Tag: #write31days2018

Write 31 DaysDay 8- Esther’s Influential Attribute -CRAZY

Posted on by Mary

Crazy

Have you heard Steve Curtis  Chapman’s Song Something Crazy?  Here’s the link to check it out on Youtube  and you can find the Lyrics copied below- THIS is the kind of CRAZY I’m talking about !

“Something Crazy”

He’s got a Bible and a megaphone standing on the corner
And everybody’s saying he’s crazy
Well does he really think anybody wants to hear what he has to say
He’s not screaming anybody in fact it’s as if
It’s a love story that he’s trying to tell them

And he knows it may look a little strange
But he just smiles and says “that’s okay”
Cause you know sometimes love makes you act that way

And it’s crazy when love gets a hold of you
And it’s crazy things that love will make you do
And it’s crazy but it’s true
You really don’t know love at all
Until it’s making you do
Something crazy

I know a lady in Uganda and forty kids call her Momma
And everybody thought it was crazy
She used to drive a beemer, but I’ve never seen her
Any happier than she is now
I’ve met them all around the world, they’re the boys and girls
Filled up with the love of the Father

And they know it may seem a little strange
But they just smile and says “that’s alright”
Cause love puts everything in a different light

And it’s crazy when love gets a hold of you
And it’s crazy things that love will make you do
And it’s crazy but it’s true
You really don’t know love at all
Until it’s making you do
Something crazy

Something crazy
Crazy
Crazy when love gets a hold of you
Crazy, crazy
Crazy thing that love will make you do

Well, some might say it’s a crazy thing
To believe in a man who would say he came
From heaven down to earth because of love

But I just smile and say “that’s okay”
Cause you know sometimes love makes you act that way

And it’s crazy when love gets a hold of you
And it’s crazy things that love will make you do
And it’s crazy but it’s true
You really don’t know love at all
Until it’s making you do

Crazy when love gets a hold of you
And it’s crazy things that love will make you do
And it’s crazy but it’s true
You really don’t know love at all
Until it’s making you do
Something crazy

(Lyrics found at AZ Lyrics

My Crazy Story

When I was 19 I wason a plane headed for a country that persecutes Christians.

Everyone thought I was crazy. Maybe I was.(Ok I am-it’s an undeniable fact but that’s ok I’m completely comfortable with that)!

Then when I returned home 10 days later I headed off to Bible college.  Through my time there. I got a lot f “you gotta be  crazy”.  comments.    a couple were before each of 3 or  4 trips to NYC for street witnessing.  One of which was  7 months after 9/11.  We went to ground zero which was still a mess.  The images, noises and smells will be forever etched in my brain.  It was one of the single most hopeless experiences of my life.  Watching as people waited in hopes that their family member was still alive.   The wailing in mourning of loved ones.   The unnatural  nose burning smell that came from the smoke (not steam) from the manhole covers and sewer drains.   The digging of the vehicles as they creeped along the rubble trying to clean out the massive destruction.  and what felt like the miles and miles of memorial wall leading to Ground Zero..  This single moment – more than any other – helped me to understand the dire need our world is in – for their desperate need for HOPE- the HOPE I have In me – Hope that is a person!  THAT IS CRAZY!  And that is why we do what we do!

Getting married the same day we graduated.  Yep that qualifies us as CRAZY BUT we didn’t do it for ourselves, we did it for other people.   mostly our dad’s who both work weekends, and we were trying to eliminate the time they would need to take off.

When we had more than 2 kids we were told  we were crazy.  When we had 3 kids in 3 years we were told we were crazy BUT ya know what?  Those four kids are some of the most amazing people I know. Hubby and I were talking just yesterday about how special they are   I have never met four kids who love so deeply, EVERY SINGLE PERSON THEY MEET!  We have watched as our oldest who is 13  now but mourned the loss of people from  the time he was 4.  Always thinking about the people they left behind.   He also seeks justice for those who have been hurt deeply.  He has such moral standards that he seeks to have a marriage that is morally sound AT THIRTEEN! Yeah he has his flaws  BUT his heart !   Most people would say WOW that’s Crazy! And it is.

Our daughter is 12 and she is one of the most patient and sweet spirited kids I know.  She can help out with almost any child she comes in contact with and cares deeply.  She too is also flawed.  but she is 12  and very reliable and trust worthy.  She cares for children and animals.  she has a hunger for learning.

