A mothers love

Proverbs 31:28 (NLT)

28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

Proverbs 31 provides an epilogue: the wife of noble character. For through most of the chapter the father speaks to his son about the type of wife he should seek out. The father reminds the son - Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

[Have you ever wondered when Americans started celebrating Mother's Day? The holiday was born out of one woman's desire to honor her mother's life of sacrifice and grace.

Born in 1864 in Grafton, West Virginia, Anna Jarvis witnessed the aftermath of the Civil War through a child's eyes. Her mother, Anna Maria Reeves-Jarvis, had spent the war organizing women to nurse wounded soldiers from both the North and South, and generally attempting to hold her border-state community together. After the war, Anna Maria started "Mothers' Friendship Days" to reconcile families that had been divided by the conflict.

Throughout her life, Anna Maria modeled the ideals of Victorian motherhood. She gave up her dreams of college in order to tend to an older husband and four children. She bore the loss of seven other children with grace. She taught Sunday school in the local Methodist church for 20 years and stayed active in benevolent work.

Anna Maria's death in 1905 devastated her daughter. Two years later, Anna got the idea to found a holiday remembering her mother, and all mothers, whom she felt could never be thanked enough.

Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908 in Grafton (where Anna grew up) and Philadelphia (where she lived as an adult). Later, in a resolution passed May 8, 1914, the U.S. Congress officially established the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. [Elesha Coffman, "Mom, We Salute You," Christian History Newletter (5-10-2002)]]

Mothers are special people. They usually spend the most time with their children in their early years and they are there as needed in later years. Mothers are very protective of their children. Mothers watch over their children and help guide the direction of their life. Sometimes as the child we might think of our mother as too stern, too ridged, too demanding and too much of a perfectionist. However, mothers do the best they know how to do. There is no specific training given to women over the years to become a mother. So they learn from their own childhood and experiences around them. They learned as they went, occasionally making mistakes, but trying not to make the same mistake twice.

Let us honor our mothers for the work she has done in our lives.

The Message

1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NLT)

5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

The apostle comments that God’s message of salvation was given just at the right time to the world; a time when verbal and written communication was at a strongpoint and the words of others were spread far by travelers and merchants. The apostle points out that there is only one God through which salvation comes and there is only one Mediator, our savior Jesus Christ that can reconcile us to God.

[In 1740 the Skitswish, a small Native American tribe in northern Idaho, had a prophet/chief named Circling Raven of whom it was said he could communicate with crows and ravens. On Solstice Day of 1740, Crow and Raven told the chief that in a land far away, the Creator, who also became the Savior of the world, had been born as a man on that night long, long ago. Circling Raven told his people they should celebrate this savior's birthday by giving extra sweets and gifts to the children. He also said that the Skitwish should not fight with each other or even with their enemies during the period before and after this day.

In addition, Raven told him that within 100 years men clothed in black robes would arrive with more news about the Creator's son and the world's savior. For the rest of his life, Circling Raven searched for the Black Robes. He died never having found them. His son, Twisted Earth, became chief and continued waiting for the Black Robes. He "sang the joyous song of the prophecy and continued the solstice celebration as his father had instructed."

In June of 1862, a group of Jesuit brothers arrived in their area, and Twisted Earth greeted them with joy and sorrow, tears streaming down his face. He was happy that the Black Robes had finally arrived to tell the rest of the story about Jesus, but he was saddened that his father had not lived to see the prophecy fulfilled.

[Adapted from Catherine Feher-Elston, Ravensong: A Natural and Fabulous History or Ravens and Crows (Tarcher, 2004), pp. 68-69; source: Margie Haack, "Final Notes," Notes from Toad Hall (Winter 2013)]]

The message that was given to the world at just the right time eventually spread to an Indian tribe waiting on the message to be delivered. The message was about Jesus Christ, a man, but also God who lived and died among. He lived a life free from sin. He was put to death on a Roman cross and His death paid the ransom for all sin for all time. Jesus defeated death rising back to life the 3^rd day after His death. His resurrection showed us that we too can have eternal life. It still holds true today that “This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.” If you have not heard this message – maybe it is time to listen to this message that was given at just the right time.

Remembering God

Psalm 62:7 (NKJV)

7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.

