Dress Yourself in Humility

April 29, 2015April 27, 2015 / Jodie / 1 Comment

1 Peter 5:5-11

5 In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

“God opposes the proud  but gives grace to the humble.”[a]

6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers[b] all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen.

When Doug and I finally gave God all our worries and cares, the Holy Spirit began His work to restore, support and strengthen us individually- and together.

Believers, all over the world have, and will go through the same kind of suffering in their marriage that we did. As with most couples, our story involved two broken people who finally surrendered to the Father. But it didn’t happen simultaneously. Doug was the first to humble himself.

After years of trying to conquer sexual sin in his own strength, in 2001 my groom was faced with the prospect of loosing his wife, children and career. Everything that he held dear was being stripped away in the span of only a few hours. Fortunately, for him- and his family, he cried out to God for help….and in His kindness, God reminded him of his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus.

My surrender came several months later. Like a roaring lion, I was looking to devour my husband and make him pay for all the scars & pain he inflicted on me during our years together. I was angry, bitter, judgmental and completely blind to my own sexual sin- and stubborn pride. Until one day…while I was cursing my husband, the Holy Spirit interjected (literally in mid sentence): “I died for him too. He is forgiven. You must forgive.”

The restoring of our marriage began with both of us confessing and repenting to the Father. Had we stopped there, we would have stayed together with a firm foundation, but our relationship would not have been rebuilt the way God designed. In order to continue the construction process, Doug and I once again had to humble ourselves by confessing our sins to each other and repenting for the pain we inflicted in one another’s souls. We had to be willing to give and receive forgiveness. We also needed to allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate the deep, dark, hidden places in the basement of our past so that we could see where the enemy had stolen, killed and destroyed areas of our lives- and marriage. Once we knew the Truth, we were set free by confessing, repenting and forgiving.

As with any remodel, the project towards oneness has been long….and sometimes extremely hard. And it still isn’t finished! But I can tell you from experience: the blessings of obedience far outweigh the cost of humbling ourselves under the mighty power of God.

If you are in the midst of a marriage renovation, dress yourself in humility towards God and your spouse. The Lord promises that at just the right time He will lift you up in honor. So trust Him! Don’t rush the reno. A firm foundation and well built home takes time.

Psalm 37:7

7 Be still in the presence of the Lord,  and wait patiently for him to act.

Ask for help!

March 27, 2015 / Jodie / 1 Comment

Isaiah 30:18-21

18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him  so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God.  Blessed are those who wait for his help.

19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,  you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help.  He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food  and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you.  You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

21 Your own ears will hear him.  Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,”  whether to the right or to the left.

I cannot count the times I’ve needed help from the Lord….and failed to ask Him.

Help with depression.

Help with anxiety.

Help with sickness.

Help with forgiveness.

Help with conflicts.

Help with fear.

Help with my marriage.

Help with communication.

Help with finances.

Help with sexual intimacy.

Help with our children.

Sure, there have been plenty of times that I’ve prayed, telling Him my wants and to bless me in whatever I decided to do. Much less frequently, however, have I put forth the effort to surrender my prideful will and humbly ask Him for help.

The truth is, the Lord is waiting for me EVERY day to come to Him about EVERY detail of my life, my marriage & my parenting. He wants to show me His love and compassion. And He wants to show me whether to go the right or the left. His faithfulness to this promise has been proven to me over and over and over again….yet, sometimes, I still forget to ask for help.

A few years ago, as I was struggling through a difficult season of life, my patience in waiting was beginning to wane. I was tempted to go my own way when God used my husband to speak wisdom to my soul, “Jodie…if God is silent, keep asking and waiting….He’s trying to teach you something.” How grateful I am that I submitted to His truth because in a short time I heard God’s voice, chose to obey and subsequently reaped a huge blessing.

If you’re facing adversity, ask God for help! Ask Him the difficult questions your soul yearns for answers to. Then wait until you hear Him before you go. As you wait, make sure your ears are functioning at optimum performance by asking the Holy Spirit if there is any sin you need to confess. Then humbly repent and continue asking and waiting. He will respond to your cries.

Proverbs 3:6

6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

6 Feet Deep

December 17, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Romans 7:14-25

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power[b] within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Occasionally, when we darken the doors of a building where His church gathers, we hear a convicting sermon that points to the obvious sins in our life. But what about those sins that are 6 feet deep, just like the bodies that lie in the cemetery next to those beautiful sanctuaries? How on earth do we recognize those hidden sins that live in the darkness of our souls?

