Second-Hand Encouragement

So, I have found myself in a rather strange and yet uplifting situation. I have a friend who is going through a very rough time right now. She is a child of God and loves Jesus with all her life and heart, yet she suffers greatly under a depression. Through out the last few months, I have been really drawn to her by the Spirit and have found myself wanting to reminder her of the good in her life. I have been committed to encouraging her with scripture, prayers, notes, flowers, time, and any other thing from God that I could muster up.

At times, it is difficult for me to encourage her when I myself have been dealing with my own "issues". However, God has shown me much grace and the Spirit has dealt me much patience, for this I am ever thankful and praising. I guess I could say that God is answering I prayer that I've been praying for years: that is that I would better learn how to encourage others. Since praying this, God really has given me some friends that really needed biblical encouragement and in it has given me tools to sharpen others.

However, for the first time in a while, God started to encourage me through my own words to this girl. I stopped mid-sentence today while talking to her about not fearing and really just clinging to Christ to get through your day, because I was suddenly struck with the idea of taking my own advice. The only way I can explain it is that it is like a cigarette giving nicotine to a smoker. I felt the need to suck in the left over smoke (encouragement) and take it in deep! I found it to be addicting...! Just as smoke stains our mouths and hands and leaves an overwhelming smell, so too must the word of God and the encouragement of the Spirit must stain the words of MY mouths and the work of MY hands. And the words of the LORD will be a SWEET AROMA to your life for the glory of Him who gives it.The very words that the Holy Spirit was giving me, to give to this girl, were also being used to speak into my life. The work of God is endless, undeniable and unstoppable! It cannot be denied that God gives us joy, though we should have none...

So, it is these words that fed both her and me that I give to you now: "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (ps. 73:26)

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens" (ps. 68:19)

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (ps. 56:3-34).

"But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." (Ps. 55:16-18).

"Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10)

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God" (Ps. 42:5)

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety" (Ps. 4:8)

These are just a few...I hope you seek God today and know that as you encourage others, the second hand encouragement just might minister to you as well. Peace and Blessings

Failure to Evangelize in a Postmodern World

This is a sickness I hope to purge myself of as I cling to listening to God’s voice rather than my own.

Last night two other girls and myself went to Java to get some studying done. It was a rather pleasant evening, all bundled up on the couch with the fire place in front of us, and all deep in thought from what ever book we were each reading. Through out the evening, I had been curiously watching a women who was sitting at the bar working on something at her computer. She sipped a glass of red wine and every now and then took a look around the room at everyone. Finally, I moved to the chair closest to the fire and began to read my Bible and journal some prayers to God. This is what I read:

“Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked”. –Psalm 82:3-4.

I then began to ask God that he would put more unbelievers into my life and then use me to share the truth and light of the gospel with them. To minister and disciple them and do the work of the kingdom. Then I read some more…

“They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken”- Psalm 82:5.

My heart began to hurt for the lost, whose eyes are veiled and have no hope, for those who have not tasted and seen the Absolute Good. I asked God to help me “fight laziness, pride, deceit, frustration, worry and ill-confidence so that my own sin would not hinder me from being used to reach the lost” (written in my journal). Just then, the woman at the bar came and sat next to us on the couch. I noticed she was reading a book so I asked her what book she was reading. It was the new, and very famous, book called “Eat. Pray. Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert (not a Christian world view book).

The woman then informed me that her divorce was made final just the day before and she was told that this book was good to read to help and relate to her situation. It is about a women who gets a divorce and her struggles through it, how she turns to prayer in her time of need (though she doesn’t share the gospel in her book, but instead says that any religion will be just fine…ergo Postmodern), and then travels all around Italy, India, and Indonesia to find peace, comfort and joy. As this woman explained the book to me I asked her what viewpoint was the women coming from, from a Christian point of view or what. Her answer led me to realize that neither the author nor this woman, were saved believers in Christ.

Here it was! My opportunity! God answering my prayers almost instantly! I felt a huge burden to share with this woman what could really bring her peace, joy, and comfort. I knew that I needed to reach out to her. I wrote my name, contact information and a small note to her on a piece of paper. It was inappropriate, so it seemed, to speak about it to her opening then and there, but I wished I had…OH HOW I WISHED I HAD. What ended up happening is that she left and as she left, I with held that note. I never handed it to her. I DID IT AGAIN LORD! I DISOBEYED! Here, I just prayed for the Lost and that I would be bold, and I just let her walk away, not knowing if she will ever hear or if I will ever see her again.

I am ashamed to say that in those few moments, my sin revealed to me was greater than I had thought. It was in that moment when I refused to give her the note that I began to say that Satan’s lies were better than God’s truths. I was acting as a God-Hater and a self-lover. I could hear Satan telling me that I had nothing to offer her that would comfort her, that she would think me crazy, that I was trying to be “too spiritual”, and that I would be doing a foolish thing to give her a piece of paper…as if she would actually call me to talk. AND I BELIEVED HIM!!!

Talking and thinking about it today, I’ve learned one of my closer weaknesses and find myself utterly disgusted by it. God is moving in me, and others, to see that His voice is the only one we are to obey. I feel, in a way, like a fake or phony, but from here I can only go forward and up to stand rebuked, corrected, encouraged and trained by God all at one time. So…I urge you and others, DON’T FAIL TO EVANGELIZE IN THIS FALLEN AND POSTMODERN WORLD. There is truth, you know it, and everyone else needs it!

Consuming Idols...

In the quiet hours of the morning, I woke up longing to be close to God. I needed to drink His peace and savor His word. I prayed and talked to our Maker. My heart has been so clenched and drowning lately. As I laid there in bed, trying to talk to God, I allowed myself to be consumed with a fear, a fear that crippled me and effected me so much that it worries me that I am so easily corrupted.
Over the past semester I have allowed myself to be greatly effected by something. It started out as being under control and not an issue at all, but then it grew and became more complicated. For so long I thought it was all okay, but then I went on Christmas break... Over the break I realized that I had been putting this thing in my life as an idol. I regarded this thing and longed for it so much so that I began to resent it.
The Holy Spirit showed me my error and I began to pray and cling to Christ that I might purge myself of the mindset of this sin. I've been fighting since, but while I've been fighting, I've realized that part of me still doesn't want to let this thing go. It would not be such a fight, nor would my heart hurt so deeply, if I just trust God and really want to get rid of it. So, this morning, as I fought against my own flesh, God spoke to me and revealed to me this point:
I've been missing the point. The point is, I need to put God first. The point is, God is answering my prayers. I prayed and asked Him a while back that he would take the desire for this thing away from me and give me the strength to deal with it, AND HE IS!!! I should be thankful for the pain that comes along with it, for God reminded me about Romans 5:3- "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
What sweet words we have from the God who know us more than we could ever know ourselves. I had not payed attention to my first love, but I see it now. I SEE HIM NOW! While this doesn't make the struggle any less difficult, it does give affirmation that God is working this for good and that I have hope that HE IS GIVING ME STRENGTH to let go!