Tag Archives: Philippians

A Mom’s Inconvenient Truth

  By Rachel | April 25, 2012 - 9:48 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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It wasn’t long ago, maybe a few months.  I called my Mom crying.  I was having one of those no good, very bad, highly unpleasant days- and was feeling so discouraged as a Mom. 

I had tried to do some things with my children and they didn’t work out well- I felt like I spent so much of the day correcting behaviors- I was impatient with my children, I got angry- I was short with them…

I was so disappointed in myself.  And then, to make matters worse, my husband came home and he had a rough day.  He could tell I was crabby and I felt his disappointment when I was short with the kids or impatient.

By the time I left for choir practice, I was near tears.  I called my Mom after choir practice, and balled by eyes out in the car- and had a long talk.

I haven’t forgotten what she told me, and I wanted to share it.

Mom’s don’t really get to have bad days.  When we do, it affects everyone.  We have the potential to create a house full of peace and harmony- or strife.

That’s not to say that we will not have bad days- but we have choices about how to respond to adversity, when circumstances are not working out the way we want. We are teaching our children on our bad days too.

It is a tremendous responsibility, but it is also an honor- to be a peacemaker in your own home- to serve in love and humility, to be poured out as an offering to our families.

Philippians 2:12-18
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

294/365: rain pouring down

No, we can’t do it on our own.  It is not possible.  But with God- yes, I do believe we can do it.  We can serve with joy in our hearts, we can work hard preparing meals and keeping the house clean, even when we don’t feel we get the recognition we deserve.

We are working for the Lord, not for man.  And even if no one else notices how hard we work- God will see our faithful service. (Col. 3:23, Eph. 6:7)

Proverbs 31- Wife of Noble Character

vs.11   her husband has full confidence in her
vs.12   she brings him(her husband) good, not harm all the days of her life
vs.13   works with eager hands
vs.17   sets about her work vigorously, her arms are strong for her tasks
vs.20   opens her arms to the poor and extends her hand to the needy
vs.25   she is clothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come
vs.26   she speaks with wisdom, faithful instruction is on her tongue
vs.27   watches over the affairs of household, is not idle
vs.28   her children arise and call her blessed, her husband also- he praises her

29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Fire

I am finding that being a Mom has plunged me into the refiner’s fire deeper than I have ever gone before- with more intense challenges and struggles.

I could just rationalize my failures, blame others, make excuses- but I want to fall on my knees- confront my sin- and reach out in faith to God, to persevere, to deny self.

Some days, I think- it is not fair-why do I always have to be the one to, I want, why can’t I, I don’t want to…

I am praying for strength to be a Godly Mom, and I need God- oh I need Him now more than ever!

Getting up early, spending time daily in His Word and praying- being thoughtful about how I spend my day- examining what I spend my time doing- seeking Godly wisdom and advice.

I want to be a woman who fears the Lord and lives to please Him first.  He is good- He is faithful.

I need to do my part- spend time with Him, seek Him, love Him, adore Him- be daily reminded that He is GOD- and I am not.

I want to hope and strive for things beyond my own strength- to give praise and honor and glory to God.

May my life honor Him- and point others toward Jesus.

 

Rejoice, again I say rejoice!

  By Rachel | April 16, 2012 - 2:34 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Jumping Silhouettes [Explored #420 02-21-2012]
Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I love this passage.  Rejoice!  What does that mean?  Filled with joy, delight- to be exhilarated, lively.

When was the last time you rejoiced?  We pray for answers from God- but do we rejoice when we hear from Him?  Do we rejoice with each other?  We should!

God has been laying this on my heart- b/c this season of life has lead to a lot of tears, a lot of growing pains, heavy conviction- recognizing some areas of my life that need to be surrendered to Christ.

But I have forgotten to have joy- to consciously make a choice to do so.  Rejoice!  Dance around- celebrate what the Lord has done.  Read your journal (if you have one) remember when God provided.

Do you keep a list of prayer requests?  Write down when God answers them and look back to see what He has done for you- we know that we are a forgetful people- we need to take time to remember.

Do you celebrate when a friend or loved one surrenders their life to Christ?  We are told that they rejoice in heaven- we should be rejoicing here.  Throw a party!

One of the things I have discovered about reading and studying God’s Word- and seeking Him in prayer- is that many times I will heed what He tells me or teaches me more readily than when a Christian brother or sister gives the same advice.

