WOW GOD'S HEART

“Every time you find work to do, do it the best you can. In the grave there is no work. There is no thinking, no knowledge, and there is no wisdom. And we are all going to the place of death.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭9:10‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I was thinking about this verse this morning. Luke always says to me, “Mom, we all have limited opportunities to wow God’s heart.” Let this soak in. When our life is over, there are no more opportunities to earn heavenly rewards. None. It’s over.

“Remember that the Lord will give everyone a reward for doing good. Everyone, slave or free, will get a reward for the good things they do.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:8‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“He will reward or punish everyone for what they have done.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:6‬ ‭ERV‬‬

And maybe the best one,

“But the work that each person does will be clearly seen, because the Day will make it plain. That Day will appear with fire, and the fire will test everyone’s work. If the building they put on the foundation still stands, they will get their reward.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:13-14‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“Every time you find work to do, do it the best you can.” This is so much more than performing your job well. It is the sum total of all the opportunities that God gives you. It would be a wrong interpretation to limit this to your “paying job.”

Pray for open eyes today to see “work to do and do it the best you can.” Are your spiritual gifts being utilized? Do you have a gift of teaching. Then teach a group of kids at church. Do you have a gift of compassion? Write encouraging notes to people that don’t get any notes, not just the “cool” people. What about the gift of giving? Show radical generosity to someone. If you have a gift of service, rake leaves for an elderly person or babysit for a single mom.

I want to look for opportunities to wow God’s heart. This may be one of the most ignored or misunderstood concepts in scripture...the concept of earning a reward. But God’s Word is clear. When our life is over, there will be rewards or lack of rewards for the things he has put in our path. Some people will say, “As long as I get in, I’m good.” No, you really won’t say that because “ the Day will make it plain.” We say stupid stuff like that because we are too lazy to work.

Ask him for some work to do today. Take a step in the right direction. We will never regret the things we tried to do that he puts in our path. We will totally regret the opportunities that we said “No, not today. I’m too busy. I’m too tired. I’m not qualified. My shoulder is broken.” I had to put that in for me:).

Trust God Before The Miracle

“That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:16-17‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I must confess that deep down I have a fear mentality. I have to strongly fight against fearing that I will have to face something I can’t handle. I learned this lesson well during a time when life was so dark. My younger son lived with deep depression for a period of time. I did not see that his future had any hope. For almost 6 years, there was always a new development that I couldn’t handle. Even though that was almost 15 years ago, I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is right around the corner and I will not be able to cope with it.

The enemy would have loved to have taken me down back then, cripple me for life. But instead, out of God’s wonderful grace and faithfulness, he had other plans for me. I take no credit whatsoever. However, I remember pulling up to work everyday telling myself “these troubles are helping me gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than my troubles.” I would tell God everyday that I knew that one day I would be with him and these troubles would be over.

I learned that if I was going to survive, I had to pray with faith and not fear. My favorite verse became,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I realized that if my prayers were driven by fear and not faith, he could NOT reward me. I had to believe in his promises and not pray doubt-driven prayers.

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Also, I had to pray differently about things that I could not figure out the solution to.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If I fixed my eyes on temporary and not eternal, that meant that I had to come up with solution all by myself. Stop and think for a moment. Are you driven by the fact that it is up to you to fix your problem? Be honest. I have not encountered many people who think eternally and pray with faith not doubt, but I want to be a part of that group.

I want that to be my goal in life...to pray with such confidence that God actually can do the impossible. If I believe that this verse is true, why do I worry about mounting finances of this surgery and the unexpected broken heater?

“I already own all the animals in the forest. I own all the animals on a thousand hills.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭50:10‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Why am I worrying about if and when my arm will heal? Am I holding my arm the right way? When should I return to work? I keep thinking that it’s my decision and not the surgeon’s.🙂

“He forgives all our sins and HEALS all our sicknesses.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:3‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Why do I worry about the future and the faceless enemies of the unknowns of finishing the school year?

“My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭31:15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Instead, I choose to believe that I can trust my future without fear and worry because,

“But as the Scriptures say, “No one has ever seen, no one has ever heard, no one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I can remember thinking back in college that I would trust God BEFORE I saw how the situation would work out. Whenever I did that, God would reward my waiting with more than my heart could have imagined. I guess God has not gotten one bit weaker just because my faith is weaker today. He is the same, always faithful and always a rewarder.

