Peace Beyond a Summer Breeze

By Laurie Ness

"Peace" is such a beautiful, tranquil word.  It causes me to remember quiet summer afternoons in my childhood, lying on the soft, fragrant green grass and watching fluffy white clouds lazily amble across an ocean-blue sky.  Even in my grown-up summers, there is still nothing like feeling the gentlest of warm breezes soothing my skin and moving through my hair to bring a sense of peace.  Sometimes I literally stop whatever I'm doing and just bask in the moment and thank the Lord for such a lovely blessing.

There are times in our lives, though, which are NOT so ideal.  We aren't children anymore, with endless summer days of freedom.  We aren't so innocent, so untouched by life's circumstances, so unaffected by the events of the world.  Now we are the ones who are trying to allow today's children to BE children, shielded as much as appropriately possible from the hurts and hardships, just like older generations did for us.

Can there possibly be peace in our hearts when we go through gut-wrenching trials in this life?  The world only seems to be spinning more and more out of control as we, humankind as a whole, focus less and less on God and live more self-centered lives.  Then there are the very personal struggles, which, to us as individuals, have nothing to do with the rest of the world.  When our loved one is so ill, or our child is in serious rebellion, or we don't know how we will make ends meet, or someone has betrayed us . . . the rest of the world's problems fade into oblivion as we experience our own very personal pain.

Is there any peace to be had?

Oh, yes, my friend, there is!

Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble.  Psalm 119:165

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.  Isaiah 62:3

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  John 14:27

So much of it starts in our own minds . . . in our own acts of obedience . . . in our own choice of attitudes.  Peace comes more naturally when we prepare ourselves  to choose it.

Last year at this time, my heart was breaking for my husband.  I mean, sometimes I felt like I couldn't bear the pain of what he was unjustly enduring.  The ache was always so very present.

But so was the peace!

No, I didn't choose to walk in peace every moment.  I allowed fear to creep in and begin to take root more than once!  I was truly afraid!  But God's Spirit was at work in me.  I had His Word in my mind and heart, and continued to drink it in.  Peace.  I had past experiences, awful ones that God had redeemed, to remember and cherish.  Peace.  I was making an effort, when I remembered, to choose joy in the midst of pain and to wholeheartedly trust God to do what He knew was best.  Peace.  We had family and friends who prayed faithfully and took time to encourage and support us. Peace.

We had the Truth on our side.  Sweet peace!

Sometimes peace is a feeling that all is perfect in a single moment, like on a quiet, cloud-watching summer afternoon.  We should enjoy and savor those times!  But real peace comes when it's the hardest to choose it.  That's when we need it most.  But we need to prepare for it before we need it!  Filling our minds with God's Word, praying earnestly for peace, and choosing to live peacefully day by day, minute by minute, will prepare us for experiencing peace in the hardest of times!

The Very Words of God

"For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.  They are ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."  Jude 4

One of the several things I have learned the hard way over the past few years is that heresy is rampant, including in places you wouldn't expect to find it.  A typical American can probably not go through a day without witnessing it in one form or another.  It isn't new to us.  Maybe we even become a bit "immune" to its effects after awhile.

What has shocked me to the core is some of the sources of false teaching.  People I know personally, people I don't know but have trusted in the past (I mean "famous" Christians, I guess) . . . formerly solid-in-their-faith individuals, or seemingly so, who have wandered into dangerous territory.

Now, before I go on, I want to assure you I'm not talking about anyone at SGC.  It's very important to me that you know I'm not talking about anyone you probably know personally.

But maybe you have your own acquaintances or famous people whose opinions you respected in the past but seem to have gone off the deep end theologically.  If not, you and the people in your life are extra blessed!  But let us remain vigilant . . .

And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. Psalm 12:6

The heresy flying here, there, and everywhere is one of the main reasons we need to keep learning.  It is not safe to take our eyes off the Word of God.  Satan often begins his deceptions subtly, and we can slowly become swayed from the path if we allow false teaching to go unchecked.  Pretty soon we could be so deceived that we become heretics ourselves, not even seeing our errors.  My heart aches to even think of being in that state.  May it never be--for any of us!

