Leap of Faith

The Word of God is filled with stories of people who take a leap of faith.

One such person leaped to mind. (See what I did there?) The story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho is also the story of Rahab and her faith.

We first see Rahab when Joshua sent a couple comrades to spy out Jericho. There is no getting around it: Rahab was a prostitute, and as such, there was plenty of coming and going around her house. A perfect place for a couple spies to blend in.

Yet somehow authorities got wind of the spies and showed up to demand information. Rahab thought quickly, and hid the spies on top of the roof, then goes downstairs and lied.

One of the many things I love about the bible is that it calmly tells truthfully what people did. It doesn't gloss over or sugar-coat.

Remember, Rahab had not been taught or raised not to lie. Could God have saved the spies without Rahab lying? Absolutely! But she probably never thought to ask Him and in the pressure of the moment, she did what came naturally.

You can read the full story of Rahab here and here.

My point in mentioning Rahab is this: She took a leap of faith to align herself with the Children of Israel against her own people. She believed in the reputation of God, and we know she had faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us so:

By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. (Hebrews 11:31 NKJV)

James explains to us that not only did she have faith, she took that leap of faith and put it to work:

So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. (James 2:23-26 NLT)

She didn't know it at the time; but God had a plan for Rahab's life, and it was a beautiful one. She was to marry one of the princes of Judah and end up in the lineage of King David, and ultimately Jesus Christ.

How about that for a leap of faith?

This is the last post in "Walk the Walk Christian Living Series," written from the perspective of a recovering perfectionist. You can go here to find all the links to the posts in the series.


I'm linking this post to the community at #TuneInThursday

Persistent: Keeping On

My husband and I used to run a Southern Gospel Music chat room back at the turn of the century. His user name was Mr. Persistent.

Such an apt description! Admirable ... and also annoying.

A person with persistence is admirable. They get the job done. They overcome every obstacle. They never quit until their objective is achieved.

A person with persistence is also annoying because they. Will. Not. Leave. You. Alone.

There is a story in the bible about a persistent woman. Being a widow, she had no one to help her when someone was taking advantage of her. She had no recourse but to try getting legal relief.

But she was turned down.

Still, there was nothing else to do but try again.

And again.

And yet again.

Turns out the judge overseeing her case cared for no one's opinion. It did no good to complain to authorities. Why even if she'd gotten the Post or the Times involved, it wouldn't have swayed him in the slightest.

Still, she persisted.

One day, the judge thought to himself, "I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!" Luke 18:5 NLT

Persistence won the day.

Some people think when you pray and ask God something, you should just do it once. They think only asking once demonstrates faith.

I don't know. I do admire faith that can wait and believe.

However, since God had Luke record the story of the persistent widow, I kind of think He values a person who just won't give up.

He even asks the question, "How much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?" Luke 18:8 MSG

You can read the whole story, here.

I know it's true we can ask with wrong motives; but if you're like me, if I don't get an answer to prayer, I'll stop and question if I have sin in my life or if I've asked selfishly. If I examine myself and look the situation over, and still believe desperately like the widow did, "I've no one else to help me, I've got to keep trying," then I'm going to keep asking.

After all, the writer of Hebrews tells us He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

Do you believe this?

I'm going to share one more scripture to prove my point.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Luke 11:9

The original language used here means to keep on: Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.

Sounds like persistence to me.

(Read the first 13 verses of Luke 11 which is on prayer - and persistence!)

This is post #28 of my "Walk the Walk Christian Living Series," written from the perspective of a recovering perfectionist. You can go here to see the links of each post as they go live.

Hey! Tomorrow is the last day of the series. Join me as we examine the word, "leap!"

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I'm linking this post to the communities at Recharge Wednesday and Grace&Truth

Relevant: does it apply to me?

The essence of being a student of the Word is the ability to apply it to your life. In other words, is what I just read relevant? Does it have significant bearing on my journey?

Take the story of Martha and Mary, for example. These were two sisters, along with their brother, who were special friends of Jesus. Jesus often stopped by on his travels and ate with them and spent time at their home.