And the two younger boys.:

One has such radical unconditional love!  He might struggle with social cues and norms due to his autism BUT he will always be willing to give you a hug and tell you  You’re beautiful.

and the other is the most hardworking and determined 8 year old I have ever  Met.  He laments from time to time not knowing what he is good at BUT I can tell you this kid is gonna kill it when he gets older.  He has some challenges now with a learning problem BUT he is a fighter- literally ! Yep He’s got a temper BUT our greatest struggle oftentimes become our greatest  gift.

So Yeah I guess I’m 100% crazy AND I wouldn’t change a minute of it.  Outside of my salvation and Hubby these four crazies are the greatest blessing this mama could have ever asked for.  Parenting is hard.  Stuff kids deal with today is awful.   But those who have truly gotten to know our kids REALLY know what kind of blessing they are.  But those who think they know our kids but have never taken the time to get to know them and their hearts, they tend to be super critical.  The funny thing is OUR kids know it.  They know who really love them.  And we didn’t;t say a word.

I’m glad that we didn’t;t listen to the negative voices around us telling us how to live our lives.  I’m so grateful we followed God’s leading whether it looked crazy or not!

Being involved in many ministries.   Im not gonna list it all but a couple of times a year I get asked Are you Crazy?  MOSTLY BY MYSELF- and the answer is ABSOLUTELY!!!

I’m In GREAT Crazy Company!

If you look at history we look at people like Edison, Einstein, The Wright brothers,  Corrie Ten Boom’s family, JESUS, the disciples Peter, Paul, Ruth, Rehab (I could seriously keep going) just to name a few. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that almost every single person in Scripture were Crazy by their culture’s Standards- and they lived out their faith ANYWAY!

Even Esther was CRAZY

Esther told Mordecai in Esther 4:8-11; 15-17 that it would be crazy for her to go before the king because EVERYONE in EVERY province knows that if you go before the king you will die.  In a sense she saying are you nuts? Why are you asking me to do this? Everyone knows what happens when you do that!

Then after Mordecai gives his response of “well if you don’t, somebody else will and your gonna die anyway,”

She responds back If i die, I die.-That’s  CRAZY!

Safe and Sound

The opposite of Crazy is Safe.  We want to do everything that will keep us safe.  Safe socially, physically, financially and even emotionally.  We build walls and we protect ourselves from being hurt or ruin.

Peter when he denied Christ three times was out of a fear for his safety..  He didn’t want to be put on trial, publicly humiliated and possibly die.

Im gonna be honest here.  I have struggled with a few books as of late.  They are books that either I have read on my own or our Ladies Bible Study have done. 

Now while I think that both books have some great points and areas of  sound advice I saw something in myself that goes against one  my core beliefs.   That Core belief is that when I became a Christian and I gave my life to Jesus that it no longer was my own.   It is His to do with as He pleases- My home is His- Our Home is His.  My craft Stuff IS HIS!.   It is the principle of dying to self!  My life is not my own.   This has radically changed the way we do life in our home.

When I became a believer I gave my entire life over to God It is not my own.   I have handed it over to him.  And it is His to do with as HE sees fit not me.   And I’m not saying that you should not read either one of these books but they do have potential to create a negative influence factor in your life.  So I’m gonna share my struggles with both of these books.

 The Best Yes- There are many Positives to this book!  And the first time I worked through this book I asked some REALLY hard questions about the things I was doing and God posted out something that was not my best yes- Gardening.  I was doing because that is what all “good and frugal wife and mom’s do”. BUT I hate to garden and I don’t have the time to do it justice!!  I was driving myself and my poor hubby insane. We often times put these ideals on ourselves (an sometimes on others).  And if you take the 5 areas Lysa talks about in the Best Yes  and question your ideals looking at deep at the choices you are making FANTASTIC that is what she means by it BUT I found myself busing these principles to build walls- putting myself (AND GOD) in a box-  It became an area of control.  I found myself beginning to seek to control my circumstances and protect myself from those around me who have hurt me.  THAT IS NOT WHAT LYSA IS SAYING!

