“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13:4-8)
We often look at these verses and think, “This is how I need to act. This is how I should treat others. This is what I have to do to be loving. . .”
But, how often do we consider — this is how God loves us. . .
With this, God is patient to you today. If you’re having a hard time changing, His grace is there to help on your way.
God is kind. His kindness can overpower your meanness to yourself if you allow His Words to become your words.
God is not envious, boastful or proud. He wants the best for you — without anything else. There’s no additional, “But. . .”, or exclusion, or disclaimer.
God is not dishonoring, self-seeking, or angry. While people may act one way, God’s way is the good-way, the right way, the heart-honoring way. Above people’s ways, you can always find His. This is a freedom-place for you.
God does not keep a record of your wrongs. The second Jesus died, He created-way for wrongs to be replaced with the righteousness of Christ. To receive Christ is to find relief.
God does not rejoice in evil, but delights in truth. Whereas the world may celebrate dysfunction and laud evil, God delights in truth as truth. What is hidden — He brings to light.
God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. He is always protecting you — and worthy of trust. He has all vision and plans in His hands. And, His love for you, will persevere all trials and hardships.
All was fine until I had to decide whether to lie or not. . .
Let me explain. Today, I sat in a new church with new people at a bible study group. Here, as the youngest, amidst all the white-haired heads, I felt free. I didn’t care about fitting in.
But, my heart thumped. Why? Because I knew I should raise mine.
But, how can I? The girl who wrote the book about fear? How can I admit today that I am struggling with fear? What will they think of me? How will I look? I’m a shame. I should be better than I am.”
But, I knew “my truth”. How I get afraid of powerless moments when I don’t know how to react. How I feel nervous that God won’t make a way for my dreams. I feel afraid that I may misinterpret scripture and lead his people or myself, astray (my worst nightmare). . .
As the man waited, I had to decide: Would I lie before man and God — by keeping my hand down — or would I admit my struggle, and raise it up?
I slowly inched my hand up, somehow signaling to the group: I am not perfect, not altogether and I struggling. . .
I half-expected them to laugh at me, to raise their chin up just a little higher than mine, or to question why I even write books. . . but they didn’t.
Then, the most interesting thing happened. As the group wrapped up, a bunch of women came over to me. They said, “How do you spell your last name? We want to get your book. . . ”
And, so I consider today:
Maybe people don’t hate our weakness as much as we think they do.
Maybe our truth-telling doesn’t make people want to run as much as the enemy tries to convince us it does.
Maybe people aren’t looking for perfect friends, as much as they are honest ones.
Are you honest before man? Before God? Or, are you trying to hide the worst of you, because you figure no one will want you anymore?
Our revealing before God — and man — is our healing. But, our hiding often is — our increase of shame.
“Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,[c] circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized,[d] slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” (Col. 3:9-11 NLT)
I sat on the curb after practice, wondering, “Is mom ever going to come?” It was a particularly hard high school year. For one, my nose got hit with a field hockey stick. Even today, it sits a little crooked. And on this particular day, after all those sprints, shooting pains shot up my legs. I could hardly sit. Every position was agony. So with my teammates long gone, I moaned. Then, I replayed everything: the shots I didn’t make, the girls that were faster than me, and how I must have looked downright stupid.
Five minutes turned into twenty. Would she ever come?
Times of waiting are battles – the sense of “not knowing” compounds everything. Here, we tend to think, “If she isn’t there for me, God won’t be there either. I’m unworthy. I’ll be left behind. I brought on this problem. I’m stuck. Bound to fail. Surely, I’ll make a fool of myself again.”
I find it is here that old injuries, gut-wrenching feelings of abandonment, and age-old failures come back to attack. They often rob our faith.
Yet, I can’t help but wonder: If waiting times aren’t uncommon to Biblical men and women, why do I think they’ll be uncommon to me?
I mean, Sarah waited decades to have a baby. Blind people waited what probably felt like forever to be healed by Jesus. Mary waited while Jesus grew up. The other Mary waited for her brother Lazarus to get healed. Moses waited to get out of Egypt. Jesus waited decades to start His ministry, then about three years to die on the cross to defeat death.