We ask the Holy Spirit to use a shovel, or a backhoe, or whatever earth mover He needs to remove the layers of dirt so that His light will illuminate the sinful nature that continues to reek havoc- and bring death to our daily lives.

Every time I read this passage that Paul penned so very long ago I realize that no matter how holy I think I am or how worthy I believe my call from Him is, I am faced with the dilemma that there is another power within me that is at war. When the Holy Spirit brings conviction to the things I’ve done wrong they always, always, always reflect the sin that was committed in the garden at the dawn of creation:

-lust of the eyes (I see it)

-lust of the flesh (I want it)

-the pride of life (I justify why I should have it)

Even though I think I love Gods law with all my heart, there are still places that are not yet fully submitted to His lordship. Places where I’ve been hurt because of my wrong expectations of Him- or others. Places where I’ve sinned and not repented. Places where I’ve failed to trust Him completely and subsequently decided to taste the fruit for myself.

It all sounds terribly defeating – this cycle of wanting to do what is right, but inevitably choosing wrong. But there is HOPE….. a Savior, who is Christ the Lord! Who was born of a virgin, suffered and died for our sake, so that we could live a life free from the slavery of sin. Free from spiritual and emotional death. Free from everlasting torment.

Do you want a relationship with this Savior? Do you want to experience the freedom He offers? Then I implore you to read the following passage, and do what it says. If you already have a relationship with Jesus, but find yourself feeling 6 feet deep, retreat to your secret place and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any area of hidden sin. Then confess, repent and forgive, as He leads. If, however, the dirt is not easily lifted, ask a godly mentor to bring a shovel over to help you dig!

Romans 10:9-12

9 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.

11 The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.

12 [No one] for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith].

New

December 8, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Luke 5:33-37

33 One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?”

34 Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

36 Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment.

37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins.

The deliverymen from Lowe’s were not very happy campers when they arrived 2 hours late last week to install our new refrigerator. To make matters worse, they quickly realized that our new appliance was not going to fit through our old doorways. An hour or so later, once they removed our back door from its hinges and disassembled the fridge and freezer doors, we stood and admired our new, shiny, energy efficient food storage container….that no longer fits into the 30 year old cabinetry in our home.

Time to renovate!!!

Romans 12:1-2

And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The more I worship God, the more I realize that my mind continually needs to be renovated. As the Holy Spirit reveals areas of sin in my life (some, I have discovered, have been hiding for 30 + years!) I have the choice to:

-try to fix the “issues” by myself by using a new patch on an old garment

-submit my body as a living and holy sacrifice to God, so that He can burst the lies of the enemy, create a new wineskin and fill it with His Truth

The process of renovating my heart is often a messy and sometimes painful experience. But, I know that copying the behavior and customs of the world won’t provide me with the freedom my soul is yearning for.

As another year draws to an end- again,

and we begin the process of renovating our kitchen- again,

I am reminded that I continually need to apply this age-old phrase to my life: out with the old, in with the new –again!

Way of Escape

September 4, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

During a recent flight into Charlotte Douglas International Airport, I peered out the window as our Airbus A 320 was hovering over the tarmac, preparing to land. Moments later, however, my husband and I, along with the one hundred and forty eight other passengers were thrust back into our seats as the pilot revved the engines and ascended back into the sky. A few thousand feet later, a voice came over the intercom: “ladies and gentlemen, we’re sorry for the delay. We were forced to abort the landing because another aircraft was taking its time getting off the runway. We’ll be on the ground shortly.”

After thanking God for holding us and that plane in the palm of His hand, I began recalling all the times I’ve hovered over sin, not consciously knowing that if I chose to land in it, death would be imminent. Maybe not a physical death mind you, but perhaps an emotional death and most certainly, a spiritual one.

The temptations in my life are no different than what others have experienced….so why is it that my ability to stand sometimes seems much more difficult?

Just as we are all uniquely and wonderfully made by our Creator, we are born into unique and wonderful families that receive His blessings for thousands of generations and, as a result of sin, curses for several generations.

Exodus 20:5-6

New Living Translation (NLT)

5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those[a] who love me and obey my commands.

Although God’s punishment of our ancestors sin may seem unjust and unfair- the Lord in His unfailing love and mercy always offers a life saving solution. When we choose to humble ourselves before His throne and confess ours and yes, even our families sin and repent for our disobedience, He is faithful to forgive.

1 John 1:9

New Living Translation (NLT)

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

When the wickedness is gone, we are better able to endure hovering over the tarmac of temptation. By depending on the powerful engine of the Holy Spirit, we can avoid landing on the thief’s runway, depriving him of the opportunity to steal, kill and destroy us. Instead, we can rest safely in our first class seat, knowing that our Savior promises to give us a way of escape….. and a satisfying flight.