First Corinthians 5:6 reminds us that a little leaven affects the whole lump of dough.  In other words, if we tolerate sin and/or false teaching in small amounts, it will affect the whole local church where it isn't nipped in the bud.  Or, as many of us have probably witnessed, it can take over one person's life, spilling over onto his or her family, friends and acquaintances, poisoning those who don't know or aren't paying attention.

The only way to recognize the counterfeit is to know the real thing.  The Truth.  The Bible.  And the only way to know it is to read and study it faithfully!

There are so many excuses not to.  Believe me, I've used quite a few of them over the years.  "I don't have time."  "I can't decide what part to read or where to start."  "It's hard to understand, so why bother?"

An awesome opportunity to throw away the excuses and dig in to the Word is through a group Bible study.  Sugar Grove Church has several times and studies available for women in the fall and again after the holidays.  There's something for everyone!  Participating in a group study provides us with accountability, inspiration and help in understanding what we're studying.  I have been attending the Precepts study for years and love everything about it.  One great thing about meeting together with other believing ladies after we have done our homework is that the discussion helps me understand things I may have had trouble with on my own.  There's no shame in asking for help or learning from others!

If for some reason you just can't make a Bible study group, maybe there's one person you can pair up with.  But, in any case, we need to be studying our Bibles, even if it's alone.  There are tools online (one of my favorites is e-Sword) or available for purchase that can help us understand and get the most out of what we are studying--the very words of God!

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17

Are we Really Devoted?

God wants our devotion.

That's probably not news to most of us.  And we know He is the most deserving of anyone we are acquainted with to ask of us and receive our devotion. While praying and reading our Bibles are vital in growing our devotion, living out our faith day by day, minute by minute is what He asks of us as well. An often overlooked part of walking in our devotion to Him is to be devoted to the imperfect human believers who walk Planet Earth with us.  Yes, He asks this painfully difficult thing of us:

Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.  Do not be wise in your own estimation.  Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.  Respect what is right in the sight of all men.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. --Romans 12:9-18

God makes it clear that all believers are to be devoted to one another.

That means those who have more or less money than we do.

That means those who irritate or annoy us.

That means those who prefer different kinds of music or different styles of worship services.

That means people we deem as too loud or too quiet, having too many or too few tattoos, too opinionated or too wishy-washy, having "too many" children or "not enough," etc., etc., etc . . . unfortunately, the list could go on and on.

Every person who trusts Christ as his or her Savior is a part of the family, whether or not he or she sees and experiences the world just as we do. Love and devotion are great when those on whom we bestow them are similar to us.  Love and devotion are proven real when they are genuinely bestowed upon people who drive us crazy in one way or another.

This devotion, of course, does not mean accepting sinful behavior from believers without attempted accountability.  No family will be fully functional without loving reproof and correction when necessary, and it's no different for the church family.  The key to this, of course, is the love and adhering to biblical methods of accountability.

Wow, the Romans 12 passage above is packed with ways to show our devotion to one another.  A few of the highlights:

• Give preference to each other
• Contribute to the needs of others
• Practice hospitality
• Bless even those who persecute you 
• Rejoice with those rejoicing, weep with those weeping
• Do not be haughty--associate with everyone!
• Don't take revenge
• Respect what is right
• Live at peace with everyone as much as possible

Friends, it's a tall order, but God doesn't ask us to do the impossible!  Or, maybe a better way to say that is God makes the impossible (on our own) possible (with His help).  Prayer, along with reading Scripture and putting aside self-centered ways, will be powerful in helping us as Christ-followers to be devoted to one another, which points to our devotion to our Savior!

Shine Your Light!

By Laurie Ness

Photo by Kay Hartman

The ladies of SGC were blessed to have the beautiful (inside and out) Miss Indiana, Jackie Jerlecki, speak at the Christmas breakfast in December.  Even without the sparkling crown on her head, one surely can't help but notice her in a crowded room.  The warmth of the light within her shines all around her and touches those who are blessed to be in her presence.

The topic of "warmth" was chosen for January's WoW Connect! long before I had even heard Miss Jerlecki's name, but when the time came to start thinking about writing a devotional about warmth, she immediately came to mind.  She had a wonderful and inspiring message that chilly December morning, about letting our light shine instead of putting it under a bowl.

