The Gift of Peace

"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?...Why do you have so little faith?"  Matthew 6:27, 30

This Christmas season, I'd like to ask you a question. What do you worry about? What are you worried about today? The same things you were worried about yesterday, last week, last month, or new things? I wouldn't be surprised if you said, 'All of the above!' That's one of the problems with worry. Once fearful thoughts enter our mind, it's hard to get rid of them, and once we allow ourselves to think about what could happen in one area of life, those same fears can be transferred to other things.

This might seem like a strange subject to talk about for Christmas. We usually think about joy, peace, and hope this time of year, and I certainly want you to experience those things. But worry can get in the way, can't it? Whether you are afraid of buying the wrong gift for someone or running out of time to go shopping; or if your fears arise for more serious things such as not having enough money for food, let alone to buy gifts, or having to face people you don't like on what should be the best holiday of the year, or worse yet, being alone: Christmas joy can easily get swallowed up by fear, anger, loneliness, or pain.

Since Christmas is about Jesus, I believe it's fitting to consider what He had to say on the subject of worry. His words are straightforward, and they boil down to this: 'Don't! It doesn't do any good.' And for those who do worry, He asks the question: "Why do you have so little faith?"

Have you ever thought of your worries as being about a lack of faith? It's easy to feel alone in our fears, problems, and challenges, and that's where worry often begins. But if we take time to remember God is with us and we are never alone, that can bring us peace.

One of the easiest ways to see how much we are living by faith is to look at what we worry about. If you are worried about decisions you need to make, this points to a lack of faith in God's guidance. If you are worried about your career, relationships, or the future, this points to a lack of faith in God's perfect timing and goodness. If you are worried about being safe or having what you need, this points to a lack of faith in God's protection and care.

Sometimes the problem isn't so much about believing what God has promised, but knowing what He has promised. Do you know what God has said about guiding you, being good to you, and caring for you? And if so, have you put His words to the test? Have you asked for His help in difficult situations? Have you asked Him to give you what you need? Have you asked for wisdom when facing a tough decision? Have you asked for strength to make it through trials?

Other common worries have to do with our concern about what others think of us, or even what God thinks. We worry about having the right look, the right image, and the right reputation. We worry about being good enough. Do I have enough ambition and accomplishments? Do I have enough good deeds on my "nice" list this year? Do my friends, coworkers, and family members think highly enough of me? Am I measuring up to the standard of all I should be--beauty-wise, brain-wise, socially, and spiritually?


Whatever worries you can relate to here, and others you may have--I encourage you to take a deep breath this Christmas and remember why Jesus came: to bring us peace and hope. Jesus says we don't need to worry, and He would love nothing more than to give you peace as you believe Him, trust Him, and ask Him to meet your every need.

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart...So don't be troubled or afraid." ~ Jesus (John 14:27)





Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

He Honors You

"Your approval means nothing to me, because I know you don't have God's love within you...you gladly honor each other, but you don't care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God."  John 5:41-42, 44


Do you ever feel the need to be validated? I heard a disturbing report on the news about girls posting selfies on social media sites soley for the purpose of becoming a member of the "100 Likes Club". If you haven't heard of this, the idea is to post a selfie that is good enough to get at least 100 Likes from others. Achieving this goal is the goal, and any picture that doesn't meet this standard should probably be deleted.

Wow. That's harsh. And it's so wrong. But sadly, it's happening. And I'm not surprised because we all have this need for validation. Whether it's a photo of ourselves, a job we have, a talent, or even in following God, we often wonder if we "measure up".  Am I beautiful enough? Am I far enough along in my career? Am I as good at_____as I think I am? Am I good enough? Do I matter? What do others think of me?

We've all heard the truthful words, "True beauty comes from the inside." But even in that we are often critical of ourselves, and trying to be beautiful on the inside can be just as damaging to our self-esteem as never thinking we are pretty enough. And then there's our "spiritual scale" to consider. Am I a good enough Christian? Am I doing enough for others? Am I doing enough for God? Is He proud of me or disappointed in me? And our concerns in how good of a job we're doing don't only stem from our own insecurities but also from others who "mean well".  Their motive may be to whip us into spiritual shape, but their critical comments, subtle glances, and guilt trips just make us feel worse.


Jesus was familiar with this need for validation, and it is a human need. I'm not trying to say we don't need to know how beautiful we are, how good we are at things, or how God sees us. We do need to know, and knowing can be empowering, but the question is, who are we trying to please, and how? How much is enough? What scale am I using, what scale are others using, and what scale is God using? We can find a clue in what Jesus said to a man who needed forgiveness and healing, and in what He said to some "weighty" bystanders.