[In God is my salvation and my glory. Where our salvation is there our glory is; for what is our salvation but the glory to be revealed, the eternal weight of glory? And there our glorying must be. In God let us boast all the day long. "The rock of my strength (that is, my strong rock, on which I build my hopes and stay myself) and my refuge, to which I flee for shelter when I am pursued, is in God, and in him only. I have no other to flee to, no other to trust to; the more I think of it the better satisfied I am in the choice I have made.' Thus does he delight himself in the Lord, and then ride upon the high places of the earth, Isa. 58:14. [Matthew Henry Commentary]]

When you have lost the meaning to your life, focus on the words written by King David.

God is my salvation -

David knew he was a man filled with sin. He knew those sins had the power to destroy him. However, David also knew God was the hope of his salvation. God was the one who would redeem David and restore him to a new state of being.

God is my glory -

The Apostle Peter wrote, “I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.” Peter understood that in that following Christ he would also be a benefactor to Christ’s glory. Not only would Christ be glorified, but the God’s children would also be glorified.

God is the rock of my strength –

A rock bed was considered a solid foundation to place any building upon. It could even have been a cave that provided safety from the elements.  Rocks were also use to build the walls of fortified cities for they offered defense from those who would attack. For David God was the rock of his strength for David knew he could rely upon God for safety and defense of anything that came at him.

God my refuge –

David knew God was always the safe place to turn for help. God was his refuge. In God David found peace.

Take time to think of what God is to you and give Him praise for all that He is!

Suffering - Philippians 1:29

Philippians 1:29 (NLT)

29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake

Here the apostle talks about two things given. One is that there are those who have been given faith in Jesus Christ. The other gift is that we may suffer for the sake of Christ. However in our suffering it is where we find strength and a renewal of self. Our suffering may be long or short, but it is used to challenge us and grow us into something better.

[The movie Lincoln provides a glimpse into some of the challenges that President Lincoln faced while he was in office. But the level of suffering this leader endured throughout his life is simply astonishing. He was a victim of relentless and tragic sorrow. His mother died when he was 9. His first love died when he was a young man. Later, three of his four children died in childhood. His wife may have been affected by mental illness, and he himself is believed to have suffered from what we would now call clinical depression.

His political path was no easier. This man we view as a unifying hero was largely unpopular in his own times. The media portrayed him as a hapless hick from the backwoods. Eastern society rejected him and his wife because they were from Illinois—then considered the rough western frontier. And when he ran for president, leaders in Southern states made clear that if Lincoln were elected, the country would divide. With 82 percent voter turnout in 1860, he won with less than 40 percent of the popular vote.

Rather than shrink from a leadership nightmare in the making, accepted leadership of a country that was already deeply divided below the surface, knowing his election meant division would soon be obvious on the surface as well. Sure enough, after his election Southern states made good on their threats and began seceding from the union before he even took office. Then, roughly a month after he took office, all-out civil war erupted. His popularity grew during his presidency until, four years after he took office and just six days after the Confederate surrender, he was shot and killed in a final tragedy that helped to bring the nation back together in their grief.

What made Lincoln such an effective leader during this great crisis? Here's one theory: Lincoln's intimate acquaintance with sorrow and hardship had prepared him for the kind of self-sacrifice his presidency would require. [[Amy Simpson, "There's Power in Showing Your Scars," Amy Simpson blog (4-29-13)]

If have seen through life how moments of suffering just for a short term can prepare a person for the bigger tragedies faced in life.  The difficulties my wife and I have faced in life we have shared with our children throughout the years so they could see their parents dealing with things like death, life changes, and even tragic events. We wanted them to be prepared for the suffering that would come into their life so they too could learn from it and grow from it as well.

Suffering can be a bad thing where you are facing it and dealing with it day to day. But suffering can lead to something good that redefines you in a positive way and makes you stronger. Jesus suffered for us that we could live an eternal life. I would like to think our suffering will benefit someone along the way.

The good side of anger

Proverbs 25:23 (NLT)

23 As surely as a north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger!

Good can be brought about by anger towards those who gossip. For if someone gossips to us and we reply with angry countenance then maybe we will ward off future attacks by a gossiper. Anger towards someone is itself not a sin. It is the hasty actions that can occur due to anger that can lead to sin.

[On February 27, 2012, 17-year-old T. J. Lane from Chardon, Ohio, burst into his school's cafeteria and started gunning down classmates. Lane shot and killed three students, but if it wasn't for the courage of Coach Frank Hall, many more students could have died that day.

