Are We Really Underdogs?

A misconception many people have about God and His followers is that He only uses the ones who are older. And while this perception is somewhat true, it is not completely true. People have this weird ideology that only the people who have lived longer can truly be used by God.  I strongly disagree with that premise.

Here are some reasons for my thoughts on the subject.

Join Me in the Fellowship of the Redeemed

I have made many mistakes.  I have hurt people by my choices and I have been hurt by the choices of others. I am just like Paul when he said in Romans 7:1:

I want to do what is good, but I do not. I do not want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. (NLT)  

I have come up short many times. I have lied, cheated, gossiped, coveted, envied, judged, and was once divorced.  The list could go on and on.  But, again I have found comfort in Paul’s words:

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--and I am the worst of them all.  (1 Timothy 1:15 NLT)

Notice that Paul says that he is the worst of sinners?

Sounds pretty hopeless, right?

It was not for Paul.  It was not for me.  And, it is not for you.

Hopeless, if my story ended with a bountiful compilation of my injustices.  I would be guilty as charged.

Instead, once more, grace finds me.  The opportunity to begin with a perfectly clean slate is mine.   Nothing will ever be written on that slate again.  NEVER.  

I am transformed; my heart is new.  My stony heart has been replaced with a heart of flesh.  I am completely covered and pardoned by grace....unmerited favor from the very hand of God. He sent His Son to die for me and His sacrifice on the cross set me free. 

Regret and remorse are a part of my old person.  As a new creature in Christ, I have joy.

Even after all of my failures, I can hold my head high and know that I am a child of God and a joint heir with King Jesus.

Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.   (Galatians 4:7 NLT)

I am free from the mistakes I have made or those I may make in the future. I no longer have to hang my head in shame. I no longer have to worry whether I am good enough.

His righteousness is ALL I need.  God knew everything I would ever do and he still chose to create and love me.  

And, because He first loved me, I love Him.   

I am much like Peter, redeemed from denying Jesus.

I am similar to David, redeemed from adultery and murder, but a man after God's own heart.  

(1 Samuel 13:14)

I am just like Abraham, redeemed from lying. God called him friend. (James 2:23)

I am just like Noah, redeemed from drunkenness. His faith saved mankind. (Hebrews 11:7)  

I share in the fellowship of the redeemed with Mary Magdalene, Rahab, Tamar, Thomas, Moses, Samson, and everyone else who was “found” by His amazing grace.

All of these people had faults seemingly too big for “Papa” to handle. They loved God but continued to make poor decisions and mistakes throughout their lives. God could have turned His back on them, on me, but He knew that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)  

So, he chose to redeem them. He gave them a heart like His, full of love, grace and forgiveness.

When they failed Him, He used it for their good and His glory. 

Redemption.

So, my mistakes and my many imperfections were permanently erased.

Every choice does have consequences that may cause pain or other difficulties, but redemption allows God to use my life and my mess for His glory.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NLT)

After all, He is about restoration.  He makes ALL THINGS new, including me.

Today, I am thankful for who I am, mistakes and all. Life’s trials and tribulations have broken me, but I have gained such a sweet relationship with my Heavenly Father, Papa, as I lovingly call Him.

However, as human beings we struggle both with forgiving others and ourselves.

It is challenging to forgive when we feel others have wronged us.  We may continue to remind them of the wrongs they have done and the hurts they have caused.  We want them to pay.

We tend to forget the redemption that we have been given. We sometimes think that these people do not deserve the same grace we have received.

Wounds do take time to heal but with God’s love living in and through us, indeed we are set free.

Yes, forgiveness releases others who may have wronged and hurt us, but it also frees us.  Forgiveness is thus a vital part of redemption. 

Likewise, we must forgive ourselves.

Why would we refuse the work that Jesus completed on the cross? 

We are reminded in John 3:17:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. (NLT)

And, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 NLT) 

Since we are not condemned, but redeemed, why do we struggle with a tendency to condemn ourselves?

He promises that he casts our sins as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12)

We have to stop beating ourselves up.  We must forgive ourselves. 

Discovering real freedom in Christ Jesus requires us to forgive others as we forgive ourselves. 

