Be the Good

 By: Joanne Viola

 

Waking up and walking to the kitchen, I see visible signs of what I need to do – the counters need to be wiped of crumbs, furniture to be dusted, a floor to be swept.

All of these are indications that life happens.

These simple chores can be annoying at times, for we do the time and time again. Yet they are a constant reminder life continues to occur.

It seems the news has been heavy, and challenging, and difficult to make sense of lately. Divisions and arguments swirl about us, and we could easily be pulled in.

As the days have unfolded about us, I have been reminded of one thing.

In reading the account of creation, the words “it was good” appear seven times. Creation is all about us and there is still good to be seen and experienced.

Solomon, in his quest to find satisfaction and the meaning of life, searched far and wide. It is in his words that we can find this suggestion for life:

“He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. 
Also He has put eternity in their hearts, 
except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. 
I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, 
and to do good in their lives.” 
(Ecclesiastes 3:11-12, NKJV) 

God created everything and it was good. That is the past. One day God will restore all things and make everything beautiful in its time. That is the future. We can cherish today and find good in this day. The present.

Solomon encourages us to grateful for what we have, and to find reason to rejoice each day. But he encourages us to more.

Solomon reminds us to do good in our lives.
To be the good that others see in their day.
Be the good.

 

Reflection: 

How often do you tell God His creation is good? What can you do today to make this day good? 

 

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

  

 

Sufficient to Minister

 By: Lauren Thomas 

How confident do you feel about your ability to share the Gospel? The Spirit? God’s love? If this makes you nervous to think about – and it does for many Christians – I’ve got something you need to hear.

God has made you “enough” to minister the Gospel

And I don’t say that lightly. Because none of us are “enough” for anything.

 

Hot take on being “good enough”: Our culture promotes the message “you are good enough.” The reality is, no one is “good enough.” When God created Adam and Eve, He called His creation “very good.” But then sin happened. And we were tainted by the corruption and curse of sin. We are not enough, but Jesus is. And if we have Jesus, we have all we need. He is our identity; He is our rescuer and redeemer. This is not based on our merit, but on His goodness. He’s good enough, and because of that we don’t have to be.

 

But where it comes to ministering the Gospel, God has made you enough!

 

⁴ Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:4-6 ESV

 

Now, you could argue that the “we” or “us” refers to Paul and his ministry associates, but consider Luke 12:12 and Matthew 10:19-20, where Jesus encourages his listeners to not worry about what to say, because the Holy Spirit will give the words to say. Paul was an apostle. This was his office. But in the above passage he was talking about his “role”: minister of the new covenant. And this role is one that can be shared with non-apostles – us!

 

If we notice the context of 2 Corinthians 3, we see that Paul was comparing his ministry and the new covenant with Moses’ ministry and the old covenant. The word “ministers” comes from a Greek word that is also interpreted as “servants.” When Paul says we are ministers of a new covenant, he is referring to us as servants who mediate the Spirit.

 

The NIV uses the word “competent” rather than “sufficient.” Some of us dread our incompetence and run from anything that would convince us of its truth. But however incompetent you may feel, if you have the Holy Spirit, God has made you a competent minister of the Gospel!

 

So, what are your excuses? You have been made sufficient, competent. The Holy Spirit gives you the words to say. You can’t mess this up, because it’s not your responsibility to save people. So next time you hear of a volunteer need at your church, remember, you are competent to fill that role. Next time you sense that you need to tell someone about Jesus, you are sufficient for the job!

 

Reflection: 

Do you find it difficult or easy to believe that God has made you a sufficient minister? Why? If you believed God had made you sufficient to minister, what would change in your life? What would you sign up for? Who would you approach?

Fill Their Love Tank

By: Jenifer Metzger

Jeff is a gamer. His wife, Jane, saw a game she thought he'd like. So while out running errands she stopped by the game store and made the purchase. When Jeff came home from work later that afternoon, he found the game sitting on the counter with a note from Jane saying, "Thought you would like this! Love you!" Jeff went to the bedroom where Jane was folding laundry and said, "Thanks for the new game," and then walked outside to care for the lawn. Jane stood there stunned. She expected Jeff to be thrilled with this gift and thankful that she was thinking of him. She expected him to draw her into a warm embrace and shower her with love.

Scott came home from work to find his wife Sally exhausted from a day of chasing toddlers and doing laundry. She looked tired and worn out. He noticed she hadn't started dinner yet, so he glanced at the calendar to see she had planned spaghetti. He decided to start a pot of water to boil and brown the meat. As he finished dinner and called the family to come eat, he waited for Jane to swoon seeing he had made dinner for her. Yet, as she sat down to eat, all she said was, "Thank you for making dinner." A simple sentence compared to what he anticipated.

In both of these scenarios, a spouse was attempting to do something special for their mate. While their mate appreciated what they did and said those two words, thank you, it wasn't the expected outcome. Was Jeff wrong to not act more excited over a gift given? Was Jane wrong for not melting at her husband's act of service? No. Why? They appreciated the gestures, however, it wasn't what fills their love tank. It wasn't their love language.

While Jane loves to give and receive gifts, Jeff's love language is words of affirmation. The gifts are appreciated, but what fills his love tank is when Jane tells him how much she appreciates him, when she reassures him of her love. Where Scott most appreciates acts of service, Sally craves physical touch. She appreciates his efforts in helping her, but feels most loved when he embraces her or kisses her forehead.

