Monday Morning Memo: Memories to Ponder

I’ve been working these past days on notes for speaking engagements that I have coming up.  It never ceases to amaze me how God will suddenly take me on a detour while I’m studying to either teach me something new…or remind me of something I may be neglecting.

As I was researching, I came across verses in the Bible that I have read many, many times.  But when I read them this time, God impressed on me a new perspective.  I found the verses in Philippians 1:3-8.  Paul was talking about the Christians in Philippi when he said, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.”

As I read these words, this thought came to me:  Do I ever think about what memories I give to other people?  These Christians in Philippi had given Paul such good memories because they had been so supportive and involved in his life.  How amazing that he could say that every time he thought of them…he thanked God for them!  I wonder if that is how people think when they have thoughts about me.  Or have the memories that I have made with other people been negative ones?  When they think of me, are their thoughts about how bitter I was, or how negative I was while we were together?  Or are they memories that bring them joy and thankfulness for the time spent with me?

As I’ve shared before, the world we are living in seems to be coming unhinged, and it is so easy to fall into the trap of being negative with our words and actions.  It is so easy to whine and complain when we are around others, never sharing the joy of the Lord that is supposed to be in our heart.  It’s sobering when we think that there are unsaved people listening to us go on and on about everything that is wrong in our lives and they never hear about what Christ has done for us.  No wonder many of them don’t want what we have because we don’t sound any better off than they are!

Notice that Paul stated that these Christians had been partners with him in spreading the Good News.  He didn’t say that they had been sharing their complaints, their worries and their gossip.  We have Good News that needs to be shared from now until Christ returns and the Christians in Philippi understood this!

Yes, the world we live in is pretty chaotic, but I think we make it even worse by not keeping our focus on Christ.  HE has done great things for us and HE is the One who will be victorious in the end.  Our job, while still on this earth, is to make sure that others see Him in us so that every time they think of us…they will think of Him.  That my friend, should give them good memories to ponder.

There is a song by Big Daddy Weave that goes perfectly with my thoughts today.  It’s entitled “My Story” and some of the words are:

If I told you my story

You would hear Hope that wouldn't let go

And if I told you my story

You would hear Love that never gave up

And if I told you my story

You would hear Life, but it wasn't mine

If I should speak then let it be

Of the grace that is greater than all my sin

Of when justice was served and where mercy wins

Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in

Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him

If I told you my story

You would hear victory over the enemy

And if I told you my story

You would hear freedom that was won for me

And if I told you my story

You would hear Life overcome the grave

If I should speak then let it be

Of the grace that is greater than all my sin

Of when justice was served and where mercy wins

Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in

Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

I recommend that you listen to the entire song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB7bAlTULqE.  Remember, when our story becomes His story…people will be drawn to us and they will have precious memories of us and our Savior.

Monday Morning Memo: Thinking Like Jesus

If you live in Indiana, you know that we just had a picture perfect weekend.  We actually got to experience the sun and warmth all in the same day…without high winds.  It was so needed; at least for me.  I find that my energy level is higher, my mood is much cheerier, and my outlook on life is so much more positive when the weather cooperates!

I’m smart enough to know and I’ve been a Christian long enough to know that it shouldn’t be that way.  It shouldn’t take flawless weather to make me a nicer, more productive person.  I should behave as Christ would whether the sun is shining or we are getting a blizzard.  But I don’t always live up to what I know to be true.

The problem is that I don’t always think like Jesus.  It’s not that I don’t know how He would respond in different situations because I do…I just choose to respond my way.  Someone doesn’t treat me like I think I should be treated…and I can be quick to respond in a hurt way instead of answering with love.  I see someone who doesn’t look like I think they should look…and I can be quick to judge without ever finding out their “story”.  I can hear of blessings that someone else has received…and I can sometimes ooze jealousy instead of rejoicing with those who rejoice. 

Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m alone.  At different times in my life I’ve heard stories about people not getting along with friends or family members.  I remember asking a woman once if she had any siblings and her face turned to stone.  She proceeded to tell me that she had one sister but they hadn’t spoken in years, all because of a very small misunderstanding.  Years had been lost because neither of them was willing to think like Jesus. 

I’ve seen long lasting friendships disintegrate because of words spoken in haste.  Instead of making the effort to hear each other out and making the choice to forgive and show love…a wedge has been driven into the relationship and neither person has been willing to act like Jesus.

The saddest thing is that many of these people I have come in contact with were Christians…just like me.  All of us know how Jesus would act and react, but at times each of us has chosen to respond our way instead of His.  It all comes down to whether we are willing to follow Christ’s lead and allow Him to mold us and shape us so that our thoughts are the same as His.

