Tag Archives: following Jesus

Running On Fumes, Fueled By Faith

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I left the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference—inspired, tired and already behind.

The next morning, I was scheduled to lead a mentor development workshop at a local church. But when my flight home was delayed three hours, everything unraveled. Supplies weren’t prepped, my materials weren’t organized, and my body felt like it was running on empty. I stared at my to-do list late that night, tempted to power through. But lately, the Lord had been convicting me: Take better care of yourself. Trust Me with your limits.

So instead of pushing past exhaustion, I did something risky—I followed Jesus into rest.

The next morning, the pressure returned the minute I opened my eyes. So much to do. But before diving in, I paused to meet with Jesus. My reading “just happened” to be from the Sermon on the Mount. One verse stood out like a banner over the chaos:
“Do not be anxious… your heavenly Father knows what you need.”
I clung to that truth, especially with another writing trip to Chicago looming on the horizon.

After my quiet time, I tossed supplies into the back of the car—my husband’s old one, which I recently inherited—and took off for the church. Moments later, the skies opened. A torrential downpour began, and lightning cracked across the sky. The wipers on high barely carved out seconds of visibility. As I gripped the steering wheel, I regretted not driving to the church before my quiet time.

And then I saw it.
The gas gauge.
Below empty.

If I had noticed at home, I would’ve taken Jim’s car. But now, a couple miles down the road, turning back wasn’t an option.

With less than twenty minutes to get to the church, panic hit hard. What if I run out of gas? What if the car dies in the middle of an intersection? What if I can’t make it in time to teach?

I started praying out loud:
“Please help me, Lord. Please!”
And into that storm, I heard the verse again:
“Do not be anxious… your Father knows what you need.”

Relief surged as I spotted a gas station. I exhaled, pulled in—and then noticed a man standing by his car.

“The electricity’s out,” he said. “No gas here.”
The station across the street was out too.

I had no idea what to do, so I called Jim. Normally, he would’ve rescued me. But after eight weeks of radiation treatments, he was fatigued.

“You’ll have to try the next station,” he said. “It’s about a half mile up the road.”

I’d never noticed a next station. But I had no choice. I climbed into the car and whispered,
“Okay, Lord. You know what I need.”

I prayed every inch of that road, my white-knuckled grip softening with every tenth of a mile I handed over to Him. Fear gave way to peace, then peace to trust.

And finally—joy.

There it was. A gas station ahead. And this time, the lights were on.

I laughed out loud as I pulled in. The tank may have been running on fumes, but I was running on faith. God provided—again.

And the sweetest irony? That morning, I was sharing a message on the importance of making time with God a priority.

Turns out, I didn’t only prepare a talk. I lived it.
And that story—the one I almost missed by trying to push through—was exactly what I needed to begin.

Why Pray?

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Some Thoughts on Prayer

Before attempting to answer the question “Why Pray?” it’s helpful to first consider what prayer is… and isn’t! This isn’t an exhaustive list, but just some thoughts rambling through my brain this morning.

1. Prayer is not informing God, but interacting with Him

In Psalm 139 we’re told, “before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.” Since God knows everything, even what we’re going to say before we say it, then why should we pray?

Quite simply, because prayer is not about informing God, but about interacting with Him.

Communication is vital for relationship. When I ask my husband about his day, I’m not simply asking him to recount a list of facts regarding what he did, I’m desiring to share his life. Even if I already know the facts from someone else, I love to hear his take on it.

Prayer is how we share life with God. It is all about communicating with Him to interact with Him. It’s not like an intelligence officer reporting to a general to inform him so he knows what to do. Instead, it is an opportunity to grow closer to the Almighty, all knowing God of the universe and in the process become more like Him.

2. Prayer is not about trying to change God’s mind, but about aligning my heart with His

As we communicate with each other there is also tremendous opportunity for growth. This is why we become like the people we spend the most time with. Prayer is how we spend time with God – and in the process do we ever have an opportunity to be transformed.

I’ve heard it estimated that the Bible records 288 questions Jesus asks. How many of those do you think He knew the answer to?

And in the book of Job when God responds, the majority of what He says are questions – and you better believe he alone knows the answers to them! So why does God ask questions?

When we communicate so much more is going on than transmission of information. As we dialogue our thinking is impacted – especially when we dialogue with people who are good listeners and questioners. In the process we learn to think and have the opportunity to gain a greater and broader perspective.

