MOOD WORTH MATCHING
I’m the oldest of five kids and my youngest brother, James, has Down Syndrome. James is AMAZING! He’s been in our family for 21 years now and we still can’t get over him! James if full of life and celebrates just about everything! His level of enthusiasm over ordinary…everyday kind of things is…well…I would guess it’s more than the rest of us would have.
Every Thursday night, James asks my dad. “Dad, guess what?” To this, my dad says “What James?” With great gusto and enthusiasm James says “Tomorrow is….TRASH DAY!”
I know what you are thinking…Does trash day mean something different in Missouri? Nope…it’s the same deal as all over the country. We roll out the trash…the trash truck picks it up…the end. But James celebrates trash day!
When James opens his presents on Christmas day he shouts for joy and shrieks with delight when he opens the nerf gun he has been asking for over the last six months. When he opens his next gift he does the same thing. He shouts for joy and shrieks with delight as he opens…wait for it…a can of green Pringles.
This boy knows how to celebrate! Another thing James does almost involuntarily is match the mood of the room. Sometimes he walks in a room where we are all celebrating. He has no idea why or what we are celebrating, but he jumps right in the celebration. Most of the time with a dance move or two. (music welcomed, but not necessary) There are other times he walks into the room as we are processing some tough circumstances. If someone is crying, James feels it. It’s like he can feel the shift in the atmosphere. He may not know what is going on, but his demeanor becomes more somber. Then, with sympathy, he tries to show some comfort to anyone who seems like they could use it.
James isn’t the only one who matches the mood of a room. I do this and you do this. In fact, we all do this, don’t we? When I am at Disney Land and I see the princes, princesses and Mickey Mouse smiling at me…I can’t help but smile back. It’s the happiest place on earth and 9 times out of 10 when I’m there my mood is matching! Just like I so easily match the mood when I walk into Disney Land, when I walk into the DMV I match the mood. It doesn’t take much imagination to guess what kind of mood that is. I scan the room and it is full of people who don’t want to be there. They are irritated, a permanent frown is on their face. And just like that…I match the mood. I get irritated. I settle into the mood that is in the room.
You know, the same way that James can feel the emotion in the room is the same way we can match the mood of the room. The people who walk through the doors of our churches look to you and I and they are matching our moods. The greeter at the door, the volunteer in the nursery and the singer on the stage...they are all affected by our mood.
Every week we have people who are walking through the doors of our church who are not even sure what they think of Jesus yet. They just know that they are desperate for something and they thought they would give church a try. The mood they feel when they walk in can absolutely change the trajectory of their eternity. If they walk in and the joy they see in our faces is real and the love that we have for each other is visible, they just might match the mood. They may begin to smile. They may begin to be open to this idea of Jesus even before they ever hear the message.
Mood is no small thing. We have to have a mood worth matching. This seems like a great concept, but what do we do when we are having a bad day? Do we paint a smile on our face and fake it? No way! People can spot fake fast.
So what do we do then? I’m glad you asked!
Romans 15:13 says “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
You see, we have to intentionally shift our eyes from our circumstances to the God that we say we serve. I’m not telling you to pretend the things in our lives that hurt are not there. In fact, I think it’s good to tell God how bad it can hurt...how difficult your situation is. But the key is this: Just like our circumstances are real, our God is real. He is a God of HOPE and His desires is to fill us with joy and peace as we trust Him. If at our core we believe that God is good, that God does good, and that God works all things together for good – Then we can have a joy that is so much bigger than our circumstances. We can have a hope that absolutely carries us.
You see our goal is not to paste a smile on our face, but to allow the God of hope to fill us with joy and peace…so that we will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we allow our hope to overflow….people are going to walk into church. They may not know what is going on…but they will feel this joy around them. I believe that God can use a mood worth matching to draw people to Him.
Anonymous
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“The father’s work in us does not sleep–though in spiritual winters he retracts all advertisements. And when he does so, he is purifying our faith, strengthening our character, conserving our energy, and preparing us for the future.”
“Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”
John Wesley said, “Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.” I believe that one of the things that has allowed me to lead the way I have, is this passion that burns deep inside of me. I am compelled by a God-given vision for myself, for my church and for the people around me to impact the world around me. This passion has been the catalyst to help develop my leadership style.
It is our job as leaders to call out qualities and potential in those around us. We must always be looking for ways to develop and activate people to be who God has designed them to be and to do what God has designed them to do. God designed each person with a specific plan and purpose. Part of our job as leaders is to lead people to that purpose.
As leaders we must be aware that we are setting the culture. We have the power to set the tone of what the culture within our organization will be. Those we lead look to us to know how to feel, work and talk. One of the more important values I set with those I lead is an atmosphere of affirmation. This atmosphere encourages people to use their talents and unleash their potential. To lead well, we must love the vision God has given us and love those we lead.
"For God Has Not Given Us A Spirit Of Fear"
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. For God has not given me the spirit of fear…” (2 Timothy 1:7)
This is the verse that I would say out loud in my bed whenever I was afraid as a child. I grew up in the Philippines in a missionary family. When I was a kid, I remember a woman who came to my parents’ church one day. She was demon possessed. My dad was preaching, so my mom and the deacons where in the office with this woman. She was possessed by many demons and they gave her strength that took many men to hold her down. I remember trying to peak into the office, but I wasn’t allowed to get close. It was after that day that I realized that demons were real. I was absolutely terrified at the thought. I had already asked Jesus to be my Savior, but the thought that they were real shattered my world. Every night, when it was time to go to sleep, I would tell my parents I couldn’t sleep because I was too scared. It was a struggle every night, for a long time. My parents told me “Yes, demons are real, but God is stronger. Whenever you get scared, say these verses out loud. If you are scared and you can’t say anything else, just say the name of Jesus out loud. Even if you have a nightmare, just say the name of Jesus out loud.” The fear didn’t leave me right away, but I at least had something to fight the fear with. After a while, I wasn’t terrified to go to bed. I am so grateful that my parents gave me the tools to fight this fear. Even today as an adult, if I ever get struck with fear, you will probably hear me proclaiming the same thing I learned when I was a little girl.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. For God has not given me the spirit of fear…”
"Be Careful To Not Talk All The Time"
“Be careful to not talk all the time.” I heard this instruction pretty often growing up from my mom and dad. They voiced this instruction often enough that all they needed to do was give me that “look” when I was talking too much. I knew that look really well because..well..I talked too much pretty regularly. My dad would often quote Proverbs 17:28 to me. “Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.” I don’t get this right all the time, but I often think to myself even as an adult while in a conversation…”Would my dad be giving me that..”that’s enough” or “it’s time to be quiet” look. I’m grateful my parents pointed me to wisdom even as a child. This particular piece of wisdom has served me well throughout the years.
How It All Started
I am a missionary kid and a pastor’s kid. Growing up, every time the doors where open, we were at church. I was in Sunday school every week. I heard all the Bible stories. I sang all the songs. I loved church. I probably loved seeing all my friends and the snacks more than anything. I did really like the stories and enjoyed singing songs about this great big God. I had great comfort in knowing that my mom and dad had a personal relationship with this God I sang about. It somehow made me feel good to know I had a connection through my parents. One day, at lunch, I was talking to my dad about all the different Bible stories I knew. I don’t remember all of the details of that conversation, but what I do remember is that, in that moment, I felt God whisper to my little heart… “Tiffany, all of these stories..David and Goliath, Daniel and the lions den, Jesus on the Cross…It’s all one big story of how much I love you!” At that moment, I realized that I was a sinner and that I needed Jesus. I prayed a simple prayer. “God, forgive me for my sins. I believe Jesus died on the cross and rose again. Please come into my heart and take me to heaven when I die. Amen”.
