You Can Rejoice. Right Now.

There are a million raindrops on the window.  Each one is like a crystal gem, clear whiteness watching me in little, round faces.  They don't trail down in lines now that the rain has paused.  They only watch.

They see the geese in the yard, playing in the wet grass and having the time of their lives.  The droplets hear thunder still rolling through the air like a bowling ball.  They catch sight of the mist growing on the horizon, the calves with sparkling rain against their dark fur, the puddles that reflect the white-blue of the sky.

The rain is starting to fall again.  I wonder if it smells like petrichor outside - that fresh scent of rain when it first falls.  I love that smell.  Well, I've always thought rainy days were the best, after all.

Maybe it's raining on your house, dear reader.  Or perhaps it's dry, hot.  The sunflowers might be standing tall or they might be falling to the earth under the mist.  But either way, I'm stopping to see the world, pausing before my busy day begins, and rejoicing.  I hope you are too.

Because rejoicing is a decision.  And I'm going to rejoice right now.

One time I tried to study what the Bible says about joy.  It didn't work the way I wanted it to.  I was looking for the "how"... how can I rejoice?  How can it be easier?  How can I find joy in my life?

I laugh now to think of it, because the verses I found were so opposite to what I expected.  On my lined paper, I wrote passages sweeping in cursive lettering, but they all basically said the same theme:

In Your presence is fullness of joy...

- Psalm 16:11

Other verses word it differently.  The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).  We will rejoice in the Lord and in the God of our salvation (Habakkuk 3:18).  His servants will sing for joy of heart (Isaiah 65:14).  There's probably so much more context if you explored the backgrounds of the verses, but over and over again, God stresses the same fact.

There is no "how".  The answer is that those who follow Jesus rejoice.  It's what they do.

It's that simple.

In Jesus, we rejoice.  You can rejoice right here, right now.  Wherever you are, whatever is going on, you can have joy.

God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and that includes joy.  Rejoicing is a decision to turn our eyes upon Jesus instead of focusing on our own situations.

Paul rejoiced while in prison, and he also wrote a book of the Bible that mentioned rejoicing at least 15 times.  That's in only four chapters.  (and yes, please go read Philippians right now - it's packed full of goodness)

Let's be like Paul and,

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

- Philippians 4:4

But what does this look like practically?

For me, it means deciding at the beginning of the day to focus on Jesus.  It means to take everything that happens and turn it into a song of thankfulness.

This morning, I rejoiced in the rain and the thunder.  In throwing dirty laundry in the washer, even if the boys' socks were inside-out.  In the way my little sister's legs crossed over to my side of the bed in her sleep.  In the fact that I was going to get a late start to my day by writing this post.  And in that frog that just croaked close to my window.

I rejoiced.  And I'm still rejoicing.

Because being joyful is a decision, and I am choosing that today.  I often forget and live for myself, but right now, right here, I want to find Jesus.

Even when the stoplight turns red, He is still God.  When accidents happen, headaches come, babies cry, canning jars don't seal right (that totally didn't happen this week).  He is still God.

Being thankful is simply realizing that He is in control.  So we thank Him because every single circumstance is part of His greater plan.

That thing you're afraid of, He put it there for a reason.  Rejoice!

It's okay to be sad, to hurt for a friend, to be broken, but we mustn't stay there.  In His presence in fullness of joy.  Why would we settle for less?

We rejoice in Jesus, not in anything else.  He is Joy.  When our eyes are on Him, nothing else matters.

Choose to rejoice so that you can find more of Jesus.  Seek Him today.  He will be found.

Maybe I'll go play in the rain or do the laundry or pay a visit to the geese still playing in the wet grass.  Maybe I'll visit the rows of sunflowers that bow in the rain; I don't know what my day holds.  But that's okay.  He is always good.  Why wouldn't I rejoice?

And right now, dear friend, you are being loved.  Rejoice!

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;

Let those also who love Your name

Be joyful in You.

