RESOLUTIONS

It’s the beginning of the new year and traditionally this is a time when many of us make new year’s resolutions and set goals that we hope to achieve within the next 12 months. As Christians we should constantly be growing and maturing. Part of becoming a mature Christian entails recognizing our sins and shortcomings and making a vow to change. Over the years I have made many resolutions and set goals to improve my life. Unfortunately, many of these have failed. Often within the first week or two of the new year.

Life is a battle of good versus evil or being the best versus just being mediocre. There is a constant war going on in our lives to do right or ignore what we know we should do and be comfortable. Satan helps us by making it much easier to do wrong than to do right. After all it seems so simple to hit the snooze alarm instead of getting up early enough to have time for devotions. It is much easier to grab something at a fast food drive thru than it is to take the time to prepare a healthy lunch at home. Staying home from Church Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday will often seem like a better idea than fighting the schedule, the children, and the weather. But when we make the choice to do right in spite of the circumstances God always blesses and the rewards are amazing.

This lesson is about setting goals that will help us to grow and be more effective for the work of the Lord. We will look at the following three topics: 1. Why we should have goals. 2. How to set a goal that is achievable. 3. Winning the battle over Satan to cross the finish line. My goal in writing this is that we all would be inspired to work harder, get back on track, and become the women that God created us to be.

1. Why we should have goals. Paul tells us in Philipians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. As Christians we have a high calling from our Lord and Savior to strive to be perfect and walk in His steps. Our creator knows that we will never be perfect He only asks that we keep trying to do better.

In Philipians Paul is comparing the Christian life to running a race. An athlete who aspires to compete in the Olympics doesn’t get to the Olympic village by wandering aimlessly around a track. He will start by setting small goals of running maybe a mile in a certain time. When he can do that well, then he pushes himself farther and faster. Even if he sometimes fails or has a bad day, he doesn’t quit or make excuses. No, he just keeps trying until he reaches that goal.

The point is that God gave his only son to save us for all eternity. Once we are saved God calls us to serve Him. In order to serve Him we must be developing the gifts that He has given us so that we will glorify Him while we are on this earth.

If we truly are serious about desiring to please the Lord and glorify Him, then we must take the time to sit down by ourselves and take an honest inventory of our life. This means that we would say as David said in Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Before we can truly improve our lives we have to allow God to point out sinful attitudes and actions that are keeping us from growing and moving forward.

As we are convicted of wrong attitudes or actions then we need to immediately confess them and ask the Lord to help us to change (I John 1:9). Having a desire to change is where resolutions or goals start.

2. How to set a goal that is achievable. Having a desire to improve is admirable. Unfortunately, we often know we need to do something but we go about it in the wrong way so that we are almost defeated before we start. If we truly want to have success, we must do it God’s way.

While you are still sitting and listening to the prompting of the Lord start writing. Make a list of areas that you know needs to improve or change. That list will vary with each person. Let God show you what area or areas He wants you to concentrate on this year. Keep in mind this is your personal list not your neighbor’s, your best friend’s or your sister’s list. You are not responsible for the shortcomings of someone else. God will only hold you accountable for your actions and reactions.

Now it’s time to pray and ask God to give you the wisdom to implement these goals and actually see victories this year. James 1:5 says If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Remember, God made us just the way we are and He wants to help us. All we have to do is ask.
I believe that we often fail in our resolutions because they are made in the flesh for the wrong reasons and we don’t bother to ask the Lord for His direction and assistance. For instance, there is nothing wrong with having a desire to lose weight and get in shape because you want to have more energy to serve the Lord and be a better testimony to the world of living a balanced Christian life. But if your motivation is to look like some model or to emulate someone that you have envied for years then you are doomed to failure. It is hard to overcome years of poor habits when you are trying to do it all in the flesh. Once you are sure what goals the Lord wants you to strive for, make a new list. This time write down the end goal.

Remember your creator knows you and He will help you to recognize what areas you need to concentrate on during this year.  Such as lose 50 pounds, have daily devotions, exercise regularly, develop a positive attitude.  You get the idea.  Don’t try to change yourself entirely in one year.  That is a recipe for failure!  That doesn’t mean that you ignore obvious areas of sin because it is not on your list.  When you are convicted of something your must confess and work at getting rid of that sin.

