Forget About God's Will For Your Life

The Francis Chan, Forgotten God study my LCC Small Group is doing is so powerful. We have one more week of discussing it and I have to admit that I'm a little sad to see it go. But the lessons learned and the changes made in my own heart have been incredible. I was reading last night in Chapter 7 of Forgotten God and it really impacted me strongly and I hope that by writing it here that it can impact you as well. The whole book is awesome, but Chapter 7 alone is worth the whole $14.99. Seriously, it's probably worth way more than $14.99. Here are the two parts I read that really impacted me:


"I think a lot of us need to forget about 'God's will for my life'. God cares more about our response to His Spirit's leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be so profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today's decisions. To be honest, I believe part of the desire to 'know God's will for my life' is birthed in fear and results in paralysis. We are scared to make mistakes, so we fret over figuring out God's will. We wonder what living according to His will would actually look like, and we are scared to find out. We forget that we are never promised a twenty-year plan of action; instead, God promises multiple times in scripture never to leave us or forsake us. "


This is so freeing for me- I think we've all heard this and we understand it, but do we believe it? Do we live by this principle of seeking after the Spirit today and knowing that God's purpose and plan will be revealed as we take an active, participatory role in our ongoing relationship  with the Spirit? And if you're tempted to believe that this active, participatory role is difficult or part of a "works theology", you couldn't be further from the truth. Because the flip side of this action we take to constantly respond to God and work on problem areas in our lives, is that His Spirit will be the source of power to do it. As Chan states, "We work out our salvation as God works in us." 


We're a team. But we seldom see it that way, because we try to lead God around like a stubborn dog on a leash, rather than letting go and seeing where He will lead us. 


Chan also writes about this in Chapter 7:


"Nowhere in Scripture do I see a 'balanced life with a little bit of God added in' as an ideal for us to emulate. Yet, when I look at our churches, this is exactly what I see: a lot of people who have added Jesus to their lives. People who have, in a sense asked Him to join them on their life journey, to follow them where they feel they should go, rather than following Him as commanded. The God of the universe is not something we can just add to our lives and keep on as we did before. The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is not someone we can just call on when we want a little extra power in our lives. Jesus Christ did not die in order to follow us. He died and rose again so that we could forget everything else and follow Him to the cross, to true life." 


I pray that we all throw out our ideas of having things all together before we fully pursue life with God. I pray that we stop trying to make God do things our way or leveraging His glory to get what we want or think we're entitled to. I pray that we let go and let God do what He does best- be God. 




But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Worship Matters Part 2

Here are some more reflections, direct quotes, etc. from the book "Worship Matters" by Bob Kauflin.


So they feared the LORD but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. 2 Kings 17:33




Our hearts are so divided. Even when we have those rapturous moments with God and feel like we really have it together, it's too easy to fall back into our old ways. We are so pulled and persuaded that there are other ways to find joy and peace in our lives that do not include, or hardly include a life with Jesus. This is false. A complete lie straight from the enemy. The "heart" chapter in the book really opened my eyes to this. If we want to worship in "spirit and in truth" as stated in  John 4:23, our hearts are going to require some attention.


But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.
John 4:23


"We fear the Lord externally doing all the right things on Sunday morning- singing, strumming a guitar, lifting our hands, yet actively serve false gods throughout the week. We profess to love the true God, but actually love false idols. It's a condition that God, in His mercy, is committed to changing." Bob Kauflin


"The Lord sees and judges the heart; He has no regard to outward forms of worship if there be no inward adoration, if no devout affection be employed therein. It is therefore a matter of infinite importance to have the whole heart engaged steadfastly for God." Isaac Watts


About the time that I lose a sense of awe for who God is is about the time that my heart is invaded by other things trying to take God's rightful place. Andy Stanley often says "Vision leaks" to encourage leaders to stay focused on their mission and goals. I think awe and reverence leak too. Often. 

How do we combat this? Psalm 26:2-3 says "Prove me, O LORD, and try me;test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes,and I walk in your faithfulness." We have to ask. We need to be reminded of our heart conditions on a daily basis- an hourly basis if needed. God cannot be put into a box six days of the week and pulled out on Sunday like a forgotten toy. If we want to change and grow, we've got to put in some effort and develop routines that will bring us closer to the Savior.


I am so bad about this. I was waking up really early for a few weeks after the Summit and just spending some time in the word and in prayer. Well, then I got sick and started sleeping in because I needed my rest (legitimate excuse). But then I got better (excuse gone). And I still have been sleeping in (trapped in a bad routine). I then have to cram some time with God wherever I can fit it during my day. It's not that the desire is not there it's just that the effort is lacking. Maybe it's shocking to see a Worship Director write that, but it's the truth. I'm human and I am thankful that God knows my heart, but I also want my actions to match what my heart longs for.