Sound familiar? 

Love others as I have loved you.

Redeemed and set free.  Free, indeed…

I urge you to ponder these truths in your heart.  No matter where you are or what you have done, He stands at the door and knocks.  There is only one latch, and it is on the inside.  Swing open the door and allow Him to come in and “sup with you.”

It is not too late to accept the newness that He offers.  Redemption draweth nigh.  His grace and mercy are for each of us.  Absolutely NOTHING can separate us from the love of God.

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39 NLT)

He desires a relationship with each of us.  He loves us so completely.

He loves us so much he gave his only Son as the ultimate sacrifice.

There has never been a greater act of love.  There never can be.

Redeemed AND set free? 

I was.  You can be, too.

Please join me in the joyous fellowship of the redeemed.

About the Author :

Teena is her name, but she has fallen in love with the nickname, "graciE" her husband gave her. God, who she refers to as Papa, is the focus of her life. Her heart yearns to draw closer to Him, moment by moment, through Bible study, prayer, photography and writing.

When You Go With Your Gut and You Decide to Trust the Unknown

A few weeks ago I was offered an esthetician job, but I declined it.

I know, pretty bold of me in this day and age given the economy, lack of jobs and, given my last and first post, my continuous frustration with job search. Especially when I had a thousand connections to various people at this certain salon who vowed to help me (and did), where the salon needed two estheticians and my chances of getting a job there were doubled. 

As for me, I went above and beyond in other ways to snag this job and, in the end, did eventually earn the prize. But when I did, I felt less than satisfied.

If anything, I felt confused. None of this feels totally right, I thought to myself over and over again. I would change my mind every day on whether or not I would actually take the job. There were a lot of sketchy things about it. 

I often had to stop at the salon to fix things or to bring back papers that went missing due to the lack of organization on their part. I volunteered two (unpaid) hours of my own time after my two interviews to visit the salon, all just “to see if this was really where I wanted to work,” as per the manager’s request. 

Once I had the job, I endured the six-hour (unpaid, and probably illegal) orientation. Through it all, I remained patient with a smile on my face. It was still a job possibility, and a job was the goal.

I thought of taking the job, mainly for the chance to not become one of my current elderly co-workers who turned careers out of our jobs for the awesome benefits. I thought about willingly becoming a slave to this new job, and being trapped in a place that seemed disorganized and so adamant about things being done her way, that I would grow to hate. 

Nothing seemed to clear the cloud of indecisiveness.

[Read the rest of our sponsored post at An Autumn Murmur]

The Unchangeable Timing of an Unstoppable God

It is a wonderful thing when you have someone's attention; to feel wanted, needed, loved and cared for without any distractions. We look for that in our relationships and friendships, but it is quite amazing to me that, although God is everywhere, we always have His undivided attention. You do not have to pretend to be anything with the Lord; you can be yourself with Him because He sees every part of you- covered and uncovered.

As a woman, I used to go through phases where I felt like I had to be extra feminine or exaggerate certain qualities about myself in order to get the attention of that special guy. You know, that one guy in particular that we all want to notice us and see that we are worth his time. I would go out of my way to create a platform or strategically align myself in a way that would let this guy know how I felt without chasing after him. Have you have been in a space with a guy you like thinking, this is my only opportunity to get him to notice me?  And if he does not, you may think, what more could I have done? Maybe some of you have not had that experience, but I have. What is funny is that I was trying to get him to notice me, but hiding at the same time because I did not want him to see me. How does that even work? As I think on it now, it seems so silly to think that this is what I used to do. 

People often go to extremes on Instagram, Facebook, other forms of social media, or in person to present themselves in a way that seems more attractive and appealing, knowing deep down that the way they would love to perceived is not who they really are. What I have learned through time is this:

If God desires to present an opportunity for you to connect with someone, He is going to do it His way, and in His timing.