It would have been hard if I was pouring my heart out and crying- and a friend said, get over it and just rejoice!  (and we are supposed to weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn (Rom 12:15)).

But sometimes when we are at our lowest- when the worries and cares of the world threaten to break us- when we are weary…we need to rejoice- to remember who God is and what He has done.

It is an act of the will sometimes- not emotionally what we want to do- but a choice to praise and worship God even when we don’t want to.

It keeps my heart tender towards Him- I don’t know if your heart has ever hardened towards the Lord- but I have experienced that in my own life.  Doubts or hurts have made me question for a time- why?  Or do you really care God?  Do you see my suffering? ( I usually spend a lot of time in Psalms during those seasons.)

Later- these questions seem so selfish, even foolish to me.  When I look at all God has done for me- but God can handle our honesty- and we need to support and love each other through those seasons.

Before I close up today’s post, I want to go back to Philippians 4 again.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

One of the reasons I love gardening is that being in and around God’s creation reminds me of how much he loves me.  I see the uniqueness, the beauty of each flower- of towering trees reaching to the heavens, of birds singing and butterflies meandering through the yard- and I think of the verse about the lilies.
Lilies
Matthew 6:28-34 (NLT)

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

So I pray that today- whatever your circumstances- that you would rejoice in the Lord- in what He has done- and in the confidence that He will continue to be faithful.

Easter Lily

Christ’s Humility

  By Rachel | April 4, 2012 - 6:51 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Cross, Sunset, Holy Island, Northumberland
Remembering can be transformational.  We are a forgetful people.  We so easily forget how God carried us, how He answered prayers- all that He promised and how He lovingly fulfilled each one.  We forget His perfect sacrificial love.

Today, I am taking time- and pray that you may do the same- to remember all that God has done- to remember answered prayers, to remember those valleys when He carried me.

And most of all to remember the cross of Calvary- to consider a depth of love that suffered humiliation, scorn, torture, and shame for our sakes- with no word spoken in His defense.

Let us endeavor to live lives that bring honor and glory to our Savior and Risen Lord.

Philippians 2:1-11 Imitating Christ’s Humility

1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

 6 Who, being in very nature God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!

 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
   and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.

 

On a parting note- another favorite Easter hymn- sometimes my own words are inadequate- and I instead seek Scripture and song to express my thanksgiving for all God has done to save us all from sin and death.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of Glory died;
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.

2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ, my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

3. See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown.

4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

You Gotta Keep Them Separated: Part 2

  By Rachel | February 4, 2012 - 1:58 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Where do you place your trust?  Who do you go to in a crisis?  When fear grips you and you feel that gnawing down in your gut- what do you do?

I turn to the Lord.  And I will tell you why.  Because when the government passes laws I don’t agree with, when evil seems to be winning, when hatred and anger grow- I remember His promises.

Psalm 9 is a great passage about nations who disobey God-and it reminds me to pray for our nation- that we may turn to God- and as the songs says “kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there’s something about that name.”  Psalm 22 is another great psalm to read when you are feeling discouraged by all the lying and manipulation- (for instance, politicians only saying what they need to for the votes and then doing whatever they want when they get elected)

Psalm 9:1-10

1 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right and my cause,
sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.

7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 22:26-31

26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!

There are many others- just search nations using a Bible search like BibleGateway.com and you can see some of the other passages (there are a very large number in Psalms).

When I get into heated discussions with people, and am tempted to be rude or sarcastic- I remember these words from 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 2 is such a great passage, I encourage you to read all of it, but I will focus on some specific verses.

14… Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene…

22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Phillipians 2 is another great passage, talking about humility and avoiding needless arguments.

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

I still get into arguments with people- and I get angry and say hurtful things sometimes- I envy what my neighbor has sometimes- when times are tough financially- when those unexpected expenses make things stressful.  I feel helpless sometimes when the govt. passes bills I don’t agree with and I feel helpless to do anything about it.  Sometimes I feel like no one cares about the social issues that tear my heart out.  Sometimes friends say things about me b/c I have different views than them- or they post articles that imply I am ignorant for holding the beliefs that I do- and it hurts.  But how I handle those situations is a reflection of my character- and where I place my faith- and who’s opinion truly matters.

I try whenever I can to let God’s Word stand alone.  For I find that it says things much better than I ever could.  Most of all I hope that we can all love each other despite our differences- and never stop having compassion and kindness, in humility considering others more highly than ourselves. (Phil 2:3-4)