All of us have a choice to make. Sometimes the choice is easy, but more often than not, it's hard. Worship God? OR Worship myself, or things, or someone we love, or an idea, or a dream we're chasing. Time is so variable and out of our control, so we must make the most of what we've been given and work on reversing the divisions in our hearts. Now. I know I felt so convicted while I wrote this that I'm going to set my alarm for early tomorrow morning as soon as I'm done publishing this blog! Desire comes easily, effort does not, but we must remember that it is part of our human condition that "God, in His mercy, is committed to changing."Praise God for never giving up on us! 

God Doesn't Call the Qualified, He Qualifies the Called

*This is the same post that appears in the LCC devotional for this week- so if you've read it on Facebook already, then this will be a repeat for you. Also, wanted to clarify- in my first draft, I had spent some time in the first paragraph talking not only about the disciples, but also about writers of the gospels and the apostle Paul. As always, I had written WAY too much :) So I had to cut back, and when I did, I neglected to edit the line that lists "physician" as one of the occupations of the disciples. I was referring to Luke, who actually was not one of the original disciples, but shortly after Jesus' death became one of Paul's travel companions. He is believed to have also written the book of Acts and when combined with the book of Luke, his writings comprise a quarter of the entire New Testament. Scholars say that his Greek was the best of all the writers of the scriptures. Luke emphasized joy, prayer, and the Holy Spirit more than any other gospel writer. He recognized the connection between the three and their importance.  So, when I state that the disciples came from all walks of life and listed physician as one of the occupations, though Luke was not an original disciple, he certainly was a very diligent student of Jesus' life, seeking firsthand accounts and recording them beautifully for us to read thousands of years later. I just wanted to clarify. 

"God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called" is one of my all-time favorite quotations.

When you look at the twelve men who Jesus called to learn from Him and go through life with, the disciples, we can see this idea really comes into play. The disciples were average guys—nothing special. They came from all walks of life, from simple fishermen to a physician to a despised tax collector. The world did not deem them as a force for change, but Jesus saw something in them. Even though they were a little rough around the edges, He knew they could do it!

When He called, they answered. Each of the twelve men gave up life as they had come to know it to follow Jesus.

The night before Jesus was crucified, He was with these dear friends. He humbly washed their feet, they ate their last supper together, and Jesus gave them His final words. So many amazing things were spoken that night, and can be read in John, Chapters 13-17. It's well worth the time to read. Out of the many precious, final statements Jesus made that night, I want to focus on John 15:16-17:

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

He chose them. He believed in them. He did not choose them based on their own skills or power, but rather on their willingness to follow and be empowered by Him. He appointed them to carry His message to the world and their mission was powerfully accomplished!

He didn't begin with the most educated, most spiritually fit people He could find. Instead, He wanted willing hearts and open minds. He wanted people who had room to grow and change. He wanted them to work hard and actively live out His love and teachings.

Do you realize that Jesus has also chosen us? His call has not changed—He wants us to know that we belong to Him. He wants us to live lives that reflect His glory, asks us to produce lasting fruit, and desires that we love one another.

It seems like a daunting task, but He's given us all the power and strength we need to live as His chosen people! Just as He was confident that the disciples would be able to carry out His plans, I believe He is confident that we, by the power of His Spirit living in and through us, can do the same today.

Monday Clean Up

Monday, Monday, Messy Monday. People dread Mondays for many reasons, most of those reasons being work related. For a stay-at-home Mom, Mondays are not any different from any day of the week, but in my case, Monday is always very messy. I have this little rule that I've made and hold tightly that states: "Mom will NOT clean anything (unless it's an emergency hazardous spill or something) on Sundays." It's a rule I have come to love. Well, I love it on Sundays, but by Monday morning, it becomes quite apparent that I took a day off. I look around at my house, dirt all over the wood floors, dishes piled on the counter, dirty laundry tossed in a pile on the bathroom floor, and it becomes very clear to me that I have a lot of catching up to do. That's what I have against Mondays. 

I used to be a very neat-freak kind of person. The kind of person who, if there was a small foreign object on the floor in front of the television, I would have to move it before I could focus on what I was watching. I used to wash each dish before it had touched the countertop for less than 5 seconds. But then I got married. Jarrod means well, he really does, but let's just say we have different standards of cleanliness. And then I had kids. Two boys to be exact. Let's just say I have had to do a lot of adjusting to what my idea of clean is. Jarrod's very wise Grandmother has a saying that her house is "Clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be happy." I have put my insatiable desire for cleanliness aside and now choose (or make myself) live by that motto. Seriously, life is no fun if you're constantly worried about the mess. Life is messy. Kids are messy. Especially boy kids. Many of you Moms (and Dads) out there know what I'm talking about- it's like your kids are in a room alone for 2 minutes and it goes from organized to chaos. They're like locusts, I tell you. Going from one room to the next to seek and destroy. They're like enemies of tidiness, assassins of orderliness. I am now to the point in my life where I can roll with the tide of the constant mess and deal with it with the "help" of my children... but then all Mom's know that the "help" kids give cleaning the house often makes it worse- but they are giving their best effort and learning in the process, so we sigh as they, while sweeping, knock over a potted plant with the end of the broom and as the dirt crashes to the floor we count to 10 and say, "That's ok...accidents happen..."<sigh>.


