Dancing with the Spirit

                                                       

I once took ballroom dancing classes at Ric Seeling’s Dance Studio.  Ballroom dancing is different from the type of dancing we did when I was a kid.   In those days, the dances required no physical contact with a partner— I could basically “do my own thing”. Line dancing was also popular; to line dance I had to learn certain steps and perform a routine, but there was still no physical contact. Well, in ballroom dancing, one partner—almost always the man---has to lead, and the other partner has to follow.

  I was not exactly one of Ric Seeling’s star pupils.  My first problem, he said, was that I was trying to lead.  And even when I wasn’t actually leading, I wasn’t following either.

“You have to trust the lead,” he’d tell me. “But you want to analyze it.  You keep thinking, ‘Where’s he taking me?’ ‘Why does he want me to go there?’ Just trust the lead and keep moving in that direction until you feel the next lead.”

“Wait for the lead,” he’d tell me.  “Don’t try to anticipate the lead.  You may think you know where your partner is going to lead next, but he may do something entirely different.  Wait for the lead!”

Ric had certain terminology that he used to teach, and I was such a slow learner that he made me write down the terms.

First, there was the “Bubble,” an area of proximity to your partner. To understand the lead, you have to stay in your partner’s Bubble. If I got too far away from the Bubble, Ric would say I “went shopping,” (off doing my own thing.)

Next, I had to leave my fingertips “available” to receive directions, especially during turns.  If I let go, or if I grasped too tightly, I couldn’t receive the directions and wouldn’t know which way to turn.

He had to remind me to keep my chin up—to keep looking up and stop looking at my feet.

“Where do your feet go? Down!”  he’d say.  “Your feet know where to go.  Just keep looking up.”

Recently I was reading the daily lesson in Kathy Drake’s “Come unto Me” Study where Kathy compares the Spirit-filled life to a dance. Kathy wrote:

“A great dance partner can be trusted to lead you in joy, beauty, and grace if you follow his steps.  The Holy Spirit is not only the greatest dance partner of all, but He is also the choreographer.  He created the steps and knows how to lead you through the dance of life.  But you will have to learn to follow His lead.  It may take some practice to get the steps right, but if you listen carefully to His instruction and learn to rest in His embrace, you will know which way to go.  He can be trusted.”

It occurred to me as I read this that maybe I have trouble following the Holy Spirit’s lead just like I had trouble following the lead in dance class.

To follow the Holy Spirit’s lead, I have to stay in the Bubble…to stay close to Him through Bible Study and prayer. When I take time to quiet my heart and sit in the stillness, away from distractions, God speaks. He may use His still, small, inaudible voice—words that I hear clearly in my mind, though my ears hear no sound. He may send thoughts that can only be from Him because they are saturated in goodness, peace and holiness. I may feel a prompting, and urgency, a nudging towards some good work. A memory verse may pop into my mind. Or sometimes, as I’m reading a passage of Scripture (maybe one I’ve read dozens of times) I gain new understanding. It’s as if little light bulbs are flipped on in my brain as the Holy Spirit enlightens and illuminates the Word. I know I have heard from Him when His communication leads me to acts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Sometimes I tend to “go shopping,” though; I wander off in search of other things in life to delight, to entertain, to motivate, to fulfill me. But those things never satisfy for long, and I come away feeling empty.

Sometimes, I don’t leave myself available to His leading.  I may choose to cling to His Hand, enjoying my Bible study and prayer time, but refusing to go anywhere with Him. I may simply be unavailable, unwilling to follow Him and participate in the work He’s doing in the world. He may be nudging me toward a particular ministry, a particular good work, a particular act of kindness, yet I don’t go.

Sometimes I get ahead of the Holy Spirit. I think I know best, and I go off in my own direction, making decisions without first praying about them.

I tend to try to do things in my own power, to stop looking up to God. The dance of life would be so much easier, so much more graceful, if I would stop trying to tell my feet where to go, so to speak, and instead allow God to direct my steps and give me the ability to do what He asks me to do.