The next step is to break down the yearly goals into monthly or weekly goals.  If you want to lose weight such as 50 pounds then divide that by 12 and you will write down “lose 4.16 pounds per month.”  When you break a goal down like that it is seems much more achievable.  To tell yourself that you will lose 50 pounds sounds impossible but 4-5 pounds doesn’t seem nearly as hard.

Do you have a desire to become more organized in the coming year?  That is definitely a worthwhile goal; but, don’t write down “organize the whole house”.  Set deadlines for cleaning and purging.  Such as “Clean out basement by February 28, finish the garage by end of April, and closet makeovers completed by July 1.”  Once you have done this, don’t hide the list!  In fact it might be good to make notes on your calendar to remind yourself to get moving a couple of weeks before the deadline.  These deadlines should be as firm in your mind as if your boss at work had issued them and was coming to your house to check your progress.  Remember God is watching and checking your progress on a daily basis.

If your resolution pertains to something spiritual or an attitude, you can’t break it down but you can write down the steps you will take to win over sin.  For instance, let’s say that you want to learn to be more positive in your outlook.  The first step might be to do a Bible study on attitudes.  Next you could memorize scripture on thoughts and attitudes.  Then work on songs that remind you to rejoice.

The point of all these steps is not to waste ink and paper but to help you visualize a plan to change your life.  Many plans can look impossible when we  only look at the end goal.  I can remember when I was in college and teachers would assign all the papers and projects for the entire semester on the first day of classes.  I would spend the next few days griping and worrying convincing myself that this was impossible and there was no way I would live through the next few months!  If only I had learned to break each project down to achievable goals my college days would not have been nearly as stressful!  Unfortunately, back then  I was a world-class procrastinator and worrier! I hate to admit this, it has been more than 30 years since I graduated and I will still catch myself dithering about my lack of time to complete a project when I feel overwhelmed.  I can waste more time complaining about all that I have to do than I would have used simply attacking the problem and putting it behind me.

3. Winning the battle over Satan so that we can cross the finish line victoriously. The devil will not be happy when we try to get rid of sin and improve ourselves so that we can serve the Lord better and win souls for eternity. We must arm ourselves because when we make vows to God we are also drawing a line in the sand daring Satan to battle against us. We must remember that Satan’s goal is to defeat us so that others will look at us and say “She’s no different from me. Why would I need God and church?”.

First we must remember that when we prayed and asked God for help we were making a vow to our Lord and Master that we would change. The Bible has much to say to us about the promises that we make to God. Deuteronomy 23:21 says When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. That’s pretty plain—if we do not keep our vows to God we will be sinning. The psalmist says in Psalm 50:14-15 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. God repeats his command to honor our vows in Ecclesiastes 5:4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

Did you notice what the Lord said about those that did not keep their promises? They are fools! Ouch, that is rather harsh. But God’s word never lies. If the truth hurts then we need to take the steps necessary to make sure that we defeat the devil’s attacks and keep our vows.

Secondly, we must realize that we are not in this battle alone. When we ask God to help, He will be there every step of the way unless we choose to ignore Him. God told the children of Israel in
II Chronicles 20:15b Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not your’s but God’s. We must remember that once we have made a vow to God to improve our lives He steps in to fight our battles. It is not up to us to lead the fight, it is our job to follow our Heavenly Commander’s orders. When we do that we will find ourself doing as it says in Job 37:14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. If we are truly following God’s leadership, we will be amazed at what He can do to change our lives.

The last thing we need to win the battle is persistence. As I said earlier Satan will throw at you every excuse and diversion that he can think of. If one method fails, he will devise another one. You must decide that you are in this fight for the duration. Believe me it is far better to stay in the battle and keep your vows then to become an AWOL soldier that God would call a fool.