Immediately after I invited Jesus into my life to be my Lord and Savior, I was on mission to tell everyone. Before I knew it, I was telling my neighbor friend. I remember telling her about this amazing thing called salvation and how God loves us so much. She was not as enthusiastic as I had hoped for. I asked her if she wanted to pray and invite Jesus to be her Savior…just as I had recently done. To my shock, she declined. I thought “no problem, she wouldn’t do it - I’ll just pray for her”. Mission accomplished - or so I thought. I had a lot to learn- like how God gives us the choice to choose Him or not. While I didn’t know a lot, what I do know is that my enthusiasm was spot on. We should be so compelled by what God has done for us that we start telling others. My neighbor friend didn’t accept Christ that day, but years later she did, and that is something to celebrate!
The Value Of Wisdom
Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
Proverbs 3:13 -17
As a child and a teenager my Dad would often bring my attention to the book of Proverbs. During, what I’m assuming, were particularly foolish phases of mine, my dad would give me in- depth assignments from the book of Proverbs. I have read Proverbs probably more than any other book in the Bible. I have come to know the value of wisdom and where I can go to find it. I am thankful for the emphasis my Dad put on wisdom while I was growing up.
The Birth Of A Vision
When I was in college I remember doing my first Beth Moore Bible Study. The thing that I remember more than anything else about the Bible study was this woman who loved God’s Word so much. As I watched her videos, I remember asking God to give me a love for His Word like she had. I asked God “Help me want to want your word, like Beth does.” God used her to light a fire in me to read God’s word and seek His face more than I ever had in my life. Then I remember doing her “Believing God” Bible study. Wow! This study helped form some of the foundation of how I believe God and His Word. In this study I learned (If you have done this study, say it with me).
GOD IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS.
GOD CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO.
I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM.
I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST.
GOD’S WORD IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE IN ME.
Years later, I still say and believe with all my heart these core truths that I learned in this study!
One year in college I had the chance to go to Chicago to an event Beth Moore was putting on for college girls. It was at this event that I felt God whisper to my heat that He wanted me to teach. This was the beginning of a journey to seek God’s heart in a new way, to discover His will for my life and to proclaim His message of hope.
I Need Direction
I wanted God to call me back to the Philippines as a missionary. I even had the chance to visit Manila over Christmas break my senior year. As I spent time with different people and ministries, I asked God to tell me if He wanted me to come back to the country that I loved and called home. I remember one afternoon standing in the back of a youth event, a man who had been a missionary in the Philippines while I was growing up happened to be there. He came over and asked me “Tiffany, do you think you are going to move back here?” I told him “I don’t know. I would like to, but I don’t feel a peace about it yet.” He put his hand on my shoulder and said. “I think God’s got something for you in the States.” I was very surprised to hear this man say that. After all, we both had a heart for missions. Everyone else on that trip told me they would love to have me come and work with them in their ministry. But this man, who had no idea that I was begging God to speak to me and give me His direction, came over and confirmed what I had been feeling in my heart. At the time, I was so sad that God had not given me the answer I had hoped for. I didn’t even recognize that He was, in fact leading me and guiding me. Sure, He said no, but the truth was… He said something.
I came back to the states and continued my senior year of Bible College. I still had no idea what God wanted me to do. All I knew was that the the Philippines was off the table. God continued to show more and more of my friends what their next step would be after school. And I found myself wondering what my next step would be. A few weeks before graduation, the executive pastor at my church asked me to interview for a part time job as his intern. I remember telling him that I couldn’t give him a time commitment, because I was waiting on God to show me where to go. (Not a good move in an interview for a job, by the way.). He gave me a part time job and I started right after I graduated. I was waiting tables at night and on the weekends along with working at church. I began my journey in ministry as the Volunteer Coordinator. I took on additional roles and launched new initiatives such as: leading and expanding our community outreach program, managing the church social media platform, and launching our weekly video announcement which was a catalyst to our creative arts department. I loved serving at church, but it was a struggle to work two jobs. For years, I worked two jobs, so that I could do what I loved at church. God gave me the grace to keep going. Four years later, I came on full time at church. God has given me so many areas in which to learn,grow and serve. I have had the opportunity to teach Bible studies, speak at women’s events, children’s camps, ministry conference breakouts, and I got the incredible privilege to speak at a conference to over 600 teenagers. I expanded our membership class to include connecting newcomers to small groups and volunteering. In 2008, I launched The Volees, our annual volunteer celebration. We roll out the red carpet to honor our volunteers by throwing a big party. Four years ago, I was asked to lead our children’s ministry and have seen God do some amazing things. I knew the only way to make my vision a reality, was to activate leaders.
