Everyday a Celebration

"This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Do you remember singing this song as a kid? I know I do. It's one of the first songs I sang to my girls when they were little. I've sung this song either out loud or in my head a thousand times or more, but until recently, I never really thought about what the words meant. The words come from the Bible in Psalm 118:24. This verse isn't a suggestion or a rosy contemplation but a command. Each day we have been given by God is a gift, something to be glad about.
 I tend to be a very negative, glass half empty kind of a person. I don't like discomfort, boredom, or bad weather. I like things to go MY way. Obviously this is completely unrealistic, but it doesn't stop me from grumbling anyways. I came across Psalm 118:24 in a devotional I've been reading, and the message spoke directly to my negative Nancy heart. The devotional is written as God speaking to you. Telling you what He is trying say to us through scripture. "Begin the day with open hands of faith, ready to receive all that I am pouring into this brief portion of your life. Be careful not to complain about anything, even the weather, since I am the Author of your circumstances.The best way to handle unwanted situations is to thank me for them." (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, pg.106) A light bulb went on in my heart when I read those words. Here I saw every unwanted situation as an excuse to grumble when, ironically, it was the exact time to be thankful! The devotion went on to say that when we receive each day in faith in God's control of it, then and only then will we see the good He will bring from it. This news rocked my world! How many good things have I been missing all these years by following my natural tendency to complain? When I love and trust Jesus, each day truly is a gift. It may not be the good that I want, like sunshine and roses, but it will be good. God is more interested in my heart fully belonging to Him than He is in whether I get to play outside in the sunshine. So if he has to use some gray skies to get me there, He'll do it. He has an eternity of sunshine waiting for me on the other side of this life. If I know an eternity of blissful joy in the presence of Jesus awaits me, I have reason to rejoice every day, even in the worst of circumstances.
Take time today to join me in meditating on how good God is and all the things He has given us to be thankful for today. If you don't yet know our awesome Lord, I encourage you to find a Bible and read the book of John or even the Psalms. I would love to tell you more about Him to if you are interested. 
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

Whose in Control, Anyways?

I don't know if I've mentioned this before or not, but one of my biggest fears is growing old and still having to battle anxiety or that it will be worse. One of my reasons for this fear is because my mom is a lot like me but worse, and in her opion, getting worse as the years go on. This reality has made me feel hopeless at times because, if my mom's anxiety and nervousness is getting worse, why won't the same be true for me?
But then this weekend, my mom made a comment that gave me a glimmer of hope that I might fare better than her after all. Some how we got to talking about how some people like to be home and don't feel like they need or even want to be out and about all the time, unlike us. We are both social creatures who thrive on being around others and being busy. We don't understand people like my husband and father who have no problem sitting around the house for a couple of days with nothing going on. My mom said "Like a few weeks ago when the power was out we couldn't go anywhere for a day or two and I thought I was going to go crazy." I said "Well that's one thing we both need to work on because it causes us anxiety," or something to that effect anyways. My mom replied "I wish I could."

Now before I explain how this comment made me feel hopeful, let me explain a change that has occured in me over this past year. Normally I would have never said or even recongnized that this was a problem that needed fixing but rather something I was stuck with and couldn't change. But God mercifully opened my eyes this year to see that this was a false belief. There is relatively very little I have control over, but the one thing I can control is how I react to things. I am not a helpless victim to my thoughts and attitudes but rather I can choose to be master over them. In fact one of my greatest sources of anxiety has been the very subject my mom and I were discussing. My security has been tied up in how busy my social calendar is or isn't. I often exhausted myself and girls constantly trying to keep us busy. Since I grew up being taught that who I am is tied up in how busy I am or am not, I thought that if we had to stay home because we had nothing going on that meant I was big loser with a capital "L" pasted on my forhead. Thankfully through the Bible and the wise words of my husband, friends, and counselor I learned that this wasn't true. It's o.k. to not have something going on all the time. It's o.k. to be at home with "nothing" to do. My identity is in Christ and what he did for me on the cross, not in my social calendar. I also learned that this is something I choose. I have to choose to be content at home. It doesn't come naturally for me like it does my husband or friends. I have to choose it. When we have nothing going on for a couple of days and my natural instinct is to rush to find some way to fill them, I have to stop and ask the Lord to help me be content and to show us how to spend our time at home. He never lets me down. I almost always get through what I feared might be a boring day not regretting having tried to fill it up. Again, I have to choose to look at the day on the bright side or otherwise I am in danger of feeling like I'm going to go crazy. I've also learned though that a little boredom now and then never hurt anyone. In fact, it reminds me to pray for those stuck in a prison cell with nothing to do but pace or look at the walls.
Anyways, back to my mom's comment. The reason I have hope is because unlike my mom, I have learned that I can control how I react. Like Paul, I too can be content in any and every situation because of Christ who strengthens me. My mom hasn't figured that out yet. She still thinks she's stuck with no hope of changing because it is up to the outside forces not her whether or not she goes crazy. This is the line that seperates us. If you remember from my previous post, I quoted John Piper who said this very attitude is anti Gospel. If we still see ourselves as helpless victims of our sin and incapable of change, then we haven't met Jesus. Or if we have, we don't believe Him.
I want to leave you with this encouragement. This is the Gospel message: In Christ, we are no longer enslaved to sin(bad habbits, bad thoughts, etc...) but we have been set free. By the power of His spirit, we no longer have to obey our flesh, but we have been set free to follow in Christ's footsteps and become a new person.

