The Sunday School class Andrew and I have been a part of since I joined our church several years ago has transforming in the past few months. We've gotten several new members to the "Oasis Class" and there is a fire that's been lit and is pushing us in new directions of ministry. I'm beyond excited to be a part of this overwhelming experience. To be witness to what He has in store is almost more then I can handle!
We started planning a class retreat a while back, and to help communications on planning and preparing fundraising events we started a message forum of sorts. Of course my class mates take it to an extreme with upwards of one hundred emails a day, and the emails can be way far off in left field at times, but it's brought us closer together as a class, and united us on working on different projects that bring glory to Him.
A couple weeks ago we were challenged to write a devotion by one of these emails, in one way she was just trying to pull us all back in and get us back focused on things less worldly and more holy. I laughed out loud reading that email, and thought she must be really bored at work today. Boy, was I wrong!
So the past few days I've been researching and writing preparing to send out my own devotion for my peers to read. This seemed like a monumental step that was nearly impossible for me to reach. However the overwhelming urge to be obiedent, to relieve my self of the guilty feeling that was gnawing at me was so much stronger then the nervous rush of feeling like I was going to be sick. I'm not the type person that enjoys speaking in front of a crowd, I get so nervous at the thought that my heart races and I start sweating. Writing something for others to read is right up there on my list of what makes me very uncomfortable.
Blogging about my kids is different, they are adorable and it's easy for me to type on and on about them. I know I won't be judged on something cute they did or said, but my opinions on scripture and how it applies to my life? Now that's a whole other bag of chips!
Well I stepped to that ledge of uncertainty, looked down at the dark hole below me and jumped right in. It felt great, I sent the first one out yesterday and I don;t think it would have mattered if I didn't get one response, the happiness I got from immersing my self in His word, reading more and more then praying and writing about what I'd read and how I felt was attitude changing to say the least. As soon as it was sent I couldn't wait to start another, I was thirsty for more and ready to dive into His word again.
So with out further adieu, I'm posting the devotions from yesterday and today for more to read.
Friendship 3.10.11
Most of you know this is so not my thing, however since I read and quickly dismissed Rona’s email challenging us to share a devotion, I haven’t been able to ignore (trust me, I tried) the feeling of guilt, I laughed at the idea, it’s not that funny now. So, I’m taking the devotion challenge! My stomach is in knots and my palms are sweating as I type this, the only way it could be worse is if I had to stand in front of you and read it aloud.
Deep breath…. Here we go…
What we have in our little Sunday school class is something amazing; we are a part of something big. The bonds we have made and are making will forever be fixtures in our lives. I really believe that God has great things in store for us and there are wonderful, unending possibilities ahead if we continue serving Him. With each other’s friendship and His guidance, we will accomplish great things in His name.
That brings me to the subject of my devotion, friendship.
Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Hebrews 13:3 NIV
The word for “friend” in the Native American language means “the one who carries my sorrows on his back”.
We are all bound by life’s difficulties and we all suffer from our own individual struggles. Your friends help by carrying those difficulties and struggles (sorrows) along with their own. It’s great to know that someone cares enough to lighten my load!
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another- and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25
I need friends in my life, not to just make me laugh or smile, but friends who love me enough to share what God is doing in their lives and who are willing to hold me accountable for my actions. I need friends who will help me grow to be more like Christ. I have several of these type friends in my life; I’m blessed with these people who care about me and my salvation. I’ve been convicted over my actions before after witnessing how my Christian friend acted and I want my witness to be that example to another friend who may need it.
This is what we should all strive for! Where we fail, we can look to one another for a Godly example. We are all called to grow into His likeness, through His Spirit’s enabling. To be a Christian is to be Christ-like. Being Christians we have The Best Friend, Christ will always accept us and stand by us no matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done and as Christians we should strive to accept and stand by others for His glory.
Very recently I’ve seen God at work in my life in ways I never expected. I know He chose to put people in my life that could help with just what I needed. I also know that God put me in others lives to help with just what they needed. God hasn’t called us to run this race alone; He puts people in our lives to provide encouragement, support and hope. For this, I’m so thankful! Thankful, to carry my friend’s sorrows and have help carrying mine and thankful for those He’s put in my life who continue to point me towards Him.
