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8.12.16 Don’t Worry About It

When I was as a child, I had a tendency to worry. If I became unsettled about anything, I would run to Mother who unreservedly gave me the assurances I needed. I can’t tell you the number of times she said, “Don’t worry about that. I will take care of it.” Or, “You’re wasting your time worrying about something you can’t control.” I bet you’ve heard these pearls of wisdom and have passed them along to your own kids.

Photo Courtesy @ flickr.com by Molly

Photo Courtesy @ flickr.com by Molly

Who will reassure us when our parents are gone? As I’ve matured in my faith in God, I understand that I can put my full faith and trust in God. However, I still catch myself worrying about things when I know cognitively that God already has a plan to take care of it!

Why do we lapse into worrying when we should know better?! God provides the answer through His own pearls of wisdom found in the Bible:

Pearl #1:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)

Whenever we’re tempted to fret, we should bring it to the Lord by prayer and petition. God commands us to bring “everything” to Him through prayer and ask for His help. God is saying, “Don’t worry about it. If you’ll let me deal with it, I’ll take care of it and give you peace while I work on it.” When I catch myself worrying, I realize I haven’t bathed it in prayer. Worrying is our first clue that we haven’t trusted God with our concerns yet.

God’s command to “not be anxious about anything” comes with a gift that only comes from Him. He tells us that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And by the way, this peace is not something our finite minds will ever understand. Can you picture God’s peace as an impenetrable gate around your heart and mind so worry can’t get in?

I remember visiting Dad in his hospital room the night before his surgery to amputate his remaining leg. Before I prayed with him, I asked him how he was feeling to see if there were specific things I could bring before God. Without hesitation Dad said, “I’m so at peace that I feel nonplussed. It’s as if it’s not even happening.” Wow! The Lord’s peace was guarding his heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Dad knew he didn’t have to worry about this surgery because his trust in God never wavered.

I remember having outpatient surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. It was the first surgery I faced. I had heard people share positive stories about their own surgeries, as well as the horror stories of things that went wrong. I remember praying that the Lord would give me His peace, and I had no trouble sleeping the night before. I had no anxiety while nurses prepped me for surgery, and all went well. God’s peace permeated my heart and mind, and He wants to do that for anyone who wants His peace instead of worry.

Question: So why do we, especially as Christians, lapse into worrying when we should know better than that?

Answer #1: When we don’t’ turn over our worries to God in prayer, we miss out on His peace.

 

Pearl #2:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt 6:25-33)

Jesus presents why we shouldn’t worry. Birds of the air do not “sow or reap or store away in barns,” yet He feeds them. We, on the other hand, have food stored in freezers, fridges and pantries. When we get low on food, we run to the grocery store. None of us wake up worrying about whether there will be food on the table. Imagine a bird waking up wondering where it will find a fresh worm to feed their chicks. If God doesn’t fail birds, who count on His provision daily, why would we worry over God’s ability to take care of us? His message is, “You don’t need to worry about these things. I will take care of them.”

Photo Courtesy @ flicker.com by Ian Thomas

Photo Courtesy @ flicker.com by Ian Thomas

He also reminds us that He expects pagans to worry about these kinds of things, but not His children. He says, “Your heavenly Father already knows what you need.” He invites us to quit worrying because our life is more than “what we eat, where we sleep, and what we wear.”

Photo Courtesy @flickr.com by Alon

Photo Courtesy @flickr.com by Alon

A missionary from Africa came to the states on furlough. During that time, he met with different congregations to share how God was moving there. One of the parishioners asked, “Do you find it hard after coming back to the states to go back to Africa?” The missionary said, “Not at all. In fact, I find it disgusting to see all of this materialism. In Africa, every family wakes up not knowing where their next meal is coming from. I see their profound faith in God’s ability to provide for them daily. And when God brings the provision, they praise Him!”

Question: So why do we, especially as Christians, lapse into worrying when we should know better than that?

Answer #2: We have “little faith” in God’s ability to take care of us in our situations. It’s as if our God is too small to handle our needs and circumstances. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Jesus wants us to know that He never intends for worry to steal our peace in Him. We can see that worry and “the peace that surpasses all human understanding” can’t co-exist. If we find ourselves being anxious or worried, it’s because we haven’t given them to God through prayer. It signals that our trust is no longer on Christ’s ability to take care of us. Our faith in Him has waned.

