Anxious Thoughts or a Heart at Peace

If you’re anything like me this last week, then your screen time report was through the roof! I couldn’t believe how much time I spent on my phone during week one of our self-imposed isolation. But what I realized at the end of the week was the things I was reading on social media were actually causing me quite a bit of anxiety. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares of searching empty grocery store aisles trying to find food for my family. Then not being able to go back to sleep because I was so worried about my loved ones staying safe during this pandemic. So, what do we do when our need to be informed is causing fear and discomfort? We turn to God’s truth.

God’s word is the truth that we tightly cling to always, but especially now when what is normal has been shattered. Is it wrong to be informed, to know what the government is urging us to do? Absolutely not. But I believe it’s detrimental to our mental health and spiritual health/faith if we put more weight in what the world is saying about this virus than what God has said about Himself and about us. This week I hope you’ll join me in actively ingesting truth and God’s promises rather than fear.

[GEM]

Peace Not Panic

As I’ve asked friends how they’re doing holed up in their homes this week, the refrain I’ve heard over and over is “I’m trying not to panic.” As I’ve stood in the grocery aisles and stared at the empty shelves where a few weeks ago there would have been eggs, milk, and bread, I feel panic rise inside my chest. But God is a God of peace, not panic. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 He desires for us to have peace in the midst of scary situations, believing He will take care of us. This article was so encouraging for me to read. We still serve a God who at times brings us to the edge of the Red Sea, so we can watch Him part it.

In a global pandemic where so much is out of our control, the question, “What can I do?” can often feel limiting. But asking the question, “What can He not do?” changes the game. It makes the Red Sea possible again.

[I]t is far too easy to focus on the miracle of the Red Sea but forget the moments leading up to it. Those matter too. God even uses the panic of the human heart to reveal to us that He is God, and we desperately need Him. Right now, we are living out a “Red Sea” moment. It seems like this virus is attacking humans all over the world, and it can feel like we are helpless and not in control. And the truth is, we aren’t in control. God is. This is a grace to come to know, and a gift to believe, because in believing that we aren’t in control and He is, we embrace His perfect peace.

[Well Watered Women]

Helpless

If I were to choose one word to describe how this whole social-distancing, Corona virus induced quarantine has made me feel, it would be “helpless.” In fact, just yesterday I called my sister to unload my fears regarding the safety of my parents and my 90-year-old grandpa. In frustration I exclaimed, “I just feel so helpless!” Then I said, “I guess all I can do is pray.” What my comment really revealed was not how helpless I felt, but rather my small view of prayer. Prayer is the most powerful thing we can do right now for those we love. Yes, I am separated from my parents and grandpa and I have no power to make sure they’re staying home, but I can pray for their safety. I can pray God would protect them. I can bring my fears and concerns straight to the throne of our good God and ask Him to intervene. There is no more powerful action I can take than to pray. Let’s pray for all the things that are out of our control and take them to the One who is still in control regardless of how upside down our world seems right now.

“While we are experiencing a time of reduced activity and feelings of restlessness, may we remember the marvel of the privilege we have in prayer.  We can desperately climb roofs without even leaving our home. Let’s carry our neighbors, our elders, our leaders, our sick, our vulnerable, our overworked, our scared, our fragile and lay them before the Lord’s feet. We are helpless, but we can bring them before the one who is anything but.” 

[Looking to the Harvest]

9 Ways to Love Your Neighbor in this Pandemic

It’s my natural inclination to turn inward during times of stress or uncertainty and focus all my attention on my nuclear family. While I don’t think that’s wrong, I do think we as Christians are called to be outwardly focused as well, even in a pandemic. This author shares 9 practical ways we can love our neighbors well during this season.

One of the primary postures of a Christian is outward. Our salvation means that the curse of the inward curve of sin is broken, and we’re now free to turn outward—to love God and neighbor. Like Abraham, we’re blessed in order to be a blessing to others.  

[TGC]

Neighbor Love in the Era of Covid-19

I thought this article was a great complement to the above article.

The question we should be asking ourselves isn’t which supplies to stockpile in preparation for an apocalypse, but rather how to support those at real risk for losing their lives to this swiftly moving disease.

Loving our neighbors during this unsettling period requires we (1) limit the overwhelm on the medical system, so doctors can provide for the sickest, and (2) protect and support those most vulnerable to infection.

[TGC]

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8 Easy Steps to Creating an Online Book Club

It seems like we all have a little extra time on our hands as our extracurricular evening and weekend activities have been temporarily halted. I loved this idea of creating an online book club. It would provide some entertainment/edification for you as the reader and some socializing via the Internet. So start a book club, and invite me because I love a good book!

4 Problems the Incarnation of God Solves

This article on what Christ’s incarnation accomplished is incredible and will move your heart to overflow with thanksgiving this holiday season.

The Incarnation of Jesus is the terminology used to describe what happened when the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, “became flesh” or “became embodied,” to become completely like us for our salvation.

