Posts

Posted on

His Wings, His Courage

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Dear sister,

When you think about courage, what comes to mind? Bravery, strength, honor? What about fear? Do you ever think of a courageous person of someone who is afraid? Of course not! But is being fearless really a prerequisite to earn the title courageous?

Ambrose Redmoon once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”

When people hear about my trip to Africa they will occasionally say, “That was brave of you.” or “That must have taken some courage to travel half way across the world.” I find the comment funny because I don’t tend to think of myself as a woman of courage. I’m scared to death of spiders and anything else that creeps or crawls on the earth and I was definitely scared when I was at the airport about to fly to a third world country having never left the United States before. I was scared even a few days before I even arrived at the airport! I couldn’t know ahead of time whether I would make it to each destination safely or without complication. I couldn’t know if the people I would be meeting up with in Amsterdam would arrive on time and that we’d all be able to catch the same flight as planned. I couldn’t know those kinds of things and there was a certain level of fear and nervousness that came along with that uncertainty. Have you ever been afraid of the unknown?

Fear is dangerous; it can control and even paralyze us. We can be so afraid of doing something that it keeps us from obeying God. But, I didn’t let that stop me. I didn’t say, “No, God, I know you want me in Uganda but I really don’t think I can manage the long flights.” Courage is not doing big things without fear, it’s doing things in spite of fear. It’s understanding that yes, this obstacle is big and scary but my God is bigger. My God is trustworthy and I can trust Him to bring me through this even though I am afraid right now. I was nervous about leaving the country and going to Uganda but I trusted that the Lord would bring me there and back safely and went where He was calling me to go. And guess what? He was faithful to do it! So I think Redmoon had it right. Courage is not the absence of fear but rather realizing that the goal, or the desired outcome, is more important than fear. My calling to serve the Lord in Africa for two weeks was far greater than my fear of traveling half way across the world. God doesn’t expect us to be fearless. It’s clear from Scripture that He knows we will be afraid at times. But what does He say? In Joshua 1:9 the Lord says, “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” It doesn’t matter where you are, what you’re doing in life or what is that you are afraid of. The Lord your God is with you, He will strengthen you, He will help you, and He will uphold you with His righteous right hand (Is. 41:10). So take courage, dear sister, and trust in Him.

Under His wing,

Kayla

Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14

Posted on

Be of Good Cheer

My Dearest Sister,

​I love it when God tells us exactly what we need to hear exactly when we need to hear it. Whether it’s through your daily Bible reading, in your prayer time, a teaching at church, or through the subtle words of a dear friend, He has such a marvelous way of reminding us about His truths. This very thing happened to me during the most recent Sunday morning service at our church. Let me start by telling you that the week prior hadn’t exactly been fantastic. I had been dealing with the worst week of my vet assistant internship so far (lots of catty technicians, gossips, and bad attitudes); the headache of trying to get the paperwork for an out-of-state car registration sorted out before my current registration expires; trying to find a new dog sitter for my upcoming trip because the one I had cancelled on me; and on top of all of that I decided to get emotional about the fact that my husband is leaving in a few days for four weeks of Army training. For some reason, the stress of the week was just really getting to me. I started thinking “If I can’t handle these little struggles, how on earth am I going to handle a nine month deployment, a cross-country move, and the last year of my Bachelor’s degree, all of which are only just around the corner?”. I could feel these difficult events staring me in the face and for the first time in a long time I began to feel afraid of what the future held.

​When we walked into church Sunday morning, all of these things were on my mind. I was so distracted that I barely paid attention to the songs we sang or the announcements that were given. All I could focus on was this gnawing feeling in my gut that things were about to get a lot harder and I was not going to like it. And then the pastor started his lesson in Matthew, Chapter 14. You know, the one where Jesus walks on water? It’s verses 22-33 and I encourage you to go read it when you are finished reading this letter. Maybe it will speak to you as much as it did to me. Anyway, at first I wasn’t paying much attention to the teaching, but then slowly God started working on my heart. By the time he got to the part where Peter walks out on the water toward Jesus, I was transfixed. He was talking about how as long as Peter kept his eyes on the Lord, he could stay above the water. It was only when he started focusing on the storm around him that he became afraid and began to sink. When the lesson was over, I was in a little bit of a shock. It was like God took one of His truths and wham! Hit me with it right between the eyes. He’s so amazing in His timing, isn’t He?

