Fight for Your Wife!

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”
This is no little request when we consider the love of Christ.  Husbands, we are called to demonstrate the love of Christ to our wives.  This is a love that is sacrificial with a willingness to die.  This love is not based on what we receive from our spouses.  It is not dependent on whether or not we are treated a certain way.  It is a love that moves beyond actions but is not without action.  It is a love that fights.  It is filled with forgiveness and deeply motivated.  Today, fight for your wife because our enemy the devil will try to destroy her.  He will tell her she is not worth fighting for. He will tell her she is not beautiful, she is ordinary.  She cannot do anything valuable. He will tell her she cannot measure up.  And chances are, he will try to convince you these lies about your wife are true.  Today, fight the good fight.  Resist the devil, reveal his lies for what they are and refuse to entertain any thought that does not reflect the heart of God.  Today, go to battle for your wife.  Pray for her without ceasing.  Speak words to her that reflect the love of Christ and honor her with your affection.  Brothers, do all this in the strength and power of our Lord, Jesus Christ because this is the only way we can stand against this enemy!

Driving Force

There's a yearning in my heart, a longing that grows stronger every day.  It is hard for me to sit still because my heart turns inside my chest pushing me beyond what I know, beyond what I am comfortable with, beyond today.  I try to keep from being swept away by this driving force within me.  I don't want to miss today.  I want to be faithful to every opportunity that presents itself for the kingdom but my heart cannot be silenced.  I hear satan as he tries to convince me I am not good enough.  He is right.  I am not good enough.  My talents, my righteousness, my gifts and abilities are nothing in and of themselves but I have to believe in the hands of my Maker they are enough, in fact, they are unstoppable because He is unstoppable.  With Him, I can forge ahead as an instrument, a weapon of the Great King as he advances His kingdom.  If they can bring attention to Him then His glory will consume every person whose gaze is drawn to Him. 


I don't want to stay here.  I want to move.  I want to grow and as every thorn tries to quench my love and passion for Christ it will be overwhelmed and unable to compete.  My heart is pushing me yet my eyes cannot see.  They don't know where to look or where to move.  This passion inside of me is crying for an outlet.  Lord, show me Your footsteps that I may follow them.  With each step my heart will overflow and pour out  praise to Your name because You are worthy!

Content or Lukewarm?

"So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." ~Rev. 3:16-18

Many of us fear the possibility of loss.  We consider all we have and think how difficult life would be without the blessings that bring us so much joy.  What if we lost our home or our money?  What if we lost our health and physical abilities?  What if we lost our husband, our wife, or our children in some unforseen event?  These circumstances scare us.  We would much rather live life with peace, with stability and security.  But perhaps these things are not among the worst.  What if life was smooth with very few waves?  What if we acquire the things we desire and live life with very few needs?  We are simply content.  It sounds good doesn't it? 

Being content is a godly characteristic...right?  If we become content or satisfied with life as it is then we can miss the real treasure found in Jesus Christ!  Christianity then becomes a bow to wrap around our already successful lives rather than a passion that consumes our hearts. 

Godly contentment is one that finds satisfaction, even more so, great pleasure in Jesus Christ.  It is one that is not waivered by circumstances.  Circumstances do not determine the joy of one filled with godly contentment.  On the other hand, one who is lukewarm, as those in Laodicea, find satisfaction but not in Christ.  Life is good enough.  Here is great danger!  One who is luke warm does not experience the Real Treasure but settles for less.  Father, help us see the emptiness in the things of this world so we may experience the Real Treasure found in Jesus Christ! 

Content

Paul said, "...I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.  I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything.  I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.  For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:11b-13) 

Sometimes it is easy to examine our lives and say we are content.  God has blessed us beyond belief and we are enjoying the gifts He has poured out in our hands.  Yet, there are other times our contentment is put to the test.  We lose the gifts that made us feel secure, well taken care of.  We can no longer produce the wealth that once came with ease.  Or perhaps our relationships now require more work than we feel we have the strength to give.  They seem to produce more anxiety than refreshment.  Maybe the health we once enjoyed has been threatened and we no longer have the physical strength or ability to do the things we once enjoyed so much.  Have you ever felt this way?  So where do we go from here? 

Paul said he had learned the secret of living in every situation.  He was able to "rejoice in the Lord, always!"  How can a man find joy in prison or while going hungry?  How can one celebrate in the midst of great persecution and even the physical beatings he endured?  What is this "secret" Paul had learned because this secret is one worth knowing!  Paul rejoiced not in his circumstances but in the Lord and the Lord does not change!  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  While life presented Paul with an abundance of trying circumstances, Paul was able to find joy in the Lord!  His life was lived in persuit of God's glory not his own.  He was able to rest knowing that his work was one of eternal significance (we see that even today).  Paul rejoiced in the Lord, and said he could to all things through Christ.  Contentment can only be found in the One who does not change.  He is our source of strength and joy.  Everything else will fade away. 

