“consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” –james 1:2-4

“we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. and hope does not disappoint us.” –Romans 5:3-5

i don’t know about you, but i need to see hope in god alive in christian leaders…leaders who have character, who have persevered, who have been tried and tested and rejoiced in their suffering because of what it has produced.

so, if you feel called to leadership…let the maturity begin!

do you admit your weaknesses to god? or, do you fail to see any? do you let him know you’re hopelessly pathetic without him? or, have you honestly never considered yourself hopeless or pathetic? when you fail…when you sin do you automatically go to him and lay it all before him? or, do you try to explain yourself?

here’s an incredible verse, and one i live my life by: “blessed is the man whose sin the lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” –psalm 32:2. the way i read it is…the lord forgives those who are open and honest with him…those who see what they are with and without him.

so, people, let’s get honest with god. don’t hold back…tell him, confess to him, open yourself up to him.

honesty is the best policy!

“for it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in god’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. this will take place on the day when god will judge men’s secrets through jesus christ.” –romans 2:13 & 16

the day when god will judge men’s secrets will be an interesting one…won’t it? we can’t know what truly lies within another’s heart. only god can know that. but one day, all will be laid bare. how will you fare on that day?

now, i’m not wishing to condemn anyone. i know that i’m a sinner, saved by god’s incredible grace and mercy. we all make mistakes. we all have issues. that’s why we so desperately need salvation.

however, god does desire our obedience. 1 samuel 15:22 says, “to obey is better than sacrifice.” god wants for us to take his word literally. the bible is meant to guide us through life, and obedience will keep us safe.

so, don’t just be a hearer…be a doer. a doer with a pure heart (an honest heart, laid bare before god) will have nothing to worry about on the day of secrets.

i have this spot on my couch where i usually sit to pray. i can look out the back door and see a forest of trees. of course, this time of year the trees are bare and gray…a little scary. i began to pray and i mentioned to god that i felt a little lost in a scary forest of life’s pressures…like the forest was closing in on me and i couldn’t see a way out. as i prayed, i found myself lying prostrate on the floor in front of the back door. as i looked up, i noticed my shift in position provided a different point of view. the forest wasn’t as scary because i now could only see the tips of the trees…most of my view was of a bright blue, cloudless sky.

the lord then reminded me of a scripture. here it is:

be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. –ephesians 6:10

wow! thanks, god. i needed that. i needed to shift my stinking thinking to remember the awesome power of god. i need to be strong in his power…i don’t have to be strong in my own power.

so, if you, too, feel surrounded by pressures that seem too big for you, remember: BE STRONG! when you’re faced with a problem that’s larger than life, repeat this scripture to yourself. you may not be able to see past the scary forest, but he can. he knows where you’ve been, where you are, and more importantly where you’re headed.

the responsibilities seem endless at times. there are so many days that i say i want to sell everything and live like i did in college again (we actually survived on something like $300 a week!)…but instantly i know i don’t. i love the responsibilities i’ve been given. i enjoy our home, our cars, all the extras. i love my husband and my children, too!

god, help me to remember that responsibility is a privilege not a curse!

so, when you feel the weight of responsibility and think it might be nice to run for the hills, don’t. remember…responsibility is a very good thing. take your responsibilities seriously. give your all! don’t shirk your responsibilities in the slightest. see them as the gift from god that they are.

ah, responsibility!

the human quotient causes us to draw the line somewhere…just ask the family of a drug addict. but where does god draw the line on love? of course his love is unconditional. he was willing to even lay down his life for us. so, the answer is god doesn’t draw the line. however we can draw lines. we can push god’s love away. we can choose to love another. but, the truth is, his love will always be there…waiting for you to accept it.

so, when someone you love begins to pull away, make sure they know you’re praying for them. also, tell them you don’t agree with what they’re doing. let them know god will always love them, and you’re willing to let his love flow through you.

as women, why are we so willing to hurt ourselves in the name of looking good? i could literally list hundreds of painful procedures we all subscribe to on a regular basis just for beauty’s sake.