​Sitting in that service, I totally felt like Peter. For the past couple years life has been going pretty smoothly for us, all things considered. It’s easy to have faith and focus on the goodness of the Lord when things are going smoothly. It’s when the storms of life come, when the waves start to crash and the wind starts to howl that we lose our faith and start to focus on our fear instead of on Christ; It’s then that we start to drown in our own troubles. That week I could see some storms brewing in my future and like Peter, I became afraid of them. Instead of looking to Jesus and resting in the promise that He will never leave or forsake me, I had started to sink in the waves of my own fear.
​God never said we have smooth sailing our whole lives, that no difficult or stressful or painful thing would ever happen to us. In fact, quite the contrary. One of my favorite scriptures is Jesus’ words of hope to his followers in John 16:33 – “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Be of good cheer simply means “have courage”. So even though we know that life will get hard, even unbearable sometimes, we can have courage because we know that Christ is greater than any trial or heartache that comes our way; He has already won the eternal victory for us, and yet he is also there to lead us through any storm that arises while we walk this earth. All we have to do is stay focused on Him instead of the storm.

​My favorite part about this story is the ending. You see, even though Peter faltered and let his fear take over, as soon as he called out for the Lord to save him, Jesus was immediately there with an outstretched hand to pull him out of the crashing waves. Not only that, as soon as they got into the boat Jesus calmed the storm. Our Lord not only loves us enough to save us when we cry out for help, He also has the power to make the entire storm disappear. Now that’s a mighty God! If we can rest in this truth alone, what reason do we even have to be afraid in the first place? We should have nothing but courage in this life because He is our almighty God and He loves us.

​I am so thankful that God spoke to me in such a powerful way this week. Even though I can still see those same storms just on the horizon, I am not afraid any more. I know that I can have courage because Christ is my Lord and Savior and He is greater than any trouble that comes my way; I know that if I stay focused on Him, the waves and wind will not overtake me. And even if I should falter, I know that if I cry out to Him, He will be there in an instant to save me. He loves us so much my dear sister, and this is His promise to us. So be of good cheer, for He is greater than any storm we will ever encounter!

​Your Courageous Sister in Christ,
​~ Lauren

Posted on

The Object of Courage

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Scripture often uses “courageous” and “strong” as close brothers. These brothers are given by the Lord in times of battle where, I would assume, men would easily become frightened and dismayed. The best part of the verse is that these people can be courageous BECAUSE the Lord their God was with them wherever they went! How amazing is that? Amazing, but how can I apply that to my life? I don’t go to war to fight the county next to mine for their large grapes and fields.

Our lives, sisters, should be grounded in our theology. So when we think about courage, it should be defined by our faith. With that in mind, think of being courageous as a demonstration of your faith, in the face of opposition, that God is true to his word. We can face the fears and battles of today by trusting that what God said in His Word is true. Think about it, we won’t act courageous if we don’t confidently trust God’s word as true. If I don’t believe that God will look after my husband while he is deployed then I would not have the courage to be in another country with my baby alone. If I don’t believe that Christ came to pay my sin debt in full and gave me his righteousness so that I will be with God for eternity, I would live in fear of death. If I didn’t believe that my eternity is secure in heaven, I would live my life in fear of death and trying constantly to earn heaven. Instead, I can be courageous to tell others about Christ because I believe His Word and life is true. I can be courageous as a stay at home mom in the face of a feminine society that pressures me to find my worth outside of the home. I can be courageous being a single woman who loves God does not have to be complete with a man because I am complete in Christ. I can be courageous as a believer in Christ to stand up for Christ in a world that belittles our faith and Savior. We can be courageous in the face of disease and death because we know that this world is not our home. We have the hope of heaven because our sins have been forgiven!

The object of our faith (Christ) is what should make us courageous. The warriors thousands of years ago believed God’s Word was true and that gave them courage to fight their battles. God’s word is still true and the One who is called Truth is the reason that we can be courageous in our lives and not be frightened or dismayed.

Your Sister in Christ,
Colleen

Posted on

Let Us Choose Freedom

Dear sister,

I thought of you last night, as hubby and I did our evening reading.  J.R.R. Tolkien’s, The Hobbit was the impetus.  But first, some back-story…Bilbo Baggins is the main character in this delightful story, and at the start of the book, he reluctantly agrees to embark on a treacherous journey with some new acquaintances, 13 dwarves, and a wizard, Gandalf.  The goal?  To claim the treasure that has been passed on to the dwarves–if they can make it through Mirkwood forest and past the dragon.  At many points along the journey, Bilbo wishes that he never agreed to this.  But {spoiler alert!} once he acquires the ring, and learns that it will provide invisibility; he becomes quite a leader among his fellow travelers.  He is able to help them through many a pinch, and the incident we’ll discuss is no different.  The problem is that the dwarves are not that excited about his method of escape from their current dilemma:  capture by the Elvish King. 

