What Do People See?

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." 1 Peter 3:3-4

I was walking out of Hobby Lobby the other day and what I witnessed actually made me gasp out loud.  An older woman, not in the best of shape, walked out towards her car in front of me.  She had on a black dress with a length that barely covered her bottom.  She wore fishnet stockings with holes that were big enough for my fist to fit through.

The wind was blowing that day.

To my utter horror, when her dress flipped up, it revealed that she was not wearing any underwear.  And that is when I gasped!  At first, I was shocked, but after my shock dissipated my heart broke for her.  This woman was seeking to be noticed.  

In our world today, our youth tend to be tatted, pierced, leathered up, or dressed scantily.  Their hair is pink, green or shaved. Their bodies are revealed to the point of nudity.

They so desperately want to be seen.

In the context of 1 Peter 3, Peter explains how a wife can win their unsaved husband by the way they live their life. "The powerful purity of a godly woman's life can soften even the stoniest male heart without a word." Walvoord & Zuck. Titus 2:5

As women, what do we want others to see in us? When I wear flashy clothes and lots of bling, that is what a person will notice when they first look at me.  But if I tend to wear nice, clean clothes, and soft jewelry, a person tends to look at my face, not what I have on.  My countenance and my eyes will reflect what in is my heart and that is what I want people to see.  My behavior also draws attention.  Am I loud, or do I have discretion? Do I dress and behave in such a way that I bring honor and glory to my Lord and make others wonder what makes me different from others that they see in the world?

Do I want to be seen? Or do I want my Lord to be seen when others look my way? Lord, may I be invisible and You be seen!

What I wear...

    And how I behave...

        reveals my hidden man of the heart...

            But that's just me!

        

"Real beauty comes from the hidden person of the heart. It isn't something you wear or primp before a mirror to have.  It is something you are."  Guzik

A Remedy for a Rut

If you're like me, requests from others and daily routines of endless chores will often mix into a recipe for Ruts.  You know what I'm talking about.  Housework that is repeated daily and weekly, mundane tasks, favors for friends, "Sweetheart, can -you-do- list," (Honey-Do-Lists are for husbands) will sometimes cause frustration and boredom. You feel as if you are being pulled in all directions and your mechanisms for mechanically fulfilling everyone else's needs kicks into play in order to get everything done and make everyone happy.

Everyone but yourself, that is.

I've come to realize something about myself; I tend to be grumpy when my perspective changes when it comes to serving others.

It's because my perspective is on serving others.

It's because my motives are to please men.

My purpose behind my service becomes blurred and my eternal Rewards are burned up in the Rubble.

Then God in His lovingkindness and graciousness towards me allows me to read a Gem in His Word:

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" Colossians 3:23

The Remedy for Ruts is to remember the One we truly serve when we serve others.

CHRIST.

Serving the Lord means to serve with zest and gusto!  It means working with enthusiasm, integrity and joy, treating all labor as worship to God rather than human approval.

I LOVE THAT!

To know that every work can be turned to worshipping my Saviour puts a new spin on my responsibilities!

Thank you, Lord, 

    for reminding me that when I roll up my sleeves to work...

            it's all for You...

                But that's just me!

    

Epaphras

"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." Colossians 4:12

I read this verse the other day and I can't get it out of my mind.  It's such a beautiful verse.  This man, Epaphras, so fervently prayed for others, that he is mentioned in God's eternal Word.  

As Christians, we often compare ourselves among ourselves, (which we shouldn't do) and we are often envious of the talents and abilities of those around us, (which we shouldn't be) and we often place praying for others on the bottom of our list of importance. (which we also shouldn't do!)   Why?

Because prayer is very important to God.

I did some digging on who Epaphras was, and this is what I learned:

"Epaphras was a Colossian whom Paul depicted as a servant of Christ Jesus who was always wrestling in prayer (as Jacob did with the angel, Genesis 32) for the Colossians. His concern was that the Colossians would stand firm in God's will, mature, and be fully assured or fulfilled.  Epaphras' prayerful concern went to the point of working hard. (to have pain or distress) Walvoord & Zuck

Guzik writes, 'Prayer is hard work, and Epaphras worked diligently at it, especially knowing the danger of false teaching in Colosse.  He was a bondservant of Christ, and prayer was an important area where he worked hard.  His prayers for others suggest heavy toil to the extent of pain."

This man prayed fervently and with all of his heart on the behalf of others!

This verse allowed me to realize that praying for someone isn't just about praying for someone. It's about fervently placing them at the feet of Jesus. Our prayer closets place people and their needs before the Throne of God.  What a privilege!

Do I fervently pray for others to the point of heavy toil and pain, or are my prayers apathetic?  Lazy?  

Lord, thank You...

     for showing me that praying on the behalf of others fervently...

        just may be the most important service of all when it comes to what we do for You...

            But that's just me!

"Prayer is the greatest power God has put into our hands for service-praying is harder than doing."

Mary Slessor

"Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work." Oswald Chambers

"Do not work so hard for Christ that you have no strength to pray, for prayer requires strength." 

J. Hudson Taylor

        

Like A Good Neighbor

"but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:18b

"And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Words of Jesus, Mark 12:31

I received the loveliest email from my friend the other day.  In closing she wrote, "I'm praying for you, Tracy, as I pray for myself."

What a beautiful thing to say and do!  Her words brought a whole new meaning to 'loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.'

Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves is the second greatest commandment.  It follows the greatest commandment of all, loving the Lord thy God with all our heart, soul and mind.  Loving our neighbour as ourselves, is a very important commandment and yet I think it's a very neglected commandment.