i wish for once we could turn such self-discipline toward godly pursuits. some of us think nothing of spending hours in a stylists’ chair each month, spending hundreds of dollars. however, we can’t spend half and hour a day in prayer and bible study. that’s a shame and ought not be. most of us spend an average of an hour in the morning preparing ourselves for the day, but don’t even spend 10 minutes to pray over our children, or take a few minutes in our day to be nice to someone in the name of jesus. wow! we should be ashamed.

lately, i’m not so impressed with the designer-clad woman, who has time for the gym, but no time to give in service of the king of kings. i’m so tired of people who think they have it all together, but in truth, they’re shallow inside. now, don’t get me wrong, i am as beauty obsessed as the next woman, i work out regularly, and i love clothes to a fault. this year, however, i’m making a new commitment to god to seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

ladies, let’s live according to scripture, not hollywood’s guidlines for life. god’s word is where you’ll find fulfillment, self esteem, and perfect love.

your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. –1 peter 3:3-4

have you ever felt great pressure? have you ever felt like you’re in the fire and you can’t seem to find a way out? well, speaking from experience, it’s not a fun to place to be in. you know, the kind of stress that causes migraines to hit every afternoon and keeps you awake at night with a tightness in your chest. this is the stuff breakdowns are made of, and the result is often depression, temper flares, or extreme dishonesty…if not handled correctly.

what do you do when you’re under intense pressure? …when you don’t know the way out of the fire? well, of course you know the answer: take it to god. in this kind of stress your faith in god is proven. it will either discentegrate into a breakdown of worry, or it will cause your faith to grow into something precious and solid…like a diamond.

when  you face stress, immediately take it to god. right away, remind yourself what his word says. pray according to his word, and remember he will live up to his word. thank him for the times he’s seen you through intense situations before, and remember he will do it again.

the end result from such pressure is a good thing. you are a diamond in the rough…he is creating something great out of you.

so often, life is full of tests of our faith in god that leave us questioning what we were meant to learn. my life has been full of many such tests. i could probably write a book on them! so, i will just tell you today about one such instance. i was a healthy 25-year-old pastor’s wife. my life was moving in the direction i felt god leading…and i truly had no complaints. i had direction and focus, and knew where i was going and how i was getting there. the holidays were coming to an end, and as we drove home from my parents on new year’s day, i began to realize i was having difficulty breathing. well, this began several months of doctors’ visits and many soon-to-come symptoms. before i knew it, i was seeing different doctors every week (sometimes every day) as they tried to just diagnose my illness. i was getting sicker and sicker…soon i could barely walk or eat. i was truly questioning god about this test!

what else could i do, but just trust him? i was too weak to even argue with god. i just submitted to him. i knew he didn’t make me sick, but i did ask him why he hadn’t healed me yet. i felt the enemy breathing down my neck, whispering defeat in my ear. i have to admit that made me mad. i remember praying for the test to end. i also remember telling god that he had placed a call on my life, and i couldn’t really fulfil that while lying in bed. that said, all i could do was surrender my will to his, knowing his ways are higher than mine.

today’s encouragement is this: whatever test you face, surrender to god. trust him…the test will prove his great work in you. HE IS GOOD!

this afternoon, i jumped on the treadmill for a brisk walk/jog and began to pray. the lord spoke, and here is what he said: my ways are mysterious…they are not man’s ways. often, you won’t understand them…and that’s okay. have faith and trust me.

so, i’m seeking him, and if i don’t quite understand, that’s allright with me. i’m called to walk a walk of faith, not a walk of certainty. although, i am certain of the outcome. i am certain of the promises given in god’s word. i am certain of eternity in his presence.

i want to encourage you to seek god and serve him with your whole heart, but don’t worry so much about understanding his ways or his perfect will. he will lead you there…in due time…and you will know he was orchestrating things the whole time you were questioning his ways. relax. don’t stress over it. push worry and anxiety from your mind. we serve a god who moves in mysterious ways.