The funny thing is that Hall doesn't consider himself to be a courageous hero. The 6'1", 350-pound football coach admits that he has plenty of fears. He hates confrontations; he's afraid of heights, roller coasters, and scary movies; and he jumps through the ceiling when his kids sneak up on him. On one level, Coach Hall is more of a teddy bear than a fighter. Hall summarizes his coaching code in two sentences: "Every kid is someone's pride and joy, or wants to be someone's pride and joy …. I keep thinking, How would I want my kid to be treated?—and then I treat them that way."

But Frank Hall believes that there's one word that defines his life calling—protector. So as the shots rang out on that February morning in the Chardon High School cafeteria Frank Hall knew what he had to do. Hall, a follower of Christ who felt the hand of God through the ordeal, responded with courage in the face of danger. As students cringed under desks, Hall charged at the gunman, his voice booming, "Stop! Stop!" T.J. Lane, the 17-year-old shooter, was thrown off-guard by Hall's charge. Lane shot and missed as Hall dove behind a soda machine.

When Jen Sprinzl, a 51-year-old secretary, rushed out of the office to follow the bangs, Lane pointed his gun in her face. Hall had four adopted sons at home—two African-American, two bi-racial—that he didn't want to leave fatherless, but once again he rose up and bellowed, "NO!" Then he charged at Lane, who wheeled and started running. Police finally found Lane on a wooded road, shivering and wearing a t-shirt with the word KILLER on it. When they asked him why he'd run away, he said, "Because Coach Hall was chasing me."

In a later interview, Hall said, "I know, it sounds crazy, but in all honesty, I really didn't think about anything … I just reacted …. As a society, we cannot lose our outrage when these kinds of tragedies happen. We can't just get to the point where we accept these kinds of things as just part of our lives, now. We have to make sure we, as a people, don't accept it … we can't!" [Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com; source: Gary Smith, "A Coach's Courage," Sports Illustrated (6-24-13)]]

Coach Hall was a gentle man, but anger and outrage motivated him to take the proper action to save others. He handled anger in a proper way, not causing others to be injured, but others to be saved. God has anger towards sin because He sees how it destroys our lives. It is why God put a plan of salvation in place to save us from sin.

God's Grace

Romans 6:23 (NKJV)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Death is the wages due to a sinner, such as wages are due to the servant who performs them. It doesn’t matter what we consider the size of sin the same wage is death. It is a wage due anyone who has committed at least one sin or the least of sins. However, God offers the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

[In May 2009, my family was in Azusa, California, because one of our kids was graduating from Azusa Pacific University. My wife, Nancy, was going to speak at the commencement ceremonies, so she and I were invited to a special gathering of about 50 people—people from the graduating class of 50 years ago and a few faculty members. During the gathering, John Wallace, the president of APU, brought out three students who were graduating that year and told us that for the next two years, they were going to serve the poorest of the poor in India.

These three students thought they were there just to be commissioned and sent out with a blessing—which they were. But then something happened that they did not know was coming. John turned to them and said, "I have a piece of news for you. There's somebody you do not know—an anonymous donor—who is so moved by what you're doing that he has given a gift to this university in your name, on your behalf."

John turned to the first student and said, "You are forgiven your debt of $105,000." The kid immediately starts to cry. John turns to the next student: "You're forgiven your debt of $70,000." He then turns to the third student: "You are forgiven your debt of $130,000." All three students had no idea this was coming. They were just ambushed by grace—blown away that somebody they don't even know would pay their debt. The whole room was in tears. [John Ortberg, in the sermon "Patch 'Em," Menlo Park Presbyterian, Menlo Park, California (preached 5-17-09)]]

The refrain from a well-known Christian hymn says, “Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.” God’s gift of grace through Jesus Christ is greater than all the sin of the world. 

Let us please The Lord

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NKJV)

7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

The prophet offers a comparison of the blessings received by one who trusts in the Lord to a tree that is fed constantly with water and yields unending fruit. Neither heat nor droughts have power over the tree for it is always refreshed by the water which is close by.

In his book What God Thinks When We Fail, Steven C. Roy tells a fictional story about a young violinist who lived in London many years ago. Although he was a superb musician, he was deathly afraid of large crowds, so he avoided giving concerts. But after enduring criticism for his unwillingness to give concerts, he finally agreed to perform in the largest concert hall in London.