Martha and Mary were total opposites. Martha was the Type A personality, the hostess, the server, the tireless worker. God love her! We desperately need the Marthas of the world. They get things done. We'd be lost without them.

Thing is, Marthas, by their very nature, can be a little impatient when others don't step up to the plate to help. It's easy, when you're a Martha, to fall into the trap of being self-righteous. "I find time to do all the things," they muse, "why can't you?"

But maybe you're a Mary. Marys love learning. They love sitting at the feet of Jesus and drinking in whatever He has for them. They're oblivious to all the details that might need to be done; their minds are all about concepts and big pictures.

So it was inevitable there would be a conflict. In fact, there had probably been many such clashes of personality. The bible tells us about one such skirmish. Listen in:

38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 New Living Translation (NLT)

So, how is this story relevant to my life? I've learned there is only one thing worth being concerned about - and it's not serving a big meal.

Such a relief for a working mother and MiMi to hear! Don't get me wrong; feeding your family is a calling and it is important.

But the thing to be concerned about is this: "Am I listening to Jesus?"

Whatever I have to do so I can hear Him is what I should be doing with my time.

What say you? Are you a Martha or a Mary?

This is post #27 of my "Walk the Walk Christian Living Series," written from the perspective of a recovering perfectionist. You can go here to see the links of each post as they go live.

I'm linking this post to the communities at #TellHisStory and InstaEncouragments Link-Up.

Schedule: Prioritize Quiet Time

There's a commercial that asks the question, "What's in your wallet?" implying  we are lacking something if a certain credit card does not repose alongside our cash and driver's licenses.

What if I asked a more important question? What if I asked, "What's on your schedule?" If you're a believer and you don't have quiet time with God on your schedule, you're missing out on something much more vital than a certain credit card.

We live in a culture of busy. I get that. I'm over-scheduled and over-committed just like you are.

Yet there is nothing more important than regularly meeting with God.

But it's not going to happen if I'm not intentional about it. Just bein' real, here.

I spend my days feverishly ticking off the boxes on my list; then feeling I've earned it, mindlessly scrolling social media. After all, I've worked hard!

Somehow ... I always feel zapped of energy, never refreshed.

Could it be I'm needing quiet? There's something healing and restful about solitude. Things I've been putting off thinking about, clamoring for attention in the back of my mind, now have time to present themselves as rational thoughts.

And ... if God wanted to speak to me, perhaps I would hear better.

You know, prayer is vital, and it is communication with our Savior. Communication should be a two-way street, with me both talking to Him, AND listening, as well. That's only going to happen if make time for it.

God often speaks to His people through His word. Reading, studying, meditating and memorizing the bible are opportunities for God to speak to me. Again, it's only going to happen if time is scheduled for these activities.

Most of us have these marvelous contraptions called phones. We can set alarms to tell us when to do things.

All I'm saying is ... let's prioritize quiet time. We might be surprised at the results. It doesn't have to look perfect. We don't have to be sitting at a picture-perfect location with candles burning, praise music in the background and cool journals and pens at the ready to write down any revelation that comes. (Although, yeah! I love all that stuff.)

It just needs to be some time carved out for me, Him and silence, and let's see what happens.

This is post #26 of my "Walk the Walk Christian Living Series," written from the perspective of a recovering perfectionist. You can go here to see the links of each post as they go live. 

I'm linking this post with the community at Inspire Me Monday.

Increase: Blessed in 5 More Ways

Did you all ever hear of the prayer of Jabez? He's only mentioned once in the Bible. His name is smack dab in the middle of a list of genealogy. It's like the Holy Spirit was having the writer of Chronicles list a bunch of names, and when he got to Jabez, he stops and says, "Oh, I gotta tell you about Jabez ..."

9 There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. 10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NLT

and then he goes back to listing.

In the year 2000, Bruce Wilkinson wrote a book about the prayer of Jabez and everyone began to pray that same prayer. I'll admit, I was one of those that participated.

