Honest Reflections

4 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 15-16 GW; 2 Timothy 4 GW

Social Media limits your perspective.

In the recent study, “How Social Media Makes it Difficult to Identify Real News,” researchers discovered:

“People viewing a blend of news and entertainment on a social media site tended to pay less attention to the source of content they consumed — meaning they could easily mistake satire or fiction for real news.”

Social media allows us to believe lies easily. We follow people who have similar interests as ourselves. Skimming through our timelines produces a blend of friend updates, funny memes, and news. The problem is, identifying what is real and what isn’t. A couple of years ago, I fell for a fake story about a popular pastor signing a multi-million dollar contract to work at a different church.  The post was fictional but written in such a way, I believed it as truth.  Only when I shared the “news” with my husband did I find the truth.

Timothy is warning us about social media a thousand years before it existed.  People during his time didn’t have online profiles.  But just like us, they followed who they wanted to follow.  If a woman was trying to get pregnant, she worshipped the fertility gods.  Warriors followed warrior gods. Gladiators followed gladiator gods. Because they followed so many different gods, they covered their bases with an altar for the “Unknown God.”   We’re human; our nature is to connect with those who like what we like.  God isn’t about like; He’s about love rooted in truth. 

Jesus is truth.

Love demands truth.  My real friends are not the ones who tell me what I want to hear.  My real friends are the ones who tell me what I don’t want to hear WITH love.  They are not necessarily the ones I want to surround myself with all of the time.  Sometimes truth requires space to accept. But my real friends are the ones I know love me the most.

No one loves you more than Jesus.  Following Him means learning how to love, Him and others.  Jesus doesn’t do what you want.  He doesn’t hate people because they have hurt you.  Jesus loves both sides of the story because He knows both sides.  God is a known God.  He’s intimately involved in our lives whether we follow Him or not.  If you believe in Jesus but aren’t following Him, He’s still following you.  Jesus doesn’t unfriend people when they make Him mad or disagree with His opinion.  Jesus loved at all times.  He expects the same from us.

Follow Jesus first.  Surround yourself with people who agree AND disagree with you.  Verify the sources of the information you receive.  Don’t believe everything you read.  Search for truth, find truth.

Lord Jesus, thank You for bringing truth to the world.  Open our eyes and ears to see more than just our opinion.  Forgive us, Lord, for not loving those who view the world differently than us.  Help us to embrace everyone we meet with love.  Whoever we encounter today, I pray after they are with us, their day is better.  Help us seek truth by following You.  Reveal to us what we cannot see.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How has social media limited your perspective?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 13-14 GW; 2 Timothy 3 GW

People prefer comfort to discomfort. Get used to uncomfortable.

The Israelites were in bondage, slaves treated horribly, yet they understood that life.  When Moses led them into the wilderness, they didn’t know what to expect.  Hardships occurred that they didn’t anticipate. As a result, they romanticized their previous life, thinking it better than the road ahead.  They doubted God when the going got rough. 

Why do women stay in abusive relationships?  Because abuse is comfortable.  Moving out of an abusive relationship means stepping into the unknown.  Even though people want healthy relationships, they don’t want to do the work required to have them.  Facing hard truths is difficult and requires perseverance.  Just like the Israelites had to keep moving forward, we must do the same, despite our fears, anxieties, and doubts.  We must leave the comfortable behind.

Life happens outside the comfort zone.

Currently, I’m preparing for a road trip by myself.  Fear and anxiety are trying to stop me.  Niggling thoughts pop into my head.  “What if you have a flat tire?”  “What if you end up in a snowdrift?”  “Maybe I should stay home.”  The inner battle rages, trying to steal my joy.  Remaining in my comfort zone is more appealing than venturing out into the unknown. But I can’t live life to the fullest from my recliner.  We must keep moving forward if we want to experience life. 

Just because the road ahead is challenging, doesn’t mean it’s not worth traveling.  Accept you will have doubts along the way.  Embrace the anxiety that is natural when making life changes.  When you start to crave the known, ask God to remind you why you left.  Today’s uncertainties are opportunities to trust God.  Tell Him the truth.  God can handle your doubts as He leads you into the promised land.

Lord, how thankful we are You keep us moving forward in life.  Thank You for not letting us stay as we are, but instead, help us become a new person in Christ.  Forgive us for doubting when our circumstances overwhelm us.  Help us to remember what You’ve done for us in the past, knowing You’ll provide for us in our new journey.  Let us live outside our comfort zones, completely trusting in You, no matter what our circumstances look like.  In You, we find life to the fullest.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What comfort zone are you afraid to leave behind?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 11-12 GW; 2 Timothy 2 GW

Jesus is kind.  

