What does it mean to walk worthy of the manner of your calling? (Based on Ephesians 4)

What does it mean to walk worthy of the manner of your calling? 

Well, we do not have to work hard to think about it because Paul gives us quite a hefty list in Ephesians 4 that shows the does and don’ts. 

I love that Paul starts us off with knowing and understanding the character and nature of God! He doesn’t hit us with how we should behave until he has first shown us how God is toward us. The very first thing Paul makes sure to clarify is that we have One Father, One God, who is Father of ALL! We need to get this right. There is ONE Most High GOD that is Creator God! He alone provides us with the spirit of unity and peace. He graciously provides us with grace gifts that are intended to be used for building up the kingdom of God not ourselves! This means that the very words we speak about another and how God has chosen to give them a grace gift must build them up NOT TEAR THEM DOWN!!! Otherwise, we are dissing God! Hmmmm! That should truly cause a holy pause every time we speak. 

The LORD gives grace gifts in accordance with the measure given in Christ Jesus’ gift. How He chooses to bless a person with certain gifts is not up to them or to those around them. It is GOD given with the intent that it is used to attain unity! Let me repeat this one again. IT IS GIVEN SO IT WILL BE USED TO ATTAIN UNITY! 

This type of unity will build up the faith of others, build up the knowledge of God, bring about maturity that understands the stature and fullness of Christ not just among the believing community but with those watching us. 

Paul does not say it here, but I am hearing the beautiful sound of love he speaks of in 1 Corinthians 13 making a melody in the heart, mind, soul, and spirit. NOT A CLANGING GONG that hurts!!! We must remember that those around us are listening and watching us! Do they see love? Are they drawn into His presence by our words? 

Paul reminds us that we are a body as believers. This means that when one of us hurts we all hurt. If I destroy someone verbally or hinder their use of their gifts, then I am only hurting myself. Silencing someone from using their Christ given grace gifts given by HIS measure hurts the whole believing community. This terrifies me! I do not want to be the one that hinders growth in my own body! Do you? 

It also terrifies me because when we walk in darkness, we become calloused, and our hearts are no longer soft. Maybe this is why Paul reminds us to get rid of bitterness, anger, wrath, clamor, and slander. We are created in the likeness of Christ and He is the Light of the World (Genesis 1:27; John 8:12). 

If I am ignoring or hurting someone based on the grace gift given to them through Christ, then I am snuffing out the method God has chosen to shine the Light of the world! 

I love that Paul reminds us that we must put on soft hearts that are pliable, generous, pure, and full of truth. 

Have you ever thought of the fact that it is generosity that allows someone to use their grace gift? 

These character traits are not spoken to any one type of person not male, female, race, creed, educational status, etc. These are spoken to the body of Christ! 

Paul tells us that we must put on the blessing of a pliable heart that is generous, pure, kind, righteous, holy, honest, forgiving just to name a few of the character traits he reminds us to live by as we seek to live at peace as we serve. 

When Paul says, “walk in the manner worthy of your calling,” I am reminded clearly that I must seek to honor the gifts that I have been given and one of the best ways to do this is to use them to build others up. I also want to give them the opportunity to use their grace gifts to build others up as well! This is what brings honor! 

Beloved, we are created after the likeness of God. We are created in Him for His glory to build up the body of Christ. When we are living and serving properly the entire body of Christ will grow. Maturity is a calling to holy excellence! This is what it means to walk worthy of the manner of your calling.

Steward of God's Grace

I was struck by Paul's words in Ephesians 3:2-3, "Stewardship of God' grace." 

Paul was given a stewardship or ability to protect and dispense God's grace to the Gentiles. This could be referencing the gifts that God gave him or it could be referencing the revelation or knowledge of what God was doing. Or maybe both. 

The point is that he was the one being used of God to implement HIS strategy to reach all peoples.

Paul acknowledged that he was simply the messenger of God's truth.  

How are we like Paul in stewardshiping God's gifts? How are we like Paul in dispensing His good news? 

Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 4:10 that whatever gift we have received to serve others; we should be faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. 

When I was in my twenties, I took a spiritual gift inventory and discovered that shepherding, teaching, and discipleship were my top spiritual gifts. I topped out on the test. I didn't even know what that meant at the time. I had to have it explained to me. I still top out on these, but now other areas have grown. 

I am so thankful I was under leaders that encouraged me to grow and mature in my spiritual gifting. I am so thankful they encouraged me to be a good steward of the gifts God gave me and then showed me ways to use them. 

What I discovered through seeking to steward my God given gifts is that they are what bring me into His presence and cause me to live in awe, wonder, and joy the most. The stewardship of His grace gifts allows me to know His grace more and more.

Would you consider praying to be a good steward of God's grace?

The Favor of God

Every night when I help Papa into bed, I whisper in his ear this prayer, "The LORD bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and give you peace." I love this blessing because it is praying for the favor of God for him. 

Every night he says, "Thank you for taking care of me and taking care of us. I love you." Sometimes, he tells me he is glad he is here. 

Once again, I find that God blesses me with how I bless others and I bask in His favor. 

I have been thinking about the favor of God alot since we moved Papa, Mema, and Aunt Jane in. I look back at all that has happened in the last year and all I can do is be in awe of the favor of God. None of it makes sense in what we have been able to accomplish and do. It is beyond us, but we know God showed His favor upon us.

Divine favor implies that the impossible has been made possible. There are so many examples of these divine moments in Scripture. A few of my favorites are found in the stories of these women. Shiphrah and Puah in saving children. Deborah giving wise counsel. Rahab in saving her family. Ruth in providing for Naomi. Naomi in giving her a family. The Widow with a jar of oil in paying her debt. The widow of Zarephath in providing food during a drought. Mary, the mother of Jesus, in giving her strength for the journey. The bleeding woman in receiving healing. The widow with a dead son in restoring him back to her. Honestly, I could make a really long list and I didn't even touch on the men. 

For whatever reason, there are these moments when one of God's children is given divine favor for the moment. Suddenly, they walk into the blessing of God's face shining on them and making a way so that satisfaction and strength enable them to thrive in the situation.

I feel that Isaiah 58:11 describes it well for me. 

"The LORD will guide you always. He will satisfy your needs in a sunscorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden like a spring whose water never fails."

I will be honest. There are days when I think, "God there is no way I can get done what will need to be done. But then as I am in the midst of our life just doing what God allows for the moment, I know the good pleasure of my frame and mind being able to do it despite me. 

But not only that I know the blessing of His good pleasure smiling, but I know the satisfaction and strength of thriving. I can't explain it, but it is so real. I find myself basking in soul satisfaction that He has made it possible for me to water the garden of humans He has given me. I feel His strength of unmerited grace pouring out on me. It is crazy amazing. I feel His shield of grace surrounding us as I am in awe as His favor rests upon us and in us. 

The favor of God is humbling me so much so that when I woke up yesterday morning I saw the word FAVOR spelled out in my mind's eye just as my mind alerted to a new day. I could not help but smile because I felt the LORD'S face shining upon me before I even got out of bed. I prayed His blessing over my family the night before and I awoke with it over me. How like our God! 

Shalom y'all.

Savor

The word SAVOR has blessed me alot recently. To savor something is to pause and just allow your senses to take it in. 

When Greg and I go on our walks I never seem to go fast enough. I love certain things so I stop. He no longer seems surprised when I walk into a random yard to touch or smell something. 

This tree is one of my favorite things to savor. I love the texture of the bark. It draws me in and I just want to touch its crinkled bark. I want to smell it and yes even hug it. Just looking at this picture makes me happy. 

Savoring something is as powerful as the gift of gratitude and thankfulness. It brings healing to the mind and body. It awakens us to the beauty around us and if we know the LORD, the awe will bring us to a position of worship.

