Author - purposefulfaith

Some of you may feel like David, declaring:

“But “they” are glad now that I am in trouble (they are cheering my demise); they gleefully join together against me (they never wanted me to succeed). I am attacked by people . . . (nobody ever does right by me)  they slander me constantly (I am embarrassed). They mock me and call me names; they snarl at me.” (Psalm 35:15-16)

Maybe you feel taken advantage of, sad, lied about, mocked, persecuted, slandered, battered, misunderstood or bruised. You’re saying, “I didn’t do wrong. I’ve sought to handle things rightly. I’ve been faithful.”

If that’s you, God highlighted Psalm 35; I believe there is relief for you today. . .

. . because there was a man who understood your plight. David. David admitted truth, his hardship. But, he didn’t sulk in it, He lifted it up to meet the mightiness of God.

How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing?

“Rescue me from their fierce attacks….
O Lord, you know all about this.
Do not stay silent.
Do not abandon me now, O Lord.
Wake up! Rise to my defense!
Take up my case, my God and my Lord.” (Psalm 35:17, 22-23)

Take up my case, David said.

Only God owns – your case. If God owns you, He most certainly owns your case. (1 Pet. 2:9).  God fights and wins. If the battle belongs to the Lord (2 Chron. 20:15), the methods through it certainly belong to Him. God brings victory through Christ Jesus. In light of His wonder and grace, Jesus WAS and IS and IS to COME, victorious.

What if you were to let Jesus reign in full in the center of your issue? What would fresh surrender look like? The enemy has no grounds to fight you when you’ve already given up.

Then, the King of Glory comes to fight your case. Sure, He may change your view along the way and shuffle you around a bit on the inside, but it is all about beauty. You’re growing in it.  You’re learning. You’re discovering the joy of real love.

With this, may I encourage you?  It’s less about your words, what you did, how you are seen, what people say about you, how “they” should have approached things differently. . .

As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Ro. 10:11)

Let it go — to let God fight your cause.  And He will. And when God fights for you, He wins — even if you have to fight to unclench your hand a little along the way.

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Her text floored me. She said, “Kelly, I want to go with you to one of your speaking events. And, there, I want to wash your feet.”

Ummm . . . what?

Does this girl even know who I am? Does she even know how I battle pride? How I try to be less at these events, not more? Has she even considered how this act might make me feel? My heart is, continually, to be less about “Kelly’s performance or opportunities”.

It certainly IS NOT about being exalted more. Nor is it about seeing her beautiful face down on the ground washing my feet.

“No way” wanted to be my response to her.

I don’t deserve it.
I am the last person whose feet she should be washing.
I am flawed.
I mess up.
I hurt people.

Wash someone else’s feet who deserves it more than me.

And then, the Holy Spirit nudges my insides, “Kelly, you are missing the point. You are missing the heart. . .

Your worth has never been about “your” worth.
Your value is not about you “proving your value”.
Your getting your feet washed has nothing to do with you.

You can receive because Christ lives in you. Whereas in the old days, you’d 100% know you were unworthy and laugh in her face, today you can 100% know you are unworthy alone, but because of Christ and all His worthiness – he makes you worthy.

Because He gave it all, you can receive it all, even when you feel like the last person on this green earth who deserves it.

This is called unconditional. Unmerited. Undeserving. LOVE.

It’s not about you. It’s just not. It’s about Jesus. It’s about what Jesus may do when she gets low. It’s about how he might want to whisper to your heart, ‘You did nothing to warrant my love, Kelly, but I gave my life for you anyway.’. It’s about you understanding that you never have to prove anything to God to get His good stuff. It’s about love so divine doing everything for you, even though you are stinkin’ dirty.”

Grrr…I supposed I’ll say yes to her. It’s hard to though. I would much rather be washing her feet. I’d much rather be building her up. I’d much rather be low.

Sometimes it’s easier to be humble than it is to appear proud. Sometimes it is in the receiving our heart is really learning.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Pet. 5:6)

Sometimes receiving is humility. And, if I’ve learned one thing, it is this: love uncaptured, can’t be released. Somehow, I think God, wants to capture me more with His love.

How might God want you to capture love? To let go of feeling unworthy to experience His worthiness?

I am going to say yes to my friend.

