Biweekly Bits #25: Pick Your Battles

After writing 26 bits, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.

Pick your battles. Not everything in your life requires that you respond to it. It took pretty much the entire 26 years that I've lived thus far to learn this one. I don't think I'm done with this one either.

Biweekly Bits #20: Sometimes, you have to say no

After writing 26 bits, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.

Sometimes, you have to say no. My mother always used to tell me when I was younger that I didn't know how to say no. As a consequence, I was always too busy, and my time was over-committed, so much so that I'd catch a cold and be sick for weeks because I didn't have time to get better. But gradually, I've learned to say no (or at least, "not right now"), because I don't have time to do all these things and do them well. (See also #10).

The Christian walk, in addition to being a relationship with Christ and a religious practice is a call to serve others. Thus, as Christians, Christian women in particular, we often feel like we can never say no to others who need our help, and we end up over-extending ourselves. (Anybody else feel that way?)

However, we forget that while Christ calls us to take up our cross, and to go into all the world, and to love others as He has loved us, he has also called us to find rest in Him. Yes, my friend, there is a place in Christ for his followers to take rest. And in order to rest, sometimes, you need to say no to all of the various things that pull us in seventeen different directions simultaneously.

Saying no doesn't mean that you aren't committed to your ministry, and it doesn't mean that you are not committed to Jesus. To take time to rest does not mean that you are failing in your walk with God. Instead saying no means that you recognize your limits as a person, and the necessity of taking rest in Jesus, and taking time to spend in solitude with Him, and/or to take proper care of the body that God has given to you. Just like we rest a part of our physical bodies that have been working constantly, as part of the body of Christ, we also need to feel free to take time to rest and recharge.

Sometimes you have no. Because you don't have the time, or you don't have the energy, or you don't have the expertise. Maybe the timing is just all wrong. And that's okay. Don't let having to say no to someone make you feel like you've done something wrong, even if they try to make you feel guilty about it. Pray for the grace and the discernment to know when (and how) to say no, because sometimes, you have to. Remember that even Jesus withdrew from the crowds at times to rest and recharge.

Do you have instances where you've had to say no? Share them in the comments below, if you would like to!

Be blessed and say no sometimes!

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Biweekly Bits #19: Don't Miss the Message!

After writing 26 bits, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.

Don't miss a message from God because you don't like the container it came in. God speaks through anything, and indeed, God speaks through everything. The Bible is filled with stories of the crazy things and messed-up people that God has used to get the attention of His people.

This is a tough lesson that I've been learning over the past few years. I think it's human nature to discredit a message because we object to the person that the message came from. We may not agree with their theology, or their lifestyle, or their appearance, so we say that their words cannot possibly be true, God could not possibly have called them. We miss the voice of God sometimes because our pride does not allow us to listen when He speaks through things that may seem unholy or unworthy. But the truth is, God can and does speak through any and everything in all of His creation. 

He may use the lowliest of people, or the worst of sinners to teach us about his grace and love and sovereignty. [Similarly, because we hear words from a favoured preacher, or someone that we consider to be upstanding and righteous, doesn't mean that they are from God.] I think it's human nature to correlate the appearance of the speaker with the truth of the message. But when we do this, we tell God that He is only limited to speaking through things that we determine appropriate. We take the sovereignty from God and place it on ourselves. We forget that God spoke through a bush, and a donkey, and a child, and many, many, many sinners.

It is our duty then to develop and use our discernment so that we can hear God no matter how He may choose to speak to us. Let us rebuke the pride that tells us that God cannot speak through those that we think are less holy, less worthy or less spiritually mature than we are. Let us not miss his voice because we don't like the way it sounds.

Be blessed and shine!

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Biweekly Bits #5: No Choices

After writing 26 bits, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.

In some instances God will give you no choice about something because He knows that even if you had but one other option, you'd pick the wrong one. I wish I could say that this happened to me only once...