In order to defeat the devil you must learn to prepare for the disasters he will throw at you. For instance, if you promised you would make it the church every time the door is open, you must plan ahead for the lost shoes, last minute phone calls, and whatever else happens to make you late. In other words prepare ahead of time and start early.

Let’s say your new year’s resolution was to get more physically fit. The first thing to do is get all the food out of the house that is tempting but not good for you then replace it with healthy snacks. If you simply cannot make yourself exercise alone then ask someone to go with you so that you must do it regularly or let the other person down.

Maybe you promised to quit watching bad movies or TV or to give up music that did not glorify God. The first thing to do is throw out books, videos, DVD’s and CD’s that you know are not good. But you cannot leave a void in your life. Read Ephesians chapter 4 where Paul is explaining to the new Christians in Ephesus how their lives need to change once they are saved. The apostle Paul knew that we humans cannot put away things that are bad without replacing them with something good.

The point of all this is plan ahead and then never, never, never quit. If you fail, get up, dust yourself off and start again. Remembering that God will help you to be victorious.

 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. I Corinthians 15:57-58

THANKSGIVING

Today is Thanksgiving day. The holiday in the United States that was originally set aside for giving thanks to our creator for all that He had done for us.


Unfortunately, in many homes this day will be a day of over eating and watching football. It is sad to me that so many Americans have forgotten the purpose of this holiday and many do not understand that all that we have is due to God's direct blessing on this land because we honored him for many years. I truly believe that many of our problems in this nation are a direct result of the nation as a whole turning against God and His principles. Our creator tells us very plainly in His Word that He blesses those who recognize and obey Him and curses those who ignore or disobey Him. That being said, I would like to share the many things that I am grateful for.

I am so thankful for God's love and patience with me. I can't imagine where I would be today if God had treated me like I truly deserve and let me get away with rebellion, laziness, & stubborness. I am also thankful that even when I don't obey He will gently and patiently convict until I listen and obey. God's patience is far above mine!!!

I am thankful for parents who loved me and made it a priority to bring me up in a church that taught the Word of God even to very small children. I was blessed to have parents that understood that children need to learn to work and take care of themselves.

I am blessed to have 4 children (2 by birth and 2 by marriage) that love the Lord and work hard. I am so thankful for their good attitudes during all their struggles with the poor economy and the rotten job market. As a mother, I wish I could fix everything for them; but, it has been a blessing to watch them grow as the Lord puts them through the fire of trials so that they might end up like shiny gold. :-)

The Lord has blessed me with a husband that is absolutely wonderful. He is a man to be proud of. He will take a stand when necessary but he doesn't cause unnecessary division over minor things. He is generous, loving and kind. As we have become empty nesters and I have returned to the work force he has become quite good at helping around the house. I truly could not ask for a better husband.

Last in this long list to be thankful for are the everyday blessings that most of us in America still have. We are blessed with a roof over our head, food on the table, bills that are paid and good health. Many people around the world cannot boast of these things.

Let us all remember to give thanks to the Lord today for everything He has done for us and will continue to do in the future. If you know the Lord as your personal Savior, he will NEVER fail you!

MY GOAL

I thought it might be a good idea to share my goals for anyone that will read this blog.

In 2006 I started producing a newsletter for the ladies in my church to share with them lessons that God has taught me over my 50 plus years as a Christian. The Lord laid this on my heart several years before this but since I was convinced that writing was not my gift it took awhile for God to convince me that this was my next ministry.

This idea took off and soon I was emailing it to family, friends, fellow pastor's wives & missionaries. I am still amazed when someone writes to me and expresses their gratitude while sharing how something in one of my newsletters spoke to them or blessed them.

Soooo, from time to time, I will be posting one of these Bible Lessons on my blog in the hopes that the Lord will spread his word farther and encourage women to serve and trust Him.

Since I am a decorator and love creating beautiful, organized spaces while saving money; I also do a housekeeping tip in each newsletter. I hope to post some of these also since I firmly believe that God expects us to keep beautiful homes that will glorify and honor him.

Please feel free to share thoughts and questions with me. I love to help and encourage women. Many things in the world we live in are so discouraging we all need to be encouraged and reminded of God's many blessings.