Even in the worldly sense, waiting times have value. A delayed inheritance makes a son wise. A pregnant mother gives nine months time for the baby to grow. A toddler girl learns to swim before jumping in the deep end.
What if our times of waiting aren’t meant to torture us, but to grow us? And to prepare us for a greater land ahead?
“The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden… It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.” (Deuteronomy 11:10, 12, NIV)
The new land has new terrain. New obstacles. New preparation is needed for that place.
Consider, if you want to adventure through new terrain, you must prepare for it. If you’re traveling over rocky ground, you need the right wheels. Perhaps an SUV. If you are climbing a new mountain, you need to have a harness and one you trust. Waiting gives us time to prepare to go to the places God has planned for us.
We can wait well. Here are few ways to do just that:
Remember the cross.
Encourage yourself by saying, “Jesus’ sacrifice fully covers me and now protects me from any assaulting words of the enemy. Even if I don’t do things perfectly, through the sacrifice of Christ, I am hidden in Christ.”
Reconsider who you are.
Think, “I am a daughter of the most-High King. He knows how to take care of me.”
Reestablish who God is.
Say, “God is on my side. He will pull through for me, help me and rescue me. I can trust Him.”
Remind yourself: Waiting ground is faith-proving ground.
Choose to delight in and dwell on the little blessings God gives day-to-day.
Reflect on the learnings.
Encourage yourself by saying, “God, teach me what I need to know through this time of wait, so I can grow in faith.”
She put me down, right there in front of “allthem.” Sure, it was subtle, but it was real and … worst of all, it wasn’t the first time. In fact, every time I encourage others around that one particular subject, she circles right back and shoots it down. You can’t get one thing past her.
Hmph! Well,if she’s going to put me down like that? Well…I’ll show her. I don’t have to put up with this.
I thought about leaving the gathering. But I didn’t. I just sat there, internally fuming, while externally smiling.
Later, when I got home, I wondered why I even bother speaking up, encouraging others or taking the risk to be open and honest. Women always hurt me. Like that one time I shared the vulnerable details of my heart, only to get word it was being passed through the meat grinder of women’s chattering mouths. Or the other time when I shared my hurt and it was misinterpreted and stomped upon by those around me. Or worst yet, when I shared about God and felt all the crawling judgment of others walking up and down my body.
The more I think about all this, the more the problem bothers me. And worst yet, I fear: what if the real problem is – me? Perhaps it’s not their issue, but my fatal-flaw issue. One I was born with. What then?
I must not be good. I must be unlikable. I’ll always have this problem.
When I look deep within myself, I see faults:
I sometimes seek to impress others.
I hate feeling like people aren’t approving of me.
I never want to be seen as one doing wrong.
I have a hard time when people disagree.
I feel like less of a person when I’m not adding value.
I feel worthier when God is using me for important things.
Yet, when I look a level deeper I see something else. Yes, I am flawed, but not fatally – thanks to Jesus. I say things wrong, but I am always wanted. I make mistakes, but I am always loved. I do need to say, “I’m sorry,” but I am always forgiven.
I am not the sum of what I do, but the product of how I’m lovedby Jesus.
The same goes for you. Love pours out of you, because Love came for you and conquered all. He taught. He led. He bled. He died. He was buried. He rose to heaven. For you.
With this, we no longer have to create perfect love that demands perfect responses from others. Instead, we can rest in Him who is perfect love. We can trust His love to compel us. We can breathe deep and gain perseverance and endurance from the endlessly beautiful gift he extends to us. The gift called, “sweet relief.”
“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14, NIV).
“Where did that come from?” I asked as I pointed it out to my husband.
“I don’t know.” He said.
The next day, I looked down on the ground and there were probably about 5 more. What in the world?!
I had just put felt-bottoms on those chairs. It makes no sense at all that they would be damaging the floors like this. But, they were. . .
I got down on my hands and knees, flipped the chair over, only to find a rock about the size of two specks of pepper.
This little rock could do that much damage? I said to myself while holding it in my hand.
It certainly can.
What little rock do you have in your life right now? Mine is complaining.
I keep on speaking-out what is not right, what hasn’t happened, and what isn’t coming together. I’ve been griping a bit. I’ve been being a little dour and sour. Commenting on little things. . .far too much.
