It cuts like a knife

I hope everyone had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend, and if you've served our country in any way, THANK YOU. I thought about your sacrifice and Christ's sacrifice all weekend.

One of the easiest ways to get unstuck, is to make sure you're using the right tools for the job. I'm reminded of this because I just finished making a meal for a sick friend in my church.  My husband is the cook in our family and I don't like it, except when I can help someone in need. Plus, he enjoys it and is so much better at it than I am. I think, Why bother? I mean, it's kind of a pain - all that chopping, and dicing and mincing.

It annoys me because it takes so much work on the front end and is gone in minutes. That was until these...

A few months ago, my husband bought these fancy schmancy chef knives. He'd whip open the box and say, "Look at my knives. They're from Japan. They're super sharp and some of the best you can buy." Then he'd tell me how much they cost and I'd think, Wow, are you so lame that you need to brag about cutlery? Of course, I never said it out loud, because well...he's got knives.

One day, when he was out, I took the precious knives and used them to cut up some vegetables for dinner.

          Oh. My. Lord.

These things are amazing. They're phenomenal. They can slice through an unpeeled banana like butter! Really, I became a slicing maniac. I even called my kids down to the kitchen, "Hey you guys, watch this!"

      Slice, Slice, Slice. Chop.

I was so tempted to go Ginsu and slice through a can, but that would be wrong.

Suddenly, I didn't mind cooking so much. I have to admit, I became like an addict. Whenever I'd cook I'd start with my old knives and immediately start thinking about the ones that could really meet my needs. I'd secretly take the box down, lift up the black lid and clean them up neatly afterward so he wouldn't notice. Mine. All mine! All other knives paled in comparison, they felt like saws in my hand.

He finally learned my secret the next time he bragged. I couldn't help it, I bragged more: "I know! They're awesome and I use them all the time!" He was not amused, because what I didn't know is that you're supposed to use a special tool to clean them because they can take a finger off.

Oops!

Anyway, I mention the knives because sometimes faithfully reading the Bible isn't easy. The wrong one can feel unwieldy in your hands, but when you find the right one for the job, look out...you become a Bible reading maniac!

So, try to find one that speaks to you personally and wherever you are in life. I've got study bibles, an archeological bible, a women's bible and even, a waterproof bible. God's people know his word, and after all...

 the most expensive sacrifice in history was the one made by Jesus Christ.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
                                                                                                             Hebrews 4:12

Faithless Unbeliever

Infidel

Does that word conjure up any images for you? It does for me, and they're scary. I wondered why that was. How could a simple seven-letter word make me bristle with fear?

After all, I don't even know what an infidel looks like.

Later that night, as I took off my makeup in front of the mirror, the eyes of the infidel looked back at me.

Earlier that morning, I was chasing scripture around in the Bible, cross referencing one verse with another and came to 1 Timothy 5, which is Paul's advice to Timothy regarding widows, elders and slaves. In fact, the subtitle in my Bible (Life Application Study Bible, NIV) says, "Instructions for leaders."

So, I'm reading about how Paul directs Timothy to deal with these differing groups of people and this scripture jumps out at me:

"If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."   1 Tim 5:8

That word "unbeliever" is rendered "infidel" in the KJV and is used only twice; the other instance is 2 Corinthians 6:15. It's also linked to the word "faithless."

The problem is that there are widows in the community who aren't being cared for. Paul tells Timothy to give help to those that actually are in need, but if she has family of some kind, her care is to be provided for by them. "But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God." (emphasis mine)

I thought of my own elderly grandmothers, both sick and suffering with various ailments. They are, thank God, being cared for by their children right now, but if they weren't, would I be willing to step in? I live far away. What could I do? What would I do? Am I providing now? And what does providing mean anyway?

I send cards and letters and make phone calls and try to visit when I can but...

In order to help myself answer the question, I went to my concordance and looked up some key words:

Provide - Greek word: proneo - to provide for, care for, to consider, have regard for.

Denied - Greek word: arneomai - to deny, disown, renounce, repudiate

Worse - Greek word: cheiron - worse, more severe than.

Unbeliever - Greek word: apistos - lacking in trust, outsider, one who does not believe the Gospel.

If immediate family goes all the way down the line to the grandparents, I've got some repenting and preparing to do. If my husband and I are responsible for training our children to be Godly, I've got much training to do.

If you're married like I am, this extends to our in-laws and our family responsibility is even greater.

Yikes! Now I know why I felt fear.

Caring for our family members is so important to God that while hanging on the cross, Jesus entrusted John with the task, and he took her into his own home. (John 19:25-28)

Thank you God, for always equipping us to live out our lives of faith. May we be like Jesus in our love and provision for our families and be called faithful by you. Amen.

Dedication Day

For the past two years, I've used this day - Christmas Eve - as a sort of dedication day.

Two years ago, I decided to devote an entire year to becoming a servant - freely giving myself away to whatever task God assigned me. It was one of the most joyful years of my life, so I did it again last year.

Freely is the key word and it's a big deal for me because deep down, I'm motivated by recognition. Being recognized by others somehow makes me feel validated - as if loving God and being loved by him isn't enough. I'm a work in progress and am in training to care only about hearing one pair of Heavenly hands clapping.

So Lord...let's do it again.

For me, one of the most beautiful examples of a servant of God is the example of Mary. Here's what she said to the Angel Gabriel:

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:38

My study bible says this: Mary was young, poor, female - all characteristics that to the people of her day, would make her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience he has ever demanded of anyone....God's favor does not automatically bring instant success or fame. His blessing on Mary, the honor of being the mother of the Messiah, would lead to much pain: her peers would ridicule her; her fiance would come close to leaving her; her son would be rejected and murdered. But through her son would come the world's only hope, and this is why Mary has been praised by countless generations as the young girl who "found favor with God." Her submission was part of God's plan to bring about our salvation.  Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Being a servant of God requires faith, sacrifice and labor, but it seems to me that his servants gain an intimacy that far outweighs the difficulty.

Jesus Christ is the best gift ever received, the best gift we can give to him is our very life.