The second book is Boundaries by Dr Henry Cloud. Now it’s the same basic thing.  I was using the principles in this book to build walls Protecting myself.

And then I heard a song:  I mean I already knew it!! BUT I really HEARD IT.

LIVE WITH ABANDON by the Newsboys

Here’s the YouTube Link

Here a couple of stand out lines from the song

  1. Chasing after this world makes me tired
    Praisin’ my own name leaves me dry
  2. I wanna live with abandon
    Give You all that I am
    Every part of my heart, Jesus
    I place in Your hands
    I wanna live with abandon
  3. I’ll drop everything to follow You
    It’s only Your hands I hold onto
  4. I’m not looking back
    I’m done with that
    Wanna give You all I have

EVERY PART- OUCH

My time

My enery

My Money

my sanity

EVERY SINGLE PART

We think it’s our job to protect ourselves BUT IT”S NOT.  Sometimes it’s when we get hurt that the most beautiful parts of us show through.   Like a refiner’s fire  (yeah now I’m dating myself!). Gold or any precious metals has to go through painful things in order to become the most pure form of itself Because that fire burns off the impurities.  If we protect ourselves from the hard stuff and we build walls- God’s gonna break free and use somebody else- Just like Mordecai told Esther!  By building protective walls you have rendered yourself useless.

By The Way our Ladies Bible Study is currently working through LET. IT. GO. and it’s all about releasing the control we have (or so desperately want). Im breaking down those walls of control!

How about You?

let’s Chat?  What is something that You have done that peole have looked at you and thought you were crazy and you chose to follow God anyway?

OR

What is God asking you to do and you are thinking NO WAY LORD THAT”S CRAZY!!!!!

Write 31 Days- Day7: Esther’s Influential Attribute : Persistence

Posted on by Mary

Persistence

The Power Of Persistence

Another way Esther influenced her world was by being persistent.  She didn’t give up.  She said she was going to do it and she stuck with it, even when plans changed.  So what was she Persistent in?  She had to add a second banquet because God had a plan to make King Xerxes remember some important details about the man Mordecai who saved King Xerxes’ life. We don’t know why exactly she didn’t spill her guts at the first banquet.  There is a lot of speculation BUT for whatever reason we know that God used it for HIS good!!

Other Biblical Examples of Persistence

Moses didn’t think he could go to Pharaoh.  He felt he wasn’t able to speak well enough for such a task and yet God equipped Moses to go before Pharaoh 14 times throughout the beginning of the book of Exodus.  

How about Ruth- the Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi?  She  along with Orpah and Naomi lost  their husbands.  When Naomi decided to leave  Moab the girls decided to go back to Israel with her.  At one point Naomi urges the girls to go back to their families, stating that she had nothing to offer them and really had nothing to offer them.   Orpah heeded Naomi’s instructions but Ruth  told Naomi That she would not leave her and that her Naomi) people  would become her (Ruth) people and that her (Naomi) God would become her(Ruth) God.  She had no idea what she was getting into.  I’m sure Naomi told her how the Israelites felt about foreigners.   And yet THAT was not her concern.  She wanted to care for  Naomi.   She worked so hard in the fields to provide  for their little family.  And yet God took that persistence and blesses Ruth greatly.   So much so that Ruth will be in the line of David and eventually Jesus.

Perhaps the Most Persistent Man in American History

This person lost 8 elections  in various state and local positions (he didn’t win one single election),

he had two failed businesses,

Lost numerous loved ones including his wife.

He suffered a nervous breakdown ……..all before we called him PRESIDENT Abraham Lincoln.

I find this story inspiring because by the worlds standards he WAS a failure.  BUT he was so persistent  that just by being so persistent makes him an inspiration.  That He wasn’t willing to give up and throw in the towel.   He fought through all of the negative and became a success! And he revolutionized the United States!

Abraham Lincoln like Esther had been persistent, and they were both called “for such a time as this”.   Their Persistence paid off!

The  Command to be Persistent- To Persevere

Another word for Persistence in the Bible is PERSEVERANCE!  To  Persevere  means to be steadfast in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success!

Hmmm sounds a lot like both Abraham Lincoln AND Esther AND a HUGE amount of people scattered throughout Scripture!!

Check out these verses that relay our need for perseverance in our everyday  lives: 

Romans 5 :3-4

3 Not only so, but we] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

James 1:2-5

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

I Quit….I Give Up….

