Balancing Act

“Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6

Question:  What does an unbalanced wheel and a person’s unbalanced life have in common? 

Answer:  They both will wear out faster if not balanced properly. 

Just like a wheel needs counter weight to create a smooth rotation, our lives need to be balanced otherwise our life will spin out of control. When we are not balanced with a handful of work and a handful of rest, we too will begin “bouncing on the road” and we will wear out faster.  This is not our loving heavenly Father’s desire for us – living a balanced life brings glory to God as it reflects His desire to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11). Unfortunately, I have not always taken my own advice and I have paid a price for not carefully regulating my rest times. 

In my book, A Stroke of Love, I share how I learned the “hard way” of living unbalanced.  Sometimes, God’s love for us causes Him to step in and provide the balance that His children need – He lovingly did that for me and the lessons I have learned will not soon be forgotten.  “The answer is to work hard but with moderation. Take time to enjoy the other gifts God has given and realize that it is God who gives out the assignments and the rewards, not us.” Bible Commentary

Do you have one handful of rest and one handful of work?  If you do, praise God, you are a wise soul.  If you don’t, take heart, as rarely are we in perfect balance continually. I have learned that as soon as a car drives off with newly balanced tires, they begin to get out of balance almost immediately as every bump and corner affects the balance of the tire.  Just like a tire needs to be balanced regularly; our life needs to be rebalanced regularly as there are many “bumps” in the road of life. 

Thankfully, we have a heavenly Father who lovingly shows us if we need to work more diligently or if we need to rest more intentionally.

FATHER, thank you that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Help us to live life with the purpose of bringing pleasure to You. Thank you for the times that you have led us to green pastures and thank you for the gift of work. We love You – In Jesus’ Name we pray – Amen.

Breaking Bones

“Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.” Proverbs 25:15

Gentleness is named as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. One of the definitions of gentleness is to ennoble; dignify. Whenever we treat people with gentleness we dignify our fellowman. Sometimes the last thing we want to be is gentle – especially if we are not getting our way. But the Bible encourages us that we don’t always need to be severe or harsh in our responses. In fact, the Bible tells us that if we are patient, a soft tongue can persuade a ruler. May I also add that a gentle tongue can speak to a discouraged heart?

When I think of gentleness, I can’t help but to recall a story in 1 Kings beginning in chapter 19. It is a story about a man named Elijah who was a prophet of God and who was a man of great faith. However, after he experienced two wonderful spiritual victories, a woman named Jezebel threatened his life and he became so afraid of her, that he ran for his life. Elijah ran to a place called Beersheba in Judah and when he arrived he prayed to God that he might die.  Elijah was so fatigued and discouraged that he said, “I have had enough, LORD, take my life...” The Bible tells us that God prescribed physical rest and good food for his discouraged heart.

What I love the most about this story is what took place in I Kings 19:10-13. The LORD said to Elijah,“Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." The Bible said, "Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”  It is evident that God not only reveals Himself in powerful miraculous ways, but God’s voice is also in the gentle sound of a whisper. 

The Bible tells us that Elijah recognized the gentleness of God’s voice and that helped him hear the encouragement he needed which enabled him to complete his destiny!

If you or someone you know is discouraged, remember that what a discouraged heart needs more than anything is a peaceful sleep, a good meal, and a gentle word.

If you are having a hard time communicating your point of view with a difficult person, remember don’t physically break their bonesJ, instead try the power of a gentle tongue.

“God is often found gently whispering in the quietness of a humbled heart.”  (Bible Commentary)

 

"Why,Why,Why,Why,Why"

“Search me God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

This weekend my husband and I had an interesting conversation regarding a pamphlet he read. The article stated that over time car manufacturing companies have learned to improve their processes in building quality products. The conversation quickly turned to how we could apply the methods described in the pamphlet to our life.

The pamphlet stated that whenever there was a break down in the manufacturing of a product, they learned that they needed to get to the root of the problem in order to identify the cause. The companies found that if they did not get to the root cause, they ended up masking the problem in order to quickly move the product through the process resulting in possible recalls and a product less than quality.

