Called to Glorify God.

"The heavens declare the glory of God,

the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

Psalm 19:1

I have definitely been avoiding writing this post. I avoid writing for many reasons these days, the most recent one being,  I am just not ready to say a lot about this topic. How does one summarize the Call to Glorify God? How long would I really need to read my bible to get a good enough grasp on it in order to inform you accurately of the importance, and then have some great practical tips about living it out? I'm pretty sure that amount of time is infinity. 

We all admit that we don't pretend to be perfect, but we all kind of try to. At least, we try to minimize our sin by calling it flaws or hangups or struggles. We put our best foot forward on social media and don't speak up about issues until we are certain we have the correct stance, worded in a way that will prevent any backlash. When we do admit to our sin or fallenness, it's usually done with an attempt to relate to others, to show we are real, and to make sure people don't put us on a pedestal. 

But these things aren't helping us live out our calling to Glorify God. We don't glorify Him by tucking our sin away, or by only admitting it without any intention of dealing with it. I haven't been meaning to hide, but I also haven't wanted to admit that I just don't know that much about how to Glorify God. 

I like to think I do, but while trying to wrap my mind around it, I just felt kind of lost. I know things the bible says to do, and I can think through why certain actions do not glorify God, but when I intentionally sit down to consider what it looks like to pursue glorifying God, my answers seemed pretty simple. 

I think this might all actually be pretty simple, but I cannot "prove" all it to you. I have some bible verses, and a heap of thinking I've done, along with some praying and studying, but I still have a long way to go. 

The hardest part about walking down this entire Called journey for me has been the way it pushed me through the different trials and problems a person needs to encounter in order to really take advantage of all these tools and practical lessons I've put out here. I could not explain to you why we need to know God until I saw my deep need to know Him too. Unless I had struggled through learning to obey God in small ways that seemed totally purposeless for the desires of my own life, I would not have been able to offer any type of advice, comfort, or encouragement for you while you tried to walk that path. 

While I wish I desired to glorify God as earnestly as the bible calls me to, I have to admit that I often want my own glory more than God's. I want people to see how good I am, how excellent I have become, and how much I can do. It's so easy to think our abilities lay within our own flesh, and a reliance on Him has to come long before we can glorify Him. 

Maybe that's a Call I missed, the Call to trust Him. I believe it comes naturally from knowing Him, as do all the other Calls I've written about. And that's part of the problem with the place I'm in today. While I've been searching for understanding in many ways, I've slipped in my pursuit of knowing God personally, daily, forgetting that holding communion with Him in all my moments is worth the effort it takes. I forget what a relief it is to forget about my agenda and only seek Him. 

I will be reading a huge, fat book my pastor loaned my about this topic, though it might take me a while to get through it. It's called Recalling the Hope of Glory by Allen P. Ross, and while it has a lot to do with worship, I think it will have a lot to say about our purposes in glorifying God. 

I do have a few thoughts, despite all my rambling and confession of inadequacy :) 

The earth declares God's glory. 

But why? This is not any type of scholarly insight, but rather my mind trying to find the root of how the earth does this. 

One thing, is that it's beautiful, just the way He made it. We too glorify God when we live wholly as He made us to live, each uniquely designed for the purposes and good works He is bringing before us (Eph. 2:10). Peter reminds us of this too, telling the Jews to conduct themselves in ways that are honorable, so that those on the outside will see their good works and glorify God alongside them (1 Peter 2:12). This means we work, we love, we honor, we DO things. It requires an active participation in God's redeeming work. He made your life beautiful, but striving to live in ways that are outside of His grand purposes only taints the image He is creating in you. 

Another reason, is that creation obeys. Creation lives out the exact purpose God designed it to live. Rocks form, plants grow, planets spin. Existing in the order that God designed creation to exist in glorifies Him. God commands the earth to spin, and so it spins. He commands the fish to swim, and they go right along. We too glorify God in our daily obedience. It's not always other people watching that bring the glory either. There is a spiritual realm we cannot see and when we obey God in all the small ways, we help fight against that darkness and oppression. Peter agains calls us to do all things unto Christ (not just so everyone can see) so that Christ will be glorified in all we do, big or small (1 Peter 4:7-11).

Lastly, I see that giving seems to be a visual testament of God's glory. The earth gives of itself without hesitation - it's simply made to do that. With God, it was His love for us that propelled Him to give His only son that we might become His children (John 1:12). We know that the greatest act of love that exists is laying down one's life for another, and that we are Called to love one another. Therefore, we are Called to give of ourselves, and that sacrificial giving glorifies God. Like the earth does. Like Jesus did. And like Jesus said, it will require you to "take up your cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)

Jesus also said that if we desire to find life in Him, we must lose it. We must hand it over and give it up (Matthew 16:25).

This is the crux of my struggle to write this and the problem I keep running up against: I cannot glorify God while I am clinging to the life I think I ought to have. 

An analogy came to me this morning that spoke to my struggle with this. I was thinking about a speaker in front of her audience. When speaking, it is certainly lovely to have an involved audience. When you ask a question and no one raises their hand, it can be rough. Engagement is confirmation that people are tracking with you and interested in participating in the learning. But, it also stinks to be in an empty room. Even if you have a few highly participatory people, it still feels hard. Those people in the audience who may not say a lot, they have an important role. They honor the speaker by being there, listening, and giving of their time. 

If I am not the speaker in the room, I am always one of those participatory members. I'm getting better at just sitting and listening, but I like to talk ;) What about those who seem to do nothing but sit? Who bring comfort and affirmation simply by being there? They also bring honor. They may be unknown, or seem of little importance, but their role is still valuable.

Do I really believe it? If my life remains small, unnoticed, and little, will I live with joy, trusting God that my little life is bringing the most glory to Him possible? 

Thinking through all of this has shown me how much I value being known myself, and wanting to be known for being important in God's kingdom. But it's so twisted in my heart and mind. I want to have a big impact, huge! I want my life to change the world. That's just it though. My life cannot, only a giving of my life to God's purposes. And that might not be as globe-altering as I wish. Am I okay with that? Can I at least try to be okay with that? 

I believe God made me an over-achiever for a reason. He obviously put this fire in me to do something, but I don't know how to harness it the right way. Thankfully, that's where obedience comes in. That's why this whole Called thing got started in the first place! I cannot know where God will take me, and I will never have cause to argue with Him about what might have been a better path for me. The only thing I can do is walk with Him, glorify Him, love others, prepare for His return, and obey Him endlessly. 

It feels so much easier (and like so much more fun) to plan out how we want to glorify God. But we just cannot know what tomorrow will bring. Our daily obedience is the only way to guarantee we are glorifying God. Selfish-ambition too easily takes over. We have to trust that what needs done right now, right in front of us, is the thing God will use to glorify Himself and bring us the satisfaction we long for. 

I know it seems strange to say we will find our heart's longing in obeying God each day, but it's true. And if aren't finding satisfaction and joy in obeying His voice, it's because our hearts are not tracking with His purposes. When we desire His agenda, obeying is like confirmation that we are with Him. And being with Him is the best thing we can ever have. It's the goal, the blessing, the thing that grows real fruit in our lives and gives us something to offer those around us. All things that lead us to Him are worth the sacrifice, and giving of all yourself over to Him and His purposes is the fastest, most efficient, best way to glorify God. 

Are you up for it? 

Called to Worship.

I know many of you have been waiting to see when I would FINALLY post about November's Call. I hate to keep you waiting, but between the retreat I spoke at, the conference I attended, schooling the kids and prepping for the Holidays, I got quite behind. And, in all honesty, I didn't start researching this Call feeling like I was very good at worshipping, or even knowing what genuine worship ought to look like. I didn't have a lot of direction or even a thought that I wanted to follow or chase down.