Marcia

SEASONED WITH SALT

There is an old hymn that I have loved since my childhood entitled “Make me a Blessing”. The author of that song talks about the many that are weary and sad and prays that God will allow him to be a blessing to those that need encouragement and help. That should be the goal of any Christian that at the end of our lives others would say “She was such a blessing to me.”

Our actions can be a blessing to others when we do something tangible to ease their burden. More often than not it is our words that either encourage or discourage others. Women are known for their multitude of words that they use during a day. The question is are your words improving the lives of others or hindering them from being saved or growing in the Lord?

The Bible is full of admonitions and guidance on how we use our words. Over and over God reminds us that words can hurt or heal. What comes out of our mouth can either inspire others or discourage and hinder them. Simply put, we can control what we say and become known as someone that makes a difference by always encouraging others. I believe the problem is that we make excuses for what we say and how we say it. It is so much easier to say “That’s just the way I am, I can’t help it.” We blame our genetics, upbringing, personality or hormones instead of taking responsibility for our actions and admitting it is sin. I am not suggesting that you try to become like someone else. God made you the way you are and your basic personality does not need to change. But, all of us can use improvement. If it were not sinful to hurt others with our words then our creator would not have put so much emphasis on it in His Holy Word. In other words, accept the personality that God has given you and improve on it. There will always be room for improvement until the day we die and are made perfect in Heaven.

We read in Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how to answer every man. This is a simple formula for what should come out of our mouths on a daily basis. Note that Paul uses the word always. That doesn’t mean that there are times when we can just say what we want and let the chips fall where they may. It seems so convenient when we have said something we shouldn’t to use the excuse that we are not feeling good or we are tired. I have told people, “If I say anything wrong today, just ignore it since I didn’t get enough sleep last night”. Lack of sleep does not give us a license to say whatever we want to. When we know we are not feeling our best we should pray and ask God to help us control our mouths. On bad days, it would be wise to remember the old saying “If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all”. Proverbs 10:19 instructs us In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

There will be days when the best thing we can say is nothing. The God who created us and gave us the ability to communicate knew that there would be times when silence was best. He inspired Solomon to write in Proverbs 17:27-28 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise; and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

I am not advocating giving your husband or others the silent treatment just because they made you mad. What I am saying is that when we know we are not feeling our best and the possibility of saying the wrong thing is very prevalent, we need to pray before we speak. Many times when I pause and pray before I let the words fly, God will give me just the right words to say without hurting the other person and leaving me in a position where I have to go back and apologize. We need to learn to say with the psalmist Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14.

Notice in the above verse that David not only asks for God to guide his words but also his meditation. If we will saturate our minds with the Word of God and meditate on the right things, then we will have the right words to say even in times of stress. The Bible spells out this principle in Matthew 12:34-36 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

These verses state very clearly that we will give an account to God someday for every word that comes out of our mouth. Therefore, it seems to me that we need to be begging God to help us control our words and make each one count for eternity. We use thousands of words on a daily basis. How many of them improve the lives of others and glorify the Lord?

The verse from Colossians that was quoted above says that our speech should be seasoned with salt. What does salt do for our food? It makes it taste better. If you have ever forgotten to put the salt in a recipe, it doesn’t take more than one bite for you to identify the fact that this food is missing something! It is amazing how many things we use salt in and what a difference it makes to the taste of those items.

If our speech is to be seasoned with salt, then the words we use should improve the message we want to give to others. We can do that by using pleasant, appropriate, gracious and comforting words.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. When we use words that are pleasant and kind it is the same as enjoying a rich sweet dessert—just what is needed to give us a lift in the middle of a rough day. This verse even says that it can help our health. This truly is good medical advice. Studies have shown that people with a positive attitude heal faster than those that always see the dark side of life or their glass is half empty.

I know that when someone takes the time to give me a compliment, it makes my day. Our society has become so busy and self-centered that we rarely take the time to notice others and their accomplishments. When you sit in church and enjoy the music or a special reading, make it a point to let that person know that it was a blessing to you. If the pastor’s sermon touches you, tell him. So often we only share our criticisms and never bother to let someone know when they did a great job.

