Battling Discouragement

Yesterday, I was fighting a battle.

The battle was not against flesh and blood. The battle was with discouragement. I felt like I was deflecting fiery arrows all day long, trying with all my might to tread water and stay afloat in the truth. 

Who of you has felt discouraged lately? Do you know what's funny about discouragement at times? It does not have to be founded on much of anything. Really, I had nothing much to be discouraged about yesterday. Nothing much being the key phrase. The fact is, the enemy can take a little "nothing much" and turn it into something "exceedingly" discouraging.

Exceedingly discouraged. Yes, that describes the state of my heart as it was last night.

What trumps the hardship of these types of days, though, is the amazing, remarkable way that God can take our discouragement and turn it into beauty. With ears tuned and eyes opened, we can be made aware of the sanctification process in our hearts, minds, and wills. When we seek Christ in the midst of discouragement, we soon enough find that our cries for help can be transformed into declarations of Jesus' steadfast love.

As Christ followers, we have a choice to make in the midst of our discouragement. What will we do with it? Succumb to it (like I did in moments)? Or proclaim the victory and love of Christ over it?

My light-bulb moment: Proclaiming the victory of Christ over our discouragement could be as simple as remembering the Gospel! This is what occurred to me yesterday, as I ruminated over the root of my discouragement. When thoughts proved difficult to form and prayers hard to utter, when my heart seemed to fail within me, it all culminated in the realization of how desperately I need Jesus! 

We are desperate for His love. And God knows this about us. Our frailty. Our need for His saving grace and steadfast love to wash over us and make us more like Himself. 

I opened my Bible to Psalm 143 this morning, and it speaks beautifully of looking to Gospel truths in our trials and discouragement:

5 I remember the days of old;

    I meditate on all that you have done;

    I ponder the work of your hands.

6 I stretch out my hands to you;

    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. 

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord!

    My spirit fails!

Hide not your face from me,

    lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

    for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

    for to you I lift up my soul.

May the reality of the Gospel, the beauty of Christ's steadfast love for us, be the very truth to encourage our hearts and dispel discouragement! Because He loves us that much, we can trust in His perfect, atoning sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. We can trust our redemption. We can trust that, even in our discouragement, He is making us more like Christ! We are wrapped in His steadfast love today and everyday, and we no longer have to dwell in discouragement. 

Loving Father God, Because your love is better than life our lips will praise You! Protect us from the enemy's arrows today, as we meditate on your steadfast love for us. Replace any discouragement with the truth of our identity as your children, wholly beloved daughters of the Most High. We trust in Your love!

Amen.

Feeling Discontent?

If only I could grasp this concept these days.

Lately, I have felt quite discontented. I have been unhappy with my job situation, and my husband is currently searching for a new career as well. Because I have been very busy with my current jobs, I have had little time to spend with family, friends, or my husband. I have felt like my inner joy has been leaking out of me during my long, tiring days. I arrive home at the end of the day nothing short of a grumpy, short-tempered, and crabby mess. I often think to myself “If I only had THAT job…” or, “If I just had one more day to myself this week…” or, “If we just made a little more money….”

“….THEN I would be truly happy.”

Think AGAIN.

Paul was an amazing guy. Truly, truly a warrior and the epitome of a Christian martyr.

I wish I could be a little more like him.

In the book of Philippians, Paul writes to the people of Philippi who had been supporting him through his imprisonment.

That’s right, Paul had been put in jail. And yet he writes the following:

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4: 10-13)

Can you imagine being put into a jail – especially one in the days of Paul? We know from the writings of Paul that he was whipped, had gone without food, without sleep, and endured terrible sufferings. Yet, when we hear from him here in prison – probably chained to a guard and given very little physical comfort--he writes that he has learned to be content, whatever the circumstance, for he knows that all things can be done through Christ, who gives him strength.

Whenever I begin to have a “pity party” for myself and my circumstances, I need not think any further than to the strength of Paul. If he can endure countless trials while proclaiming the name of Jesus, surely I can weather my earthly trials. I also need not think any further than to the strength of Christ, Himself, who became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Surely I can weather the storms of this life because He gives me strength.