The house where [Jesus] was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God's word to them, four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child, your sins are forgiven."

But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, "What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!"

Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts?" (Mark 2:2-9)


Jesus doesn't get validation from these religious men, and as the new rabbi in town, this would have been a big deal. But it doesn't bother Him, and He turns the tables by questioning their critical thoughts instead. It would be like posting a selfie, having complete confidence it's a nice photo of yourself, but when you don't get as many "likes" as you think you should, you don't remove the picture, but rather you post a comment for all your silent disapprovers: Why didn't you like this? What's wrong with how I look in this photo? Why don't you approve? And you're not looking for them to be honest with you about how you look one way or the other, you're asking them to be honest with themselves: What is your scale of beauty, and is it the right scale?


The truth is, any photo I post of myself is worth posting because I'm a human being and I have value and worth. And the paralyzed man Jesus healed that day was a candidate for forgiveness for the same reason. Notice he didn't ask for forgiveness, and neither did his friends ask for it on his behalf. He was forgiven because God chose to forgive him, just as He does with everyone. I don't think the religious teachers were questioning Jesus' ability to forgive sins because of who He was as much as they were questioning this man's worthiness of being forgiven--even by God. Jesus could be lenient about their belief in His authority and questioning if He was truly the Messiah. But when it came to doubting the belief that God would forgive this man, or anyone, He called them on it: "Why do you question this in your hearts?"

They were questioning their own level of worthiness; that's why they were working so hard to be "religious".  They were following the Law, but they knew they weren't perfect. They weren't living under grace, but law, and that was bad news. They tried to appear perfect and were quick to point out the flaws of others (or make them up in Jesus' case), but deep in their hearts they knew the truth.


I think our need for validation stems from the same thing. We want to be good at something. And if we can't be as successful as we want to be, we want to at least look good. But our self-scrutiny will always fail us, and others will fail to give us the validation we need to overcome our own thoughts. Even one critical word can cancel out a hundred "likes", "well done" praises, and "you are so good at ____" compliments.

How do we get the validation we need? How do we overcome the disapproval or silence of others? How do we cope with failure? It has slapped us in the face before, and it will undoubtedly come again. Even if we try our best. Even if we choose to think positively and not give up hope. Even if we are determined and as flawless as Jesus was. He certainly had His critics, and He paid dearly for their opinion of Him.

So what do we do? We do what the paralyzed man did: Jesus said..."Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!" And immediately as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. (Luke 5:24-25)  He believed in what Jesus had done for him. He believed in who Jesus said he was: healed, forgiven, and set free. There was nothing holding him to that mat of disability, and he got up and walked out of there, thanking God for it all. He didn't wait for someone else to say, "You can do it", "You should do it", or "We're behind you all the way".  Doing what Jesus said he could do was enough.

What has Jesus said you can do: with His forgiveness, with His help, with the ways He has gifted you? Do you believe Him? Is His validation enough? You already have it. You are highly valued by Him. You are deeply loved. You are beautiful in His eyes. He honors you. You have everything you need to be who He says you can be. Just believe it, and no matter how many others don't agree, or are too self-absorbed to give you encouragement, or how critical you are of yourself, His word to you is enough.

"Those who listen [to Me] will live." John 5:25

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

All photos are copyrighted © by the beautiful young women who took them. All rights reserved.

Beyond Honoring Him

"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."  Matthew 15:8

I recently watched the 2014 theatrical release of "Noah", the story of the Biblical character and his family being saved from the Great Flood as told in the Book of Genesis. I'd heard a lot of criticism about this particular portrayal of the story from those who felt the writers strayed too far from the scriptural text, but God led me to see it anyway. Personally I thought it was brilliant storytelling, I didn't think it was so far-fetched, and I really liked it. I appreciated the way Noah is portrayed, as a "righteous" man as the Bible says, and yet he was also far from perfect. Human with normal human emotions of doubt, fear, and uncertainty. God spoke to him about what to do, gave him visions and dreams, and provided what was needed to carry out the task, but it was far from easy for him to listen, understand, and always believe in what he was doing and if it was right.

I can relate to that, how about you?

If you are a Bible-believing person, you have probably been taught to honor God, and that was Noah's mindset for much of the movie. He was focused on how God was leading him and carrying out the task he believed God had given him, but along the way his heart came into play, and he was faced with the dilemma of choosing between justice and mercy, and the question: Is God just, or is He merciful?