I ended up choosing to listen to a few audiobooks before even doing a lick of planning for this post and both have been extremely helpful! This first book is a bit more in-depth, not as "inspiring" really, but it was still very informative and thought-provoking; it's called Worship by A.W. Tozer. The other book I listened to (which was actually the first book I started with) is called The Air I Breathe by Louie Giglio. This book was definitely easier to follow along with and listen to eagerly (my 10-year-old agrees), and it gives a lot of great insights, scriptural references, and questions to ask yourself about the way you are living.

Over all, my study of what it means to worship God didn't change me the way I expected, but I also feel like I want to keep on this path and dive in a bit deeper. I'm not sure what to do next, but I do have some good stuff to share with you in the meantime.

First off, the actual definition of Worship in the Bible was not what I expected.

What is your idea of worship? What does it entail? What does it look like for you on a regular basis?

Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash

Did you know that worship simply means "to bow down to" or "to kiss the hand of"? Kind of odd, right? I always thought of worship as glorifying God, mostly through singing and praising, but just overall making known the ways that God is above all else. And sure, worship includes those things, but the root of worship is actually a submission, an admitting that God is ruler, King, worthy above all else.

Our church does a fabulous job of naming this kind of stuff about God at the outset of our services, but that hasn't always been the case in the other churches we've attended. The more I thought about this idea that worship is actually submission, the more it made sense. Can we really praise God if we are not fully revering Him? Can we sing of His glory if we refuse to admit His complete control over our destiny? Can we tell others of the way He is good if we do not confess that we have actually chosen our own ways over His?

Worshipping God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) begins with complete submission to Him.

Thank goodness we already covered that in one of our earlier Calls, right? Surely you have it as dialed in as I do (and I hope you can hear my sarcastic laughter through your computer)! Yes, it's certainly helpful that we've already talked about this Call to surrender, but I still need this reminder many times, every day. It is never-ending, and I will likely always need some redirecting throughout my life. But the Call to Worship God is one we don't want to overlook, take lightly, or miss out on the deeper meaning and the deeper riches that come from following it.

We were all made to worship and we all worship something, whether we recognize it or not. Timothy Keller says in Counterfeit Gods that if you want to know what you worship, take a look at where your time and your money go. Where does your mind drift off toward when you are driving somewhere on autopilot? When you are stressed to the max, what do you start to long for? Those are likely the things you've put on the throne above God, and they are what you are bowed down to.

Anything we bow down to that isn't God will ruin us in the end. We will always be searching, always longing for that something to fill us up. But God satisfies us completely only when we are submitted to Him. We don't even need to try and seek out that kind of filling either, it just automatically happens when we finally submit ourselves to the reality that we ought to desire Him above all else. There is no chasing, or striving, no series of hoops we need to jump through. There is just a bowing down before Him that takes the burden of self-fulfillment and endless pursuit off our backs and allows our hearts to be filled with the goodness of who He is.

Romans 12:1-2 is a great place to take a look at what this means for us.

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Our worship is not just the time we spending singing God's praises. It is what we do. It is how we live. It is what we give ourselves over to completely. It is the sacrificing of our lives to Him that enables us to think clearly, so that we may see where He is leading us. And it will always be good, right, and exactly in line with His laws of love. 

There are all kinds of actions the Psalms call us to take in our worship, things like shouting, dancing, singing, telling, standing, meditating, walking, stilling our hearts, casting down our idols, and more. But all of these must come from a heart that is bowed down to the Creator. Our spirit must decide what it will do, and if we hope to live a life that glorifies God, we must do what is commanded to us in God's true word. 

In Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4:8, Jesus tells Satan that God has commanded us "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve."

I serve many things over God on a regular basis. I serve my own desire for rest, despite knowing that God has the power to give me the energy I need for the tasks I am currently avoiding. I serve my own desire for approval from others, despite knowing in my head that none of it actually matters. I serve my own desire to enjoy the pleasures of the earth (seemingly to an unlimited extent, as my wanting appears to have no end), despite knowing that eternal treasures are the only "things" I ought to be consumed with gaining. 

I don't know what you are currently serving. And I can't tell you what dealing with all of this will look like in your own life. I can only give you guidance on how to approach your current state of heart and encourage you to ask God for the willingness to let go of the things you are choosing to serve before Him.

As with most of these Calls, I see a willing spirit as the best tool for growing in our ability to worship well. So here are the questions I am asking myself to help keep me on the path toward glorifying God in my worship.

1: Do I want to submit to God's commands?

This is often a hard pill to swallow. Am I willing to respond in gentleness, like I know God desires? Am I willing to give generously, like the Bible commands? Am I willing to be wronged, in order to show my trust in God's timing and justice? Am I willing to love others and give myself to them without a guarantee of service or love in return? Questions like these help reveal to me what I am clinging to and what I am refusing to lay before God. It helps me see where my heart is not aligned with His will.

2: Am I willing to take action?

If you have grown up in the church or been a Christian for many years, it's easy to know the right thing to do. Heck, even many unbelievers use the moral compass God gave them to try and discern what is right and what is wrong. But it's a WHOLE other thing to actually follow through on that knowledge. When I take the time to consider my own level of willingness to participate in God's commands, I can more clearly see my own selfishness, my own desire (or lack of desire) to worship Him the way He calls me to. Our worship is action, not just in words and song, but in the daily bowing down to what He says is right and wrong.

3: Am I recognizing God's authority and control over all of my circumstances?

This is the final, authoritative question for me. When I really step back and consider God's place in the universe, it becomes very apparent that my plan to do what I want to do is rooted in complete foolishness. If the One who created all things, who orchestrates all of my circumstances for the good plan He is working out, if He tells me I need to stop chasing the temporal things of this world, why on earth wouldn't I listen? The root of this problem is that I honestly think I know enough to work out my own plans. It's completely ridiculous, but it's true. 

When we stop to see God's complete authority and control over the entire globe, the entire galaxy, and everything that is beyond, we can more easily bow down before Him. If we want to worship Him well with our lives, with more than just our mouths, then we absolutely have to experience the truth about who He is personally, regularly, and honestly. If you don't really believe that He has your days numbered, your hairs counted, your situations covered, you will never submit to Him the way you need to, the way that is best for you. 

Worship is about so much more than singing, dancing, clapping, and speaking about who He is. 

Worship is about living out who He is. 

So who is He to you? Is He the ruler over all? Is He the good Father that all of scripture tells us He is? Is He the author of all beauty, of everything that is good and wonderful? If you don't believe He is, then you are missing out, and you will never be able to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

While over the next month or two I will be posting here on the blog a bunch, I'm still not quite finished with our Called series. I'm going to participate in a daily writing challenge, study up more on our final Call, and start to press into the submission of myself to the things God is calling me to right now, but I hope you will take the time to remember who God is. That was our first Call last January - to Know God. Knowing Him better will enrich your life and enable you to do anything He calls you to. 

You MUST know Him better if you hope to follow Him more closely, to hear Him more regularly, and to worship Him well. Head back to my posts about Knowing God here and here. Soak in all He wants to tell you. Question your motives, ask Him the hard questions, ask yourself the hard questions too. He loves you perfectly, and you need not fear where any of it will take you. 

I will be here on the blog more in January, posting more day-to-day ramblings, trying to make a habit out of writing more regularly, without fear or worry over how it all turns out. This is part of my spiritual worship: submitting to what God is telling me to do, submitting to the desires He is placing in my heart. I hope you'll tell me what you think, what questions you have, or answer any questions I have for you! This has been such a year of blessing for me, and having so many of you here reading and participating in this has given me more than I can even repay. 