Here are some verses to check out and ponder.
Romans 6:6-7
Philippians 4:11-13
Romans 6:4
2Cor. 2:14

Goals and My New Year's Resolution

Yesterday I posted about how my new year's resolution was to establish some goals. Well after writing that post I decided to do a little research on goals, and I came across some interesting articles on how it is actually better NOT to have goals. These writers claimed that goals actually limit us and are more like harsh task masters than helpers. To read more about what these authors had to say on not having goals, click here.
I found this information very interesting and rather freeing. It also got me thinking about whether goals are biblical or not. If you think about it, most of the goals people set are wordly in nature. They have nothing to do with eternity future. In fact the only time the word "goal" is mentioned in the Bible is in Philippians 3:14 "I press on toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."(ESV translation) Our main goal is to know, love, and serve Christ. Of course this can include setting various temporal goals, but my point is as long as Christ is our main goal, the rest is details.

So the reason I started thinking about goals in the first place is because I thought maybe it would help me be less anxious and more content.  But after my research I've decided that the goal I need to work toward this year is this: take life as it comes. I need to learn to take what I'm given and work with it. Most of my anxiety stems from worrying about what I have no control over. So my goal this year is to focus on what I do have control over and leave the rest to God. Also I want to dwell on the little things I can be thankful for during bad days. So often I spend my time dwelling on what's going wrong instead of what is going right. Basically my goal is become an optimist. This will all be easier said than done, but I was encouraged to read this by John Piper:
         " The message of Christmas is that whatever is evil and undesirable in your life can be changed. Wherever people say about their bad habits, “That’s just the way I am; you’ll have to get used to it,” the message of Christmas has been rejected. It’s as though the AAA truck pulls up to your dead car and you say, “Ah, it’s no use, that’s just the way this car is.” And you don’t even let him hook up his cables. The message of Christmas is the jumper cable between God and your life. And the power that flows is the power to change." (To read the whole article, click here)

My being anxious about what I can't control and being discontent and unthankful with what I've been given is sin, but the good news of the Gospel is that I can change by the power of Christ who works within me. As Paul says in Philippians 3, I must forget the bad habbits of the past and press on to my new goal of being Christlike. I'm sure I will struggle with anxiety and discontent for the rest of my life, but I don't have to be ruled by it anymore. This is good news.

Whether or not you made goals or resolutions for the new year or not, know this: if you are in Christ, you are no longer enslaved to sin. Without Him, you will die in your sin and spend eternity paying for it. Make knowing Jesus your ultimate goal this year! You won't regret it.

Happy New Year!

Another new year is upon us. It seems like it was only a short time ago we were celebrating the beginning of 2012. Time really does fly the older we get.
With the beginning of  new year, comes new resolutions to do better, accomplish more. I've never been one to make new year's resolutions myself. It seems to me that most people never make it to the end of the year as resolved to do what they set out to do at the beginning of the year. I personally never have been able to come up with anything to resolve to do better at. Sure I need to improve on things just like anyone else, but I guess I've never felt the need to set goals in order to acheive it. I've read in various books that goal setting people are happier because they have something to work for. The mind opperates better when it has something to work on. Maybe that's why I have so many issues with anxiety and discontent. I never have any goals. But as I sit here writing this, I still can't think of a single goal I want to accomplish this year.  So I guess I do have a new year's resolution this year. To have some goals to work toward. There, I, Katie Mitchell, resolve to develop some goals to work toward. We'll see if at the end of this year I was able to come up with some goals and in turn, become less anxious and more content. This should be an interesting experiment.
What about you? Do you make new year's resolutions? Have a you ever done what you resolved to do?

