Teaching Tuesday- Finding Joy

This past weekend I was the student. I attended a ladies conference at my church and sat in the audience as a student instead of instructor. Here's a taste of what I learned:

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It’s no surprise that Jesus perfectly handled the journey to the cross. After all, He was Jesus. But how does that translate into our everyday reality? How does that look during our hard times, our temptations, our tribulations and cross bearing situations? 

Let’s look at Jesus example…Hebrews 12:2 says, “for the JOY set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”Jesus kept his eyes on the future…the joy that was beyond the hard times, the joy that was beyond death, the joy that was bigger than his current situation. His perspective of eternity weighed more than the trials of this earth. His joy was bigger than his circumstances. His joy was completely wrapped up in fulfilling His Father’s purpose for Him. 

So what does that look like for us today…

When the diagnosis doesn’t come back the way we hoped….

When the kids are wayward and rebellious….

When the marriage is falling apart…

When the job situation is sticky…

When finances don’t make it to the end of the month…

When our schedules overwhelm us…

Real Jesus joy looks past the current situations and walks with purpose, fulfilling the plans God has for us. We don’t excuse or ignore the current situations but we are focusing our thoughts and our hearts on eternity. 

Easy? No. The cross was not an easy place for Jesus. There was pain, sadness, mourning and death. But the cross was not the end. And your cross you are called to bear is not the end. There is joy because we know that eternity will be sweet. We know that walking through life with Jesus is far better than walking without him. We know that the shame the enemy wants us to walk in is a trap and distraction from keeping our eyes on the Father. 

So, as Mrs. Rita said on Saturday, “Chin up, buttercup!” Eternity is ahead. Our joy may be hard fought for here on earth, but it will be worth it if we have a relationship with Jesus Christ!

Walking in Truth

III John 1:4- I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in truth.

After nearly 25 years in ministry there is nothing that encourages my heart more than hearing how people that we have had the joy of leading and serving are still faithfully and joyfully serving the Lord and walking in the truth of His Word. Enough years have passed that we have had the overwhelming privilege to hear of so many stories of how God has led people we love, how He has carried them, how they have followed Him during times of joy and sorrow and how they have grown to love Him more and more. I can definitely see how John the Beloved could write these words. 

As a parent, I want the same for my kids. I want them to learn to walk in the Truth. This world has some crazy lies and misconstructed ideas that they will try to get them to buy into, and it's my job for now to teach them how to walk in truth so they don't get side swiped into believing the lies. 

Yesterday I was having a conversation with Tucker (12) and we were talking a little about the struggle of moving and leaving his friends. I let the talk go on for a few minutes because I think it's important for him to share his thoughts and also because he is a boy and he was having "feelings" so I wanted to maximize on listening...but after a few minutes I said, "I know this is hard, but can you see any way God has provided or done anything good during this time?" After a moment he said, "He has already found a friend for me there (new home)." You can't imagine how excited I was to hear him say this. This was the truth. God has already provided him a friend there and Tucker was voicing the truth. Satan would like nothing better for Tucker than for him to believe that this was a tragic situation, that he would be lonely and alone for the rest of his life, that no one would reach out and that he would never find a friend. I know this sounds dramatic but isn't that exactly what the enemy does...makes us believe the absolute worst situation or conflict or circumstance is the truth??? When it's all a big fat lie. 

There is joy when we hear our children are walking in truth, but before the joy there has to be guidance. We have to model the process. We have to teach our kids how to navigate through the hurdles of lies and the roadblocks of deceit that Satan orchestrates. We have to teach them what the Bible says, how to apply it to our lives and how to ask the right questions and seek the right answers when they are faced with a tough situation. 

This doesn't happen by chance. We have to get busy.

Comparison

"Comparison is the thief of joy".....ain't that the truth.

I don't remember my parents comparing me to anyone...but I remember from an early age being compared to others....because....I was short.