Here is the part that is interesting and can be applied to our lives.  What they learned was that in order to identify the root cause of the break down in the process, they needed to repeatedly ask the question “why” until a root cause was identified. They found that the first answer as to “why” something happened was often the answer with the least value.  But if they kept asking themselves “why” and with each answer becoming more honest, they would get to the root of the problem.

“The process is often compared to the peeling of an onion, layer by layer the answers get closer and closer to the core of the issue.  Another parallel is that the longer one peels the more likely there will be tears, as the first answer is the answer that most people will be comfortable with.”  FMEA Handbook

As my husband and I were discussing this, we couldn’t help but see the connection in addressing issues related to human behavior.  Many times we too when confronted with problems in our lives and when asked “why” will blame other people or things for our wrong behavior as a defensive mechanism; we know that if we truly addressed the issue there would be pain to us just like the peeling of an onion as we move closer to the core of the issue.

God never wants us to mask any issue in our life - He loves us too much for that!  He knows that when we are honest with ourselves before Him, this is when He can reveal the root cause to us, and then the true issue can be identified and the healing can begin.

The next time you are frustrated or feeling like life is causing you to lose your peace, don’t try to quickly fix the problem by masking it will comfortable explanations.  Instead ask yourself “why” at least five times because remember...the first time you ask yourself “why”, more than likely it will be the answer with the least value.  Let God help you peel away the layers to get to the real root cause of the issue that is impacting your peace.  And in the tears, you will find the answer.

Dear FATHER, You have perfect knowledge of man – such knowledge is too wonderful for me.  Thank you that even though You know us completely, You love us anyways. Thank you for Your patience and for always wanting only the best for all of us.  Help us to be humble enough to face the truth that You already know.  We love You and in Jesus’ Name we pray – Amen.

“...and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:24

Start Small

“Do not despise small beginnings....” Zechariah 4:10

This scripture reminds me of when my husband and I first got married.  We wanted to buy a house that had a nice size yard and a garage. However, whenever we looked at properties, the type of houses my husband and I desired were way beyond our means.  Over the years we realized that it would be wise to start with something, however small it may be - with or without a yard or a garage. (Our first home purchased was a cozy 640 square feet and a carport:))

It took us five years to come to that wise conclusion of “starting”.  Sometimes when we have a desire, goal or a dream, we keep putting it off because the circumstances are not “just right”.

What dream, goal, desire or ministry has God place on your heart that you have put aside until a better time comes along or until the circumstances in your life settle down a bit?  The following quote by Donald S. Whitney, has served as an inspiration to both my husband and I whenever we felt God has called us to a specific task:“We often find ourselves thinking ....when life settles down a bit, I’ll....but we should have learned by now that life never settles down.  Whatever we want to accomplish, we must do with life unsettled.”

If God has placed a desire on your heart, today is the perfect time to start.  Start small and move in the direction that God is leading you in – however small of a step that may be:)!

P.S. Has God put a desire in your heart to read and study the entire Bible in one year? Start today! Day one: Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..............”

 

 

 

Don't Give Up!

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16

May I share a story with you that I pray will inspire you to never give up praying even if the answers to your prayers don’t come immediately?  You may have heard of this story before, but every time I hear it, I am reminded of the importance of persistent prayer.

The story is about a wealthy insurance broker who was caught up with gold fever and headed to Colorado along with some of his friends to invest in a mining venture.  They formed a corporation and bought expensive equipment to mine a wealthy vein of gold ore in Colorado. I read this story in the book, Effective Prayer Life, by Chuck Smith.  Chuck Smith shares that after the corporation paid off its debts, the vein of gold ran out.  The investors continued to mine, but in the process, ran themselves back into debt again while finding no gold.  In their frustration, they decide to sell the mine and all of the equipment to a junk dealer for only a few hundred dollars.

The junk dealer hired a geologist and the geologist came back with a report which stated: “If you’ll dig three feet past the point where they quit you’ll find that same vein of gold.”  The junk dealer became the wealthiest mine owner in the state of Colorado.  Chuck Smith said, “Just three more feet! I wonder how many times we, too, stop three feet short of victory.”