The Word of God Proves True

This past week I have been struggling once again with anxiety. I stuggle with the constant fear that the medicine I am on will stop working and I will be stuck back in the same pit again. Last night I had trouble sleeping because I had butterflies in my stomach and my heart rate kept speeding up. I'm not sure if this was because I was feeling anxious about not being able to fall asleep and then started to fear that something was wrong with my heart, or if my fear that the medicine is no longer helping is coming true. Either way, I got up this morning feeling completely defeated and hopeless. On top of anxiety I struggle with a very pessimistic outlook on life.
While I was sitting at the breakfast table feeling sorry for myself, I was reminded of what the pastor spoke on this Sunday (we listen to Grace Baptist's sermons online on Sundays). He talked about how we know God's promises but often don't live like we believe in them. He quoted Psalm 5 where David lays out his request before God in the morning and watches to see how God will keep his promise to him. So I prayed for God to give me hope and some kind of encouragement to get through the day. As I prayed this, I sensed God telling to expect to hear from my good friend Mary. Sure enough when I checked my e-mail this morning, there was a message from Mary. She quoted Romans 8:1 to me and said that it was encouraging to her that because of Jesus we are no longer stuck in our sin or held in bondage to it, and that she was praying for me.
This afternoon I was feeling hopeless and discouraged and once again my faithful God brought to mind more of his word to encourage my heart. Psalm 139:11-12 is a passage I've been memorizing lately and it's meaning finally sunk in. My situation seems dark and hopeless to my finite human mind but to God it is as bright as the sun. He is not up in heaven wringing his hands in despair wondering what on earth to do now about poor Katie. God is never discouraged or in despair over our problems. He is sovereign over them and uses them for our good (Romans 8:28). In fact our trials are given to us by God to teach us not to rely on ourselves but on Him who raises the dead (2 Cor. 1:9-10).
He also brought Psalm 42 to my attention. The Psalmist is reminding himself that in his despair he must put his hope in God. He says "My soul is downcast within me;therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar." When we are feeling hopeless, we remind ourselves of God's faithfulness to us and his people in the past. This is what gives us the hope to go on. That he will once again bring us out of the valley and put us back on the moutain.
So I followed David's example and asked to see God's promises realized in me, that they would be made more sure in my heart and He did. I don't know what the future holds or how I will sleep tonight, but I know that my faithful God will be with me. He is my stronghold and the rock on which I stand. I leave you with these encouraging words from Isaiah.
         Isaiah 41:10 "fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will stengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

The promises of God

I recently watched a very encouraging video on the Desiring God blog (Krista Horning's Testimony) in which the speaker spoke from a list of verses she had memorized to remind her of the truth of what God has promised us. Krista was born with a disability and has wrestled with accepting it her whole life. Her parents and pastor encouraged her at a young age to dig deep into the word to see what God had to tell her about her disability. I don't have the disability that she does but sometimes my anxiety can feel disabling. It is so easy to get caught up in the lies my mind tells me that I often forget the truth of God's word. Inspired by Krista's testimony, I decided to make my own list of God's promises to go to when I feel discouraged and afraid.

God tells me in His word.....
1.He is in control of everything, including my health and well-being. (Ex. 4:11)
2. He hasn't given me a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-control (IITim. 1:7)
3. I can have confidence in Him because He is faithful. (IITim 1:12)
4. No evil will befall me. Psalm 91:9-10
5. I am not alone (Is. 43:1-3).
6. His grace is enough (IICor. 12:9-10)
7. He tells me I have hope. Romans 5:3-4
8. He is a better possesion than anything I could have on earth (Heb. 10:34)
9. I am to walk by faith and not by sigth (or emotions). 2Cor. 5:7
10. God can give me more real, reliable, and wonderful things than what I can see with my eyes. Heb. 11:1
11. God's promises are more trustworthy than my natural perceptions Prov. 3:5-6
12. I have been given everything I need to live a godly life (2Peter 1:3-5).
13. The greatness of His power toward me cannot be measured. (Eph. 1:18-19)
14. The life to come will be far better than even the best day here on earth. (Phil. 1:21-23, Psalm 84:10)
15. He is my confidence. Prov. 3:25-26
16. I can face anything because He is with me. (Psalm 18:28-32)
17. Affliction is necessary to help me see Him more clearly and to learn his ways. (Psalm 119:67, 71-72)
18. I can get through any situation because He will give me His strength. (Phil. 4:11-13)
19. I have nothing to fret about because I have been spared from the day of His wrath (Psalm 37:7-8)
20. Hardships on earth prepare me for the uncomparable glory that awaits me when I see Jesus face to face. 2Cor. 4:17

I hope that you are encouraged by my list to search out God's word yourself for his great and precious promises that will carry you through all of life's trials. I pray that you will remind yourself daily of His truth so that you can stand against the lies of your mind and the schemes of the devil.