I woke up this morning to what looked like a tornadic event in my great room and realized what I was going to be doing today. Silas, age 4, was outside on the front porch making a "campsite" (i.e. another mess for later). He asked me to pleeeeease come out and play camping with him. I said, "Honey, Mommy has a giant mess to clean up in here." And he said "You don't have to clean it up, just leave it there." The thought did cross my mind. What would happen if I just left it there. Pots, pans, dishes, silverware on the counter. Dirt, dead ladybugs on the floor. Toothpaste goo in the sink in the bathroom. A heaping pile of shoes that were casually kicked off to the side of the front door last night. I am ok with ignoring things like that on Sunday, but I can't let it go for too long. It's just part of me, part of what I see as my job as a mother and wife- to make sure that my house is tidy. So I said, "Silas, I just can't walk past this any longer. It has to be cleaned up. Now. As soon as I'm done, I will come out and play with you, but right now, I have to deal with this."


As I was cleaning, I was thinking and praying. Our hearts are a lot like a house, in fact, our bodies are a home for the Holy Spirit of God. All it takes is one moment to fall back into a sin or destructive behavior. Just like I take a break from cleaning on Sundays, sometimes we take a break from being vigilant against the enemy. We put our guard down- we watch that extremely violent movie filled with filthy language, we go ahead and do whatever it is we do- "just this once won't hurt". But it does hurt. We accumulate sin and we hoard thoughts that are not of our own creation but that of Satan. We cling to our stubbornness, pride, anger, judgmental attitudes, addictions- and then we reach a breaking point, sort of like my Monday mornings. We look around and we don't even recognize the environments of our hearts. And then the clean up begins. We have to deal with the mess.

 When you take a break from cleaning, as I've learned, the work is doubly hard the next day. Kind of like vacation laundry. Isn't that the worst? You have all these great memories and feel relaxed on your ride home from the beach and then it hits you and strikes fear into your heart- VACATION  LAUNDRY!!! NOOOO!!!! Sometimes the mess sneaks up on you and you're caught off guard. Sometimes, you have known it was there in the cobwebbed shadows of your heart and you just chose to ignore it. Some of us just have a few areas we're working on right now and we're being really diligent to change by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and with us. Others have a Monday-sized mess to deal with. But the best part of a messy heart is that we don't have to do all the work- it has already been done for us. Jesus put sin to death once and for all when He took up the cross and sacrificed Himself for us. All we have to do is ask for help. He knows what messes are lurking within us and wants to be the master organizer of it all. Some of the cleaning process is painful and we have things we don't want to let go of. But He promises greater things to replace those sins we're gripping. 

So today, think about the state of your heart. Is it a mess? Have you let some things slip by, seemingly unnoticed? What areas do you feel that you need to ask Jesus to help you tackle first? He knows a thing or two about cleaning up...just take a look at the scriptures below and see for yourself. As you meditate on them, I pray that God begins to stir up your heart and that you might turn over all your junk to Him. He loves you as you are, but wants you to be the person He has in mind.


I always tend to think in songs- this song is lyrically perfect regarding this topic. I have loved it for years (it's an older song) Give it a listen if you have a chance. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpkBOqoRz-g&feature=related

Hebrews 10:22
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.


Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Psalm 32:3-5
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore ... let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress...

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Worship Matters: Part 1

I have been reading THE best book about Worship Leading that I've ever encountered, called Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin. My next few blog posts will be sharing what I have learned from his book. Some of it is direct quotation, some of it is my summary or what applied to me in particular. I hope that everyone, worship leader or not, can gain some valuable insight from what I share.  Even if you are not a musical worship leader, you are still leading worship on a daily basis in every single action, every single thought, every single emotion that you display. People are watching. We all need to realize that every believer is a "worship leader" to everyone within their sphere of influence. I love the quote- "Lead worship at all times; when necessary, use music." So in all that we do and with all that we are, let's lead worship today and let's start thinking about what makes a good worship leader.