”Bilbo saw that the time had come to explain his idea, as far as he could; but he did not feel at all sure how the dwarves would take it.  His fears were quite justified, for they did not like it a bit, and started grumbling loudly in spite of their danger.  ‘We shall be bruised and battered to pieces, and drowned too, for certain”‘ they muttered.  ‘We thought you had got some sensible notion, when you managed to get hold of the keys.  This is a mad idea!’ ‘Very well’! said Bilbo very downcast, and also rather annoyed.  ‘Come along back to your nice cells, and I will lock you all in again, and you can sit there comfortably and think of a better plan–but don’t suppose I shall ever get hold of the keys again, even if I feel inclined to try.”

Perhaps you see the corollary?  At times, I see myself in the same situation as the dwarves…hearing the Lord’s voice leading me out of a current entrapment with sin…{have you been trapped in sin, sister?}.  Isn’t it easier to remain trapped, than it is to risk freedom, and the treacherous path to get there?  We choose the comfortable, but deadly route, when freedom is right around the corner, beckoning us to come near.  I have chosen my imprisonment far too many times.  

As Christians, we are all moving from death to life, through the process of sanctification; we face trials and circumstances that we would rather avoid. But these very trials (and joys) will be a part of the training ground our Father has planned for us.  What about you?  What lays ahead for you?  May I challenge you to turn your mind to the battle that Christ won on the cross? Galatians 5:1:  “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Freedom is yours dear sister, if you will accept the journey…even if reluctantly, like Bilbo.

Fighting with you,
Ruth

Posted on

Free to Love

My Dearest Sister,

I have noticed in recent years that there is a growing epidemic of what I have decided to call “freedom entitlement.” You have undoubtedly heard the expression “freedom is not free.” Well for some it’s not. Those who value it have given their time, their money, their talents, and their lives all in the name of liberty. They know that they have a responsibility to uphold it. To many others though, particularly my generation, freedom is something that they are born with. It is inherently “theirs” and is as much their right as anyone else’s. And to them it doesn’t mean that they have a responsibility, it means that they can do whatever they want with no restrictions or rules. As long as they don’t physically hurt someone, why should anyone care what they do? It is, after all, a free country, right?

As much as some would like to believe to the contrary, freedom is just not that cut and dry. Even the most important freedom we can have, the liberty from sin that comes with a relationship with Christ, comes with responsibilities. Yes, God did loose ours binds to sin when He sent His Son to die on the cross, but He did not set us free in the world so we could do whatever we want. Romans 6:18 is very clear about this: “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” You and I may have been born again through the grace of God but it doesn’t stop there: God designed salvation as a 180 degree turn around. We are not to keep holding on to that chain of sin nor are we to just stand in one place, unmoving. Instead, we have been called to strive in the opposite direction, toward righteousness.

As you may well have observed, a lot of people who call themselves Christians seem to have this part down. They measure everything in their life by whether or not it is good or pleasing to the Lord. They don’t watch any R rated movies, they don’t drink alcohol, they don’t curse, they wear modest clothing, they read the Bible, they go to every Sunday morning service (and Sunday evening service… and Wednesday Bible study… and Thursday prayer meeting… and so on). They say their prayers before every meal and before bed and first thing in the morning. But you know what? These are the same people that stand on street corners with signs that say “God hates sinners!” and “Repent, or burn in hell!” These are the same people that carelessly judge others, that declare everyone who is not as righteous as they are as inferior and condemned. Do you know what Jesus called these religious kinds of people? Pharisees and hypocrites! Do they not know that Jesus himself ate with sinners? That he listened to their problems and healed them? Jesus has a heart for the lost and if we profess Christ as our Lord, then so should we.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for living a life of righteousness; the Bible calls us to do so. However, leaving sin behind and striving toward holiness is only the first part of the story of our freedom. The second is much deeper. In fact, it’s the very reason Jesus was sent to this earth: Love. That simple four letter word is at the heart of it all and I am amazed at how often we miss it entirely. “For God so loved the world…” remember? Love was the reason Christ died on the cross, and it is the reason God puts up with us every day.   Try as we might, we can never live righteously enough to be worthy of our Father’s affection. He gave it freely. And because He gave it freely to us, so are we to give it freely to others. Galatians 5:13-14 sums it all up very well: “For you brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’.” You see, because love fulfilled the law, we no longer live by the law but by love. It should be the rule by which we measure everything else up against.

So sister, we do have a great freedom in Christ, but with this freedom comes a responsibility. It shouldn’t be used to do whatever we want, and it shouldn’t be used to live a hypocritical life, judging others. It should be used to serve one another with the love this world so desperately needs to see. While striving toward righteousness is important, living to love is imperative! It’s the whole reason God sent his sinless, perfect Son to this earth to be sacrificed for our sins. Love is what loosed our chains and set us free. So embrace your freedom, sister. Live to love!

 

Your liberated sister in Christ,

~ Lauren Titcomb