For, in the end, it is an blip in our faith - an error in our sinfulness - that causes us to become so discontent. 

Who are we to underestimate the power of what we can do when we God works through us?

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:26-27)

We need not worry about the future, dear ones. For just as surely as the Lord makes sure the birds have food to eat, our needs will be met. We may not have what WE WANT at any point in time, but when we trust God with our earthly desires and surrender to him our worries, we can be content knowing that the King of the universe has our best interests in mind.

Dear Lord, Forgive me when I do not trust you. Forgive me when I believe that my ways are higher than yours. Help me to trust you with every part of my life, even when I do not understand what you are doing.

Amen

[Post by Julie Gernand]

Why We Need To Wake Up

Think of the most influential person in your life.

At some point, you probably revered this person, in wonder of their character, accomplishments, or perhaps because they spoke unto you life-giving words of insight. For me, this person was my first babysitter. In my young female mind, she was the coolest, smartest, prettiest and kindest young woman on earth. To this day, I still carry sweet memories with me: of us playing in the sun-drenched backyard, packing picnic lunches and dressing up to play "house".

Here's the catch. The most deeply influential, revered person in your life is but a mere shadow of the majestic, awesome influence and unchanging character of the Lord God Almighty.

And yet, we forget. We forget His worthiness. His power. His authority. His steadfastness. His beauty. His active hand. His Spirit. His ability to calm the raging waters and move the grandiose mountains. Pastor and author Francis Chan would call this "spiritual amnesia". 

Where were you when God Almighty created the earth and everything in it?

Certainly nowhere near Him. And nowhere near His likeness.

Therein lies the beauty--the amazement--of the Gospel. Just when we thought we would never be able to approach God, let alone spend eternity with Him, He imparts His grace to us through Christ. He makes a way for us through faith. He transfers over all our dirty sin to His Son, who willingly suffers God's wrath. Then upon Christ's resurrection, all death and sin is defeated!

This is astonishing! Nothing else, no other gift, can compare.  

But despite the amazing reality of the Gospel, we still battle a spirit of apathy. Spiritual amnesia takes over at times, and we forget the immensity of grace poured out for us by the Lord.

My boss was speaking Scripture out loud yesterday, specifically passages about Jesus being our salvation by faith. My heart leaped at the sound of such soul-altering truth. And I began to wonder, Why does my spirit not always leap? Why is my amazement of the Lord's sovereignty and love and grace so lacking at times? When did the Gospel become ordinary, when it is so far from it?

We need to wake up to the undeserved gift of salvation that has been wholly imparted to us through Christ. There is simply nothing ordinary about it! 

Read this today, and be newly refreshed and convicted by the redeeming work of Christ for your sake. Before you trusted Christ, you could not even approach the Lord; but He has now made a way for you! Behold what Christ has done!

18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12)

May we offer up to God today "acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (v. 28). May the Gospel of grace remind us of the eternal influence of Christ. May we be astonished and unceasingly grateful for what the Lord has done.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for our salvation! Give us more understanding because Your love runs so deeply. May we live and move and breathe as a response to your grace and love for us. May we live with hearts open, fully aware that today is far from ordinary! We worship You.

Amen!

Don't Forget...

Repetition has a purpose.

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Typically, repetition is used to emphasize, to implant in the memory. When something is repeated to us over and over again, the goal is that we do not forget it. Think of a young child being instructed by his parents in the use of manners:

"Say, 'Please.'"

"What do you say?"

"What's the magic word?"

Repetition can be very effective...if we heed it. In the book of Deuteronomy, the Lord repeatedly speaks of "remembering" and "forgetting":

4:9 “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.

4:23 Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. 

5:15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

Why does God continually impress "remembering" upon His people? Because He knows that we are prone to forgetfulness. I love the connection made by Nancy Leigh DeMoss about forgetfulness and gratitude: "To forget is not only to invite ingratitude but (as God told the ancient Hebrews in Deuteronomy 8:19) to "perish"--to watch a little of us die every day when we could be experiencing abundant life" (Choosing Gratitude, 55). To remember, then, is to invite gratitude into our hearts and minds.