In Adam, the first child of God, mankind fell into sin and death. Adam didn’t do all that his heavenly Father had commanded; and yet, in Christ we have the perfect Son bringing life and adoption where there was once death and alienation.  

[Core Christianity]

Materialism is Easy to Decry and Hard to Avoid

In this article, Kathy Keller discusses materialism and how all of us are tempted to struggle with loving the material things of this world no matter our income. Materialism is truly a heart issue, not a salary issue. I was so challenged by this article. I pray we’ll remember this season that the only things of value are those with eternal significance.

Materialism simply means that your happiness, joy, contentment, and satisfaction is tied to something in this material world. A salary, however small. Status, however low. Possessions, however modest or threadbare. If our hearts are inordinately tied to these things, beyond just the affection we feel for the familiar, then we are materialists.

And since this world is passing away, materialism is in the same category as building your house on the sand, or eating food that does not satisfy. It is doomed to ultimate failure.

[TGC]

Childlessness at Christmas

Childlessness is an ongoing grief that is always present for those couples who long to be parents or the single person who desires to be married and have a family. However, there’s something especially painful about childlessness at Christmas. I hope this article encourages you if you are currently praying and yearning for a child. The Christmas story and the gospel are our ever present hope in all seasons of our lives and for every unmet desire.

Again and again in the Bible story, this is what the birth of an unexpected child means—from Isaac onwards. It is a sign of the gospel. A world with no new children would be a sad and forever aging world, a world without hope. Every child is a sign of hope for the future, a bundle of unknown possibilities, a sign of what we call God’s “common grace”—his kindness to all humankind. And this unexpected child, John the Baptist, is a sign not just of God’s common grace to all, but specifically of God’s particular kindness in what he is about to do in the gospel of Jesus.

The conception and birth of John the Baptist does not mean that every yearning of a childless couple will issue in a happy birth. Far from it. There have always been, and will be to the end of time, godly, prayerful couples who long for children and are not given them.

But we can all know that the conception and birth of John the Baptist points forward to a much greater gift. The particularly painful “dis-grace” experienced by Elizabeth and Zechariah is vividly replaced by a gift of grace. That boy will be the herald of a deeper and more wonderful grace. So whether your present experience is of sadness or joy, use today quietly to pin your hopes not upon a change in your circumstances but upon the great hope for the future to which this baby, John the Baptist, points so clearly.

[Core Christianity]

Santa vs the Gospel

I am by no means the type of parent who doesn’t allow anything Santa-related in their house during the Christmas season. My husband and I have talked to our kids about Santa and took them to see him this year. But I completely agreed with this article, that the message of Santa is contrary to what the gospel teaches us. We can never be good enough to get to heaven. But thankfully God doesn’t expect us to earn our way through good works. Jesus fully paid our admission and covered our sin. I think it’s important to have a balanced perspective when talking to our children about Christmas. Also, how genius is the book, “When Santa Learned the Gospel”? I’ll definitely have to get that for my kids next year.

[T]he whole “morality equals reward” system that the Santa story promotes was kind of like the “good people go to heaven” message that many think Christianity teaches.

It is a system of works righteousness where good people are rewarded with heaven and bad people are rewarded with hell. This “morality equals reward” Santa seems to be the dominant message of our day, yet it could not be more antithetical to the “not by works” gospel message that we find in Scripture.

[TGC]

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What Does Home Alone Teach Us About Christmas?

Confession: Home Alone is one of my very favorite Christmas movies and I have quite the Christmas movie collection. My husband and I both grew up watching it every year and it’s still a tradition even though we’re in our 30s. Not that I need another reason to watch Home Alone, but this article explains how parents can use my favorite John Hughes’ movie to talk to their kids about God’s love for us. [Blog of Dan]

Common Trials are Still Trials

Recently, I was talking with a friend about how I struggled to be thankful and have a good perspective while my children were in the NICU for 8 weeks. I immediately felt guilt and shame for feeling that way because this friend had lost her baby at 8 months but still had to go through the birthing process. I had no grid for her grief but knew it was infinitely larger than mine. In fact, I felt childish for telling her about my struggles. But she responded with more grace than I could imagine and said sympathetically, “That must have been so hard for you.” That’s how God is. He is full of mercy and compassion even when our trials may seem trivial when compared to others’ struggles. He is infinite and no burden is too small or too large for Him to carry. So, don’t hesitate to bring them to our good Father.

I’ve heard people say they don’t pray because there are so many other important problems in the world for God to tend to. I know what that feels like. Often he provides in small ways that matter to me, and as I’m thanking him, I’m a little embarrassed. I’ve even called these requests “dumb” in my own mind. Recently, though, I’ve been trying to stop thinking of them as dumb and instead as “sparrow” requests, granted by the Father who cares for lowly sparrows and numbers the hairs on my head (Matt. 10:29–31).