The opposite of persistence or perseverance is Quitting.

We quit because bad things happen or because things aren’t working out the way we envision them or in the time frame in which we want to accomplish  goals. 

 Many times Christians will tack on it’s God’s will to quit. The problem starts though when they first say it was God’s will or God has told them to do something and then all of a sudden they say God told them He doesn’t want to do that anymore.   If God had called or told us to do something then we really need to be persistent and persevere through all the hard stuff that comes with serving God! If we don’t it leads to a whole lot of troubles.  

 We are promised in  John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world  you WILL have trouble. BUT take heart , I have overcome the world.”  AND YES that means in dealing with other believers.  At some point we as Christians forget that we as Christians are still human and we let each other down. No one is perfect.  GASP NOT EVEN OURSELVES.  I’n guessing that you have hurt your fair share of people too.  Just as I have.  I try my hardest to make things right, this is where grace comes in.  At this point this is where I begin to hear echos in my own head saying but you have no idea how much I have been hurt.  You have no idea how much people have hurt me and then come all the stories flowing out like bitter flood waters that have been stuffed deep down within their souls.  I deal with that same stuff.  Because I have been hurt deeply.  And then I remember one thing and it puts it into perspective: Jesus died for everyone including those who crucified HIM.  Realistically if one person in this world would be justified  in holding a grudge it would be Jesus.  He was perfect, sinless and He was made the fool and died a humiliating death. The ultimate hurt and betrayal.  AND HE FORGAVE THEM AND ME!!!   I need to be persistent and persevere despite all the hurt.  

Other times it’s a test from God to see just how serious we are to follow where He has called us.  He wants us to trust him fo HIS purposes  NOT our own.  He wants to know that we are dedicated to HIS ways, despite our ideals and preconceived ideas of how things SHOULD go!

And when that happens oftentimes a person with influence in looked  as CRAZY.

Write 31 Days-Day 6- Esther’s Influential Attribute: Transparency

Posted on by Mary

Transparency

The Powerful Influence of Transparency.

One of our most powerful influences is Transparency.  So many times we put on a front of “fine.”   But when we share our struggles we help other people around us who are also struggling to see that:

1 It’s OK to struggle.

2 That they aren’t alone.

Esther 4:3

3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Sackcloth and Ashes were a visible sign of mourning and sadness. It was a way that the people showed that they were is deep distress.  It was a way of communicating with out saying a word.   They were being honest about where they were in life.  Something had happened, something very hard.  There are moments in the Bible where it talks about people being in sackcloth and ashes for a year.  This is a very vivid picture of just how long this mourning process can take.    And in this Chapter of Esther Mordecai was mourning and lamenting before anything even happened.   He was showing just how horrible this impeding massacre was going to be and the Jewish people in Persia followed suit!

The Command to be Transparent

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Being transparent doesn’t mean we try to fix people who are hurting or act like we have every answer to every problem. Transparent means sharing our story, and comforting people in their hurt.  For however long it takes.  Grace never runs out or we are all doomed.

I had this Bible College Professor Mr. S. He Drummed into our heads,  that  “you can give what you don’t have”.   And in a sense that is what the verse is telling us.  We receive comfort from God when we go through those hard moments in life so we then can pass on those comforts to those who are struggling around us.    Notice how we aren’t told to tell them:

  • how to get better
  • to fix their problems
  • tell them to get over it or move on
  • to pretend like we have all the answers.

So the big question is, “HAVE YOU ALLOWED YOURSELF TO BE COMFORTED BY GOD?”  But I know that for many of us we would say yes but the reality is that we want things to be fixed.  Immediately.  In our time.  In our way.   we May rely on God’s comfort for a time but when things don’t happen in our time or to our liking we say “ok what can I do to change my circumstances”.

Protecting Ourselves with Walls

The opposite of transparent is Hiding, because of fear, or our pride, thinking that we need to have it all figured out and all put together.  If we do that then we are in danger of making other people feel that they are failing because of their struggles, like they aren’t good enough, or like they have done something to deserve punishment.  

We start protecting ourselves.  We build walls and Barriers.  God is not a God of walls and barriers, matter of fact he is in the business of tearing them down.  Walls and Barriers are NOT transparent.  They are meant to keep people out.  To keep our hearts hidden and protected from being hurt.

