Category Archives: The Christian Walk

August 11, 2013 · 6:00 am

My Cross Isn’t Made of Gold

Why is it that we believe that we deserve blessings?

For some reason, as followers of Christ, we’re terrible about assuming that because we have Christ in our hearts, God will bless us.

Some people rely on it– the idea that prosperity and happiness come because of faith.

The movement is called the Prosperity Gospel, or the Word of Faith Movement.

Yes, it’s a real thing.

It’s not just a mental thing– believing that we deserve riches and happiness because we love Jesus.

No, there’s a real movement– an official one within Christianity, that preaches this message from the pulpit:

Jesus = prosperity and happiness.

Sadly, as the evangelists within this movement travel the world preaching this message, people who suffer from the worst conditions of poverty on the planet are buying into it.

They see these “wealthy, white” preachers telling them, “Hey! Jesus loves you! He wants to give you everything you want and make you happy! Jesus is wealth!”

Preachers dressed in alligator skinned boots. Preachers with cash in their pockets. Preachers with healthy families and big homes in America.

Think about it. You’re in impoverished Africa. Wouldn’t you want that Jesus, too?

And so you jump on this “Prosperity Gospel” bandwagon and decide that Jesus is your guy.

And you wait. You wait for money to rain down on you, because of course when that happens, you will be happy.

But it doesn’t happen.

There’s no money.

There’s no happiness.

There’s only the same disease-ridden water hole 5 miles from your hut, little food to eat, and too many children, sick children, to support.

So you give up on Jesus and you won’t try him again. He did nothing for you.

This, my friends, is happening more than you know. Thousands upon thousands of people in the poorest parts of the world are being evangelized by those of the “prosperity movement”, only to become disillusioned with Jesus when “he” doesn’t come through and make it rain cash.

It’s happening right here, too. Third-world nations aren’t the only ones susceptible to the tantalizing idea that Jesus = prosperity. First-worlders are clinging to this promise in droves, too.

What these people are not being told is that nowhere in the Bible does God promise that we’ll be financially blessed for following Christ. Nowhere are we promised the things these people are offering the impoverished world, both overseas and here at home.

“But Jen,” you might say. “What about Psalm 37:4?”

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Well, it just so happens, lovely reader, that that verse is my favorite and has always been.

But the correct understanding of that verse is not that loving God and his Son will bring us the fleshly desires of this earth, but that true discipleship brings our heart’s desire of God himself and His will before our own.

Both Matthew and Luke documented the moment when Christ commanded, “take up your cross and follow me.”

Crosses are heavy.

Jesus suffered under the weight of his. Even if he hadn’t already been beaten and bruised prior to dragging his cross to the place of his execution, he would have been intensely burdened under the weight of it.

And as his followers, we are commanded to take up our own “burden” of the cross in order to follow him.

That cross represents the persecution we will face.

It represents the hardships and trials that do not vanish when we accept Christ as our Savior.

It represents the health problems and strenuous labor, the toil of humanity.

It represents the financial burdens of this earthly life.

It represents the pain, hardships, and sorrow that we all face at some point or another.

It represents the death we deserve, but Christ took in our stead.

But the GOOD NEWS is that the cross isn’t a burden– it also represents the joy and redemption Christ’s death and resurrection provide.

It represents the wealth and joy of an eternity with HIM.

Prosperity is earthly.

Our treasures are being laid up in heaven (Matthew 6:19).

Happiness is a fleeting human emotion.

Happiness dies in the face of hardship. We are not strong enough to keep it alive through difficulties, trials, sickness or poverty.

But joy lives in us at all times. It’s not something we create, so we can’t kill it.

…the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Joy comes from deep in our core, from the place where the Holy Spirit dwells. It originates with the presence of Christ in us; from the moment we decide to take up that cross.

My cross is heavy. I struggle with the fleshly idea that because I’m a follower of Christ I deserve more than I’ve gotten.

But the only thing I deserve is the death of a sinful criminal.

Thank God I’ve decided to follow the One who took that punishment for me.

So I take up my cross, no longer straining under it’s weight, for there’s One with me who is stronger than I will ever be. In Him I will find joy eternal.

Share with me: Has your cross been feeling exceptionally heavy lately? How can I pray for you?

If you are interested in sharing the true Gospel of Jesus with the world by being a blessing of joy, consider supporting a faith-based organization like WorldHelp. Click on the link to the right of this blog.