I believe I’m going to make this my prayer this week.  It won’t be a long speech with flowery language…it will just be these simple words, 

“Mold me, shape me, 

until I think like you Lord.”  

Would anyone like to join me?  I just have a sneaky suspicion that He will enjoy hearing our short prayer and will be very happy to answer it.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,

but let God transform you into a new person

by changing the way you think.

Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,

which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 12:2

Monday Morning Memo: Totally Undeserved

Throughout my life, I have been given things I haven’t deserved.  I was born into a free country, to Christian parents who loved me along with a brother and sister that I wouldn’t trade for the world.  Many, many people did not enter this world with the same circumstances.

I met and married a Christian man who loves the Lord and also loves me with all my faults and failures.  I have seen his love in action towards me many times when my health hit another low and I was unable to care for myself.  He has stuck by me and loved me when I have been unlovable.  Many, many people have had their spouse walk out on them in far less serious situations. 

I was abundantly blessed with three children who grew up to love and serve the Lord, despite my imperfect parenting.  I then had my prayers answered when we welcomed a Christian son-in-law and daughter-in-law into our family.  Many, many people have had broken hearts when they were not able to conceive or have had to watch their wayward children choose a much different path than had hoped for them.

I have been given the unbelievable honor of being the grandma to two most precious grandsons and look so forward to welcoming a granddaughter in July.  Words cannot express the joy in my heart when the oldest grandson’s face lights up when he sees me and yells “Gammaw!” and comes running.  Or when he says “I wuv you” when I say goodbye or put him to bed.  Many, many people yearn for having this treasured privilege.

I was blessed with a wonderful father-in-law and mother-in-law.  They accepted me as their own from the first day we met and I immediately became their daughter.  Many, many people share horror stories of in-laws that have made their life miserable.

I have been beyond blessed with the most amazing friends in the world.  I have sisters in Christ who I can share everything with…the good, the bad and yes, even the ugly.  I know that at any time of the day or night, if I need someone to pray or just to listen to me vent, they are there for me.  At a recent precious time with some of them, I shared a struggle with which I was dealing.  The next thing I knew, they were surrounding me, laying hands on me, and praying for God to intervene and give me peace. I can be real with them and they still love me.  Many, many people feel that they don’t have even one friend who will stand by them through thick and thin.

I worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ in a church that is prayer-driven.  I have a pastor who shares from the pulpit each Sunday words that don’t tickle my ears…but make me want to live a more Spirit-filled life.  Being able to worship and serve beside these people, helps me in my desire to look more like Christ because they have often been Jesus “with skin on” to me.  Many, many people have yet to find a place where God is glorified and their soul is strengthened on a regular basis.

I don’t know what your “story” is.  I don’t know if you could also list a number of things that you have been given that you don’t deserve, just like I did.  But no matter what has occurred in my life or in yours, everything pales in comparison to the greatest opportunity that we have all been given.  Above all else, all of us have been given the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.  He came to this earth to die on a cross for you and for me, so that we can have eternal life with Him.  This, just like all the other things we may list, is something we don’t deserve.  There isn’t anything that we can do to “earn” the blessings we have received, nor can we do a list of “works” to earn our salvation.  We don’t deserve it, plain and simple.  Yet He has given it to us because He loves us that much.  The only thing we have to do is accept Him into our heart and let Him direct our paths.

I so appreciate my pastor because he doesn’t preach each Sunday just to tell me things that will make me feel good.  He cares enough about his flock to share with us what the Bible says about allowing Christ to be our Lord and what it looks like to walk with Him every day.  I feel the same way.  Time is short and this world we live in seems to be coming unhinged and it is important that I don’t shy away from telling the truth to my readers.

No matter your past…no matter your present…nothing you have done, good or bad, will get you into heaven or keep you from getting in.  You can’t just be “good enough” to spend your eternity with Jesus.  The only way you can go to heaven is to ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.  I’ve heard people say that a loving God would not send anyone to Hell and that is right.  He won’t send any of us to Hell…it will be our own choice…whether we accept Him or not…that will send us to either Heaven or Hell.

Today I want to urge you; in fact I want to plead with you to accept Christ now if you haven’t already done so.  I so want to spend eternity with you in Heaven and none of us are promised tomorrow, so it is imperative that you make this decision before it is too late.  If you have questions, or if I can help you in any way, please let me know.  What Christ has to offer you and me is totally underserved…but it is because He loves us so much.  He died and rose again to give us what we don’t deserve…let’s not turn our back on His precious gift of eternal life with Him.

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.”

John 3:16-18 The Message