I once heard Joyce Meyer pose the question, “If Christianity were a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Now, last year, those of us who followed the Casey Anthony trial saw just how important evidence is to getting a conviction. Though, the “court of public opinion” had already convicted Ms. Anthony, twelve jurors could not find conclude, based on the evidence presented by prosecutors that she was guilty. Think about it. Does your life give witness to your commitment to Christ? This is not just about who the public sees; this is about who you are when only God is watching.
Sometimes we live our lives as if Sunday is the only day that matters. We live however we want to live Monday through Saturday, but when Sunday rolls around, it is time to get everything right with God. You know the routine. At dusk, you roll over to the person who is not your spouse and tell him or her, “You don’t have to go home, but you have to get the (fill-in-the-blank) out of here! I’m going to church!” That person cannot be in your bed when the sun comes up on Sunday morning because, at times, we act like Sunday is the only day that God can see what we are doing. Once the bed is clear, we try to get some sleep, so we can stay awake in church, and be sure to give our loudest “Amens” and “Hallelujahs.” Then, we get dressed, get in the car, turn from The Beat or I Heart Radio to The Light or PURE Radio, and head to church. At church, we sing we clap our hands, and we take notes on the sermon. We live our Sunday life as holy as possible; no drinking (even though the game is on), no fussing (even if people cannot drive), no cussing (even if it is the only way to express the intensity of what you are saying) because we are remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy. Maybe this is not your Sunday. For several years it was my Sunday. I felt like I could make up for a week’s worth of living like God didn’t exist with one day of repentant faithfulness. Perhaps, it is not literally Sunday living that you display. But, be very honest with yourself. Do you live as though God is aware of everything that you do 24/7/365? Is there enough evidence in your life to show that you are a Christian? God wants our best every single day. It is no different than what we want from the people who claim to love us. As Destiny’s Child said, “Say my name, say my name, when no one is around you, say baby I love you if you ain’t running game?” Are we trying to run game on God by putting forth a half-hearted public display of love? We would not accept that from our loved ones. Why should He accept it? We are human and we will make mistakes, but that is not an excuse to keep making the same mistakes over and over or to only live as a witness part-time. One time, my best friend and I were boarding a flight to New York. It had been a long morning. The flight was crowded. As we boarded, people kept stopping to put bags in the overhead bins, which was really annoying because they would stop and then the person behind you runs into you because that person is not paying attention. So, at some point, I started mumbling something or other under my breath in frustration. I really do not remember what I said. I honestly do not think that I cursed, but there is a possibility that I did or that the tone of what I said sounded like I did. In any case, a woman who was already seated made a comment about my griping. And so, I looked at her sweetly, and said, “Thank you for pointing that out to me. I really appreciate your candor in helping me walk according to the Word of God and the life that He would have me live.” NOT! (But I wish I had). I actually said, in a very mind-your-business-lady tone, “I didn’t curse!” because that made my behavior not seem as bad. To which, she replied, “Oh! I misheard you. I was admiring your necklace and I thought I heard you saying something, but I love your necklace.” The necklace to which she was referring was one with a cross pendant on it. It matters not what I actually said that day, so stop trying to figure it out. What mattered was that my attitude did not match the profession of faith around my neck. The physical evidence that day of my grumbling had outweighed the circumstantial evidence of my choice in jewelry. God, and everybody else, is watching us all the time. So, it is not even enough to have a public persona that looks guilty of a Christ-led life; we must also have behind the scenes evidence of our faith. Communication is the key to any relationship. Do you talk to God? Do you listen to what He has to say? Do you know what He has already said in His Word? If we say we are Christians, then we must show that we are Christians every day, all the time. It is not easy to commit fully to Christ when it means we have to change some of our habits and routines, but I am positive that suffering a crucifixion was not easy for Christ; yet He did it before we had even accepted Him. We, who proclaim Christ as Lord, should have enough evidence for an open-and-shut case on the charge of Christianity. Ms. EV
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I love the fact that my nephews and niece are athletes; I am unapologetically unathletic (that’s not really a word, but it was good alliteration), nevertheless, I love watching sports. There are so many life lessons to be gained from what happens on the field, court, course or track. I was watching the older boys play basketball and one of their teammates was defending a player on the other teams. While the referees in this game were a little whistle-happy, this player was giving his opponent way too much space to operate with the ball. I kept saying, “Go get it. Take the ball!” And then, I said, “You can’t just stand back and wait for it to come to you, GO GET IT!” That’s when the light bulb turned on over my head. I mean, I listen to Mary Mary’s, “Go Get It,” all the time; it is one of my get-hype songs, and in that moment, the message was just louder and clearer. The life you want isn’t just going to come and knock on your door and invite itself in; get up and make it happen.
