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According to Wikipedia® “the comfort zone is a behavioral state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk.  A person’s personality can be described by his or her comfort zones. Highly successful persons may routinely step outside their comfort zones, to accomplish what they wish. A comfort zone is a type of mental conditioning that causes a person to create and operate mental boundaries. Such boundaries create an unfounded sense of security.”

“To step outside their comfort zone, a person must experiment with new and different behaviors, and then experience the new and different responses that occur within their environment.”

I think of one particular person in the Bible who dared to step out of his “comfort zone”. That was Abraham.

Genesis 12:1-4 states, “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran”.

By faith Abraham took that first step out of his “comfort zone” and the Lord blessed him and made him famous. This obedience to God’s command led to Abraham being the father of a great nation. His age, possessions, family obligations or afflictions did not hinder him from doing God’s will.

Is God asking you to step out of your “comfort zone”? What is God asking you to do? Where is God asking you to go? What is God asking you to say? If you step out in faith, God will show you the way and provide the resources. Even a baby step can be the beginning of something great in your life. What stepping stones are in your way? After all, your security is in Christ!

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Proverbs 22:6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

What does it mean to train? The dictionary indicates that to train is an order of occurrence leading to some result or an orderly succession. In other words, training is a positive step in rearing a child.

A godly mother has an integral part in teaching her child all the important things in life.  First of all, she will teach her child to remember God, the Creator, above all things. She will also give her child unique and special love and hope that each one will become a personality all their own and enter into a life filled with possibilities.

The incomparable love a mother feels for her child is priceless. How is this love exemplified? She gives . .

• Laughter to a complacent child;
• Optimism to a dubious child;
• Loving discipline to each small misdeed and
• Encouragement to be all they can be.

A mother does a lot of things: teacher, nurse, counselor, chauffeur, cook, and friend; just to name a few.  She expects nothing in return. It is difficult to understand how a mother can keep up the non-stop pace in caring for her child but she does because of her love for her child.

Yes, mother is love!

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Clomp, clomp, clomp!

Have you ever tried to walk in someone’s shoes that are too big for you? What about wearing a person’s shoes that are too small? What does it feel like to walk in a strange pair of shoes?

I have a fairly small foot so putting on other shoes would most likely mean they would be too large. There is much to be said about the phrase, “walking in another’s shoes”.  “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” – Matthew 7:1.  We should not criticize (judge) someone unless we have walked in their shoes. Only after you have been in someone else’s shoes (situation) can you know why they feel or act the way they do.

In any circumstance try to place yourself in another person’s shoes. Has their shoes had to go to places you would not go? Has that person had to spend many hours that day in their shoes helping others or working? Has that individual had some physical or financial setback?

Be slow to find fault! Remain tolerant and understanding and non-judgmental!

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Words are an important part of our daily lives. Words have lots of power. Words can tear down or build up. Words can encourage or discourage.

Proverbs 13:3 NAS states, “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”

Indeed, well-chosen words are a blessing. What about the not so well-chosen words? Are there times when you put your “foot in your mouth”? What would God’s reaction be to you standing on one foot with the other foot crammed in your mouth? Your foot sure is not very tasty, is it? Neither are you able to take those words back once they are uttered. Also, it is difficult to stand in that one-legged position for very long!

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29. Do we like to participate in unwholesome talk through gossip or verbally belittling someone? Is this helpful in building others up? No, we should only utter those words that are uplifting, encouraging and positive. What would someone think if they listened to what we say?

Our goal should be to become more conscious of our words.

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A famous Negro spiritual entitled, “Were You There” asks some very thought-provoking questions. This song is based on the following passage of scripture from Acts 2:23-24: “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.  But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

First, the song asks if you were there when they crucified my Lord? Jesus was there. Pilate was there. But no, you were not there!

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree is the second question. Jesus was there suffering and carrying all the burden of our sins. Mary, his mother, was there enduring the grief and pain of seeing her son go through such suffering. But, yet she knew it was prophesied. Jesus’ disciples were there in total disbelief. A condemned thief was there totally believing in God’s mercy. But no, you were not there!

The next question is if you were you there when they laid Him in the tomb. Jesus was still there after experiencing the agony of torture all bloodied and lifeless. His disciple, Joseph, was there, burying Him. Pilate’s centurion guard was there; however, his attempt to guard against Jesus’ escape was unsuccessful. No, you were not there then either!

Finally, the spiritual asks if you were there when He rose up from the grave. Amidst the rumbling earthquake, you were not there but . . . neither was Jesus. Our Savior had risen! 

Hallelujah, the resurrection of Jesus witnesses the immense power of God himself. To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God. No one would be redeemed from sin had Christ not arose from the grave. Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important to salvation? It demonstrated that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. It proves that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that those who believe in Christ will not remain dead and will be resurrected unto eternal life. We can have that blessed hope. Although we were not physically there, we were there in Jesus’ thoughts and actions. He made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. The resurrection is the triumphant and glorious victory over the grave for every believer.

HE LIVES!!!

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I recently read an article that appeared in the Enrichment Journal entitled, “A Bill of Rights for a Pastor’s Spouse”. This article was written in response to a question asked, “Do you think being a pastor is a benefit or a hazard to your family life?”

As the spouse of a pastor, you may feel like you do not have any rights but you will find after reading this piece that indeed you do. I have linked to the article in its entirety with permission from the publisher. Reflect on each point as you strive to become the best pastor’s spouse that you can be.