The patriarch Jacob was a man who desired, I believe, to do God’s will, but he seemed to have trouble allowing God to lead. Even before he was born, God planned for him to inherit the blessings which should have gone to his older brother Esau. But Jacob, whose name means “grasps at the heel,” or “he deceives,” didn’t want to wait for God’s lead.  He got ahead of God and schemed to make things happen.  First, he convinced his brother to exchange his birthright for a bowl of soup.  Then, when his father Isaac was blind and close to death, Jacob impersonated Esau and tricked his father into pronouncing a blessing upon him---the blessing that should have gone to Esau, the firstborn.  He had good intentions, but he anticipated God’s lead. All along God had planned for Jacob to have the birthright, but Jacob thought he had to manipulate circumstances to bring that about.

God had to teach him to stop trying to make things happen through trickery and just to trust.  Jacob was lonely, discouraged, dejected, suffering the consequences of his schemes and deception when God gave him the vision that we call “Jacob’s ladder,” angels ascending and descending a ladder that reached to heaven.  Jacob needed to stop looking at his own circumstance, stop looking at his own abilities, stop trying to figure out how to make things happen, and start looking up to heaven.

Just when we think the dance with the Spirit is going to be smooth and carefree because we’ve mastered a few basic steps, God has new patterns for us to learn.  Jacob spent a lifetime learning to let the Holy Spirit lead.

 Jacob’s dance with the Spirit was fraught with missteps and poor timing because he tended to rush headlong into decisions without first consulting God. Later in life, when Jacob had to finally face his brother Esau, Jacob did pray, but only after attempting to find his own solution. In a state of emotional turmoil, he divided his family into two groups, reasoning that if Esau attacked, at least one group would be safe. Genesis 32 tells how Jacob poured out his heart to God, confessing his unworthiness, admitting his fear, and reminding God of His promise.

“But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’” Gen. 32:12

Then Jacob proceeded to select gifts—peace offerings—to send to his brother.  Poor Jacob! He still believed that it was up to him to take the lead, to devise his own plan.

That night Jacob sent his wives, children, and possessions across the stream ahead of him.  Jacob was left all alone, and that’s when he and the Lord had their own pas-de-deux. Well, it was more like a wrestling match than a dance, but the result was that Jacob realized his dependence on God, yielded to God, and changed the way he related to God. And, as an indication of the drastic change in Jacob’s life, God changed his name to Israel, which various sources translate as “he struggles with God,” or “God’s warrior” or “God prevails,” or “soldier of God.” His new name was a reminder that he struggled with the Almighty and finally learned to follow God’s lead.

I’m ready to end the struggle, to RELAX and to trust God’s leading.  I’m ready to enjoy the graceful, exciting dance with the Spirit.  I’m ready to go where He leads, believing that His choreography, His plan, is the best plan.  Wherever we go together, I know I can rely on Him to strengthen and support me. I don’t know whether the music will be soft and tender or energetic and fast-paced, but I’m ready to trust that He will give me clear direction, if only I will wait for it.  I know that if I follow His lead, the dance will be beautiful, joyful, and elegant. How about you? Are you ready to dance?

 “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” I Corinthians 2:10

Questions to consider:
1. Can you think of a time when you struggled with following the Spirit's lead?
2. How can you make yourself available to the prompting of the Holy Spirit?
3. Where do you sense that the Spirit is leading you today? Are you available? Are you relaxed in His Presence?

Rescued

“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.” Psalm 91:15

Once while vacationing in the Caribbean, my husband and I visited a turtle farm.  I don’t have any particular affinity for turtles, but the Kemp’s Ridley caught my attention. (After all, he—or maybe she---and I are both “Kemps.”) I was curious about this little fellow, so I did some research

 The Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle is the smallest, most endangered of all sea turtles. Life in the Gulf of Mexico and along its shores is a struggle for this little 30 inch, 100-pound marine animal.  Between April and July, females of breeding age return to the beach where they were hatched, most commonly along the Gulf Coast between Galveston, Texas and Tamaulipas, Mexico. After about 50 days, hatchlings emerge from the ping-pong sized eggs.  The hatchlings, measuring about an inch and a half long and weighing no more than half an ounce, then begin to scamper across the beach in a treacherous trek to the water.  As few as 1% survive to adulthood, and many don’t even make it to the water because they fall prey to vultures, frigate birds, and sand crabs. 

Though it’s no longer legal to hunt these turtles for food or boot material, their lives are in peril. They can become entangled in shrimp trawls and drown. Then there’s the loss of habitat as their nesting beaches are developed.

In April 2010 when Deepwater Horizon dumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, hundreds of Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles were smothering in oil.  The U. S. Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries agents worked diligently to rescue, clean, and return these animals to the water.