Because God is infinitely powerful, no burden is too heavy. Because he is infinitely merciful, none is insignificant. He knows our frame, knows when there are things that will leave us too faint to walk home, and is willing and able to provide the bread and fish we need.

[TGC]

Our Longing for God Himself

Each year Christmas brings the promise of contentment. And each year on December 26th, I find myself unsettled and dissatisfied. I anticipate the season all year long but once it comes and goes, I’m left sad. Christmas never seems to be enough. And I’ve found myself repeating that sentiment throughout the year, “never enough.” There’s never enough money in the bank to make me feel secure. I’m never healthy enough, thin enough, patient enough, kind enough. But the real dissatisfaction that I feel in my soul points me to God, who is always enough. I pray this December we would embrace the gift of Christ who has made us complete in Him and who is enough.

More than any other good gift, God wants to give you the better gift of himself. Just look at his track record—in the garden of Eden, in the manger at Bethlehem, on the cross at Calvary, in the indwelling person of the Holy Spirit. He won’t stop until Christ returns and he can give you himself forever. Whatever you’re longing for today, the weight of God’s glory, character, and goodness can bear it. Whatever “never enough” you’re experiencing today is fulfilled by “the always and forever enough” of God.

[Risen Motherhood]

When Parents Set the Bar too Low

I was talking with a friend the other day about how I struggle to differentiate what God has for me versus what the world tells me I should be striving to attain. She wisely responded, “We have to be able to discern the difference between the American dream and God’s plans for us.” Wow! I honestly have always just intertwined the two, but God’s plans for His children don’t always or usually align with what the world is chasing after. I think this is true for what we as parents want for our children as well. It’s easy to get so caught up in helping them become successful people who will make a good living and have all their needs met and neglect the most important thing–their spiritual growth. This article was a great reminder for me.

If our only horizon is the seven or eight decades our son or daughter might have on earth, and if we believe that happiness comes when we make enough to live comfortably and are able to do the things we want to do, it would make sense to focus on managing time and circumstances to make that happen.

Because our horizon stretches far beyond this life, however, and because we believe no comfort, possession, or achievement can ultimately make us happy, Christians set the bar much higher. As C.S. Lewis put it so well in The Weight of Glory,

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

The goal of our parenting isn’t simply to help our children find fulfillment in this world. We need to help them find fulfillment for all eternity.

[Desiring God]

Why Jesus was the Lion of Judah

I’ve always wondered why Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, when Joseph was clearly the favored son and a righteous man. This article was so thought-provoking and answered several questions I’d had concerning the story of Joseph. It’s also incredible how the gospel can be so clearly seen throughout the entire Bible and how it all points to our Savior, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

The reason we can have hope, despite our glaring flaws, and the reason we can step forward, in joy, to gladly sacrifice self for the good of others, is because we ourselves have a Pledge of Safety for us. There is only one king, and only one man, who is the perfect embodiment of Judah’s legacy: “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered” (Revelation 5:5).

Brothers and sisters, as we close, picture Jesus himself turning to his Father in eternity past and saying about us, “I will be a pledge of their safety. Father, I will not come back without them. I will bear the blame for them.” And Jesus came and offered himself in our place, as our substitute. What enables us to be the kind of people who become pledges of safety for others is that first and foremost we know the joy of having Jesus as our Pledge of Safety.

[Desiring God]

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The Collected Best Christian Books of 2019

I’m always looking for solid Christian books to read and I love to make my reading list at the beginning of the year. Tim Challies compiled this list by selecting the books that were on various “Best Books of 2019” lists. There are some great picks on here. I’ll definitely be adding them to my 2020 reading list. [Challies]

Two Ways to Approach Outreach this Christmas

I work a part-time retail job. The other day I was working at the cash register when a young man came up to buy a gift. As I was handing him his bag, he handed me an invitation to his church’s Christmas service. Then he simply said, “I hope you’ll come check it out. Merry Christmas.” Easy, right? This time of year brings more non-Christians into church then almost any other time, except for maybe Easter. But I cannot remember the last time I invited someone to my church’s Christmas service. This article had some practical tips for ways we can utilize the Christmas season and people’s willingness to attend church as an outreach opportunity for our friends. I hope you find it as helpful as I did.

It’s the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:1–23) in action. At Christmas, the Word is broadcast far and wide. Much “falls along the path” and appears to have no effect (v. 19); some is received with seasonal joy, but fades under the troubles of the new year (vv. 20–21); and only a fraction grows into mature, enduring fruitfulness (v. 23). We shouldn’t be surprised when a variety of people show up in our churches and express a variety of responses to the Word. Like the sower, we cast the seed widely and trust God to give a harvest (1 Cor. 3:7).

As you invite friends and family, make sure to do two key things: put yourself into the invitation and bring your friend into the event. Putting yourself into the invitation means avoiding a take-it-or-leave-it approach. Don’t be vague or indifferent. Tell them, “This stuff is important to me, and it would mean the world if you came.” That’s what it means to put yourself into it.