Many times we sit back and watch the devil play with our lives. Sure, we are defending him, but we are giving him way too much space to operate. We sit back just hoping that he makes a mistake or we catch him off guard and we can get back on track. Or, maybe Satan isn’t toying with you; you are just too scared to make a move. You can’t just wait for something good to happen; in the words of Mariah Carey, “Make it happen!” (Can you tell I love music?) My best friend is so good at this and she really inspires me. While most people make excuses about what they can and cannot do, including me, she sets her mind to a goal, and then she does whatever it takes to achieve that goal. She is not reckless, but she is also not one to sit back and dream while not doing anything. The key to her success at fulfilling dreams is that she listens to God and walks in faith. Another person who inspires me to go and get what God has for me is a student at our high school. He had a promising basketball career ahead of him last year until he was struck by a car while riding to school on a scooter. He was put in a medically induced coma and doctors prepared his family for the worst. When he woke up, the medical professionals did not have high hopes for him, but he did and his family did. They did not wait around for a doctor to heal him. His brother helped him rehabilitate. I have seen this young man go from a hospital bed, to a wheelchair, to a walker, to a cane. Now, he can take steps on his own and his goal is to learn to run again. I have no doubt that he will achieve it. I have many friends who are starting their own businesses and they are successful. It did not happen overnight. They each have their own story, but they are all go-getters. And there is no reason that any child of God cannot be a go-getter. You may ask, “What am I supposed to be doing?” Alright, here goes, I am going to let you in on a little secret…I DON’T KNOW. I have no idea what you should be doing. I just figured out what my dreams are and how to press forward no matter what trusting that God will make a way. What are your passions? What makes you upset? What makes you cry? What do you complain about that needs a solution? Those issues that concern you are the places where God can use you (I got that nugget of wisdom from my pastor). God is powerful and faithful; He is also loving enough that He will not enable us. He will not do for us what we can do for ourselves. This is not a quit your job, rent a Winnebago and see the world blog. Let’s not be ridiculous. Just stop saying why you can’t do something and start thinking of ways that you can. If God wills that it becomes your career, then it will happen. Maybe it is not meant to be your career and is only meant for a certain season of your life. Again, I do not know what God has for you. I do know that we, as Christians, must stop sitting on the sidelines waiting for life to come to us. God wants to use you and me in a mighty way for His glory. The blessings already exist In the words of Mary Mary, “It’s Your TIME!” Actually, it is always “your time,” if you are a child of God. The question you have to ponder is, “Are you doing what God has for you to do with your time?” Ms. EV God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through? Numbers 23:19 (MSG)
For much of my life, I was known as a worry wart. Not the kind of worrying normal people do, but I had a paralyzing sense of fear over the smallest details. In my mind, little problems turned into catastrophes in a nanosecond. For example, if there was thunder, I thought the sky was falling. If I felt sick, I thought it was an incurable disease. When I was a senior in high school and had not ever had a real boyfriend, I thought no one would ever love me or want to marry me. When I was younger, I thought everyone thought this way. About ten years ago, my anxiety had such a tight grip on me that I suffered from insomnia and paranoia. I finally decided, with the help of some of my inner circle, that it could not be normal, and I sought help. After some therapy, I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. I was so conflicted about this diagnosis because, as a Christian, we are not to have fear or anxiety or worry. But remember, those of us who are saved, are in this world, but not of this world. As long as we are a part of this world, we are subject to the trouble of this world, which includes illness – even mental illness. But, praise God that He created doctors, therapists, and medicine. There is no shame in seeking help. It does not make you less of a Christian. That is something that the devil would have you believe, so that you can stay sick. I knew that there was an issue, so I followed the treatment plan of my doctor, and I got the issue under control. I have been fine for years, but just this week, I started to feel that old familiar feeling of paralyzing, worrisome thoughts. Only this time, I knew that it was irrational and it was nothing but the devil trying to distract me and throw me off my path. How do I know this? Because the anxieties that were, and still are, going through my head are blatant lies. And, I know that there is nothing to even be concerned with because God, my Father, cannot and does not lie. And, God, my Father, has told me that I have nothing to worry about or fear. And, God, my Father, has told me that He will never let anything happen to me that I cannot handle. And, God, my Father, told me that He will never leave me or forsake me. So, anytime thoughts cloud my mind about having a desperate need or being devastated or abandoned, I know they are lies and God does not lie. Ms. EV Three days ago, one of my students was killed in an accident. I lost a student, but more than that, parents lost their oldest son, students lost a classmate and friend, a swim team lost a teammate and promising competitor. This is uncharted water for me. I have dealt with loss, much more in the last three years than I care to recount. But, this is a child; a student in my class. We have grieved losses and accidents and tragedies of people around us, but it has never been this close. Every time I close my eyes, I see that child’s face. He was somebody’s baby and I cannot imagine the depth of sorrow his parents are feeling.