No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl.  Instead, they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see its light.  Your eye is the lamp of your body.  When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light.  But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.  See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.  Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.  Luke 11:33-36

I don't remember now Jackie's exact words, but I still feel the general inspiration to look around me during times that are easy to be absorbed in my own thoughts.  I've always tried to act kindly toward people, but that day, after the breakfast, my mom and I went Christmas shopping, and I found myself trying to pay more attention to the people around me, making eye contact with strangers more often and offering a smile, instead of pouring over my list of Christmas gifts and scouring the store shelves so intently.  I mean, we all have things to accomplish while we're out and about, but why not lift up our eyes more often to meet those of others who might need a connection of kindness, even if for just a second?

In the verses above, the word "healthy" is referring to generosity, and the word "unhealthy" points to stinginess.  Does the word "stingy" paint a picture of warmth?  Absolutely not!  Generosity, though, is a warm word.  With what can we be generous?  There are the obvious things, like money and material objects.  That kind of generosity definitely meets needs, but what about those less tangible things, like our time, our encouragement, our smiles, our conversation . . . our eyes off ourselves?  Our warmth?  Sometimes these can be more difficult to offer than money or material possessions.

And what about the people we are closest to?  It can be easy to take them for granted and maybe forget the warmth we might show to someone else.  Those we see every day (like our families, for instance) ought to be greeted and treated warmly always.

True warmth shines from the light of the Spirit of God living within and is not hidden under the "bowl" of our irritation, grumpiness, sadness, self-centeredness, or any other emotion.  True warmth does not ask anything of the one being warmed, nor attach itself to conditions that the "warmee" must meet.

Look up, loved one!  Smile!  Even if we are in the middle of a period of sadness in our lives, if we truly want to be pleasant anyway, God will help us to be pleasant if we ask Him!  It's what He wants of us--to shine His light.  You never know what that kindness toward a cashier on an ordinary shopping trip might lead to.  Our own children will be more likely to take us seriously if we make the effort to show them what a blessing we think they are, in simple ways like cheerfully wishing them a good morning when they awake every morning and giving them smiles and encouraging words throughout the day.  Our husbands will find home to be a haven if they are treated with warmth there.  Our friends and acquaintances will be warmed by our light if we allow it to shine.

And the message of Jesus will be communicated most effectively to everyone around us when it is preceded and accompanied by His warmth exuding from us!

JOY: Not Just for Christmas!

by Laurie Ness

We hear a lot about joy this time of year, though some may find it difficult, impossible even, to feel like they are experiencing it.  Does joy elude you this time of year?  You're not alone!  Or maybe this is the one time of year joy seems to come easily, but it's a struggle at other times?  You're not alone, either!  I personally have been in both those places at different times in my life, and I know many others have as well.  I've learned some things about joy along the way, and, though I'm still not always consistent in walking in joy every second of every day, I'd love to share with you some ways to make joy real in our lives.  We can encourage each other! :)

Differentiate between joy and happiness.  Is it possible to be unhappy and joyful?  Absolutely!  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds . . ." (James 1:2).  James goes on to describe why we should consider our trials pure joy (great reading!), but my point here is that James's God-inspired writing tells us that trials are a cause for joy!  See, happiness is an emotion.  Joy is an attitude.  Our emotions are random and unreliable, while our attitudes are chosen and nurtured by us!  Joy and happiness may coincide at time, but they are not equal.

Take our eyes off ourselves.  Some of the most joyless people around are those who think only of themselves.  There's little room for joy in the life of someone busy protecting her own wants, her own needs, her own dreams.  There may be a momentary sense of satisfaction in getting her own way, but those closed fists and hearts are not open to grasp true joy!

Live obediently.   "Light shines on the righteous, and joy on the upright in heart.  Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name."  (Psalm 97:11-12)  If we choose to give up our own foolish ways and obey the one, true, wise God, there is such joy to be found in that obedience.  When we glorify Him in our actions, words, thoughts and attitudes, we can't help but to experience true joy!