*** After I wrote this post I came across this article— a fellow blogger and preacher who just so happened to post about this exact topic this week. I hope you’ll take the time to read his thoughts, too. Good stuff.

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Filed under The Christian Walk

Tagged as cross, faith, happiness, Jesus, joy, prosperity, prosperity gospel, Word of Faith Movement

July 12, 2013 · 2:44 pm

One Word for 2013– The 6 Months Check-Up

Commit.

That’s my word for 2013.

The year is going by quickly– over half gone already. If you’re like me, you find that hard to believe. Something about becoming a parent, or perhaps just growing older, causes time to fly.

So it’s time to evaluate how the word commit has influenced me so far.

I chose the word with the intention of using it to force me to change certain behaviors, adapt to new behaviors, and make me stronger both physically and mentally.

Some of the commitments I made for 2013–

I’ve committed to seeking God with every part of my life. Not that I wasn’t doing this before, but I will thread Jesus into every fiber of my being so tightly that when others look at me, especially my children, they see that my life is nothing without Christ. I am nothing without Him. I’m only held together by Him.

My children are eager to learn scripture and read Bible stories. They love talking to, and about, Jesus. This is not of my doing, but I hope it’s partly because we’ve set that example in our home.

I’ve committed to exercise and health. I will lose all this baby weight, and I will be healthier than I’ve ever been in my life.

Because I’m eating healthier, my entire family is eating healthier. We’re not perfect (I refuse to give up chocolate), but I’m thankful that my family appreciates some healthy foods. My boys watch me exercise and I encourage them to join in. Their little bodies being a temple and all– I want them to establish healthy routines early.

I’ve committed to service and teaching. I will serve when God asks.

God has opened several doors for me in this area. Not only am I now teaching Sunday school, I will soon be leading a Bible study and re-launching the Women’s Ministry at my church. Big things are happening.

I’ve committed to writing. I will carve out time to write new material. I will be more active in the writing community than I’ve been in the past year.

Because I’ve spent the first half of this year either being pregnant or caring for a newborn (he’s three months old already!), I haven’t gotten very far on this one. I have story ideas popping in my head all the time, but I haven’t been able to establish a routine that allows me good writing time– yet. School starts back soon so my oldest 2 will get back to their normal routine and the baby will adapt to our routine. I’m looking forward to carving some writing time in there somewhere. I’m committed to it.

What has inspired me most about this word for 2013 is that along with it comes determination. I can’t “commit” to this word without directing that I will do certain things. It has forced me to do exactly what I’d hoped– change behaviors, make new behaviors routine, and seek out opportunities.

I can’t wait to see what the rest of this year brings.

Share with me: What is your word for 2013? How has it affected your life so far this year? (It’s not too late to choose a word if you don’t already have one!)

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Filed under Parenting, The Christian Walk, Writing

Tagged as 2013, bible, Christ, commit, health, one word, parenting, spirituality

June 10, 2013 · 6:00 am

How To Survive a Season of Waiting

Remember when you were little and all you wanted was to get older?

Maybe you couldn’t wait to drive. Or go to college. Or vote. Or get your first “real” job. Or get married.

When I was little I couldn’t wait to turn thirteen. It wasn’t until I turned thirteen that I would be allowed to get my ears pierced. For years I anticipated that day–I waited on it like it was going to be the greatest day of my life.

I was not patient, either. I begged my parents to allow me to get my ears pierced long before my thirteenth birthday. I pleaded. I offered to do extra chores or never do anything wrong again for the rest of my life (that was a mighty offer when I was ten). I. could. not. wait.

My ears were pierced on my thirteenth birthday, just as my parents had promised, and I was overjoyed. I also immediately found a new “something” to have to wait on. Life is a series of waiting games.

My seasons of waiting are now centered around more serious issues, and the periods of waiting are much, much longer and seem more difficult to manage.

We wait on things daily. We buck against the system of waiting, whether it be in a doctor’s office, at an airport, or even receiving a piece of snail-mail.

In our society of instant gratification, we’ve become accustomed to getting what we want with speed. We shave time off of waiting in every possible way we can find.

But there are some seasons in our life where shortening our waiting time is impossible. The season of waiting is, in itself, out of our control.

Have you faced a season of waiting? I certainly have.