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Ever noticed, in an airplane, it’s nearly fair-game to eavesdrop? With every word in ear-shot, you can’t help but hear. Yet, this time, I needed the words.

The woman a seat ahead of me said, “You know, I can tell if my employees love me. If they do, they’ll work hard for me.”

She went on, “But if they don’t. They’ll just show up and punch a clock.”

Right there. Right there in that packed-like sardines plane, God sucker-punched me (in a good way).

Heart-struck, I cried out internally in prayer, saying, “Oh, Lord, you know I’ve been slacking off a bit. Oh Lord, you know, I’ve started to some things in my day that are not pleasing to you. That are not “all-out.”  Rather than praying, I started playing online daytime video computer games (it’s true, you all. My 7-year old got me into it). Rather than trusting, I started fretting things I haven’t done. Rather than, doing the little itty-bitty God-moves He wants me to do, I started doubting. Oh Lord, to love you is to serve you. To follow you is to know you. To cling to your heart is to make room for it in my life.  I never, ever, want to punch a religious clock of going to church, or doing things for people, or looking right on the outside and like spiritual death on the inside — and call it a day. Forgive me, Father. I do love you. I love you with ALL my heart, soul, body and strength. I always want to serve you.”

So, I return here:
“We love because he first loved us.” (1 Jo. 4:1)
I receive His love.

I move-out here:
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jo. 13:35)
I love those in need around me.

I let His goodness shine forth from me:
You will know them by their fruits. (Mt. 7:16)
He owns the fruit-growing process; I just display it.

Joy wells up in me to do what He calls me to do, not because I have good plans, a smart mind or I work hard, but because I have come to “know Him” and love Him:
We know that we have “come to” know him if we keep his commands. (1 Jo. 2:3)
I get up and get going into all God wants me to do.

What is God calling you to forsake so that you can better partake in His love today? What might He do, if you just give Him the chance to see it through?

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My kitchen table. . . you don’t even understand what it looks like. . . The legs broke during one of our moves; now, they’re superglued. The kids did “paint projects”; now, splotches of many colors mark the wood. Sisters in Christ came over for a prayer gathering; now, a huge black mark is on the table. A fire burned through a candle.

Even now, as I type on this table, crumbs are placed all around me.

I’m like this table.

Sometimes, I feel like: I’ve been through it. Marks of old still live in me.  I remember them. I still see the scars in me and on my knees. I see things I am not proud of. I’ve wrongly accused people I love. I’ve wrecked a car a couple — or, maybe a handful of times. I’ve gotten prideful and had the Lord bring me back to the reality that He is 100% in charge. I’ve gotten fearful and worried-filled – like when my basement got flooded, or when I got that lump in my chest, or when I thought I would never be good enough.

I can still see marks. Things that I don’t want people to see. Even today, I still mark things up — I get upset at my kids or anxious because I’ve asked them 3 times to put their shoes on and they’re still munching down on breakfast, with laughs.

It’s not only the table, friends — there’s a chair-issue too. They shed off these weird-white pleather-like pieces everywhere. They’re practically unsweepable. But, the funny thing is — God hasn’t given me leeway to get rid of these things. The table and chairs stay with me. Front and center. The stark oddballs of the room, sitting on top of a rug that’s far too small for the space.

They’re like me.

I stand-out in weird ways at times. I have faults. I am not perfect. I make mistakes. Marks of yesterday, and even today, I can still see.

They’re front and center if I l let them be. The awkwardness of them could overwhelm me if I let them.

Or . . .

I can say, “. . . But Jesus. . .”

But Jesus. .  .sees it all so differently.
But, Jesus sees my “weird” and doesn’t want to throw me out.
But Jesus, like that burn mark, has burnt a hole of unparalleled, unquenchable and unbelievable love right in me.
But Jesus, makes all things beautiful in due time.
But Jesus, is okay with the process of life working in and through me.
But Jesus, has covered every sin and makes me white as snow.
But Jesus, has a plan for every scar, scratch, and mark; it will all be used for His glory.
But Jesus, looks at what was and declares what is new – I am a new creation, in Christ Jesus!!!

The disarray of old is fashioned into the glory of new. We cannot despise the process of life, of growth.