Consider Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. He was about to be plunged into a nightmare of injustice and abuse where He would endure the cup of God’s wrath on our behalf. And He, God Himself, chose to spend the time before praying. Do you remember what He prayed? “Lord if you are willing take this cup from me.” Do you remember what He concluded? “Yet not my will but yours be done.”

Prayer helps us see our circumstances from God’s perspective (which according to Isaiah 55:8-9 is not the perspective we normally have!) – especially when we pray with thanks as instructed in Philippians 4:6-7 and it prepares us to surrender to His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

3. Prayer is not about me doing all the talking, but involves listening too!

God gives us a wonderful invitation in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and hidden things you do not know.” And again in Isaiah 55:2, “Listen, listen to me and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”

Prayer is about communicating – and that’s a two way street. Don’t forget to take time to listen. This is a vital part of prayer!

One of my favorite ways to pray occurs as I read through God’s Word. I listen to what He says, then respond with whatever comes to mind after I read each paragraph. It is amazing how much what I’m reading relates to what’s happening in my life and the lives of others around me!

I also find I listen best with pen in hand. I will ask God a question and then write out the thoughts that come to mind – time after time I am blown away at what I’ve written down, knowing that didn’t come from me!

But remember when we read scripture we know with certainty it is the Word of God (check out 2 Peter 1:21). But there are many voices that speak to us – so we need to test and approve what we “hear” to be certain where it’s coming from – it’s vital we compare this with what is written in God’s Word and can it ever help to get feedback from others!

4. Prayer is not trying to get God to do something He doesn’t want to do, but joining in with His purposes

God is good. All He does is good. And we are told in Psalm 84:12 “No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”

Did you catch that? If something is good, you can count on God to do it. You don’t have to convince Him!

So why pray?

a. Prayer helps us experience God more.

Every single day God is at work in my life in so many ways providing for me and protecting me. When we get to heaven I expect we’re going to be blown away to see how much more active He was in caring for us and sustaining us than we ever imagine!

When we ask it helps us experience Him more. The more aware we are of our needs, the more alert we are to see Him in action providing for them – and the more thankful we become as we see Him respond!

b. Because God always responds!

Granted, it may not always be the way we want Him to. Consider John 16:24 “Until now you’ve not asked for anything in my name, ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.” Now take a closer look at that verse. Does it say, “Ask and you will receive what you ask for?” No! It says “Ask and you will receive” and what you receive will make your joy complete.

According to James 1:17 every good and perfect gift comes from above. God is a giver of good gifts. But have you ever wanted something you thought was good only to find out later it wasn’t really? Do you want God to give you something if it really isn’t good?!

Good news – He won’t! But according to John 16:24 when you ask you will receive something. And because God is good and only does what’s good that something will be good. You can bank on it!

So when you ask, you never lose out! You never come away empty handed. You may not get what you ask for, but you will get something good.

It’s like if my son came to me at 5pm and asked for a candy bar. Well, that’s the last thing he needs right before dinner. But what’s behind his request? He’s hungry – a signal his body is in need of nourishment. If dinner isn’t going to be ready for a bit, while I’m not going to give him a candy bar, I will give him a healthy snack – and he will be better off because of it.

That may seem a silly and trite example, but the principle is true. I remember one of my friends shared how in college she was in a relationship with this Christian guy who seemed really great but God laid it on her heart to break up with him. It was hard, but she did. Years later she was watching the news and up pops his face, He’d been arrested for murdering his wife!

Things are not always what they seem. And remember God knows the future. That’s why I love that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t know what to pray. I may not always pray for the right things – but God has made provision for this. I don’t need to be afraid of praying the wrong thing.

So pray, pray, pray! God will respond when you do. But only with what is good!

c. Prayer is one key way God invites us to join in with what He’s doing.

One of the most important things I ever do for anyone else is to pray for them. I believe this with all my heart. Does God need me to do a work in someone’s life? No! But He chooses to involve me so I can have a front row seat seeing Him in action and as I experience Him more, do I ever grow closer to Him. And to those I’m praying for.

5. Prayer is not an optional suggestion, but a vital command

God never gives us commands to make us jump through hoops. Instead His commands are designed as boundaries to keep us where abundant life is. That doesn’t mean life will be easy – Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble!” But there will be peace, joy, love… all that makes for experiencing this life to the full!

6. Prayer is not a duty, but a precious gift

Can you waltz in and see President Biden today? No Way! You need to make arrangements weeks in advance and even if you do manage to get an appointment it’s going to be a short one. But the Almighty God of the universe has made Himself available to us day and night 24/7. How incredible is that?