How can that be, when it's so important in the eyes of our Lord?  Could it be that we are too busy, perhaps too selfish to think of anyone but ourselves?

Loving our neighbour as thyself requires active, compassionate care for others equivalent to the care we give ourselves.  It requires kindness, fairness and respect rather than just 'feeling.'

It provides the same measure, (if not more) for safety and provision.

It's giving our neighbour's the 'first and the best' of all things as if we were giving them to ourselves.

And like my special friend reminded me in her letter to me, praying for each other in the same way as we pray for ourselves is also very important.

So, what and how should we pray for others? The bible gives us many examples.  

Our Pastor prays 3 John 2 at the close of our church services:

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

Ephesians 3:16-20 is also a great prayer to pray for others!

"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

Or, Colossians 1:9-11

"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God: Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience, and longsuffering with joyfulness;"

These are just a few examples of how we can pray for each other as we pray for ourselves.  When we pray for help, safety, strength, comfort, wisdom, understanding, and for our physical needs we can pray the same things for our friends and neighbors.

That my friend, is what loving our neighbor is all about.

I'm thankful to have such a praying friend...

    And I want to pray for my friends like that too...

        But that's just me!

Saints, Shamrocks and Leprechauns

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick is a religious and cultural holiday held on March 17th, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. This saint is mostly observed by those in the Catholic faith, and for most others, it's just a fun day to wear green shamrocks to keep from being pinched!  As I researched this 'holiday' it was interesting to note that Saint Patrick was not canonized.  Meaning, He was not actually declared or officially recognized as a saint.  

Then I did some digging to see what a 'saint' really is. According to information from AI, "In the bible, a saint is a person set apart by God for His purpose, referring to all believers in Jesus Christ rather than a select few. Derived from the Greek hagios (holy one), the term describes Christians as consecrated to God through faith, not by achieving perfection or earning a special title."

In the New Testament, the word 'saints' is used over 60 times to refer to the community of believers or the church.

Philippians 1:1 is one of many examples: "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:"

In the bible, all Christians are considered saints.  They are identified by their union with Christ, having been forgiven by His work on the cross, rather than their own merit.

As I continued my search, Saints were identified as:

•Believers, or followers of Christ

•The Church, or the body of Christ

•God's Holy people

•Sanctified

•The Faithful

AI continued to explain Saints this way: "Unlike the modern definition (a person canonized by the church) the bible uses the term for ordinary Christians.

I love that thought!

Being a saint is a status given to Christians immediately upon salvation, though they are also called to live holy lives.  We are also not to be prayed to or worshipped.

Only Christ deserves to be prayed to and worshipped!

Our position is IN Christ.  Not by anything we have done, and not by any man's merit.

Saints are not man-made...

    Sinners become Saints by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...

        But that's just me!

Whose Voice Am I Hearing?

There is an old Philadelphia Cream Cheese commercial that came to my mind the other day.  The Ad showed a woman who had an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other.  Each one would whisper in her ear about whether or not to eat a bagel with cream cheese on it. The woman in the middle is swayed back and forth, trying to make a decision while the two figures argue.  She was trying to figure out which voice to listen to.  

Isaiah 30:21 says, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."

In context of verses 18-22, Isaiah writes about the graciousness of God towards His people, even in their disobedience.  You see, when Judah was prosperous and comfortable, they wouldn't listen to God, but when God sent them bread of adversity and waters of affliction, it was only then that they turned back to God, listened to His voice and allowed God to guide them again.

I remember when I was a little girl and would playing outside with a group of friends.  There could be other mom's there with their children, but I always recognized my mom's voice when she called out to me. Why? Because I knew her voice, and I was always ready to hear her call me home.  I need to do the same thing with my Heavenly Father.  I need to be so in tune with His Word that I will be able to identify His voice as He leads me in the way He wants me to go.

There are a lot of voices out there in this sinful world that want my attention, but I need to turn a deaf ear to those who will lead me astray.

Friend, it's time to test your hearing.

Are you in tune to God's voice...?

    Do you listen to hear His voice...?

        Do you hear His voice at all...?

            If not, why not...?

                But that's just me!

            

"It's always better to be uncomfortable and in tune with the Lord than to be comfortable and out of step with God."  Guzik

Shh, Stop Talking!

"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Words of Jesus, Matthew 11:15

I'm a talker.

I love to talk.

Sometimes, I talk about nothing, but mostly I talk about something.

I talk out loud to myself, and I talk out loud to my Lord.

I can strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere at any time.

I love to talk.

My 9th Grade Algebra teacher used to make 'talkers' do push-ups every time we got caught talking.  That memory brings a smile to my face every time I think about it because I once told her that I did more push-ups in her math class than in my P.E. class.  She just smiled at me and said, "Stop Talking."

Last night at church, my Pastor quoted something that D.L Moody once said; "If I had my life to live all over again, I would have prayed less and studied my Bible more."  This didn't mean that D.L. Moody didn't think prayer was important.  Prayer is extremely important.  But what he meant by what he had said is this:  "When we pray, we do all of the talking, when we read God's Word, God does the talking."

I love that.

Jesus mentioned to "those who had ears to hear," 16 times in the New Testament.  He said it 8 times in the Gospels and 8 times in the Book of Revelation.

It must be pretty important.

Matthew 11:15, Matthew 13:9, 43

Mark 4:9,23, Mark 7:16

Luke 8:8, Luke 14:35

Revelations 2:7,11,17,29

Revelation 3:6,13,22

Revelation 13:9

Lord, help me to listen more...

    and talk less...

        And when I speak, may it be more about You...

            But that's just me!