For all these good works belong to Him. We are His possession. His daughters. His treasure. And, He now loves what He sees. There’s a good plan for all of it.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6)

Today, in the center of “lack”, I give thanks for His abundance. What appears to be not enough, in light of Jesus, is more than enough. I am blessed!

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My kids.
My husband.
My family.

Saying, “my ___” has real value, signifies ownership, belonging and love.

A friend of mine, when God breaks through says, “My God.” As He shows up, she speaks, “My God!”

As if He did it just for her. . .

Her words touched me; He did do it just for her. He also did it just for Daniel when he was stuck in the den of lions:

“Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”

Daniel answered, “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” (Dan. 6:19-22)

Notice what he said: “My God”! 

My God rescued.
My God delivered.
My God knows my needs.
My God answers my prayers.
My God has a way out.

Do you know your God — as My God?

The one who moves on your behalf. The one who you proclaim as “My God” after victory. The one who sees, hears, understands and captures the picture of where you are and what you need?

“Not a scratch was found on Daniel because he had trusted in “his God.” (Dan. 7:23)

Not a scratch will be found on you as you trust in “your God”.

My God!

My God! He’s faithful.
My God! He shows up!
My God! He knows what I’ve gotten myself into.
My God! He knows how to get me out of it.
My God! He had the answers before I even encountered the problem.

He shuts up the mouths of lions.

Beats opposers.
Quiets lies.

My God! My God! My God! Just say it out loud – “My God!”

Take ownership of those two words. My. God.

My. God. You. Have. A. Plan. And. It. Is. Good.

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Don’t give up. Don’t quit in love. Don’t decide God has left you.

And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. (Eph. 1:23)

Christ is filling all things, everywhere with himself. He is filling you! You are alive with Christ (see: Eph. 2:5). You are equipped through Christ. You are empowered with Christ – in you.

“Or do you not realize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?” (2 Cor. 13:5)

If Christ is in you, how can you ever give up  — on you?

You are called to bring the light of Christ everywhere you go. It’s not about you. It is not about yesterday. It is not about your insecurities, inadequacies or inefficiencies. Forget all that. It is all about Jesus. You go and let Him shine.

“Because the God who said, Out of darkness light shall shine, is the One who shined in our hearts to illuminate the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.”—2 Corinthians 4:6-7

The excellency of Jesus, the light of the world, the glory of God, the wonder of His power is reflecting on you, in you and through you. Be not discouraged or dismayed.

Go by faith. Even that you don’t have to fret about. All faith belongs to God anyway. Faith is a gift. He just gives it to you.

Blaze forward. Reflect Jesus everywhere. Touch the poor. Reach out and extend a hand. Be a word of encouragement. Light a fire in a neighbors heart. Pray for the sick. Counsel the weary. But, do not give up.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners (Is. 61:1)

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I wonder what they think of me? How did I do? 

It’s a subtle thought  – but a dangerous one.

How did “I” do? How did “I” appear? 

Whether you are bringing a dish to a sick neighbor in need, giving money to your kid’s school, or spending your time with people in need -there’s one important question to ask yourself:

Am I doing it onto them or unto God?

I can tell if I’m doing it onto them if I:

expect accolades.
look at results.
decide that I did a good job according to how people react.
need feedback.
gain worth based on how I did.

I can also tell if I am doing it unto God if I:

am at peace no matter how things look.
am thankful.
understand that all good things from him.
get my worth from Christ’s acceptance of me.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Gal. 1:10)

Pride masks itself as a need – to know, to want recognition, to appear a certain way, to have all the answers, to be loved by everyone, to be seen in good light. Humility, on the other hand, let’s all things go to God and understands that anything good, worthy, true, noble and of good report is the working of God anyway. He created it all from the start. He gave it.

A humble person is not “made” or destroyed by results, or even by God’s good gifts. They love the giver of the gifts more than the blessings of the gifts.

Where do you fall?

I’ve fallen to pride too many times to count. If you are there today, let me assure you, you can get right back up again. Ask God to help you remember His faithfulness, how far He has brought you, what He is doing and how He is helping you. Acknowledge both His goodness and your need for Him. Thank Him for His faithfulness. Thank Him that He is the one doing and seeing everything through. Lean on Him in your time of need. He is there for you. He is restoring you.

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