I love the Old Testament! Does it ever help me appreciate all Jesus has made available to us! Especially as I study the way people worshipped back then. Do you know only the High Priest was allowed to enter God’s presence in the Holy of Holies? And he was only allowed to do that once a year. And when he did they actually tied a rope around his leg so they could pull him out in case he was struck dead because of impurity.

Yet because of Jesus we can approach God’s throne of grace at any time, anywhere with full confidence! This is an unbelievable privilege! One God encourages us to avail ourselves of “without ceasing.” Do you hear that? God wants to interact with you all day, every day. That’s how much He loves you! That’s how much He desires relationship with you! He doesn’t just want you to show up and tell him about your day, He wants you to actively walk through it with Him, interacting with Him and enjoying His presence every moment of it.

You are desired! You are invited! You are delighted in! How incredible is that?

This is why I love praying!

But truth be told, every once in a while I hit a dry spell. I may still be showing up but not sure what to say. Well, do you know how they have those packs of questions you can use with your friends? The ones that get you asking things you’d never think to ask on your own?

That’s the way I view books that contain other people’s prayers. I find it can be so helpful to get the conversation going by reading what they pray. On some days this provides the jump start I need to get me going. One of my favorites is Ruth Myers’ 31 Days of Praise – can praying through that book ever change your life. Because as you pray with Ruth through her book, it really can change your perspective in a beautiful way. It sure did mine!

Other favorites are The Valley of Vision, Every Moment Holy and David’s Crown by Malcolm Guite. Though my favorite prayer prompts are the scriptures themselves!

Did you know an entire book of the Bible (and the longest book at that!) is really a compilation of prayers? Pray your way through the book of Psalms and I guarantee you will be blown away at what you learn about prayer.

Truly the best way to grow in prayer is by diving in and doing it! May the Lord richly bless the time you spend enjoying Him as you share your life with Him.

Where The Rubber Meets the Road…

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One of the worst decisions we ever made was the purchase of our first home.  We started out with a realistic perspective on how much we were going to spend, but as the realtor showed us different homes each one was more expensive than the previous one.  When she finally showed us a home recently featured in our town’s Parade of Homes, containing everything we’d ever dreamed of and more, we were hooked!  When we asked, “Can we really afford this?!”  She smiled and assured us we could.  That night we signed a contract… which left us “house poor” for the next five years!

No one told us the realtor was working for the seller, trying to get us to spend as much as we possibly could.  We had no idea you can get approved to borrow more than you can really afford.  Now Jim at this time was a very successful salesman.  It was a pretty heady feeling seeing how his income kept increasing dramatically each year.  Little did we know a recession would start almost as soon as the ink on our contract dried greatly reducing his income.

So we lived in a gorgeous home… barely scraping by.

To get by I started couponing like crazy.  Each week I would spend at least 2 hours doing this and hitting all the grocery stores to take advantage of deals.  When we purchased our next home, we paid almost half of what our first one cost and discovered the joy of having “extra money”  …to give, to save, to pay extra on the house to get it paid off quicker.  And I thought, “I never want to go back to being poor again!”

But then the Lord convicted me of my extreme couponing, pointing out how this was based on fear, not on following Him.  Instead, He led me to do all my grocery shopping at one store.  Of course I’d still take advantage of the sales they offered, but it was amazing the opportunities I had to share Jesus and see His gospel advance as I spent more time in one store and developed relationships seeing the same employees each week.  And instead of spending two hours a week couponing and shopping for deals, He led me to use that time to disciple another woman.

Then when the Lord called us to go on staff with The Navigators and we had to move, necessitating the purchase of our third home I gave strict boundaries for how much we’d spend, refusing to look at anything costing much more than the house we’d just sold.  But one night the Lord convicted me I was reacting out of fear, fear of being house poor again, fear of living off support which varied from month to month, fear of not having enough, rather than following Him and He challenged me instead to trust Him. Eventually He led us to buy a home that cost more than our first home!  But every single part of it proved to be a vital part of the ministry He had for us!  And He provided what we needed to live well and love well in that home.

You see, in Titus 2:3-5 the third reason Paul says older women are to train the younger women in what is good is so they can be σωφρων.  Different versions translate this to be self-controlled, to live wisely, to be sensible, to be discreet, to use good judgment, to be temperate.  Historically this word was the mean between license and stupidity, frivolity and covetousness.  Paul considers it a virtue describing the Christian life in the world where “faith manifests itself in a proper attitude to the world and its goods,” one of moderation and content.*  As it says in Ecclesiastes 7:18, “Whoever is wise will avoid extremes.”