[TGC]

Remembering the Gospel at the Table: How Our Meals Can Point Us to Christ

Eating is a big part of the holidays. We all have our favorite recipes that we make every year and without those traditional dishes it wouldn’t feel quite like Christmas. I loved this idea of remembrance at the table to remind ourselves and our guests what the Lord has done for us and the significance of the season, just as the Israelites did with their feasts.

Passover, Purim, Communion, and other biblical feasts provide a liturgy of the table. They create an intentional time and space to remember. While it may be easy to understand the value of major biblical feasts, sometimes we forget how we can use our own tables—the ones scratched, stained, and covered in jelly. It’s worth noting that when God first gave instructions for Passover, he didn’t require only Moses, Aaron, and the leaders to participate. He told the people to make a meal—every year, in their homes, with their families. When children asked why they observed this feast, parents were to say, “It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt” (Ex. 13:8).

We can create that spirit of remembrance around our tables. The Old Testament feasts often celebrated God’s physical deliverance of his people. During Advent we celebrate the coming of Christ, the one who will deliver us not only from earthly oppressors, but also from sin and death. As we feast at Christmas, the food we share and traditions we observe can remind us of who he is and what he’s done.

[Risen Motherhood]

Beholding the Lamb in Every Season: Motherhood

I’ve said it before and will probably say it a thousand more times before this season is over–Christmas is my favorite time of year! But I so easily get caught up in my shopping list, decorating to-dos, and Christmas activities that I let my heart forget what the season is really about. As my children are just beginning to be aware of the holiday season, I am continually reorienting my heart to the true meaning of Christmas as I tell them the story of a God who would come to earth as a baby to die for the sins of the world. It’s the most beautiful story the world has ever heard and makes all the cheesy Christmas movies I’ve been ingesting seem even more frivolous. What an incredible job we have as parents to introduce our children to the gospel this holiday season!

Beholding Christ the Lamb of God in motherhood often looks like pausing to hold my children’s faces for a moment and staring into their hazel eyes. It looks like evaluating what I think needs to be done and asking God: what is the most important thing to be done? It’s rehearsing the true meaning of Christmas over and over with my children, knowing that every reminder makes the roots of truth grow deeper in their hearts, and in mine too.

Beholding the Lamb in every season is a priceless gift to give and receive, unwrap and behold. And as a mama, my aim will continue to be to pause, like Mary, and treasure up each little moment in my heart (Luke 2:19), surrendering the way I thought things might be, to embrace the beauty of things just as they are. All the while, singing and dancing with my children joyfully to the melodies of Christmas hymns that still ring true today.

[Well Watered Women]

Helping Children Pray Like Daniel

Children notice everything we do as parents, even the things we wish they wouldn’t notice. Once noticed, then they begin to emulate. I want so badly to set good examples for my children and help them establish good habits, especially when it comes to forming spiritual habits. I thought this article, on teaching children to pray like Daniel, was so inspiring. As parents, we can model praying habitually for our children and help them establish patterns that they will carry on into their adult lives.

The windows of Daniel’s room “opened towards Jerusalem” (Dan. 6:10). For a man living in exile, as Daniel was, this was a way of looking toward the temple, the place that showed God was with his people. But there’s no need to pray towards Jerusalem today, because as Christians we have the Lord Jesus in our hearts and his Spirit helping us to pray.

This is an opportunity to remind your child of one of the great truths of the gospel. Without Jesus, we would all be enemies of God, completely cut off from him by our sinfulness. This separation from God was shown inside the Jerusalem temple by a huge curtain, visually showing that our sin must cut us off from God’s holiness. But at the exact moment that Jesus died on the cross, the temple curtain was ripped in two. That rip—from top to bottom—was a picture of Christ making a way for us to be right with God, and therefore, to be able to come to him in prayer through Jesus.

So as you pray with your child today, maybe use it as an opportunity to remind them of the glorious gospel message—the curtain is torn and the way is open for us to know God, love him, and talk with him. 

[Risen Motherhood]

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How to Turn a Retired Bible into a Precious Family Heirloom

I love looking at my parent’s Bibles. My mom has had the same Bible since college and I enjoy paging through it and seeing the verses she highlighted, wondering what was going on in her life when that particular passage jumped out at her, how that certain promise helped her cling even more tightly to the Lord. So, the idea of taking a Bible and creating a family heirloom for your child was incredible to me! What an impactful gift to pass on–a Bible full of your notes, prayers, and highlighted passages that your child can read and be encouraged by for years to come!

