Comparing

Do you compare yourself to others? Who do you compare yourself to? Other women? Other minister’s wives? Your mother? Your mother-in-law? Your sister? When you compare yourself to others do you sometimes find yourself lacking? And then other times do you find you are “better” than “they” are?

Last weekend I lead several breakout sessions at Indiana’s SBC women’s retreat. The Thursday night before the conferences began on Friday morning, all of the speakers met for dinner, prayer and sharing. As each woman was sharing about what she was speaking on….I was comparing myself to her! “She is so much more spiritual than I am.” “Her topic is much more interesting and challenging than mine is.” “She is more creative, smarter, cuter….and on and on.” By the time I left the dinner that night I had convinced myself that I had no business being there and that no one would come to any of my sessions much less get anything out of them!!

What in the world!! It seems like I am forever comparing myself to others and always finding myself coming up short. I look around (instead of up!!) and I think, “Why can’t I sing and play the guitar?” Be smarter? Cuter? Richer? More athletic. Have curly hair? Be more creative. Funnier, and on and on it can go!!

When we compare, it is sin!! When I compare—I become discontented!!! Discontentment is sin. I must confess it and turn from it!

Honestly, most of the time when I compare and find myself not as spiritual or as smart or as cute or whatever it is….it is true! They ARE more spiritual and smarter and cuter….the point is what does my mind say then? The enemy tells me that I should give up speaking. That I am a terrible pastor’s wife. That I am useless. BUT I believe God would have me take my eyes off of myself and turn the lies into truths. I must change my words to "Thank you God that they are so spiritual, smart, beautiful, etc." Does this make sense? Instead of beating myself up….I must keep my eyes on the Potter…not on the other Pots! I must be grateful for the work He is doing in the lives of others instead of comparing myself to them.

Isaiah 45:9 says, “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker…will the clay say to the Potter, “What are you doing?...”

Stop and think for a moment. On a scale from 1 to 5, do you compare yourself to others??

The Pastor’s Wife Gets Saved

My post today is a little different.  It is not about loving Jesus and chocolate.  It is not about some crazy stunt I have pulled or some blonde moment that I have had.  It is a very personal experience that I feel God is leading me to share-my salvation story.  You see, I was the pastor’s wife who got saved.

 I grew up in a Christian home where my parents made sure my brother and I were in church every Sunday and Wednesday.  We were RAs, GAs , Acteens,  and involved in youth programs.  When I was in the 6^th grade, I remember the pastor coming to our home to present the gospel to me.  At that time I was a very shy person.  (I know that is is hard for my friends to imagine!)  I don’t think I fully understood what I was doing when I prayed the sinner’s prayer and walked the aisle of the church.  I don’t even fully recall my baptism except my brother was baptized too.

 After my husband and I married and we were in seminary, I began to struggle with my salvation experience.  I knew the bible, believed in God, but every time the invitation was given at church, my heart would pound out of my chest.  In attempts to end this struggle, I rededicated my life several times over the next several years.

 
It is said that a child will lead them.  This statement is so true, because during a revival when my children were young, they both accepted Jesus as their Savior.  However, it was my youngest son who simply told my husband that he believed in Jesus and then explained how to be saved.  There was no denying that our five year old was ready.  He made it look to easy and was so sure of his decision.  However, I was really struggling with what the evangelist preached.

 The next day was a hot, humid south Arkansas day and my heart was so troubled.  I decided that working in the yard would stop the agony I felt, but boy, was I wrong.  Over the next three hours I talked out loud to God.  I argued that I was saved as a child.  I got mad at God for how I was feeling.  I finally could not take it anymore.  I recalled how the evangelist spoke of a perfect peace.  I realized then I had never experienced this type of peace.  Right there in the middle of mowing my backyard with sweat dripping from my face I asked Jesus to be my Savior and bring a peace that surpasses all understanding to my heart.  Girls, the peace that immediately flooded my heart was unbelievable.

I was so scared of what my husband would say when I shared what had happened to me that day.  Although he was surprised at how I had felt about my childhood experience, he fully supported my decision.  Together, we presented me to our church for membership and baptism.  It is so unnerving for me because I felt I would be judged.  However, the church body came forward to embrace me.  I heard story after story of how other people had experienced the same doubt.

Although I am not a person who can just walk up to people, over the years I have shared my story with other people who are struggling.  I do not tell them that their experience was not real.  I simply tell them that if they are unsure of their salvation that Jesus is still waiting to provide them eternal life and perfect peace.  It has been my joy to see several of my dear friends come to know Jesus through sharing my salvation story with them.  I do not take credit because I believe God used my story to let others see that it is never too late.