“Show hospitality to one another without complaining.” (1 Pet. 4:9)
But, the reality of this is: I haven’t been creating a hospitable atmosphere for my family. The environment shifts the second I speak-out — a bad attitude.
What about you?
Are you uplifting others or killing the joy? Speaking life or making everyone participate in your every annoying moment?
People don’t remember the food we made them, the house we let them walk into, nor the gifts we sent them away with — they remember how we made them feel. Even more, I wonder today, how am I making the Holy Spirit feel, as He lives within me.
Are we being hospitable to the Holy Spirit, who indwells within us?
Today, I commit to all of you, to do my best, to mind my mouth. To think before I speak. To bring my grievances to God. To gain perspective before blurting-out. Now, I probably won’t be perfect (because who is?), but I do plan to be mindful.
Prayer: Father God, may I speak only what is good, noble, worthy and of good report. I want to love others around them, not pull them down into my muck and mire. Give me the grace I need to focus on what is positive and powerful, in you. Then, I will be full of joy and life. Give me the wisdom, as well, to speak thanksgving more than complaint. When I think of it, I do have so much to be thankful for. I praise you today, In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
As I sat there, I noted, before he began to play he turned. One-by-one, he strummed each string. Why? He was tuning his instrument. He wanted to make sure every chord sounded right. So, he tested them again and again. . .
“Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.” (Ps. 19:12)
Just as this man took the time to ensure his overall melody was not off, so too should we evaluate the strings of our faith.
Are you living in-tune to God or out-of-tune? In line with His fullness or a little off-track?
Let’s test your strings. . .
Do you hear the voice of love or condemnation?
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Ro. 8:1)
Are you feeling full of the Spirit or full of fear?
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Tim. 1:7)
Are you trusting God by faith or are you striving, by works?
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
If you are out of tune today, don’t start berating yourself or hating yourself. It is as simple as tuning the string; simply adjust course. Repent of what was and move into what’s new.
These small-adjustments will help you to play a whole new song over your life.
From the second I went on the airplane, I was sure that God was up to something. What? Only time would tell. . .
Squeezing in between a woman and her aisle seat, I sat down in the middle row, next to a man with glasses, who was eager to talk.
“What do you do?” He inquired of me.
“I write books. Christian books.” I said. Then, I inquired, “How is your relationship with God?”
He explained that it had hit some hiccups since his wife “did what she did.” I could see the anger in his eyes. It was almost as if, I knew, he had ‘a right’ to be angry with her. He went on to tell me that ‘what she did in a moment had a lifetime of consequences’. They’d now been divorced for years.
We continued to talk . . . He longed for a woman. He felt alone. This season was — hard.
Yet, the more we sat there, the more something in me said — he still loves ‘her’. He deeply loves her.
I asked him, “Could you ever forgive her?”
He said, “For that? I still believe in God, but I can NOT forgive her.”
He seemed furious. Even so, I encouraged him to forgive. I covered points, like:
– “Unforgiveness will never hurt her more, but only you.”
– “What anger and bitterness you leave in you — grows.”
– “Unforgiveness is like a bad seed — you can’t expect it to grow good stuff.”
– “Forgiveness will be your freedom — if you let it be. . .”
Oh friends, you all don’t know how badly I wanted him to forgive her. . . .Somehow, I imagined that they might even be able to get back together. Somehow, I knew what he wanted was on the other side of saying, “I forgive her. God help me to let this go.”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, (forgive) not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Mt. 18:22)
But, he looked at me flatly and said, “I just can’t. I just am not ready.”
While I respected His desire, I felt like sinking down into my seat. . . If only he knew. . .
He could be free of his anger. He could move on. He could begin to have deeper relationships. He could. . . At the same time, God is a respecter of free-will, be it towards freedom or bondage, life or death. Sadly, this man wanted to keep his anger. Not left with many other options, I encouraged him to “think about what I had said and to accept God’s grace for the timing of forgiveness. . .”
Even so, I went home thinking about you. Are you choosing to walk in freedom or bondage? I know people have offended you, taken advantage of you, spoken about you, retaliated, been obnoxious around you, stolen from you. . . and done so many other things towards you. With this, I wonder, which are you choosing — freedom or bondage?