Gratitude and the Dangers of a Good Life

I’m just coming out of a difficult season of waiting on the Lord to provide and trusting in His goodness and love moment by moment. As I’ve been reading through Deuteronomy, I’m amazed at Moses’ continual warnings for the Israelites to not forget the Lord once they reach the Promised Land. They had wandered in the desert for 40 years and seen the Lord miraculously provide everything they needed. One would think once they reached the Promised Land, no longer had to wander in the desert, but could settle down in homes, that they would be full of gratitude, but that wasn’t the case. Once they arrived in the good land, it wasn’t long before they turned away from God and began worshiping idols. As I’ve read Moses’ warnings for the Israelites, the same caution has echoed in my own heart. I don’t want to stop trusting the Lord to provide everything I need once life returns to normal and I’m out of this hard season. This article was an excellent reminder to continue to be grateful to the Faithful One once we’re experiencing the “good life.”

When life is most good, we think, surely we’ll be most grateful. Which is why Moses’s next words jar us awake: “Take care lest you forget the LORD your God” (v. 11). Moses tells the people that all the good gifts awaiting them in the land—houses and herds, silver and gold—might be cause, not for gratitude, but for temptation. Instead of leading them to praise the Giver, these blessings might lead them into sins of ingratitude and pride.

There are real dangers in the good life. Still, that doesn’t mean we have to feel guilty or worried when turbulent waves calm and crisis subsides. Instead, in those glassy, still seasons of peace, every gift we receive from God becomes a chance to rehearse the gospel—to proclaim that God gives, not because we are good, but because he is.

[TGC]

Have Yourself a Christ-Centered Christmas

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I literally never stop listening to Christmas music (judge me all you want). My kids and husband graciously allow me to play “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in July. I anticipate the season and try to savor it as much as possible, but it always flies by. It’s certainly a busy time of year. In the midst of the craziness, I often find myself getting so caught up in the gift buying, Christmas parties, and holiday movies that I neglect what Christmas is really about. This article has some practical ways we can enjoy a more Christ-centered Christmas this year.

Have you noticed that the entire message of this season has become about acquiring created stuff? How sad: the glory of Christmas is that the Creator himself becomes a man, to rescue us from our bondage to the creation! Yet here we are, celebrating Christmas in a way that reveals our hearts are still prone to worship the creation. We’ve turned the message of Christmas on its head. This is precisely why we need the daily rescue of the Savior.

[Paul David Tripp]

Someone Needs to See You Suffer Well

I’ve always viewed suffering as something to be avoided at all costs, not something with a purpose. No one wants to suffer, but Jesus tells us that we will. We won’t escape suffering as long as our feet are planted on this side of heaven. Over the last year, I’ve become very interested in the topic of suffering from a theological perspective. I’m attempting to understand the role suffering plays in a Christian’s life and how God uses those painful moments for His glory and our good. A book I’ve been reading and hope to share more about soon is, “Joy in the Sorrow.” I’ve been simultaneously challenged and amazed as the writers of the book share their stories of suffering and in the same breath proclaim the goodness of God and confess their reliance on Him. In this article, the author calls us to suffer well because others (both Christians and non-Christians) need to see us cling to Lord in the midst of our hard circumstances. If we suffer well, we can point others to the Gospel.

Nothing advances the gospel like suffering. For those who love God, all things not only “work together for good” (Romans 8:28), but work together to perfectly display the wisdom, power, and love of God. Against all our worst fears and assumptions, suffering well actually proves the gospel’s power over and over again, and spurs the spread of the gospel further and faster by inspiring boldness in others.

Don’t assume your suffering is a detour. Suffering may hinder or even halt a hundred things in our lives, but God loves to use our griefs to magnify our small visions of him. And suffering makes the gospel run with a pace unknown in prosperity.

[Desiring God]

What Does the True Christmas Spirit Look Like

This article on what true Christmas spirit is convicted me to the core. It needs no elaboration. I hope you read it and are as challenged by it as I was.

We talk glibly of the “Christmas spirit,” rarely meaning more by this than sentimental jollity on a family basis. But . . . it ought to mean the reproducing in human lives of the temper of him who for our sakes became poor at the first Christmas. And the Christmas spirit itself ought to be the mark of every Christian all the year round.

For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor—spending and being spent—to enrich their fellow human beings, giving time, trouble, care, and concern, to do good to others—and not just their own friends—in whatever way there seems need.

It’s Christmas. It’s the season where Christians celebrate a Savior who gave up everything to come and dwell with broken people. Will I be like Him? Will you? Will we look and find those people in our family, our community, our church, our neighborhood who need love?

[Revive Our Hearts]

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Risen Motherhood Gift Guide

If you’re looking for some great gift ideas, check out the Risen Motherhood Gift Guide. I’ll definitely be picking up some of these items for gifts.