In her book, The Great Ridley Rescue, (Sept. 1988. Mountain Press.p.180 ISBN 0-87842-229-3) Pamela Philips called this turtle the “heartbreak turtle.”  This name was coined by fishermen who saw turtles dying after being “turned turtle” (turned on their backs.)  The fishermen said they died of a broken heart.

I share more in common with the Kemp’s Ridley than a name.  I’ve been in that brokenhearted place, where my life has been “turned turtle.”  I’ve been in that place of helplessness, where my very survival was threatened.  Like the turtle, I needed someone to rescue me, to clean up the mess of my broken existence, and to return me to a functioning, happy, productive life.

I can tell you without a doubt that God did this for me. It was in my place of desperation that I came to know personally that “the Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in Spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) In my sorrow, I found unconditional love. In my state of rejection, I found a Savior who would never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). In my desperation, I found that there is always a way out. By the power of God’s Word, through the work of His Holy Spirit, and with the help of His people, I was rescued.

During that season of broken-heartedness, there were lonely Sunday afternoons when I felt myself sinking into despair. Just when I thought I could stand it no longer, the phone would ring.

  “I was just checking on you,” the voice on the other end would say.  It was one of God’s emissaries, a Christian friend who had heeded the nudging of the Holy Spirit and picked up the phone. 

There were troubled evenings when I wondered what my future would hold.  Often, I’d get a message on the computer from an out-of-town friend. 

“God’s got a great plan for you,” she’d remind me.  “He’s going to take care of you.” My friend was another agent that God enlisted to carry His message of encouragement.

Sometimes God used His Word to comfort and strengthen me. Verses such as Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart,” gave me hope that one day I would have my heart’s desire.

The words of Isaiah, which Jesus quoted in the synagogue, were especially meaningful to me: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted…” Jesus had come to heal my hurt; I clung to those words.

For many months, I wrestled with the Lord, pleading with Him to ease my heartache and restore the broken relationship that had caused my grief.  Finally, one April evening, I stopped struggling. I put everything aside and spent time listening to the Lord.  I wrote in my journal: “I surrender.  God, have your way.  I trust You to do what is best.”  I yielded myself to Him and allowed Him to do the work He needed to do to restore me.

 Then, feeling at peace, I went about the business of checking my email and received the news that my husband of 24 years had filed for divorce. The broken relationship would not be mended. In one sense I was shocked, but in another sense, I knew that God had prevented me from receiving the news until I was ready to trust Him with my future. God cared for me in ways I would never have imagined, and when the time was right, I met the man who is now my faithful and loving husband.

Maybe you know what it feels like to be “turned turtle. There are a lot of folks in Baton Rouge who know firsthand what it’s like to have their lives turned upside down.

In August 2016, 20 inches of rain inundated the Baton Rouge area, and thousands were washed out of their homes.  Suddenly, people who were used to being independent and self-sufficient found themselves homeless and helpless as the floods overtook their dwellings, soaking all their earthly possessions in mud and dirty water.

For some, their cries may have literally echoed the words of the Psalmist:

 “Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.”  Psalm 69:1

Yet a couple of weeks after the flood, Christians who had been displaced by the disaster gathered in church to testify to God’s deliverance from the flood waters.  God had mobilized His forces to rescue His people.  The “soldier” He called up for duty might have been a fisherman with a boat coming to rescue a stranded family. It might have been a truck driver on the interstate who carried strangers through the rising flood waters.  It might have been a clean-up crew with shovels and buckets or an “angel” with a hot meal. God hears the prayers of His people.  He doesn’t always spare us from hardships, but He brings us through our troubles and delivers us safely to the other side.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”  Psalm 34:19 ESV

Meditate on Psalm 91 and Psalm 34, and be assured that even when you find yourself “turned turtle,” the Lord can and will rescue you.

“Father, I thank You and praise You because You are all-powerful and are fully able to rescue me in every desperate situation. I thank You that You are a very present help in time of need.  You don’t always answer my prayers in the way that I expect, but you always do what is best.  Help me to trust you, and help me to be obedient when You call me into service to help someone else who needs to be rescued.”

The Fragrance of Christ

The Fragrance of Christ

My kindergarten students tell me I smell like Skittles. That’s because most days I wear a vanilla-scented perfume that reminds them of candy. That may be advantageous for me when I’m dealing with energetic little people, because studies show that the scent of vanilla has a calming effect. That’s not the reason I wear this particular fragrance, but, hey, if it helps, why not?

