When You Feel Unmotivated

By: Jenifer Metzger

There are days I am productive. I wake up early, get ready, have my time with God, and then I get busy with super speed taking care of everything in my home. The laundry is washed, dried, folded, and put away. The dishes are done. There is not speck of dust in the house and the vacuum lines are perfect. My blog posts and social media posts are scheduled in advance. I end the night exhausted but feeling good about all I accomplished.

Then, there are days I am unmotivated. I struggle to get out of bed and I am slow to get ready. After my morning routine and spending time with God, I feel like I need a couch break. After far too long of reading or scrolling through Instagram, I toss a load of laundry in and pick up the house a little. Only to feel the magnetic pull of the couch once again. This little back and forth continues all day long. I go to bed feeling as though nothing was accomplished.

Can you relate?

So whether you eat or drink,

or whatever you do,

do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

No matter what our days hold -household chores, climbing the corporate ladder, running children to and from activities, managing an office, caring for an elderly loved one, teaching children, or whatever responsibilities we have- we need to do it all for the glory of the Lord. When we set our eyes on Him and work for His glory, our tasks seem more manageable and purposeful.

Often we feel overwhelmed when we are more focused on our to-do list than God and often we feel under appreciated when we focus on what others want from us instead of God. When we work for the Lord, for His glory and to care for all He has entrusted to us in this season, we find the motivation to keep on keeping on and bring glory to Him.

When your motivation tank feels empty, fix your eyes on God. Thank Him for all He has given you and ask for His strength to take care of it.

Discussion:
1. Do you feel like you have more motivated days or  unmotivated days?
2. When you are facing those unmotivated days, what do you do to find motivation?

Names of God Series: Lion of Judah

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: Rob Potter

"Then one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.'”

~Revelation 5:5

Last time in our names of God series we took a look at the name of Jesus, "Lamb of God". With a word like "lamb" in the title, we can sometimes mistakenly believe Jesus to be weak or merely meek as opposed to also being strong and mighty. With that being the case, it is good for us now to switch gears a bit and look at another of Jesus' names, "Lion of Judah", to course-correct and remind ourselves that Jesus is our victorious King, powerful and triumphant.

As we have often pointed out before, life is hard. This world is dark. Sin has cursed it, and we experience the repercussions in multiple ways every single day of our lives this side of heaven. Hope gets deferred, bodies break down, relationships fail, and more. Sometimes we struggle to feel as if our God is, in fact, victorious. But our feelings are not fact, and - praise the Lord! - this passage of Scripture we are looking at  today makes it abundantly clear to us that our God is, in fact, the conquering King, the One Who is ultimately and forevermore victorious, the God Who will put Satan in His place once and for all and reign victorious. 

So, friend, whatever you may be facing today, remember this: your God is the Lion of Judah. Whatever broken relationship you may be grieving right now, the Lord can restore. Whatever fear you may be harboring right now, the Lord can squelch. Whatever struggle you may be facing right now, the Lord can help you with. Turn to Him. He is your victory, and you can stop your weeping. <3 

Reflection Questions:

1) What trial are you facing right now that you need the Lord's help and strength for?

2) How is it a comfort to you today to know that your God is the Lion of Judah? What are the implications of that for you?

3) How can you encourage someone else with this truth today? 

Small Coins & Small Acts

 By: Joanne Viola

 

Pennies will no longer be produced and are basically being taken out of circulation. Seems all the tapping of credit cards is slowly making cash, or our coins, a little more difficult to use these days. The signs at the registers reminded me of a few other small coins.

One day Jesus was in the Temple,  

“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.” 
(Luke 21:1, NASB)

It is what occurred next which is significant:

“And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins.” 
(verse 2, NASB)

The rich gave their gifts as did the poor widow. Scripture notes for us that hers were small yet they in no way went unnoticed by Jesus for the He states,

“And He said, 
“Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them … ”  
(verse 3, NASB) 

I have wondered if the small coins of the widow made a loud clinking sound as they hit the bottom of the metal treasury box.

Jesus further explained: 

“for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; 
but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.” 
(verse 4, NASB)

While some may have overlooked the small coins to get to the larger bills, Jesus overlooked the large bills to notice the small coins.

Maybe Jesus is wanting us to remember the small acts may be bigger than they appear.

We have opportunities before us each day, probably most of which we would consider “small”. But here’s the thing – one day we will stand before the Lord. We may then come to know He noticed the small.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, 
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 
For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; 
I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; 
I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; 
I was sick, and you visited Me; 
I was in prison, and you came to Me.” 
(Matthew 25:34-36, NASB)

Some acts of service were so small, we didn’t pay attention while we were doing them. We will be scratching our heads and asking, “When?”

We will be amazed that the Lord even took notice of these small acts for we didn’t do any of them to be gain recognition.