I pray that you worship God well, and that you find the courage to surrender all of yourself to His good plans. I pray that you meet Him, know Him, and exude His goodness your entire life long. 

Talk soon, 

Joellen

Called to Live for Him.

What does it really mean to live for Christ? For your life to no longer be your own, but God's?

I think hashing out this question is something people work on their entire lives, so I hope you won't expect to come away with a clean, organized list of things you can hop to right away and have "living for Christ" all figured out. But, I hope you do leave this post encouraged, ready to look at your daily life with a renewed perspective, realizing that hope for eternity is something you can focus on to give you endurance.

I don't think the bible is unclear about this in any way; we are Called to live for God. Even in the Old Testament, God's Call to His people over and over to seek Him, to live not for the things the world offers, but for the things He loves. This overarching Call included things like obedience, service, sacrifice, and more. But this same Call continues today. To live for God doesn't include all the same things the Old Testament (the old covenant) required, like animal sacrifices and diet restrictions, but the goal is the same: to have fellowship with God.

The whole reason we needed the old covenant was because of our human condition. We were slaves to sin and left to ourselves, with no way to come into the presence of God. Now that Christ has given His own life to pay for our sins, we cannot continue living the same way as before. We aren't saved from our sin so we can then go along our merry way. It's a completely different life that we should have.

The bible describes this difference as being dead or alive. In our sins, we were dead. Not just destined to die, or mostly dead, but completely unable to come alive and know God. We were totally incapable of putting into our lives the kind of goodness that He gives us. We see it in Colossians 2:13 and Ephesians 2:1-7. And Paul, who authored both these books of the bible, says again in Romans 6 that because we were dead before, we now need to leave the deadness we were enslaved to. In verse 11 he says "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

Being alive in Christ means fighting sin, knowing that we don't have to submit to it, and then choosing to live for God instead.

Living for ourselves naturally leads us into sin. When my thought-life is full of my own ambitions, or consumed with what I am not getting, I am constantly on edge. I snap easier, I do selfish things without thinking, and I usually use my time in ways I later regret (hello Pinterest and Facebook). However, when I am living for God, I am no longer consumed with meeting my own needs. Instead, I look for what God would have me do and He helps me grow to love it.

Photo by Juliane Liebermann

Living for God doesn't mean you have to have a certain type of job or a particular type of lifestyle. It's more about how you look at your job, about how you look at your life. Instead of constantly looking at what you can do to make things better for yourself, you look at what you are already doing and how it can be done for God. It means you find your motivation not from looking to your future here on earth, but to the future we have in eternity with God.

Colossians 3:1-4 is such a perfect description of the perspective we need to have. When we come to know Jesus, when we accept the Call to be part of God's kingdom, we are raised from the dead and into Christ. Any life we hope to find is in Him alone. It is only seen dimly right now (1 Cor. 13:12) but when Christ appears, we will appear with Him in glory. So as Colossians 3:1 says, we have to seek the things that are above, since that is where Christ is. That's the only place we will find anything of lasting value. It's what we need to pursue.

In order to do that, we will have to lose the life we hope to build here. I'm not saying give up trying to do anything with excellence, or get rid of any nice thing you own, but we need to be honest with the ways we are pursuing the world and our own selfish fulfillment instead of pursuing God.

Jesus makes it very clear in every gospel, in multiple chapters: you will need to lose your life in order to find life in Christ. He says this Matthew 10 and 16, Mark 8, Luke 9 and 17, and John 12. In paraphrase, Jesus says that whoever seeks to keep their life will lose it, and whoever will lose their life for Him will save it.

So, are you currently losing or saving the life you have? Are you investing in the life you'll lose when you die, or in the one you will gain when you meet Jesus?

These are hard questions to answer. I can't say that I am doing this right all the time. I'm constantly confronted with how much of my time is spent on me, or how many of my frustrations are because I want my own way.

As I've thought through all of this during this past month, I have tried to ask myself these questions:


What is the root of my frustration? Myself or others?

What do I hope to accomplish right now? Something for myself or something God desires?

What are my thoughts focused on? My own benefit or God's?


It became pretty obvious that most of my unhappiness stems from my own desire to have a good life here on earth. When I'm upset with my kids, it's generally because I have an idea of how they should be. When I'm frustrated with my circumstances (traffic, bad hair day, giant zit on my chin), it's almost always because I think things should be different, more convenient for my schedule, or work together to make me look good. When I am annoyed with my husband, my friends, or pretty much anyone else I interact with, it's frequently due to my idea that I should be having things my way.

But a life lived for God... that's obviously different. When I am seeking to live out God's will through me, it changes my reactions.

When my kids do something wrong, I ask God how I should deal with it or what He wants to do through it.

When I'm stuck in traffic, I tell myself that God knows and that the details will all be worked out just fine.

When my husband does something I don't like or a friend doesn't invite me into their life, I can take hold of God's perspective and seek to love them despite my feelings and no matter their actions.

This road of living for Him is not easy, but He will help us do it. It will include sacrifice, sanctification, and probably some suffering too. But it's an eternal investment. The more we see the things we want on earth and their limited ability to bring us anything valuable, the easier it will be to lay them down and seek after God's eternal treasures. The more I sought to give what I have to others - including my money, my time, my energies, my gifts - the more I loved living my life!

This is an amazing aspect of living for God: He gives us greater joy now and greater rewards in eternity.

If this feels too challenging, too overwhelming, or not tangible enough for you to embrace right where you are, take a deep breath and relax. It's not an all-or-nothing type of endeavor. Here are a few tips that have helped me.

- When I am doing something boring, mundane, or challenging, something that I really would rather not do, I simply tell myself "This is for God, not me."

- When I get up in the morning, feeling less than enthusiastic about the day, I tell myself "God has something I can do today, and it will be worth my effort."

- When I am annoyed at all the people around me, I say to myself "God can love other people through me, and it is worth the effort."

Overall, the best tool we have for fighting the "right now" mentality that keeps us from living for God is preaching to ourselves. We must point our eyes to Jesus. Remind yourself that God is here, God can fill you, God can enable you to live exactly how He desires. Tell your soul that it is worth it, that even when you fail you will have new mercies to cling to, and that God really will direct you as you choose to step into action.

Give yourself grace. Be open to seeing God in your circumstances. And like I'm finding in all of these calls, everything becomes easier (and honestly, only actually doable) when we look to Jesus's example, rely on the Holy Spirit's power, and submit to God's eternal promises.

I hope God instills in you the desire to live for Him. I cannot convince you that it will be worthwhile, but I know you will find this to be true once you start taking these steps. I'd love to hear how it goes for you! Please consider joining my Called Facebook group and interacting with a bunch of us over there. This journey is always better with more friends to walk beside. You will find more riches here on earth and much more in eternity with a simple willingness to start working with God instead of trying to convince Him to work with you. Are you in?

Called to Receive His Joy

I feel God's goodness toward me in far too many ways to count lately. We began homeschooling again this week, and while we had our fair share of bumps, it was far less tortuous than I was expecting. Sometimes the kids were glad, sometimes they whined or cried, and other times they enjoyed their work immensely. Overall, it was good. And I'm learning to have joy in many things that are just good.

I recently participated in an online bible study through the book of Philippians and before doing this study, I really didn't realize how much Paul talks about joy in this letter. I know there were several verses about rejoicing, but going through the entire book in only two weeks changed my perspective on what joy truly is and how we are to understand genuine, Christian joy. Then, as I was praying through my last four topics for our 12 Months of Called, I began to see this Call to Receive His Joy stand out in neon, flashing lights. 