You know, this man excused away forgiveness saying, “I don’t think about her. I pretend it is not there.”
That doesn’t work. There are many things that don’t work. Only forgiveness frees us. The rest of it puts us in greater bondage.
“And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” (Eph. 4:26-27)
Friend — big or small, years ago or ‘it just happened’, forgotten about or not — please — let it go to Jesus, now. You will be better for it.
Prayer: God, I have feelings about what this person has done to me. They have (insert their injury here). . . I do feel upset, hurt or (insert your feelings here). However, God, I don’t want to live my life being enslaved to judging, critiquing, retaliating or injuring them. I want You to fight this battle. You are the ultimate Justice-Bringer and Healer. With this, I release them from my heart. I let them go to you. I forgive (insert name) and I ask you to bless them. Please pour out the grace they and I so desperately need right now. Thank you that as forgiveness goes forth, new vision comes in. Help me to see more of you, God?
This morning my husband happened to flip over a vase in our house. Surprisingly, little pieces of folded white paper fell, like snow, from this vase and danced to the ground. My son was enthralled. Immediately, he fell to the ground and opened the little pieces, like it was Christmas.
They were our old prayers. Prayers from, about a year ago…all splayed out on the floor.
The more we opened them, the more our mouths opened wide: God had answered so many of them. He had literally helped my daughter to stop sucking her fingers. He provided blueprints to my husband’s business. He gave me fresh wisdom for another book and the means to get there. Answer upon answer, breakthrough upon breakthrough, word upon word — HE did it.
Oh, how easy it is to miss all the things God is doing — and has done.
Dear friends, let me tell you something, I don’t think the timing of this downfall is a coincidence. With this happening this morning, I believe God wants you to know: He is moving through the power of prayer. It is no wonder that I’ve been praying for you – and you have been praying for me — and now He splays out answered prayers on my floor.
God IS answering prayer. Believe! Believe, afresh. God IS doing it.
Needless to say, I feel inspired to share all-splayed-out-on-the-floor prayer-process with you today. . .
It started with my friend, and wise Pastoral Counselor, Karen Mortensen, who — way back when — taught me about a “Casting Bowl”. She, with wisdom, explained that we can take our worries, our fears, and areas we want to control and “cast (our) cares onto the Lord, for He cares (for us).”
In this, we can hand to God what is no longer ours to carry. We begin to “cast”– by writing it down on a little paper, and then we give it to him — by casting it into a little bowl or vase. Here, we literally – let. it. go.
I like to think of this symbolic action as, “transferring, or putting, our trust in Him.”
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:7-8)
This is how it looked like in my household: First, I had my whole family write down their worries, fears, and areas of control like a prayer request — on a piece of paper. Second, we casted each one onto God as we let it fall into our vase. Third, we chose to let Him carry what we usually carry. This includes fear, anxiety and stress. We gave it up. Then, we decided, as these things “come back” or try to pester us again, we pray for them. And, chose not to “take them back” from God’s hands.
I did this imperfectly, I might add.
But, still, God answered me!!!!! He was faithful!
I believe He will do this for you. I believe He has actually answered many of your prayers of old (if you truly think about them). There are probably so many things you’ve prayed and forgotten, but God has moved. He has moved and IS moving.
Take faith. Take hope. Take courage. Christ has overcome the world. And, He is more than enough to overcome all your problems.
While scrolling through the “prayer request” emails, I sulked to my son Friday morning, saying, “I can’t reply to all everyone by email and this is hard for me. I so want to. I have so much to write to each one of them, but there are so many. . . ”
He replied, “Tell them how much you wish you could have written each of them. . .Let them know how much you care. ”
So, today I want you to — hear my heart. First, the weight of what so many of you face? Either big or small, it made me wish I could reach through the computer screen, pull you in my arms and just hold you, close. Second, I pray you know how much I care. You see, I could have written long paragraphs to each of you. Your stories hurt my insides, and your plights broke my heart and your desire for God to be with you was everything.
I prayed for each of you — by name. I asked God for breakthrough — for husbands, sons, daughters, your future, your insides, for salvation, for jobs, for feelings, for futures, for your situation, for healing, and for your faith with your God — a grand rescue. I expect great answers and moves. God is faithful.
