Birthdays, Monsoons, and Blessings: When it Rains...it Pours

Malachi 3:10
Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

It rained on my birthday.  

No...it actually poured.  Like, monsoon-kind-of-poured.  There was a torrential downpour most of the day, with tornado watches and flood warnings.  This isn't the first time it rained on my birthday, either. I remember being locked in doors my junior year of college, as we waited for the incoming hurricane.  Instead of being out celebrating, my roommates and I were glued to the weather channel, wondering if we were going to have to board up our windows and doors!  Talk about a bummer.

But you know, this Tuesday as I woke up to the sound of rain and looked out of my window into the haze, I wasn't discouraged to see the rain.  For me, the rain was symbolic.  I felt like God was speaking to me through the tiny drops slithering down my window pane.   

No one really likes rain.  It puts a damper on things, figuratively and literally speaking.  It gets in the way of plans, generates bad hair days, and makes the roads slick for driving.  It brings with it clouds.  Clouds that darken the shining of the sun, shading its light with a haze of grey.   It makes you feel lazy, cold, and sucks ever ounce of your motivation.  There is something about the rain that just isn't fun.

I've just come through a rainy season in my life.  One that sapped my motivation and my strength.  One that set up a haze of darkness over the light in my life, causing me to see things through the fog.  I've been walking through the rain, and at times it's left me drenched in it's down pour.  Shivering, cold, and alone.

But you know, that is not what I thought about as I woke up on the morning of September 18th.  God was not using the rain to remind me of my struggle...but to give me hope for my future.  Rain brings life, nourishment, and growth.  Rain brings fruit, and creates a harvest.  We always want to collect the fruit...but in order to do so, it first has to rain. 

But you see, I believe that this season of rain will soon pass, like the rain always does.  I'm already seeing the clouds begin to break up and move away.  Yet I'm expecting more than just the ceasing of rain.  I'm expecting blessings.  There are always blessings after the storm. 

I have been faithful to God through the rain, and I know that because of who He is...greater things are yet to come.  I'm expecting Him to open the floodgates of heaven, and pour out so much blessing that my life won't even be able to contain it.  I'm believing that.  I'm speaking that into my life.  Because these are God's words, and His words are always more truthful than my own.

This is what I'm believing for this coming year, my 29th year of life.  I'm believing in God's faithfulness.  He was faithful to plant seeds into my life, and faithful to water them.  Now, He will be faithful in growing them up.  I'm waiting for this.  I'm hoping for this.  I'm believing in this.

Gratitude vs.Bragitude: Fighting the Spotlight Mentality

Luke 18:11
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.

I have to be honest and say that I really feel blessed in my life.  Mostly because I serve a really good God, and partly because I'm learning that the gift of contentment is one that really must be earned with blood, sweat and tears. 

With all that said, this journey toward contentment has allowed me- for the first time, to have the ability to take the focus off of myself.  God has been really challenging me to a growing awareness of the people around me....their joys, their struggles.

They say early adolescents go through a developmental season where they feel that the focus of the universe is on them.  When they walk into a room, the spotlight is on them.  It's as though they are living their life as the star of their own play, and everyone else is in the background- secondary characters. 

Sometimes I think that stage goes beyond middle school.  Sometimes, I think there is a fraction of that little adolescent living inside of us always...battling for the spotlight. 

Lately, I've been really trying to fight that urge inside of me. 

I heard a pastor the other day on national TV say that he is so "Thankful" for his amazing car, beautiful wife, financial prosperity, and incredible ministry.  "God is good", he said. 

Not sure why, but something about that rubbed me the wrong way.  It brought me back to those middle school days of fighting for the spotlight.  Me, me, me....thank you God that my life is amazing, thank you that I'm rich, beautiful, and smart...thank you, that my life is not like HIS...

I'm grateful for what I have...but I'm learning that there is a difference between gratitude, and "bragitude".

One puts the spotlight on me....the other puts the spotlight on Christ. 


This is something I need to work on daily.  To fight the Pharisee urges of glorifying the good in my life for the sake of praise and recognition, and accept the calling to lay those things down before the feet of Jesus....remembering that it is all because of Him. 

I'm learning to have an awareness of those around me, to approach them with grace and with love, taking the spotlight off of me, and willingly putting it where it truly belongs.

Christians: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (Part I)

Matthew 5:14-16
  ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The word "Christian" has been slapped on so many things that it has lost it's true meaning.  It has been dissolved in the pool of men and woman that have labeled themselves by it's definition.  It's easy to get confused in the culture of modern day Christianity.  It's easy to be bombarded by the so many things "Christian" that Christ gets lost in the crowd. 

But then....then there are people that remind you of what it truly means to be a follower of Christ.  Then there are people who take the time to be transparent...pointing at Jesus through every aspect of their lives- the good, the bad, and even the ugly. 

Don't get me wrong- true Christ-followers aren't perfect...and they shouldn't claim to be.  But they are real.  They are faithful.  And they are consistent. 

I was reminded of what it meant to stand firm for Jesus this week watching one of my favorite TV shows: Survivor.  If you don't know anything about Survivor, it's one of the oldest in reality TV.  The idea is based on dropping a group of men and women in the middle of the jungles to fend for themselves for 39 days.  The person who makes it to the end, takes home the pride of being called the sole Survivor...and the bonus of one million dollars. 