As a result, I launched an internship program where we invest in college students.
Looking back, almost a decade after my senior year of college, I see that God wasn’t silent. He had plans for me…good plans…He was directing me and was with me the whole time!
My Story Isn't Boring
When I was in college I had the opportunity to travel on the recruiting team for my school. Every summer, I travelled with a team of 4 or 5 other college students to youth camps. Our goal was to connect to the students and try and get them to go to Baptist Bible College. Traveling to 8 weeks of camp all over the country each summer was one of the coolest experiences. I had the chance to see God work in mighty ways in the lives of teenagers. Each week we would see teens give their hearts to God. One of the things we were able to do was to share our stories of how we met Jesus and what brought us to Bible College.
I always thought to myself, “my testimony is boring and isn’t as powerful as other testimonies”. I am a pastor’s kid, who grew up in church and got saved when I was five. I’ve never smoked, drank and I didn’t even cuss. My parents where supportive and I’ve never went without a meal or a place to sleep. Growing up in church, I’ve heard many testimonies. It seemed to me like the people with the greatest testimonies were the people who had the greatest sin or a terrible upbringing. These made for the greatest stories of how God saved them and their life changed dramatically.
One year I travelled with a girl who had one of those “really powerful” testimonies. It was so cool to see how God had saved her and how on fire she was for the Lord. I remember standing in the front of the auditorium one night for the invitation and a teenage girl came up to me. I was excited to pray with her. She asked me if I was the the one who..then she proceeded to describe my friend’s testimony. She said she really connected with my story. I told her that wasn’t me and took her over to my friend. I felt defeated. My story wasn’t powerful. That’s when God showed me that my story wasn’t powerful or not powerful based on me and what I have been through and done. My story and everyone’s story, for that matter, is powerful based on who God is and what He has done. My story is not even about me. It’s about Him! I needed to get over myself and I needed to stop thinking my story is less powerful than others. The same powerful God who sent His son, Jesus to this world, to live, die and rise again…conquered death and the grave. Now we can have life and life abundantly because of what Jesus did. Our story is not powerful because of us our our circumstance. Our story is powerful, because God is Powerful!
Spectator Or Participant?
“I’m only going to be here for a year, so I’m not going to make any friends at school.” That was my mindset going into an american high school for the very first time in my life. I was scared. I didn’t know what to expect. I only knew a handful of people that went to my church’s youth group. Probably the biggest question every teenager deals with when going to a new school is.. “Where should I sit?” I went from class to class and was generally pretty quiet. When I had enough courage, I would try and talk to the people around me in class. Then lunch time came..I had no idea who to sit with. I had no idea who anyone was. Over the course of that year..I remained pretty quiet and didn’t really try to make friends. Then half way through the school year… world turned upside down. My dad became the pastor of the church we were attending. This one year in Missouri turned into forever. I was ticked. I didn’t want to stay in the states. My friends, family and school that I loved were in Manila. When this happened, I changed my reasoning for not making any friends to this.. “I’m mad..so I’m not going to make any friends at school.” When my senior year rolled around, I realized..I’m a senior and don’t have any really good friends at school! I had a handful of people I really enjoyed hanging out with, but no one I hung out with outside of school. By the time I received my diploma, I realized that I had waisted three years of my high school life, because I chose to. I didn’t like high school and dreamed of the day I would be free from that place. I couldn’t wait to graduate and move on. I was only there when I had to be and never got involved in anything.