Have you ever had such an experience? Maybe applying for a job, auditioning for a role or spot in a company, or applying to college to to graduate school. You were well-qualified, everything seemed to be working in your favour throughout the process, but only ONE opportunity opens up of all the ones that you were trying to earn.

Biweekly Bits #4: Outgrowing Things is Okay

You outgrow some things, and that's okay. Sometimes it's a pair of jeans, or shoes, or a shirt. Sometimes it's a friendship. Sometimes it's a place. Sometimes it hurts. But growth is key to life, and in the same way that it would be silly to torture yourself by wearing a pair of shoes that's too small, it's not prudent to hold onto other things that you have outgrown either. (See also Genesis 13)

Do you ever remember having an item of clothing that you really liked, but it didn't fit anymore? Maybe you got bigger or taller, or put it in the dryer and it shrunk, or you lost a lot of weight. Regardless of the reason, you couldn't wear it anymore, because it didn't fit anymore. Weren't you a tiny bit upset though? Sigh...

7 Snippets of Encouragement for Young Christians

If you consider yourself a young Christian whether young-in-Christ, young-and-in-Christ, or both, this is for you. If you don't you can still keep reading too!

A few words of encouragement for my young Christian friends, with scripture references, of course.

1.  People look down on us sometimes because of our age.  Sometimes, they aren't even older people, our peers may do it too. They fail to understand that a lack of life-experience does not mean a lack of God-experience. As a young person, you are an extremely powerful Christian: not only do you have many years of serving ahead of you, but you also have a fresh outlook, a new perspective, an understanding of a generation that is still trying to define itself. Be encouraged by 1 Timothy 4:12 and Jeremiah 1:5-8.

2. Never dumb down the Word. Don't let anyone dumb it down for you either. Its potency and its power lies in its purity. Do not feel that because you are not as educated as some biblical scholars that God's word needs to be watered down for you. God created you. The Holy Spirit that lives in you is just as powerful as the Holy Spirit that lives in your pastor…it's the same holy spirit! Within you is an innate understanding of Him, an understanding of worship, an understanding of His will. So study the scriptures, test the spirits, and don't only rely on others to do it for you. Be encouraged by Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:160, Deuteronomy 4:2.

3. We have power. I have realized that as young people, our powers of discernment are sharper than we think. We can often tell when a person's spirit does not align with their outward appearance. We can feel when a worship atmosphere is forced. We can perceive what is just spiritual hype and what it true worship. In the same way, when we forget about trying to fit into the (sub-)standard of today, our worship is pure. It is beautiful. It can change lives. It can change nations. It can change generations. Be encouraged by Acts 1:8, Ephesians 3:20.

4. Position yourselves well. We always move in the direction of influence. Therefore we need to position ourselves to be influenced by the right people. The right influence for you is not the same for someone else. You'd be surprised at some of the people and situations that God will throw into your life to be a positive influence on you, pushing you towards Him. Be encouraged by Jeremiah 6:16. 

5. We NEED community. This is really part 4b, lol. No matter what you think, none of us can do this Christian walk alone, nor should we try to!  Bible study at home on the occasional Sunday is fine, and  watching service via live streaming every now and again is okay, but face-to-face interaction in a community of believers is a must. Seek out community. Find yourself in a church with solid teachings and teachers, get yourself a mentor, find some Christian friends who will build you up and hold you accountable. Use discernment to choose all three of these, because some are not as they appear, and there are definitely both some goats and some wolves among the sheep. Yes, some churches/Christians are a hot mess, but that's because people are generally a hot mess, which is why we all need Jesus. No one is perfect, but that's why we're a body: I bet your hands pick things up better than your feet do, don't they? Be encouraged by Romans 12:3-8, Hebrews 10:25, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and this tweet by Beth Moore:

Just gonna say it like this: get your hind end into a strong community of believers & your head in the Scriptures. You cannot do this alone.

— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) February 7, 2014

6. Keep praying. If you don't pray, start. Prayer is powerful for two reasons, it connects you to God, and it connects God to you. If you don't know how to pray, then I need you to do two things for me: (i) start talking to God. Just talking, tell Him about your day, share what's on your heart with him. Do it for just two minutes at a time; (ii) start reading and learning about prayer. Start with the scriptures first, then, if you would like, read what others have written about prayer. Develop a habit of praying. And if you have been praying for a long time, and it's always about the same thing, don't get discouraged -- God hears your prayers, he hears your cry, and he is faithful to answer your prayers. Keep a journal of your prayers and re-read it every few months and see how your prayers are answered AND how much you grow through prayer. Be encouraged by Matthew 6:5-15, Psalm 18:6, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 5:14-15. 

7. Shine boldly, beautifully, brightly. In order for a flame to burn it must have oxygen. Therefore, you cannot shine if there is no oxygen in your atmosphere, or if there are other "fires" burning that suck up all your oxygen. This points to two things: firstly, a need for personal space (not necessarily physical!); it also shows a need to remove the things (*cough*people*cough*) that suck the oxygen away from your flame. Surround yourself with oxygen-giving people. Interestingly enough, flourishing plants give off oxygen...think about that one. Be encouraged by Matthew 5:15-16.

To the young Christians in my life (or who may just have stumbled across this post), I love you all! I love our fire and our passion. I love our desire for Jesus. Let's all keep shining, and encourage each other to shine brighter.

Be blessed and shine magnificently!

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Through His Eyes

We often forget (or perhaps, don't realize) that God doesn't see us the way we see ourselves. What we see, in the mirror, in our lives, is but a blurred snippet of a much larger picture, a much greater story. God not only see that entire story, He writes it! So many times, God may call us by a name that we don't recognize, because we haven't gotten to those pages in our own story yet.

This is what Gideon experienced. Gideon was the "least in his family" and his clan was the weakest in his entire tribe (Judges 6:15). But the angel of the Lord appeared to him, greeting him as a mighty warrior, sent to save Israel from Midianite oppression. Gideon was doubtful. This strange man was telling him that the Lord was with them, when they were in the midst of being severely oppressed by another nation. And then, to top it all, the man was saying that he, Gideon, the least of the least, was a mighty warrior, being commissioned to deliver Israel! What?!

Anyone in Gideon's shoes would have been skeptical. Anyone in Gideon's shoes, like Gideon himself, wouldn't be seeing the rest of the story. 

When God calls us in this way, by names that we think don't apply to us, be it mother, pastor, leader, president, mighty warrior, we glimpse a bit of the story through His eyes. God is telling us, "You were called to do more, to be more. You will not always be who you are now. I am sending you out there for My glory."

Through His eyes, it is all for His glory. When we become the impossible, or attain the seemingly unattainable, it is by the grace of God alone, to the glory of God alone.

What is is the angel of the Lord calling you? What is the voice of God whispering to you? If it seems impossible or unrealistic, remember that the completed story of you looks entirely different through His eyes.

How did Gideon's story play out? He and 300 (yes, three hundred) men defeated over 100,000 Midianite warriors, freeing Israel from Midian's hold.

Be blessed and shine with new eyes!

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Seven Ways to Pray: 4. Discernment

If you want to catch up, read the introductory post for Seven Ways to Pray for Your Heart, which contains links to all the other posts in the series. Also, you can find Jon Bloom's original post here.

Discernment was our focus for this week. Actually, discernment has been my prayer focus for a while now, as I trying to figure out which path(s) I should take in life.

To discern is to be able to distinguish things from each other, despite close similarities and/or an obscured view. Spiritually, discernment is ultimately the ability to distinguish good from evil, the ability to pick out the wolf from among the sheep.

"The discerning person looks to wisdom, but the eyes of a fool to the ends of the earth." Proverbs 17:24