Focus on Him.  However our circumstances look or feel to us, they don't change the fact that God never leaves us nor forsakes us, that He has a plan for our lives, and that He is the only One seeing the big picture.  The things we can't figure out are no mystery to Him, including the reasons He allows upsetting events in our lives.  Spend time praising Him for His sovereignty and constancy!

Practice contentment.  Count your blessings, start a gratitude journal, tell everyone on Facebook what you're thankful for . . . whatever it takes to help focus on the silver lining.  Sometimes the "only" thing we can muster up is that God is still there and that He loves us and is in control.  But what an awesome truth to cling to!  There's no silver lining that can beat that.  If everything on earth is falling apart around us, God is our rock, and He wants us to be content in Him!

So, whenever we are struggling to find joy, whether it be during the holidays or any other time of year, we need to examine our lives and see what we are doing, or not doing, that snuffs out that joy.  The joy is always there--we just need to exercise it!  And none of us needs to go it alone.  Share your struggles with someone and allow them to bless you with prayer support and encouragement.  Then do the same for someone else! :)

Additional Reading:

The book of James (or at least 1:1-8)  :)
Psalm 30:11
Psalm 118:24
Psalm 40:16

Life is Tough, but God is Faithful, by Sheila Walsh
Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow

Sweet Stewardship

by Laurie Ness

Though I haven't agreed with her every word, I'm often inspired by the life and words of the dear woman known as Mother Teresa.  She makes me think of sweetness, a quality that appears to be more and more lacking in our world. She seems to have had an incredible balance of sweetness and a no-nonsense approach to life.  Talk about a good steward!  From my readings on the life of this remarkable woman, my conclusion is that she wasted little, if anything.

And I'm not just talking about any money or material goods she ever possessed!

When we hear the word "stewardship," it's easy to think of money--how to spend it, how to save it, how to give it.  While this is a very important aspect of stewardship, I think I'll refer you to the brilliant Dave Ramsey for further study on that subject and focus here instead on some of the other areas of stewardship the Bible encourages us to take seriously.

Our time.  Time is an extremely easy thing to waste, isn't it?  Are we even conscious of all the means we have available to us that waste time, especially in this day and age?  Many of these activities are not wrong in and of themselves, but anything that consumes too many of our minutes or hours to the detriment of what we should be doing is a problem.

Keeping a time journal each day is an enlightening way to see the whole picture of how our time is spent.  When we pinpoint activities that are time-wasting traps for us, we know exactly what to watch out for.  It is helpful to many women to create a daily schedule, plotting out the entire day on paper, including some "down time" to spend on enjoyable activities.  Quite like making a money budget, a time budget allows one to accomplish all the necessary things while allowing a reasonable amount of guilt-free time to relax.  "Teach us to number our days, so that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12.  We aren't guaranteed tomorrow . . . we need to make the most of our time!

Our words.
      "Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."   Mother Teresa

I truly dislike, hate even, how I feel after my own careless words.  As a mom, I find that I have that feeling much more than I ever did before.  Frustrating days make it easy for me to let my guard down and just let loose with my words without filtering them through love and wisdom.  I don't call my son names or curse at him, but some of my careless words probably do just as much harm, just a little more subtly, gradually.

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord, my rock and my Redeemer"  Psalm 19:14

Maybe you don't have children, but perhaps there are people in your life who annoy or irritate you?  Or maybe there is no one who, in your opinion, is worth the effort to carefully choose your words.  I would encourage you (and myself) to speak kindly to everyone, whether or not we feel they deserve it!  This, of course, does not mean we don't need to hold people accountable when necessary.  But this can be done with love and kindness as well.  God wants us to be careful in our speech!

Our opportunities.  God has something for us to do for Him every day!  Even days we never leave our homes are full of opportunities-- to minister to our families, spend time praying for everyone we can think of, study Scripture, write notes of encouragement, and many others.  Do we take the time when we wake up in the morning to offer our day up to Him, offering to joyfully do whatever He asks of us?

In Ephesians 5, we are told to, "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (verses 15-16)

It's hard to think about what might be lost because of our wasted opportunities, but it's no better to choose to call something an opportunity from God when we are actually bent on doing something outside His will.  May we learn to willingly "tune in" to what God has for us to do and determine ourselves to walk where He leads, not veering off His path in any direction!