There is a strong connection between memory and the sense of smell; certain scents have the power to evoke vivid memories, and vanilla is usually associated with positive recollections. It reminds me of my childhood, where I often woke up on a Saturday morning to the smell of pancakes, made from flour, flavored with vanilla, and topped with generous portions of butter and Steen’s cane syrup. It also reminds me of my mother’s kitchen on a Saturday afternoon, when she’d take out the big electric mixer and whip up a cake. Sometimes she’d let us help spread the gooey, sugary frosting. To me, vanilla means sweetness, nurturing, and the security of home.

So what could be better than the aroma of candy and cupcakes, waffles and pancakes? How about a person who brings the aroma of Christ into a rotten, stinking world?

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” II Corinthians 2:14-15

We’re called to spread the aroma of Christ…so what does Christ smell like?

The pungent aroma of baking bread reminds me of Jesus, who called Himself the Bread of Life.  When we share our faith, when we point others to Jesus, we are spreading the fragrance of the knowledge of Him who is able to give them eternal life.

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’” John 6:35

The aroma of Christ is the savory smell of a hot, cooked meal ---offered in hospitality to a friend or delivered to the homeless, the helpless, or the sick. Providing a meal is Christ-like; Jesus fed the five thousand. He fed the disciples. After the resurrection, the disciples were greeted by the smoky smell of fish cooking on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus provided for the physical needs of those around him, and if we want to show the love of Christ, we need to meet physical needs also.

James said it this way: “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”  James 2:17

The aroma of Christ is the pure, clean smell of freshly washed linens in the guest room opened up for one that needs a place to stay, for the Bible urges Christians to “contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”  Romans 12:13 

Like a bouquet of flowers delivered to a loved one, it’s a sweet floral fragrance that brings love, encouragement, cheerfulness, or sympathy.

The aroma of Christ is a breath of fresh, clean air bringing kindness, calmness, and wisdom into a room filled with the stench of arguments, strife, gossip and malice. To spread the fragrance of Christ is to desire a life of holiness and refuse to be tainted by the ugliness around us.

The aroma of Christ is the sweet smell of incense as the Christian offers intercessory prayer for his friends—and his enemies. In the book of Revelation, the prayers of the saints are described as incense rising before the throne of God.

“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creature and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Revelation 5:8

“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.”  Revelation 8:3-4

We spread the aroma of Christ when we pray for others. Never underestimate the power of prayer. I’ll share a personal example of a time when I could feel the prayers offered by the saints on my behalf.  When I first moved to Baton Rouge, I was going through a personal crisis. My life was falling apart, and all I wanted to do was to crawl in bed, pull the covers over my head, and shut out the world. But I couldn’t do that, because I had just started a new teaching job that I couldn’t afford to lose. And it wasn’t as if I could say, “Excuse me, class, while I go in the bathroom and have a meltdown.”  I had a room full of nervous new kindergarteners who needed to be reassured that school is a wonderful place and that their teacher would take good care of them. I had shared my problems with my friend Diane, a teacher at my former school, and she said she would share the prayer request with the other teachers there.

The beginning of school came, and I was amazed that I was able to greet the children with a smile, sing songs with them, and pray with them (without dissolving into tears.) Then I looked at the clock: it was 8 a.m., the time when the teachers in my old school met for Morning Prayer.  They were praying for me---I could feel the strength flowing into my weary body because of their prayers.

The fragrance of Christ is anything that helps others to experience the essence of Christ and to know Him better.  It’s the scent that lingers when we offer words of hope, acts of love, and prayers of faith. I could, in my own power, strive to do good deeds, say encouraging words, or offer prayers. But the deeds I do in my own power don’t spread the fragrance of Christ.  When I try to do good works in my own strength, it’s like spraying on perfume after a workout (and before a bath).  It really doesn’t do much good.

But when I spend time with God in prayer and immerse myself in the Word of God, the fragrance of Chris lingers in my being. When I allow His Holy Spirit to have control of my life, then the fragrance of Christ emanates from within.  Then it’s natural. Then it’s genuine. 

Spreading the fragrance of Christ often involves sacrifice, for Jesus Himself offered His life as a sacrifice, one which the Bible describes as a “fragrant offering.”