The young violinist came onto the stage and sat alone on a stool. He put his violin under his chin and played for an hour and a half. No music in front of him, no orchestra behind him, no breaks—just an hour and a half of absolutely beautiful violin music. After ten minutes or so, many critics put down their pads and listened, like the rest …. After the performance, the crowd rose to its feet and began applauding wildly—and they wouldn't stop.

But the young violinist didn't acknowledge the applause. He just peered out into the audience as if he were looking for something—or someone. Finally he found what he was looking for. Relief came over his face, and he began to acknowledge the cheers.

After the concert, the critics met the young violinist backstage …. They said, "You were wonderful. But one question: Why did it take you so long to acknowledge the applause of the audience?"

The young violinist took a deep breath and answered, "You know I was really afraid of playing here. Yet this was something I knew I needed to do. Tonight, just before I came on stage, I received word that my master teacher was to be in the audience. Throughout the concert, I tried to look for him, but I could never find him. So after I finished playing, I started to look more intently. I was so eager to find my teacher that I couldn't even hear the applause. I just had to know what he thought of my playing. That was all that mattered. Finally, I found him high in the balcony. He was standing and applauding, with a big smile on his face. After seeing him, I was finally able to relax. I said to myself, 'If the master is pleased with what I have done, then everything else is okay.'"

Who are we trying to please in life? Are we trying to please those around us, trying to please the world, or trying to please God who watches over us and takes care of us? Let us please The Lord, the one who helps us bear good fruit in our lives.

Spiritual milk

1 Peter 2:2-3 (NLT)

2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

The apostle provides some sound and wise advice. Once a person accepts God’s gift of salvation they need to seek out spiritual wisdom to grow their relationship with God and Christ. God has been good to us and His Son has paid our debts for sin. Therefore we should seek them out through scripture study and prayer.

I have gone to church for as long as I can remember. I think being in the Sunday morning nursery at church was one way for my mother to get a break from me.  But then as I grew I went into Sunday school and began learning about The Bible. I remember memorizing Bible verses to earn a Bible, which I still have today.  It’s a little old and tattered, but it is a good reminder of where I first started to learn scripture.

When I was around eight years old I remember being in church service and telling my mother Jesus wanted me to go down to the front of the church to tell the preacher I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart. Being so young, my mother setup a meeting so we could talk with the pastor instead of letting me go then. The pastor asked me some questions about salvation and I gave answers. Then he turned to my mother and said, “He knows what he is talking about.”  So the next Sunday I went forward in church and told the church I wanted to accept Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior.

Then comes the part where I failed my responsibility. I wanted that relationship with God and Christ, but I didn’t quite understand how to grow it. I didn’t read The Bible as I should have. I didn’t have people around helping me learn in detail about The Bible. I didn’t grow my understanding of God and Christ’s love for me and others. Instead I kind of floundered along the way.

After I was married I got into a church that focused on studying The Bible. Suddenly a lot of questions I had were being answered. I grew in my knowledge of God and Christ and I began to grow again. Finally I was drinking the spiritual milk the apostle Peter referred to.

If we are to grow in our understanding of God and Christ we need to spend time in His word and spend time talking to Him in prayer. The study of scripture and personal time with God and Christ are two important ways to grow spiritually. Take the apostle’s advice above and crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.

The Holy Spirit at work

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The Bible says to love The Lord your God. Jesus also tells us in The Bible to love one another. Here we are told by the Apostle Paul that the fruit of The Spirit is love along with a set of qualities that reinforce love. There is no law that can stand against real love for God and others; for in love everything is made right.

It's easy to blame others (and thus justify ourselves) for our disobedience. But in the following quote, Thomas Merton identifies the key reason why we fail to experience the freedom and joy Christ offers believers:

It is not that someone else is preventing you from living happily; you yourself do not know what you want. Rather than admit this [and ask for God's help], you pretend that someone else is keeping you from exercising your liberty. Who is this? It is you yourself.   [Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation (New Directions, 2007), p. 110]

The Holy Spirit is there to motivate us to love, find joy in our lives that comes with peace and longsuffering. We find that we can supply kindness to others out of the goodness of our heart. Our faithfulness, gentleness and self-control allow us to hold onto these values and use them for not only the good of God, but for the good of ourselves. Is someone holding you back from living a happy life? If so, you probably need to look at yourself. For maybe you are not allowing The Holy Spirit to work in your life. 

