Beautiful in Christ. . . for free

So there is a new show debuting tonight called "The Price of Beauty." Jessica Simpson apparently travels all around the world to find out what makes women feel beautiful in different cultures. From the preview on last night it also seems like she talks to some young girls who struggle on very deep levels with not feeling beautiful at all. . .

And it made me sad. Because there is nothing that she can tell these girls that will ultimately help them to feel secure and comfortable in their own skin. I am sorry, but no amount of positive self-talk or encouragement makes a girl who feels ugly suddenly release her fears and insecurities. I know that this is one of Satan's greatest weapons against us, girls. He makes us feel so insignificant; so very far from the ideals that are placed upon us.

And in doing so, he drives a wedge between us and God. We become so consumed with our outer appearance (and how people perceive us) that we completely lose sight of who we are in Christ. We forget that it was our Maker and Savior who created us this way in the first place. . .

It might be interesting to watch the show and see what advice Jessica (and the panel of 'experts' that I'm sure she'll have surrounding her) gives to these young women. I wish I could be there to tell them about Jesus.

But at least I can tell you. Every one of you reading this has to know that there is so much more to life than what others think of us! Beauty is defined by our Creator, not by created beings who develop hierarchies to ensure their status.

We have to believe that Jesus is enough, and we have to know that His love covers every insecurity and fear we might ever feel. If you put your hope in the opinions of others you will end up disappointed and discouraged every time. But there is One in Whom you can place all of your hope and never be disappointed. There is One who will never leave you feeling insignificant. . .

Psalm 146

Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.

I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men, who cannot save.

When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,

the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,

the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the alien
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The LORD reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD.

Beautiful, Unspeakable

If you have a moment this morning, check out The Journey blog that I have linked in the left column. Katie just wrote another post that is so encouraging and powerful. . . Such a beautiful testimony to the ways that God is working all over this world.

And you probably noticed the vimeo at the top of the page. . . I was so moved by the simple, powerful truth that was spoken about my God. He is awesome, and so is this little movie (the latter being awesome because of the former=). . . Check it out!

Have a phenomenal day, friends!

Obedience Redefined

So I am thinking more about this whole obedience thing. . . and I'm guessing that you might be confused as to how and why obedience would bring such freedom and joy. In our world it has negative associations, doesn't it? Kids want to rebel from authority, adults want to rebel from structure or expectation or conformity. . . to some level, I think we are all rebelling. We all see obedience as slightly distasteful in many of the circumstances we face.

But I think we completely miss the point when we lump obedience to Christ together with following the standards of this world. When we are suffocated by unrealistic expectations, or when we place those expectations on ourselves - it is draining and ultimately never satisfying. That's because the world's rules aren't made for our good. It isn't good for us to be so consumed with ourselves that we hurt the people around us.

God's rules are different because they were made for our good. God created each and every one of us and He knows how we are meant to function. He knows what is best! Following His design for life on this earth is simply like using a machine for the purpose for which it was created. On the contrary, trying to live life according to the standards of this world is like using a blender to wash your car.

It reminds me of Dancing with the Stars. Do you ever watch that show? It is hilarious. Why? Because you have the opportunity to watch people who were clearly made to dance alongside people who were obviously made to avoid dancing at all costs. It is actually painful to watch some people trying to dance. . . and I'm sure it is all the more painful for the individuals attempting it.

We were all created differently. We will have different gifts and abilities. . . And that is part of God's design for this world! It is through our differences that we exhibit the amazing creativity and nature of our God! But there are also ways that we were meant to function the same.

We were all meant to love and be loved. We were all meant to walk through this life side by side with our Creator. When sin entered the picture it destroyed our perception of God and His purpose for our lives.

Now rules seem bad. Obedience seems like something for the weak, or the goody-too-shoos. But the reality is that when we walk with Christ in obedience, we start functioning the way we were always meant to function. . . and all of a sudden we feel this insane amount of freedom and joy and life in this obedience!!

If you are one who struggles with finding a desire to obey God's standards or live in His ways, take some time to seriously reflect on why God made those standards in the first place.

I would much rather entrust my life to the God who made me and knows exactly how I'm supposed to function than to this world that wants me to strive for something I'll never be able to achieve anyway.

Freedom in Christ through obedience to Christ. Now that, my friends, is where real life begins.

Listen and Obey

Parenthood is a blast - but its hard. I have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, and while I spend a lot of time marveling in their little personalities and sweet spirits, I also face challenges in trying to train them up in the way they should go.

They are both so different that I have to really think through how I respond to them when they disobey. When Caleb was little I could get down low, give him a very stern and serious face, and speak in my "angry mommy" voice when he was naughty. . . and he would usually look straight at me and continue misbehaving (and I'm pretty sure - based on the look on his face - that he was thinking, "Que? No hablo inglese.") If I were to do the same for Alison she would fall to pieces and cry her little heart out over Momma being upset with her.