The Cross

Have you ever been overwhelmed by your "to do" list?  Your responsibilities seem to grow by the minute and as you weigh this list, it becomes boldly apparent...you CANNOT accomplish all that is required of you.  How do I pay my bills, feed my family, fix my car, clothe my children, meet my deadlines and...serve the Lord?  How do I handle those who hate me, those who persecute me, and those who are flat out mean?  How do I deal with illness, loss, and death?  It is a terrible feeling!  Your chest caves in, your eyes droop and sometimes you lose the desire to even try.  I've been there.  I've been there more times than I can count.  But there is one thing that lifts my head even in the center of the most stressful of circumstances. 

The cross. 

To kneel at the foot of the cross is the most precious gift.  As the eye of my heart gazes on the Son of God things begin to change.  I see the anguish and exhaustion tear through His body and I am captivated.  I cannot take my eyes off of Him.  His silence is disturbing.  I want, with all my being, to hear Him rebuke the people.  To stand up in His omnipotent power and display His splendor and wrath.  But instead, He offers His hand to the soldier who will nail it to the cross.  While the physical pain He suffers is beyond words, i can see another sorrow protruding.  His eyes tell the story as He calls out "Father, forgive them."  How can this be?  God has loved you and me so much that in the midst of such terrible suffering He speaks of forgiveness.  To know I am loved this deeply is humbling to say the least.  I am quiet.  By now the worries of my responsibilities have faded away and I am at peace.  There I am reminded of my greatest and most pleasurable responsibility, to the love the Lord, my God, with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength!                                God is good!

Ordinary

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13

It wasn't long ago that I found myself in the company of several men highly regarded in the church for their knowledge of God's word and their ability to convey His message to masses.  When I left their company I felt rather small to say the least.  I wasn't able to join in some of the conversations because I had no expertise in the subjects we discussed.  At one point I tried to interject but the effort only ended in embarrasment.  Those men were gracious and kind but I couldn't help feeling silly for my mistakes.

I have caught myself on several occassions wondering what difference I could make in this world.  I am not able nor do I possess the desire to become a scholar.  But, is this really required for me to please our Father?  Is His pleasure based on whether or not I can read the greek New Testament?  I am ordinary.  There is nothing about me worthy of mention, at least, not according to the world's standards.  This was also the case with Peter and John.  They were uneducated, unknown...ordinary.  Yet these men accomplished great things for His kingdom.  And the most beautiful thing happened in this story!  Those men of authority and status "took note" that Peter and John had been with Jesus! 

I have on occassion "taken note" of another.  Several years ago I was blessed with the opportunity to lead worship for a group of college students on a weekend retreat.  Leading worship is one of my greatest passions!  I believe worship is a moment of intimacy between man and his Creator, a time when man is able to enter the throne room of the Most High and commune with Him. What an amazing gift! This weekend I had been given the charge of helping others enter this place of intimacy.  Throughout the weekend I was humbled as I witnessed a student whose passion for the Lord erupted from him! It was as if there was absolutely no room in his being to contain the excitement he was experiencing.  It was evident this young man had entered the throne room of the Most High and the love and compassion of our Savior had engulfed him. He had been with Jesus and there was no doubt in my mind about it.  This was years ago and yet to this day I remember this young man!  I had taken note that he had been with Jesus!

It is my prayer that when I am with others they will "take note" that I have been with Jesus.  They will see His goodness displayed in me.  My words will sound like His.  My heart will look like His heart!  His power and grace will overflow from my life in everything I do!  "Being" with Jesus is of great value!

Entrusted

"Each of you has been blessed with one of God's many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well." -1 Peter 4:10

How do you rate or measure your service for the Lord?

For some time I have set certain "spiritual markers" that I believed were indicators of my service. If I met certain criteria then my actions were godly and valuable to His Kingdom. If I led a worship service in such a way as to engage and draw others into the presence of God then I had done well. Or, if I had spoken a word from the pulpit that challenge listeners to a deeper walk, then I had honored the Lord. While leading worship and speaking are valid expressions of one's faith in the Lord, what happens when you no longer have such opportunities to express or serve the Lord? What happens when those spiritual "acts of worship" are removed?

Leading worship and speaking are a couple of the gifts the Lord has blessed me with. But, He has entrusted me with so much more. I love the opportunities I have to use those gifts but what about all the other things He has entrusted into my hands? What about my children. Of all the people in the world, God has given me 3 beautiful children who are very much shaped by the words and actions of their father. Do I take advantage of this? Do I teach them about Christ not only through my words but through my actions toward them and toward those around me? How is my service to the Lord in relation to my children? I have been blessed with a wonderful wife. Do I honor her? Is she drawn closer to the Lord because of my walk with Him? God has blessed me with a home to live in. Do I use it to bless others through acts of hospitality? How about the knowledge I have? God has, in the past, blessed me with the opportunity to learn and work in the computer industry. I have gained knowledge about computers that exceeds the general population. Do I use this knowledge to bless others?

I don't know about You, but I often neglect many of these things the Lord has entrusted into my hands. I have neglected them, all the while frustrated that I didn't have more opportunities to serve God in bigger ways. Forgive me, Lord!

Father, help me to take advantage of everything You have given me and use it for Your glory!