Photo by Konstantin Planinski

In August I finished reading the book A Chance to Die by Elizabeth Elliot, which is a biography about Amy Carmichael. It was challenging, convicting, and thought-provoking. Many people think of those who sacrifice so much of "their" life as being very serious, boring, or too self-deprecating, but I have a very different picture of Amy after reading more about her life. She held onto joy in the most dire of circumstances. She remained willing to be happy in the Lord despite losing an astonishing number of children and babies to disease and tragedy. She truly embodied what it means to rejoice in the Lord always. 

I think the way she lived is what Paul talks about in Philippians 4:11-13, about learning to be content in all things through the power of Christ. After losing a child that was very dear to her, Amy talks about a conversation she had with God. She says He asked her if she was prepared to move forward without that child and if should would still be willing to find joy in the life she would live for God. Amy doesn't say that she was immediately happy, filled with joy, or even in a good mood. She just says she knew that if she wanted to continue in her ministry and truly give all to the Lord, she would have to willingly part with anything He allowed to leave her hands. 

So she continued on. Not without grieving the many losses she continued to endure, but with a different perspective. Amy realized that if we are Christians, we automatically obtain joy, but that we often allow it to be stolen, or that we give it to things that actually become idols in our lives. When we are unable to be joyful because we don't get something we want, we have placed joy in something that God does not desire. Sure, we can be happy about other things, but we cannot make our happiness reliant upon them. 

Jesus says in John 15:11 that what He has spoken to His disciples (about abiding in God) is so that His joy would be in them, that their joy may be full. Being one with God is the way we receive full joy. Jesus' joy was our redemption, our reconciliation to God. It's the joy that enabled Him to go to the cross, endure the wrath of God, and defeat death. Our perfection is His joy, and it should be ours as well. 

James 1:2-4 reiterates this for us too. We can consider our trials joy because of what they produce in our lives: perfection. Not that we are perfect yet (just as Paul says in Philippians 3:12) but we are getting there. And it's our onward march toward glorification with God in eternity upon which our joy ought to be set. 

There will always be distractions here on earth. We can always find things that leave us lacking, that drive us nutty, or that pull us under. Unless we are receiving the joy that Jesus gives, and unless we are willing to hold onto that joy with both hands, the happiness we find in things on earth will always, eventually disappear. If we cannot be joyful without these temporary things, we will never obtain the true joy that God gives.

What can we do to keep our joy properly placed? It begins with our thoughts. 

We have to continually point our thoughts back to Christ, to God, to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. This means abiding in Him, obeying Him, seeking Him when we would rather seek the things in the world because we know it will be worth it. I often despair at how easily I allow my happiness-meter to be filled with earthly stuff and temporary circumstances. It feels innocent, like I'm just enjoying God's good gifts (as we are also called to do), but the longer I turn toward those things when I am feeling less than joyful, the less clear a joy in Christ seems to be. 

Our minds need to be on Him. We have to train our hearts to rely completely upon God's promises, to have faith that His coming redemption is completely enough to get us through life right here, right now. When the gifts of His abiding presence feel too far off, too intangible, we must speak the truth of the gospel into our brains and into our souls. We must tell ourselves over and over that what is happening in our world, in our life, and in our emotions is not what really matters. It's our hearts that God desires. And when we stop allowing other things to take our joy we will find the world far easier to navigate. Losses feel more temporary, less pivotal. The tragedies we endure do not define the rest our lives, but offer us a springboard into knowing God better. 

When the people of God have returned to Israel after years of exile and Nehemiah is leading them in rebuilding the wall, he first guides the people in repentance and restoring the festivals they have not kept. The people despair, and weep, perhaps feeling the weight of their sin or the sadness of their circumstances, but Nehemiah encourages them to rejoice. It is God's joy that will strengthen them to endure. 

I have been striving to understand what that really means and I can feel a difference in how it is beginning to make sense. Knowing that the joy God offers, that Jesus has, in my perfection, in my salvation, in my already-but-not-yet glorification, is a stronghold I can cling to at any moment has altered every single day for me. Dirty dishes don't have to be joy-thieves. Uncooperative children or unexpected bills no longer have the right to steal my smile. I don't have to allow it. The temporary circumstances we walk through in our flesh can be overcome by clinging to the perfection God is giving me and that God rejoices in. 

I pray that God's joy in you will pierce your soul in the best way. Your joy does not have to be contingent on your circumstances. Your feelings may lie, your brain may tell you many other things, and it's not wrong to feel less-than-joyful as long as you don't succumb to it. Set your mind, as often as you can, on God's joy in you and it will strengthen you to endure more than you can imagine. Maybe more than you ever want, but even suffering is not strong enough to rip God's joy in you from you. 

If you are not already a part of our Facebook group, please feel free to join! You can follow the link to join here. There are surveys, free backgrounds, and a few live videos for you to enjoy. My hope is that we can all be mutually encouraged in walking down the paths of life in God together. Thank you for spending time here with me and have a blessed day!

The Call to Love.

God's divine work never ceases to amaze me.

I am baffled at how He put this idea into my head, helped me map out my year, only to find that each month has offered me something I didn't know I needed until I started hashing out each Call for all of you. I know some of you have probably benefited, but I know for sure that these Calls God put on my heart have definitely be life-giving and life-altering for me. It feels a little crazy that He does so much to work in our hearts and lives, right? 

The Call to Love naturally comes right after the Call to Receive His Heart. We truly cannot love the way God intends if our hearts are still full of self. And that is exactly what I've been wrestling with this month. 

I would never claim to be full of self-control, though I cleverly come up with elaborate methods for helping me get things done... sometimes. And all this month, while I have been trying to figure out my inability to write about the Call to Love, I have been struck over and over with how selfish I am. Even when serving my family, I usually only hop to it when there is some reward in it for me. Clean kitchen, laundry put away, meals planned and groceries bought - those all make my life easier, better. But ask me to do something that only benefits someone else and I'm likely to grumble, put it off, or find some way to make it beneficial for myself. 

None of this is of God. And that is tough to swallow. However, I do see God working in me in that I am not full of despair while confessing it. For a bit of the month, I just dove into other things trying to avoid it, thinking I could figure it all out eventually. But when my spirit could no longer stand it, God enabled me to see my selfishness for what it is and helped me start to lay myself down. 

Again, we need God's heart. 

This doesn't mean that we simply also love the things He loves, but that we get rid of the things we love more than Him, the things He cannot stand. We must abide in Him in order to love like Him. In John 15:9-11 Jesus says that we need to remain in His love, and we do that by obeying Him. 

When we see that our actions are not God's actions of love, we have to stop. And when we see the right thing to do and refuse to do it, we must confess that as sin (James 4:17). 

We want our loving of others to be an overflow of God's love in us, not just actions (like what 1 Corinthians 13 warns about) but how can we pursue this? How do we seek to love others when we still feel like God's love is not abiding in our hearts the way we desire, the way we wish it was?

We must look to Jesus.

Photo by Jacob Meyer @jakemeyer

Looking at His example, I see three things we can consider and make progress in, things I know will bring our hearts into a posture God will use to love others. I know this because if God will use someone as selfish and lacking in self-control as me, He will work in you too :) Here they are...

1 - Understand what Love is.

2 - Understand the value in it.

3 - Be willing to give up anything.

Love is Sacrifice.

We see what love is through Jesus' example in Philippians 2: doing nothing from selfish ambition, considering others as more important than self, and giving our life (even parts of it that are wonderful) for the benefit of others. Love equals giving, and not just out of our abundance.