Small coins and
small acts.
The eyes of our Lord is on the small.

 

Reflection:
Do you sometimes feel that the small things you do and give go unnoticed? Be encouraged today for our God sees the small.

 

Image by Miguel Á. Padriñán from Pixabay

 

Asking for the Small Things

By: Lauren Thomas 

I ask God for what I need when I’m struggling. I ask God for what I need when I’m faced with a situation that is bigger than my ability. I ask God for what I need when I am full of desperation. But I’m afraid that, from time to time, I forget to ask Him for the rest. 

 

I could convince myself that this is because I have faith that God will meet my needs.

 

But I’m afraid it’s something more insidious.

 

Entitlement.

 

Bear with me for a little story.

In the last two or so years, we’ve had some challenging vacations. One trip to Colorado involved one of our kids coming down with a virus and fever for a few days that seriously affected our plans. And over New Years we took a trip where both my husband and one of my kids ended up confined to a bedroom with flu, which then spread to the rest of the family and the family we were vacationing with. These are just the two worst experiences among others. But recently we had an incredible vacation! No one was sick, no one got sick, weather was beautiful, everything worked out smoothly. Driving home from this trip, my husband and I reflected that you can’t take a vacation like this for granted. 

 

And it hit me. 

 

I had been taking our vacations for granted. I felt that I deserved good, pleasant, smooth vacations, and that that was enough to result in having the vacations I wanted. But before this trip I had been humbled by our previous vacation experiences, so that I covered this one in prayers – prayer for good weather, prayer for health, prayer for God to restore us physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

 

I had asked. 

 

And God had given. 

 

The Father loves it when we ask. The Father loves it when we ask for the big things and for the small things. Because asking is correlated to humility and is opposite of entitlement. Asking, even for the small things, shows that we don’t feel entitled to any of the good gifts the Father gives us. Asking, even for the little things, shows that we don’t expect the good that we don’t deserve. 

 

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 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 ESV

 

Reflection:

Has an unhealthy entitlement ever crept into your relationship with God?

What do you need – big or small – that you could ask God for today?

How do you think a Good Father responds to our requests?

 

All Our Hearts, All Our Ways

 By: Joanne Viola

The verse was stuck under my skin for a few days. Turning back to the familiar words, I sit staring at them and wondering what am I to glean from them in this moment.

It’s a verse we lean on when we are facing challenges or decisions. It’s a prayer we offer up when choices are hard to make, and uncertainties loom before us.

Yet this particular morning, when not in the midst of decision making, it was thought provoking.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” 
(Proverbs 3:5-6, NASB) 

We so desire our paths to be straight. No detours. No delays. We know it is God alone who can make straight paths.

The words begin to stand out …

• “with all your heart.” We are to attach ourselves fully to God. It brings the idea there is a safety which comes from the attaching; a firm ground. There is a security found in God alone as we give Him all our heart.
• “in all your ways.” Instead of wanting our own way, we will search and out His will. Will we not depend on our own understanding, but patiently wait until He gives direction.

It is as we give Him all of our heart,
in all of our ways
that He will faithfully direct our paths each day.

 

Reflection: 
Upon reading the above verse, the question came: Is there a part of my heart that I am holding back? Is there an are of your life where you are resisting God? May God bring assurance to all our hearts that we can place our trust in Him because He is trustworthy.

 

 

Image by Michal Křenovský from Pixabay

 

 

Friendship with the Lord

By: Lauren Thomas 

Friendship with Jesus. What do you think when you read that? Maybe you’ve never thought of Jesus in those terms. Maybe you grew up in a church that highlighted this. Or maybe you grew up in a church that highlighted the fear of the Lord over friendship with the Lord. But they can both be present, and there is biblical support for thinking of Jesus in terms of friendship. 

Here are just a handful of verses that speak to the friendship Jesus offers us:

 

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:20 ESV

 

He wants to commune with you – to be with you and speak with you. And the closer you want to be, the more you want to invest, the deeper you want to go? He’ll gladly go there with you. 

 

for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,

 

“The Lord is my helper;

    I will not fear;

what can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5b-6

 

He will never leave you. He will always be there for you, any time day or night. He’ll be ready to help when you ask for it.

 

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

3 You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

Psalm 139:2-4 ESV

 

He knows you intimately. He could finish your sentences. He knows what you are thinking. He knows where you go and what you do and how you spend your time, as any close friend does!

 

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:15 ESV

 

He calls his followers friends.

 

And he offers this friendship willingly to all who would have it. In his time on Earth, Jesus was known as a friend of sinners. And even now, he offers sinners an opportunity to become followers and friends. 

 

If you aren’t availing yourself of friendship with Jesus, why ever not? Let him be your greatest friend. Let him fill up your loneliness. Let him heal all the hurts that human friendships have inflicted on you. Let him call you friend. 

