Discouraged

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get discouraged?  You can go along in life and everything seems to be going well and then it hits.  It doesn't take much.  Many times, it is a little comment from someone or a thought that derails us.  It seems to come out of nowhere.

We may get the thoughts that life is just too tough…or thoughts that living the life for Jesus is just not worth it…or that dealing with all we have to deal with is beyond what we can bear…we may feel that God has given us tasks that are too much or burdens that are too heavy

I think that at some time or another, all of us face discouragement.  We all struggle with this life.  So, what do we do?  How do we go on and continue to do what God has called us to do (or sometimes, just function through another day?)

I want us to look at 3 different scriptures that help us face discouragement

1 – Let's start with the Old Testament.  What do we know about Joshua?  If we look at Deuteronomy, we know that Joshua was one of the 12 spies chosen to go over into the Promised Land to check it out and prepare for battle.  We know that it was only him and Caleb who came back with reports that God was stronger than anything they had encountered.  The people headed the word of everyone else and didn't go in…God was angry and when they disobediently tried to go, they were defeated.  We know that Joshua was the understudy of Moses.  Moses was a mighty man of God who was described as a prophet who knew God face to face.  I can imagine very scary shoes to fill…only Joshua wasn't filling Moses' shoes, he was following God's direction.  We also know that Joshua was chosen to take these whiny, complaining, disobedient people into the Promised Land.  I am sure that Joshua was overwhelmed, scared, and possibly discouraged many times with what he was called to do. What did God tell him?  We know these scriptures because they are so powerful. 

Joshua 1:5-9

Did you hear it?  God told Joshua that He would be with him through it all, He wanted him to be strong and very courageous, and He wanted him to remember and keep God's Word in front of him at all times.  So, that is our step one in overcoming discouragement.  We are to remember that God is with us, be strong and courageous because He is with us, and to stay in the Word.

2 – 1 Peter 5:6-7

In this scripture, we remember that when are discouraged, we come to Him with our cares.  We give them completely to Him.  Pour out your discouragements before Him.  Whatever it is that is weighing you down, give it to Him.  Remember that He tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  He doesn't want you carrying around a load of disappointments and discouragements.  He wants you to come to Him with all you have and give it to Him.  He wants you to be honest.  He wants you to pour your heart out to Him and be honest.  It isn't like He doesn't know how you feel already.  If we tell Him about our discouragements and fears, we are lifted from them and we have room to know that He really does care for us.  How great it is that we can bring it all before Him and pour it out and He still loves us and cares for us. 

The choir song really speaks to that.  We have decisions we have to make…we feel like we are often squeezed from every side…and we need HIM.  Cast your cares upon Him.  He does care for you and for me.  That is part of that amazing love that we don't have to understand…just be thankful for.

3 – Colossians 3:16-17

Finally, it is important as we face discouragement that we surround ourselves with people of God.  It is critical that we come together as the body of Christ and encourage one another in the faith.  This world is too much to face alone.  That's why we are the body of Christ and not the individuals for Christ.  We are to come together as His people.  I can't tell you how much a kind word or encouraging thoughts mean in a difficult time.  Prayers make a difference…encouragement makes a difference…worship makes a difference…following God makes a difference….when we do it for the glory of God.

As we go through this week, may we not get lost in discouragement, but rather, know that God is with us…be of strong courage…casting our cares upon Him…and encouraging one another.

Prepare...and Go!

It is the beginning of a new year.  We often think about resolutions and things we want to change.  I want us to focus on finding out what God is doing in and through you.

In order to do that, let's look at the scripture in Luke 3:15-17, 21-22. 

He is helping people to get morally and ethically ready…as well as spiritually.  His proclamation is one of repentance.  He is helping them to get prepared for what is to come.

John tells them that the Savior is coming.  He was encouraging about the good news of the coming Savior.  Then, Jesus comes on the scene.  Jesus is about 30 yrs old at this point.  He is ready to begin His ministry…ready to do what He is called to do.  His first step in showing this completion is baptism.  This is a huge beginning to the ministry of Jesus.

You may be wondering how this relates to you.  You aren't Jesus…I'm not Jesus.  There are a couple of things that I want you to notice that we can learn, both from the people and from Jesus.