Never Ever Get Tired of Doing Good

“Brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.”
‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Guess what I had my last week before retiring ...a “chicken biscuit” day! If you don’t what that is, my son sometimes buys an extra chicken biscuit and gives one away to a homeless person on the way to work. He just rolls down his window and hands it out at a red light.

Every day on my way to work, I pass by a girl that is waiting at a bus stop on Hulen Street. She is there at exactly 6:55 AM. She is dressed in an outfit that one might wear to a fast food restaurant. She always, always looks down and tries to be invisible. I have passed her for several years. I have imagined how I could bless her. Since Friday was my last day, I was running out of time.

I have tried to time the stop so I could talk to her when the light was red. I have tried turning down the street next to her but cars turned in as well behind me. She would get on the bus.

I saw her at the bus stop and turned into the street and did a u-turn. I yelled out the window, “Hey!” She turned and looked. I said, “Please come over here.” She had courage to run over to a total stranger and take a chance of missing her bus. But she did. I told her that I pass her everyday and pray for her. She smiled so big. She said, “My name is Joanna.” I told her my name was Pat. I gave her some money and told her to spend on whatever she needed.

How can we encourage each other to not be weary in doing good? I looked up ideas of things to have in my car to give away when I see a needy person. The only thing that would stop me is courage to do this

Two Forks in the Road

“If you wander from the right path, either to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, “You should go this way. Here is the right way.””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭30:21‬ ‭ERV‬‬

There are small forks on the road everyday, small choices. I think that these small choices determine what your future will look like. But it is a paradox. The wrong way is filled with flowers and green grass and laughter and it actually looks easier.

It involves sleeping later and having a day off on Sunday. It involves not giving away any of your money to church because you need that money for something else. It promises eating anything you want and however much you want. You can satisfy your sexual needs anytime you want. Instant gratification is there for the taking...no waiting.

God’s way appears to be the least attractive way. It seems to be harder. It requires sacrifice. It requires discipline.

However, let’s see what happens when you choose the easier way. After you have been satisfied momentarily, you realize that you have some consequences waiting for you. For example, if you are trying to eat healthy and you eat a dozen cookies one day and then a bunch of chips the next day and then three brownies the day after your clothes won’t fit anymore. Happens every time. That option looked good but it ended up bad. The opposite is true. If you eat healthy all week, you feel there is a better chance that you won’t die of heart disease.

Let’s say that you decide that you need a day off on Sundays and you never attend a small group and worship service. It seems like the best choice. You say, “I need my rest.” After a period of time, you wonder where your friends are...I mean good friends who will love you when you are not lovable and walk you through dark days.

Here is the good news. When you get into the Word and follow what God is saying, you start to notice that this was a good choice.

The Lord says, “I will teach you and guide you in the way you should live. I will watch over you and be your guide.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:8‬ ‭ERV‬‬

You start walking up the mountain and the view is phenomenal! You will thank yourself for choosing His way. You will begin to experience a more abundant life. You will begin to praise the Lord for how good he is!

It reminds me of my favorite verse.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You will see that God wanted the best for you all along. He wanted you to experience the abundant life.

I have to throw this in. Many people think that there is a third alternative. The way that you have to make no changes whatsoever, but you will still see the Promised Land. There is no third alternative. Never believe that lie.

Begin everyday realizing that are always two choices to every decision. Think about want you want your future to look like. Depends on which fork in the road you chose.

Try Again

Wow! I read a great devotional by Max Lucado this morning. Here's part of it.

The Bible says that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). Thousands upon thousands of saved saints are looking down on us. Abraham. Peter. David. Paul... and Joshua. Your grandma, uncle, neighbor, coach. They’ve seen God’s great grace, and they are all pulling for you.

Press your ear against the curtain of eternity and listen. Do you hear them? They are chanting your name. They are pulling for you to keep going.

“Don’t quit!”

“It’s worth it!”

“Try again!”

After reading this, it reminded me of how many times I have failed at something and wanted to quit forever. Maybe you have done the same thing. 

Maybe you set goals about trying to implement a quiet time and it lasted a week. Or maybe you set a goal to lose weight or exercise and you were eating brownies by the second day. Perhaps your goal is to really be patient with your coworkers and show Christ to them but after a really stressful day, you found yourself acting like an unsaved person. I hate when I do that.