Living in the wild for 39 days surrounded by a group of strangers is bound to take a toll on any and everyone.  The awful reality of the fallen human condition makes an appearance every season as the survivors interact with one another...lying, stealing, and cheating become the norm.  Tempers lash out, personalities clash, and emotions run wild.  It's humanity at its worst. 

But this season there is a young man that has totally impressed me with his life.  His name is Matt, and he is a self-proclaimed follower of Christ.  I tend to cringe when I hear people say that...I've seen so many people wear the name of Jesus, and then trample it through the mud.  But this guy is another story.


His faith is first and foremost in his life...and he proves that with his actions and his words.  He may be young, but there is a mature spirit of God upon His life, and everyone who comes into contact with him senses that.  He's respected for his strong faith...and by his kindness, he has been impacting the lives of the survivors around him with his faith in Jesus. 


Again and again you hear him talking about the reality that he has been put in this place for one purpose alone: to glorify his God.  


I know it's reality TV....but there is something genuine about this young guy.  There is something challenging about the way he lives his life.  For many of us, our life is the forefront...while our faith is the back drop.  We live our lives...and then sprinkle a little Christianity on top.  A little here, a little there..."just for the taste". 

But the reality is, this is not the way God meant for us to live.  We are born with a purpose- to be a light in the darkness.  That is a role that stands firm whether we are playing the game of Survivor, staying at home with our babies, or working 14 hour shifts at our jobs.  

It's a role that has to take the forefront of our lives in every thing we say and in everything we do.  Our lives must glow with the light of God...a light that is recognizable by everyone we come into contact with.  A light that speaks encouragement, hope, love, and faith to places that were once void and dark. 

Christian- Take inventory.  How bright has your light been shining?  How seriously have you taken this role?  How responsible have you been with the precious name that you carry...the precious name of Christ. 


May we be challenged to take seriously this calling that has been placed on our lives.  May we be challenged to live as light. 

Won't Let Satan "Poof"It Out: Ephesians 5 (Day 5)

Ephesians 5:1-2; 8-10 (Click here to read all of Ephesians 5)
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  


For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light (for the fruit of light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. 

In all honesty, sometimes I am jealous of the spiritual lives of little children.  Children are so simple, so focused, so "clutter-free" in their faith.  I remember so vividly sitting in Sunday School, singing songs like "This Little Light of Mine" at the top of my lungs and with all of my heart.  And I remember getting to the part that says, "Won't let Satan 'Poof' it out, I'm gonna let it shine...." and I remember thinking so innocently, "I will NEVER let that Satan blow out my light for Jesus!!"

Flash forward.  Junior High.  Something happened to my light as it flickered dimly- sometimes barely noticeable.  Won over by the pressures around me, and the need to fit in, I allowed "that Satan" to poof it out.

Flash forward.  Freshman year of college.  Getting involved in relationships.  Feeling the need for love and acceptance.  Allowing sins to creep into my life that I never imagined would or could.  My love for myself won over my love for God.  And again...my light flickered, my testimony cracked and faded.

Flash forward. Today.  By the grace of God he has restored my little light...a light that many times in my past had almost been snuffed out completely.  A light that sometimes had a flame so low that many may not have even noticed it.  But, there are still moments.  Moments where my light is dim- no different from the people around me.  Moments where my selfishness takes over.  My apathy kicks into high gear.  Moments where the temptations of Satan "poof" out my light for just a while...and moments where in my embarrassment or unpreparedness- I choose to" poof" it out myself  ("Hide it under a bushel? NO! I'm gonna let it shine...")

I am talking about the gift of light today, because it is such a vital gift in the life of the believer.  According to Ephesians 5, we are set apart as "Children of the Light".  Set apart...meaning, there has GOT to be a difference between you and the rest of the world.  You see, being set apart means so much more than simply "not sinning".  There have got to be fruits of the light permeating from every aspect of who we are: goodness, righteousness, truth....

Ephesians 4:17-5:21 is one long list of what it looks like to be different, to shine your light.  Practical ways that we can be set apart in this world- carrying the light of Christ into dark places by our very actions.  I mean, Paul tells us straight up in Ephesians 5 that we need to be careful how we live- making the most of every opportunity to stand out, to represent Jesus. 

This is the precious gift we have in Christ.  The gift of His Light.  The gift that allows others to watch our lives and say to themselves: "There's something different about him...There's something different about her...There's something different about them."

In every aspect of your lives.  From what you talk about, to what you watch, to how you dress.  From what you joke about, to how you deal with your emotions, to the things you desire in life.  From your individual life, to your friendships, to your marriage...God's light has got to shine in each and every facet.  There has got to be a difference...and people will notice.

In fact, I personally believe that one of the greatest tests of being a light is just that: have people noticed?  Has anyone asked you about your life?  Has anyone commented that the way you speak, dress, live is something they have noticed?  Something they have admired?  Something they have longed to posses? 

Maybe it's time we all do some soul-searching.  Maybe it's time we take a moment to assess our light; to test it's flame; to see how strongly it's still burning. 

___

If you are just joining us on our 7 day tour of Ephesians, we have been learning about the riches we have in Christ. If you would like to review the gifts God is opening our eyes to through this study, feel free to look back at the past 4 days of posts:  Power, Life, Love, Purpose.