 Why God is prompting me to tell you my story I do not know.  However, I do know that He has a purpose for it. 

"Quiet Times"

I tend to overdo; be too busy.  I often get so stretched in all the activities of ministry and life that I become totally useless.  In fact, it is very difficult and frustrating for me to not to “do.”  I sometimes wonder if my indulgence in chocolate has produced some form of chocolate hyperactivity syndrome. 

 Currently, we are living in a small, fully furnished rental house while we wait for our home in Tennessee to sell.  I feel unsettled and restless.  My servant’s heart is feeling useless as I sit and twiddle my thumbs.  Sometimes I find myself bemoaning our circumstances instead of praising God for supplying for our need. 

Recently, I was reminded to thank God for the “quiet times” He provides.  For a servant like me, this "quiet time" makes me feel isolated from the world.  If you too possess the spiritual gift of service, do you too question why God would create us with a servant’s heart and make us sit still?  I am embarrassed to say this but there are days when I do absolutely nothing but read.

 However, although I am not daily active in our church here (the distance between our rental and the church prevents such) or working with ministers wives around the state (our state is struggling to have a support system for wives), I can still trust God to know what is best for me.  He wants me to be still, focus on what He is doing in His time, and know He is God.  Besides, I have a feeling that very soon God is going to say, "Quiet time is over, Princess.  Let's get moving."

Something that is Better than Chocolate

Peals of laughter.  Shrieks and squeals.  Total shock.  Lots of jumping up and down.  I think that pretty well covers the scene that took place a few weeks ago in a city park during a family photo shoot.   I destroyed all the peace and quiet in this park when Stephen and Robyn announced that they were having a baby. 

I did not fully grasp what was going on until Stephen showed me the video he took with his phone.  Now girlfriends, this former cheerleader got a few feet off the ground to say the least.  The video has now been posted on my Facebook page and on YouTube (see Vickie Lee Going Crazy, vid-20120128-00000).  I told my family that I was going to charge a dollar per viewing in order to start a Vegas fund.  No, I am not going out there to gamble.  This is where my son and his wife are stationed and where my grandbaby will be born.

As I am still trying to wrap my hands around this new era of life, I find myself asking this question:  Why don’t we get all excited and jump for pure joy when someone comes to know Jesus as their Savior?  I know a lot of congregations who smile and say “Amen” when someone is presented for church membership through salvation.  I personally think we should shout “Amen” and give God a big round of applause for the miracle of a lost soul saved.

As you know my mind works in weird ways probably from all the chocolate I eat, however, this is the scene I envision that might take place in heaven when someone is saved.    God, the Creator of the universe, is sitting on the edge of His throne looking down on mankind in anticipation.  On his right side is his only son, Jesus, whose scars are evident and whose heart is pleading with one of his lost sheep.  The angels hover and the heavenly choir is hushed.   Finally, a lost human soul says, “Lord, forgive me of my sins and be my Savior.”  Suddenly, the heavens erupt in joyous celebration.  God the Father is hugging Jesus, the Son.  The angels are high fiving each other and doing somersaults.  The saints of old with people from all walks of life are laughing, shouting, and jumping up and down.  The heavenly choir sings “Halleluiah” from the tops of their voices.   

Now girlfriends, if me finding out I am going to be a grandmother brought out this much excitement in me; I am quite ashamed that I do not celebrate like this when someone is saved.  Nothing can compare to Jesus not even being a grandmother who adores chocolate.

Have a blessed day!

Seasons

It’s the middle of winter; spring is still several weeks away, yet before we know it, flowers will be in bloom, the grass will become green again, and everything that once looked lifeless will awake from its winter hibernation. I love the seasons, and those of us who live in the south experience the four seasons to some degree. Just as God created the seasons of nature, He also gave us seasons in our lives.

In my present season, my husband and I still have two kids at home to raise, a teen-ager and a pre-teen. Whew! In today’s culture, that is a very daunting task, to say the least, but we will survive. We love our girls, but at each age, raising children brings joy and some very real challenges.

Some of you ladies are empty-nesters; I have heard from those who have gone through this season, that it brings mixed emotions; sometimes joy (Yea! They are finally out of the house), to confusion (What am I suppose to do now?), to sadness (I miss taking care of my kids!). It will be a little while longer before I can relate to this season…I sometimes wonder how I might feel.