Savoring someone or something is at the heart of 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

What if the whole reason God challenged us to live with a thankful heart full of gratitude that took time to savor the moment was because HE knew this would bring healing? 

What if God invites us to savor because it stops our grumbling and complaining? 

Honestly, I don't have to say, "What if!"  I know in my knower! 

When I savor, I see beauty. I feel connected in community and I express worship through thankfulness.

It is so easy to grumble and complain in our mind and with our words, but the better way is to take time to savor the moment or person. 

What do you have to be thankful for? 

How can you show gratitude? 

How can you pause and just enjoy the moment or the person? 

How can you speak life into the moment or the person?  

How can you celebrate your senses and experience things around you through them? 

Today, will you consider taking time to savor something or someone. Fully embrace the gift of your senses and just enjoy the pleasures God has already given you. 

Oh and this tree just happens to be on Cinnamon Street and I love to say this word. Go ahead and say it aloud a few times. It is beautiful that way it rolls off the tongue. Cinnamon! Cinnamon!

Now look at how the bark almost looks like cinnamon sticks. God is so good to us! 

Shalom y’all.

Why I want to be like Ruth

A recently widowed young foreign woman changes the trajectory of both her mother-in-law and herself by being present and doing what it takes to honor the God of her deceased husband and mother-in-law.

That is my short description of Ruth's story.

No wonder Ruth is a favorite book of the Bible for women worldwide. 

Not only was Ruth living in dark times when people chose to do whatever they wanted, but she came from a people group known for harming and not helping a foreigner.  

When Ruth said to her bitter mother-in-law, Naomi, "Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God...," one can't help but wonder if she was looking around her to see how messed up her people lived. 

When people live their lives based on what they see is best for self without considering those around them the community will always hurt. 

I imagine that Ruth's determined statement was born from the fact that Ruth knew the reality of this truth. The one person that showed her the One True God was leaving. She had observed that the One True God gives blessing through calling His people to holy living. Ruth knew she could not stay. It did not matter that Naomi was bitter. For even in Naomi's bitterness she was taking into consideration what would happen to her daughter-in-laws.  Her bitterness was better than with those that did what was right in their own eyes. 

You can't help, but respect such courage and determination. Ruth as the younger widow in that moment declared by her decision to go that she would be a present help to her mother-in-law.  It would have been the expectation that the younger person would care for the elder and since they were widows this would be taking on the man's responsibilities as provider. That is alot of responsibility.

Ruth didnt wait for life to happen. She was a strategic thinker that planned ahead by asking her mother-in-law permission if she could go get food by gleaning in the fields. She was willing to do back breaking barley and wheat gathering from what fell off as the harvesters worked. This meant she would be stooped over picking tiny grains off the ground. My back is hurting just thinking about it.

She wasted no time. As soon as they arrived in Bethlehem, she found a field and asked permission to glean and then she went to work. We are told she only took a short rest. No one could call Ruth lazy. This girl had a "get the job done" work ethic. 

When Boaz approached her and spoke kindly to her, she bowed in humbleness and admitted that she was a foreigner and a servant below his own servants. 

She recognized his favor and showed gratitude. When Boaz invited her to join his harvesters, drink his water, and eat with him, she joined in and partook until she was satisfied. But what is more amazing is she saved back some for her mother-in-law.  Her being satisfied did not stop her from thinking of others. She remained faithful and consistent in her character of serving. It wasn't a show. It was a reality of her core character. 

When Ruth returned home that night, she told her mother-in-law everything that happened that day after showing the bounty of what she gleaned. Even though she was now the provider and had a full stomach, she did not get prideful. She remained a servant acting as a covering over Naomi obediently working the harvest season until the very end. She lived out what her words said on the road between Moab and Bethlehem.

Ruth was a woman of holy excellence. No wonder women love her story. In her own right, she modeled Christlikeness in her willingness to serve and not be served. Just as Christ provides a covering over us as our suffering servant, Ruth lived out a covering over Naomi so that she found refuge. God used Ruth to be an instrument in delivering Naomi from her bitterness to position of praise and hope. Everyone needs a family member like like that in their lives.