Our sermon yesterday was preached by the pastor of one of our sister churches and he gave a great example of this from Acts 16. Paul and others are imprisoned for upheaving the local economy by releasing a slave girl from an evil spirit. When an earthquake releases their shackles and opens the prison doors, Paul and the others stay as they are, despite their wounds and unjust imprisonment. They deny their own rights, choosing to ensure goodness and life to the prison guard, who would have been a dead man for losing track of all his prisoners. The loving sacrifice of Paul and his companions is turned into the love of God for this guard, who then becomes a believer along with his entire family.

This is the love of God. Jesus gave up what was rightfully His, something beyond fantastic, and took on punishment so we could experience glory with Him. We cannot love well, or love the way God desires if we do not understand that loving others will require sacrifice. If we think we can love and serve others and not have it cost us anything but the extra we seem to be blessed with, we are deceived. 

That's why we need to see the value in it. 

Jesus saw the value of giving us fellowship and glory in the presence of God. He knew His sacrifice would be worth it. He knew that what awaited for us in eternity would be no match for what He gave up, so He gladly took the form of a man forever instead of staying in His Godly existence (whatever that looks like). Paul also speaks like this in 2 Corinthians 4:17, saying that this momentary affliction will be nothing compared to the glory waiting for us. 

Pleasures forevermore? Sounds good! No death, weeping, darkness, anything? Sign me up! Rewarded 100-fold and receiving treasure that can never be destroyed? It's kind of ridiculous that we don't already chase after all these things!

Knowing all this, we must make a decision.

Are we willing to give up what the world offers in exchange for the life God offers? 

That is really the question you will need to answer. 1 John tells us that we cannot love the world and love God. God's love cannot abide in us if we think getting what we desire here on earth is more important than giving God's love to others. And this has been what I am wrestling with even as I type. My kids need me, my husband needs me, other people need me, and I just want to get done what I want to get done! But is that love? Is all my planning, my big agenda, really so much more important than loving others more than myself? Why is every small inconvenience in my day such a frustration? Because God's love is not dwelling in my heart. 

I know that feels rough. I am feeling it too. But I know God's love is in there somewhere because I do feel His grace in the way He gently reels me back in. 

Sure, we can do lots of loving things for others, but if we do not have His love running through our veins our shallow motivation will run out. At some point, we will revert back to our flesh, trying to figure out how we can do the right and good things while still getting what we think we need. His love has to remain in us. We must be connected to it on a regular basis.

What am I doing with all this? What can you do to get on this path away from self and toward God? 

Invite God in. 

Ask Him to change your heart and expect Him to do it. 

Be willing to do whatever it takes. 

That last step feels really hard! It requires an abnormal amount of faith to set down something you love here and now in exchange for something you'll get after you die. But it is more sure than anything else we cling to. 

I would encourage you to take a read through 1 John. It will prick you, be sure of that, but it will also open up places in your heart that God wants to dwell. You might be scared to go there, you might think you can just put a godly twist on your endeavors and therefore make them acceptable to God, but that is not how He works. He wants all of you. Until He has it, your love might bless other people here and there, but it's not the love God has for you. The goal we are after is being fully immersed in His love forever. And it can start today. Go to Him. Ask. And be ready to receive. You really will receive more than you can ever give. 

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions - is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 1:15-17

Called to Receive God's Heart.

Working on all of these Called posts has been such a blessing to my soul. I'm not one of those people who loves writing in and of itself; it's hard work for me! But the challenge of digging in and understanding something, anything about God is an undertaking that brings life to my bones and purpose to my life. Plus, I just love talking about it and sharing what I learn with anyone willing to listen :)

This month's Call is to Receive God's heart. And wow, the last couple of weeks have really revealed just how much I need this. It's always a bit disheartening to struggle so hard through the things I want to talk about and share, but it continually brings me back to the humble place of recognizing how much I really need God. So let's walk together through why this matters and why we need God's heart.

The bible is pretty clear about the state of our own hearts. Jeremiah 17 gives us a glimpse of God speaking to Jeremiah about the state of things among God's people and he says in verse 9 that "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" From the beginning of time, we have account after account of people who follow their own desires and fall away from seeking after God. Everyone has this struggle (whether they acknowledge it or not). 

We want what we want, and we seek out what we think will make us happy, content, fulfilled... to no avail. And this is no secret to God. Jeremiah 17:10 continues on "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every many according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." 

When David is in the process of being chosen to be king we see God speaking to Samuel about Jesse's other sons. 1 Samuel 16:7 says "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.'" Back a few chapters we witness Saul's fall out of God's pleasure and Samuel tells him what God desires: a man after His own heart.

God knows what is in our hearts. We cannot hide it or mask it or try to simply ignore it. Hearts pointed in the wrong direction wreak havoc in our own lives and the lives of others. It doesn't feel good to admit this, but acknowledging it, understanding that our sin-ridden hearts will lead us astray, is a first, very necessary step toward redemption. 

We cannot pretend that the state of our hearts without God can be mastered by our own determination  or self-discipline. We can do all kinds of "right" things from an external perspective and still have hearts that do not honor Him. And if we are unwilling to see this, eventually that rotting heart will pull us under. It will begin to spill out into our actions. 

Proverbs 4:23 says "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." 

And Jesus himself speaks several times in Matthew about how what is in our hearts will come out in our words and actions. We need new hearts in order to live rightly, in order to love well. But we cannot make our hearts new on our own, we need God to do it for us.

And praise be to God; He wants to change our hearts! He wants to take our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, a heart that beats to the rhythm of His love, His priorities, and His goodness. We are commanded to love God with all our heart and He is the only one who can give us a heart full enough to do that. 

For some reason, I have always really resonated with the verses that talk about seeking God. And maybe you are like this too, always searching to hear from Him, to understand Him, and long to know Him as Moses did. So the following verses bring me great hope in my ability to receive from God what I need to love and follow Him...

"But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Deuteronomy 4:29

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." 

Jeremiah 29:13 

"And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?" 

Matthew 7:7-11

God wants to give us good things, starting with a new heart, but we need to ask for it!

While this idea may feel like a double standard, or an impossible challenge, it really is a blessing for us. Every time we feel ourselves pulling away from God, pursuing things that He does not desire for us, we will have to turn back to Him in order to get our hearts right. We'll need to ask Him to help us love Him the way He desires. It's that same desire we see in David that pleased God despite all the sins David piled up or dreadful situations he seemed to get himself into. David was a man after God's heart.

So where does that leave us? What can we do about it?

Always pray. Always stay in communion with God. And ask Him to weed out the things that are not from Him. We may also end up needing to weed out things in our life that entice our hearts (ahem, Instagram and Facebook anyone?) and take a step back from the endeavors that entangle our minds. I know I struggle with fear of what fun my life might be (or rather, not be) without some of the things I am drawn toward. But if they take my eyes off God and steer my heart somewhere other than where God wants to lead me, why would I want it? I need to trust deep in my heart that they are not worth clinging to. 

This month will entail a lot of asking questions of myself, often questions that I may not want to get honest about.

Do I still love following God when it's uncomfortable?When it requires me to not have things I enjoy indulging in? When I have less than others around me? 

What things am I unwilling to let go of and what pursuits keep me from giving my energy to God? 

What in my life keeps me from acting in a way that honors God or what is causing my mind to be distracted with the world instead of focused on who God is?

What do I want more than God?

I'll let you answer those questions in the privacy of your own mind, but I would encourage you to write it down. Write down the scary, the brutally honest, the petty or silly things that are holding you back from living fully under the influence of God's heart. And trust this: there is enough goodness, love, excitement, fulfillment, and pleasure in God's love that He can put in your heart to fill ANY dark hole. 