Children love your parents

Proverbs 23:22 (NLT)

Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.

This proverb tells us that we should honor our father when we as a child are under his authority. A mother’s love for their child is a great love. She spends hours a day caring for the child, seeing to its needs and ensuring the child is cared for. Therefore just because we have become independent adults is no reason to let go of our love for our parents and despise them for they did they best they knew how to do.

Sheila Kissinger, a social anthropologist, writes in her book, Ourselves as Mothers: "Becoming a mother is a biological process, but it is also a social transformation, and one of the most dramatic and that a woman may experience. The home is supposed to be a haven of love and good feelings. Thus it comes as a great disappointment to many women when it proves not to be so for them. For home is also a place where the ugliest and most destructive emotions are experienced, where there is disturbing interpersonal conflict, and inside four walls these raw feelings are concentrated and mixed together as if in a pressure cooker. She hates what she has become. Happy as a woman may be to have a baby, and although she may enjoy being a mother, she must now pay the price of motherhood the total and virtual annihilation of self."

Being a parent can be a tough job. Often it means sacrificing a lifelong dream to become the caretakers of your children. And where do you find the training for this job? You learned things from your father and mother; if you were fortunate enough to have both a father and a mother.  Even then our parents were not perfect so some of the things we learned were flawed. And unfortunately those flaws can carry from generation to generation. We may have learned from books, but that doesn’t mean we can always apply what we have learned and integrate it into our lives. No, life is trial and error. It is hoping to do the best, it is trying to give a great effort, but it is also realizing there are times we will fail. And when we fail we try to make our failure right.

Through it all God is teaching you and your children. You may do something that one day your child comes to resents something you have always resented in your life. Just maybe they will break the cycle of a generational flaw and pass new hopes to their children. Maybe they can learn a new way to handle emotions, problems and such to take care of their life and do it according to how God would have them act. Children listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old for they both have their love for you.

The Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-3 (NLT)

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

A good shepherd always provides for the needs of his sheep. He watches over them. He keeps them fed and watered. The shepherd is always on guard to ensure his sheep follow the right paths that are safe to travel. David understood this because he was a shepherd and he saw God as his shepherd leading him to good places.

There's a line in the Old Testament written by Isaiah that tells the result of God's gamble, (Isaiah 53:6): "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way." Although God has a right to own us because he created us, he gave us the option of freedom, and we all left. We chose sin and did not love him as he wanted to be loved. In response, he chose to send out his own son to look for us, to hunt us down, to find and redeem us at a terrible cost--the cost of his own life.

A shepherd notches the ear of a lamb born to his flock and has rightful ownership. That lamb deliberately walks away. The shepherd searches near and far to get that lamb back. A long time later, he finds not a baby lamb but a grown sheep for sale at an animal auction. The shepherd recognizes his mark on that sheep's ear. He goes to the auctioneer and says, "I can see the mark. That sheep is mine."

The auctioneer says, "Listen, you must bid and pay just like anybody else."

The shepherd bids and pays an outrageous price, far above any reasonable market value in order to get his lamb. He now has a double right to own this sheep: from birth, from redemption.

God has a right to own us as creator and because he has paid the blood of his own Son--an outrageous price far above our market value--in order to redeem us back again. [Leith Anderson, "The Lord Is My Shepherd," Preaching Today, Tape No. 136.]

God watches over us and even provided His own Son as payment for our sins. How dear we are to God, precious in His sight.  Let us love God in return and follow Him to green pastures that are good places for us to be.

God's good works in our lives

Romans 8:28 (NLT)

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Problems don’t go away just because you become a Christian, instead the Holy Spirit is there to help guide you through your problems knowing that all things, even problems, work together for the good of those who love God.

In his book The Divine Commodity, Skye Jethani shares a story from a trip he took to India with his father. While walking the streets of New Delhi, a little boy approached them. He was "skinny as a rail, and naked but for tattered blue shorts. His legs were stiff and contorted, like a wire hanger twisted upon itself." Because of his condition, the little boy could only waddle along on his calloused knees. He made his way toward Skye and his father and cried out, "One rupee, please! One rupee!" Skye describes what happened when his father eventually responded to the boy's persistent begging:

"What do you want?" [my father asked].