I’ll wrap it up with this short prayer: Lord, I ask your help to be the friend to others that Christ is to me.
Love ya’ll! Your friend,
Aubrey
The power of your tongue 3.11.11
The next time God lays something on my heart, I will NOT procrastinate! I made myself quit reading/writing at 1:00 this morning and go to bed.
I just checked my email because I’ve been too wrapped up in writing this morning, but wow! When He has something to tell us, He sure can get His point across!
The power of your tongue…
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Matthew 12:36-37 (NIV)
“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by tour words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned.”
James 3:1-8 (NIV)
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
James’ description of the tongue really hit home for me. I don’t claim to have the most “lady like” language; at times I’m sure I could have made a sailor cringe. This is something I feel conviction over, it’s something I’ve prayed over and something I’ve worked very hard to overcome. I’m not there yet, I don’t know that I’ll ever be, but it’s something I’ll continue to work on or better yet allow God to work on in me.
The words we use can do one of two things, allow us to be free from blame and without guilt, or pronounce ourselves guilty and unfit for God’s use.
In verse 3 James compares the human tongue to a horse’s bit, this small item can control every action of this huge animal. Much like our tongue, small yes, but if allowed controls one’s entire body.
The tongue is compared to a rudder of a ship in verse 4. I can imagine the sheer magnitude and size of a ship. After a day in Cozumel, Mexico we returned to our cruise ship a few years ago. Walking on that pier toward that mammoth piece of metal made me realize how small I really was. All the power of that ship, which direction it’s going to sail in is controlled by the rudder. How small in comparison, but holds all the control.
Verses 5-8 should really get your attention, I know they did mine.
. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
The tongue is not only a representation of the evil of the world but sets the course for one’s life on fire. It tells us that the fires of hell fuel an unyielding tongue. Unlike any of the wild animals on earth today, it says that a tongue, my tongue, yours too, is untamable, uncontrollable…. A restless evil full of deadly poison.
Doe this mean that no matter how hard we try, we will never be able to tame our words? To live our lives with fire pouring from our mouths, poisoning those around us?
Not at all, control over our tongues will only come with God’s help, when I feel guilty for saying the S word in the car on the highway, when I only slightly avoided rear-ending the car in front of me, with a certain pastor’s wife in the passenger seat to hear. That’s Him making me aware that I was wrong for what I said, wrong to subject her to the poison coming from my mouth. The need to apologize afterward, that was Him too, even though there was a good chance she didn’t even realize I said it because she was too busy praying that her life wouldn’t come to an end in my car that day. I still wanted to make sure she knew I was sorry for saying it.
In verse 2 it says that we will all stumble in many ways and anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
I’m far from perfect, and seem to stumble so much that sometimes I think it’s better that I just stay down, but is anyone really perfect besides Christ?
Striving for perfection, to be more like Christ. Striving to keep our whole body, our tongue in check.
What comes from the mouth is what is first in the heart; things roll off the tongue so easily. We wouldn’t quickly kill a man, but would quickly and thoughtlessly speak all kinds of evil about them. At times this could be just as bad, if not worse then taking their life.
A sweet friend of mine constantly tells me to hide His word in my heart. Only recently did this finally click for me. I don’t have many bible verses memorized; there are really only a handful of bible stories I could tell you. Growing up in the Catholic Church was very different then how Lily is growing, she’s learning scripture and wonderful details from the bible that I missed out on. She’s hiding His word in her heart. When I had that aha! Moment not so long ago, I’ve been doing my best to read scripture every day, memorize and quote it, fill my heart so full with it that it’s not only the first thing on my heart but the second, third and last too.
I want the words that come from my mouth to be from Him, not only when I’m quick to speak but also every time I speak.
I pray that I will continue to be constantly convicted over my words. To control the urge and be mindful of how damaging they can be. To keep filling my self with His word so that what I speak will be from Him.
Love y’all….
Aubrey
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