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Enough

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Enough.

Do you have it?

When I look in my closet or my pantry or my children’s toy box I’m convinced that we do. One peek into my craft room proves that I’m no stranger to excess, either.

Yet, somehow the desire for more continuously overtakes my satisfaction with enough.

Advertisements scream and shout, plotting the downfall of my enough, convincing me that only more will make me happier.

Rarely do I pull into our driveway and walk inside unencumbered by shopping bags. Usually, I’m juggling my keys in one hand while balancing the sacks upon a raised knee holding my cell phone between my teeth as I unlock the door. Often, I fear my neighbors might witness my struggle to deposit more into our already full home.

Do they ever wonder, “Doesn’t she have enough?”

More shoes, more clothes, more food, more crafty bits and pieces, more books and toys and games. More square footage, more horse-power, and more electronic devices.

Even more of the things that are supposed to be good: more friends, more health, more serving, more church.

The quest for more dominates my life.

Until I look around and realize all this more is a burden. Not only does it require more of my attention, more cooking and cleaning and organizing and more time, but it steals from what actually satisfies me. And that sadly leaves me longing for even more.

Isaiah talked to the Israelites about this same thing. God spoke these words through him:

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me…”
(Isaiah 55:1-3)

When we listen to Him, go to Him, seek His kingdom, He will satisfy us. We are free from worrying about what we will eat or drink, where we will live, how we will work, or what we need more of because God provides for our every need. (Matthew 6:33)

God bids us to come and listen to Him and He will freely give us the salvation that satisfies the deep longing in our soul. True satisfaction cannot be bought and nothing purchased possesses the power to pacify us.

I don’t need to work more, do more, give more, be more or have more to get to Jesus.

Once I find Him, I realize that not even a cute pair of shoes or a discounted designer purse, a mile high slice of chocolate pie, fitting into a size 8 or volunteering all my time in service to others will ever appease my desires the way being in His presence does.

More won’t end my aching emptiness, but relinquishing everything to Jesus will.

Am I on the verge of becoming a minimalist? Probably not any time soon, but I do plan to turn to Jesus first to fill the places in me that yearn for more. He is enough!

 

Dear Heavenly Father, I praise and thank you that Your precious Son is ENOUGH for me. That His sacrifice satisfies my deepest longing for salvation. Forgive me when I forget and attempt to fill my needs with other things that have no eternal value. Guide me by Your Holy Spirit to seek Your kingdom first and trust that You know and will provide for all that I need. In His Holy name, Amen.

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness
and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33

“Oh satisfy us early with Your mercy,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
Psalm 90: 14

This post was written for Suzie Eller’s #livefreeThursday link up. If you’d like to hear more about having ENOUGH, click on the link to read what some amazing writers have to say.

What Frightens You?

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What frightens you?

We are surrounded by the dangerous, difficult and unknown every single day.

And sometimes knowing multiplies our fear.

Skiing was fun, before I learned how painful snow can be.

I became a lot less confident about driving in Central Texas after my husband was broadsided less than a mile from home last fall.

Buying food was relatively painless until somebody told me about the GMOs, pesticides, and carcinogens lurking in my consumables. Even ice cream isn’t comforting anymore.

The Army post affiliation sticker on my car was harmless until intelligence committees published reports of terrorists potentially using the stickers to target Army families.

Deploying to Iraq wasn’t so horrific until the Generals briefed us about how “in the rear with the gear” was no longer a place on the battlefield. That frightened my own mother.

Sending my husband to off war only turned terrifying when the realization that he might not come home hit me full force.

Being a mommy appeared innocuous enough, before I realized that I would eventually have to release my kids into the world lugging all the baggage they inherited from me.

Writing a book and volunteering for leadership positions in women’s ministry only became daunting when I found out how vulnerable I would be to criticism, ridicule and even failure.

There will always be things to fear.

If I spend time dwelling on every evil generated by this world, apprehension will cripple me.

But we don’t have to let our fears control us. We can bravely face the world by focusing instead on fearing the Lord. Fear of the Lord gives us courage to overcome our anxieties.

Fear of the Lord leads to wisdom. Wisdom leads to understanding that any battle we face here on earth has already been won in the heavenly realms. Understanding the victory belongs to Jesus makes us brave in the face of dangerous, difficult, unknown and even known risks. He has already conquered all the evil the world can create.

You can cower in a dark corner afraid of the world or fear the Lord and climb courageously into the light by faith.

The more we fear the world, the more we have to lose.