- Psalm 5:11

~♥~

Shalom: The Way Things Were Intended to Be

I just finished reading one of the most incredible books I've ever experience.  It made me laugh, cry, dream, and grow in my writing journey.  But most of all, the book made me desire Jesus so, so much more.

So if you get a chance, you must read A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes  (see my full review here - there were slight negative elements I caution about in the review).  It's easily my second favorite fictional book (nothing can beat Narnia, sorry).  But the message is continuing to hit me, even after the book is done.  So that's this post.  I want to share what impacted me.  It might have spoilers.  It might not make sense.  It might be a lot like last week's post.

But I need to put my heart on paper (or in blog form).  Here it is.

The book centers on one word.  A word that changed the way I see the world.

Shalom.

And Nadine offers a definition.

Shalom - wholeness and completeness in God.  The way things were intended to be.

Read it.  And read it again.

That is that I desire most right now.  Wholeness and completeness in God.  The way things were intended to be.

 Shalom.

It brings me back to Eden.  I've read Genesis 2-3, praying through the chapters and begging to find what we lost in the fall.

Because once upon a time, we lived with Christ.  The world was full of shalom.  It was the way things were intended to be.  We walked, talked, served, loved God.  There was no pain, no tears, no sin.  We just loved and were loved.

But that was lost.  We chose to break shalom and live for ourselves.  And even today, I see those little fragments of shalom around me.

I walk in our woods and see the towering trees reaching up to Heaven, their leaves praising God with every fleeting breeze.  The creek dances and sings a melody, schools of fish dash from my feet, leap around rocks, hide under dark crevices.  Flowers bloom.  Sun shines.  Shadows twirl.

It's shalom.

But then I go back to the world.  I see neighbors slamming doors, raising fists.  I hear arguments and selfishness in our voices, trash thrown out on the sides of the road, confusion that burns within me.

It's shalom that was broken by sin.

All throughout A Time to Die, I saw the picture over and over again.  I saw glimpses of God's beauty, but there was also pain and brokenness.  That's why the book changed the way I see the world.

I don't want to live a normal Christian life.  I don't want to be like the rest of the world, because I want to find shalom - wholeness and completeness in Christ.

And sometimes I'm afraid that I'll become content and stagnant.  I don't want to grow comfortable and stop reaching for the prize I'm longing for.

But how can I find shalom when it's been so altered, so broken by the world?  Do I have to wait until Heaven to find the way things were intended to be?

Like I posted last week, I believe the problem comes when I seek shalom (or love or joy or anything) for itself.  I can't find it.  I can't attain it.

But Jesus is Shalom.

He is wholeness and completeness.  He is the way things were intended to be.

Jesus left the shalom in Heaven to become our Shalom on earth.  He healed the sick, loved the unlovable, rescued the captive.  He gave everything so that we could live.

My desire is to draw close to Him.  To find my wholeness and completeness in Jesus.  I want to return to the way things were intended to be back in Eden, when we were intimate with our Creator.

But I also want to become shalom to others.  I want to help them draw closer to Him and to discover who they were truly created to be.  I'm not worried about my future because He promised to complete it.

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

- Philippians 1:6

I hope you also are seeking this greater calling.  We don't know how long our lives will extend, but He has a purpose.  He has a calling for your life.

He will complete it, and you can find shalom in Him when you get serious and want Him more than anything else.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

- Matthew 7:7-8

Jesus will be found if you search for Him with all your heart.

Dear friend, seek Shalom - Jesus -  and don't ever lose sight of who He is.  Surrender every day to His calling.  Then you will find the way things were intended to be.

Eden was beautiful and perfect, but we broke that.  I want to go back to intimacy with God where we walk and talk with Him, where our lives revolve around Him, and He is our purpose.

So that's what I learned from A Time to Die.  Life has a purpose even in the brokenness because God has a plan.

Seek Jesus, and Shalom will be found, dear friend.