All weekend long, I tried to figure out how I would handle today. We are in the midst of final exams. The students I teach are in a very small, close knit group. I had no idea what to say or to do. My father prayed with me. My mother, pastor, and friends prayed for me. I prayed for the parents, the students, the other teacher. I arrived at the school with a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat. When I saw my students, I told them the truth. I do not know what to say or do, but I will do anything you need me to do right now. If you need to talk, I will listen. If you need to leave, I will understand. If you need to do things normally, I will do that. I wanted God to speak to me the perfect way to handle the situation and He did, through these children. As I looked around, I noticed that they were all dressed in purple, the school color, as a sign of solidarity. They were calm and collected. There were a couple that looked distressed, but they all decided to take their final exam. The Bible speaks of having the faith of a child, and today I saw it. Through the demeanor of these children, God told me to stay strong and be of good courage. He will never put me in a situation that I am not equipped to handle. In the face of the storms of life, we have to know that God is bigger than the storm, and that, as the preacher spoke yesterday, He does not have to stop the storm or even take us out of it, to bring us peace. These children have shown me what it means to have the faith of a child. I will trust God. Please keep this family, our students and faculty, and this young man’s friends in prayer, as we deal with this tragedy. Ms. EV Being an introvert means that I am only outspoken when I am extremely passionate about something. Other than that, I am loud when I am in performance mode and when I am around the people with whom I am the most comfortable. Alternatively, I am quiet most of the time. I spend most of my time by myself, so it would be weird if I talked a lot. I am quiet when I am processing or thinking about something. I am quiet when I know that what I say will cause a confrontation because I hate confrontation (unless it is something about which I am extremely passionate). Most of what I say is in my head though, and although, other people cannot hear it, God knows exactly what I am saying.
The other day, I was reading a devotional and came across this verse in Exodus, “God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!” Exodus 14:14 (MSG). It was a slap in the face, but the good kind; the kind that wakes you up. It was akin to one of my favorite prayers, Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder…and Your hand over my mouth. Our words are very powerful, and I try to choose mine wisely, but I know that I am guilty of using my tongue as a sword. I used to be quite proud of having that as a talent. I loved the fact that I never had to actually put my hands on people because I could do much more damage with my words. I know that is a flawed mindset, but it was my defense mechanism. Now, that I have become more careful with my words, I still find destructive speech goes on in my head. Sometimes, it is directed at other people. Sometimes, it is directed at me. And sometimes, though I am not proud to admit it, it is directed at God. When I read that verse, it reminded me that no matter what is going on in my life, God has the final say. He can and will fight all of my battles and win. My job is to shut my mouth, whether that means not saying something out loud or quieting the negative voices in my head. The verse was directed towards the most quintessential whiners in all of history: the post-Egypt, pre-Promised Land Israelites. Despite all of the times God had delivered them, they still complained every time even a hint of adversity appeared. Now, before we get all high and mighty and condemn their whining ways, let us remember, well at least I know I need to remember, that we do the same exact thing. God rescues us over and over again, even sometimes when we create the calamity, and yet, we have doubt when a new storm arises. So, this verse reminds us, while God is fighting, we just need to be quiet, listen to Him and let Him handle it. Remember, we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Ms. EV Why do people say, “When all else fails, try God?” I was listening to the radio and I heard a song that said something to the effect of, “When everything you have tried has failed, try God.” I mean, if you do not know God, I can understand this logic. For someone who doesn’t know God, complete and utter failure may drive her to her knees in repentance and confession. However, for a Christian (and this was a gospel song), God should be the first option, not the last resort.