Saints throughout history have proved over and over again, having nothing in this world except God is more than enough. Can it be enough for me? For you? I know it can, and I want to pursue being so filled with God that I don't even miss what the world would offer. 

Here are a couple books I have enjoyed immensely and I hope they are a blessing to you too. 

Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller

You Are What You Love by James K. A. Smith

Your willingness to allow God to change your heart directly affect how much your heart changes. Let Him do that work and be willing to give whatever it takes. It will be worth it! 

Called to Receive His Power

This month's Call is like a glorious minefield of promise and encouragement. I pray that it motivates, encourages, and inspires you to take up your cross and trust God on whatever path you are walking.

We are Called to Receive His Power.

Honestly, when I look at the different Calls I see in the bible and chose for this year, I was a little stumped with this one (and a few others). I kind of forgot why I chose it or how it linked to the other calls, but after sitting with my bible for just an hour and thumbing through prominent verses, I was amazed at how much promise there is in this, and how little we talk about it!

When you think about receiving God's power, what comes to mind first?

Moving mountains? Healing people? Overcoming insane obstacles and precarious situations? You're not alone. I believe we all tend to think of God's power in ways that seem fantastical or impossible. But God's word says so much more about His power than just miracles and healings.

First, the power of God comes through the Holy Spirit. Next, it is for giving us life, strength and an understanding of Himself. Last, it glorifies Him and reveals Him to others.

After the resurrection, when Jesus is having his last few words with His disciples, He addresses their question about when the restoration of all things will occur. Jesus says that it is not for them to know the seasons the Father has determined. He continues on...

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Power is the gift of the Holy Spirit. You cannot receive God's power without receiving His Spirit, and you cannot receive His Spirit without also receiving power. They are inseparable.

But what is it for? How is this power supposed to be used?

Here in Acts, Jesus says it will enable them to share the gospel with those around them, and the same is true for us today. Just as Peter received power from the Spirit about what he ought to say while on trial and amid persecution (promised in Luke 12:11-12, fulfilled in Acts 4:8), the Spirit offers us the same power. And while I want to dive into that more, most of what I found in the bible about receiving His Power is about giving life and providing strength.

This doesn't just start in the New Testament either. Even just in reading through a small portion of His Word, not even asking for help or feeling desperately discouraged, I find strength and encouragement from these ancient words. Read with me in Isaiah 40:28-31

"Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God, 

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might He increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint."

Photo by James Chou.

Beautiful. Refreshing. Encouraging.

When I read these verses it allows me to set my burdens down and trust God to provide the strength I need for my day, for my life. And this strength is brought up in several other places too. Not the kind of strength simply for doing exceptionally difficult tasks or enduring extreme hardship, but for living, for continuing on in His work, and to keep fighting for joy.

"May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." Colossians 1:11-12

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7

Paul even shares with those in Ephesus that he is praying for them to receive the power of the Spirit, that they may know God, the hope He gives, and His immeasurable power.

"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious in inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might..." Ephesians 1:15-19

I also love how Paul prays for the Ephesians here...

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19

He goes on to say that this power at work in us is able to do far more abundantly beyond what we ask or think! Which for some is pretty significant, right? But ultimately, he finishes that declaration by saying "to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, forever and ever, Amen." (Ephesians 3:21)

I want to challenge you not to assume God's power is to be used only for magnificent, miraculous events, but rather for your own strength and benefit, and ultimately, for His glory to be seen in your living in unity and love with other believers. In turn, that same Spirit that gives you life and enables you to know God and understand His love also moves you to be able to share that with others. It is His power working in you that does this. Not your natural wisdom, not all the random blessing you seem to have inherited (though all things in our lives can point to Christ), but His Spirit gives us daily sustenance and enables us to keep living for Him. What a gift!

I want to memorize some of these verses this month, so I will list out a few references for you to read and I encourage you to pick at least one and memorize it. We need to remember that the power of the Holy Spirit is not something to be taken lightly. It raised Jesus from the dead! And it is in you too.

One book I listened to forever ago really encouraged me in trusting the power of the Holy Spirit and I plan to listen to it again. It is Girls With Swords by Lisa Bevere. When I listened to it before, I was reminded of the great power God has bestowed on us and what a threat that is to Satan and his work. I was able to stop seeing my failures or frustrations as roadblocks or allow them to discourage me, but I was actually encouraged when I found myself wrestling with them! I began to see discouragement as an arrow from the devil and was able to remember to pray and ask God's Spirit to help strengthen me. It makes such a difference!

So here is my game-plan:

1 - ask God's Spirit to strengthen me first thing, every morning. That's His job! We need to be ready and attentive to His work and ask God to fill us up.

2 - memorize Ephesians 3:14-21. This set of verses contains most of what this month is about for me; what the Holy Spirit does, why, and what it will produce. I never want to forget these things.

3 - be aware of Satan's hindrances and ask the Holy Spirit to move me through them. I want to be more specific in asking Him to help me battle discouragement, self-doubt, laziness, and the other things that seem to lead me into sinning toward my family or cause me to not be as invested in others as I'd like.

Will you join me? I hope so! Make sure you join our Facebook group to stay with us and see how this month goes. And if you're brave, share with me your game-plan for May. How are you hoping to see the Holy Spirit work in power in your life?


Verses about the Power of the Spirit:

Ephesians 1:15-23

2 Peter 1:3-4

Romans 15:13

Ephesians 3:14-21

1 Corinthians 4:20

2 Timothy 1:7

Romans 8:11

Colossians 1:11-12

Isaiah 40:28-31

Acts 1:8

In Hot Pursuit.

When was the last time you had a goal? Something legitimately tangible, something you could take steps toward with confidence, knowing you could reach the end result you desired?

I often have a hard time pulling these sorts of memories out of my brain but I do remember when I first started making wire-wrapped studs for my jewelry business. I had a craft fair coming up and I had a certain number of earrings I wanted to make sure were available and ready for purchase. I looked at how many days of work I had until then, how many earrings I wanted to have finished, and basically did the math. It was simple and easily attainable, so I went for it. I even exceeded my goal and felt awesome going into my sale weekend.

Pursuing finishing the race of life well feels a little bit different than pursuing these types of goals. Okay, probably a lot different. We don't have that end date positively defined (though I think most of us would have a hard time living if we really knew exactly when we would die). We don't know the details of what precisely we need to have finished by that questionable ending. And at best, we have foggy ideas about what it will be like to live forever. While none of these things are crystal clear to me after pondering, studying, and talking about it all month, I do feel better prepared to keep running this race the way God desires.

The last of my four points from the beginning of April has really stuck with me this last week or so. How am I preparing to meet Jesus in my death or His resurrection? Am I simply waiting for the moment to arrive or am I actually pursuing the life I will have in eternity?

If this life really is all about glorifying God and becoming a part of His kingdom, why are we so caught up in pursuing things in this world and only waiting idly by for Jesus' return? I said in my last post that most of us think Christ will come during our lifetime but that it is statistically unlikely. Maybe, but God isn't ruled by statistics. I think we should expect Christ's return. We should want it, we should work as if it will happen any day, and freely give like our lives truly depend on His 2nd coming.

But what does it really mean to pursue these things? How do you actually live like this? Sorry, I don't have a lot of answers. I've only been thinking about it for a week, and my mind is easily distracted. One thing I do know is that we need to begin to see where our daily lives do not line up with the desire for eternity we are called to have. Hebrews says Abraham was looking forward to the city God was building, not toward the things he could gain on earth. And this phrase in the Greek is not a passive waiting or a hopeful feeling; it is an eager expectation, an active looking. Abraham was in hot pursuit of the eternal life God had for him.

