Category - Confession

1
Sinking
2
One Year Later

Sinking

I’m sinking!   I opened my mouth to scream for help and there was no one in sight. My body was almost waist deep in sand.   Waves were crashing all around me.

What began as a casual walk along the beach in the early morning hours was turning into a nightmare.   As the tide had gone out, pools of water had formed between the dry hard sand and the ocean.  What appeared to be hard wet sand was an illusion.

Holding my cellphone in one hand over my head, I threw the upper half of my body into the shallow pool of water and wiggled my way out and then begin to crawl onto the dry packed sand.

When I finally stood up, I began to laugh and cry tears of thanksgiving. 

Even though I was wet and covered in sand, I was determined to finish my walk.  As I did, the Lord brought Matthew 7:26 to my mind:  “But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”

Defensively I replied in my heart, “Lord, I am building my life on you.”  His response, “Go examine your life against my Word.”  The Lord never wants us to live our life in comparison to anyone else’s.   His standard for our lives is to be His word, not our neighbor, our friend, our family, or even our pastor.   Jesus’ life and His words are to be our plumb line, the tool in which we keep our lives aligned to God’s standards and not the world’s standards.  (Isaiah 28:16-17 and Amos 7:7-8)  When we measure ourselves against others, it’s an illusion, not a true standard.

Upon returning to the beach house where I was staying.  I sat down and opened His word.

Jesus uses the parable of building your house on either the rock or sand as the closing illustration of one of His most powerful sermons, Matthew 5-7.  Many refer to this sermon as “The Sermon on the Mount” because Jesus chose to preach sitting down on a mountainside as crowds of people were listening.

As I read through these chapters, the Holy Spirit began to speak clearly to my heart and convict me of areas in my life.   One of those areas is worry/anxiety.  “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:34  The Greek word “worry” means to be “torn in two.”  When I worry, I am choosing to reject Christ as trustworthy and my mind is dependent on others or myself to solve problems.   My heart becomes divided.

Jesus doesn’t say not to worry when there is no more pandemic and a vaccine is found, or when the right political leaders are elected, or there is plenty of money in my bank account, or when all of my kids and grandkids have no problems.   Jesus says, stop worrying!   He says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) Care more about advancing His kingdom than my own kingdom.

Lord, forgive me!   Take my hand and pull me out of the sand and set my feet on you, the Rock. 

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.”  Psalm 40:2-3

Do you feel as if you are sinking today? Is something or someone slowly pulling you under?  Does it seem as though our nation is slowing sinking?

Take a moment today to open God’s word to Matthew 5-7.  Ask the Lord to align your life to His word.  If there is any area of your life that is not set on His words, acknowledge it as sin, ask Him for forgiveness, and then choose to set your feet on the only one who will not sink!

One Year Later

It was a year ago that Preacher and I stood on the stage of a mega church in front of thousands of people and said our good-byes as their Senior Pastor and his wife.   It was a bittersweet day for me. Bitter because I truly loved being a senior pastor’s wife, and sweet because we were saying “Yes” to the Lord by choosing obedience to a new calling on our lives……..serving Him through Life Action Ministry.  

This past year has been a roller coaster of emotions for me as God has both revealed things to me about myself and reminded me of truths through the lives of those serving Life Action.  

  • Confession:   Being the senior pastor’s wife caused me to become an addict – I have confessed these addictions before the Lord and He has graciously forgiven me.  My addictions: Attention and Power.  If my addictions have ever offended you,  please forgive me. Years under the spotlight caused me to lose sight of the sixteen year old girl who humbly walked down an aisle,  took a pastor’s hand and committed her life to serve the Lord. No human being should ever be placed on the throne that only has room for One – Christ.
  • Truth: Servanthood    People working at Life Action are among God’s choice servants.   Their lives are characterized by what Life Action calls our six responses to God:   Humility, Honesty, Repentance, Forgiveness, Obedience, and Seeking God’s Kingdom First.  Over and over I have witnessed these six responses demonstrated in their lives. Women who choose to raise a family in a RV nine months out of year as they serve churches across the USA.   Communicators and musicians so gifted that they could serve the Lord from any stage, yet choose to serve churches of various sizes so that they may experience a reviving work of God’s presence.  
  • Confession:   When we walked away from the mega church, we also walked away from a very large salary.  Although our church agreed to support us for a season, we were walking toward a “no salary” position.  In other words, we had to raise our own support. We became full-time missionaries. The Lord used this as a reminder of the commitment I had made to him when I was sixteen – a commitment to serve Him as a missionary.  He had been preparing me for this for forty years. I was in a completely new situation – sitting with someone and sharing with them about our new adventure and asking them to support us financially. This proved to be quite a challenge for me, but through it God taught me humility and reminded me that He was always my True Provision.   
  • Truth:  Faith     People at Life Action are people of faith.   This past year I have witnessed families who live on very limited budgets, yet do not hesitate to sacrificially to give to others in need.  There are families who adopt children that the world would cast aside. Grumbling and complaining are rare while praying is a way of life.

Our mission at Life Action is “to inspire your next Yes to God.”   When we say “yes” to something, it usually requires us saying “no” to something else.   This past year I have said “Yes” by following Him in obedience and it did require me saying “no” to pride, control, selfishness and bitterness.    God has begun a new work in my heart and I am so grateful to Him and to Life Action Ministry.

My prayer for you today is that you will choose to “Say YES to God.”   Is He asking you to forgive someone? Is He asking you to be honest with yourself and admit you are addicted to something…power, attention, food, gossip, a negative attitude, or maybe social media?   

This past weekend I hiked up to Grotto Falls in the Smoky Mountains.  As I observed the rushing water flow over the rocks into the pool below, the Lord whispered into my heart “Refreshment comes when you confess your sin and turn to me.”    Sin is choosing our way over God’s way. Are you choosing to do life your way and not God’s way?

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”  Acts 3:19

If Life Action or I can serve you or your church in any way, it would bring us great joy.  Preacher’s motto during this last year has been: “I am just His servant.” I just love that man!  So excited to serve alongside him at Life Action as a servant to the Most High God!

www.lifeaction.org

 

 

Copyright © 2015. Website design by Girl on the Roof.