How might God be challenging you in your life? Yes, you can be a guy and be challenged by these character traits because character at the core is not a male or female thing. Character at the core is either holy or unholy and that is not male or female. It is either right or wrong. 

I have learned that character and consistency will reveal a person's core character. You cannot hide what is inside you. It is observable. 

What character qualities are revealed by your life? If we could hear of your story, what might be told?  Would it be described as one who did what was right in their own eyes? Or would it be described as as someone who served others and considered them better than themselves as they served?

Ruth humbles me because I know I am a work in progress. She was too. I catch myself asking, "Am I acting as a love covering for _____ or am I just covering me?"

I admit that it is easier to do for some than others. 

The reality is those around us will see and we will discover that blessings will come. In serving others, we will be satisfied and able to serve them more even if it is a bitter mother-in-law or you fill in the blank ______. 

Shalom y'all.

Why I want to be like Boaz

Do you have someone in your life that just because of their very presence you are blessed? Who is that person and why?

Women the world over love the book of Ruth because of how she models the beauty of a sacrificial servant. But, more than the model of Ruth, women love all that Boaz embodies. 

I recently had a lady call out in a Bible study with my team in Uganda, "I want a Boaz!" We all laughed. Some things are worth shouting out about.

So, why is Boaz such a big deal? Well, what I noticed just in Ruth 2 blew my mind.

Boaz was a man of valor who acted knightly. He blessed his workers and the cool part was his workers blessed him back. Boaz noticed people because he was observant and asked good questions. He used that knowledge to validate people by showing he placed value in them. As a leader he protected, provided, guided and nourished the one that could not give back with an abundant of blessings. He did this in such a way the one was satisfied and then able to bless another. He was generous and safe because he willingly provided refuge and redemption.

Wozer! What a man!  

God used Boaz to move the bitter Naomi into recognizing the blessing and favor of God. 

Boaz stood out because his story happened during a time when everyone did what they wanted without consideration of others.

Boaz is a Christ like model for all to see and yes imitate. His life pointed to Jesus and what He embodied. His life makes us long for more of this type of life.

His character traits are beautiful to observe but beloved they are even better when lived out. 

Okay, I am not a guy, but the embodiment of these character traits are Christlike. Even as a woman, I can pray, let me be a woman of valor that acts graciously so that I observe and notice others to find ways to value and validate them. I can be generous, safe, and kind while seeking ways to bless so that others are satisfied and then able to bless others, too. 

Imagine our homes if we acted in such ways. Imagine our cities and nations. Things would be different.

Father, You are our Great Refuge and Redeemer. You are our safe place and the one who nourishes our souls so we can nourish others. Thank you for providing our shelter under Your wings. Father, we recognize that we cannot live out such valor apart from You. Please come and fill us up so we can live so righteously that Boaz' valor is seen and known in us. We ask this for Your glory. Not our own. We ask so that others may know Your blessing, and satisfaction so that they willingly go and bless others with what they have received.  We ask in Jesus' name, amen.

Before you think I am a posting just about a guy. Soon, I will post how Ruth points to Jesus, too.

When Satan Accuses, Jesus Rebukes and Reminds!

I don’t know how many times I told the student leaders that they must make sure they seek to observe the patterns and repetitions they see in Scripture. If there is a pattern or repetition it is worthy of us noting and reflecting on. As I arose the next morning, I vaguely remember thinking, “God, I feel I need a boost in my study today.” And as always, for HE is faithful, God caught my attention but this time, it was through the repetition of three things made of wood, so my words echoed in my ears as I obeyed what I said to the youth leaders and examined what I noticed. 

I am in the middle of reading Zechariah. Heavy stuff and not easy to always understand, but it was very clear that the leader of God, Joshua, was being accused. Keep in mind this is not Joshua who lead Israel into the promised land. He was long gone! This Joshua was a priest for the nation of Israel. He was standing before the LORD with Satan standing on his right accusing him before the LORD! UGH! Just one more example that Satan really lives up to his reputation of being the accuser of the followers of Jesus (Revelation 12:10). 

