Hope for the Holidays

If Christmastime leaves you forlorn and discouraged, remember Jesus didn't come just on one day two thousand years ago, but he comes as a living hope, each and every day of your life.  It is not that we rejoice in some distant and far away birth, but that we have within us his spirit, his life, his hope, his love, and the reality of his presence.  

If you are feeling lonely and discouraged turn to him and tell him all your troubles and all your cares.  Once you have told him these things then, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7, NLT). Remember to “give” your worries to him, turn and walk away.  He will take care of them for you, but first you must let go of them in order for him to take them.  Stewing and worrying over present circumstances without releasing them into his care only delays his work.  Trust, believe and wait…he is working things out according to his perfect plan and purposes.

Exercising patience is difficult.  Waiting involves trusting, and trusting involves faith.  Faith is believing that God can and will do everything necessary for you to experience joy and happiness. Sometimes your present path is rocky and it may feel dark and lonely, but God is with you, right beside you through it all.  

Remember the true meaning of Christmas is that God himself came into the world to bear our sins so that we could have a personal relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.  It’s not about the presents, the family get-togethers, the parties or the mistletoe. Christmas is about you and Jesus. If you personally and experientially know Jesus as your Savior, you already have the most precious, valuable Gift in the universe.  Spread the news and good cheer!

"Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

(Luke 10-11, NKJV)

God in the Lonely Places

Sometimes God uses circumstance in order to get us alone with Him. It is His way of removing distractions so that we might focus on Him.  No one likes to be alone all the time. God created us to be social creatures and as such we enjoy and need the company of others. However, we can make the desire to be around people too important. Then we end up pushing God away and succumb to the temptation to fill our lonely spaces with work, family and friends instead of Him. 

The lonely spaces are where God can speak to us without interruption or distraction. He wants us to be reflective people.  Reflection requires solitude and solitude requires stillness and one-on-one time with Him. The Wuest translation of Galatians 1:9 reads, “Oh you unreflective Galatians.” (In other translations unreflective is rendered as "foolish.") Paul was condemning them for being led astray because they weren't taking time to ponder and think things through in God's presence.     

God allowed John the apostle to be exiled to the Isle of Patmos, a place where he likely had great opportunity for solitude. It was there that God revealed to him the vision of the end of the world and had him write it down for our warning and encouragement.

Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German while in exile, hidden away at  Wartburg castle.  From his lonely and extraordinary efforts the German people were given God's word in their own native tongue. John Bunyan wrote the Pilgrims Progress while in prison. First published in 1678, it has never been out of print.  How often has imprisonment  been a time a blessing when a saint's eyes are turned toward God! 

Perhaps you are feeling imprisoned by your current circumstances.  You may be feeling immobile and frustrated, no where to go, no activity to throw yourself into. Loneliness aches at your edges. Be assured God is still with you. He is right beside and will never leave you or forsake you.  While you might be longing for human companionship there is a reason you are alone, and the reason may be that God wants to draw you closer to Himself. Do not view this as a punishment or trial, but as a blessing and opportunity to know the One who loves you so very much. When the purpose is fulfilled, there will come a time of busyness and human companionship. Your solitude will vanish and you will look wistfully back on these days of uninterrupted time with Him. 

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."
   Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)

The Need for Focus

We are powerless over sin when we lose our focus on Jesus.  Our human natures are so tied to this earth, its people, and its happenings that if we do not spend consecrated time with God we lose our focus and perspective.  Small irritations become large ones and pave the way for sin as we begin pointing out the faults of others as the cause of our discomfort.  Why?  Because we have lost the ability to perceive things from God’s perspective.  Instead, we substitute our own viewpoint and that quite naturally revolves around us.  

When we transition from God’s perspective to self’s perspective, we see everything in relation to our own goals and needs.  Sometimes when we think we are putting others needs in the forefront, in actuality we may be meeting our own needs because we desire to feel useful or benevolent or kind.  How do we know if we are doing something out of selfless compassion?  By how much it costs us.  Given the right circumstance, anyone can be magnanimous. But, when it is inconvenient, uncomfortable, or unpleasant and we still place another person's needs before our own, that is when we know we have God’s perspective because such selflessness mirrors His agape love.
  
To operate from God’s perspective, we must spend time alone at His feet.  We don’t need more Bible teaching, more devotionals, more Sunday school classes, more thoroughly researched Bible commentaries, more evangelism programs, more Christian apps for our phones, or more of anything, except Him. When we are tempted to complain, point out the faults of others, or recite how they have harmed us, we need to ask ourselves, “How is my personal walk with the Lord going?  Do I feel connected to Him right now?  Have I been spending time with Him in communion, the Bible and prayer?  Or, have I have been running around doing “good things,” too busy to sit at His feet?" 