Some of you dear sisters are newly married, or starting families and have very young kids at home. I call that the season of “beginnings”, when you experience adjusting to a new spouse, or becoming a mom for the very first time; I remember those days.

Some of you are in your golden years, enjoying retirement, spoiling grandchildren, or maybe perhaps having to take care of an elderly parent or relative. Also, with aging comes our very own health issues…new aches and pains that seem to spring up quite frequently!

Whatever season of life you find yourself in, make the most of it. At every age, God has a plan for our lives. One of my favorite Scriptures in the whole Bible is Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” In every season it’s good to know that with the Lord we have hope and a future.

So ladies, enjoy your season!

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Our Greatest Valentine

Well ladies, it’s that time of year again. . .hearts, flowers, candy, maybe dinner, and red, red everywhere! I actually don’t mind all the red; it happens to be my favorite color! I hope you all have a very nice heart day, and that you get a great gift from that special someone. But if Valentine’s Day 2012 turns out to be just another day, we can celebrate the fact that we have the Greatest Valentine ever. What do I mean?

We can take Valentine’s Day and make it a special day to celebrate the lover of our souls, the Lord Jesus Christ! To honor the Lord, I wanted to come up with an acronym for V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E, so here it goes:

V – HE is VICTORIOUS….He conquered sin and the grave!

A – HE is ALMIGHTY….There is no one more powerful!

L – HE is LOVE…The apostle John expressed it so well when he proclaimed that God is Love!

E – HE is ETERNAL…He lives forever, and we will also live forever with Him in heaven!

N –HE is NEAR…..He is available to all those who call upon His name!

T –HE is TRUTH…..He cannot lie, and we can always trust His words!

I – HE is IMMUTABLE…..He cannot change; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

N –HE is the only NAME by which we must be saved….Salvation is in Him alone!

E – HE is EXALTED…..His glory fills all of the earth!

Let’s celebrate JESUS!! HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Time

Ladies, it is hard to believe that 2012 is already about a month and half old! Where does the time go? Sometimes it does seem that the older you get, the faster time flies; of course, we know that this is not literally true, it just appears that way. But why is that? I imagine that as we get older, we sometimes have a lot of things on our minds and on our “plates”, a lot of activities going on with our families, churches, jobs, communities, etc. All these things seem to compete for our attention. As we attempt to deal with everything going on in our lives, before we know it, a day has gone by, a week, a month, a year, two years, a decade!

In this era of smart phones, ipads, ipods, and similar electronic devices, many of us can schedule events or to-do lists at the click of a button or by typing a few words on a keypad. (I must admit, I still operate in the “stone age” since my day planner on my desk serves the purpose for me. . . not very techno savvy, but it gets the job done!) So with all of this help to keep things on task, why do we still struggle?

Have you ever stopped to contemplate this thing called “time”? We all have it; some of us wish we had more of it. We all are given 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, yet we still frequently complain that we don’t have enough time to get all our tasks done. Perhaps, we need to spend some time with the Creator of time to help us budget our time.

The Lord is concerned with every detail of our lives, including how we spend our time. In fact, He tells us in Ephesians 5:16 to “make the most of your time”(NASB). Also, the passage in Luke 10:38-42 is a classic example of what the Lord commends as the best use of our time. Ladies, you are familiar with the story. . . Martha is busy doing all these things for Jesus, and Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet, soaking up His every word. The Lord rebukes Martha for all her distracted busyness and commends Mary for taking the time to learn from Him. We all at times have many things to do, but it makes sense to sit at Jesus’ feet and let Him direct our days. Martha was too preoccupied with her many preparations; she merely needed to spend time with the Lord first, letting Him speak to her heart.

I have learned that when I give my days to the Lord, busy or not so busy, it’s amazing that I have all the time to do all the things I NEED to do. Some things may have to wait until another day. When your days seem overwhelming, sit at the Lord ‘s feet in prayer and in His Word, and watch how you have SUFFICIENT TIME to carry out the necessary tasks of the day.

“There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won’t take it away from her.” Luke 10:42 (New Living Translation)

Valentine Banquet

Tonight we're having our annual Church Valentine Banquet. My husband and I began this tradition four years ago. He and I cook the food and serve the people. The menu is homemade lasagna, salad and bread. We ask the guests to bring drink and desserts.