You can accomplish so much with encouraging words. Next time you are shopping and a clerk does something special for you, take the time to thank them. If you have hired a service business to do a job in your home and are pleased with the results, pick up the phone or a pen and let them know how much you appreciate their work. Next time you need their services they will bend over backwards to help you.

When you want something done at home, how do you accomplish that? Do you issue commands and gripe and complain until the task is done? Does it work or do you end up doing it yourself because your children or husband never get it finished? Maybe what they need is encouragement. Next time you want junior to clean his room do your best to mention something positive. Try praising him for the one corner that does look good or the fact that he remembered to hang up his coat. Finding something to praise may take real creativity at times but keep at it and you may discover a whole new level of cooperation in your family. People love to do things for those who appreciate it. Think about it. Wouldn’t you prefer to work for a boss who thanks you and notices when you do something well?

The Lord says about the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness. If we are going to train our children or encourage others we must do it with kindness. We can accomplish so much more by encouraging people to success instead of constantly tearing them down.

A truly wise woman will learn when to say just the right thing at the appropriate time to make a difference in the lives of others. Proverbs 25:11 says A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Pictures could be translated settings or baskets. In other words, when we speak in the right way and are guided by the Holy Spirit, it is a beautiful thing like golden apples sitting in a silver basket. Learning when to speak and what to say is an art that takes practice and the guidance of the Lord.

The writer of Ecclesiastes says in chapter 3 verse 7b that there is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. There are times when the Lord may lead you to say something to someone and you can’t imagine why. Pray about it and then speak to that person with love and praise surrounding any correction that you must give. People will always accept correction better if they know that you value them and are just trying to help them become more mature.

Remember, timing is important. Never discuss something difficult when you are tired or angry. Don’t bring up another’s faults in public. You would not like others to hear your shortcomings so don’t do it to someone else. Make sure that you are right with the Lord and following God’s guidance not your own agenda. Often, we can accomplish more by praying for that person and letting the Holy Spirit convict and change them. Sometimes our words just get in the way.

Some women seem to be born with the ability to say gracious words. Webster’s Dictionary defines gracious as having or showing kindness, courtesy, charm, etc. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 10:12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. To paraphrase that we could say that a wise woman will always speak with kindness and courtesy, putting others ahead of herself; but, a foolish woman will not be taken seriously.

Learning to be a gracious woman simply means that we use good manners. The Bible says in Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. This is simply learning to care more about other’s feelings and comfort than we do ourselves. We must learn that it is more important to be kind and lift others up than to be right. A truly gracious woman learns the art of deferring to another to make them feel important even if that other person is not doing it the way the gracious woman thinks it should be done. In the light of eternity it is far more important to help another person mature in the Lord than it is to have everything done your way.

There will be times when people need to hear comforting words. Learning what to say, how to say it and when is an art requiring God’s help. Isaiah 50:4 tells us The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. As sinful humans we cannot possibly invent the right words to say when someone is grieving. Only through the help of the Holy Spirit can we find just the right words to comfort a sorrowing friend.

I have found that the more trials God allows me to go through the more understanding I have for the problems and sorrows of others. Paul explained to the Christians at Corinth in II Corinthians 1:4 that one of the reasons God allows us to go through problems is so that we will be better at helping and comforting others that go through similar trials. It is so much easier to take advice from someone who tells you “I went through a problem just like this. Let me tell you how God helped me and gave me victory in that situation.”

Comforting others does not always include a multitude of words or spouting dozens of scripture verses. Sometimes it is as simple as giving a hug and saying “I am so sorry. You are in my prayers.”

Let’s commit ourselves to becoming women whose speech is always with grace, seasoned with salt. Memorize scripture and meditate on it praying that the Lord will guide your words. Our goal should be to become known as women whose speech is always pleasant, appropriate, gracious, and comforting. If we will work to develop these traits we will find that others gravitate to us because it is a joy and encouragement to be around us and reflect in the glory of the Lord that they see in us.

Do others hear God being Glorified in your words?