It seems such a simple little prayer. It could be summed up as, "Bless me, expand my territory and increase my impact, be with me in everything, and keep me from pain." Seems like Jabez asked for a lot and God granted it.

When I prayed it, I have to admit I honed in with laser-like intensity on the "expand my territory," and "keep me from trouble and pain," parts.

Twenty years later, I'm reflecting on that prayer and on what has happened so far.

Blessed? Yes!

Territory expanded and impact increased? Yes! (What that meant for me was more areas of ministry - a mixed blessing. More opportunities for God to use me - but, more work!)

Is He with me in all I do? Yes! He has never left me or forsaken me.

Kept from all trouble and pain? Well ... I don't know if that one can be fully answered until I've finished my journey. I totally believe there were many times the enemy wanted to hurt me, and God prevented it. 

What I can say is this: "I've had troubling times and painful happenings. Yet, every time God helped me through them, and it turned out okay."

Today is Friday, the day I set aside to reflect on finding 5 blessings in my week. I was thinking about how God has increased so many things in my life in the 20 years since I prayed that prayer.

1. My family has increased!

May the Lord give you increase more and more,You and your children. Psalm 115:14 New King James Version (NKJV)

Twenty years ago, we had three children - a great blessing for which we had prayed. Today, we have added two sons-in-law and three grandchildren. Definitely an increase. Our family table has expanded.

2. Our children's homes have increased. Now they have households of their own. God has blessed them with health, employment and homes of their own. Just this week, the Lord blessed in helping our oldest find a new-to-her vehicle that fulfilled all the things on her wish-list. Also, I got to take a day off and go with her and her dad to pick it up, so I'm thankful for earned time off.

3. My ministry has increased. Twenty years ago, I was 4 years in to my career as a ministry assistant. I would never have guessed the paths the Lord has led me in: working in an additional church, becoming a board member and in leadership in my home church, becoming an adult bible study teacher, a worship team member and leader (something I would never on my own have chosen), a blogger and now a writer. In all these things, my aim is to share the joy God gives me and encourage others.

4. He has increased my love of scripture! I am more enthusiastic about being in the Word than ever. Currently, my two passions are discovering all I can about the last generation and end-time prophecy, and my study on the biblical concept of covenant love (or hesed).

Here is a beautiful word discovered just this week in my studies about what God's faithful people can expect.

Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! Psalm 85:10 NLT

I want all those things, don't you?

5. Four days of sunshine in a row! I keep track of the weather in my little bullet journal and God has graciously granted sunshine - and daffodils! One of the church members where I work always brings me a handful of daffodils to put on my desk every year when she first sees them springing up in her yard.

It brightens my day so much!

How has YOUR week went? Has God increased you with blessings to share? Leave a comment, or consider linking up your own post to the community at Friday's Fave Five.

I'm also linking up with Grace&Truth.

This is post #25 of my "Walk the Walk Christian Living Series," written from the perspective of a recovering perfectionist. You can go here to see the links of each post as they go live. 

Opinion: Do I need to share mine?

Opinions, they say, are like ears, everybody has a couple.

In today's culture, it seems like everyone is in a rush to chime in with their opinions. Social media gives us a platform to do so; used to be, it was at beauty salons, barber shops and the corner diner where we'd express our thoughts and feelings. We could still get in trouble giving our 2¢, but not on a world-wide level as can happen today.

Seriously, though, as a Christian, does the world need to hear my opinion?

It's a little confusing.

The bible does say that we are to speak the truth in love.

It also teaches us to be a man (or woman) of few words. Let your yes be yes, and your no, no. I feel that implies,"and say little else!"

Let's examine these two statements in context.

First, speaking the truth in love is found in Ephesians 4:14-16. Paul is talking about how the body of Christ (the church) is to function. He says this,

"We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ..."

Notice we are speaking the truth in love to other believers.

Now, let's address the idea believers should communicate by few words. The statement, "Let your yes be yes, and your no, no," is found in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus outlines principles for kingdom living. It's about making an oath, or swearing by something to prove your point:

34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one. Matthew 5:34-37 NLT

Basically, if you have to swear by something because the strength of your character is not enough, what good is it?