Let’s remember God’s Word to us:

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” (Isa 26:3-4) 

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) 

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thess 3:16)

 

Blessings,

Lee Ann

7.29.16 Should We “Vote Our Conscience” in This Presidential Election?

When Ted Cruz gave his speech at the Republican National Convention last week, he offended many attendees. When he told them to “vote their conscience,” they booed him because he refused to endorse Donald Trump. If I were in Ted’s shoes, I wouldn’t endorse Mr. Trump either. Nor would I endorse Hillary Clinton. Though I am not a Ted Cruz fan, his message raises a fair question. Should we vote our conscience, implying that we should write in the candidate of our choice? Or do we vote for one of the candidates on the presidential ticket in November? I have struggled with this tension over the last several months. If you’re a fellow struggler trying to figure out who to vote for, I think this post will be helpful. I will offer how we can resolve this tension both practically and biblically.

Photo Courtesy @ cnn.com

Photo Courtesy @ cnn.com

First, is it practical to “vote our conscience?” In case we’re tempted to write in a candidate in November, I decided to be proactive and research the merit of this idea. Here are the key things I learned:

  • If I write in another candidate, I will most likely be assisting Hillary Clinton to become our next President of the United States. That is not my goal.
  • If I don’t vote for Donald Trump, then I will open the door for Congress to add judges with a liberal bent in the Supreme Court. Conservative values will be at risk.
  • If I write in a candidate, it’s doubtful that they could pass through the Electoral College to become our President. I would be wasting my vote.
Photo Courtesy @ hisscrivener.files.wordpress.com

Photo Courtesy @ hisscrivener.files.wordpress.com

 

According to Burt Helm, a reporter for BusinessWeek Online, writing in a candidate is not the answer. Here’s why it is unproductive. First, not all states allow it. We have six states that ban this altogether. Thus, not all voices would be heard. Second, it’s easy for us to write in a contender. But it is much more complicated than scribbling whatever name we please on the ballot. Thirty-five states require write-in candidates to submit an affidavit at least one month before the election. In North Carolina, these candidates must circulate a petition. Once they receive enough signatures, the polling authorities place their names on a list at the polls, though not on the official ballot. If pollsters don’t receive the proper paperwork for a write-in candidate, they toss the votes.¹

Since writing in a candidate is wasting our vote, let’s look to Scripture. This election highlights a theological conundrum:

If God is sovereign, by allowing Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as the two main presidential candidates, shouldn’t we trust God knowing that He CHOSE these two candidates?

YET,

Aren’t we encouraged in Scripture to listen to our conscience?

 

Here are several verses regarding God’s sovereignty to consider:

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Rom 13:1)

“Trust in the Lord always and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him. (Prov 3:5-6)

“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” (Prov 16:33)

 

Here are some passages regarding conscience to consider:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Col 2:8)

“Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17)

“The requirements of the law are written on our hearts, our consciences also bearing witness.” (Rom 2:15)

This last verse teaches that humans, made in the image of God, have an innate sense of right and wrong, a moral monitor that either “approves or accuses.” Conscience serves as an umpire, helping us view life situations in a moral or ethical light.

So what should we do? I wish the Bible plainly stated that either sovereignty outweighs conscience, or vice versa. But it doesn’t. Since “voting our conscience” can lead to wrong conclusions because we are human and miss the mark, I think we should vote for one of the candidates presented on the ballot. Regardless of our concerns about each candidate, God knows their flaws better than we do! God executes His plan without error. He continues to be sovereign and knows exactly what He’s doing. There is a DIVINE REASON on why He’s allowed these candidates on the ballot. We can’t thwart His purposes. I encourage us to completely trust Him. I hope we will continue to fervently pray for the Lord’s wisdom as we cast our vote. In the end the final decision will be from the Lord (Prov 16:33).

Perhaps most of you have a clear idea of how you will vote. But for those who are struggling like me, are there other biblical passages that you can share that will help you make this decision? If you’re open to sharing your thoughts, please type them below.  

 

Blessings,

Lee Ann

 

¹ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2004-11-01/the-ins-and-outs-of-write-ins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.1.16 A Happy Ending

Hypothetically, if a same-sex couple came to our church and asked us to dedicate their child, how should we answer? Our pastor posed this question to our staff and leadership after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in the Spring of 2015. He wanted to be proactive. Our leadership struggled with this question all summer. They engaged prayer, bible studies, and heartfelt dialogue as they processed this challenging issue. They struggled with this key question: “What does love require?” By the end of the summer, the majority of our leadership team felt the Lord leading them to say “yes, we will dedicate a child of same-sex parents.” They couldn’t get past Jesus’s words, “Let the children come to me.” But to be clear, NO ONE on our staff was affirming the gay lifestyle by saying “yes” to the child!