Being transparent or real about where  we are at and the struggles we are going through helps us comfort others.  Even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was transparent when He told His disciples that He was anxious and in great distress.  He asked them to keep watch and to pray for and with Him.  Did they?  NOPE.  They could not comfort Jesus in his great distress because they had not experienced that kind os struggle.  They didn’t understand, so they slept and Jesus struggled with God.  THAT is the very reason why Christ had to die.  That is why He is called the Comforter.

Lessons From My Own life

  1. My eyes- because of having a visual impairment, I am very much aware of those with special needs and whatever it is that they may need.   Whereas other people who aren’t familiar may not have any awareness at all that there is a need to be met.  It’s not their fault and they aren’t being mean but when I see a mom in a store struggling with a child who is in an all out fit I tend not t judge her for her parenting, but instead I send a warm smile in her direction. Saying “yep I get it, parenting is hard stuff”. I’m not called to judge but I am called to share the comfort I have received from God.
  2. And the second thing that really has impacted. our lives is an event that happened four years ago.   It opened my heart to a whole new realm of ministry and it has impacted it greatly.   You can read about that here.  and since the time God has done some amazing things and we have had a chance to  help others maneuver through these sticky muddy swampy waters of the same circumstances.  He have been able to give hope to those who are hurting because we let God comfort us through it.  Yes we tried to help things along and struggled when things didn’t happen like everyone told us it would OR should.
  3. and then there is working at the Pregnancy Center.  And as a volunteer I can teach 2 different mentoring classes.  I can teach Expectant Moms, because as the saying goes, “Been there done that.”  the Center has a policy that if You haven’t been pregnant you can’t teach that Class.  Same with Happy parenting.   I have 4 kiddos.  AND I have custody of them.   Now I have not been able to teach this class for people who have teens because until this year I have never parented a teen.  However if someone comes in seeking mentoring and they have a child with special needs I am their go to girl because I have a son with Autism and I can share hope with them!

If I let God use those hard things in my life to comfort others (not fix or solve) God will use us.   We have to be willing and have faith that he will use those hard circumstances for HIS glory NOT ours.

 

 

 

Write 31 Days-Day 5- Esther’s Influential Attribute :Faith

Posted on by Mary

Faith

Yesterday we discussed Esther’s Willingness.  She was willing to do what was right and as we see by the end of the story she was blessed but more on that Later!  Today we will see that Esther’s second attribute that really influenced others around her was her Faith.  And this REALLY piggybacks off of the attribute of willingness and really they all do.   Faith is a choice. Transparency is a choice. Persistence is a choice. Action is a choice and we ALL know that being crazy and making the seemingly illogical CRAZY is a choice!!

Missing BUT Still Present

Ya know what though as we get deeper into the book of Esther we realize that there is a person not yet mentioned in this book.   Do you know who it is?  It’s GOD!  But just because God isn’t mentioned in this book does it mean God isn’t there?  NOPE!  God is ALWAYS there, even when He is not acknowledged, or talked about.

The {Faith} Struggle is Real

As I look back over the Bible and I take a deeper look into the people’s lives who are documented in it’s pages I see a pattern.   I see that they ALL struggled with their FAITH!!  EVEN JESUS did but more on that in a second.

So What is FAITH?

A few years ago I wrote that on the very first page of this super cute journal I had purchased- and then I promptly lost the journal.  That was the only thing written in it.  Fast forward a few YEARS later, I was organizing my book shelf making room for new books and there neatly on the shelf was my journal.  I opened it up and chuckled because of the question. I set it on the table  and I was determined to use it for my summer/ camp journal.   The next morning I opened this thing of beauty and I was reading my devotions ( I was reading through the book of HEBREWS). when I started Cjaper 11. My mouth fell open.

Hebrews 11:1 gives the definition of faith, as clear as crystal it says, ”

Faith is Confidence in what we hope for.

AND

Assurance about what we do not see.

!!!!

Esther’s Faith

Esther had confidence and assurance that God would fulfill the promises made throughout  the Old Testament.  Promises that He would protect His People the Jews.    She, though it was hard, trusted that she was put into this place  for such a time as this.  To be  the one used to save an entire nation from another Man ruled by his pride and anger.