I can feel the vast difference between this kind of eager expectation and the way my life is now. I don't know how to get it there, but I want to. Most of my day revolves around my family's needs, my own desires, and the expectations others have for me. But I am at least beginning to recognize when my motivations are not eternally minded, which leads me to asking God for help. Funny how all things seem to come back to this.

We need God to give us vision, hope, and desire for the eternal life we have in Him. We cannot muster up the right kind of longing or a strong enough willpower to hang our hopes in eternity, especially against all the temporary pleasure the world says is okay or even wise to pursue. The better vision we have for eternity, the easier time we will have pursuing it.

Overall though, it has been a good month for me. Thinking about the new earth, about eternity, and about where I place my hope day-to-day is humbling and can be intense, but it also lifts a tremendous burden off my heart. I feel like I can put down the hopes I have for things on the earth and trust God completely for my hopes to be met in Him, both now and even more so in eternity. This enables me to let go of the things God does not have for me right now, willingly, and sometimes even eagerly. It is totally contrary to what most people in the world will encourage you to do and I often have to shut my eyes and ears off to what others say is valuable, or worthy, or good.

In all of this, once again I have circled back to the importance of Knowing God. When we know Him, pursue understanding Him, and place our hopes in what He wants, eagerly expecting the return of Christ becomes easier, more fulfilling, and enables us to better live life. I still wrestle every day; it was incredibly hard just to sit down and write all of this out! But my discernment for what is valuable in eternity is getting better and I know it will reach into the lives of those around me too.

How will you focus on eternity? What change do you think it will have for you this week, this month, or this year?

I would encourage you to find a question you can ask yourself when you feel the pull of the world driving you nuts. With my kids, I often ask myself "What will this do to enable them to Know God better?" and if the answer is "not much" or "nothing" I try to chill out and pray for a better reaction. I am seeing that affecting their eternity is far more important than my daily, weekly, or even lifetime agenda for them. It's hard, but worth it. It makes today better and will make a difference in eternity too.

I pray God will be ever present with you, that He would open your eyes to what is valuable to Him both now and in eternity. Come back in a couple days as we press on into May, seeking to know what it means to be Called to Receive His Power. As always, feel free to comment, ask questions, or join our FB group to enter into the conversation.

Called to Prepare.

When I hear the word prepare, the first thing I think of is preparing for the worst. I do it all the time. Whether it's taking everything I might possibly need in case of a disaster with me to Target or mentally striving to be ready for whatever may come my way in a social setting, I like to be prepared. Usually, I am extremely over prepared, which I'm not sure always gives off the best impression, but what can you do? I love to be prepared. And that's one reason why I am excited for this month's calling!

This month's theme was already decided back in December, and I found it particularly interesting that on Easter, April 1st, I would be intentionally thinking about and decidedly preparing for Jesus' return. Did I actually do this all day? Eh, not so much. I did a lot of thinking and wrestling with my own heart, which often has good results and is needed, but I went to bed frustrated. Actually, I feel like I go to bed most nights frustrated with my accomplishments and not especially looking forward to the next day. And I have several theories about why this is, but a large part of my discontent seems to rise from the frustrating dichotomy I sense in my heart. 

I want a good life now. I want all the rewards I can gain in eternity. But can I truly live out both of these desires? Can I pursue my dreams and pursue the selfless life Jesus calls me to? And here's the big one: am I willing to lay down anything God asks me to and happily go after His plans? 

These types of questions often feel really vague. What is God really calling me to? What does that mean for what I do today? That is why I am working through this series. I want all of us to grasp the idea that God doesn't usually just up and give you a precise mission, clear as day. He walks us through situations where our obedience will lead us to the next step along His path for us. That's why Knowing Him, Obeying Him, and Receiving His Mind are such important first steps. And it nicely leads us to this month's Call: to prepare for Christ's return. 

As of now, most of my daily life does not revolve around Jesus' return. I don't browse Facebook as a result of seeking to be ready for Jesus to come from the clouds. I don't obsess over my hair or clothing or makeup because of any eternal value they have. I don't arrange my errands or my to-dos based on the chance that Jesus might call an end to this earth. And it all makes me think I should be considering that end result more often, more seriously.

In this call to prepare for Jesus to come again, there are a few specific tasks in the bible that keep popping up. One of them links really well with something my oldest son said today that really touched my heart. I asked him if he knew this was his last day on earth, what would he do. He immediately responded with "I would say something nice to everyone I see." I thought it was so sweet, his care and concern for other people, his last chance to leave a mark on this world. And this is also what the bible tells us to do. 

Task #1 - encourage one another

Because we do not know the hour of His return, we ought to encourage one another. Not just in whatever random pursuits they are chasing, but in being sober-minded and keeping our faith, love and hope secure in eternity, not in the enjoyment of sin, of this decaying earth, or of the pleasures of the world and culture. 

Another part of this preparation is being blameless. Not never sinning, but always striving to keep from sin and to repent as soon as we see our waywardness.

Task #2 - pursue being blameless, seek sanctification

In 1 Thessalonians Paul talks much about the end goal, about what he is hoping for at the return of Jesus. He even says that his glory will be in boasting of the Thessalonians at Jesus' coming. Paul says he hopes and prays for them to grow in love for one another so that their hearts would be established, blameless in holiness on that last day (1 These 3:11-13). In chapter 4 he says the will of God is their sanctification. In much of 1 Peter we also catch phrases about "being holy" and being sober-minded since the end is at hand. It glorifies God when we are active participants in the sanctifying work He is doing in our lives. We ought to strive toward it, as Paul says in Philippians 3, trusting that it is God's work making us holy and continue looking forward to the day when we will finally be perfect with Him. 

Another idea that stands out to me about trying to prepare for Christ's return is the work of actively doing what will lead to a reward in heaven. 

Task #3 - store up heavenly rewards

In Matthew 6 Jesus tells us to lay up treasure in Heaven, for where our treasure is, so our heart will be. So our works, our efforts of gaining for ourselves, ought to be directed toward what we will gain in eternity. If we know what will lead to eternal rewards, and can do that (even if we prefer something with a more immediate reward) I believe it will lead our hearts into desiring eternity with God the way we should, the way God wants us to. And the more we love and long for Heaven, the easier it will be to live a holy life, a life that blesses others, and a life that builds eternal riches. 

Lastly, I can't help but think about death in all of this. In all likelihood, I will face death before Jesus comes. We probably all like to think that He will come during our lifetime (myself included) but recently I feel like I cannot escape the reality of the fragility of life. I keep finding myself thinking "Am I ready to die?" Not in a morbid way (at least I don't think so) but in a way that looks at how I would be leaving my family and friends behind, wondering if I really gave them all I could have. I wonder if I honestly gave my all to Jesus' work or if I just dabbled in obeying when it seemed interesting or beneficial for me. This leads me to the last task.

Task #4 - be ready to leave the world behind

Francis Chan talks a little bit about this in his book about marriage: You and Me Forever. If we fear leaving the world behind, do we really trust God about how much more incredible and awesome it will be to be in His presence? I want to be excited to leave this world, not scared or dreading it. We need to believe that the best is yet to come. Being done with our flesh is the ultimate gift, the end that is guaranteed to happen. It should not cause us to want to end this life, but to work hard for the sake of Jesus. I do not do enough to prepare for my end on earth, but I want to embrace it with joy. I want to mean it like Paul does when he says "to die is gain." 

What does this all mean for my month? Well, I am aiming to ask myself about these four tasks when I am struggling with my heart, with my time management, or with my responses to life's demands. 

Does this bless and encourage the people around me?

Does this lead to my sanctification?

Does this have eternal value?

Will I be glad to leave it all behind?