What might God be impressing upon you to remember today? Just as our mighty God faithfully brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, so His hand has been actively at work in your life--whether you have realized it or not. Scripture speaks this truth: "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:16). 

I have been asking myself this very question this week. Eight months ago, the Lord brought me out of my "Egypt" into a new land. What an exhilarating, terrifying time it was, as I attempted to trust the Lord despite my inability to see the next step (such a difficult exercise in faith--you with me there?). In remembering the works of the Lord, a few thoughts have come to mind:

ONE: Everything we endure has already passed through the Lord's loving hands (Psalm 139).

TWO: A spirit of gratitude is always the Father's will for us. Worshipping God can transform our perspective. "16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5).

THREE: Our souls find rest in God alone, and not in our circumstances. "7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God" (Psalm 62).

FOUR: The Lord can do exceedingly more than all we could ask or imagine. "20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3).

Praise God for our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us the grace to rely on His strength, not our own, as we remember all that He has done by His steadfast character and love!

Almighty God, We confess that we forget all too often the works of Your hands. Grant us hearts of gratitude as we remember your faithfulness. Place in our minds the ways You have worked, so we can praise You. Thank you that everything has passed through Your loving hands.

Amen.

What does God want you to remember today?

Very Much Alive

"Is it dead?"

I stood gazing up at the massive oak tree in my parents backyard. Unlike the other trees blooming and flowering around it, this one looked bare and utterly dormant at first glance. My father approached it, and gently pulled down a branch, examining it with his keen forestry-bent focus.

"This tree may look dead on the outside, but it's very much alive on the inside," he responded. He proceeded to show me how to test the vivacity of a tree by scraping along a branch to reveal the color beneath the bark. Bright green. Very much alive.

It is simply amazing that God had the Gospel in mind even at the creation of the world. As spring reveals its colorful glory in the blooming flowers, budding trees and chirping birds, we see but a glimpse of what God intended at the beginning, when all was perfect and untarnished by sin.

All of creation is a Gospel proclamation.

When the seasons are considered, or perhaps the life cycle of a tree, one quickly realizes the incredible detail involved. Did you know that, when summer turns to fall, a tree releases abscisic acid in anticipation of the new season? The acid stops nutrients and water from entering the leaves, so they will dry up and no more will be produced. Then the tree stores all its vital goods deeply into the ground, in its life-sustaining roots. And when spring comes again, the nutrients are released. Very much alive!

In gazing at creation and all its wonder, it is clear that God wished to reflect in it Himself and His wondrous, unique plan of salvation for mankind.

Here are three ways in which all of creation is a Gospel proclamation:

ONE: Creation reflects the glory and power of God. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (Romans 1). God shows us Himself through everything around us. Therefore, we can know that He is ever-present, always working and full of glory and power.

TWO: Creation reflects the power of grace. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12). The dormant trees and flowers, the southward flight of the birds and the cold of winter--all demonstrate the power and grace of God when they are brought back to life come spring. Their physical lack is a purposeful metaphor for our need of the sufficiency of Christ.

THREE: Creation reflects the love of Christ. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge (Psalm 19).The fact that God even provided us with creation as a means to knowing Him shows us His love. He alone is the one, true God who is knowable. And He sent His Son to complete the process of knowing Him by sending Christ to the cross.

Creator God, How majestic are your ways in all the earth! We thank you for how powerful and beautiful you have made all creation. Thank you that it reflects Your character and Your purposes in redeeming the world. Open our eyes to see Your amazing plans through creation today.

Amen.

What do you most love about creation? 

What Is Truth?

The year is 30 A.D.

Jesus, the son of a living, almighty God, has just been betrayed in the garden of Gethsemane. The Savior of the world has just been betrayed with a kiss. He has stood before the High Priest, the righteous of the age, and has been mocked and whipped. He has been rejected and denounced by his closest friends. He has been ridiculed and turned over for dead by the ones he healed, clothed, and fed. He now stands before a Roman authority, Pilate, who holds the power to crucify him.

"Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" (John 18)

What is truth? I hear Pilate's discouraging tone as he washes his hands of the matter. Though this was years ago, the world we live in today begs the same question. The world we live in today tells us to create our own truth, to have many truths. It demands that we recognize two conflicting truths to be equally true despite the truth.

What has happened? When did all fact become interpretation and all truth become relative? More importantly, as Christians, when did we become okay with this?

When you became a Christian--whenever that moment was for you--you asked God to forgive you of your sins, to wash you clean, and fill you with his sweet redemption, that you may grow more and more into His likeness. We recognize these things are true when we become a Christian, why? Because, whether we knew it consciously or not, we had just made a switch in the way we see life. We decided to base our truth in the Bible, the Word of the very same God who we just trusted for salvation.

If then, I trust God’s Word for my salvation, should I then trust everything else He says in His Word? The answer is a resounding yes. How on earth could we trust a book for information on the salvation of our soul, only to say, "Yeah, I’m not quite sure about the rest of it, though". To some, this seems silly. To others this is the means to living a comfortable life.

However, both cannot be right, both cannot be true. Let me ask this--if we are accepting God’s words to provide our salvation and countless other promises of hope and redemption, who are we to decide what is true in his Word and what is not?

No friends. We don’t get to decide that part. It is our part to decide to follow the truth and to apply the truth as a foundation--the absolute truth for our lives.

I married my husband, Jake, three years ago. It is true. I did marry him. It works out pretty nice because I get all this unconditional love and support. He provides for me. Every once in awhile I spend some time with him, and we get along just fine. I mean he loves me enough to even let me stay out late without him. I mean, he doesn’t like when I come home wasted, but he loves me so we're good. Most times I just keep him at home because I find our marriage too constraining. If I bring him out with me, that means I’m not going to be able to get any others guys to take me home...you understand. I’m married; I just don’t like marriage...so when I’m not in the house, I’ve just decided that I’m not married.

If I were to sit down on your living room couch and tell you all of that, you would look at me like I was crazy. I would be crazy! Wouldn’t anyone be crazy for creating their own reality apart from what was really true? Many Christians today are doing this very same thing, and we have been okay with it for far too long.

It is impossible to be married and then choose what parts of your life you are going to let that affect. It is impossible to believe the words of God and then choose what parts of your life you are going to let them affect. Of course people do choose; that's why there is divorce, infidelity, etc. They are trying to live two truths at once, and it is impossible because you cannot create your own reality outside of the truth. We do not get to pick and choose when married--despite our actions. We do not get to pick and choose as a Christian when His words are true--despite our actions.

As a Christian, taking God’s Word as truth, I am told daily that I am intolerant because I do not hold what others say and believe to be true. I am told that I "can’t be a Christian because Jesus loved everyone, even the sinners". Yes, Jesus does love everyone, even to His death on a cross (John 3:16). But every time Jesus encountered someone whose life was a wreck, they walked away changed because the truth had set them free.

In the passage above, as Christ stood before Pilate in John 18 He says, "For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth." THIS was the reason He came--to bear witness to the truth. If this is the whole reason Jesus came, shouldn’t we care about it an awful lot? If this was the reason Jesus came, shouldn’t we place a higher level of importance on it than we have been doing? If this is the reason Jesus came, this is a big deal. The truth must exist.

So, whose truth are you going to accept? Are you going to create one for yourself by picking and choosing what parts of God’s Word you like and dislike? Or are you going to read and ask God to reveal his truth to you in his Word?

The choice is entirely up to you. It’s a challenge, it’s the hard path, it doesn’t always make others happy, it can cause plenty of persecution, and it is the very road Christ took Himself. However, the reward is greater than you can imagine because, as Christ said to Pilate, those who hear His truth are identified as His.

Father God, Your Word is truth. Thank You that You allow us to know truth. Strengthen us to stand for what You have revealed as truth. We look to You for boldness, grace and assurance that You will never leave, even during the toughest of battles.

Amen.