I understand that I might sound preachy, but I promise that I am writing this to remind myself. There have been many times in my life that I have been faced with a situation and I tried to handle it myself. This sometimes resulted in victories that helped me to believe that I can make it on my own, which is a dangerous mindset for a child of God. Other times, I have tried to handle situations on my own and it resulted in utter failure, which led me to cry out to God to help me fix the mess I made. I am not saying that we should not attempt to do things that we are capable of accomplishing. I am just reminding myself and you that rather than forgetting about God until we need Him, we need to factor Him in to every part of our lives. God wants us to depend on Him and turn to Him before there is some catastrophe that we cannot overcome alone. And, when someone comes to us with a problem, rather than feeling defeated and thinking, “The only thing I can do is pray,” we should victoriously claim, “The best thing I can do for you is to pray” (not my original thought, I think it was Oswald Chambers). So, rather than saying, “When all else fails, try God,” we should say, “God never fails, I will choose His way.” Ms. EV Last week, I read a tweet from Kirk Franklin that basically said you that you are walking in God’s purpose for your life when you get to a point that you can no longer move forward with Him. That statement really had an impact on me because for a lot of my life, I have been searching for God’s purpose for me. I have often asked Him, “What is Your plan for my life?” I know all too well what the consequences are for not following His path. Sometimes, I find that I am extremely timid in taking steps forward because I want to be completely sure that I am in God’s Will.
Music is a passion that I know God has placed in my heart. And I know that using the vocal treasure that God has given me is pleasing to Him. I sing on a small praise team and I am the only soprano. I also suffer from seasonal allergies, so there have been many occasions where I had to lead a song or sing a part in a harmony, but I wake up on Sunday morning with no voice. At that point, what comes out of my mouth is truly up to God. I cannot count the number of miraculous Sunday morning healings that I have experienced. Sometimes, I can sing well at church and as soon as service is over, I am hoarse again. Of my own power, I cannot sing melodies and harmonies through an allergy-attacked throat, but God can make it happen. At the beginning of this year, I made a goal to learn to play the guitar well enough to put music to the many songs I have written over the years. When I first started trying to learn “Amazing Grace,” it seemed as though it would be nearly impossible. A few weeks later, I could play it with ease. I started improvising. Then, I started putting melodies to my songs. Now, I have played the guitar, albeit nervously, at church on two occasions, which I know was only through God. In fact, my family even had a jam session on Sunday after church that was awesome. The next step in my musical journey is to record, but I still cannot write a musical composition for others to play and I am not sure of how much I will need to invest. Once again, I am at a point, where I cannot work it out of my own power, so I know that I am headed in the right direction. This is not about testing God. God wants us to do the possible and leave the impossible up to Him. Our general purpose is the praise and please God, so in the specific circumstances of our God-given paths, there will be points at which we cannot move forward without Him. The Bible encourages us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” and to “ask…seek…[and] knock.” God is not some distant puppeteer mandating our every move. Christians have free will. But, in having free will, God’s perfect will is that we follow His plan and give Him glory for the blessings He bestows upon us. So, when you hit a roadblock on your life’s path, and you know that you have been prayerfully seeking to do God’s Will, don’t be discouraged; just know it is something that only God can do. Then, wait for your chance to give Him praise! Ms. EV Can God brag on you? Are you sure you would want Him to? If we look at the book of Job, it should challenge us to ponder whether God could confidently tell Satan to try us and see if we would turn away from God. I think if most of us are honest, f course, we want God to be proud of us, proud enough to tell anyone about us. But, if you read the story of Job and see the pain, grief, suffering and loss he went through, how many could still say, "Sure, God can brag about me."?
Job lost his means of income and still didn't turn from God. We might curse someone out (occasionally using God's name to do it) if we're just having a bad day at work. Jo lost all of his children, and he grieved, but did not speak ill of God. When we lose a loved one, or a loved one is sick, some of us will stop going to church or stop praying because we feel that God has let us down. Job got boils all over his body, and still trusted God. Some of us stub our toe and let it ruin our day. Or, if we get a bad diagnosis, we think God has abandoned us instead of asking Him how we can use our situation to bless Him and to bless others. So, could God brag on you? Could he take His hands off? Could you pass the tests of adversity and still praise God? Or, would Satan not even bother to mess with you because you're already his? Ms. EV |
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