Our pastor decided to be open with our congregation on this issue and delivered a powerful sermon over Labor Day weekend. We lost key members of our congregation over the issue, including staff. We lost a beloved worship leader, who believed that standing on the stage with same-sex parents would be a form of condoning the gay lifestyle. He worried that it would damage his Christian testimony and resigned. Our Stewardship pastor resigned as well in addition to families who had been longtime members of our church.

Why am I revisiting this topic? Because I experienced the loss of a dear sister in Christ – one of my prayer warriors – over the leadership’s decision. But the Spirit of God has been working mightily in this situation, and I want to share with you how God moved through the power of prayer to reunite us.

I shared our leadership’s decision during a Bible study when my dear friend became unsettled (see my previous post here: http://wp.me/p3LmrK-uR). She couldn’t believe our church thought it was okay to dedicate a child to same-sex parents. More importantly, she couldn’t believe I stood with my pastor. I tried to reason with her. I asked, “What is your church’s plan to evangelize people who are living a gay lifestyle? How will that happen if you tell them they and their child are not welcome there? Isn’t the church supposed to be a ‘hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints?’

At the time, she couldn’t deal with my questions. Within twenty-four hours of our bible study, she called me to “sever our friendship.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I told her that I was not asking her to agree with the stance of our church and reminded her that Christians disagree on plenty of issues, but we don’t truncate relationships because we disagree. After twenty minutes of conversation, it was obvious that my friend had made up her mind, and the friendship was over.

At the time my friend ended our relationship, I was driving back to Texas from Kansas. As I processed her decision, I realized she had made the decision hastily. It felt irrational. She called me in less than twenty-four hours to tell me she had prayed about it and talked to her pastors the morning following our study. But her decision was not bathed in prayer for any significant time before the Lord. As we had been prayer partners for a good while, I knew she had a tender heart for the Lord. If the Spirit wanted her to restore our friendship, she would listen to His voice. So instead of being mad at her, I continued to pray for her and chose to bring this broken relationship to God on a daily basis.

Here’s what I prayed:

  • Lord, please pour out blessings upon blessings to my dear sister in Christ.
  • I pray that she will HEAR YOUR VOICE and that the Spirit will soften her heart to restore this friendship.

 

On Sunday, June 5th, as God would have it, I was making my nine-hour drive once again back to Kansas, when at 6:00pm my cellphone rang. It was my friend! I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I had to let it roll to voicemail. I immediately listened to it, and was delighted to hear that she wanted a chance to talk and would I please call her back. After I gathered myself, I returned her call.

“I wasn’t sure you would even talk to me,” she said. “I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I miss you. You are my sister in Christ, and I want to apologize for how I handled things. I still disagree with your church’s decision, and that won’t change. But please know that I care about you.”

“I am thrilled to hear your voice!” I said joyfully. “And I accept your apology. I also have no problem with you disagreeing with our leadership on this issue.”

This one exchange allowed us to reconnect and restore our friendship. I told her that I never stopped praying for her. Since we had gone eight months without contact, we were able to update the prayer requests we had going for one another and add new ones. We agreed to make contact once a month to share how God was moving in our petitions. It was like old times. Our interaction was comfortable. It was as if the friendship had been intact all along.

This restored relationship speaks to the power of prayer. God worked mightily in this situation and brought a happy ending. All I can do is praise Him and thank Him! I am thankful for my sister in Christ and her willingness to continue our friendship and our prayer partnership. Glory to God!

The Lord knows how to heal any relationship. I encourage you to keep praying for the relationships that are important to you. You may not think He’s at work or even cares about your desire for a restored relationship, but He does.

 

Blessings,

Lee Ann

6.17.16 God Forgives Us Every Time We Ask

If God taught a class, “Prayer 101,” and I was his student, here is the report card I think He would give me. The card reflects the four major areas of prayer along with His note of encouragement I think He’d share with me:

PRAISE: B (I know your heart and see that you appreciate many of my attributes. I’d like to see you spend more time verbalizing those affirmations to me. Your love language is “words of affirmation,” and so is mine!)

THANKSGIVING: A- (You are consistent in thanking me daily for the many blessings I’ve given you. Every now and then I catch you wishing you had more, but remember you already have more than enough. Exercise contentment by desiring what you already have.)