Debunking Bad Theology

The past couple of months I have been reading the book Christless Christianity by Michael Horton. It has been a fascinating and eye opening read. I knew that I had been taught a lot of bad theology when I was growing up, but I didn't know the extent of it till I read this book.  Probably the most striking realization this book brought about for me is understanding what the Biblical role of the church is. I grew up being taught that the church was a place to serve. I was to have low expectations of the pastor and his messages since my spiritual growth was entirely my responsibility. If I felt disappointed with the church services and Bible studies, well that was because I came with the expecation to get when it should have been to give, not because the preaching or study was lacking in depth. Can anyone relate to this? It wasn't until a year ago or so, and now in reading Christless Christianity, that I became aware that this teaching was completely wrong. Below is an exert that I just read last night that demonstrates the difference between the church mentality I grew up with and a Biblical church mentality.
           
               Imagine two scenarios of church life. In the first, God gathers his people together in a convenant event to judge and to justify, to kill and to make alive. The emphasis is on God's work for us - the Father's gracious plan, the Son's saving life, death, and resurrection, and the Spirit's work of bringing life to the valley of dry bones through the proclamation of  Christ. The preaching focuses on God's work in the history of redemption from Genesis through Revelation, and sinners are swept into this unfolding drama. Trained and ordained to mine the riches of Scripture for the benefit of God's people, ministers try to push their own agendas, opinions, and personalities to the background so that God's Word will be clearly proclaimed. In this preaching, the people once again are simply receivers - recipients of grace. Similarly, in baptism, they do not baptize themselves; they are baptized. In the Lord's Supper, they do not prepare and cook the meal; they do not contribute to the fare; but they are guests, who simply enjoy the bread of heaven. As this gospel creates, deepens , and inflames faith, a profound sense of praise and thanksgiving fills hearts, leading to good works among the saints and in the world throughout the week. Having been served by God in the public assembly, the people are then servants of each other and their neighbors in the world. Pursuing their callings in the world with vigor and dedication, they win the respect of outsiders. Because they have been served well themselves - especially by pastors, teachers, elders, and deacons - they are able to share the Good news of Christ in well - informed and natural ways. And because they have been relieved of numerous burdens to spend all of their energy on church - related ministries thoughout the week, they have more time to serve their families, neighbors, and coworkers in the world.
              In the second scenario, the church is its own subculture, an alternative community not only for weekly dying and rising in Christ but for one's entire circle of friends, electicians, and neighbors. In this scenario, the people assume that they come to church primarily to do something. The emphasis is on their work for God. The preaching concentrates on principles and steps to living a better life, with a constant stream of exhortations: Be more commited. Read your Bible more. Pray more. Witness more. Give more. Get involved in this cause or that movement to save the world. Their calling by God to secular vocations is made secondary to finding their ministry in the church. Often malnourished because of a minstry defined by personal charisma and motivational skills rahter than by knowledge and godliness, these same sheep are expected to be shepherds themselves. Always serving, they are rarely served. Ill-informed about the grand narrative of God's work in redemptive history, they do not really know what to say to a non-Christian except to talk about their own personal experiences and perhaps repeat some slogans or formulas that they might be hard-pressed to explain. Furthermore, because they are expected to be so heavily involved in church - related activities (often considered more important even than the public services on Sunday), they do not have the time, energy, or opportunity to develop significant relationships outside the church. And if they were to bring a friend to church, they could not be sure that he or she would hear the gospel. (Christless Christianity, 190-191)

I think this exert explains perfectly how the church should look and how it currently looks in today's society.Can you imagine the impact we would have as a church if we looked more like scenario one than two? That is the kind of church my husband and I long to be a part of, and hope to soon be a part of in Omaha. In the meantime we are praying for the churches in our town to have their eyes opened to what the Bible says is the church's roll. We pray that their leadership and congregation would long for the truth and to be equipped for everything pertaining to life and godliness (2Peter 1:3). One thing I want to point out is that the author (and myself) is not saying that you have no roll in your spiritual growth, but that the church's job is to aid in increasing it. We still must be in the Word and in prayer on our own as well.

How about you? Do you agree or disagree with this post? Does your church equip you to go into all the world and make disciples and to lead a godly life?