Growing Past the Hurt

Do you remember when you were little, and your parent would stand you up against a door frame in the house and mark your height? (Or maybe you were like me and you just kinda did it yourself.)  Regardless of who was holding their finger to the line, you would step back and proudly admire how much bigger you were. Remember those moments?

Tonight was one of those moments for me.  (I mean faith wise, not height. I'm kinda done growing vertically and am totally content with my amount of tallness - just in case you were wondering.)

Back story: at one point in our life or another, we have all experienced some type of heart break.  Whether it was a guy, (or girl, if you're a guy reading this), intimate friend, or even family member, we've all experienced a relationship that failed and left a scar.... or at least I have.  And when that relationship was over, I was bitter towards the person for a long time. It took countless prayers asking God to help me to forgive - to heal me.

And He did!

Tonight, after two years, I saw this person for the first time.  We talked, joked, and laughed.  It was so comfortable between us, and I was so at ease; I was inwardly in awe that the situation was even happening.  I felt no bitterness or hurt the two hours we spent together. Even as I write this, I sit in wonder of the healing that has taken place within me.  God. Is. So. Good.  There is no other explanation except for His great mercy!

So how was this a mark of growth? Well, through this entire healing process, my faith in God has increased.  My reliance upon him has become real.  I can now confidently look back and say that I am not the same spiritual height I was 3 years ago.  What's amazing is that this morning I asked God to show me what about me marks genuine faith.  He faithfully answered - in a way I was totally not expecting! It amazes me when God opens our eyes to see the works He has done and is doing.

The point of all my rambling is this: that God heals hearts. Oh, it's not at all like we expect, and it can be a very long, at times painful, process.  It requires lots of humbleness, faith, and perseverance on our part:  humbleness to realize we can't fix the hurt ourselves, faith to trust that God will heal, and perseverance to continually forgive.  Cause, news flash, we can't fix things ourselves. God created and only God restores. Also, forgiveness is not a one time action and you're done. Forgiveness is a daily decision.  It is a decision to look past the sins of others.  It is a decision to not let previous mistakes rule your life.  It is a decision to not feel sorry for yourself.  It is a decision to let God carry out the justice.

I want to encourage you, if you're struggling with a hurting heart right now, there is hope! If you humble yourself, have faith, and just keep persevering.  I know its hard, especially when one day you're totally fine, and then the next you just want to cry yourself to sleep.  But God is waiting for you to turn to him for healing.  The psalmist writes, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit," and "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalms 34:18 & 147:3)

Know that God is using this time to refine you, and make you more like His perfect son.  He's using it to grow you.  Though it might be painful now, you will be able to look back and see how God has marked your growth against His door frame.  In that moment, all the hurt you endured, all the tears you cried, will all be worth it - take it from someone who knows. 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

Praise be to the One who comforts and heals hearts, and marks them with His peace!

Steady My Heart  -  Kari Jobe

Awe

I just want to encourage you today, sit and marvel at God's grace.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
Ephesians 1:3-14

God often calls his children to do two things: be still and remember.  God knows that this world moves fast paced, and distractions are not few and far between.  We need those moments of stillness with him to refocus and rest.  Not only that, but we need to be still to remember.  The business of life often causes us to become forgetful of, or even blinded to, the incredible workings of God.  If you look back at the Israelites, their times of rebellion were their times of forgetfulness.  Remembering what God has done helps us to put our trust in him right now.  When we remember his faithfulness, we realize he is still faithful and will get us through this trial, this struggle, this day. 

Right now, just sit still and remember.  Remember with awe the work of God in your life.  Sit in wonder of the mystery of his grace.

Always Pray and Do Not Lose Heart - John Piper

I want to encourage you to listen to this encouragement to pray from John Piper. Listen while you cook, clean, drive, whatever! This is something every person needs to listen to!

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/always-pray-and-do-not-lose-heart

Luke 18:1-8
"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”"

You Can't Do It

"Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." (Romans 7:25 ESV)

To all those struggling out there. To all those who are trying with all their strength to live a righteous, godly life. To all those who know God's word, but can't seem to keep it or firmly believe it. To all those weary of life...

You can't do it.

Which is the reason we die in Christ. We die, so that we can be raised to life in his power. Because his power alone is able to walk through fire, and live a perfect life. He WAS the Word, and he gives faith to believe. He alone gives rest to all who are weary, and knows our every need.

In a world saying "you can do anything," learn to say "I can't." Not in an attitude of frustration or despair, but with humility.

Am I saying you shouldn't try your hardest to live a godly life or obey the Word. Not at all! Rather that you should try earnestly, but with the realization that it is impossible to succeed without Christ. We often (foolishly, ignorantly) try to fix our sins or problems ourselves. It is in these difficult times we must surrender.

Yes I say difficult, because in those moments of frustration or despair, we often don't see past our prayers. Hopelessness and fear seem more familiar than peace and faith. We think we have done all we can, yet we feel as though we have gotten nowhere. Drained, depressed, just wanting to sleep - can you relate?

We have to realize that we can't fix our brokenness - only God can. We have to earnestly pray that God will bring us to surrender whatever is burdening us. Because try as we might, we can't, on our own strength, cast our burdens on the Lord. He must take them from us.

Thankfully, our God is not puny. He is MIGHTY to save! He is able to lift out burdens and break our chains! He brings us to the point of surrender; we do not find it on our own.

Through the Fire

Whenever I am feeling downhearted, I run to Isaiah 43. There I am reminded that I am cherished by God.  I am refreshed and satisfied by his holy word.  Tonight, he used that beloved chapter yet again.