But what caught me was how quickly Jesus rebuked Satan. Immediately the LORD said, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you! Is not this firebrand plucked from the fire?” 

As the priest, Joshua would have been the one that would go before the Holy of Holies on behalf of the nation to seek their forgiveness. He would have been carrying with him in his prayers the sins of the nation, but also his own. It would have felt like he was dressed in rags and inappropriate to approach the LORD. But with God, this is not so! Even still Satan points out the filthy rags while the LORD proclaims that He has removed the person, Joshua, and the nation from the fire. He chose them! He pulled them out of the fire and clothed them in His righteous garments. 

I once read that Spurgeon said, “When Satan accuses, Christ pleads!” 

It humbled me when I realized that the LORD not only rebuked Satan, and clothed the priest and nation, but He also reminded him if you walk in obedience and follow my ways, I will give you righteous standing before those around you and give you charge of my courts. I will bring you, my servant, the Branch that will remove the iniquity of the people and you will invite your neighbors to come and sit under His vine and His fig tree. What a great reminder when facing accusations! But did you notice the other two references to wood? The Branch, His vine, and His fig tree. Okay, well there are three other references, but the vine and the tree symbolize the same thing—a healthy tree that gives life, nourishment, fruit, shelter, and protection.

So, What is a firebrand? Honestly, I had to look it up. I did not know what it meant. I discovered that a firebrand is a stick or log that has been cut off and placed in a fire. It is charred and black from the heat of the fire. It has been so removed from the tree that it is thrown away to burn up. It cannot bear fruit or provide a safe shelter. But God pulls the firebrand out of the fire and brings it to the Branch and then places it in the shade of His vine and fig tree. It doesn’t say it specifically, but when two branches or trees are bound together, they are grafted and will become one. I imagined that the firebrand was placed next to the Branch and bound to it. The point is the firebrand has been rescued and it is no longer living based on its wood, but on the strength and life given through the Branch. 

A firebrand cannot bear fruit, but the Branch can. A branch starts out tiny with a small little bud that eventually grows into a strong branch that will bear good fruit and provide shelter. A branch that is connected to a vine or tree will provide protection, nourishment, shelter, and even a home to many creatures. The LORD brought the Branch to him. Symbolically, in case you did not know Jesus is the Branch (Isaiah 4:2).

The LORD was promising Joshua that He had already provided a way for him to be grafted to His Son or the Tree of Life. All it took was for him to walk in obedience, follow His ways, and wear His garments of righteousness. Notice, it was not what Joshua provided, but what the LORD provided. The LORD provides the connection needed so that Joshua could do what he was called to do and in time he would bring others along to rest under the Branch’s shelter. Joshua’s role as the firebrand was to bring others along and show them the Branch and where to sit under His vine and His fig tree. 

Sometimes, as a leader, I feel like the accuser is incessant in his attacks. I know what it is like to stand before God and feel like the accuser is on my right condemning me and those around me. But GOD! When I remind myself in prayer and sometimes verbally aloud what I know about God and what He has said about me, I am better able to hear His voice over the accuser. I remember that He has already clothed me in His pure garments and the Angel of the LORD stands by me!

After meditating for several days on this passage, I have decided that when I hear accusations from the Accuser, I am going to say to myself, “I am a firebrand that has been plucked from the fire!” Praise the LORD! What a beautiful image. I will then remind myself that He has already clothed me in His righteous garments. I only need to move forward in obedience and walk in His ways. I can trust that He will bring me before the people He desires and allow me the privilege of helping them draw near to Him! Amen!

What do you do when you feel the Accuser hounding you? What from this might you need to remember? One thing is for sure, if you have believed in Jesus, you are a firebrand that has already been pulled out of the fire and dressed in righteousness. Remind yourself and your accuser of this truth today!

Shalom y’all.