What a difference it can make when older women will come alongside younger women and help them learn what it looks like to live out a life trusting Jesus in practical matters.  It’s so easy to focus on shared quiet times and Bible study, but we also need help learning how that translates into our everyday living – and this doesn’t look the same for everyone!

For example, I’m not saying couponing is wrong!  But as Romans 14:23 says, “anything that does not come from faith is sin” and for me this was not coming from faith!  But if the Lord leads you to coupon by all means do!   But can it ever be wise to ask, “Why am I doing what I’m doing?  Is this motivated by fear or by faith?”  In the area of our finances this is vitally important for as Jesus says, “Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

“House lust” is what we call the insanity that sets in when you go crazy “falling in love” with something more than you can afford.  When you’re young, in your first job, experiencing the first tastes of success, with money in your bank account it’s so easy to get sucked into the American dream… until it turns into a nightmare!  Can it ever help when older women will walk with those younger helping them traverse through this critical time.  Conversely, others may be more prone to become hoarders – and I don’t just mean with packed garages, but with packed bank accounts, storing up treasure on earth rather than making eternal investments!

To take young believers through a Biblical course in managing money can be such a help!  But remember there needs to be a focus on following Jesus even in this.  When a young woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet the disciples rebuked her for the waste, but Jesus rebuked them saying, “She has done a beautiful thing for me.”  And while the Bible has much to say on the wisdom of saving, we also see Jesus telling a rich young ruler to “go sell all that you have and follow me.”

Remember discipleship is about helping someone live as a disciple of Jesus – as a learner and follower of Him.  And that’s not just concerning things traditionally considered “spiritual” but in all of life, including our finances and financial decisions!

But please note the word σωφρων is much broader than just relating to money.  It literally means, “to be self-disciplined in one’s freedom; self-restrained in all passions and desires.”** We’ll look at another aspect of this in the next post!

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*Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Geoffrey Bromiley, editor, p. 1151.

** The Complete Word Study Dictionary:  New Testament” Spiros Zodhiates, editor, p. 1363.

Discipleship Lessons from the Christmas Story ~ The Blessing of Each Other!

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Luke’s account of the Christmas story begins with failure.

After years of disappointment Zechariah receives an angelic visitor telling him his prayer has been heard and his wife is going to bear him a son!  But instead of joy, he responds with disbelief.

“How shall I know this?  For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years…”  and he ends up voiceless for the next nine months as a consequence.

Fast forward ten verses and the angel Gabriel makes another visit, this time to a young girl.  When he tells her she’s going to get pregnant without ever having known a man, and before she’s even married, she responds, after a little clarification, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”  What faith!

But here’s the question ~ was Mary more spiritually mature than Zechariah?

Remember, Zechariah is introduced as being righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.  That’s a pretty incredible intro!

Now we can’t measure spiritual maturity on the basis of this alone, but here’s a thought ~ it’s one thing to trust the Lord when you are young and have no idea what you’re getting into.  It’s a whole other to trust him after decades of disappointment, when you’ve finally resigned yourself to the reality your last opportunity passed years ago, when you’ve hoped and hurt so many times…

Does this ever illustrate why we need each other!  Why the Lord tells older believers to invest in younger ones!  Not just so the young will benefit but so those older will too.

Yes, when you’re older you’ve had more time for your roots to grow deeper into the Lord – no amount of excitement can ever take the place of that.  But, well, I guess I should say each season of life brings challenges in trusting and following Jesus.

Younger believers often have a harder time persevering because their roots aren’t as deep so there can be much benefit for them having someone older come alongside encouraging and helping them hang in there when life turns out far more difficult than they anticipated.

But for those who are older, there is something so invigorating about the optimism of youth, when you are with someone and they’ve first experienced Jesus and can’t get enough time with Him! When they’re ready to go anywhere in the world without a second thought or do whatever he calls them to do, no matter the cost!  It can be so infectious!  And spur you on to do the same!

I remember shortly after I became a Christian writing a poem that began…

I’ll climb the highest mountain, I’ll sail the roughest sea

I’ll travel to any distant land and live life dangerously

I’ll brave the harshest winter, pushing onward through sleet and snow

I’m ready Lord.  Do with me as you will, just show me the way I should go…

And I spent my years in college sleeping on a reed mat on the floor of my dorm room getting ready to do pioneer missions, to take the gospel where it hadn’t been before and meeting with anyone who showed any interest at all to share with them about Jesus!