On the verge of throwing myself a little pity party (for no justifiable reason), I turned to Isaiah 43 and started copying it down into my journal.  After just verse two, I stopped.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." Isaiah 43:2

As I read, "When you walk through fire," I was reminded of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace.  Let's revisit that story, shall we?

Read: Daniel 3:1-4:3

These young men (probably teenagers) did not know that God would save them.  They could not see the outcome of their situation.  Just like we can't today.  Regardless, they chose to trust God even though things looked like they were about to get fried.  They did not just simply know that God was with them; they believed he was.  They were living out the contentment in Christ Paul discusses in Philippians 4:11-13. 

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."  So many people take this verse out of context and twist it to mean all sorts of things it doesn't. The testimony of these three young men so perfectly depicts the true meaning of Philippians 4:13. 

They spoke up to the king saying, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Guys. Seriously. They just told the king that they didn't even need to answer him.... the king.  And then they don't even put up a fight when they are bound and led to their death.

This story is so easy to read as just that - a story.  But imagine with me for a moment.  You're speaking up to and defying not only your boss, but the king... the man who just gave you a second chance so you wouldn't have to die.  But you choose death over disobeying God.  So the king, who is now furious, multiplies the harshness of your death penalty.  You are roughly and tightly bound with ropes and hauled into the fire - but you don't resist.

I believe this is what Paul means when he says, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." It means that I can face life or death with obedience to Christ, with courage, and with strength because I know my life is in God's hands.  Not only that, but I can walk through rising waters and blazing fires and know that God is walking with me.

I thank God that he is with me, not only in the river and fire, but also in the quiet nights.  The nights I just need to be reminded I'm cherished.  The nights I need to be satisfied by his Word. 

I praise him because he is faithful.

You

Love unfailing

Peace prevailing

My calm midst my storm

You hold me while I mourn.

In You I am complete;

No friend or foe could ever defeat

Your love as it wraps around my beating heart--

           want

                       hurt

                                   jealousy

Your arms wrap around me tight--

            love

                      satisfaction

                                        peace

As my heart beats and beats and beats,

May it beat in time with Your step

That my desires may not be

Those of the flesh.

 

My eyes are on Your kingdom--

            Your glory alone.

You are my all--

             I am not my own.

 

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"I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul."   Psalm 31:7

Show Me Your Faith

"But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!  Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;  and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.  You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.  And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?  For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."
James 2:18-26
 
I started college this semester (only one class, but, hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?).  Take me, a Christian teenage girl who grew up home schooled in a Christian household, and put me in the middle of a 16 college students and a professor in a pottery studio (yes, I'm taking a pottery class as my first college class).  Besides learning to make bowls, I think the biggest lesson this class has taught me thus far is how dependent I am upon Jesus, and how different he has made me from the world. 
 
I went into this class knowing it would be a whole new experience for me.  Not only because it's college, but because it is a place totally outside of my comfortable circle of  Christian friends.  Every time I have been in the workshop for the past few weeks, there has been extensive cussing, as well as discussions about sex, homosexuality, drugs, and etc..  Had God not prepared me for this, I'm pretty certain I would have gone into complete culture shock. 
 
Prayerfully, I have begged God to give me courage, wisdom, patience, and love for my classmates.  I have failed multiple times to be intentional to glorify God with opportunities in class.  Despite my failures, he has answered my prayers!  He has shone through me in class, and my classmates are taking notice!
 
It did not just happen, though -- them seeing Christ in me.  It took effort.  I have spent hours in prayer.  I prayed that God would empty me of myself, and fill me with him.  I prayed he would give me a selfless servant's heart.  I prayed for patience... courage... wisdom... you get the idea.  However, I didn't stop there.  Prayer is not a place were you stop.  It's where you start.  I intentionally made the effort in class to serve.  If someone needed something, I tried to be quick to offer help.  If someone was getting discouraged, I did my best to give a word of encouragement or praise.  I wanted those around me to see that when I said I was a Christian, I meant it. 
 
Today, while alone with one of the girls from my class that I have been forming a fairly good relationship with, she said something that really encouraged my heart.  She said, "You know what I love about you?  You say you're a Christian, and you act like it.  I know people who say they are Christian, but really, they only act it on Sunday.... I feel like you try to be that way all the time. and I love that! I can believe you when you say that you are a Christian."
 
My heart gushed with happiness!  I have only known this girl for a month.  The fact that all the effort I was putting forth for my faith was actually showing... and people were taking note of it... I am just so in awe of God!! I have been learning to show my faith by works like never before in my life!!  It has been a struggle, not to mention exhausting, but oh how sweet the work of the Lord is!! Each week I come home with new stories of God's faithfulness and goodness.  He continues to amaze me, and leave me craving for more of him.
 
I share all this with you for two reasons -- The first is to show you that, when you show your faith by your works, people take notice.  People are watching you, especially when you claim to be a child of God.  When you say you're a Christian, but your life doesn't back up what your mouth says, no one is going to believe a word you say.  So be conscious of your actions.
 

Secondly, I want to encourage you to serve others for the purpose of the gospel.  Tonight my youth pastor discussed how when we serve, but the spread of the gospel is not the desire of our heart, our good works are pointless.  We serve to build relationships; in those relationships, we gain the trust of others, that they might listen to us when we share with them the hope and truth of the gospel.  We serve because we genuinely care about everyone God created in his image.  We serve not for ourselves, but for the glory of God in every way.  We serve because we genuinely care about everyone God created in his image.  We serve not for ourselves, but for the glory of God in every way. 

I hope by reading this you were encouraged and/or challenged in some way.  If you need some guidence on how to live selflessly, here are some Bible verses to get you started.  Please comment if you would like more verses, or have any questions!

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."   Ephesians 4:2

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."  1 Corinthians 13:4-7

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God's chosen onesholy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."  Colossians 3:1-17