I have the very best intentions and set wonderful goals about what I want to accomplish. I want to write this blog everyday and I can't seem to do it. But the enemy wants to kill, steal and destroy. He genuinely wants us to fail. And he knows what triggers to push. When he makes me stumble, I want to give up say, "I am not equipped to do this."

This verse was a much needed reminder that "we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses" who are cheering us on. What a smile this brings to my face. Moses is cheering me on and I will thank him one day when we meet. Abraham and Joshua and Joseph and some of my other favorites want me to be "fit" and they are cheering me on. They are cheering you on, as well. So pick up the pieces and get busy!

Get Started

“All the Israelites gathered together at Shiloh where they set up the Meeting Tent. The Israelites controlled that country. They had defeated all the enemies in that land. But at this time there were still seven tribes of Israel that had not yet received their land. So Joshua said to the Israelites, “Why do you wait so long to take your land? The Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given this land to you.”
Joshua 18:1-3 ERV

This is another one of those verses that I forget is in the Bible:). Maybe only a teacher can see the similarity to her students and the children of Israel. Joshua is a little surprised that the promised land is conquered and yet still undivided. The next verses in the Bible are a list from Joshua of what needs to be done to divide the land.

It made me smile because it really sounds like an email I got last night from a student. He just can't take any steps without me to get ready for a test we are having today. Joshua is probably feeling the same way with the children of Israel.

Just like my student and just like the Israelites, they don't seem to want to think for themselves. But wait...am I like that sometimes? There are some obvious steps that I can take to "become fit for his glory." I just seem to want to wait until someone kicks me to make me get started. I already know what to do-maybe today is a good day to start.

"Developing "Mental Toughness"

You might spend a lot of time thinking about how to get your body stronger, but have you ever thought about increasing your mental toughness? Think of your brain like a muscle you can strengthen, and you can improve your life. Mental toughness means you won’t fall apart with bad news, or when a challenge or a problem comes your way. With a strong mindset you can set goals, overcome setbacks (without unhealthy behaviors)." ~Chris Freytag

This article was not Christian related but boy can it relate to the Christian life. Here are a few tips about developing "mental toughness." 

First of all, God is our strength.
God said this once and for all; how many times Have I heard it repeated? “Strength comes Straight from God.” (Psalm 62:11 MSG)

So we will never be strong enough on our own to amount to anything.
That being said, I think we need to develop some mental toughness about facing life.
So my tip for the day is start each day with prayer and gratitude! Plank and praise is a really good way to express your joy to the Lord. 

Another idea about developing mental toughness is to keep your promises. I need to back up here for a second. I wrote a vision plan for my own life several years ago. I try to update the goals once a year. I call them "Pat's Priorities." If you feel like your goals are within God's will for you, then your goal is much like a promise that you intend to keep.

"When you do what you say you are going to do (from your workouts to meeting up with a friend for lunch) you are a person who keeps commitments. Whether it’s a silent promise to yourself or a commitment to someone else, keep those promises and you will be strengthening your mindset because you are a person of your word." ~ Chris Freytag

When we commit to ourselves that we will read our Bible on a daily basis or commit to a friend that we will pray for them, we need to keep that promise. Whether we are keeping a promise to a friend or keeping a promise to ourselves, we are developing that mindset that we will not disappoint our friends or ourselves.

If we continually break promises, whether to ourselves or others, life seems more out of control. We will break more easily in a storm. We will be more likely to forget that God ALWAYS keeps his promises…always!

One more tidbit about developing a strong mindset...

Two people are better than one. When two people work together, they get more work done. If one person falls, the other person can reach out to help. But those who are alone when they fall have no one to help them.

An enemy might be able to defeat one person, but two people can stand back-to-back to defend each other. And three people are even stronger. They are like a rope that has three parts wrapped together—it is very hard to break. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 ERV)

Self-discipline doesn’t have to be about how much temptation you resist, it can be about how smart you are about creating an environment that supports you. Do you hang around others who want to grow in their relationship with Christ? Do you have friends and family supporting you and your goals? Do you have an accountability partner or a friend who pushes you a little bit? Each day commit to a little more "mental toughness."