Reading through the ministry of Jesus is a testimony to kindness.  The warmth of His smile as He looks upon the hurting of this world has no malice.  When people came to Jesus, He stopped and listened.  Jesus was interruptable and approachable because He was kind.  Think about who you turn to for help, is it the mean, grumpy person or the loving, welcoming person?  

My Aunt Margie was the most welcoming person I ever knew.  Anytime life threw me a curveball, I couldn’t wait to find her loving embrace.  She modeled Jesus well.  Kindness was her calling card.  Everyone who met her loved her.  Yet her life was not easy; she suffered much pain during her time here on earth.  My aunt found victory over pain, beauty from ashes, in Jesus.  Her success evident in her loving-kindness of all she met.

Jesus came to earth on a mission of love.  One expression of His deep passion for us is His kindness.  Jesus knew the meaning of the adage, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

Love is kind.

When Paul begins his definition of love in his letter to the Corinthians, “kind” comes second after patient (1 Cor. 13:4 ESV).  People avoid mean, nasty people; they flock to kind ones.  Take time today to have an honest chat with yourself.  Think about the people you’ve interacted with over the past couple of days.  Objectively ask yourself, was I more honey or more vinegar?  

Father James Martin, in this video, outlines three ways we can put kindness into practice:

• Don’t be a jerk (Don’t pass along your misery to someone else.)
• Honor the absent (Don’t talk about people behind their backs.  Share something honorable about them instead.)
• “Always give others the benefit of the doubt.” Ignacius

Follow Jesus’s example.  Be kind.

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your supreme kindness.  Sending Jesus is the utmost of gifts.  Forgive us, Lord, for not recognizing what You do for us.  Help us to become more sensitive to Your Spirit as we make kindness a way of life.  Today, let us not be a jerk.  Help us to honor the absent, and let us always give others the benefit of the doubt.  Only with You can we make kindness a reality in our lives.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Who have you been more vinegar than honey to lately?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 8-10 GW; 2 Timothy 1 GW

God’s Spirit fills you.

Embracing God’s Spirit strengthens our lives.  We’re no longer alone in the battle of good and evil.  God’s Spirit is our constant companion, providing us with what we need. When we submit to Him, He gives us power, love, and good judgment.  However, tuning into the promptings given by the Spirit is mandatory.  We can ignore them entirely if we’re not careful.

Part of making time for God in your daily life is to tune into His promptings.  When we spend time reading His word, it helps reframe our thinking.  Instead of focusing on the worldly events around us, our minds tune into God’s work.  One prayer I’ve recently started praying came from my pastor.  Each morning, I make this request:

“God, show me what You are doing today and how I can be a part of it.” 

What this simple prayer does is tune me into God.  As I walk through my days, God’s Spirit helps me see what He is doing, then join in with Him.

Work with God.

Instead of working against God, work with Him. Allow His Spirit to lead you.  When you see the young mom struggling to get her stroller through the door, open it for her.  When a friend is grieving, grieve with them.  When people rejoice, rejoice as well.  Show up for the people God places in your life, whether family, friend, or stranger.   God is working in their lives, and You are His messenger.  Through You, with His Spirit, God’s power, love, and sound judgment become a reality as you join Him in His work.

Allow God’s Spirit to fill your life.  Receive His power, love, and good judgment.  Then share what He gives you with others.

Lord, You are our strength.  Your Spirit guides and directs us when we tune into You.  Forgive us for all the times we ignore the promptings instead of following our desires.  Help us today see what You are doing and how we can participate.  Give us action steps we can take, knowing You’ve already given us the power, love, and sound judgment we need to complete whatever the task.  In You, we find life to the fullest.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Where can you join God in His work today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 7 GW; Psalms 99 GW

Staying on course requires discipline.

God’s forgiveness doesn’t mean He won’t discipline.  Correction is necessary if we want to experience life change.  “Teachable moments:” are an event or experience that presents a good opportunity to learn something about a particular aspect of life. God knows how to use discipline in our life to help us learn something He’s trying to teach us.

As a tennis coach, the lessons taught are applicable on the court or off.  For instance, when we’re playing a point-based drill and a student makes an incorrect line call, it’s a teachable moment.  I have an opportunity to coach the students on how to handle conflict.  Whether the wrong call was deliberate or not, it needs addressing.  God understands the same about us.  Whether the sin was intentional or not, He handles it with discipline.  We’re better for the correction.  God has taught us a new aspect of life.

God disciplines with love.