Lies That Keep Women from the Word: Busyness is not the Problem

I don’t think I’ve ever sat down with a group of Christian women who have said they are spending good or even adequate time reading their Bibles and praying. Instead, we always agree that we need to read our Bibles more consistently, get up earlier, and make time for it. Honestly, I made that my New Year’s Resolution at the beginning of 2019–it didn’t stick. Various, lesser things won out–sleeping, watching Netflix, reading a book that’s not the Bible. This article was incredibly convicting for me to read, but painfully accurate. We make time for the things we view as important. I never say I don’t have time to feed my kids–no matter how little sleep I got the night before. So, why do I view spending time with the Lord as a luxury rather than a necessity? Sure, I’m busy, but I make time to eat lunch, to drink my coffee in the morning, to workout. It’s really just a matter of priorities. I pray we would view God’s word as our literal bread of life–something we cannot get through a day without.

When we believe that something is absolutely critical to a healthy and decent life, we don’t excuse not making time for it — in the same way many of us do not ask ourselves every morning if we can find the time to put on underwear or drink coffee. We have the time, we make the time, we assume the time, we use the time. Whatever it takes, we will have the coffee, and we will wear the underwear.

Why, then, does the very fundamental practice of reading the word of God fall so badly by the wayside for many Christians? Because when it comes down to it, we don’t think it actually matters.

[Desiring God]

You Can Be Anxious About Nothing

For the last two weeks, I have been waking up as early as 2 am, unable to go back to sleep because of anxiety. I’ve been worried and anxious about a thousand different things and I just lay in bed thinking on them until the anxiety swells so much within me that I get up and start my day, even if I only laid down a couple hours ago. I co-lead a group of 11th and 12th grade girls at my church and the topic we have been discussing is anxiety (oh the irony). The verse “Do not be anxious about anything,” naturally came up. We discussed how God doesn’t want His children to be filled with anxiety and fear. But yet, as I lay in bed in the wee hours of the morning filled with those very things I don’t take that verse to heart–it seems impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible. This article greatly encouraged my weary heart. I hope it helps you view this verse as a promise that is attainable for you right now rather than an ideal state that’s impossible to achieve this side of heaven.

When we’re hit with the cares of this world, it’s hard to avoid those anxious thoughts. Our God knows. “Do not be anxious about anything” doesn’t mean we will never feel anxious. The verse is telling us what to do with it — give it to God. It reads in its entirety: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

We can be anxious for nothing because in everything — each and every trying situation — we are involving the God of the universe.  As we pray, lingering in God’s presence, everything else has to bow. Prayer silences our anxious thoughts, and positions us to hear from God, including reminders of precious promises such as this: He is faithful.

[Desiring God]

When Motherhood Isn’t Enough

When my twins were born, I left my career as a new attorney and began my new job as a stay-at-home mom. I had prayed I would be able to stay home with my children, and I consider it such a blessing. But that first year, I felt so lost. Not only was I sleep-deprived but I also felt like I had lost my identity. For so long, my identity was wrapped up in my achievements–good grades in college, excelling in law school, landing a great job, impressing the partners at the firm. But when I became a stay-at-home mom no one was evaluating how neatly the laundry was folded and giving me feedback, or how healthy and well-balanced the meals I prepared were (and if my husband had started grading me, I would have been extremely unhappy). But I no longer had any markers for my success or failure and I felt unmoored. I had wrongly placed my identity in my career and then tried to transfer it to motherhood. I was left disappointed and disillusioned. I love how this article points us back to the gospel to find our true identity. I hope it encourages if you currently feel like you’ve lost yourself.

All work, even motherhood, is going to disappoint us. And no work, including motherhood, is enough to save us or satisfy us. Every mother is also a daughter, a worker, and an image-bearer of God with unique talents both at home and also in the wider workplace. The solution to our motherhood problem is the solution to our other problems with work in a fallen world—the gospel.

Motherhood is a blessing, but it isn’t our core identity. Our identity is anchored in Christ—who loves us, redeems us, and renews us daily. The work he gives us isn’t meant to define us. It’s meant to point to and glorify God (Matt. 5:16).

[TGC]

Living in the Tension of Advent

I didn’t grow up in a church that talked a lot about Advent at Christmastime. But this year, I decided I really wanted to focus on the story of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection as a way to keep my heart centered on what the season is really about. I appreciated the author’s explanation of what Advent is and ways we can savor this season and worship the Lord.

Advent is about feeling the weight and need for Christ to have been born in human flesh to save us from our sins. It’s about slowing down to savor His goodness amidst a world of things and messages that vie for our attention. Advent is about treasuring Jesus above all other things. 

Throughout Scripture, God’s people felt seasons of “advent” as they lived in constant tension—a tension that our souls feel even now. The Old Testament is laden with the anticipation of Advent—of expectation, of waiting, of the coming hope for a Rescuer. All of this leads to the pinnacle of anticipation when God sent His Son, Jesus, to be born and live as Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” However, this is not what the people were expecting.

Since Advent is a season of anticipation, a time when God turns our expectations upside-down, expect God to do a great renovation in your heart, but also expect it to be different than you thought it would be. Look for Him in the mundane, in the things that seem to be “going wrong,” and in the everyday occurrences of life. .