Obviously, we can't always know the eternal value of our actions. But we can definitely see when there is none. Like my endless scrolling on Facebook instead of cleaning my home or investing in my children... it's pretty obvious which options have greater value. 

In my mind, preparing for Christ's return is all about remembering what is important. When we know and value the things that are eternal, it will lead us down a path that is just plain better. Better for others, better for our hearts, better for our eternity. In all our preparation, we will be getting our eyes off ourselves and onto Christ. I'm amazed at how easy it is to start thinking about myself and completely forget to consider what God is doing, or how He would have me respond. But intentionally turning my mind and heart to His eternal plan does wonders for my mind, body, and soul.

Are you ready? Are you willing? Are you scared? Don't be :) God only has the good end in mind. Any hardship or tragedy that comes along your path is not in vain. It is used by Him and will be redeemed. Like Paul says in Philippians 3:8-9

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith."

We should not strive to be justified by our works, but our faith in Jesus' work of justification should lead us to serving Him wholeheartedly, being prepared and eager for His return.

My prayer for you this month is that you are strengthened in your heart and in your convictions. That you have confidence in what you do, knowing that you are truly pursuing an eternal reward instead of a pleasure-filled life on earth. I know this will bring us greater peace and make a greater impact on His kingdom. Double-win!

Don't forget to add yourself to our Facebook group for some freebies, discussion, and sometimes some live videos too. I'm so thankful to be on this journey with you! 

Receiving the Mind of Christ.

Last week I reached the point of the year where I felt ready to give up on all my goals. Two months have gone by fairly quickly, but lately I am looking at everything I've done, everything yet to do, and everything still not getting done on a regular basis and I feel like I am beginning to crumble. Maybe it's a phase, maybe it's a response to overcommitting and my desire to achieve, but maybe it's because my mind is not where it should be.

I'll be the first to admit; I have a hard time letting God have His way.

Yes, we just finished the month about obedience, but my thought-life is still trying to get on board. I have a lot of "ifs" that need worked through and a lot of insecurities that need tossed. It feels easy to trust God with something big and important, but I am struggling to surrender my life over to the sacrifices that are required of me right now, day after day. I know my perspective is skewed. And while I can still choose to obey, the heartache and frustration from still wishing things were different, easier, more glamorous and less blah, are wearing me down.

This is where I'm going to take a public leap of faith, say a million prayers, and go to bed each night hoping God does His work.

I am hopeful that if I truly have the same priorities as God, if I can fully gain His insight, and understand what He wants for my life, my heart will eventually come around.

Let's all pray that "eventually" is more like tomorrow, or even next week; the sooner the better!

My head insists on thinking about what my days and my life should look like. I know it's not how God says I should spend my time and thoughts, but it is a challenge getting my mind to stop. I'm overwhelmed but feel like I'm not doing enough. I'm exhausted with my to-do list but it's never close to being done. I go back and forth between wanting to rest and wanting to get the work done, hoping one of those options will enable me to truly be at peace for a bit. But even when I am obeying the best I know how, my mind is still not tracking the way I believe God wants it to.

This month's Call is all about our thought-life. Not just all this "positivity" and "good-vibes" but spending our time focused on what it means to Receive the Mind of Christ. We are called to use our minds for His glory. We are commanded to filter what comes in (Romans 10:4-6). Not only is our mind one of the ways God uses the Holy Spirit to speak to us, but our minds inform our hearts (Proverbs 4:23). And I desperately need my mind to start informing my heart of what is true, honorable, lovely, and more.

The verse I want us to focus on this month really stands out to me. It was actually really challenging to pick just this one because the whole section in 1 Corinthians 2 is truly amazing. Go read it all! For now, think about what is said in verse 12:

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God."

Earlier in the chapter, Paul is talking about how we cannot fathom what God has in store for us, and that no one can know the thoughts of God. BUT, and it is a really big BUT, the Holy Spirit searches even the depths of God and then speaks to us. Isn't that amazing? What a gift!

Not only are there riches to fathom in receiving the mind of Christ, but there is wisdom to be had as well. And Proverbs is chock-full of advice about seeking wisdom. We need it, and we need it to come from God. Not just from friends on Instagram, not only from that non-fiction author who mostly talks about biblical stuff, but from God Himself.

I know getting your mind right with God might feel like strange business. I mean, He has to do the work, so what exactly are we supposed to do?

We need to start by making ourselves available. If we are constantly filled with the world, we have left no room for the things of God. If during every free second of our days we turn to social media, email, or communicating with others, we have left no open window for God to come in and communicate with us. We will need to learn to sit, be still, quiet our thoughts and simply listen. We will need to search the scriptures without an agenda. We will need to meditate on what we read and become willing to sit without immediate answers. We will need to stop thinking our thoughts and instead, ask God about His thoughts.

I was kind of dreading this post because I feel like I am doing such a lousy job of this lately, but after writing about all of that slowing down and sitting in silence, it sounds incredibly ideal and brings me refreshing hope. Are you up for it? Will you put your phone down, wait for God to move His Spirit and tell you what He has freely given you?

My book list is quite a bit shorter for this month's Call. I may add some others in a week or so, but since my goal is to sit and let God do the speaking, I want to clear my schedule a bit and stop filling my mind with everything I think is best.

Per the recommendation of my pastor, I am listening to Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper.  I am only about 45 minutes in and am thoroughly encouraged.

I have already read David Mathis' book, Habits of Grace, and listened to it via the app Hoopla twice. I HIGHLY recommend it. It is practical, spiritually deep though, and a great encouragement no matter where you find yourself in your walk with God.

I will also be reading a few chapters in Proverbs each day. I might skirt around and check out other books as I feel lead (especially Ecclesiastes) but I want to really understand the gravity of how important wisdom from God really is and should be to us. I want to want it as bad as Solomon said we need it.

Like I said before, I hope that focusing on what needs to be in my mind and spending time allowing God to work in my thoughts will bring a peace to my heart that I am currently lacking. I need God's perspective on my life and I desire my heart to just play along nice and quit making it so hard. On one hand, I am comforted that even Paul felt like this (Romans 7:15-24), wanting one thing that you know you don't actually want, and doing the things you don't want to do, but I cannot force myself out of this place. I need to set my mind on the Spirit and allow Him to move in my mind, changing the desires of my flesh and bringing me genuine peace.

I'm guessing you need that too, right? Let's work on it together!

I am also hosting a Five Minute Challenge this month, every Monday through Friday on my Instagram (@joellen.armstrong). We'll spend five minutes in silence, allowing God to speak to us. No phone, no journaling, no praying even except for asking God to fill our minds with His mind. I'm excited to see so many women becoming more connected to God and more aware of His working in our lives. Follow me there and let me know you'll join in.

Make sure you also sign up to receive my monthly newsletter here (and get some cool bookmarks while you do) and then join our Facebook group to receive some other freebies and be encouraged.

I'm praying this is a month that makes an impact for all of us. I am asking God to fill my mind with what He desires, with what He wants me to know about Him, about life, about salvation and more. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help get your thinking going. Feel free to answer in the comments or write them down to ponder alone. May God bless your efforts in understanding Him better.


What thoughts against myself am I constantly battling?

What do I know about God that can change how I am looking at this difficult, annoying, frustrating, or even tragic situation?

What truths has God given me that I can cling to?

How can I "set my mind on the Spirit" as Paul says in Romans 8?

What personal desires are keeping me from wanting the life God wants me to enjoy living?


If you are wrestling through life, trying to get a handle on everything, please don't hesitate to reach out for prayer. It is a powerful tool and it builds community and encourages authentic relationships. Whether it is me or someone else you know, ask someone to pray for you! You won't regret it.