The end goal is the same (obedience), but the manner in which we achieve it for both of them is different. Ali only needs three magical words: Listen and obey. Usually her behavior immediately changes to ensure that we don't get upset.

I think sometimes I need to hear those same three words. I do a pretty good job of listening (most of the time), but I don't always carry it out in obedience. God has called us to a life of obedience, and it is through this obedience that we experience true intimacy, joy, and fullness in our walk with Him (Jn 14:15, 1 Jn 5:3-4).

But sometimes obedience doesn't come easy. Sometimes it feels like it would take a stern face and an angry voice to wake us up - and even then, sometimes we aren't convinced that obedience is better than what this world has to offer. But just like I love my kids, God loves us. He is patient with us - disciplining us for our own good, drawing us nearer to Him and helping us to see that His ways are better.

Today, I want to listen to what God has for me. And as I listen, I want to follow through with obedience. True life is waiting for me in that place. . . and my Savior is longing to meet me there.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Enough

We had a great service this last Saturday. Per usual the sermon was fabulous. Francis Chan was talking about what God promises us in this life (via video - he hasn't started making weekly trips to Wisconsin yet - but a girl can dream, right?).

There are a lot of people who want God to promise health, wealth and happiness. There are churches that claim that He does promise these things. But if you read the Scriptures carefully, you'll see that those are not promises He makes for our lives here on earth. The truth of the matter is that He promises that our lives will be difficult here. We live in a fallen world, and until Jesus comes back to exercise His official reign over all things, the consequences of sin abound.

So what does God promise to carry us through? Himself. And the question that Francis posed for us was this:

Is that enough for you?

Seriously, is God enough? Do we live like He is enough? Do our words and thoughts and actions communicate to the nonbelievers (and believers) around us that God is enough?

I want to be satisfied with God no matter what difficulties this life may present. I long to find fulfillment and joy in knowing that He is with me no matter what comes.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

In the end, that is all I need to know.


click here for an old post on the same issue. . .

the B-I-B-L-E

I've been having an interesting conversation in the comment section of Friday's post. It is so awesome to have opportunities to express the depth of my convictions and beliefs about God's Word. I am so encouraged when I think about the extent to which I can know and trust that His word is truth. It is freeing to feel its authoritative power in my life. I love the bible!

And the more I talk about it - the more I love it! I think that's true about all of the different aspects of our faith. When we talk about what we believe, (especially to someone who might not agree) it reminds us of all the beautiful, mysterious, awesome details that we tend to take for granted! Philemon 6 says it like this:

I pray that you maybe active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full under- standing of every good thing we have in Christ.

See, the more we share, the more we understand. Rather than getting frustrated and defensive when someone challenges our beliefs, we should be thankful for the opportunity to explain! If you feel completely unqualified and incapable of giving an explanation, that should then serve as motivation to learn more and grow more.

The more I defend the truth of God's word and the reality of this Savior who gave His life for me, the more confidence I have in the authenticity of my faith. I hope that you have that same confidence. . . and I pray that if you don't - you will find opportunities to learn.

And as we stumble upon new opportunities to share what we've learned, we have to expect that there will be many who will not understand or agree. There will always be those who cannot - will not - accept God's word as it is. But that's ok - it isn't my job or your job to convince them. We simply speak what we know is truth, and then we let God do a work through it. There is power in the word because it is truth. . .

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:11

Who am I

Well, if the sunshine isn't enough to brighten your day, you might want to take a few minutes to meditate on your identity in Christ. If you don't remember who you are (and Whose you are) it is way too easy to get caught up in the struggles of life and the distractions of this world.

Ephesians 1:4-5 says this:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Do you feel that? Do you understand what that means? If you have entrusted your life to Jesus then you have become a child of God!! A legitimate heir to the throne of Christ. . . You are chosen, loved, holy, and blameless.

What in this life should we fear if these things are true of us?!?! Nothing! I know that some of you are going through struggles. . . I know that you are hurting - sometimes at the hands of those who are supposed to be loving you and supporting you. But there is a love that can overcome every hurt. There is a destiny that can wipe away the insecurities and fears that so often control us all. . .

I am a child of the King, the bride of Christ, the beloved of my Savior and Lord. I am forgiven, accepted, indwelled, loved, lavished, protected, preserved, and beautiful in the eyes of God. Can you say that? Do you believe that?

Oh, if you are in a place of hurt or fear do not walk away from this computer without getting on your knees and begging God to make those things true in you. . . to transform your heart and life through the knowledge of who you are and Whose you are. And if you aren't even sure if you are a legitimate daughter of the King, then lift your eyes to heaven and ask God to reveal Himself to you. . . beg Him to draw you nearer to Himself that you might become grafted into His family.

Nothing else on this earth will satisfy you, and there is nothing more true and real than this God and this Savior who has promised us all of these things simply through trusting in Him.

Oh, God is good! And I, for one, am walking into this day with my head held high and my heart soaring with gratitude and confidence. I know who I am. I know whose I am. I have nothing to fear.