PETITIONS: A+ (You are bold and confident in your asking, and I love that! You should consider pursuing a doctorate in this!!)

CONFESSION OF SIN: C- (I see your pain when you grieve me. I know your heart breaks when that happens. It’s your least favorite part of prayer because it’s hard. No one likes to talk about their failures, but I promise you will feel better if you will more openly acknowledge your sins to me.)

Photo Courtesy @ flickr.com/Jan

Photo Courtesy @ flickr.com/Jan

I don’t know what your report card would look like, but we all struggle with admitting wrongdoing. Sin is ugly. We fail God on a daily basis through acts of omission and commission. God knows our sin problem, yet we have a hard time bringing it to Him.

Why is it so hard to tell God “I’m sorry?” Even when we know we’ve acted wrongly, something inside blocks us from apologizing to make amends. More often, that something is a set of beliefs that act as excuses. Dr. Athena Staik, a psychologist, offers three common beliefs that create resistance to confessing:

  1. I’ll be seen as a bad person and not appreciated for the good things I’ve done. This excuse focuses our attention on our fears, particularly the fear of feeling like we don’t matter or contribute value in our relationships. We are all wired with a yearning to feel like a good and worthwhile person, but only our actions are hurtful, not our fundamental selves. This is a vital distinction. When our actions cause some harm, the ball is in our court to restore a sense of trust and safety in the relationship.
  2. I’ll have to feel uncomfortable emotions, such as shame, guilt and fear. This excuse misdirects us to focus on avoiding pain rather than identifying the problem. We need to own our part in sin and what action we can take to bring resolution. It makes sense that we don’t like feeling vulnerable. We don’t want to feel uncomfortable emotions when we upset someone by our actions. But these feelings tell us we care, and that’s a good thing. It’s a source of information that, if we’re open, can grow our understanding of the situation.
  3. If I admit I was wrong, I will seem weak and vulnerable in their eyes and mine. It’s the other way around. It takes a lot of courage and strength to own one’s actions. We have to care enough to make changes to prevent repeating the wrongful action —to even say those words! It grows courage in the process, and more confidence.¹

Among the most powerful words to say in healing our relationships are “I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me. How can I make it up to you?” The same is true in our relationship to God.

Photo Courtesy @ flickr.com/.kaldol<3

Photo Courtesy @ flickr.com/.kaldol<3

Solomon understood this. He had just completed the task of building the Temple of God. Knowing the Israelites propensity to sin, he asks God in advance to hear their prayers. When they seek Him to repent, Solomon pleads with God to forgive them. If you’re willing to take a few minutes, I think you will find encouragement in the excerpts below. I want you to see that God wants to forgive us every time we ask.

Solomon’s Prayer for the Israelite Congregation (The Message translation) 

“Listen to the prayers that I pray in this place. And listen to your people Israel when they pray at this place. Listen from your home in heaven and when you hear, forgive. (2 Chron 6:20-21)

“When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things right, and then comes and repeats the promise before your Altar in this Temple, listen from heaven and act; judge your servants, making the offender pay for the offense and set the offended free, dismissing all charges.” (2 Chron 6:22-23)

“When your people Israel are beaten by an enemy because they’ve sinned against you, but then they pray at this place, acknowledging your rule in prayers desperate and devout in this Temple, listen from your home in heaven; forgive the sin of your people Israel, return them to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.” (2 Chron 6:24-25)

“When the skies shrivel up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, but then they pray at this place, acknowledging your rule and quit their sins because you have scourged them; listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Then start over with them; train them to live right and well; send rain on the land you gave as inheritance to your people.” (2 Chron 6:26-27)

“When they sin against you – and they certainly will; there’s no one without sin! – and in anger you turn them over to the enemy and they are taken off captive to the enemy’s land, whether far or near, but then repent in the country of their captivity and pray with changed hearts in their exile, “We’ve sinned; we’ve done wrong; we’ve been most wicked,” and they turn back to you heart and soul in the land of the enemy who conquered them, and pray to you toward their homeland, the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you chose, and this Temple I have built to the honor of your Name, listen from your home in heaven to their prayers desperate and devout; do what is best for them. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.” (2 Chron 6:36-39)

 

God’s Response to Solomon’s Prayer (NIV translation)

God hears Solomon’s prayer and assures him in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

God wants to forgive us and free us in our spirit. We have to be willing to approach Him with our confessions accompanied by a heart of repentance. He wants to hear, “I’m sorry. I was wrong. How can I make this better?” 