Five years ago, our family got to go back to the Manila. It was amazing! We reconnected with old friends and family. We visited some of our favorite places and ate some of…well a lot of our favorite foods. We even had the chance to visit the school I loved in Manila… The school I was so sad to leave in high school. I asked my younger brother, Rob, when we were walking around the campus. “Rob, wouldn’t have been amazing if we all could have graduated from this school?” He shocked me with his answer. He said, “Tiff, I loved the high school I went to in Missouri”. I realized at that moment, that we went to the same exact high school, but I decided, even declared in my heart, that I was not going to get involved…That I wasn’t going to make any friends. And I didn’t. Rob, however, jumped in right away and was involved in everything he could. He was part of sports teams, media programs, national honors society and more. When he thinks of high school he thinks of “The glory day!” I realized that the only difference between Rob’s experience and mine, was that he participated and I was just a spectator.
Many times, we do the same thing at church. We go in thinking, “I’m not going to get connected. I’m not going to even try.” Then we are surprised when our experience is as bad as we set out for it to be. I want to encourage you to not make the mistake I made. Do church the way Rob did High School. Get involved. Jump in. Make it your church. You will love the church you are a part of if you participate and not just spectate.
What Drives You?
School was a real challenge for me. The academics I mean. I remember in 2nd grade, I had a hard time learning how to read. It didn’t come as quickly as my classmates. I remember my mom and dad telling me that the school had suggested that maybe they should hold me back a grade. That thought devastated me. All my friends where going to 3rd Grade. They would all think I was stupid. I was scared of the social humiliation I would face. I was thrilled to hear that I didn’t have to stay back a grade, but instead, would be pulled out of class from time to time for a one-on-one tutor. They called this “extra help” for students like myself, a program called “Pathways”. There were two different reasons you would be pulled out of class. The first was if you were gifted. I don’t know what they did in that class. And the other reason is if you..well let’s just say..”struggled”… I was in the second category. I went to the “struggling group”…I mean “Pathways”. From 2nd grade all the way until 8th grade, I would get pulled out of class regularly for this program. All I wanted was to fit in and prove that I could keep up. Every time I got pulled out of class, I felt like it was a public declaration that I in fact could not. When I was in 8th grade, I graduated from Pathways. Just in time for high school! I had a chance to try and be normal and to keep up with the classmates around me. School continued to be a struggle, all the way into my college years. I had this little voice inside of me saying…”keep up…try and be as good as your friends. If you don’t graduate in 4 years with the rest of them, people will think your stupid. They will know how hard school is for you”. These were thoughts going through my head that I didn’t even realize where there. When I graduated from college..these thoughts continued to drive me…”keep up-don’t let them know you struggle with academics”. So I would overcompensate by working hard. I was trying to keep up…with who- I’m not sure…but something was driving me. I tried to outwork everyone around me. I didn’t want my deficiency in academics to show through in the work place. I realized that the scared little girl in 2nd grade, who didn’t want her friends to think she was stupid or less then, was the same girl in her early 20’s who feared the same thing. I believe that God wants us to let go of the thing that has been driving us and allow God to take control. For me, I had to stop trying to prove that I could keep up with everyone and just run the race God has for me. I’m not running against anyone else. He has given me my own race.