We also arrange for entertainment. In previous years, Bro. Al Mahan from Smithville, TN provide the musical entertainment. (Google him and book him if you get a chance.) This year we are looking forward to our entertainment-- Dr. Farris Jordan; a motivational speaker from Knoxville, TN. We have been privileged to hear him at several conferences and every time we have laughed so hard it brought tears to our eyes. (Google him....he is available for bookings too.)

I am telling you all of this because....this simple little event has made a GREAT IMPACT and a GREAT DIFFERENCE in our ministry at Whites Creek Baptist Church. This is a time where we let our hair down and enjoy each other's fellowship in a very casual, relaxed atmosphere. Over the past four years, we have grown in numbers and also grown closer together as a church family. Remember....we are bi-vocational, so we minister to a smaller church. The first year, we had approximately 25 that attended. This year, we have over 80 that have signed up. (The members are allowed to bring prospects.)

Not ONLY is it a GREAT time for our members to grow closer together, it is a WONDERFUL time to reach out to prospects. Sometimes it is easier to get them to attend a "social setting" than preaching for the first time. This year, we have at least 8 couples attending our banquet that do not attend church regularly anywhere else. Please pray for them.

Sometimes....simple little things make a HUGH DIFFERENCE. I know all of you have stories to share...........what are some of the "little things" that you and your husband have done in your ministry to make a difference in the moral of the congregation? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Valentines

LOVE IS IN THE AIR....



HAPPY EARLY VALENTINE'S DAY
Celebrate,Tuesday, February 14, 2012!!

Protecting Our Marriages - Part 2

Protecting Yourself from Other Men....

Women are different from men. Most men focus on visual and physical. Women focus on emotions and if we are not careful, we will find ourselves caught up and guilty of adultery. You may feel like you are not in danger at all. Let’s stop and look at the big picture and re-think that. We are ALL IN DANGER and MUST protect ourselves. Satan will attack women different from men, but he will attack both of us.

1. Beware of emotional adultery. Most women, especially pastor’s wives will say that they are not in danger, but sister, is there a particular man meeting your emotional needs ---more than your husband? Do you find yourself looking forward to the attention of another man be it at work, at the gym, at church or anywhere else? Is he feeding your ego, encouraging you, showing care for you and filling your head with warm words. Do you enjoy spending time with him and enjoy his company? BUT…you say, we are not doing anything wrong…This is what Satan would like for you to believe. If you had to move away or if he had to move away, would you miss him? If your answer is yes, then you had better WATCH OUT. Remove yourself from the situation even if it means quitting your job or quitting the activity that puts you in each other's company. You are playing with fire and are in danger of emotional adultery which eventually leads to physical adultery.

2. Don’t spend time alone with another man. Do not give Satan that chance to temp you. Sin demands opportunity. Just like it is foolish for our husbands to counsel women alone (they should either invite us to join them or another man or at least leave the door open while others are close by)….it is also foolish and dangerous for us to put ourselves in that position of being alone with another man. I know…it seems silly, but it is better to look silly and be overly cautious than to later be sorry. Never give Satan room to destroy us. At the same time, be careful with the computer. Technology is a wonderful tool, but Satan has used it in facebook, emails, messaging, etc. to destroy many home. Do to allow the same to happen to you. It is EASY to type or text the exact words the other person wants to hear.

3. Control your thoughts. Keep your thought pure. Be careful of what you watch on TV. Be careful of the music you listen to and be careful of the books and literature you read. Satan is looking for areas to tempt you without you even realizing it. Filling your minds full of trash will cause you to fantasize which in truth is just plain ole lust. Sin. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” (Prov. 23:7) Clean up your thought life because thoughts almost always lead to action.

4. Work on your relationship with your husband. By working on your relationship and keeping God in your lives you are protecting yourself and your marriage. Keep God FIRST and our husbands SECOND. Keep the communication open with your husband. YOU be the one to play on his ego and encourage him and brag on him. Be there for him.


I know you are wondering why I have spoke of being faithful for two days. God laid it on my heart to share these words. Just this week, I have been told of two more ministers' homes that have been destroyed by adultery. These were good people from good homes. They never MEANT for it to happen, but they let their guards down and got caught in Satan's web of sin. They were just like you and I and thought it could never happen to them. Let's keep our guards up and protect ourselves, protect our husbands and protect our marriages.

Let's keep our marriages pure and not become a statistic. Marriage is a precious gift from God.

Congratulations!!