[Well Watered Women]

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Extras

Though Dead, He Still Speaks: How Satan Remembers C.S. Lewis

I’ve shared before how much I love C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. This is the latest installment of The Globdrop Letters, patterned after Lewis’ work. I hope you enjoy reading is as much I did.

The eBay Rule

Honestly, a lot of days I struggle to believe that the Lord sees and cares for me in a more personal sense. I have to remind myself of the truth frequently. That He not only sees me and hears me, but deeply cares about even the mundane, little things I worry about. When I refocus my mind on what the Bible says about God’s heart towards me it has a way of putting everything else in perspective. This article was a timely reminder that God cares deeply about His children. “They say the value of something is shown only by what someone is willing to pay for it.” So, what are we worth?

The Apostle Paul makes it very clear just how much God values us: “He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?”

If God gave up his most precious possession to save us, why should we worry about any of the rest of our needs? Why would he rescue us from sin … but not give us help in our marriage? Why supply for us the Holy Spirit … but withhold wisdom from us in our parenting? God sacrificed Jesus to redeem us, and that should change how we perceive what God is doing through and for us.

We do not have to wonder what we’re worth. And we don’t have to worry about our needs. God would not have made that kind of investment—the most costly investment ever made—and then not supply what we need to accomplish his will.

[J.D. Greear]

3 Joys of Marriage

Confession: I dread Christmas parties. Not because I don’t love Christmas or the hosts who are throwing the party. But because I am the most awkward person in the world when it comes to small talk. I. Cannot. Do. It. When I met my husband I quickly realized he was the exact opposite of me. He is a true extrovert who’s favorite event of the season is an annual Christmas party with all of his friends. He has no trouble making small talk and even enjoys meeting new people (I have no idea what that’s like). But our first Christmas together I was so thankful to have him by my side. I no longer had to attempt the awkward “I only see you once a year but let’s try to gloss over the 12 months in a three minute conversation.” My husband was there–smoothing over the interactions. I loved this article because the author talked about three joys that come from marriage and one of them is that we’re no longer alone–amen! I hope this article moves your heart to thankfulness for your spouse. I’ll certainly be rejoicing as the holiday season approaches.

Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran are onto something in their newest single.  In marriage, we can do hard things because we experience safety and security.  Having difficult conversations, facing our fears, and going to the awkward Christmas parties, are possible and made easier with a spouse. The author of Ecclesiastes was right in saying that two are better than one because if one person falls, the other person is there to lift up. 

[TGC]

What Happens to Our Souls When We Are Not Thankful

I’ve been reading through Deuteronomy and have been so impressed by Moses’ continual exhortations for the Israelites to not forget the Lord their God once they reach the promised land. In fact, Moses reminds them of the miraculous ways the Lord provided for them while they were wandering in the desert, urging them to recall those moments when they no longer needed to rely on God to provide their next meal. Once the Israelites reached the promised land they quickly forget all that the Lord had done, became ungrateful, and rebelled. My heart is so much like the Israelites. I so easily forget what God has provided and just ask for more. In this article, the author points us back to the gospel and to God’s graciousness as a remedy for ungratefulness. I pray we would all remember how good God has been to us and our hearts would overflow with gratitude.

Gratitude flows freely from a heart that is full of God, mindful of His great works, and aware of His grace to such unworthy and sinful creatures. The sinner, who hungers and thirsts after righteousness and has been filled by the justifying work of Christ, can find themselves in any harsh situation that this life has to offer and still have hearts that rejoice and are full. On the contrary, the person who forgets God’s great works toward them and begins to think they deserve more can be in the most pleasant of all earthy positions and still live with lean souls.

The same gospel that saves us from our wretched condition is the same Gospel that will fill our souls with joy for all eternity. We are never to forget how great His love is for us that we should be called sons and daughters of God. To live our lives without this truth at the center will bring leanness to our souls that will never be satisfied with anything this world has to offer.

[Fight of Faith]

Want a Miserable Life? Confuse Law and Gospel

The other day, my husband asked me if I thought I was better at accepting grace or giving it. I responded, “I’m terrible at both.” Which is sadly, true. I have a high sense of right and wrong and have been asking God to help me be more gracious to others when their sin affects me. But I am also prone to legalism and tempted to try to earn God’s grace. When I’ve sinned against God and others, I carry the guilt for days and days because it exposes my inability to ever be “good enough” to earn God’s forgiveness. Praise God though that I don’t have to try to earn it. This article so clearly laid out the distinction between the law and the gospel. If you’re like me and are legalistic at heart, I hope it encourages you.

Rightly appropriated, the moral law of God unmasks our self-righteousness and exposes us for who we really are: sinners devoid of the righteousness necessary for salvation, sinners hurtling headlong toward just destruction at the hands of a holy God, sinners in desperate need of a mediator before God.

The law shows us that we have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, revealing our desperate need for grace—both before and after salvation. The law bruises; the gospel heals.