"One rupee, sir," the boy said while motioning his hand to his mouth and bowing his head in deference. My father laughed.

"How about I give you five rupees?" he said. The boy's submissive countenance suddenly became defiant. He retracted his hand and sneered at us. He thought my father was joking, having a laugh at his expense. After all, no one would willingly give up five rupees. The boy started shuffling away, mumbling curses under his breath.

My father reached into his pocket. Hearing the coins jingle, the boy stopped and looked back over his shoulder. My father was holding out a five-rupee coin. He approached the stunned boy and placed the coin into his hand. The boy didn't move or say a word. He just stared at the coin in his hand. We passed him and proceeded to cross the street.

A moment later the shouting resumed, except this time the boy was yelling, "Thank you! Thank you, sir! Bless you!" He raced after us once again—but not for more money but to touch my father's feet. …

This, I imagine, is how our God sees us—as miserable creatures in desperate need of his help. But rather than asking for what we truly need, rather than desiring what he is able and willing to give, we settle for lesser things. [Skye Jethani, The Divine Commodity (Zondervan, 2009), pp. 113-114]

We all face problems and troubles, but God has a plan for us; a plan to prosper us and a plan that will make Christ known to others. God can open doors to things greater than we can imagine. Pray that God would use you for His purpose that everything would work together for good for those who love The Lord.

Reach out to others

Proverbs 12:25 (NKJV)

25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

This proverb tells us that untreated anxiety can lead a person into depression, but a good word can make the heart glad and steer it clear of depressing problems.

I once had a psychiatrist tell me that anxiety and depression are like two over lapping circles.  One circle is anxiety, while the other circle is depression. The area where the circles overlap is the area where anxiety and depression come together. For if a person is anxious for a long enough period they eventually move towards a feeling of hopelessness and depression. Their anxiety overwhelms them to the point they feel hopeless to do anything and they are now trapped by both anxiety and depression.

Likewise if depression continues long enough in a person’s life, they begin to feel anxious about their depression as though something needs to be done, but they are unsure about what to do. So anxiousness starts growing within as they dwell on the things they believe they need to do, but feel too depressed to take action.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. When we allow God to work in us we can ease the troubled hearts of others. We can offer love, kindness, goodness and gentleness to guide those in distress to calm thoughts. We can offer them hope. Often many of us can share experiences we have endured and how God has seen us through troubled times and brought us into good times. So a good work can truly make the heart glad and steer it clear of depressing problems.

It is amazing what a kind and loving talk will often do for people. It can give them hope they did not see. It can help them know others have had troubles and survived. Reach out to others and help them in their times of distressed and you will be blessed for your actions.

Compassion for others

John 8:10-11 (NKJV)

10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

This is the story of a woman caught in adultery. The crowd brought her to Jesus saying that the Law of Moses had commanded stoning of such a person.  In other words they placed their judgment upon her. Jesus had said to the crowd, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Hearing those words the crowd dispersed for they all knew they had sin in their lives.

My wife and I will often watch Dr. Drew on HLN in the evenings. Last night there was a panel discussion about a college girl who was participating in porn to pay her way through college. The panel of people debated whether this was right or wrong. Dr. Drew made a point that agrees with the words of Jesus, we can still tell someone they have a problem without placing a judgment upon them.

The Bible tells us for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of The Lord. It’s why the crowd who was ready to pass judgment on the adulterous woman and stone her quickly backed off when they thought about the sins in their lives. Perhaps even some of the men had been with this woman before.

There is nothing wrong with pointing out sin in a person’s life, but remember if you have obvious sin in your life get ready for them to say something back to you. It’s why we lovingly point out problems people have and instead of placing judgment upon them; we love them and offer help to restore them.

I once read Christians are the harshest on Christians who have sinned. These people are wounded and instead of picking them up and carrying them off the battlefield of sin we leave them there wounded and helpless. We need to be more proactive in helping people and showing our love for them.

Let us learn to talk to people about their problems in a loving way and without condemnation or judgment. Let us strive to help and show people they are loved. Let us also remember our own sins and deal with them properly. Let us ensure we have dealt with our own problems before trying to deal with the problems of others.

May God bless you, give you the wisdom to know right from wrong, and give you compassion to love others and help them through their problems.