But Esther had to battle through doubts and fears.  She knew that if she entered the kings presence with out being summoned, she would more than likely meet her demise much sooner than she had hoped for. And what good would that do her OR her people.  And yet she had to make a choice to trust God or Trust logic. to have faith that God would do what He said He would do.

Jesus’s Faith Struggle

Now before you go excommunicating me for hearsay, let me explain.

Jesus didn’t’t want to die!  Three times we see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane toiling and struggling asking God to “Let this cup pass from me”. Matthew 26:39-46.NIV. In this passage He tells his disciples that He is greatly distressed and overwhelmed with sorrow and he asks them to keep watch and Pray with him.  I can’t even imagine how much more sorrowful he was when he found them sleeping THREE times!

In another Gethsemane account we are told that Christ was so anguished that He sweat great drops of blood Luke 22:41-46.

And in the end as this passage says the angel of the Lord came to Him and strengthened Him. and in the end He surrendered His will and says ” Not my will Father But Yours.  The struggle to trust God for His best not ours is what REAL FAITH is all about.

The Hall of Faith-Hebrews Chapter 11

Basically this chapter is a reminder of who God used and how.  They are a pretty Wiley group too.  They were not perfect.  they had stained pasts AND presents.   And the underlying  2 things about each one of them

  1. they were willing
  2. they had faith that God was who He said He was and He was going to do what He said He was going to do!

Hebrews 11:32-38 Msg

32-38 I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more—Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. . . . Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn’t deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.

WOW!!!

The  “OTHER” Choice

I have been rather clear that each one of these attributes is an active choice.   You have  two options: Be willing or unwilling.  Have faith OR DOUBT!!! and let’s be honest EVERYONE struggle with doubt! And everyones doubt looks different.  Sarah Laughed when she was told she was going to have a baby at 100.  Thomas didn’t believe that Jesus had raised from the dead though Jesus had promised it on multiple occasions

Doubt is often used by Satan to keep us from influencing others.  

Doubt can be caused by many things.  It can come from people.  Or it can from our hearts, when we let questions  (Like Eve) roll around about God’s goodness, his love for us.  Did He really sayThat?  How can He love me??   We all do it but how do we chase the doubts out?

3 Practical Steps to chase out Doubt

  • Learn who you are in Christ- memorize these post the Scriptures  and place those answers Scripture in prominent places as constant reminders as to who you are are in Christ!
  • In her book Loving God with all Your Mind Elizabeth George recommends taking Philippians  4:8-9 and asking yourself questions based on this passage.  So ask yourself is this TRUE?  -Say that God is not with you during this trial.  Your answer should be No because God says He will never leave us nor forsake us in TWO places! Deuteronomy 31:6 and then the author of Hebrews encourages the Hebrew believers He is writing to reminding them of what is written In Deuteronomy in Hebrews 13:5 &6.

 PHILIPPIANS  4:8-9. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

  • PRAY.  this is not just some pat Christian answer.  This is  our biggest defense against every temptation we face.   This can be as simple as “God help my unbelief”.  Or it can be a fall to your knees, crying out to God,Eat Carpet type of prayer.  No matter what it looks like you cannot overcome this doubt alone.  You NEED God’s help.  Who better to help you break down your doubt THAN the very person in whom your faith struggles!

These three steps have become my hope renewers when my faith falters.   God has used these three things to bring healing to my people pleasing heart and has brought me to a place of understanding that I answer to Him.  Putting aside when others let me down and claiming the promise that HE WILL NEVER LEAVE ME OR FORSAKE ME helps me to realize that He is the ever constant LOVE in my. life that  has NO conditions tied to it!

Let’s Chat:  How about you?  what doubts has God broken through? oOR is currently breaking through?

 

 

 

 

Write 31 Days- Day 4- Esther’s Influential Attribute- Willingness

Posted on by Mary

willingness

As  we begin to look at Ester and her six influential attributes, (Willingness, Faith, Transparency, Persistence, A tad bit of Crazy, and Action.) I want you to understand that these were the 6 attributes that stood out to me in the months I spent studying her.  When you read Esther you might just see 6 more attributes that will stand out to you.   So you can say, “Yeah Mary, but what about_____?”   and That My friends is what  God is talking about in Isaiah when He states ,

 

◄ Isaiah 55:11 ►
New International Version
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Willing? Really?