 

Reflection: 

Search for the words of the hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and reflect on these words. What comes to mind or heart when you think of friendship with the Lord? Are you engaged in friendship with Jesus? 

When Mother's Day is Hard

By: Jenifer Metzger

Mother's Day is only days away. For many women, they are looking forward to the day. A time with their loved ones. A day of being showered with love and appreciation. Yet for others, they are dreading the day. It's a day of painful reminders.

The truth is, Mother's Day isn't an easy day for every woman. It's a time when she grieves the loss of her own mother deeply. It's a time when she grieves the loss of her child. A time when she mourns a barren womb. A time when she is reminded of the brokenness in her family. Yes, Mother's Day can be a painful day.

If you are in the category of dreading Mother's Day, friend, I am so sorry. My heart aches with you. Here are a few ways to help you cope with the day:

Lean on God. He knows your heart and He knows what you have faced. He knows where you are grieving and He even knows where you are angry. Be real and honest with yourself and with God and lean on Him.

God is our refuge and strength,

a helper who is always found

in times of trouble.

Psalm 46:1 CSB

Give thanks. Yes, give thanks. Give thanks for the blessings God has given to you. I know you are facing pain and finding something to be thankful for may be difficult. But sister, dig deep. There is always something we can give thanks for. When we are expressing gratitude to God, our mindset shifts and we can find joy.

 Give thanks in everything; for this

is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 CSB

Shift your focus. While we have been trained to look at Mother's Day as a day of being honored and celebrated, shift your focus to honoring and celebrating others. This could mean joining with another woman who struggles with the day and honoring her. Maybe honoring a woman who has recently lost her mother or child. Maybe celebrating a single mom. Even honoring your pastor's wife. The old saying, it is better to give than to receive is true. We can find joy when we honor and celebrate others.

Carry one another’s burdens; in this

way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galations 6:2 CSB

If you are in the other category, the one who loves Mother's Day is and is anticipating all the day will hold, I am so happy for you! What a blessing! But I want to encourage you. Among your celebrating, reach out to a woman who may be dealing with pain or loss. Bring her a small gift of flowers or maybe slippers and a candle, just something to brighten her day a little. If possible, invite her to lunch or take her out for coffee. Help her feel seen and loved.

Mother's Day invokes many feelings and emotions in all of us; some positive and some negative. Whichever side we fall on, we can still enjoy the day and find pockets of joy.

I wish all of you a blessed and beautiful Mother's Day. Whether you are a bio mom, adoptive mom, foster mom, step mom, grandma, auntie, spiritual mom, mother figure, or whatever your situation may be, Happy Mother's Day.

Discussion:
1. Is Mother's Day a day that you've been looking forward to or dreading?
2. Either way, how can you find pockets of joy in this holiday?

Names of God Series: The Lamb of God

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: David Bumgardner

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"

~John 1:29

As we come now to a new week in our Names of God series, we come to the name "The Lamb of God", which points to the fact that Jesus is the sacrifice for sin. As John says in our passage for today, He took away the sins of the world.

Perhaps you know that Jesus is our substitutionary atoning sacrifice and died on our behalf so that we might be forgiven of our sins, but perhaps you don't understand this "lamb of God" reference. Maybe it's new to you or maybe it's a term you haven't heard in a long while or don't remember the implications of it. Whatever the case may be, it is worth revisiting!

This name of Jesus harkens us all the way back to the Old Testament times and points to Jesus' being the Messiah, the promised One. In the book of Exodus, we read of when God's people, the Israelites, were slaves in Egypt. The Pharaoh of the time was a pagan ruler who hated both God and His people. To make a long story short, in an effort to judge the Pharaoh for repeatedly refusing to let His people go, God sent down a series of ten plagues upon the people of Egypt. 

The final and worst of the plagues was the death of every firstborn son in Egypt. In His grace, God spared the firstborn children of the Israelites as long as they had the blood of the Passover lamb painted on the doorpost of their dwellingplaces. 

This passover lamb and its blood were the symbol of the Christ Who would one day come and shed His own blood as a sacrifice for sins once and for all. It is this lamb of God, Jesus, Who is our sacrificial atonement, our Messiah, our Savior.

Glory be to the lamb of God! 

Reflection Questions:

1) Were you already familiar with this name, "Lamb of God?"

2) What stands out to you about it?

3) What aspect of this symbolism is most meaningful to you and why?

When Laundry Brings Good News

 By: Joanne Viola

 

Laundry. Most days it gets done without paying attention to much as it gets done routinely.

And then there are days, where the most ordinary of tasks stirs thoughts.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, 
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, 
purifies us from all sin.” 
(1 John 1:7, NIV)

I have done a few things in my life for which I am not proud of, and would not boast on either. Truth be known, I would rather not even think about them. But every once in a while, they come back to mind. You know why?