Seek the Lord while He may be found,

Call upon Him while He is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way,

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

Let him return to the Lord,

And He will have mercy on him;

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

- Isaiah 55:6-7

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

-Hebrews 11:6

 ~♥~

Don't Look For Joy; Seek Jesus

I'm looking out the window to where our driveway meets the road.  The pasture fence branches off, and a handful of cows are lounging in the sun and dew-drenched grass.  There are birds savoring the morning air.  Three crape myrtil bushes watch the animals as the leaves erupt in flowers of crimson and pink.  Summer air.  Warmth.  Color.

And it all reminds me of what God has been teaching me this past week.  There, out of the window, is a little piece of Jesus' beauty.  A little piece of the Eden we lost in the fall.  Maybe a little piece of Heaven.  But whatever it is, when I set my eyes on it, I can't help but breathe, "Thank you, Jesus."

Recently, that snippet of a prayer has been my 11 year old sister's most common phrase.  She walks around the house saying, "thank you, Jesus" about every thirty seconds.  At first it annoyed me.  How could she be so thankful all the time?

But then it hit me.  The problem was with me - that I didn't have the same heart of thankfulness.  I focus so much on what's not going the way I plan that I miss the beauty of Jesus.

When it's all been about Him anyway.

But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

- Colossians 3:14-15

 That's what I've been learning:  love.  peace.  thankfulness.  joy.

The problem is that when I try hardest to grasp them, that's when they slip through my fingers most easily.  It's because I'm seeking the gifts.  Not the Giver.

And when we seek Jesus, the priceless fruits of the Spirit are given freely to us.  No, life doesn't become perfect so we can have joy and thankfulness.  Instead, we grasp onto love, peace, and the rest because we have Jesus no matter what life looks like.

Joy comes only through Jesus (this blog post is so encouraging!).  So does love, peace, and thankfulness.  They are possible in every circumstance because Jesus is always faithful.

Which is why I've been trying to stop, be still, and know that He is God.  I've said that before, but it's so easy to lose sight and fall back into routine.  So I'm doing it again.

Dear friend, stop right now.  Look outside the window, open your ears to the sounds dancing through the air, let yourself be still.  And find Jesus.

I see Him right now in the beauty of the crape myrtils.  I hear His love through the music wrapping around me through the computer speakers.  I feel Him in the smooth pages of my Bible as my elbow rests upon it.  The sweet note made by a 7 year old's fingers that has a heart and I love you.  The brother who scribbles in his school book beside me.  The sound of late siblings finally finishing their breakfast.  That song that pops up and makes me stop everything to just sing.

*forces myself to stop singing and continue writing*

There's just so much Jesus when we open our eyes to His beauty and grace.  So many gifts.  So much Love.

And then I realize that He also gives us the chance to become that Love.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

 - Ephesians 5:1-2

I'm just overwhelmed.  Overwhelmed by the beauty He gives us.  And amazed that we can be a part of it.

Maybe tomorrow I'll forget again.  But right now, I'm thankful.  And, like my little sister, I just want to say, "thank you, Jesus."

What little pieces of Himself do you see?  Do you abide in Christ?  Because then, only then will you discover the truth of love, peace, thankfulness, and joy.

Dear friend, see His Love.  And be His Love.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

- Colossians 3:1-2 

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

- Colossians 3:17

~♥~

When You're Dry, Press On

Dear Friend who is feeling dry,

I want to tell you a story.  Because I've been right where you are.

Once upon a time, one of my mentors shared an analogy from a movie called Big Hero 6 (a very cute movie, by the way).  The main character, Hiro, meets this big, marshmallow-like robot named Baymax.  At first, Hiro is not impressed.  It takes him a while to even want to converse with Baymax, much less see him as anything more than a weird creation.

But the story goes on.  Twists, dangers, adventures.  And in the end, Hiro sees things from a totally different perspective.  (spoiler alert)

Baymax ends up having to sacrifice his life for Hiro.  In a dramatic moment, they are face to face as Hiro is forced to give up his robot friend.  All in that handful of seconds, Hiro realizes how much Baymax means to him.  And Hiro is shattered because he can't say the words to let Baymax leave.