A person's love language is how they most feel loved. According to Dr. Gary Chapman, the five love languages are Acts of Service, Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Receiving Gifts, and Quality Time. We all have all five languages to a degree, but we all have one or two to languages that fill our love tanks the most.

My top two love languages are physical touch and quality time. I crave uninterrupted time with my husband and yearn for his touch. Whether it's watching TV while snuggled together or going on a walk hand in hand, my love tank is filled when he touches me and we get time together without distractions. However, those two are not his love language. He needs acts of service and words of affirmation. He feels most loved when I take something off his plate or encourage him with my words. I greatly appreciate when my husband buys me a gift, tells me he appreciates me, or does something for me. I am so grateful. However, it means so much more when he touches me and gives me his undivided attention.

It is vital to a marriage to discover your spouse's love language and then work to fill their love tank in ways they need. If they need physical touch, all the gifts in the world won't make them feel loved. If they need quality time, all the words of affirmation won't make them feel loved. Make the effort to discover what they need.

When both spouses work on filling their mate's love tank in ways that matter most to their mate, your marriage will flourish.

To find out more about the five love languages and to take the quiz to discover yours, click HERE.

Discussion:
1. Do you know what your love language is? Do you know your spouse's?
2. What is one thing you can do today to fill your spouse's love tank by using their own love language?

Names of God Series: "Being Cared for by Jehovah Jireh"

 By: Rebekah Hargraves 

Photo Courtesy of: Miriam G

"And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said, 'It will be provided' on the Lord’s mountain.” ~Genesis 22:14

While here in this verse we see the Hebrew name Jehovah Jireh being used for a place rather than a Person, it is nevertheless true that this name, Jehovah Jireh, has been used in reference to the Lord Himself many times since. And it just so happens to be one of my favorites of the Lord's names. 

The literal meaning of the name Jehovah Jireh is "The Lord Will Provide" or "God is our Provider in every situation". And I don't know about you, but I sure do find incredible comfort in this fact!

The context of the passage above is the instance in which Abraham was all ready, set, and prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac, in obedience to God and God instead stepped in and, on His own, provided a substitutionary ram as the sacrifice instead. What a powerful example of how our God will provide! 

In fact, the foundation of our very salvation itself, the message of the gospel as a whole, is that God Himself provided for us His own Son as our substitute to die in our place. From the beginning, the Lord has always been our Provider.

Which brings me to this important point: if we can trust the Lord to provide for us a Savior and eternal salvation, can we not also trust Him to provide our every other need, as well? Can we not trust Him to provide for us financially; to meet our emotional, mental, and physical needs; to provide a way out in times of sin and temptation; to provide wisdom and direction when we need it; to provide help and hope when the world feels dark, confusing, and hopeless? 

The answer to this question is a resounding "yes!". We CAN trust Him! But let me ask you this follow-up question: do we trust Him? Do we trust Him to meet our each and every need while on this earth just as we do to meet our eternal needs one day in Heaven? And, if not, why not?

Because the fact of the matter is, He is our Jehovah Jireh, our God who will provide. And we can bank all our hopes and needs on that blessed truth.

Reflection Questions:

1) What thoughts and feelings arise for you when you think of God's name Jehovah Jireh and its meaning?

2) Are there any areas in your life that feel too big or too impossible for Jesus to provide and to come through for you?

3) What is causing this doubt?

4) What can you do about it?

A Place of Respite

 By: Joanne Viola

 

“Want to come over for Chinese food tonight?”

The question was asked Saturday morning after a most challenging week.

The table was set with paper dishes and disposable cups. The boxes of the selected Chinese food were set out on the table with serving spoons as we all sat down to eat.

After dinner, we played Uno and laughed ourselves silly as the canister spit out its cards on the intended player.

For a few hours, we forgot about the world outside our four walls. We breathed less tensely. Our worries temporarily slipped to the back of our minds.

As we parted for the night, we hugged and wished one another a good week; safety until we could gather again.

The places in which we gather, and invite others into, need to be safe places. Places that offer rest, refreshment for the mind and soul. They need to be places where the worries of the day can be set aside for even a short time.

Our places need to be a place of respite – where others can find temporary relief, even for a short time.

It isn’t about what out homes look like, or the presentation of food on our tables. It’s about extending the invitation into our space, and offering comfort and relief from the pressures weighing on our souls.

This is what Jesus offers to us as we come to Him:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, 
and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, 
for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, 
and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) 
for your souls.” 
(Matthew 11:28-29, AMPC)

The words are so familiar, and are oft quoted. But they fell differently the next morning. Jesus bids us to come to Him, for relief and refreshment to our souls. He is our safe place, the table to which we can come to find rest from the cares which seek to weigh us down.

Jesus offered more than hospitality to those around Him. He offered a safe place to share their cares. He offered food for their bodies and that which nourished their souls. He spoke words of hope and encouragement.

May we be more like Jesus.
May our lives and homes be a place of respite,
offering relief, refreshment and rest.

 

Reflection:
How can you, and your home, become a safe place for your family and friends?

 

Photo by Ambitious Studio* | Rick Barrett on Unsplash