I remember someone commenting once I was a gift to the woman I met with because I was so excited about anything that had to do with God, at a time when she was wrestling with the reality she was probably going to be single the rest of her life and discouraged over shattered dreams.  I better understand this now.

As I approach 50 it’s not quite as easy to climb those mountains, and after having endured this past week’s negative zero temps, I’m not certain how eager I’d be to push onward through sleet and snow – that’s not only cold, that’s wet!!!

We had a national staff conference a couple weeks ago and were so blessed to have Jim Downing and Jerry and Jane Bridges join us.   I got to see first hand – It’s a whole lot harder for them to come to these conferences than it is for someone 80 years younger!  But how blessed the younger staff are to have them there – and what a delight to see the joy on their faces as they interact with new staff!

If the Lord keeps me here I so hope to follow in their footsteps.  I want to follow Jesus however, wherever, whenever with whomever, but I’m much more aware of the cost now.

Do those I meet with ever keep me on my toes, challenging me to go out of my comfort zone.

Here’s one other thing – note where Mary heads right after she gets this news…  Straight to Zechariah and Elizabeth’s house!  Can you imagine the incredible one on ones she shared with Elizabeth during their three months together?  And what a blessing that was to her, too?!

Don’t you just love how the Lord works things out so we all get blessed as together we follow him?!

These are a few of my favorite things!

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I love a good movie!  And I must say The Lord of the Rings movies are my hands down favorites!  There’s something about the desperation in the middle, when all seems lost and there seems to be no hope of good ever happening again that I can so relate to.  You see, I live my life in the middle of the story.

But then Gandalf arrives, or Sam shows up or even Gollum hurtles back into the picture and my heart is encouraged to press on.  In the midst of this broken and fallen world, I so need the perspective a good story can bring reminding me the end is coming and it will be good.

That’s also why I need XTAWGs (aka extended times with the Lord!).  When Jim and I were first starting out we sought to do these once a month.  But the longer I walk with Jesus the more I need extended time sitting at his feet, focusing on who He is, taking time to let His Word dwell in me richly… to give me His perspective in the middle of my story!

The more intense life is, the more I desperately need this!  I now seek to enjoy such time weekly.  What a difference it makes  in helping me press on in following Jesus!

So I thought I’d share a few of my favorite ways of enjoying an XTAWG!

1.  When I first started doing this, I began with Lorne Sanny’s article How To Spend A Day In Prayer.*   In addition to explaining the value of doing this, this is a great guide for getting you started!  You can literally go through the article step by step and use that to structure and experience an incredible XTAWG!  We usually give this out to people when they are doing this for the first time, along with the circles that come at the back of Roger and Jean Fleming’s book Feeding Your Soul – I can’t recommend their book highly enough!!!**

2.  What I most use now is Prof. Richard Horner’s Bible Reading Plan*** only instead of daily I use it weekly, reading from ten chapters – one from each of his lists – during my XTAWG.  I find it is so helpful to have a set plan for what I’ll do each week, so I hop on my bike, asking the Lord to lead on our “date” and then stop, read one chapter, draw a small picture that summarizes the key thing that stood out to me as I read, then hop back on my bike until the Lord prompts me to stop again and I dive into the next chapter…  It’s amazing to me how the different readings will relate and often a theme will emerge during my time with the Lord.  (and yes I often end up at different cafes along the way!  ;0) You can see an example of this here:  http://restfulheart.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/come/  If you’d like a copy of what I’ve taped in the front of my Bible to keep track of where I’m at from week to week email me at jadseekhim@Msn.com and I’ll be glad to send it to you. :0)

3.  Once a month I love to spend my XTAWG at an art gallery or art museum.  Before I go in I pray and ask the Lord to lead me to one piece of art He wants me focusing on and then ask Him to give me ears to hear whatever He wants to say to me through this.  As soon as something stands out to me, I stop there and begin drawing it – I find I notice so much more when I slow down and do this and then I take out my journal and start dialoging with the Lord regarding what I’ve noticed.  These have been some of my most life changing times experiencing Him and hearing from Him.  You can find two examples of this at:  http://restfulheart.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/lord-please-save-me-from-ideas-that-are-not-yours/  and  http://restfulheart.wordpress.com/2012/10/27/despondency-or-delight/

4.  For those who are here in Colorado or if you ever come out here to visit – another favorite way to enjoy an XTAWG takes place at The Potter’s Inn in Divide, Colorado.****  They have a prayer walk on their 35 acres and a booklet you can purchase for $1 that will provide you with some amazing extended time with the Lord!!!  (imagine reading about Moses in the cleft of the rock as you’re actually sandwiched in one!!!)  I’ve done this three times and still look forward to the next time I get to do it!

