shadow

Articles from July 2015

What Am I Doing Here?: Where’s the Delete Button?

Posted on: by: Comments: Leave a comment

Having been made in the image of God, our hearts have been set by Him on eternity. Rooted in each heart is a God-given desire to impact the world around us. But in the midst of endless distractions, countless opportunities to live out our purpose can go unnoticed each and every day. Stick around this week as we look at how we live our day-to-day lives in a way that points others to the cross.

 

Where’s the Delete Button?

Blessed be the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NASB

fridayAlthough imaginary and invisible to others, I wore a scarlet letter for years. The letter “I.” Overwhelmed with the shame of being unable to have children, I did my best to hide the pain associated with infertility. Becoming pregnant with my children was very difficult and my scars ran deep. Praise God, I have been blessed with three biological children, but the road to get there was anything but easy.

There was a time when I would have gladly just deleted that entire season had there been a delete button. Truthfully, in many ways I did. It was something that was rarely mentioned. I did my best to push that season aside because it was just too painful. Even when another woman, far braver than I, would mention being in a similar situation I could barely admit my struggles. Thankfully, I don’t write my story, and there are no scars too deep or seasons too difficult for God to redeem.

You have those stories too. Everyone does. We carry our burdens and try to hide our scars from the poor choices we’ve made or simply from the circumstances of living in this world. Seasons of life have been endured that are just too hard to even think about, let alone talk about. But God …

Thankfully, we serve a Heavenly Father that forgives instead of condemns (Romans 8:1) and makes all things new (2 Corinthians 5:17), as He turns the ashes of our broken lives into a beautiful story of redemption and grace (Isaiah 61:3). God uses the brokenness of our lives as powerful testimonies of His faithfulness.

As we walk through seasons of brokenness, despair, and heartache, He is with us, pouring His grace over us. Lifting us out of the pits of despair, He sets our feet on solid ground and steadies us along the way (Psalm 40:2). Near to us when our hearts are broken, He saves us when our spirits are crushed (Psalm 34:18). He guards our hearts in the midst of it all with a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Praise Him!

His gift of grace and comfort have been freely given to us, and His gift is meant to be shared. By offering comfort and encouragement to others who may be struggling in the same manner we did, the love of Christ is shared with someone who desperately needs it. I’m so grateful to those who have bravely poured their comfort over me during difficult seasons: pointing me to Christ along the way. Maybe others have done the same for you?

Nothing happens in this life that God can’t turn around and use for His good. How can God use your brokenness for His glory?

Comforted by Christ,

Traci

What Am I Doing Here?: Tending the Sheep

Posted on: by: Comments: Leave a comment

Having been made in the image of God, our hearts have been set by Him on eternity. Rooted in each heart is a God-given desire to impact the world around us. But in the midst of endless distractions, countless opportunities to live out our purpose can go unnoticed each and every day. Stick around this week as we look at how we live our day-to-day lives in a way that points others to the cross.

 

Tending the Sheep

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19, NASB

thursdayEverywhere we look, we are surrounded by hurting people. In their hearts are holes that only God can fill, yet we in the church are failing to share the gospel message of salvation with them. We have the cure for what ails them, yet we keep it to ourselves.

Is it the fear of not knowing enough about the Bible? Are we afraid of appearing vulnerable by putting ourselves out there and facing rejection? Or are we so distracted and overwhelmed by the pace of our lives that we fail to make sharing our faith with those around us a priority?

I realize that not all of us are called to be Bible teachers or evangelists, but each of us are called to make disciples.

Abounding with impactful teachings, humble service, and astounding miracles, Jesus’ earthly ministry was nothing short of amazing! He healed the sick, He brought the dead to life, and He walked on water. But in addition to the remarkable, He lived His life out daily alongside His chosen disciples. Working to prepare them to pick up the torch when His time on Earth had ended, He poured Himself into them. He served them, He taught them, and He broke bread with them. He did real life with them and had real relationships with them. It is this group that went on to turn the world upside down for the gospel.

Isn’t that what we desire to do: to turn the world upside down for Jesus? But how will we equip other believers if we aren’t sharing the hope we have in Christ with them? Who will tell them if we aren’t? Unfortunately, many of them are looking to what the world is telling them to fill that God-sized hole in their hearts.

I wonder how many opportunities to share my faith I’ve missed because I wasn’t looking. Or how many relationships I have missed out on because I didn’t think I had time to invest in anyone else?

God has placed people in each of our lives for us to pour ourselves into as we live out this life beside them, pointing them to Jesus along the way. Our children need to know what we believe and why we believe it, but so do our friends, our neighbors, and our coworkers. Everyone need to know because their salvation depends on it!

Each and every day people die and their eternity will be spent somewhere. Wouldn’t it be great to see them in Heaven?!

Pouring out,
Traci

What Am I Doing Here?: Equipping the Called

Posted on: by: Comments: Leave a comment

Having been made in the image of God, our hearts have been set by Him on eternity. Rooted in each heart is a God-given desire to impact the world around us. But in the midst of endless distractions, countless opportunities to live out our purpose can go unnoticed each and every day. Stick around this week as we look at how we live our day-to-day lives in a way that points others to the cross.

 

Equipping the Called

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. 

Acts 4:13, NASB

wedenesdayMy comfort zone. I like it there. A lot. It’s … comfortable.

Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Somewhere along the way, I have learned that these “works” Paul referred to doesn’t usually happen in our comfort zones. Believe me, I’ve tried.

With our eternal mind-set comes God-sized, God-inspired dreams and before time began, God knew the plan He had in store for each of us. Sadly, our desires for reaching the world around us for the gospel are all too often overshadowed by big doses of insecurity and self-doubt. Believing the lies whispered to us by the enemy that we aren’t gifted enough, driven enough, smart enough, or influential enough, we sit paralyzed with that doubt and are rendered ineffective. To be totally honest, none of us are enough, but God is and His power is perfected in our weakness.

Like John and Peter, we may not be formally trained in anything. Or maybe we do have formal training … in something completely unrelated to the calling God has placed on our lives. Fortunately for you and me, God is in the business of equipping those He has called!

Peter and John certainly didn’t have a resume that screamed “world changers,” but they led thousands to salvation in Christ. Not because of who they were or any skills the possessed. In fact, they were recognized as being uneducated and untrained. Ouch! That has to hurt.

However, filled with unmistakable confidence and boldness by the Holy Spirit, they preached the gospel message of salvation and repentance, and their critics—the Sadducess—were able to clearly see they had been with Jesus.

Despite our gifts and talents, we are able to do little, if anything, in the way of eternal significance in our own strength. Like John and Peter, reliance upon the strength of the Lord is the key to any work that the Lord calls us to do. In order to receive that strength, we, too, must be with Jesus. Worship, prayer, and reading Scripture are essential to meeting with Him and being filled with the strength, confidence, and ability to do His work.

Confident in Him,

Traci