“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:2

The Bible gives us other examples of sacrificial love that can be described as a “fragrant offering.”  Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, poured out perfume—expensive ointment made from pure nard imported from the mountains of India and worth a year’s wages--, on Jesus feet.  The fragrance of her love offering literally filled the air. Her extravagant gift was costly, but it must have smelled heavenly, and I can’t think of a better use for her precious ointment. The world will forever remember her gift to the Savior because John records in the twelfth chapter of his gospel.

The Philippians sent Paul a financial gift, delivered by Epaphroditus (Phil. 4:18), that Paul calls a “fragrant offering, pleasing to God.” In Israel sweet-savor (“peace” or “fellowship”) offerings were sacrifices made in worship to God rather than as atonement for sin. Paul was the recipient of the Philippians’ fragrant offering to God.  When we give to others, serve others, and spread the fragrance of Christ to others, it is an act of worship to God.

My “mother-in-love” (the woman who is my spiritual mentor), is someone who spreads the fragrance of Christ. Her warm and enthusiastic greeting can make the humblest visitor feel like royalty. She takes a keen interest in people; in conversations, she listens intently. Her words reveal her deep and abiding faith in God, and after talking to her, I can’t help but feel uplifted.  Afterwards, a fragrance of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness permeates the room.

I want to be like that.  People in the world---in our community---are hurting. Many are stuck in the mire of difficulties that are the result of our fallen world, and they desperately need the fragrance of Christ.  On our own, we are not sufficient to meet their need; we’re not adequate to carry out such a heavy responsibility. But, if we allow it, God will spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ  through us to the world. 

Questions to consider:

1. Describe someone you know who spreads the fragrance of Christ in your life.
2. Describe a time when spreading the fragrance of Christ required sacrifice on your part.
3. In what ways has God called you to use your unique gifts to spread the fragrance of Christ?

Confidence

Confidence

The other day I was listening to the sound track from “The Sound of Music. “  Julie Andrews, as Maria, was singing “I Have Confidence.”  Maria sings this song as she goes to assume her new position as governess of the Von Trapp children. She had been dismissed from the convent because she had trouble conforming to convent rules, and though she’s always longed for adventure, she’s nervous about her new role.  In the song, she’s giving herself a pep talk; she tries to assure herself that she’ll live up to the expectations she has for herself, and as a result, the children will mind her and everything will turn out fine.

“I have confidence in confidence alone, besides which, you see, I have confidence in me!” she sings.

It sounds like she’s trying to “fake it till she makes it.”

Confidence is defined as: the feeling that you can trust, believe in, or be certain about the abilities or good qualities in someone/something.

When we talk about being confident in something, there is an element of boldness and assurance associated with it. When I think of trust, I think of a little child depending on a parent to take care of everything.  But the word “confidence,” in my mind, paints a picture of a smiling, composed individual strutting into a room and letting everyone know in no uncertain term “how the cow ate the cabbage.”

That composed individual would not be me.  I certainly don’t have confidence in ME. 

Sometimes I’m more like Joseph’s brothers in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat,” who fear that their worst nightmare (Joseph ruling over them) just might come true.

“The dreams, of course, will not come true,

At least we think they won’t come true,

At least we hope they won’t come true.

What if he’s right all along?”

(Can you tell that musicals have been at the top of my playlist recently?)

I don’t have a boatload of confidence that my biggest dreams will materialize. I just hope my worst fears won’t come true.  I know better than to have confidence in myself.  I am well aware of my shortcomings. I’m also well aware that no matter what skills I do have, no matter what I AM capable of doing, there’s always going to be someone who can do a better job than I can.

Recently I read a magazine article about How to Have Confidence. It claimed that women are often less confident than men because we are not encouraged to take risks. We are taught to downplay our abilities because we want to be liked.  The article suggested remedies such as standing up straight, taking a deep breath, and doing some self-talk to convince yourself you’re brave (kind of like Maria.)

These are all good suggestions, but I have better remedy for my knocking knees. I put no confidence in my flesh (my human abilities), but I will trust in the Lord my God.

“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.”  II Corinthians 3:4-5

The Apostle Paul had a great resume and had every reason to trust in his own abilities, training, lineage, and social standing.  Yet he said that he “put no confidence in the flesh.” Phil. 3:3 He depended on God to enable him to do the job God called him to do.