The Day I'll Never Forget
“He has a gun! He has a gun!” Right after I had finished my freshman year of high school, our family was going to move back to the states for a year. My whole family and a lady who lived with us were sitting in traffic…a very normal thing we did in manila. We were heading to meet my grandparents for lunch. We were going to leave the country the next day. As we sat in traffic around noon, my mom, started to yell…”He has a gun, he has a gun”. She quickly threw her purse under her seat and sat on her rings (She is kind of a ninja in tense situations). All of a sudden, six men were around our car. Three driving motorcycles and three with guns. One of the guys pointed the gun at the driver, the other pointed the gun at the passenger in the front seat and the third guy came to the back door where our whole family was. He pointed the gun at the glass and yelled in tagalog. “Open the door, or I will shoot you.” My dad, who spoke fluent tagalog, was frozen. He didn’t want to let this guy in. The man yelled several more times..then finally he pulled the gun back from the glass and was about to shoot my dad through the glass window..Right then the lady who lived with us yelled… “Pastor…he is really going to shoot you if you don’t open the door.” My dad unlocked the door and the man came inside. He held the gun up to my dad’s head and yelled. “The money! Give me the money!” We were all so scared that we began yelling. He waved the gun at all of us which made us yell even more. Some of us were crying while others of us where praying out loud. My mom grabbed my purse and threw it at the guy with the gun. He took it, grabbed my little sister’s purse and hopped out of the van. The men got on their motorcycles and drove off. We were stunned! We were still afraid that the men would find out that they got a 15 year old’s purse with no real valuables and hardly any money and come back for us. We changed our plans and went to a close guarded neighborhood where some of our missionary friends lived. That day we were all in shock. We were so scared. We didn’t know if this was random or if these guys knew who were where and where we lived. Someone else took us to our grandparents’ house and left strict instructions to the guard not to allow anyone in the neighborhood who was looking for us. Later that night, we saw on the news that these same guys had robbed more people and had even killed someone else. I realized looking back on this experience, that God protected us. That day I could have seen my dad get shot right in front of me. That day, those men could have taken any of us kids. That day I saw God protect us in more ways than we could possibly know.
What We Can Learn From Mary’s Response
If there was ever a woman who found favor with God, it would be Mary. She was the mother of Jesus Christ. For two thousand years, Mary, the mother of Jesus, has been one of the most iconic women in the history of the world. People know the important role she played in the life of Jesus. What can we learn from Mary? At first glance, we may think that her story is so unique that it would be too far from the reality we live in today. Even though Mary’s role was one of a kind, I believe we can learn from her life. Like Mary, we have a one of a kind role and we can see what Mary did right when it came to her unique assignment.
Luke 1:26-45 tells the the story of how God sent an angel, Gabriel, to the virgin Mary. Mary was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. Gabriel appeared to her and says “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” When Mary saw him, she was troubled. This would be a totally normal response to such an encounter. I would venture to say that you and I would probably respond the same way. The angel told her not to be afraid and then continued to turn her world upside down. He told her she was going to conceive a Son named Jesus. Mary didn't understand how this could happen, because she was a virgin. The angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would become pregnant with the Son of God. Mary told the angel “I am the Lord’s servant, may everything you have said about me come true.” Mary then went to visit Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist. Elizabeth said this about Mary; “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
1. Mary said yes.
Luke 1:28 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”
When Mary heard this plan of a virgin birth, she had to respond. She had a choice to make. Was she going to accept God’s plan for her or was she going to rebel against it. I’m sure that this was not the way Mary thought her life was going to go.
Sometimes we may have a certain idea of how our lives are going to go. We think we will graduate, get married, start having kids or begin a career. We even have a time frame associated with all of these plans. We think we have the best plan for our lives, but life doesn’t always go the according to our plan. Sometimes God moves us in a direction we didn’t see coming. It is at these times that we need to know what our answer is going to be. Are we going to say yes to God or not. I believe that Mary had a posture of saying yes to God even before this major plot shift happened. Let’s get into a posture of saying yes to God.
2 Chronicles 16:9 The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
If we are on purpose to live life in this posture, I believe God will invite us to do big things. He is looking for women who are already in that "Yes" posture. Decide today, that no matter what God asks of you, your answer will be yes.
2. Mary Believed that God would do what He said He would do.
Luke 1:38 “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!”
The second part to Mary’s response is she believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her. We may not have an angel appear to us, but we do have the Word of God. Let’s take a look at some of the promises from the Bible. We need to not only know these promises, but believe them.
Here are a few of my favorite promises.