It happened in the first Thanksgiving program I was in at my school in kindergarten. The song....Five Fat Turkeys Are We (Pretty sure they aren't singing that one any more....it's not PC). Line up shortest to tallest...and immediately all the tallest went to the back row and all the shortest stayed in the front row. and then they arranged us again...tallest to tall and short to shortest. And there I was..the shortest of the short.

That situation followed me pretty much my entire elementary school career. And middle school. And college. Comparison robbed my joy more than once...when I wanted to stand by a friend, or have a better view of the audience or wanted to hear the harmonies better in a choir.

As an adult I've managed to do the self comparison thing at Emmy winning levels. In my twenties...comparing what I didn't have to what others had.....babies.

In my thirties comparing my body image, my parenting style, my home and even my walk with the Lord robbed me of the joy of embracing the gifts that God had given me.

My fortieth birthday came and went with a bang....seriously funny stuff happened and something not so funny happened too. Something clicked (it wasn't my hip). I realized I had managed to have friends and loving family who loved me just the way I am....and even more importantly I had a God who didn't compare my walk with Charles or Andy (Stanley) or Beth (Moore) or Ann (Voskamp). He looked at me...and wanted nothing more than for me to live this incredible life designed just for me to honor and glorify Him with. Through my strengths, my weaknesses and my goofiness and my insecurities. He didn't want me to be comparing my height or weight or parenting or talents or anything else.

And what's happened? Well two years later...God's helping me embrace this girl he designed. I'm still prone to wander, but I am learning to love who he made me to be....

A woman after His heart
A wife to an amazing man
A mom to two fantastic kids
A unique pastor's wife
A friend
An antique/junk loving collector
A journaler
A Cheerleader (for my family, friends and church)

And I don't have any other standard except the ones that God outlines for me in HIS Word. And believe me ...that's enough! I've spent too many years wondering if I measured up or if I was doing anything right....Let me tell you...that's exactly where the enemy wants us. And there's no amount of doing things right that will fix that. Only embracing this plan God made and designed for you will really bring you lasting joy and fulfillment. I'm glad for the wake-up call. And for the reminders of what a work He's doing in my life. He is making all things new in me. Something beautiful.

So if you're finding yourself in the season of comparison....lacking the joy God longs for you to have...be encouraged to embrace the person God created you to be ....not for yourself....but because it honors and glorifies our creator.

More at ...https://bible.org/article/who-does-god-say-i-am

Lost and Found

"I've lost my joy"... I've said these words. More than once, I'm ashamed to say. And I'm learning how foolish I am when I lose something that is so important. Like the keys to my car, or my kid at walmart or the address of a long lost friend. Foolish.....

I've let people rob me. I've let mean looks rob me. I've let gossip rob me. I've let misunderstandings rob me. I've let ministry rob me. I've let financial distress rob me. I've let friends rob me. I've let enemies rob me. I've let family rob me. I think you get the picture.

My point is, I've let these things happen. They didn't just "poof!" happen. They came in and captivated my thoughts, my fears, my insecurities and I LET them rob me of that special joy that comes from being a child of God and walking with Him. His Joy...The joy of the Lord.

Joy can say:

I love you, even though you treat me poorly. I don't want to treat you that way.
I will make it through this hurt. God's up to something.
My joy isn't found in my wallet.
God will never leave me, or forsake me. He's with me.

The joy of the Lord is knowing that weeping endures for the night. But the morning is coming.
The joy of the Lord walks in the truth of God's perfect Words.
The joy of the Lord doesn't let circumstances dictate attitude.
The joy of the Lord helps us walk confidently in who GOD says we are. And as I recently heard, "If you can stand clean before the Lord, you can stand clean before anybody!"

I'm learning this art of Joy. It doesn't come easily or naturally for my flesh. In fact it's about as opposite as it can get. No wonder the enemy wants to rob us. No wonder the world tries to discourage us. No wonder we feel overwhelmed by this journey.

Are you wondering where you left your joy? Find it at the same place you found it the first time...it's the real thing with Jesus. There are plenty of counterfeits out there that will tell you it's found in people and prosperity and possessions. But, at the end of the day...you can have all this world...Give me Jesus.