I went to an event once, and there was an artist there that was amazing and very humble. You could really see the fruit of God in his life. There was a light about him that could only come from God. I will also admit that I thought he was an attractive man. So anyway, I went to this event and a friend of mine was serious about taking it upon herself to introduce us. We saw him and she walked quickly behind him and stopped him, and I was freaking out in my mind because I did not want her to catch up to him, but she did. She introduced us and he was very nice, but what she wanted to happen did not. She thought that there was going to be an instant and undeniable connection and attraction between us, so she was a little frustrated when that did not take place. I was fine because I knew that nothing was going to happen. The bottom line is, it was very clear to me that this situation was forced. 

I am not saying that we are not called to step out in faith. We may fail or be rejected many times before we get what God desires to bless us with, and sometimes it is simply not for us. But, let me also be very clear about this: I do not believe in a woman pursuing a man and I am always very careful in my interactions with them and want to make sure that I am following God’s leading. 

Moving forward with the story, some months later, this same artist was performing in a show that I was attending. This time I saw God move in a way that was smooth, clear, and orderly. I got to talk with the artist and he did not remember me from the event where my friend tried to introduce us the first go around, but he did remember my name and a previous connection we had earlier in the year. On this occasion, I did not have to try, be, or do anything extra to be seen. I was thankful for the opportunity to meet him, but more than anything, in that moment I knew and was reminded as a woman to always let God present me in the way He chooses. 

The truth is that the false exterior that we try to create is not who we are. Deep down, we hope that a man will see your flaws and love you regardless. However, the only way that this is possible is through Christ's love for you. It is amazing to realize the amount of strength that comes from God when you know He loves you unconditionally. You will wait on Him, even when it gets frustrating and difficult.

Know that your identity does not lie in how a person or experience defines you, but through Christ. I have felt invisible in the sight of men at times, especially the ones I have found to be attractive. I would get very upset, asking God if anyone saw me. God let me know very clearly that He saw me. When Christ sees us, there is nothing in the way blocking or keeping us from the sight of those who are purposed to see us. In following Him, He will align us in the right way and time for the right one. At this point in my life, I am content and I take it as a compliment that God is keeping me covered. It is not a punishment but for a great reason.

Enjoy this season, and learn to live and love like Christ. When we know how to love like Him, we are able to love another.

We love because he first loved us, (1 John 4:19, ESV).

About the Author :

Francine E. Ott is truly thankful to have a relationship with God and is seeking Him daily for guidance and any opportunities to walk closer with Him in truth and love. Francine is a choreographer/dancer, teacher, and soon to be counselor who has a heart to see God's transforming power, renew, restore, and heal the minds, souls, and bodies of people's lives.

Why I Stopped Believing in Myself

2015. Brand new year, brand new start.

Right now, my social media feeds are flooded with inspirational quotes encouraging women, sparking them to believe in themselves and their ability to change this year, as well as their ability to stick to the things that they have set their minds on to accomplish.

The God Who Responds

In the twenty-second chapter of Genesis, we read of God's test of Abraham by asking Abraham to take his son, Isaac, and offer him as a burnt sacrifice.

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Genesis 22:1-2 ESV)

Abraham took his only son and set out on a three-day journey in order to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, just as the Lord had instructed him to do so.

Can you imagine the agony that Abraham might have felt during his journey as he traveled? Yet, he never let the pain or the anguish stop him. His life still responded in faith to the plan of God.

Everything Abraham did was a response of faith.  He did not even have to say a word. His very life spoke volumes to The Lord, from his early arising to begin the journey, to erecting and preparing the altar for the sacrifice. Even when Abraham bound his only son, placed him on the altar, and stretched out his hands to slay him, his life was still responding to God in faith.  

After God saw Abraham's response of his amazing faith, He then responded to Abraham.

But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Genesis 22:11-12 NKJV)

Abraham's response to the plans of God caused God's response to be "Now I know."

Look at your life.

How is your life, your actions, your thoughts, your habits, and words causing God to respond to you?

Our desires and intents for our lives should always be to live faith filled lives before God...a life that evokes the same response Abraham received: "Now I know that you fear me."

God not only let Abraham know that He could trust him, but He also responded to Abraham's faith-filled response with blessing and increase.

After Abraham passed his test, God spoke these beautiful words of blessing over him:

Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son — blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”(Genesis 22:15-18 NKJV)

God responds with blessings in the lives of those who reverence and fear Him.

Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. (Psalms 34:9 NKJV)

He will bless those who fear the LORD, Both small and great. (Psalms 115:13 NKJV)

The godly are showered with blessings; (Proverbs 10:6a NLT)

Your response of faith may cost you something. It may require a lot. But ladies, we cannot live our lives any other way.

The Bible teaches us that the just shall live by faith. The just do not just talk about it. Faith dictates our life.

I encourage you to ask God to show you anything that has hindered your life's response of faith. When He reveals it to you, ask Him for grace to overcome so that He can look at your life, and say, just as He did to Abraham, "Now I know."

About the Author :

Pastor Pamela Bell is a passionate, lover of God, who desires to see God's people walk in the knowledge of who they are in Christ. She resides in Mobile, AL and serves as an Elder at her church, Gulf Coast Christian Center. Pastor Pamela enjoys reading, spending time with friends and all things chocolate.

Truly Free

I really enjoy online shopping, but the one thing I do not like about it is that you never know what your purchased item will really look like until you open the package. On the mannequin, it appears to look amazing and desirable, but when you open the box it can be an entirely different story. The material may be weird, the size of the item may be smaller than what you expected, or you may just decide that the item does not suit you like you had hoped. The most interesting part about this concept centers on the moments before you open your package. You have the highest expectations for your item, and you think, "I am going to look absolutely flawless in this," or, "this is exactly the color I need." Realistically, however, your purchased item because the complete opposite of what you originally thought about it.

Ironically, people do the same thing with us. How many times has someone pictured you as one thing when you were really something better than what they expected? Some people have a hard time realizing that our greatness goes beyond what they see in front of them. When how we act conflicts with how they think we should act, they tend to leave us in their box. You might have a teacher that thinks you are always going to be a C student and may barely make it into college; you may have parents that always see you as a future doctor when God called you to be a pastor; or you may be in a bad relationship where your significant other always thinks you will be a nobody when God made you a somebody.

In high school, people loved to put me in a box. I was very reserved and soft-spoken so people would automatically obtain one-sided assumptions. They never thought that the quiet girl who sat in the back row was actually very animated on stage, had a witty sense of humor, loved to sing, and was an excellent public speaker. Unfortunately, being put in a box did not stop in high school. It also continued throughout college and in my past relationship. I remember my ex-boyfriend asking me, “How are you going to be a motivational speaker when you are passive?” It was during this time in my life that I finally realized someone would always put me in a box.

The most important thing to remember is this: despite whatever anyone else thinks or says about us, it does not change who our Creator is and why He created us. God created us all for a unique purpose.

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. (Joshua 1:1-8 ESV)

When people put you in unnecessary boxes, focus on what God thinks about you. The great thing about God is that He can take us to levels higher than any man can fathom. More importantly, He knows what it is like to be put in a box because we do it to Him all the time. Think about all those moments when you trusted God to mend a friendship but did not trust God to get you in school. Or, think of a time when you trusted God to give you a job but did not trust God to give you the right spouse. 

Jesus is a prime example of someone that was put in a box by nonbelievers. They did not want to believe that He was the Messiah, but Jesus had to continue to focus on what God called Him to do.

You will die in your sins if you don’t believe that I am he. (John 8:24 NCV)

Only God can break us out of the box that people leave us in. There are so many doors and opportunities in our lives that we are going to have access to, but we just have to trust that God knows what He is doing. Do not let the opinions and judgments of others deter you from fulfilling what God has called you to do because they are not going where you are going. Do not expect people to understand who God made you to be because they were not present when He designed the blueprint for your life.

So whether we are home or away, our aim is to please Him. (2 Corinthians 5:9 ESV)

Regardless of the people that come your way, always remember it is about what God wants, not what man wants. My challenge to you today is to break out of the box with God, because once you do, you are truly free.

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36 ESV)

About the Author :

Lauren Ashley Foster is a passionate lover of God. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and is now pursuing her Master’s degree. She enjoys writing, singing and is an aspiring college professor and motivational speaker ready to use her gifts for the Lord.