John 10:7-10

New Living Translation (NLT)

7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me[a] were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.[b] They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Divine Discipline

May 6, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Hebrews 12:5-11

5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children?[a] He said, “My child,[b] don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,  and don’t give up when he corrects you.

6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”[c]

7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?[d]

10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Confession #1: I really dislike having to discipline our children- especially now that they are older. When they were toddlers it was much easier for me to say “no!” and then pop their little hand or hiney if they disobeyed. Occasionally they would cry, but moments later, their tears would dry up and they’d be happy little children again, treating me like the GREATEST MOMMY IN THE WORLD!!!

As they’ve approached their formative and adolescent years their character has continued to be molded and refined by life experiences. Frequently, they are faced with the difficult task of choosing to assert their own will, or crucify their flesh, submitting to the authority of their parents. When they choose to succumb to their sinful nature & make a foolish decision, they suffer the consequences. Now, when punishment is handed out, I rarely get a quick cry and rapid re-instatement of MOM of the YEAR. Instead, I may receive the silent treatment or the angry eye or they may withdraw their affection from me for what feels like an eternity. Rejection from anyone is painful- but when it comes from the heart of your child, the negative feelings it evokes can sometimes be unbearable. Yet, Gods truth still stands, and if I love them, I must discipline them.

Proverbs 13:24

24 Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.

Confession #2: I really dislike being disciplined by God. As I reflect back on my toddler years in the Lord, He was gentle in His punishment; a little pop on the hand and a firm “no!” But as I’ve grown and attempted time and time again to assert my own will, I’ve often suffered greater consequences of my disobedience. None is more painful than the silent treatment that I have established between us as a result of my pride. When heaven is silent, I begin thinking…. “does He still love me?”

Confession #3: After 15 years of following Him, my mind is still trying to convince my heart that everything He does (or doesn’t do) is because He loves me with a supernatural, pure, righteous, death defying love. His blessings are a tangible evidence of it and so is His divine discipline.

And so, I must continue to crucify my flesh in order to submit to His authority over my life AND I must continue to love, train and discipline each of our children when they disobey. For I know, the plans He has for me- and them- are good and one day, there will be a peaceful harvest of right living in all of our lives!

Cleanse Me

April 29, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Psalm 19:12-14

12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?  Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!  Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt  and innocent of great sin.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you,  O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

There’s a common misconception among those who visit our home. Repeatedly we hear “your house is so CLEAN- how do you keep it that way with 4 kids?!” in which I reply “I like to keep things tidy…but if you look close, you’ll see its not really clean!”

When I was a little girl, I passed over the top of the toilet, sink and shower with my sponge just enough to make it LOOK like I had actually cleaned the bathroom. But my mother wasn’t fooled. She frequently had to make me go back and re-do all of it.

Our kids are the same way. They wipe the surface of the fixtures, but they really don’t scrub them in order to clean all the hidden yuck lurking beneath. Perhaps they just don’t see it. Perhaps they’re too lazy to do the work. Or, perhaps they’d rather get their chore done as quickly as possible to do something more FUN!!! It’s probably all of the above. I should know, because I still do the same thing when it comes to cleaning the master bathroom shower. In fact, I’ve even started asking my husband to clean it for us (he’s a much better detailed cleaner than I am anyway….but really, I just don’t wanna do it!!!)

It’s a similar tactic the enemy uses on me time and time again to keep me from seeing the sins lurking in my heart. Sure, I may “confess” my general sins in order to wipe the surface, but often I’m too lazy to ask God for specifics, so that I may sincerely repent. To be completely honest, most of the time I just don’t feel like allowing Him to expose the yuck. It’s much easier to ignore it or blame someone else for the dirt- and try to force them to clean it up.

Let’s face it; cleaning the bathroom takes time, effort and a lot of scrubbing. But, when the hidden yuck is removed and the surface begins to sparkle like diamonds it can finally be used – and enjoyed – for its intended purpose.

If I truly want God to cleanse me I must be willing to invest the time and effort for the Holy Spirit to remove the yuck from my soul….AND I must be willing to crucify my flesh and submit my will to His. Only then will love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control shine like the Son on the surface of my life.

1 John 1:9-10

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for the yuck to build back up in the bathroom….so I need to keep the cleaning bucket ready for touch up cleans, as well as the regularly scheduled deep cleans that are required. The same is true for my soul; cleansing isn’t a one-time event- it’s an ongoing, life long process.