 20 minutes a day. When this world, this economic system, this government that is denying God comes crashing down, I want my family standing on the Rock of Salvation. I want to be about the "right" things. I have NO DESIRE to be lukewarm.

Make time for the Word friends. It is your lifeline of truth! Don't let other things take precedence! Praying for us all

Do Hard Things!

I started reading a book this morning called Do Hard Things,  and I can't stop the tears. I don't know why fully yet, but I am grieved partly because when Garrison (our oldest son, 14) read it, he began to talk about things and be stirred up about things and now I see that I didn't catch his vision and he probably didn't know how to articulate it exactly. I know God will show me what to do about that now, but this also sparked something else in me.

I think as parents we often don't utilize our full weight of influence. We back down and don't want to push our kids too much. We often don't see all the lies of society we have bought into that don't line up biblically. This book is about how we have come to expect so little of teens...like the teen years are nothing more than a vacation time with the only responsibilities being some schoolwork and a few chores. Find that in the Bible. You won't. It isn't there.

The teen years are a preparation time, just as they were for Jesus, but likewise, Jesus was already starting to step out in His call as He was young and meeting with the teachers. My point? Raise your standards for your kids. Give them opportunity to rise to them. Give them the grace to fall, but inspire them to soar!

So they don't even believe they say? Make them prove to you why. Have a night designated for family study where you all dive in and find out how the Bible is truly God's Word or isn't. Don't think you have to have all the answers. Just explore good questions and let God pierce the heart. Change the tide in your home. Set a standard and call them to it...of course seeing to it that you discipline yourself first and foremost. You don't need to call it Bible study and freak them out. Call it family time with a purpose. Whatever...just hold them accountable for whatever they claim and tell them whatever it is, they need to be strong in it. Make them own it. Don't just let them run their mouth. This is a big deal. Their eternity depends on it.

Be very careful what advice you follow in how you handle your children. Don't cave to man-made philosophy that you will push your child away or crush their heart,.. etc... by setting a Godly standard in your home. After all, it was God who said to teach His Word and ways DILIGENTLY to your children all throughout your days with them!

Don't be willing to simply stand by and wait and hope they will believe or grow. You only have the influence you do as long as they live with you. Don't let that pass you by. No, you cannot shove Jesus or growth into them. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink right? But remember this...if you keep him there long enough, he will get thirsty!

I challenge you today to seek the Lord on how He wants to anoint you to take your household deeper...even your church, community, nation, and world! Don't put God in a limited box. With Him, one person changed the world. It won't look the same in your home as it does in another persons.  Be you. Let God lead you to impact your people!

Be willing. Be courageous. DO HARD THINGS and trust God for the end result. Let Jesus truly reign supreme through you!