BOOM!

Back to my original question: Do I need to share my opinions? I think the answer is, "Rarely, unless asked."

There is a time to stand up. But use your words for times that count. Spouting off on social media doesn't change minds; it often closes them to anything you might say in the future.

And now, I invite your opinion. My blog is a safe place. Do you think people should express their opinions? Feel free to comment, with civility!

This is post #24 of my "Walk the Walk Christian Living Series," written from the perspective of a recovering perfectionist. You can go here to see the links of each post as they go live. 

I'm linking up with Let's Have Coffee and #TuneInThursday.

Growth: You Need Support

When I first became the adult Sunday School teacher at my church, I wanted to name my class, The Supporting Ligaments, based on this scripture:

From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part. Ephesians 4:16 HCSB

The body can only grow if each part does its individual work. We need each other. 

One part can't do it all.

One part shouldn't do it all.

If you think about it, when one comes across a tightly-knit group of caring individuals who are excited about the cause of Christ and are busily engaged in giving it their all, it's very attractive. It draws you in, so to speak. You just naturally want to be a part of what's going on.

I speak from experience. When I first started working as a ministry assistant at my first church, I didn't actually attend that church, I was a member at my home church. 

There is something to be said for church support staff to not work at their own church. You can actually worship without everyone interrupting you wanting to know answers to questions. People don't stop you in the hallway to ask you to put something in the bulletin. If there is not enough Sunday School literature, teachers don't immediately eye you as if to say, "Are you not doing your job and ordering on time?"

On the other hand, you work all week planning and praying for events and services culminating on the big day, Sunday, but you're not there to see how it all went down. You have to wait until Monday - or later in the week - to hear all the news. 

Maybe I was just nosy, but I couldn't stand not being there. My heart was knit together with the church family and I couldn't stay away.

I think Paul was led by the Holy Spirit when he used the analogy of a human body to explain to the Ephesians how a church body should function. Jesus is the head of the church body, but the rest of us all have a part to play. We can't all be the hand or the foot or we'd be a freak. Some of us will have visible functions and some of us have to be the invisible supporting ligaments holding everything together.

Love has to be woven in and around and through each body part; and when it is, people can't help but want to join in.

I also want to point out just as a human body has growth spurts and dormant periods, so does the church. Sometimes it will seem like a child stays the same size forever and then seemingly overnight, he's outgrown all his clothes and shoes. We will shake our head as we head to the clothing store saying, "My kid has had a growth spurt. He's got nothing that fits anymore."

Sometimes the church might look the same on the outside, but inside, spiritually, God is strengthening each part for growth. It might be a slow and steady growth; or it might be growth by leaps and bounds.

Our job is to keep loving and supporting one another and trusting God for growth and seeking the kingdom and His righteousness.  His job is to add such as should be saved.

Oh, by the way, the class didn't want to change their name to The Supporting Ligaments. They wanted to remain The Joy Class. 

I'm fine with that.

This is post #23 of my "Walk the Walk Christian Living Series," written from the perspective of a recovering perfectionist. You can go here to see the links of each post as they go live. 

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I'm linking this post to the community at Recharge Wednesday.

Success: The Key

I have found the key to success! And ... it only takes three steps.

Don't just take my word for it. Read it in the word:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:8 KJV

Joshua told us what we need to do to be successful:

1. Speak the Word
2. Meditate on the Word
3. Do what the Word tells you

THEN your way will be prosperous; then you will have success.

I tell you, a message like this sparks joy in the heart of a bible enthusiast like me. I can do this!

And you can, too.

I'm not saying it will always be easy in each of our journeys to make time to be in the Word; it will take commitment and determination to stick-to-it, but it should be a priority.

I'm positive about one thing - you can't go wrong with dwelling in His Word.

This is post #22 of my "Walk the Walk Christian Living Series," written from the perspective of a recovering perfectionist. You can go here to see the links of each post as they go live.

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I'm linking this post to the communities at Inspire Me Monday and #TellHisStory