When it comes to honoring God, I think we lean toward the side of God being just. He is worthy of honor because He is holy and perfect. We honor God by doing what He says--by living obediently. We worship Him because He commands us to do so. We do the right thing because it's right. We live uprightly because we claim to follow Him. We repent of sin because we know it's wrong. And we look down on those who aren't as "righteous" as we are.



Jesus had strong words for people who lived that way. And He quoted His Father who spoke the same words to Isaiah the prophet many years earlier. "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."  They were acting "justly", the way they thought God wanted, but they were mistaken. God's heart is not about what is just, it's about His mercy.

Should we live "rightly"?  Absolutely. Do we have the capacity to live righteously on our own?  Absolutely not. Do we honor God when we live rightly?  Sometimes--God is also interested in our motive and whether or not we are relying on Him to live appropriately. (Prov. 2:6-7; 21:2)  Is there more to following God than living rightly and honoring him?  Absolutely. This is the crossroad Noah came to in the movie, and I think he had to at some point in real-life also. Why?  Because anyone who follows God for any length of time will come to this crossroad.

If you are honoring God simply for the sake of honoring Him or to be known as someone who honors Him, God wants to take you to a deeper place of knowing Him for all that He is. Beyond obedience to seeing yourself as the object of His affection. Did He choose Noah because He knew Noah would be obedient, because he was a "righteous" man?  Yes. Did He choose Noah because He wanted to show Noah how much he was loved?  Even more so. If He knew Noah would be obedient but would come away from the experience only seeing God as just and himself as righteous, He would have chosen someone else.

The people God chose to rescue needed to escape with a different story to tell. Not that God is just: anyone could come to that conclusion who saw the entire "unrighteous" human race annihilated. God needed a different kind of witness to share His heart behind the destruction. He needed someone, several someones, who would see that in the end, mercy always wins over justice. Did all humans, including Noah and his family deserve death?  Was that the curse sin had brought?  Yes. Is that how the story ends?  No.

How did it end?  With a promise. With a blessing. With a command to keep the human race going. "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth." (Gen.9:1)  Why?  Because this time everyone would be obedient and honor Him?  Not hardly!  Then why?  Because God's wrath doesn't satisfy Him. It's pointless. It's not what He wants to be known for. Does He have the right to act justly?  Absolutely.  Is justice the last word?  Absolutely not.



What does satisfy God's heart?  What is His final word?  What does He want to be famous for?  His love. Love that is merciful. Love that forgives. Love that healed a broken, wayward, hardened earth; And love that heals the broken, wayward, hardened hearts of mankind. Love that teaches us what is right so we can avoid mistakes and the pitfalls of sin. Love that doesn't leave us on our own to make the right choices but empowers us to live obediently. (Eph. 1:19-20)  Love that we receive and believe in so completely, we become messengers and vessels of that love to those around us.

Noah may have been seeking to honor God with his obedience. You may be seeking to honor God in the ways you worship, serve, and obey Him. But God is seeking something else. As Jesus told the Samaritan Woman at the Well (a woman many would have seen as needing to radically change her ways to honor God), "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me and I would give you living water." (John 4:10)



He didn't say:

'If you bow down and worship me.'

'If you do what I command.'

'If you live an honorable life.'

'If you live to honor me.'

He said: "Ask me, and I will give."


When the woman brings up the subject of worshiping God in the proper way and place, He says, "Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter [where you worship or your heritage]...true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth." (4:21-23)  An open, honest heart--that's all God requires to honor Him: to admit my need and ask for His presence and love, His goodness and righteousness, the things that will satisfy my soul; Not to try and satisfy Him, but to let Him satisfy me. To change me from the inside-out: beyond forgiveness to renewal and transformation. Beyond honoring Him to becoming all I am meant to be. That's true worship. Not living to please Him, but to be satisfied in Him. To rest in His love. To receive His mercy. To be a daughter of Grace.

This is something we talk about, but it's often only on our lips. We need to let the truth of God's mercy penetrate our souls to the point where we feel no shame, no need to earn God's favor, no need to compare ourselves to everyone else; where honoring God isn't about what we do, but what we receive--what He gives to us, what we truly believe He can do for us, the love He shares without limit or condition.

I used to think it was only about doing what is right, but it's about the blessings God has for me. It's about knowing Him for who He truly is, and knowing how loved I am. It's about believing I'm never on my own and never any less than how valuable He says, and showed, that I am.



God showed how much he loved us by sending His one and only Son...This is real love--not that we loved God, but that he loved us.
1 John 4:9-10

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

Blue Wildflower photo by Cindy Rae Riggs © 2014. Used by permission.

"Noah" poster artwork used as Fair Use.

"Woman at the Well" by Carl Heinrich Bloch Public Domain