Because “sin whispers.” In the still of the night, when we are all alone, sin comes with its hiss bringing up the past, the silent reminder.

It is in the silence, we must remind ourselves of God’s forgiveness through the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross.

We are no longer a people who are living habitually in sin. We do not enjoy the darkness which once encompassed us. Now we live in the determination to choose God’s light as our place of dwelling.

When the regret and shame come to haunt us, we can respond j, “He is faithful to forgive us and we stand purified, clean from it all.”

Let’s return to the laundry for a second …

When doing laundry, an article of clothing may be soiled or dirty. After going through the wash cycle, there are times when a faint outline of the stain can be detected. But when Scripture uses the word purified, it means significantly more.

“Purified” carries a powerful thought as explained by John Stott:

“The verb [purifies] suggests that God does more than forgive; he erases the stain of sin.”

 (as quoted in What Love Is by Kelly Minter) 

There is no ring or mark where the stain used to be.
It is as if the stain never happened.
And that, my friends, is the Good News of the gospel!

 

Reflection: 
Does sin ever come whispering to remind you of the past? How do you handle those moments? Today may you walk in the assurance you are forgiven and God no longer sees your sin.

 

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, 
and remembers your sins no more.” 
(Isaiah 43:25, NIV) 

 

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

 

 

Gossip and a Simple Reminder

By: Lauren Thomas 

In college I lived in the dorms. I attended a Christian college and nearly everyone knew everyone. There are pros and cons to living in that context, but one of the challenges was related to gossip.

 

Women in general probably struggle with gossip more than men because we tend to bond face-to-face over conversation. Another reason why gossip can be a problem for women is our temptation to compare and feel envy and jealousy. Unhealthy bonds can form when we connect through tearing others down, or as we join forces against someone we perceive as an enemy. 

But gossip is clearly not okay for believers. Throughout Scripture, from Old Testament to New Testament, we read admonishments against gossip. 

 

Logically, it makes sense that gossip would be bad for Christians: it can cause division, hurt, and prop up our pride. None of these is appropriate for the Body of Christ. Jesus himself prayed for our love and unity. He himself set an example of humility.

 

And yet, we still struggle with gossip. 

 

When my dorm room door was open, I knew that my conversation could be easily overheard. But when my door was closed, I actively worked toward eliminating gossip with a simple reminder. On the back of my door, I hung a piece of notebook paper with a hand printed Bible verse. It was only visible when the door was closed and temptation to gossip with a friend would be strongest. Simply, it held the words of James 5:9.

 

Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!

James 5:9 CSB

 

It was a simple reminder to not gossip, to not talk badly about others on my floor or in my building or on campus, because on the other side of my closed door I could picture Jesus himself listening in.

 

Did it work 100 percent of the time? No. Because it wasn’t always at the forefront of my mind. But did it help? Yes. Does it help now? Yes. 

 

Sometimes doing the right thing is as simple as putting a reminder in sight. 

 

Reflection:

If you struggle with gossip, what’s one verse you could use to help you overcome it? Examples include Ephesians 4:29 or Proverbs 17:9.

If gossip is not the sin you are currently battling, how could you implement a simple reminder to help you follow Jesus more closely?

Names of God Series: Being Refined by the Consuming Fire

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: Joshua Newton

"For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."

~Deuteronomy 4:24

The One Who Purifies, God refines His people through His presence.

In our series on the names of God, we come now to this name or characteristic, the "consuming fire".  Though this passage is one sometimes disliked by those who view the idea of God being jealous through the lens of fallen human jealousy, it is actually a passage that is in our best interest. Our God being a jealous God is not a sinful thing. It is a loving thing.

For those of us who are parents, we know what it means to do the hard thing, make the hard decision, say the hard "no", or enforce the hard rule for our children's best interests. We do so that they might be matured, grown, and sanctified, refined into adults one day who are able to thrive for all the lessons they have been afforded. 

The same is true of our Father God, though He is perfect and sinless in His parenting of us (something we all know we can't say in our parenting of our own children!). In His all-wise love and holiness, the Lord walks with us through hard seasons of life, the "no"s He has answered certain of our prayers with, the disappointments, the struggles, the questions, that He might refine us into mature Christians who are able to thrive, even in a dark and fallen world, for the lessons we have been afforded. 

He does this out of love for us, out of the fact that He is jealous for us and desires so very deeply to be in relationship with us. He receives no delight in our struggles, but allows them for the good the consuming, refining fire will produce in us and in our futures. And that is a comfort we can cling to in the hard times! 

Reflection Questions:

1) What is your knee-jerk reaction to hearing that God is a consuming fire and a jealous God?

2) What do you think about those characteristics now that we have walked through what they actually mean?

3) What stands out to you about this characteristic of God? How does it bring you comfort and peace in the midst of life's trials?