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Have you ever watched toddlers play? If you ever watch more than one toddler at a time, this particular scenario is bound to to happen. Let’s call the first toddler Jane and the second toddler Olivia. (If your name happens to be Jane or Olivia, I’m sure you've never a part of this kind of scenario.) Jane is playing with a doll. She is having so much fun that Olivia takes notice. Olivia crawls over to Jane, looks at her...and rips the doll out of her hands. If you have ever seen this happen, you know exactly what's going to happen next. Jane begins to cry. Jane is distraught that Olivia had the power to take her doll. Jane doesn’t know how to move on. Jane is stuck. Jane forgot that there was someone in the room who has watched this whole thing happen. She forgot that there was someone who could come to the rescue. Jane doesn’t know that her peace, her calling and her destiny is not in Olivia’s hands, but is in the hands of that someone who was in the room the whole time.
Just like Jane, we often look to the people around us as if they have the power to steal not just our doll, but our calling, our peace and our destiny.
Have you ever had your ability, position and even motives questioned? It is at these times that we may feel like we can’t go on. We may be tempted to think that in the pit of despair we are alone. Thoughts begin to flood our mind. Thoughts like "I am the only one that have ever been so mistreated or falsely accused." We want nothing more than to seek revenge and get justice. Take heart. Jesus has been exactly where you have been. He was mistreated, betrayed and even had His motives called into question.
The only way we can make it through the times where the people threaten to steal our peace and our destiny is to pay attention to how Jesus handled it.
If you read through the life of Jesus, you will see how often He was attacked by people. They questioned his authority, his motives and actions. They tried everything to stop him from accomplishing what God had sent him to do. Jesus, never allowed His critics to determine His steps. We need to do the same. Never forget that Jesus never calls us to endure anything He has not endured Himself.
Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
There are times in our lives where we can feel the sting of peoples words. Just like Jane, we allow these blows to rattle us. These times can tempt us to give up. Remember what Jesus went through and remember that He didn't throw in the towel. He kept going and finished what He was sent here to do. God has called you and called me to a specific journey and destiny. His vision for our lives is one of peace and victory. If we can learn to lean on the one who calls us, we can trust that He will go before us. Jesus never gave up or allowed His critics to shake Him and the world was never the same.
"Never be driven by your critics, but be led by the Holy Spirit." -Eddie Lyons
Total Devotion
Colossians 4:2 Devote yourself to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
Often I can devote myself to a lot things. Good things even. I devote myself to my work, my family, reading leadership books, listening to sermons and podcasts. These are great things to that shouldn’t be neglected. If Im not careful I can spend all my time listening to what other people are saying about God that I neglect to spend time with Him myself. I’m not saying to stop listening to podcasts or work hard. What I am saying is that we can’t neglect something this powerful. We have to plugged into the power source, into this life breathing relationship that cannot be replaced.
I have decided to devote myself to prayer this year. The very first thing I do when I wake up is spend time praying to the God of the universe. I get to talk to Him and listen to what He has to say to me. It doesn’t just stop there. I am praying with an alert mind and a thankful heart. I don’t just pray out of duty. This kind of prayer is alive and active and goes beyond the beginning of my day and follows me to work. I have started the day with God and continue to walk with Him. I start see how He leads me and answers prayers with an alert mind. I start to realize his fingerprints in my day to day life and my heart is full of gratitude. When you start to pray with an alert mind, God will show up and you will have no other response but thankfulness.
My Prayer for 2016
"I dedicate this year to you. I don’t know what any of these days to come hold, but I know who holds them. I want this year to be a year of total devotion to you. I believe that you are big and in control and could do great things on my behalf. I love that about you Lord. This year I want to seek your face with even more zeal than I seek your mighty works. don’t get me wrong. I want to see you work mightily. I pray that you would do big things amongst us, but I don’t want to love what you do for me more than I love you. Jesus help me clear out space for our relationship to grow. I pray that you would fill this space. God I pray that you would guide my steps this year. I’m all yours. I love you Jesus and I’ll meet you here every morning."