I would like to take this time to congratulate my husband, Roger. His secular job is with Unum Insurance Company in Chattanooga, where he works from home as a Computer Engineer. Yesterday, during a special program where everyone had to come into the office, he was awarded the "Aspire Award" which is the highest leadership award given by the company and he will be sent to Aspire Walt Disney World for a Business Conference. He was one of thirty employees to receive this prestigious award. Congratulations, Roger!!!

Protecting Our Marriages

Protecting Our Husbands From Other Women….

Ladies….Satan is real! None of us are exempt. The harder we work for God the more Satan will try to tear us down. What better way than to attack a minister’s home?

If Satan can break down the minister’s home---
---his family will hurt
---his church will hurt
---his friends will hurt
---the community will hurt.
---Really, there is no end to the hurt.

Every time I turn around, I hear of another minister’s home that has been split up because of adultery; either due to the guilt of the wife or the husband. It truly breaks my heart.

We all know that most of the time men are weaker in this area than women. We must love our husbands and protect them. How can you do that? I took notes a long time ago and would like to share them. Some of this came from the writings of S. Drury and some of it came from collections over the years. Regardless, I thought it held lots of important info and I would like to share them.

1) Understand your man! God made men and women different, especially sexually. You need to take the time to get to know your man to know what his needs and desires are. Men are triggered visually and physically. Get to know him well enough that you know how to light his fire, because if you don’t someone else with designs on him might be doing that this very week. His position, power, prestige and even his spiritual commitment makes him a special target for other women. They will use this to build his ego and leave room for Satan.

2) Share your radar alerts! Women have a sixth sense about other women. God gave us this early warning system to help us warn our husbands and not to be used to turn green with jealousy. Sit down and discuss your concerns with your husband BEFORE the concerns turn into jealousy. Just remind your husband...no matter "how spiritual" the female makes the conversation....if she is feeding his ego or if she is using him for communication because she is lonely....WATCH OUT. A woman that truly has a spiritual need and is truly wanting help will focus on that and NOT work on building the man's ego. I feel like that is why pastor are so vulnerable...they want to minister. And, there are women out there that know that and will use that and feed on that to build their egos and ZAP...Satan has them.

3) Keep the Fire Burning at Home. (I know many of us are embarrassed to discuss this because it is so personal….but we MUST protect our marriages and if it means pulling up our “big girl panties” and talking about subjects that are many times taboo, so be it.) Take care of yourself and take care of your husband. Be silly. Have fun. Flirt with him. Do something crazy and off the wall. Keep yourselves neat for him and and dress to please him sometimes. Just remember…if you do not take the time to feed his ego and entertain him physically, mentally and sexually, someone else will. Fight back and protect your marriage before it is too late. Remember, Satan is the enemy and he will use the weakest links to help him fulfill his missions.

4) Keep God First. Husbands and wives both need to have their quiet time and prayer time with God. But, also, couples need to pray together and grow in the Lord together. We must strive to stay as close as possible. When we are the closest to God, there is not space left for Satan. It only takes a fraction of an inch for the devil to weasel his way into our lives, so lets not give him that opportunity.

Father, I ask You to protect our marriages from the attacks of Satan. Deliver us from his evil, destructive plans. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8).

Ladies.....Let's Protect Our Marriages!!!

Update....

Thanks for all of your prayers.....

Our son and daughter-in-law are married and living in an extended stay hotel in Hendersonville. They will be moving into an apartment the 18th. Today, they are celebrating their one month anniversary. Continue to remember them in your prayers as they settle into married life and seek out the "right" church. Especially remember our daughter-in-law....she has been VERY sick with a bad kidney infection for a week, and is slowing improving. Also she still has got to finish six weeks of Field Study for her Nutrition Major and will be living with her mom during that time. Remember our son as he learns his way around his new job assignment.

Continue to remember our daughter and son-in-law in your prayers as they are dealing with her "female problems". On top of that, they also have a VERY URGENT UNSPOKEN prayer request. They need folks from all over to pray earnestly on their behalf, especially this week when lots of decisions out of their control are being made that will directly affect them.

Pray for Roger and I as we pray and fuss over our married children.

Thank you in advance for lifting us up in your prayers!

Bi-Vo Conference

WOW!!! What a weekend! Roger and I have just come back from our Annual Bi-Vocational Ministers and Wives Retreat in Pigeon Forge, TN. What an awesome and uplifting time we had.

Every year we say nothing can top this year, but every year (as our kids use to say…) it gets “doodier and doodier” and better and better.