Some of you even wrote to me, “Kelly, I never ask for prayer. . . .“, “I really needed prayer, but I didn’t realize it” or you simply told me that you feel “alone”.
I want you to know today: you are NOT alone. If you had read what I read — all those prayer requests — you would see loads of other ladies struggling with similar struggles: hope-deferred, inner-pain, loss, grief, anger, betrayal, rejection, financial issues, family problems, salvation needs and more. . . Your heart would break for them too.
May I tell you? We need each other.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each otherso that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (Ja. 5:16)
Our healing is in coming together; more than it is in worrying apart, in separate worlds.
I am praying for ways to unite us in prayer.
Beyond this, in regards to your prayer request, please know:
Our God is a God of breakthrough. Believe!!! He has saved me from an eating disorder. He has saved me from debt. He has saved me from loans I needed to pay. He has saved people around me. He has broken the tides of depression. He has deterred people who wanted to hurt me. He has allowed me to get a job when it seemed impossible. He has made what sin I couldn’t break, gone. He has changed people around me. He has brought me closer to my husband. He has answered my prayers time and time again. He has given me new vision. He has restored me from discouragement. He has turned things radically-around!
God is faithful to move. He hears us. And, prayer is effective; it works.
May I remind you? Your Rescuer, Redeemer, and Restorer is not asleep; He is on your cause. God is on your side. He knows your time. He sees your way. He has you in the palm of His hand. He hears your requests, that line up with His heart. He knows your way.
With this, I stand in the gap with you today. I raise your arms. I expect answers. I won’t relent in asking for you. Even now, I ask again, “Father, hear our every prayer.”
As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Ro. 10:11)
The key is: Don’t give up. Pray unceasingly. And let the God of all God’s guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Beyond this, please pray for your other sisters who read my emails; they need you more than you know! Think about the collective power of all our prayers lifted up for each other. . . And, to wrap this all up — as breakthrough happens — please let me know.
I love you.
My prayer: ” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Ro. 15:13) May He rush into your cause, and resurrect life, where there appears death. May you know that you are not alone. May your soul thrive under the goodness of His love. May you walk in His light, with all clarity. May you be filled with His Spirit in fresh ways that revive your heart. May you see the God of All Rescues come in and — change everything. May the God-of-Turnaround light your day, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
When is the last time you asked someone to pray for you?
We have a way of qualifying things in our minds, don’t we? This isn’t big enough to ask others to care about. This isn’t as worthy as her issue — she’s sick after all. I don’t want to bother them or bog them down with my issue.
We’re so afraid of being a burden. Or a kill-joy. Of being ___(Fill in the blank).
So, we press on, and buck-up and — feel all alone. A singular person on our own deserted island.
Some of you are struggling today. The load feels back-breaking. The situation feels excruciating. Your mind can’t think about it anymore. You feel like you live in a fog now.
And you’re fending this and facing this, all alone?
This morning, I opened the most blessed email from a reader. She said, “Kelly, I want to encourage you. . . .I felt like you needed prayer.” In it, she included some verses on her heart for me. It touched my heart.
Did I need prayer? Sometimes, we don’t even know what we need. We’ve been so much fighting in the battle that’s raging, we hardly realize we’re a bit bruised. The world will do that to us. But, she was right. I needed prayer and I didn’t even think to ask. . .
With this, I want to do two things today. . .
First, I want to ask you to pray for me and my family. Will you pray for direction? For breakthrough? For God’s providence in everything we face? For new friendships? And, a new fire in my heart — so that I can see through every single thing God has for me to do on Earth?
Second, I want to ask — how can I pray for you? I want you to reply to this email and let me know. I will not reply to your email (you can only imagine how many there will be). But, what I will absolutely do — is to stop and pray for every person who responds. I will say a prayer out loud for you, with God, when I get your response. I will stand with you. I will ask God on your behalf. I ask God to detour the enemy for you.
You are not alone. You are not on an island of despair. A sister stands with you. She loves you. And, so does God. I believe He will help you. I can’t wait to pray. I can’t wait to see what God Almighty — will do.
We are in this together.
“In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” (Eph. 6:18 MSG)