The relationship went from ground zero to this touching, heart-felt moment that makes me want to cry.

And after the mentor shared the movie clips, I did cry.  I cried because I wanted what Hiro found - I wanted to love Jesus that much.  I wanted to have that close, personal relationship with Him.  Jesus sacrificed Himself for me, and I wanted to just have Him tight against my heart, never letting go, never saying the words to let Him leave me.

And now, several years later, I still savor those memories.  I'm not the person I used to be though.  In some ways, I'm like Hiro.  I cried and begged to be closer to Jesus.  And I am.

There are still times of dryness.  Sometimes I struggle because He feels distant.  But all the time I know that I. have. Jesus.  And I just can't let Him go, because He is so precious to me.

But those times of dryness come.  They hurt.  We become desperate.

The Bible tells us what to do.

Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat...

Incline your ear, and come to Me.

Hear, and your soul shall live;

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you...

Seek the Lord while He may be found,

Call upon Him while He is near.

- Isaiah 55: 1, 3, 6

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, says the Lord.

- Jeremiah 29:12-14

Did you find it?  When we want Jesus so desperately, the answer is there:  seek.

Even if you don't feel the emotions.  Even if love feels like some action you do without the warmth and joy.

Keep going.  Keep loving.  Keep reading your Bible, worshiping, praying.  Dedicate every day to find Him and worship Him with your life.

Just keep seeking.  He will be found.

And remember - the Christian life isn't about gaining anything.  It's about giving ourselves to Jesus, letting Him rule our lives, giving Him the pen of our future because He loves us that much.  The Gospel isn't us gaining salvation.  It's Him giving it.

But when you're struggling and feel distant, He still hears us.  He still loves us.  And if we push aside distractions and seek Him solely, He promises to be found.

It reminds me of a favorite verse,

The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,

And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.

- Isaiah 35:1

It later says that there will be springs in the desert, and the parched ground will become a pool.  It's a picture of this dry, barren land that bursts into a lush, beautiful oasis.

It's us.  Christ can turn our dryness into a pool if we release our hold and let Him write the story of our lives.

It might not be the pool we're expecting.  They'll be hardships, trials, struggles.  But Christ is faithful.

So friend, don't ever give up.  Sometimes we're in the desert, but Jesus can turn our dry, blistered land into an oasis of hope and life.  Open your heart to Him and seek Him with all.

Maybe, like the movie Big Hero 6, you'll find that all the twists in life only drew you closer into Jesus' arms.  And I pray you, like Hiro, come to realize the priceless treasure you have in Jesus and Him alone.

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,

And come to Zion with singing,

With everlasting joy on their heads.

They shall obtain joy and gladness,

And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

- Isaiah 35:10

~♥~ 

Why Self-Love is so Dangerous

I walk across the gravel driveway beside my 4-year-old sister.  Her fingers are wrapped in mine.  Grabbing shoes is much too hard, so instead we limp across the sharp rocks and laugh as they poke our bare-feet.  The sun shines hot, but a breeze pushes away the sweat that clings to our faces.  When we reach my sister's favorite place, I turn to climb up the ladder.  Slides and swings, monkey-bars and climbing walls are before us.  My sister's face lights up.

"Baby T," I call her by her special nickname, smiling as I ask her a question, "how can someone be happy?"

She's clamoring across the playground and doesn't even look at me.  "We just do whatever we want."

I chew on my cheek as we start playing, because her answer is so simple, yet so wrong.  It's the reason why Christians often become self-focused.  And it's the opposite of what God calls us to do.

Somehow, my 4-year-old sister already believes in self-love and is falling to its dangers.

The Definition


Self-love has many different definitions, but it comes down to the same overarching theme:  "the desire for one’s own happiness and well-being, the love of self."