Jesus didn’t mince words when warning His disciples about the dangers they would endure while preaching about Him. (Matthew 10:16-26) But He wasn’t content to let them hide out in the upper room, either. In the very next section He teaches them about the importance of Fearing God more than man. He says, “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Jesus reassures them that not even the sparrow “falls to the ground apart from [our] Father’s will” and yet we are of much “more value that many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:30-31) God holds both our life and our death in His hands.

God sees me. He knows and loves me. He is with me always. My soul is secure with Him.

Living enclosed in the protective bubble of that truth empowers and emboldens me. The assurance that this principle applies also to my loved ones gives me confidence to surrender them to God’s purposes in the world.

Jesus wanted His followers to know that the dangers would be real when they went out into the world to preach about Him, but He didn’t wan’t their fears to be bigger than their faith in Him. He didn’t want their worries to keep them from spreading the message God called them to carry into the world. He doesn’t want our fears to keep us from our call to glorify Him, either.

Fear confines us to living in futility. Faith frees us to live fruitfully.

What is causing you to cower today? Turn your chin up toward heaven and step bravely out into the world knowing that God is on your side and His Son has defeated every evil!
Dear Heavenly Father, I praise and thank you that You have already defeated anything in this world that causes me to fear. I have no reason to live afraid of what the world can do to me. Reassure me of Your love for and presence with me. Give me the boldness to be brave in Your Son’s name! Amen.

Messes. Memories. Masterpieces. (27 Apr 15)

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Happy Monday, dear friends!

Let’s start the week off right with Monday’s Messes, Memories and Masterpieces. It’s a way for us to connect and share, even though we may be many miles apart. Each week we will celebrate, support and encourage one another though all life throws at us.

Messes could be a pinterest fail, a mess you or someone you know actually made, or some problem you are having. How can we pray for you?

Memories are things you want to remember and share with others - it could be messy or marvelous. Maybe you are remembering a loved one or some story from your child hood came to mind this week. What do you want to share with us this week?

Masterpieces are your victories. It could be a crafty project that turned out well (pictures, please) or some other exciting event. What do you want us to celebrate with you?

Together we can make Mondays Marvelous by sharing our Messes, Memories and Masterpieces.

Ready

Set

GO

All the things I’m not.

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I’m not always the most patient, loving or attentive wife. Or mother. Or friend, sister or daughter.

I don’t have even a hint singing or dancing talent.

I’m not a terribly skilled housekeeper.

I don’t always work out as much as I’d like or make the healthiest food choices and I’m certainly not the size or shape I’d like to be.

I’m not a published author and I don’t have hundred of thousands of followers on my blog.

I don’t always use my time as wisely as I should.

I’m not a missionary or a minister.

I’m not a very organized person.

I don’t volunteer to fill every need at my church or my boys’ school or in my community.

I don’t live a sinless life.

I don’t always love and honor God or others as faithfully as I should.
Maybe you are flawlessly accomplished in all those areas that I’m not. Or maybe you are just like me and find it easy to get tangled up in all the things you’re not.

The law and the world are excellent at pointing out our shortcomings, all the ways we fail to measure up, and all the times we fall short of God’s standard. They easily bind us in guilt, shame and regret.

The problem is that getting wrapped up in all that I am not, restrains me from being all the things that I am.
I am forgiven.

I am redeemed.

I am a child of God.

I am loved beyond my comprehension.

I am going to spend eternity worshipping my Lord and Savior.
What I am is far greater than all that I’m not.

All the things I’m not may hold me back, but focusing on what I am propels me forward.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and receive His Holy Spirit we are free from all condemnation under the law. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-2) Christ came because I could never be all that God requires me to be. He walked the earth in human form and kept the law perfectly. Yet, He was punished for all you and I are not. His Spirit redeems us from all the things we could never be. “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:18)

Our flesh fails us, but surrendering to the Spirit frees us.

When I submit to the power of the Spirit in me I live with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22) Those are qualities I desperately want to cultivate in my life.

As long as God permits me to remain in this early body, my flesh will constantly strive against His Spirit. My sinful human nature will continue to draw me toward things I should avoid. I don’t expect perfection this side of eternity, but every step I take with the Spirit as my guide lessens the sting of what I’m not and leads me closer to all that I am in Him!

 

Dear Heavenly Father, I praise and thank You for all that You are and all that You have given me the power to be by Your Spirit. Forgive me when I let all the things I’m not distract me from what I am in Christ. Lead me to always walk according to Your Spirit. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25