We talk about making God our first priority, but how many of us actually do? Everyday pressures pull at us to focus on the earthly “urgent.”  It takes self-control, practice and determination to set aside distractions and our need to “show what we have accomplished.”  No one truly loves without sacrifice. When we willing sacrifice our personal agendas and our time to be with God, we will be blessed beyond measure by His presence, strength and power. 
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Spend time quietly at His feet. Whether it be 5 minutes, 15 minutes or an hour, make a commitment to read your Bible and pray everyday, just you and He alone. Listen for His heartbeat.  Allow Him to envelope you with His love, attitudes and motivation. If we do, we will look at people and life in a profoundly different way. Our focus will shift from being “me” centered to being God centered and we will experience true peace, love and joy. 

 "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." 
(John 10:10, NKJV)

Do Not Be Afraid

"Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows."
(Matthew 10:31, AMP)

Regardless of what is happening in your life today, do not be afraid.  The Lord God knows all your sorrows, all your stresses and all your problems.  He is aware of each and every door you will walk through today.

God will provide a way of escape, if you will abide in Him. The way of escape may take a form you do immediately recognize.  Sometimes God leaves us where we are in order to make our way through a situation, rather than rescuing us out of it. But, He is always there beside you, supporting, leading, and guiding you.

Often we have to deal with difficult people or situations which tax our patience or our moral strength.  We may want to cave in and bend to another person's will simply because it would be easier and we don't want to deal with conflict. But, is it the right thing to do? Conflict is an inevitable part of being a member of a deeply flawed human race. Knowing how to deal with conflict and when to make a stand or when to simply let something go is true wisdom, something we need God's guidance for daily.

Most of us fear being disliked or rejected if we tell another person "no" or stand up to them.  Sometimes there may be real consequences involved when we do, such as loss of job or a friendship.  This is when we need to rely on God and remember,  "Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9, NKJV).  He will protect and guide us if we put our trust in Him.

This does not mean life will painless or our paths will be rock free, but it does mean we can hold our heads up with a clear conscience and stand for truth, regardless of the cost.  When our hearts are linked with God, we can lovingly and respectfully disagree with others without falling into anger or defensiveness.

If the person we are being honest with becomes defensive or critical, we need to be willing to listen to any just criticism and  be open to learning about our own faults. Sometimes things spoken in anger may contain some grain of truth. None of us are perfect and self-examination is a reflection of our maturity and humility.  However, it may also be true that the other person is simply out to destroy and humiliate us and when this appears to be the case, we can simply walk away.  When God disciplines it is through conviction, not guilt and humiliation.

If you are struggling today with a difficult person or situation, know that God is there beside you.  He will not leave you or forsake.  You can put your trust in Him.  Ask Him to show you His way through the situation.





Copyright 2014 Kathy F. Sanders

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It's Not About You...

 Have you ever considered that salvation is not about you? It’s about God. The nature of God is love.  Love in a way we cannot fully comprehend.  Somewhere lost in the noise of our Christian babble, is this one inescapable fact: He loved us so much He was willing to die for us. This all-consuming, sacrificing love is not unlike a mother bear separated from her cubs.  No one is going to keep a mother bear from being reunited with her cubs, even if it costs her life. That same kind of fierce protective love is what God feels towards us. When He saw us threatened by the just consequences of our sin, eternal separation from Him, He reacted as any mother bear would react; He placed Himself between us and the threat, eternal damnation.  He endured the full measure of the penalty of sin, taking our punishment upon Himself, in our place. 

That is why He sent Jesus to die for our sins, that we might be safe and secure, held fast in His loving arms. 

Christians endlessly talk of salvation and knowing God, but we rarely talk about how much God wants to know us.  Yes, we assume that because He created us and is everywhere present and all-knowing, that He knows all about us (sometimes more than we’d like) and He does.  But, knowing all about someone is not the same as being in love with them in a true, two-way relationship.

God very much wants to have a profound intimate connection with you. He wants not just your bowed head and prayers. He wants you, the essence of you, your thoughts, your desires, your hopes, your dreams, your failures, and your despairs.  He wants to so totally love you that you will be filled with joy and anticipation for each new day, as well as rescued from discouragement and disappointment as you walk with Him hand in hand forever. 

He wants your heart, the complete package. When we say someone “gave them their heart,” we mean they gave all of themselves, holding nothing back, abandoning all caution, leaving nothing in reserve. 

We have the amazing capacity to keep things hidden, inaccessible to others, always holding something in reserve that only we can see.  While God knows exactly what those things are, whether they be fears, anxieties, or insecurities, He will not force you to give them to Him.  He wants you to open yourself willingly, to give of everything you have because you love Him and feel loved by Him in return. 

Salvation is about God.  It is about how much He loves you and wants to know you in an experiential way, with nothing held back.    

Copyright 2014 Kathy F. Sanders 
(Personal use ok)