I’m waiting now. Some things I’m waiting for seem trivial while others are life-changing.

I’m waiting for this baby weight to come off.

I’m waiting for my first publishing contract.

I’m waiting for God to answer several prayers about very important life issues.

My husband has recently gone through a season of waiting–one that has been really trying.

The most difficult season of waiting that I’ve ever experienced was certainly when I went through my struggles with infertility. There is nothing–and I mean nothing— that is as difficult as having ZERO control over a situation and it’s outcome.

But this isn’t a post about control.

So what should we do in a season of waiting? Pray for more patience? You know what they say about praying for patience…

Seasons of waiting can be made more bearable when we change our focus.

1. Forget about passive patience and focus on active perseverance.

We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. And hope will never let us down. Romans 5: 3-4 (NIrV)

“…the strength to go on.” In a season of waiting, the best thing we can do is keep moving. Instead of sitting around, putting our lives on hold until we receive the answers we seek, we must forge ahead and live, enjoying each precious day as it comes. Seeking the joy that comes in the little moments of each day will encourage hope. So keep going, friends. Instead of putting your life on hold, get out there and do. You won’t regret the memories, relationships, and experiences you’ll have while you wait.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:36

2. Focus on the lesson. Seasons of waiting don’t come upon us simply to teach us patience alone. 99.9% of the time there is another lesson imbedded in the wait– we must identify it and learn from it. As our bodies grow and change over time, so must our hearts.

I have no doubt that my seasons of infertility and all the trials and anguish that came with them were meant to teach me about control. (Mostly that I have none.) The soul-searching that I did, seeking answers as to why I couldn’t get pregnant and when God might answer my prayers about adding to our family, led me to the blinding realization that although I was a follower of Jesus Christ, I had never truly given him complete control over my life. I’m a different person now than I was just five short years ago– like the potter molding the clay, he changed me through that season of waiting. I thank God for it now.

3. Thank God for this season. That’s right, I said it. Be thankful. I’m sure you are stressed. I’m sure you’re exhausted. I’m sure you’re frustrated and annoyed and tired and maybe even ready to give up. You should also be thankful. A thankful heart is a happy heart (sorry to quote the Veggie Tales here, but it’s appropriate) and a happy heart is an open heart. An open heart is one ready to receive the blessings of the Lord however they may come.

4. Put the focus on helping others. When time moves like a John Deere tractor on a freeway, the best way to survive is to focus our energies on helping others. Something happens when put our effort into doing for others. Not only are we active, but our emotions are no longer solely trained on our own problems. Helping others not only passes the time, it lifts our spirits and develops an attitude of outward concern instead of inward frustration.

5. Focus on praying. Make your prayer life not only about whatever issue has caused your season of waiting, but about how you can pray for others. The same with doing things for others, pray for others. Develop an attitude of seeking God’s response in your prayer life, not just listing all the issues you might have. Pray not for patience, but for perseverance and strength of character (Romans 5:3-4). Pray not just for an answer, but for what lessons you can learn during your season of waiting.

6. Focus on the promise. The promise is that no matter what your issue or how long your season of waiting, God will answer (Hebrews 10:36). Whether or not you receive the answer you seek is up to Him, but he will respond. Until then, you need to prepare.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

When we give ourselves over to the Lord, completely focusing on Him, when we seek him with our whole hearts and yearn to understand his word, our will conforms to his will— he will give us the desires of our hearts because our hearts will seek only him. It’s an amazing, beautiful thing.

7. Focus on preparation. Be mentally prepared– get in The Word. Seek God’s truth and his answers. The Bible is the only book that’s got everything we’ll ever need.

Be physically prepared– exercise is good for you, not just because of what it does for your body, but what it does for your mind and spirit. I’m sure you’ve heard that exercise releases endorphins, and those endorphins will help you feel better. Exercise has tons of benefits, and taking care of our bodies honors the gift of life God gave us.

Be emotionally prepared– God has three answers to our prayers– yes, no, and maybe (or in this case, keep waiting). No matter what answer we get, when we do the things listed above, focusing our attentions on things other than our own season of waiting, we can prepare our minds and hearts to receive his answer.

Waiting is difficult. Waiting can destroy our faith, if we allow it. But shifting our focus during that season of waiting can change us into the person God wants us to be– which might be the reason for the whole season of waiting to begin with.

Share with me: What truths did God reveal to you during a season of waiting?