Now you don’t have to bike.  And you don’t have to draw!  And you don’t have to go to art museums or on adventures discovering new special spots or come to Colorado or hang out at local cafes!  These are just things I really enjoy!

But isn’t that the point?  Make a list of what you really enjoy, a list of your favorite things, and seek to incorporate those into your extended times with God!  Think of it as a date with God!  When someone plans to take you on a date, if they are wise they take into consideration what you enjoy doing!  And is the Lord ever wise!!!

You see, when I first got married, my husband and I were encouraged to spend time every day interacting, even if just briefly, and then to take time weekly going on a date where we could enjoy uninterrupted focused time together.  What a difference those dates have made in our marriage!

This is also true for my relationship with the Lord!  I have my daily quiet time – which truly is the most important 15 minutes of my day, but then these weekly dates are taking me so much deeper in my relationship with Him!  And when you’re feeling very much in the middle of the story, wondering how any good can come of all that’s happening, is this ever especially needed!

So this is by no means an exhaustive list!  Just a few of my favorite ways to enjoy an XTAWG while doing some of my favorite things!  :0)  If you have ideas for what you enjoy doing as you spend extended time with the Lord would I ever love to hear them!

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* How To Spend A Day In Prayer by Lorne Sanny:  http://www.cmfhq.org/Portals/0/acrobat/training/Day%20Alone%20with%20God.pdf  )

**Feeding Your Soul by Roger and Jean Fleming:  http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Your-Soul-Quiet-Handbook/dp/1576831442  (note:  If you go to Amazon.com and on the webpage for this book click to “look inside” this book and type “How to Spend A Half-day in Prayer” in the search box and scroll down to pages 140-142 you can see their circles for breaking down how to spend each hour for three hours with the Lord! I have found this to be of incredible help!!!)

***Professor Horner’s Bible Reading Plan:  http://www.challies.com/sites/all/files/attachments/professor-grant-horners-bible-reading-system.pdf

**** The Potter’s Inn website:  http://pottersinn.com/

Following in a Fog

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Following Jesus is hard.

And not just because He asks you to do things out of your comfort zone or because you have to give up going your way to go His.

It’s hard because you are seeking to follow someone you can’t see and frequently that can leave you wondering what in the world you’re supposed to be doing!

You see, when you call the shots it’s easy to come up with a ten year plan.  But once you say, “Not my will, but yours be done” all of a sudden you’ve handed the reigns to someone else.  You’re not in control, and He often doesn’t let you know what the next step is until right as you take it.

That can seem hard.  “I’ve given up everything to follow you!  Why don’t you make it easy?!”

Especially when there’s a decision that needs to be made.  Especially when others are chomping at the bit to know.  And let’s face it, we like to know what lies ahead!

Sometimes even as I’m doing something I’m not even certain if it’s the right thing.  But Jesus says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left you will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”  Did you catch that?  Sometimes it’s not until after you’re moving forward that you hear Him directing you!!!

Can that ever be scary!  Especially if we want to “get it right!”

But following Jesus is less about getting it right, than it is about being with Him.  His ways aren’t our ways!  His thoughts aren’t our thoughts.  While we’re obsessing about what we should be doing, He’s often doing something not even on our radar screen.  He often uses such times of confusion as incredible faith builders.  Will we trust Him to lead us even when it’s foggy?  Even when things are far from clear?

You see, once we realize how much better Jesus’ ways are than ours, it’s easy to slip into following Him with the motive, “I want to follow Jesus so I”ll make the right choice and life will be easier!”   I believe He sometimes allows these times of confusion to refine our motives – “Will you follow me, even when it’s hard?  Even when it means not knowing?  Even when things aren’t clear?”  Welcome to advanced faith building!

Sometimes God leads us by making the next step clear, but sometimes He leads us in the haze, guiding our steps even when we don’t realize it.  Can we follow Him during such times with a thankful heart?  Trusting Him that He really does care, that we haven’t fallen through the cracks, that even His silence can be an act of love?

Trusting Him that even if we choose wrong, He is so able to get us right where we need to be, right when we need to be there?

Or in our frenzy of trying to figure out His will (and He makes clear in Isaiah 55:8-9 the futility of trying to do this apart from Him), do we get mad at Him, frustrated because He isn’t guiding us the way we want Him to?  Or can we continue to rest in the truth of who He is, in everything giving thanks?