If someone asks you - be ready

1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)

15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

We sanctify the Lord God in our hearts when we with sincerity and fervency adore him, when our thoughts of him are awful and reverend, when we rely upon his power, trust to his faithfulness, submit to his wisdom, imitate his holiness, and give him the glory due to his most illustrious perfections [Matthew Henry]

In his book A Sweet and Bitter Providence, John Piper offers these thoughts about God's providence:

Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road. Switchback after switchback. And the point of biblical stories like Joseph and Job and Esther and Ruth is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns. God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the troubles with far-reaching purposes for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ. [John Piper, A Sweet and Bitter Providence (Crossway Books & Bibles, 2010), pp.101-102]

When you have lived a Christian life you understand life provides moments of uncertainty, moments of pain, moments of sadness and other hardships along the way. Now there are good moments too and regardless of whether the moments are good or bad The Lord is always walking with us. Because The Lord is always with us we can use the moments of our life as a testimony to others. If someone asks, “What gives you hope about eternal life?” you can respond Jesus Christ. For He is Our Savior, Our Rock, Our Shepherd, Lord of all and many other names of importance. We can give examples of how we know The Lord guided us when we were lost and in what we should do. Be ready when others ask you about your Christian life and be ready to explain it – the good parts and the bad parts; for Christ loves us no matter what.

Restoring the heart

Psalm 139:23-24 (NKJV)

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Here the psalmist calls out to God about the sincerity of his intentions. If there is any wrong within him, he wants God to find it. If there is wrong that is found he wants God to lead him in the right ways.

In the daily round of life, dust and cobwebs accumulate in our souls. The hidden corners of our hearts become encrusted with grime or filled with forgotten debris. During the weeks of Lent, God's Spirit is given opportunity to clear away the clutter, sweep away the dust and wash us clean. We are invited to prepare ourselves—heart, soul, mind, and body—for the new life of Easter.

 [— Marlene Kropf, U.S. professor in spiritual formation (Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary)]

There are things hidden away inside of us that have been long forgotten. Unfortunately those things remain with us for a long time affecting the way we live. There are times we need to sit down with God and cry out like the psalmist asking for God to search our hearts and show us the sins and problems that exist. Then we need to confess those sins and ask God to restore us and help us. 

God's Plans

Isaiah 25:1 (NLT)

25 O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.

As the prophet begins this chapter he gives honor and praise to God. He does this because those who are going to proclaim the glorious works of God should first give praise and honor to those works He has done.

Over 100 years ago, a tornado struck the prairies of Minnesota. Many were killed, hundreds were injured, and one small town was almost demolished. In the midst of the disaster, an elderly British surgeon and his two medically trained sons worked almost around the clock for days aiding the stricken, bandaging wounds, and setting broken limbs.

Their heroic work did not go unnoticed. Their excellence as physicians and their selflessness in the service of those in need created a following among the tornado victims. The doctor and his sons were offered financial backing to build a hospital, provided that they took charge.

The men agreed and in 1889 founded a clinic that soon attracted nationwide attention. Their little clinic grew.

The city was Rochester, Minnesota.

The elderly doctor’s name: William W. Mayo.

His sons: William J. and Charles Mayo.

Their clinic is called simply “The Mayo Clinic.” It now consists of over 500 physicians treating more than 200,000 people a year. It is known worldwide as one of the premier places of health, healing and excellence in medicine.

I’m sure if you asked the citizens of Minnesota about the Rochester tornado at the time, they would have said it was all about death and destruction, an unqualified disaster.

But, put in the perspective of better than a century, and in the hands of a creative God, the tornado was really about life, help, and healing.  [J. R. Love, Rushton, Louisiana]

In the NIV Bible translation, Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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.” God has plans for all of us. Surrender to The Lord and see what takes place.

Peacemakers

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle Paul gives words of encouragement as he tries to settle a disagreement between two women, Euodia and Syntyche. They had worked hard serving The Lord and Paul wanted to bring peace into their lives.

In his book Sermon on the Mount: A Foundation for Understanding, author and professor Robert A. Guelich writes of the role Christ-followers play as peacemakers:

The peace intended is not merely that of political and economic stability, as in the Greco-Roman world, but peace in the Old Testament inclusive sense of wholeness, all that constitutes well-being…

The "peacemakers," therefore, are not simply those who bring peace between two conflicting parties, but those actively at work making peace, bringing about wholeness and well-being among the alienated. [Robert A. Guelich, Sermon on the Mount: A Foundation for Understanding (W Publishing Group, 1991)]

In this world there are peacekeepers and peacemakers. Peacekeepers try to maintain a status quo. They try to hide the things that would destroy peace. They may say such things as, “Let’s just forget about this and move on.