Chuck Smith shared this important insight, “Many times we give up a little bit too soon.  Whenever Satan begins losing his grip he makes a last, desperate lunge. This is when we all too often become tired and give up, quitting just short of victory.”

What have you been praying for?  Have you become discouraged because a great concern on your heart goes unanswered?  Or, has a great concern you have been praying for seem to be getting worse?  Don’t give up!  We are to keep praying until we see the answer or until God has given us a peace in our heart about an unchanged situation. This is called resting in His will and trusting His ways more than ours.  I can assure you that God will answer us according to His best for our situation – which is always better than ours! Remember, your fervent prayers accomplish great results – don’t give up!

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I Will Care For You

“I will be your God through all your lifetime, yes, even when your hair is white with age.  I made you and I will care for you.  I will carry you along and be your Savior.” Isaiah 46:4

One day, our pastor shared with us how sometimes we know we have a need - but we don’t know exactly what that need is until we see it and experience it.  He shared an example of one day while he was at home, he knew he was craving something  - but couldn’t put his finger on what it was until his son walked into the room with a tall glass of ice water.  As soon as he saw it, he said, “That is exactly what I want and what I need.” 

God not only knows what we need physically, but He knows what we need emotionally and spiritually.  Yesterday morning, the LORD pointed me to the scripture above and as soon as I read it, it was like a tall refreshing glass of ice water on a scorching day.  God’s words were just what I needed and I felt the care of the Lord. Later in the afternoon, His Words continued to refresh me as God showed me the same scripture through a book that I had not picked up for several years. 

Have you seen and felt God’s care for you? He knows your every need even before you know it and goes before you to provide and care for you.

Has God provided a smile to you from your child?

Has God provided a cool place for you when it was scorching hot outside?

Has God provided helping hands to carry your heavy loads when you were weary?

Has God provided you with a time of fellowship that has enriched you and lightened your heart?

Maybe this evening you may want to step outside and look up into the heavens and remind yourself of the One who created all the stars for us to enjoy. The Bible says in Isaiah 40:26, “He brings the stars out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.”

Today be encouraged as you remember that not a single star is missing and not a single day goes by without His tender care for you.  He not only walks with you but He has promised to carry you throughout your lifetime – even when your hair is white with age!  

HEAVENLY FATHER, thank you for knowing what we need before we ask You.  Thank you for providing and meeting those needs at the right time  - just when we need it.  LORD, may you use us to show Your love and care to those around us and may You receive the glory that is due to Your Name.   In Jesus’ Name I pray – Amen.

 

 

Praise is Coming!

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”Psalm 42:11

Isn’t this a great scripture?!  The writer of this Psalm was feeling distressed and agitated – he was disturbed within his soul.  He was not at peace with himself or his situation.  We can all relate to this writer’s feelings at one time or another as life can give us many reasons to feel dejected in spirit – there is no question of that! However God, through this scripture, gave us an antidote for when we feel "downcast”.

When our soul is downcast, we have focused our thoughts on our inability to help ourselves or others.  But watch what the psalmist said to himself. The psalmist said, “Put your hope in God”. The word “put” means to move or place anything so as to get it into or out of a specific location or position.  The psalmist moved his thoughts off of his inability and placed his thoughts onto God’s ability to help him.  

When we focus our thoughts on God’s ability, this is hoping in God! And when we are hoping in God, we will say as the psalmist said, "Praise is coming!".

Dear friends - praise is coming!  Our loving, heavenly Father describes the peace He wants us to have like a river; a peaceful, easy flowing river.  Do you have this kind of peace in your soul today?  If you don’t, may I encourage you to put your hope in God and join in with the psalmist, “For I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God!”

FATHER, Keep us as the apple of your eye and may the hope you give us cause praises to rise up within us.   FATHER, if any of my friends who are reading this today have the spirit of heaviness, I pray that in the Name of Jesus, you will give them a garment of praise.  In Jesus’ Name I pray – Amen.