Click on link below to access the article “A Bill of Rights for a Pastor’s Spouse”.

http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200603/200603_070_Blahs_sb_rights.cfm

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We are all familiar with a very helpful step when using our computers. I have used this action many times out of frustration. You guessed it. I am talking about “Control/Alt/Delete” or abbreviated “Ctrl/Alt/Del” or better known as the “three-finger salute”. It is a keyboard command that can be used to reboot the computer or more recently to open up the task manager.   It is invoked by pressing the Delete key while holding down the Control and Alt keys. These keys are also sometimes referred to as interrupt keys since they are often used to interrupt the operation of a malfunctioning computer program. The combination of the three keys serves as a real life saver sometimes.

As I recently began to reflect on the use of these keyboard keys, I realized that perhaps this “three-finger salute” could easily apply to my life. I need to learn to demonstrate more self-control. Proverbs 25:28 states, “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”

The dictionary indicates that self-control is the ability to control one’s emotions, behavior, and desires in order to obtain some reward, or avoid some punishment. We are encouraged in God’s Word to have self-control in every area of our life.

Exercising self-control is a vital asset in looking for alternate solutions for life’s problems. Often we are so inward focused that we forget to look for alternative or interchangeable ways to deal with a situation.

I know there are times in my life when I would actually like to press the delete key to eliminate a situation but that is not possible. The delete key can be most successfully utilized by deleting the frustration or circumstance that is causing the stress or tension in the first place.

So these three keys can serve as a reminder for my own life on a daily basis: Control, alternate and delete!

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“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  Proverbs 4:23

The heart is a marvelous machine. It is center of one’s emotions. In the Bible the heart is mentioned more than 800 times, and the word is used to mean our entire emotional nature and understanding – spirit, soul and mind.

Let’s consider some different types of hearts that are necessary if we are to effectively serve the Lord:

1. Clean Heart – David’s heart’s cry in Psalm 51:10 was for God to help him have a clean heart. If we ask, God will empower us through the Holy Spirit to have a heart that is pure and free from guilt and defilement.
2. Tender Heart – Every Christian needs a tender heart. Such a heart is sensitive toward God and is easily moved toward the needs of others (Ephesians 4:32).
3. Perfect Heart – When a heart is fully committed to God, it can be considered a perfect heart (I Kings 8:61).
4. Willing Heart – A willing heart is not reluctant to do or to give. In Exodus 35:5 and Exodus 35:21, the children of Israel willingly brought an abundance of gifts and offerings for the construction of the tabernacle. Their generosity should be an example for us to joyfully bring our gifts of time, money, and talents to the Lord.
5. Merry Heart – Being around those who have a merry heart is delightful. God takes pleasure in those who are happy and cheerful. (Proverbs 15: 13 & 15 and Proverbs 17:22).
6. Loving Heart – A loving heart is a prerequisite for all who seek to be their best for God. A clear command regarding this is given in Matthew 22:37-39.

May each of us desire to bring a clean, tender, perfect, willing, merry and loving heart to the Lord!

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According to the encyclopedia, Silly Putty® is a toy based on silicone polymers which display unusual physical properties. It bounces, but breaks when given a sharp blow and can also flow like a liquid. It contains a viscoelastic liquid silicone, a type of Non-Newtonian fluid, which makes it act as a viscous liquid over a long time period but as an elastic solid over a short time period. It was originally created by accident during research into potential rubber substitutes for use by the United States in World War II.

We all know it is a popular toy for children. Why do the kids like it? Because it can be rolled, smoothed, stretched and patted to fit into tiny crevices and corners, wadded up, reshaped and used over and over again. It will never wear out. If it is dropped, it bounces right back.

How can my Christian life be similar to a piece of putty?

1. I must be willing to be used over and over again and never tire of doing God’s work.
2. I must bounce back from failure, from loss or from disappointment so I can set the example for others who are watching my Christian lifestyle.
3. I must fit into tiny crevices and corners so I can do whatever God wants me to do.
4. I must be willing to be broken as I place all of my cares and concerns before God.
5. I must be “silly” enough to do what God asks me to do even if it sounds “crazy” to others.
6. I must be willing to flow freely as a liquid so I can touch the hearts of those around me who are hurting.

Romans 9:21 states, “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” I want the Master potter (God) to take a lump of clay (me) and create a beautiful vessel to be used for His special purpose.

In other words, I want to be Silly Putty® for Christ.

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As my husband and I were recently on a short out of town trip, I noticed a billboard with the following caption: “Know God / No God”.  The billboard was divided into two parts. The section on the left had a lovely picture which included heavenly things and asked the question “Know God?” The opposite side had a picture of a fire burning intensely (representing hell) and simply stated, “No God!”  What a thought provoking sign. It sure caught my attention.

I would hate to go through life without “knowing Jesus”. God’s Word in I John 5:20 tells us, “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” And also in Acts 13:38 it states, “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”

Both of these passages indicate that we may know Jesus and that He is the only way to heaven.

What happens if we have “no God?” We will be punished and spend eternity in hell. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”  I Thessalonians 1:8

I want to spend my time here on earth knowing God and knowing Him in His fullness. I want every day to count for Him.

A verse that we all learned as children still holds true today. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

My challenge is that you will start out the new year by knowing God!

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