Yep That is EXACTLY what I mean!   Yes I know she was kidnapped (against her will of course). So how on earth can I possibly say she was willing.  Well heres the thing She had a choice, a hard choice. but it also seems like a small, seemingly insignificant choice.  It was her choice to be willing, but will for what?

Ester was willing to:

  •  Listen -listen to wise counsel….the counsel of the king’s Eunuchs,  who gave extra preparations to Esther because they saw something different in her.
  • Listen to Mordecai’s advice both to say nothing about being a Jew and then when the time was right to say she was a Jew.
  • Lay her life on the line when she approached the king.
  • She had to be willing to wait, because God’s plan sometimes (ok often times does not look like what we think the plan should).She had to hold two banquets because God’s plan  was bigger. 
  •  Change,  both her opinions and he plans. (Yeah I just said that-OUCH!!)

Esther 4:15-17

New International Version (NIV)

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

Hebrews13:20-21

20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen

Did you see that!!! In the Hebrews passage it says ” God WILL equip you with everything good for doing His will”. Wow!!  what an amazing promise!

Now as I was studying out this passage we had the opportunity  to go to a Newsboys concert back in April. and as we sang and danced and enjoyed the concert with church friends and our family, Micheal Tait said something that spoke right into what I had been studying.

We arenot called because we are gifted, we are gifted because we are called.

Esther was not trained to be a Persian Queen nor was she gifted in over-throwing evil plots to wipe out a genocide plot for an entire people group.  We have people in this country who are highly trained in these areas.   And here we find a teenaged girl who finds herself in just these circumstances.  She was Called for such a time as this, but you can be called and not be willing.

BUT Willingness Works Two Ways!

However there is a negative side to willingness as well.  And that comes in the form of what we are willing to let influence us.

 Is it negative messages from music, TV or people OR do we feed ourselves negative messages.  They usually start with I Can’t…..

 BUT She ….

If only I….

Someday when I….

Those influences  take the focus off God and put them on me.  But it’s not about me.

Esther’s Influences

Mordecai is clearly the most influential person in Esther’s life He was willing to take in his orphan Niece.  Esther could have chosen to let the   Persian culture influence every part of her life.  She could have also  been the opposite of willing and chosen to be stubblorn, Digging in her heals saying “NOpEI’m not gonna do It Because…..” And we would not have blamed her. BUT I’m pretty sure  we wouldn’t have  the book of Esther either.

Examples in Unwillingness

The closest Kinsman in Ruth Chapter 4 Said he wasn’t  going to take Ruth because his own inheritance would be on the line.  And yet HE CHOSE to lose out on a fantastic legacy of being in the line of Jesus.

Pharaoh admitted to sinning 2 different times.  He knew the choices he was making were  wrong and yet when he couldn’t have his own way because the plan had changed and   he became angry. He then  let his  anger influence his decision making. His pride and his anger were his influences.  Not even his advisors could change it. his mind!

So What’s It Gonna Be?

You and I have a choice too.  Are we willing to be  a Christ-like influence. Sacrificing our own desires, likes and dislikes, pet peeves , insecurities, hurt feelings,  misunderstandings, discouragements, circumstances,  ( I can keep going , and going and going). We let all these things  influence us and in the end we are rendered ineffective because what ends up happening is those  “things” start eating at us and before long we are rooted firmly in bitterness, anger, self doubt, discouragement, and completely focused on ourselves. And unfortunately we tend to think that we are hiding these things but in reality, the condition of our hearts are revealed through the words of our mouth,

Matthew 15:18 NIV
But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.

That’s hard but when we let those negative influences into our lives we are willingly  choosing  to forfeit  that being equipped by God to do his good work.  We are essentially putting ourselves first whether we are protecting ourselves -like Esther could have .  Thankfully she didn’t   So what’s it gonna be ?  Are you gonna be an Esther or that nameless dud in Ruth protecting HIS rights, HIS comfort, HIS whatever?

Let’s Chat:  This is someone in Your Life who exemplifies Willingness to serve God with every ounce of who they are, sacrificing their safety, comfort, finances, and/ pride to make God Famous?