In short, self-love is when we choose to focus on ourselves.  It's akin to selfishness and something we'll probably fight for the rest of our lives if we choose to live for Christ.

And it is the opposite of what the Bible teaches.

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’"

- Matthew 22:37-39

First - love God.  And second - love others.  There's not a third option.

Advocates of self-love claim that, “in order to be able to truly love another person, a person first needs to love oneself…” (see this article). But the Bible states that we love others because He loves us (John 13:34-35). It all stems from our relationship with Christ.

So where does self-love come in?  How does "me time" fit into the Gospel?

I don't believe it does.


The Truth

Recently, I've been reading Mark, and a particular theme has caught my attention.  Over and over again Jesus taught His disciples the truth to greatness.  And they continually forgot and failed.

"If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

- Mark 9:35 

"Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

- Mark 10:43-45

The Gospel is about sacrificial love.  It's about a love so profound that we would give our lives for it. It's about a King who left His throne to save us because He loved us that much. We become servants.

We become last so that we can find a treasure so much greater.

Dear Friend, we'll be hated and persecuted for His name (Matthew 10:22).  Being a Christian isn't about being safe.  It's not about sitting in our comfort zones with our Bibles.  If we live, we live to the Lord (Romans 14:8).  Not for ourselves.  Not for our safety or comfort or pleasure.

Self-love tears our eyes off of our eternal goal.  Christians are to live in humility as servants of God.  We're supposed to live radically yet be willing to get no reward, no honor, no name.  Because Christ is enough.

That doesn't mean we go the other extreme and hate ourselves.  This is not what Christ has for us!  Rather, followers of Christ should see themselves as Christ does.  We are redeemed.  We are beloved.  We are His special treasures.  Friend, you are made in the very image of God, and Christ loves you so much that He literally left everything to die for you.  There isn't a greater romance than that!

Your flaws, your weaknesses, your fear, none of them can separate you from the love of God.  Don't ever give up.  You are so loved.

But don't let that distract you from our true purpose.  Yes, we are treasured, but if we understand what that love really means, it will push us to sacrifice ourselves and live completely for Him  (read Philippians 2:3-4)  Loving ourselves can keep us from the radical plans God has for us.


Real Life

So what does this look like practically?

There are many forms of self-love:  "me time", pushing aside ministry because it's draining, binging on social media, books, or movies, focusing on our appearances.

Christ calls us to greater things.

Yesterday, I found myself falling to selfishness without even realizing it.  I had the chance to spend my evening loving my siblings or doing a sewing project by myself.  And I chose the latter.

It's not that being alone is wrong.  The problem is that I chose to serve myself.  I wasn't loving anyone other than me.  I wasn't sewing to love Christ more; I did it merely to produce something for myself.

On the contrary, in Christ we find our rest and satisfaction in spending time with Him and in serving with Him.  We read, watch movies, speak words, and live every aspect of life to bring Him glory.

It's okay to relax and take a break, but make sure that every thing you do is done to bring a smile to His face.  We aren't Christians one minute and ourselves the next.  We are either all in or all out.  And when we are drained, I've discovered that Jesus is truly all we need.

Look to Jesus for your joy.  Not anything else.

Self-love is rejecting Jesus and putting "me" on the throne of your heart.  It turns you into an idol.

Dear Friend, I challenge you to wake up every morning and live to promote Jesus.  Live to love Jesus and others.  Being happy doesn't come from doing whatever you want, like my little sister thought on the playground or like I exhibited when I chose sew instead of love my siblings.  Joy comes from turning your eyes upon Jesus.

So what about you?  Is self-love something you struggle with?  How can we change our focus from ourselves to Jesus?  Or perhaps you disagree with my thoughts here; do you find examples of self-love promoted in the Bible?  Let's discuss together in the comments.

And if you're wanting to study deeper, here are two articles I recommend:

What does the Bible say about self-love, loving self?

5 Reasons I'm Ditching the "Me Time" Mentality

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

- Romans 12:1

~♥~