The beauty of God’s discipline is the grace He uses.  Accepting His love when I know I’ve wronged Him is difficult for me.  Yet God still pours His affection into my life, despite my flaws.  When He disciplines, I know it’s because He loves me and is trying to teach me.  Tough love means accepting correction in our lives.  Becoming more like Christ requires God’s authority; without His course modifications, we’ll lose our way.

God does forgive, and He does discipline.  But His correction is always done with love.  God’s purpose is to help you on your journey of becoming more like Christ.

Lord, how I love You.  Thank You for loving us first.  In Your mercy, forgive our sins. Correct us when we are heading in the wrong direction.  Discipline us so we can become more like Christ.  Shower us with Your grace as we accept Your authority in our lives.  Understanding our actions have consequences is difficult sometimes.  Thank You for disciplining us with Your grace.  Give us a heart of acceptance as we receive Your correction.  Without You, we can’t become.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How has God disciplined you?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 5-6 GW; Psalms 61 GW

Life’s trials need God’s help.

When we’re in the midst of a struggle, crying out to God is effortless.  When we’ve lost control, He’s still in control.  One harsh reality about life, we have little power over what happens to us.  None of us know what the hours ahead will hold; only God knows.

“The dice are thrown, but the LORD determines every outcome.” (Proverbs 16:33 GW)

God hears our cries.  He has a plan for our lives, even if we don’t understand it.  In the worst of life’s heartaches, He is with us.  February 23rd marked the third anniversary of our friend Bryan’s murder.  He left behind his wife and daughter.  The worship leader at his church, he was serving the Lord when two young men confronted him, taking his life.  We will never know why this happened this side of heaven.  The pain of his loss is carried by all who knew him.  Amid this senseless tragedy, God carries us through, one day at a time.

God sustains us through prayer.

“Prayer Component” is a weekly zoom meeting that developed because of COVID.  Each Wednesday, led by Bryan’s father, we gather and study prayer.  When Mike begins our time of prayer, he uses these words, “Father, in your mercy, hear our prayer…”  Mike was also a victim that day, shot five times; his survival is a miracle.  When he tells his story, he talks about sitting on the bathroom floor, wounded, crying out to God in prayer.  God answered.  Mike began to move, calling 911 for help to come.

God hears our cries.  He answers our prayers.  Some answers we can’t understand; only God knows the reason.  We throw the dice; God determines the outcome.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.  As we come before You today, we lay our burdens at Your feet.  We ask forgiveness for our sins as we turn to You.  Help us today feel Your presence in our circumstances.  Open our eyes and ears to receive Your response.  When we look at the world today, let us do it through Your eyes.  Give us the strength we need to do what You have for us to do.  In all things, the glory is Yours.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How has God answered your cries for help?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 34 GW; Psalms 134 GW

God sets boundaries.

When I read today’s daily reading, the word “borders” jumped out at me.  God is telling Israel what their boundaries are in the new land they are about to possess. Wherever you live, you know what your limits are.  My husband and I live in a house.  I know exactly where our lot ends, and our neighbors begin. Everyone knows to respect other people’s space.  God is telling the Israelites what their area is before He does anything else for them.  God knows we all need to know our place.

God knows we need borders in our relationships as well.  People need to understand their roles and the expectations people have for them.  For instance, on the way home from our honeymoon, my husband and I developed a budget.  Each of us has a certain amount of money we can spend without consulting the other person.  Anything above that number, we decide together.  We have borders in place with our money, which allows us to have peace in our relationship because we know our limitations.

Respect the borders.

Whether property lines or relational lines, a key to peace in your life is respecting the boundaries.   Whoever God gave you as parents; He did it intentionally.  A natural border in our life, God expects us to honor our parents.  When it comes to spouses, God is clear about how we are to treat them.  We are to submit to the authority God places in our lives.  Your boss has a different boundary than your friends.  In all relationships, God expects us to lead with love.  

Know the borders in your life.  Boundaries create healthy relationships.  Respecting people’s roles in your life promotes peace.

Lord, thank You for creating borders in our lives.  Forgive us for not respecting them.  Help us to have eyes to see and ears to hear the boundaries in our relationships.  Instead of trying to encroach on other people’s territory, help us accept them just as they are.  Let us lead with love in all we do.  When we interact with people today, let them feel refreshed from the encounter.  Help us uplift and encourage everyone we meet today.  In you, we can find our place in the world.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What border has God placed in your life that you’re not accepting?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 12 GW; Psalms 68 GW

God’s rain refreshes.