Why Worship Matters- Chapter 1 Insights

Worship matters to God because He is the one ultimately worthy of all worship. It matters to us because worshiping God is the reason for which we were created. And it matters to every worship leader, because we have no greater privilege than leading others to encounter the greatness of God. That's why it's important to think carefully about what we do and why we do it. And if you don't feel adequate for the task, you're in the perfect place for God to use you.

Lives Under Construction

My husband, Jarrod, and I have been completely engulfed in home construction over the past 5 years. We bought our beautiful, wooded property 10 years ago and had a small house built that we knew we would be able to add on to later. Prior to the birth of our first son, Silas, we knew the time had come to add on to the house. With a limited budget due to the fact that I had stopped working to be a stay-at-home mom, we knew we would have to take on a lot of the work ourselves. So, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. We devised our grand home plans and thought it would be a piece of cake to carry them out. We hired a builder to do all of the foundation and structural work, but then it was our turn. We had to learn how to do everything else: plumbing, wiring, insulating, drywall, metal roofing, siding, window and door installation, flooring installation, kitchen installation…you name it, we learned it! We had two children during all of this, plus Jarrod worked full-time! I  tell you all of this not to pat ourselves on the back, but to say that prior to actually beginning the work, neither of us had done more than put together a wooden bookshelf out of  a box from Wal Mart- and we HAD to use the directions just to do that!  

What we took on, looking back, was nearly impossible. But we were determined and willing. We learned a lot of things as we built our house. Jarrod quickly picked up a lot of skills (and new tools!) I learned about hard work and sacrifice, patience and teamwork. When we have a calling in our life to do something, though we may feel completely unprepared, after going through the process of learning and doing, we become qualified. But we have to be willing and we have to jump in and give it everything we've got.  In the same way, in our relationship with Jesus, when we first devote our lives to Him, we think it's going to be simple and are eager to begin. But  challenges come and we begin to doubt whether or not we have what it takes. But Jesus sees something in us that we don't see- He knows that we can do it! By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can carry His message, we can live out a life that pleases Him, we can love others. He's not expecting instant perfection any more than Jarrod and I expected our house to be finished instantly (although that would have been nice). He expects us to simply follow Him, and He will give us the endurance, patience, and power we need. 

Slaves or Sons

Our Small Group is reading the book "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan. It is really amazing. A life-changing book for sure. I think all of us in our group can agree that the book, which we had been reading during Matt Johnson's series on the Holy Spirit at LCC, really opened our eyes to the fact that we do tend to ignore the Holy Spirit. Some of us even had wrong ideas of Who the Holy Spirit is and what His plans are for our lives. I can say over the last 8 weeks of our study and the LCC series, I have sat week after week and watched and listened to my dear friends change and grow. I know I have grown too. 


One of the parts of our study for last night's meeting was discussing the concepts of slaves and sons. 


Romans 8:15 says:
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”


This verse is just full of good stuff. In it, we see that upon receiving Christ as Savior, we are welcomed into the family of God- we belong to Him, no longer slaves to ourselves or the sins of the world. The differences between slaves and sons are so significant:  Slaves feel mistreated and unworthy of living to their full potential. Sons are treated with benevolence and look forward to a full, productive future. Slaves have no confidence in approaching their master. Sons can approach their fathers with confidence, knowing that their best interest will be considered. Slaves feel trapped and continue on day after day, never working to their full potential- just doing enough to get by or stay alive. Sons have freedom and thrive in that freedom- looking forward to each new day as a chance to explore, to do more, and enjoy life. 


We discussed all of this last night. It's awesome to think that by the power of the Holy Spirit, and through the shed blood of Jesus, we can be free sons and daughters of God. Before knowing Christ, people are in such bondage. They plod trough their days addicted to self and unlimited sins,  just trying to survive- unconfident, uncertain of the future, not recognizing their worth. After coming to Christ and living in His power (the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead lives in us, by the way), we have the freedom, the empowerment, and the motivation we need to live a full life, satisfied in the love of the King of kings. 


We are truly children of the Most High God. Sometimes we forget as Christians though. We forget WHOSE we are. This past Sunday, leading worship, I felt really strongly that people needed to be reminded of this and we sang 3 simple words, over and over " WE ARE YOURS". We do belong to Him. He has adopted us in and we have every right and privilege to approach Him with boldness and confidence, knowing that everything we bring to Him will be treated with benevolence and mercy. So today, may we all remember that we belong to Him. We are no longer slaves to anything but His love and glory. He wants us to thrive and be free!


 Lord, thank you for making a way for us. We do not deserve to be called your children, and yet You are so merciful that You wouldn't have it any other way. You want us to be confident in our salvation and in our relationship with You. Help us to remember that we are Yours forever and You are forever our God. Fill us with boldness- let our hearts beat as Yours today- we want to care about the things You care about and love the people You love in this world. Thank You for freedom- we accept it as a gift and embrace it completely. Amen.