During times like this I so appreciate Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

What if my focus should be, “Am I loving God?” rather than “Which decision is right?”

When I am faced with an impending decision and I’m not sure what to do, well, the temptation is always there to treat God like a dog, demanding, “Speak!”  I know I need help to not fall into this trap of disrespect.  I need to pray, but that’s when I feel especially vulnerable.  It’s so easy to obsess about the situation even as I’m praying about it!

That’s when I grab this resource:  http://www.memlok.com/adoration.pdf  What a gift this has been!!!  I fold it into fourths and take it with me as I walk and pray, focusing on who God is.  In the midst of a fog, this is what I need the most – to remember what is true about God’s character.  I can’t even begin to tell you how this helps set my heart at rest… to be reminded He is here, He really does care, He is on the throne, He is wise and good, there is purpose in all He does…

God has promised to guide us.  But He doesn’t always do it the way we’d like or the easiest way.  Can we trust Him to be faithful to His promises even in a fog?

When we do, we don’t just get where we need to be, we also get a major opportunity to grow ~ and bring Him pleasure!  (Hebrews 11:6)

Discipling Like Jesus… part 2

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So… this is the first time I’ve tried doing a blog in two parts – but I’m thinking there might be some of you who’d enjoy getting to experience first hand a taste of what I do when I’m meeting with someone one on one helping her learn how to disciple others.  I only wish I could be sitting on the couch with you doing this in person!  :0)

To get the full benefit of this, if you haven’t yet read and done part one, go check it out and after reading through Luke 11:1-13 create a chart and answer the three questions:

  1. What can you learn about discipling from this interaction between Jesus and His disciples?
  2. For each observation, consider:  Why do you think Jesus did this?
  3. How could you apply this when you are discipling the women you meet with?

There really is a ton to be learned from this passage!   Here are a few things that stood out to me!

1.  THE VALUE OF MODELING

Note this entire discourse begins with Jesus praying.  I cannot stress how vital modeling is in discipleship – it’s not just what you say!  What you do has a much greater impact!  Now Jesus wasn’t doing this just to model for the disciples, but as he prayed, did it ever capture their attention!  As we look at the Scriptures we see it was a way of life for him. Don’t just meet one on one with someone, give them opportunity to see you live out your relationship with the Lord in your daily life.

2.  CAPITALIZE ON CURIOSITY

And note this discussion was prompted by the disciples.  They observed Jesus doing this as well as John teaching his disciples and they were curious.  People learn things much better when it’s something they are interested in and want to learn.  That’s not to say there aren’t times when it’s important to cover things they may not have thought about before.  But when possible, taking time to discover what someone is curious about and focusing there can really increase the impact of the lesson.

3.  KEEP IT SIMPLE & ORGANIZED

Note how Jesus begins giving them something simple and organized, a model they can easily remember. This is so impactful.  This doesn’t include everything Jesus ever taught on prayer.  He didn’t feel like he had to cram all that could be learned into one lesson!  But is it ever a great way to start!

This is why I love to use the Look, Listen, Live it out model for teaching someone how to have a quiet time.  Not only is it easy for them to remember the next day, but it’s also easy for them to remember so they can pass it on to someone else!

There’s a fascinating book called Making Things Stick that explores how to present information in ways people will remember.  This book stresses, keeping things simple and organized can really help!  As my friend Dave Hawes says, “The more organized something is, the more passonable it is.”  and not just from you to her, but also for her to pass onto others!!!

For example I was doing a sexual purity video and had nine practical suggestions for how people who are struggling can experience victory in this area of life.  Who can remember nine suggestions?!  So I asked the Lord if He’d give me an idea for how to communicate this in a way that would stick and He brought to mind the three parts of the briar:  roots, stem, and flower.  So using a large picture of a briar, I shared three suggestions for each of the three parts!  Did that ever stick!  (no pun intended! :0)

4.  UTILIZE REPETITION & REVIEW

Note Luke 11 wasn’t the only time the Lord taught the disciples about prayer.  In Matthew 6:5-14 we see the Lord teaching the disciples to pray using this model again.  Repetition is so valuable!  Don’t just teach something once and then move on, assuming she got it.  Periodically coming back to go over something, teaching it in a bit of a different way can be so helpful!

Note in Luke 11 Jesus only teaches part of this model for prayer – in Matthew 6 we see an expanded version.  But in Luke 11 Jesus spends more time talking about the parts He does present.

5.  PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING

So first he teaches them part of a simple model, then he takes time to help them understand.  He starts with the whole, then breaks it down focusing on one key part at a time.