Peacemakers on the other hand don’t avoid conflict; instead they face it. They call attention to a problem and seek a resolution. Peacemakers help mend relationships and break down barriers that separate people.

God wants to bring peace into your life. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done; then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Do not be afraid

Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

This is The Lord’s charge to Joshua as he is about to enter the Promised Land. God has reminded Joshua of the past promises and now tells him to not be afraid, but be strong and courageous; for where God sends Joshua, God will be there with him.

Dennis N. T. Perkins writes in Leading at the Edge (AMACOM, 2000): Earnest Shackleton led a daring expedition in 1914 to reach Antarctica. A year earlier, a lesser-known Canadian-led expedition headed in the other direction to explore the North Pole. Both ships, the Karluk in the north and the Endurance in the south, found themselves trapped by solid ice packs. Each crew was faced with a fight for survival. But the outcomes of the two expeditions couldn't have been more different.

In the north, the crew members from the Karluk, led by Vilhjalmur Stefansson, degenerated into a band of selfish, mean-spirited, cut-throat individualists, ending in the death of all 11 crew members. In the south, Shackleton's crew faced the same problems—cold, food shortages, stress, and anxiety—but his crew responded with teamwork, self-sacrifice, and astonishing good cheer.

In the end, each leader stayed true to his core leadership values. Stefansson valued success above caring for people. He consistently communicated his ultimate objective: getting to the North Pole. In Stefansson's words this meant "that even the lives of the [crew] are secondary to the accomplishment of the work!" To the very end, Stefansson denied that his drive for success led to a tragedy—for himself and his crew.

In sharp contrast, Shackleton's leadership focused on the value and dignity of his teammates. At one of the lowest points of his trip, Shackleton wrote, "The task was now to secure the safety of the party." The well-being of his team drove him to put others first. Shackleton even gave away his mittens and boots and volunteered for the longest night watches. By valuing each person, Shackleton forged a team that was willing to share their rations with each other, even on the brink of starvation. Through his example of sacrificial leadership, Shackleton was able to accomplish his ultimate objective: saving the lives of his crew members.

In the verse above God was going to take Joshua and the Israelites into a dangerous land; and God’s promise was to be right there with them. In the midst of hunger – God would be there. In the midst of stress – God would be there. In the midst of battle – God would be there. Joshua knew God kept His promises and would be there to support the Israelites in all they were to do.

Trust in The Lord

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

This proverb tells us to trust in the Lord, not a little, but with our entire heart. It is difficult to depend upon our own understanding; for we are flawed and the understanding we have about ourselves is also flawed. We are reminded that if we seek out The Lord’s will in all areas of our life that The Lord shows us the proper paths to take.

Eugene Peterson, writes in Earth and Alter (Intervarsity Press, 1985), Two commands direct us from the small-minded world of self-help to the large world of God's help. First, "Come, behold the works of the Lord." Take a long, scrutinizing look at what God is doing. This requires patient attentiveness and energetic concentration. Everybody else is noisier than God. The headlines and neon lights and amplifying systems of the world announce human works. But what of God's works? They are unadvertised but also inescapable, if we simply look. They are everywhere. They are marvelous. But God has no public relations agency. He mounts no publicity campaign to get our attention. He simply invites us to look …

The second command is "Be still, and know that I am God." Be still. Quit rushing through the streets long enough to become aware that there is more to life than your little self-help enterprises. When we are noisy and when we are hurried, we are incapable of intimacy—deep, complex, personal relationships. If God is the living center of redemption, it is essential that we be in touch with and responsive to that personal will. If God has a will for this world and we want to be in on it, we must be still long enough to find out what it is (for we certainly are not going to learn by watching the evening news). Baron von Hugel, who had a wise word on most subjects, always held out that "nothing was ever accomplished in a stampede."

The words of Eugene Peterson, who is both pastor and author, go well with the proverbs above. We need to stop and behold what God has done in world; for in stopping to see His wonders we come to trust His works. In stopping and being still we also take time to develop a relationship with God so we better understand His will for us.