Currently, we’re in a wet period.  Rain is a daily occurrence.  Gray skies, chilly breeze, and lack of sunshine do not seem refreshing.  But in a few weeks, the trees will start to blossom, and flowers will bloom.  When you’re exhausted, you need an influx of God’s refreshing rain, just like land needs it to flourish.

God’s rain washes away the dirt from our lives.  As we turn to Him with open arms, He cleanses us internally, creating a new creature.

“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the LORD, have created it.” (Isaiah 45:8 NIV)

Instead of dreading the rain, embrace it.  Think of the cleansing God is doing with the water droplets.  As He washes away the dirt, visualize God doing the same for you.  

Embrace the cleansing.

Think about a long shower after a day of toiling in the dirt—hot water rolls down your body, the color-changing to brown as it reaches your feet.  The filthier you are, the longer it takes to become clean.  But afterward, when you towel off and put on fresh clothes,  life is good.  The feeling of accomplishment coupled with the cleansing shower refreshes your soul.

God’s rain in our life has the same effect.  Areas of our life that are stealing God’s joy from us need cleansing.  We must open our hearts and let God’s rain into them.  When we do, He fills us with His salvation and righteousness.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the rain.  Forgive us for grumbling about the downpours in our life.  Instead, let us embrace the cleansing You are providing.  Help us to understand, rain is necessary.  Without the falling water, we would not have new life.  Without the showers, flowers can’t bloom, trees can’t bud.  Today, let Your rain create freshness in our souls.  Wash away our sins as You cleanse us from within with Your Spirit.  In You, we find life.  Help us share what we have seen in You with others, today and always.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What part of your soul do You need God to cleanse today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 26-27 GW; 1 John 5 GW 

Prayers of the heart meet God’s approval.

God doesn’t look at the outside of man; He looks within at his heart.  When we bear our hearts to Him, He listens. God hears real, authentic cries from His children.  He longs to interact with us on a personal level.  God wants us to lay all pretense aside and give Him the good, bad and ugly.

God doesn’t do fake.  He does real.  

Recently, I learned about besetting sin, defined as a “main or constant problem or fault.”  For instance, I have a sweet tooth.  When my students gave me Valentine’s candy at the end of class last week, the boxes were empty by morning.  I don’t buy sweets because I can’t resist sweets, one of my besetting sins.  Whatever our “sins” are that we can’t control, those are the ones God wants to talk about with us.  In Him, we can find victory.

God is waiting to hear from you.

Today, right now, God’s waiting for you.  He is like a mother whose child is returning from a long trip.  She counts down the minutes until she can talk to her baby, wrap him in her arms and feel his presence.  God longs for you to turn to Him.  Tell Jesus what you’re struggling with today.  Whatever nagging sin you battle within life, let God help you find victory.

“Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.” (1 Chronicles 16:11 NIV)

When you turn to God with an open heart, He listens.  Whatever your struggles, God has the answer.  But first, you have to turn to Him.

Lord, how thankful we are You listen and have the answers we need.  Forgive us for turning to other sources for strength instead of You.  Help us to see the error of our ways and turn back to You.  Give us courage to tell You everything.  Let us lay at your feet the sins we struggle with each day, knowing we can find victory in You.  Hear our cries, Lord.  In Your mercy, give us strength to overcome.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What are you holding back from God today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 24-25 GW; 1 John 4 GW

Believe in Jesus, receive His Spirit.

Beginning a relationship with Jesus means accepting His life, death, and resurrection as truth.  Your connection with God grows more profound as you do life with Him.  When Jesus ascended into heaven, He didn’t leave us hanging:

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn’t see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17 GW)

Jesus’s spirit within you is what changes you.  People will notice the difference the longer you walk with Christ.  People are skeptical when someone “gives their life to Christ.”  Following Christ means you’re in a state of becoming.  As you learn His ways, your life will change.  Jesus loves you how you are, but He doesn’t leave you that way.

Jesus wants you to live.

Following Jesus isn’t an insurance policy for when you die; it’s a way of life now.  His Spirit within you prompts you to live different from the world. 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV)

When we’re living in sin, we’re not living fully.  Freedom comes when we trust Jesus.  Once you know something is a sin, you’re to stop doing it.  The only way you can stop is with Jesus’s Spirit helping you.  Together, you can overcome anything.

Father God, in your mercy, hear our prayers.  Help us see the sin in our lives so we can overcome it.  Forgive us for the struggles we have with sin.  Help us accept, we will always battle evil, but with You, we can have victory.  Let Your Spirit fill our every nook and cranny.  Change us from within our being.  Let the internal transactions with You change our external actions to the world.  Help people know us by our love.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can you live your life to the fullest today?