We just spent three awesome days sitting under the guidance and teaching of Bro. Randy Davis, Bro. Bobby Welch, Bro. Willie McLaurin, Bro. Tony Rankin and last but DEFINITELY NOT LEAST…Sister JEANNE DAVIS. What an outstanding panel! You just can not get much better than that. They all blessed our hearts.

We were also blessed with the awesome singing of the “Voice of Mercy”, which consisted of three young ladies. They set the tone and got the spirit moving. You would have had to have been dead to not feel God’s spirt.

Our theme this year was “Navigating the Battlefield”. I feel as if we went to Pigeon Forge to be fitted for the armor and now we are ready to go out into the fields. AWESOME!!!

My husband and I came home Saturday night and yesterday at church we were both so refreshed and uplifted….it was amazing. My husband preached with new strength and energy and even our church members commented on.

I am sharing all of this to tell you….when retreats and conferences are offered to you….PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES. As pastors and wives, we all need to stop and refocus and this is the perfect time. Retreats and Conferences are a great time to learn, to re-fuel, to re-fresh and to get closer to God and to our spouses.

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS to Bro. Ray Gilder, Marjorie Waddey and Lana Rose for helping make this a special weekend for us. We love you!

Sunday Siesta - Practical Enduring

I am curled up on the couch in my sweats and under my favorite throw. My husband has been marinating steaks that he braved the last-minute Super Bowl party shoppers to go out and purchase. My oldest entertained herself quietly in her bedroom all afternoon with her books and Nintendo DS. My youngest is still snoozing in her bed and I am deciding whether or not to stir her from her slumber. I do want her to go to bed at some point tonight. Our weekend has been a good one. The Dnow event was a success. God answered so many prayers. We were privileged to see Him move and to watch Him work. After church this morning, we pulled through the drive-through at Zaxby's and came straight home. After eating and slipping into our comfy clothes, I have NOT moved. I have slept, but I have not moved. There is laundry to be done, floors to be vacuumed and bathrooms to be scrubbed. It is not that I don't care, because I do. I am all too aware that these will be waiting for me come tomorrow. I really do like to start a busy week with a clean house and an empty laundry room. But not this week! I have found such value to our Sunday Siestas. Some Sundays a busier than others. Worship services and committee meetings make these naps hard to squeeze in, but my closest friends know better than to call. Whether it is ten minutes or two hours, it is so good to just be still. Physically, my body needs me to stop. Spiritually, I need the rest too. My hubby and I may not speak but it is so good to just be together. I never set out to form this habit, but God knew I needed it. After all, isn't that why He rested on the seventh day? Dear Sister, my sabbath rest truly helps me to endure. In the grand scheme of things it really is a minor thing, my Sunday afternoon nap. It isn't anything of great spiritual depth, but it is a little thing that does so much for me. What about you? What is it that you do to help you endure? Are there verses you cling to? Promises you claim? Friends who speak truth? I don't know what you may be enduring through right now. Maybe your seas are pretty smooth. Maybe you are wondering how Jesus can be sleeping in your boat as the storms seem to rage all around you. Regardless, don't be afraid to take your own Sunday Siesta. Be still. Take stock. Rest. Please feel free to post your own practical tips for "enduring." Only God knows. It may be just what another one of us needs to read.

Endure

This weekend, many of our association churches are banding together to have a Disciple Now weekend for our students. They will be going through 5 sessions of a Bible Study entitled "Endure." It is based on Hebrews 12:2.

Hebrews 12:2

English Standard Version (ESV)

. . .looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

You may recognize it as the ending of the sentence begun in verse 1.

Hebrews 12:1

English Standard Version (ESV)

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

The second verse was chosen as the theme, because they wanted the emphasis to be on Christ.

The first verse we are all very familiar with. It graces the porcelain of countless mugs and plagues. It is a great verse full of great truth encouraging us in our Christian faith. 

BUT . . .

It isn't supposed to stand by itself. The verse ends in a common, not a period.

The only way we can lay aside every weight and sin and run with endurance the race set out for us us, is if we look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. We can endure because He did. 

Ladies, we can't do it on our own! We weren't designed to. We were created to need Him. We can endure whatever the race holds that He set before us if we are looking to Him. 

I don't know what your "race" looks like right now. But, I know the One who set the course wants to help you run it. Whether it is sickness, barrenness, financial struggle, ministry heartbreak or a combination of stresses, despise the shame, and for the joy set before you, come before the throne of God. Jesus is seated at the right hand, making intercession for you. 

Look to Him. 

Endure.