And He seeks to help the disciples understand the character of who they are praying too as He does this.  Just as in the Bible the main character is always God, so in your one on ones let Him be the focus.

And it’s important the one you’re meeting with understands what’s not being said, as well as what’s said.  You want to try and anticipate ways the enemy might try to twist what you’re teaching and get her off track.  For example, after Jesus instructs the disciples, “ask and it will be given to you,” He goes on to explain God only gives good gifts.  So when you ask you will receive something, and it will be good!  But you may not get exactly what you’re asking for!

Do you see how the enemy can have a heyday with this if someone is expecting to always get exactly what she asks for?

6.  HIGHLIGHT A KEY APPLICATION IDEA

And then Jesus ends highlighting the best thing they can ever ask for and be given!  Be sure to end your explanation highlighting what is most important and giving her ideas for how she can practically apply what you’ve just taught her in her daily life.

Note Jesus doesn’t exhaust them with a long dissertation on this subject.  He briefly teaches them a simple model.  Then explains what they need to know to get started and be motivated to start.

Now we don’t know what happened next.  Scripture just gives us brief snapshots, so I’m going to take the liberty to add on two more things that I’ve observed from other passages of Scripture that help me finish well when I’m meeting with someone.

7.   DO IT WITH THEM!   (Luke 9:13-17)

I have found it so helpful to not just tell people how to do something, but when I take time during our time together to do it with them – that’s when it really sticks!  This provides a great launch for getting them started!

For example, when sharing the Lord’s prayer with someone, I don’t just tell them about it, I pray through it with them!  And not rotely – remember it’s a model, not just a verbatim prayer to pray!   And as we pray through it, we take turns, with me going first, praying one phrase at a time, expanding it a bit to share what’s on our hearts that relates to each phrase.

8.  GIVE AN ASSIGNMENT  (Mark 6:7)

And then I end with an assignment such as, try praying through this model once a day for the next week (which is something I seek to do at the start of every day in my own life, right after I wake up each morning before I get out of bed and truly have found to be life changing!).

This is where the rubber meets the road – why you’re sharing this with them in the first place… so they’ll do it!

Incorporating anything new into one’s life rarely just happens!  That’s why discipleship is so helpful in the first place!  Be sure you consider not just what you’re going to tell them, but how to intentionally spur them on towards love and good deeds!

And as you do, can following Jesus’ example ever help!

Discipling Like Jesus… part 1

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One of the best ways to learn what to do with someone when you are discipling them is to look at Jesus’ life and note what he taught his disciples.  There is so much to learn from His example – not only about content but also how to pass treasure on.

For example, consider Luke 11:1-13…

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”  2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

             “Father, hallowed be your name.

             Your kingdom come.

3              Give us each day our daily bread,

4              and forgive us our sins,

                        for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

             And lead us not into temptation.”

 5   And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

In a recent one on one I read this passage with a friend, then asked her to take a few moments and answer the following questions (it’s helpful if you create a chart with three columns, with one question from below heading each column):

  1. What can you learn about discipling from this interaction between Jesus and His disciples?
  2. For each observation, consider:  Why do you think Jesus did this?
  3. How could you apply this when you are discipling the women you meet with?

It’s pretty fascinating if you take the time to do this!  Why not take a few moments right now and dive in?!  ;0)

Humble Yourself…

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My friend Kathy became a Christian during high school and then went on to attend a Bible college.  She got involved with The Navigators when she transferred to her state university at the start of her Junior year.

Now she was in a Bible study where her leader had only been a Christian for two years but during that time she had been met with one on one and discipled.  When this Bible study leader asked my friend if she’d like to start meeting weekly, my friend jumped at the opportunity!

Each week they met, memorized one verse from The Navigators’ Topical Memory System and sought to apply it to their lives.  For an entire year that’s what they did.  Simple.  But you know, my friend said she grew more in that year than she had in the previous five years she’d been a Christian – including her year at Bible college!!!

And here’s the kicker – the woman discipling her had been a Christian less than half the number of years my friend had!  I think this is so key to note, because there are times when the Lord leads us to invest in women who have been Christians longer than we have, perhaps even who are older than us!  Or He may lead us to learn from someone younger than us… spiritually as well as physically!

Is my friend ever thankful she didn’t resist in pride because she’d been a Christian longer than the friend discipling her!!!  Or that her Bible study leader didn’t feel like she couldn’t offer, because she’d been a Christian fewer years.  

Because they both humbled themselves and followed Jesus, it proved life changing… for life!