[TGC]

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Extras

Myths About Biblical Discipleship

In this podcast, Kimberly Cummings and Dr. Shelbi Cullen consider nine myths about biblical discipleship and provide nine helpful remedies to solve these myths from the Word of God. [Servants of Grace]

How Not to Find a Mentor

Trying to find a mentor or a discipler can be daunting. Asking an older, wiser person who’s busy to invest time into your life may feel a little awkward. My first several years of marriage, I assumed a woman who was farther along in her spiritual walk would seek me out and ask to mentor me. That didn’t happen. You have to be intentional when searching for a mentor and willing to ask for that person to spend time with you. But it’s such a rich and rewarding relationship, especially within the church. I now have a discipler and several moms who are empty-nesters who graciously give me incredible, godly advice. This article offers great advice for things not to do when searching for a mentor.

One of the beauties of being a Christian is being saved into a new family with many older brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers. We find the “abundance of counselors” in our midst as we commit to Jesus’s body, the church. These seasoned saints can help us become “wise”—not in a general sense, but in the specific shape of Jesus, discipling us to be more and more like him.

Jesus, after all, is the ultimate voice of wisdom. None can replace his role. Many young people I talk to seem to be looking for a Replacement Jesus to call them their “mentor.” All great mentors point us not to themselves, but to our Master Jesus, “the power of God and the wisdom of God” personified forever (1 Cor. 1:24).

[TGC]

4 Lessons on Biblical Hospitality

I always hang my head in shame when the subject of hospitality comes up among Christians. It’s not that I don’t like welcoming people into my home or cooking them a meal. Rather, it’s that I get so hung up on how clean my house is, how complex and delicious the meal is, where everyone will sit, that I make that the focus rather than encouraging those I’ve welcomed into my home. I stress out so much the week prior to hosting that I’m usually so relieved and exhausted when the event is finally over. This article was convicting in the best way possible for me. True biblical hospitality is opening our home to share the gospel, not to impress our guests with our housekeeping abilities. I pray this would free your heart up to open your home if you’re like me and get hung up on the logistics of hosting rather than being truly hospitable.

Opening the doors of our homes in hospitality is the means to invite people into our lives and hearts. And, ultimately, sharing a loaf of bread with others across the dining table creates opportunities to share the Bread of Life with them. The details of hospitality that we get so caught up in are actually the backdrop to the greater story that takes place when we invite others into our homes.

If scrubbing and cleaning our homes in preparation for our guests becomes our focus, we might miss sharing the mess and dirtiness of our lives with others. If our greatest concern is wondering how a group of people will fit in our home, we’ll miss the opportunity to make room in our hearts for others. And if we fret about making the perfect meal to serve, we’ll miss sharing with our guests the only food that truly satisfies.

[Revive Our Hearts]

3 Encouraging Truths about the Presence of God

This article on God’s presence encouraged me greatly. I often forget that God desires deep, intimate relationships with his children. In fact, my default thinking that I have to fight against is that I’m burdensome to the Lord and He would be happier if I wouldn’t bother Him so much. This article reminds me that God has always desired for His children to experience His presence and loves us enough that He makes Himself accessible to us.

We serve a God who is driven to dwell with His people. He is driven to dwell with the rebels who have run from and rejected Him. He is driven to dwell with the legalists and rule keepers who try to earn His favor. He even wants to dwell with all those who think they could be Him or replace Him. This is the ultimate purpose of the grace God gives us: to bring us home to live with Him.

[Facts and Trends]

Your Plans are too Small

If you had asked me a couple of years ago what I wanted, I would have responded something like this, “my husband to have a good, stable job, a healthy family, a comfortable home, and a nice savings account wouldn’t hurt.” But when almost all of those things on my list were put into jeopardy I quickly came to the realization that my plans are small and frankly superficial, while God’s plans are good even if they’re not easily understandable or the way I would choose. As my husband and I continue to seek the Lord’s leading for what He has next for us, I know I want to face this upcoming season not with a list of my comforts but with a courageous heart that is willing to follow wherever my Savior may lead. I hope this article encourages you as much as it did me.

While Christians are quick to say, “Yes, we want to follow Jesus!”, it’s far too easy to let our own plans dictate our direction, rather than surrender to our Saviour and truly submit to his leading. Perhaps this is because we have let the world and its preoccupation with self cloud our thinking. Perhaps it’s because we compare our lives with the Christians around us and assume we’re on track because our lives look a lot like theirs. Perhaps it is because we fear the personal cost of following Jesus. Maybe it’s all three.

In the midst of unfulfilled expectations for my life, God has shown me that fullness of joy is found in His presence, not in proximity of family, reliable jobs, a comfortable savings account, home ownership, a happy marriage, or comfortable retirement: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:10) In his unfolding plans for my life, he has satisfied me in ways that my plans never could.

[TGC]

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