Let’s consider spending fifteen minutes a day to bring our confessions to God. Let’s turn off anything that has a screen (TVs, computers, iPads, iPhones, etc) and find a place of quietness. With our journal and pen, let’s record whatever the Spirit brings to mind for that day and then confess it to God. He will forgive us unconditionally. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9) 

What is your experience with confessing sins? Do you have any thoughts or insights you’d like to share in the Comments Box below?

 

Blessings,

Lee Ann

 

¹ “Why Is It So Hard to Say “I’m Sorry” In Relationships?” by Dr. Athena Staik. Article found at PsychCentral

5.27.16 Do We HAVE to Vote?

At the founding of our nation, with a population of roughly three million people, we had seven world-class leaders. Today, with a population one hundred times that number, how many truly world-class leaders have you seen lining the stages of Republican and Democratic debates?      ~Hank Hanegraaff, founder of Christian Research Institute

Photo Courtesy @www.quotesgram.com

Photo Courtesy @www.quotesgram.com

It’s hard to be optimistic about our nation’s future. When I talk to friends about who they might vote for in the next Presidential election, they often say, “I don’t know. If it is Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, I don’t want to vote for either one of them.” I feel the same way. For this post let’s assume they become our nominees. As Christians, do we have an ethical obligation to vote, even if we believe both candidates have moral failures in their history? Here are three reasons I believe the answer is, “yes.”

1) We are citizens of the United States of America

We are not here by accident. By God’s grace, we have the privilege of living in one of the best countries on this earth for this window of time.

From one man He made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. (Acts 17:26)

Accordingly, we have to take responsibility for who we elect to public office. It is a part of our “job description” to vote. We are a democratic republic. This means that citizens give ultimate authority and power to the elected officials who run our government. We can’t afford to take our authority lightly. When we vote, we are delegating duties to the public servants we believe will work in our best interest.

Photo Courtesy @ www.flickr.com/Digi_shot

Photo Courtesy @ www.flickr.com/Digi_shot

 

2) We Need to Direct our Votes to Someone of Strong Character

Character matters. The quality of government in any country depends more upon on the quality and characteristic of leaders than laws. We have Scriptural support for this:

When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. (Prov 29:2)

Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse. (Prov 28:6)

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. (Matt 12:34-35) 

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10)

Regardless of our opinions of the two likely nominees, we need to vote for the person we feel shows the strongest character. I realize that may be relative!

3) I don’t believe we are endorsing “moral evil” with either candidate

If Christians face two clearly immoral nominees, then we shouldn’t vote for either one. We can’t rationalize a vote for immorality simply because it’s the “lesser of two evils.” If both candidates are morally evil, then Christians should consider who they would write in on their ballot as a third choice! We still need to vote.

There is a difference between having moral failures and being morally evil. All have had moral failures. If candidates can only run for office if they’ve had no moral failures, we wouldn’t have anyone to vote for! I don’t perceive that either candidate is out to commit evil. They both see messes, and both have different approaches on how to fix them. I believe both are exceptionally intelligent and highly skilled at what they do. I believe both of them have something to offer us that we need.

Given these three reasons, I believe we must vote. The Lord requires that we are good stewards of the authority He gives us. Unless Jesus is one of the candidates on the ballot, we will never have a morally perfect candidate to elect.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23)

This means we will always be choosing “the lesser of two evils.”

Continual prayer has to be our foundation before we vote. If we are faithful to pray fervently, I believe He will lead us to the right decision. We can trust that whomever we are leaning toward when it’s time to vote, it will be His prodding because we’ve undergirded it with prayer.

Once we elect our President, we can trust one more Scriptural truth that can give us all peace that He’s still in control.

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. (Prov 16:33)

We will do our part as citizens to vote. We may not like the outcome, but the Lord calls us to respect the office. We have to trust that God will work through whomever HE CHOOSES in the end! I hope we will spend more time praying for our new President, rather than complaining about him or her. They will need all the help they can get.

Photo Courtesy @ www.pinterest.com

Photo Courtesy @ www.pinterest.com

 

What do you think? Will you vote? Are there some biblical truths I missed that should lead us NOT to vote?

I think many are struggling with the two nominees that are likely to be on the ballot. Whether you agree with my thought processes or not, I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject below. There is a Comment Box awaiting your reply!

Blessings,

Lee Ann