But what can we confidently believe that God will do for us? Obviously, we can’t just dream up something we’d like to have and then “name it and claim it” and expect God to give it to us.

The Bible names some things we can confidently, without a doubt, depend on:

1.       God loves us and offers us salvation through Jesus Christ.  We don’t need to worry that God doesn’t love us or fear His judgment after we die.

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God and God in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the Day of Judgment, because as He is—so also are we in this world.”  I John 4:17

The Greek word that is translated “confidence” is “parresia.” It means free and fearless confidence; cheerful courage, boldness, assurance.

2.       God is approachable; we can come to him to receive mercy, grace, and help.  There’s no need to hesitate; He will not turn us away.

 “Let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  Hebrews 4:16

“(Christ Jesus our Lord)….in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him.”  Eph. 3:12

3.       God will answer our prayers. 

“And this is the confidence we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And we know that if He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests we have asked from Him.”  I John 5:14

“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.” I John 3:22

And lest we become nervous and fearful that God is somehow difficult to please,---that we have to jump through a series of hoops to have our needs met and our petitions approved—that He’s a difficult God who’s just waiting for us to mess up so that He can stamp a big, fat “Reject” sign on our prayer requests---the next verse tells us “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” I John 3:23 (It doesn’t seem too complicated!)

4.       And---even better---we don’t have to launch a huge self-improvement campaign in order to be pleasing to Him.  We just have to let Him do His work in us. The Bible says “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil. 1:6 “Confidence” here is a translation of the Greek word “peitho,” meaning “persuaded.” 

5.       God does not mean for us to be wimpy and cowering.  He gave us His powerful Holy Spirit to live in us and to enable us to do the job He’s called us to do. “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7

So….God loves me. If I have put my faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, I won’t have to stand trembling before Him on the Judgment Day, wondering if I’ve been good enough.  I can approach Him, and He will give me mercy, grace, and help.  He will answer my prayers.  He will give me power through the working of the Holy Spirit.  He is at work in my life, maturing and perfecting me.

But sometimes I’m just plain afraid of other people. What will they think of me? What harm might they do to me? 

6.       We can be confident that God is more powerful that any person who might seek to harm us. The author of Hebrews says, “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5)

In other words, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  And God’s not going to be stingy with His help or His love. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32

“Though an army encamps against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise against me, yet I will be confident.” Ps. 27:3

7.       We don’t need to walk in fear, as if we were victims of random tragedies of life.  Nothing can touch us without God’s permission.  He is able to protect us.  He is our refuge in the storms of life.

“    For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” Proverbs 3:26

“In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26.

Love and Security

Salvation

Mercy and grace

Help

Growth and Refinement

Power

Protection

Refuge…

All these are ours.

Awhile back I got a phone call from a lady I had recently met.  She asked me to substitute for an ESL class for some Korean ladies.  I wasn’t her first choice of subs, but everyone else she’d asked was unavailable.  Well, I had the time, but I’d never taught ESL, I didn’t have the study book, I didn’t know anything about Asian languages or cultures, I hadn’t met the students, I was unfamiliar with the location, and I didn’t even know the teacher very well. I said I would do it if someone came with me.  (Kind of like Moses; I needed my Aaron.) I didn’t think too much about it; probably no one else would go along and I’d be off the hook. Right? Well, someone else did say yes, so I took that to mean that the Lord wanted me to go, too.  I had no confidence in my ability, but I figured the Lord would show up and enable me to do the work He had planned….or…do His work in spite of my inadequacy.  The whole experience turned out to be such a blessing for me. I met some precious sisters in Christ, and God’s work was accomplished.

I want to walk in boldness. I want my faith to be more than just a tentative, passive faith.  I want my life to display the calm assurance that God is in control. Instead of turning my thoughts inward and mulling over my inadequacies, I want to look upward and meditate on His Greatness.

There’s nothing all that great about me. But forget about me; let me introduce you to my Lord, who is All-Loving, All-Powerful, All-Wise, All-Seeing, Approachable, Strong, and Faithful.  I have no confidence in me, but I do have confidence that MY GOD IS ABLE to do what He says He will do.

Questions to consider:

1. Was there a time in your life when God was calling you to action, but you lacked confidence?

2. What do you fear? What verses can remind you to put your confidence in God?

3.  What might God be calling you to step out in confidence and do today?