First, the hearts and minds of the people are opened.  We know because they were waiting expectantly…they were excited…ready for the Savior. 

This was long awaited.  John is the first real one to come on the scene about the Savior in a really long time.  Their hearts are finally ready for Jesus.

If your hearts and minds aren't ready, you won't be ready for what the Lord has for you.  You can't do or keep doing what the Lord has for you unless you are ready…ready through prayer (notice that Jesus prayed) and realization that you can't do this on your own…humbled

Second, Jesus is baptized as are the others.  He is baptized as the beginning of the calling for which He came.  He didn't have to be baptized…He wasn't a sinner and didn't need people to see that He had repented.  He didn't need to know He was the Son of God…He knew that.  This was the beginning of what God had sent Him for.

For us, true repentance and trust in the Savior is the start of doing what we are called to do.  Remember…if our hearts and minds are ready, then we will realize our need for a Savior…and will realize our need for cleansing and a brand new start…

Third, Jesus began and fulfilled His calling.  What about you?  You have your heart ready…you have repented and are focused…what are you going to do now? 

That's where many of us fizzle.  We want to do something…and we often think we have to do something big.  We think we have to set the world on fire…ever heard the song…it only takes a spark?

We fizzle because we have our own ideas and agendas.  We want to make a big splash in this life.  So, we set out to do just that.  In the process, we completely miss our calling.  We completely miss what God has sent us for.  We miss what He wants us to do. The problem is that God has created us to do something special and it isn't to copy other people's ministries.  Our ministry may be menial by worldly standards but makes a big impact in heavenly standards.  Our calling may be to make a difference through our jobs or families or relationships…our calling may be simple and seemingly small.  But, what God has called you to do, He is ready for you to do.  He wants you to give your all to whatever it is that He has called you to do…no matter what. 

You want to begin to do what God has called or continue in that.  How about having a clean, prepared, repentant heart and let God show you what He wants YOU to do…for you are fearfully and wonderfully made…for His purpose and His good will.  If you are already doing His will, be thankful, and be renewed.  Don't get discouraged in doing what He would have you to do.  Don't try to do it by yourself.  If He called you to do it, He will lead you every step of the way and will give you the strength, power and courage to do it.  Don't give up…God IS at work!  Are you doing it?

Give Thanks in EVERYTHING

When I mention the words "Give Thanks" most people instantly think of Thanksgiving.  They think of the holiday that we have turkey or some variation of that.  They may think of pilgrims and such.  The problem is that giving thanks is not something that we do during one time of the year…or at least we shouldn't.  It isn't something that we only do as we sit around a table of turkey and fixins.  Giving thanks is a way of life.  Living a thankful life is quite different than the celebration once a year. 

So, let's begin with a simple exercise…name 5 things you are thankful for…I would dare say that most of us hit some of the big themes.  I know that's what kids often do.  They hit the big safe things they know they should be thankful for.  You know the big safe things like family, church, food, shelter.  We think of those things because some member of our family is near us at the time.  We like to pick food because we thinking about how we are hungry at that moment.  We think of church because we are sitting there.  But, it really is hard to wrap our minds around being thankful for things we have always had.  For example, if we had been homeless, we would be more likely to be truly thankful for a place to live.

Keeping that in mind, let's read a familiar scripture that I want you to open your hearts and minds to today…1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Paul is writing in this letter to the people an important message.  He is telling them to rejoice, pray, and give thanks.  If anyone had reason to go around moping, it was Paul.  He can tell the people to rejoice, pray and give thanks because he does.  He can tell them that this is possible because he is doing it despite horrible circumstances. 

For me, praying, rejoicing, and giving thanks all go hand-in-hand.  When we pray, we realize that we have an Almighty God listening and taking care of us, which causes us to rejoice and be thankful.  Today, I want to look at thankfulness and what that means.

Paul wrote to give thanks in everything.  I find that hard to swallow.  It is His will.  That tells me that this is part of our calling and so, it is something we have to look a little more into.

First, I would be the first to admit that we have no problem giving thanks for the good things.  We can pick out something good and go with it.  We can even turn something 'bad' into 'good'.  We trick our own minds by thinking that we can give thanks that we didn't have to run into such and such or that we didn't have to sit with …  We can pick something fairly easily that we are thankful for.  If we really look at it though, we find that we are picking earthly things…things of our convenience to be thankful for.

