God's Will For You...

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

1. Joy is eternal and from God.  We don't have to be happy (happiness happens) about what is going on but we can find joy in knowing that God is who He says He is. He promises us that He will take care of us.  We must cling to His promises!

2.  Pray!  Pray!  Pray!  God does not desire for us to be silent in our relationship with Him!  We are to call upon Him in trouble, in sacrifice, in peace, in good times and bad, when we are right with Him and when we have fallen back into our pit!  God says, "Call to me and I will answer you..."  Tell Him when you are angry and disappointed (He can handle it)!  Give Him your questions and doubts (He can handle it)!  Praise Him when all is right (it teaches us and will help us remember when things are wrong)!  

3. Practice thankfulness.  Everyday find something (or 5 or 10) that you are thankful for.  There may be some days when you have to search for that one thing, but it is there.  And if you can't find one thing on this earth to thank God for, praise Him for who He is.  Turn the focus off of you and back on to God.  Thank you God for being who You say You will always be.

4.  God's will is for you to live in a relationship with Christ.  Relationship: a connection or involvement; connection between persons by blood.  Jesus established that relationship with you when His blood covered every part of who you are.  He is involved in every aspect of your life (whether you choose to accept that or not) and He has connected Himself to you through your baptism.  You are His.  This is His will.

May the God of grace shower you with His love, may Christ Jesus remind you of the forgiveness you have through His redeeming blood and may the Holy Spirit cause you to sigh in wonder at the joy at God is about to do!

Gracious & Compassionate

Let me be honest. Sometimes I struggle with the church. There. I said it. I am a church worker and I struggle with the church. And here is why: I think that sometimes we forget who makes up the church.

Who is the average person that sits in the pew at church? Really...think about it....

Let me list who I am and who my friends are (without using names, of course): wounded, hurt, depressed, struggling with marriage, thinking they are the worst parent in the world, having a good day, so tired, questioning, hoping, praying, having a hard time believing, aging, wondering, wanting more, bored...

Do any of these fit you? And yet, with all of this and more sitting out in the congregation, how do we answer it? Sometimes the words we speak are so embedded into us, we do it without thinking. Sometimes the words wash over us in a way that is completely new. Sometimes...how do you finish the sentence?

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Psalm 145:8-9

Do you need to hear this today? I do. I feel like I am in a rut sometimes. Going through the motions. I hear the words, but is there real compassion behind them? Does anyone really care about my needs? Do my needs really matter?

I care about yours. I would love to pray for you. To lift you up. What are you and are you not getting? Can we start praying for the church? Is it really doing what Jesus intended? To heal, to bring hope, to offer forgiveness?

Know this for certain. God created you with His heart full of love for you, Jesus came to rescue you from sin and chase after you when you are tempted to something other than Him and the Holy Spirit continually whispers in your ear that you are His.

You, dear friend, are completely taken care of. Life happens, hurt impacts us, questions arise, but that does not change Whose you are. Believe Him and His promises. He will never, ever leave you. Ever!