Both Kinds of Family

by Laurie Ness

The word "family" evokes different thoughts and emotions for different people.  Some might think of warmth and support while others feel lonely, confused or even abused.  The concept of "family" is not easy, whether or not the experience is pleasant.  There are complexities that make having a healthy family hard work, and which, left unattended, cause broken families and miserable individuals.  Healthy families thrive because their members are willing to work at it, to do or give up what it takes to develop close relationships.

While thinking and praying about what to write for this month's devotional, I found myself thinking a lot about the similarities between a family of relatives and a church family.  While I don't consider myself an "expert" on either one, the Bible is full of wisdom for both kinds of families.  Many of the dynamics are the same, and in both types of families, it behooves us to examine how we are doing.  Are we contributing to the growth of our families at home and at church?

My little family of three have been memorizing Romans 12:9-21 together recently.  What a challenge, both in the memorization (at least for me--I'm not the fastest memorizer!) and the application of this passage.  It is so full of wisdom and practical ways of engaging with other people.  If we will apply these truths to our families--at home and at church--think of how well we will get along! :)

Romans 12:9-21  Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.  Do not be wise in your own estimation.  Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.  Respect what is right in the sight of all men.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.  Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.  "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD."  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Healthy families, at home and at church, typically do the following:

Know Who's Boss.  God is the head of a healthy family unit and of a healthy church family.  He's in charge!  He's the one we ultimately serve and consult.  He has placed human leaders in our homes (parents) and churches (pastors, elders, deacons, teachers, etc.)  to teach and guide and protect.

Pray together.  Just as members of a church congregation should pray together and for each other, a family unit needs to pray and lean on the Lord to stay strong.  He is the Source of our strength!

Serve together.  A healthy local church will have its eyes open for opportunities to serve both inside and outside the church walls.  Likewise, family members ought to be willing to serve one another at home and work together to serve elsewhere as well.  Is there a nursing home nearby whose residents would love regular visits from your family?  A shelter or food bank your family can supply together?  A neighbor who could use help raking leaves?  The possibilities are endless!  A servant's heart can be difficult to cultivate, but brings so many unexpected blessings!

Support each other.  A healthy church family will come through for its members in times of need.  Prayer support, financial support (when appropriate) and practical help support are a few of the ways church members care for each other.  Sometimes the need is difficult to meet or not recognized by the receiver (such as those who need church discipline!), but a church who wants to thrive in the Lord cannot ignore such matters.  A family of relatives is also responsible to one another for support, including the unpleasant matters that sometimes need to be addressed.

Accept each other.  People are different.  God created us to be unique from each other.  Sometimes these differences cause us to be annoyed, at home or at church, or to maybe think more highly of ourselves and our ways than we ought!  God wants us to accept each other.  This acceptance, of course, does not equal a lack of accountability in matters of right and wrong.  

Disagree with each other . . . the right way!  Let's face it, people disagree from time to time.  There's no way around that!  Husbands and wives disagree.  Brothers and sisters disagree.  Differing opinions, though, don't have to mean bickering and sinning.  Church members can disagree with one another, too.  The only issues worth digging in our heels for are those of biblical truth.  If the integrity of the church is being threatened by false doctrine or contrary/watered down teaching, wise people certainly need to take a stand.  But there is no good reason to quibble over non-essentials like how the building looks, styles of music or service times.  Discussion is great, but stubbornness breeds divisiveness!  Love does not insist on its own way!

Forgive each other.  Sometimes we don't do our best.  We sin against someone, or someone sins against us.  Is it our job to make them pay?  Does it do anyone any good for us to hold grudges?  The answer, of course, is no.  Wow, that person may not come even close to deserving our forgiveness, but we are commanded to extend it anyway.  Which of us can say we are deserving of the forgiveness bestowed upon us by a holy and righteous God?  Just do it!  Moms and Dads, forgive your children, and children forgive your parents for their mistakes.  Friends, forgive your friends!  Believers, forgive fellow believers who have hurt you.  Forgive as you have been forgiven!

Family ties can only grow stronger if we follow the guidelines God has provided for us. :)

Further Reading:
1 Corinthians 13
Ephesians 4:26-27
Ephesians 5:21-6:4