So, how do we give thanks in the problems of our lives?  How do we give thanks in the things that upset us or turn our world upside down?  I am not saying that when something bad happens, we immediately thank God that something bad has happened. 

Here is what I am trying to say though.  Through my Dad's journey, lives have changed.  His life has changed, my family's life has changed, people have heard the story.  He is still struggling.  The doctors tell us he will likely fight this for the rest of his life.  However, he is still proclaiming God and people are still hearing.  He is still fighting and people are still watching.  We are not God…and I am so thankful for that.  We will never see the full perspective of why things happen like God does.  I'm not saying that God gives people bad circumstances, but I am saying that He works all things together for our good.  I'm not saying that God goes around and causes horrible things to happen for a lesson, but I am saying that He gives us the strength and peace to overcome and that He knows how to use what has happened for our good.  We live in a moment.  We are but a speck and so we often miss the bigger picture. 

Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote:

Earth is crammed with heaven

And every common bush aflame with God

But only those who see will take off their shoes

The rest sit around and pluck blackberries

 

If don't have tribulations, we don't know what it is like to live without them.  If we aren't faced with adversity, we don't know how to overcome adversity.  If we have struggled and we see a brother or sister struggling, we can love and encourage them through it.  If we have suffered, we can understand someone else who is there.  If we have overcome problems, we know how to show others to overcome problems.  All things work together for His good. 

Thanksgiving is long gone.  Today, my challenge for you is to continue to find what you really are thankful for.  Think of those struggles and tough times.  Use what God has brought you through to help someone else.  There are lots of burning bushes…lots of moments where God is there and calling you.  Will you take off your shoes or will you pass on by?  He works all things together for HIS GOOD.  Don't ever forget...God is in control…ALWAYS!

Light and Salvation

Who is Jesus?  Why did He come?  What was He up to?  Over the last four weeks, we looked at some of the purposes which Jesus came.  He came to execute justice, to provide for the cleansing of sins, to provide the bread of life for the hungry, and to bring love into the hearts of those who believe.  He is still doing all of these things for us today. 

Today, we will continue to look at what Jesus came to do in the story of a faithful person.  Luke 2:21-35

In today's scripture, we see that Mary and Joseph are Jews and are doing what is customary for a newborn baby.  Jesus is brought to the temple.  But, Jesus is not just an ordinary baby.  Jesus is the Son of God.  A man named Simeon appears at the temple.  He confirms for them what the angel had told them…Jesus will be the salvation and a light to all. 

But, who is this man, Simeon?  I think it is important to see who this is that is proclaiming these words over Jesus.  I want to point out a few attributes of Simeon that stood out to me.

First, Simeon is a righteous and devout man.  He was a man of God.  He sought to do the right thing. 

Second, he was such the man of God that he listened to the Holy Spirit who was with him.  He was so in tune with the Holy Spirit that he knew when to go into the temple by the Spirit's leading.  He was in the right place at the right time because of God, not because of him.

Third, he had received a promise.  He was told that he would see the consolation of Israel.  He had been waiting for this day.  He knew that God kept His promises.  Note though that the promise he was given actually was not all about him…it wasn't for his wealth or sole benefit.  He was going to see a promise fulfilled that would change hearts and lives.

Fourth, he knew when the promise was fulfilled and he praised God for it.  He had waited his whole life to see this promise fulfilled and when he did, he knew to praise God for His almighty works.

Simeon was a man of God.  He listened to God and was led by God.  He knew Jesus was to come and he knew how.  He also knew when it had been fulfilled.  Jesus was the answer.  He brought salvation.  He brought light because He was the light.  He brought all the promises for Israel and for all of the world. 

Who is Jesus to you?  Simeon knew who Jesus was.  Mary and Joseph are beginning to understand who He is.  Do you know who Jesus is?  Who is He to you?

Is He your light and your salvation?  Are you allowing Him to lead you like Simeon was led?  We may not be because we are not living the life He has called us to live.  We not know the promises that God has because we aren't listening.  We may not hear the leading because we aren't paying attention.  He is the light and the salvation.  Who is He to you?