Nicole Tlapek is a precious child of her living, awesome God. And a crazy wife of her patient, adoring husband. She owns a private music instruction studio and lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with her husband, Jake, and teacup yorkie-poo, Watson. Nicole is super passionate about building up the body of Christ through the living truth of God’s Word, and seeing women encourage and edifying each other as they seek their true identity as daughters and sisters in Christ.

Word Dysfunction: An Epidemic

Proverbs 18:21- Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Something struck me after listening to a recent sermon at church. Pastor Rob Bugh at Wheaton Bible Church has been giving many sermons recently on the book of Proverbs, and this past Sunday’s message was especially powerful*. Pastor Bugh told us that within the book of Proverbs, the topic of how we use our words is spoken about more than any other topic.

Why could this be?

Probably because our culture suffers chronically from what seems to be “word dysfunction.”

I have learned the following things about the use of words:

ONE: Words have power.

Think about how the words of others affect you. Has someone ever said something to you that brought you down? Did you overhear someone speaking about you in a negative way that really crushed your spirit? Proverbs says the following:

Proverbs 12:25

Anxiety weighs down the heart,

    but a kind word cheers it up.

It may sound cliché, but it is true that one kind word can change someone’s outlook on a situation. Imagine that you were trying very hard taking piano lessons, and your teacher mentioned that perhaps you should take up another hobby. How would this affect you? How would it be different if that teacher gave you praise for your efforts?  One simple phrase of “Thank you for applying yourself so hard!” can make or break someone else’s spirit.

Your. Words. Have. Power.

Let’s use our powers for the good of others. Tell a co-worker you appreciate their efforts. Let your loved ones know that you care deeply for them. Tell your spouse how thankful you are for the small things they do for you. Even small changes in the way you speak can have a profound impact.

TWO: Negative talk is rampant in our culture.

How often do you gossip? Think about it….and be honest.

This is one trap I know I find myself slip into much more often than I should.

The book of James says this:

James 3:6-8

6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Harsh, right?

The Lord hates gossip, for gossip itself is rooted in a place of… well… poisonous hate.

We need words. We need relationship. In our culture, we look so often for validation through the words of others in those relationships. Sometimes we want the assurance that we are “accepted” so much that we will use our words to tear others down in order to believe that we “fit in”. Have you ever been guilty of this? Truth is that at some point in our lives, we will all most likely fall into this relational trap!

Pastor Bugh’s recent sermon helped me to see that words have power in this way: Our words embody our thoughts. Saying our words out loud makes our thoughts tangible. When what you think becomes what you say, you solidify within yourself what you truly believe. Each time you state something, you reinforce that idea within yourself, making it more and more a part of who you are.

THREE: Kind/wise/gracious words do wonders in our world.

 Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. 

Proverbs 16:24

What are “wise words” according to scripture? They are gentle, not harsh. They are encouraging, not discouraging. They are spiritual, not superficial. They are full of kindness, not full of hatred. They are humble, not proud. They are full of wisdom, not full of foolishness. They bring healing, not destruction.

I don’t know about you, but I need daily reminders in order to ensure that my talk is indeed “sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” When it may be our first instinct to say something harsh, may we be reminded of how our words can affect the thoughts and feelings of others - and ourselves.

I think about madmen, and about how the use of words must have affected the recent bombers in Boston, Massachusetts…. I think about how destructive leaders throughout history have repeated hateful words to make others believe lies…..I think about how words have the power to radically change what others believe…..

If what you repeat becomes who you are, then let us speak the truth in love. Let us give thanks for a gracious God that forgives our linguistic failings, and who knows our hearts deeply and wholly. Let us strive so speak as Jesus spoke, with words of wisdom, love, and grace. Let us wage war against the cruel words of our world, and speak with sweet and restrained tongues, proclaiming His goodness to the people of every nation!

Gracious Lord, Oh, how the tongue can be so cruel! We thank you, Lord, for sending your son Jesus to be a perfect example of how to live. Jesus, you spoke with such wisdom and grace. Help us to become “Little Christs” and to tell others of the truly wonderful things you have done for us. No sweeter words than those of your story, Jesus, could ever be spoken.

Amen.

[Post by Julie Gernand]