Category: My Reflections

My Reflections

JUST SAYING – Ephesians 4:29, Ecclesiastes 3:7, Proverbs 18:21, 2 Timothy 1:7

Rachel's Reflections

I admit. I enjoy talking. This wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who knows me. While I try to use my words for good, I’m human, and there are those times when I say something hurtful. I always regret those moments. I know that everyone does this, but I spend much of my day teaching, and a lot of the rest of my time is taken with family, friends and ministering. So, I’m around people a lot. I love interacting with others.  There are those who even seek me out, to talk, which I love. So, the last thing I want to do is say something thoughtless.

There is an overwhelming number of verses warning us to watch what comes out of our mouths. Do you think God is trying to tell us something? Ephesians 4:29 tells us, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

Everything?  Yes, the Word says, “everything”.  Seems like an impossible task, but how much of that thought stems from a lack of self-control? Though I still have a long way to go in improving in this area, over the years, I have tried to think more before I speak.  This is possible to do, more often than we would like to admit.

King Solomon was known for his wisdom, a wisdom he acquired through his obedience to God and a desire to live in His ways.  King Solomon stated that there is “a time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak” in Ecclesiastes 3:7.  Are there times when we want to say something, but shouldn’t? Absolutely.

Learning when to speak and when to be silent can only come from asking God for help.  It isn’t something that comes naturally. We are told in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” If you’re struggling in this area, ask God to help you. Also, be real and ask those who are close to you to help keep you accountable, to help you when you’re not aware of these slip ups.

Too often, when we say words we shouldn’t, we follow it with, “Just saying. . .”  We could all spend a little less time saying, and a little more time listening, a little less time providing our input and a little more time trying to understand others.

Imagine a world where the words we speak, write, text, type, and post were meant to edify those around us. Imagine a world where our words make a difference in the lives of others, by inspiring them to be all God means them to be.  Imagine a world where we all spoke life.

Proverbs 18:21 reminds us, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” Imagine a world where we reap the consequences of thoughtful words to one another! Let’s do more than just imagine. Let’s speak life.  Just saying.

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My Reflections

REMEMBER TO LEARN . . . DON’T REMEMBER TO DWELL – Isaiah 43:18-19, Philippians 4:8, Psalm 30:11, Philippians 4:13

Rachel's Reflections

 
If it is one thing we all have in common is that we are all vulnerable to pain. Some experience it more than others. Some experience it earlier than others. But we all know what it is like to hurt. As followers of Christ, if we allow Him to, He can use our past pains in marvelous ways, for His glory.
 
As a female, I know that it is very easy to dwell.  To dwell on our day, to dwell on our future, to dwell on our past. . .especially to dwell on our past! That is not always a bad thing, but too often, when we think about our past hurts, we stay in that place for too long. That’s when it can get dangerous.
 
The Bible tells us, in Isaiah 43:18 & 19, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
 
When we think on past pain and ask God to heal us, that is beneficial. When we think on our past pain and ask God to show us how He can use it for His glory, that is called healing. When we think on the past pain and get stuck in a bad place mentally, and our emotions and thoughts can’t seem to move away from those moments in time, that is not where God wants us to be.
 
You see? While it is easy to dwell, when we do that, we begin believing we are living in defeat. We begin to feel like we haven’t moved forward, when we have already taken steps in that direction. There’s a reason why we’re reminded in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
 
When we think in those terms, then we begin asking God to turn our mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11). We begin to praise Him for how far He’s taken us, since those moments, how much we’ve healed, as we’ve shared and given those pains and hurts to Him. We begin to realize that the truth is that God is doing a new thing in us, as we live for Him.  He’s doing things with us, that in those painful moments of our lives, we never thought possible!
 
Will there ever be a day when we stop getting hurt?  Not on this side of Heaven, but one thing is certain. With Christ, you can have the strength you need, to fully move forward  (Philippians 4:13). So, remember to learn from the past. Don’t remember to dwell.

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My Reflections

LORD, STRETCH ME: Ruth 1, Esther 4, Matthew 25:20-24

Rachel's Reflections

What does it feel like when God is stretching you? It is not always pleasant. It can even be scary. It means placing control fully in God’s hands, not knowing the outcome. The question I periodically find myself asking is, “Am I willing to be stretched, if it means I’ll become more like the person God sees, when He looks at me?” It has been one of the greatest and also hardest questions, for me to ask, let alone answer, within my walk with God.

A close friend of mine once told me, in the midst of being stretched by God, “God has really been dealing with my past, changing my past hurts to good! I was praying last night that God would show me who I am because I don’t know myself most of the time anymore. His reply was ‘you are my child’. Simple, yet profound!” Profound, indeed.

To reach that place where we allow ourselves to be stretched by God can definitely be difficult, but oh so good, when we get to the point of realizing the purpose of it all. This makes me think of Ruth, in the Old Testament (Ruth, chapter 1). There was a point in her life where she had to make a choice. Either she was going to stay where she was, a place she knew, or follow her mother-in-law Naomi, to an unknown place, with unknown people, to follow her and an unknown God. God stretched her, and the result? She was given more than she could have ever dreamed possible, even becoming the great grandmother of King David.

How about Esther, also of the Old Testament? Talk about being stretched. She was orphaned, left to be raised by an uncle. Then, she gets chosen to become part of a group for the king to consider as a potential wife.  So much of her life seemed out of her control. Yet, she allowed God to use her, to stretch her, and stretch her, He did! This time of stretching put Esther in a place where she got to save her entire people from annihilation. How? She stretched beyond herself, and into the God’s purpose for her life.  What a hero she is to me!

I have had those stretching moments in my life, and like my friend, I became in many ways someone who I wouldn’t have recognized at the start of the stretching experience. I look back and can see a person who was shy, introverted, suffered from panic attacks and had low self-esteem. Yet, God stretched me, slowly molding me into who He always knew I could be. Though it wasn’t always easy, it has been so worth it.

Now, I look at myself and see a person who can confidently speak to others, who can walk with a confidence that can only come from God, into whatever He places before me. I know I have many, many more times of stretching ahead of me.  I know that some may be more pleasant than others, but if God can do all He’s done in me, in less than four decades, bring it on! Lord, do what you will.

In the end, I simply want to look into the eyes of my Lord, and hear Him say to me, “You are my child, the one I’ve always known, the one who allowed me to stretch you, who trusted your heart and life to me. Well done, my faithful servant!”

I dare you to say, “Lord, stretch me into who you want me to be.” Be ready for an amazing ride! I can assure you that the destination will be breathtaking.

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My Reflections

TRUST ME – John 12:44-50

Rachel's Reflections

WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

Funny how we often want to have people in our lives we can trust, can count on, but then someone tells us, “Trust me,” and inside we hear, “Wait a minute? Trust you?  Why should I trust you?” Then your mind runs through every moment of mistrust ever done to you, by that person or any number of other people in your life.

We so desperately want to trust.  We even want to be worthy of trust ourselves. But, then we have those moments.  You know the ones. Those moments when we fail ourselves and let someone down. Those moments when even those who you should be able to trust with your very life let you down, and you wonder if trust is even obtainable.

It is.  John 12:46 says, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their TRUST in me will no longer remain in the dark.”  That’s a powerful truth. But maybe you’re still sitting there, doubting.

That’s a powerful image. Picture yourself in complete darkness. No light from anywhere, and you’re alone, without any clear indication of which way to get out, which way to go, to reach light. That’s a frightening thought, but we’ve all had those moments, those panic stricken moments.

So you begin doing everything you can think of to find your way.  You may try walking with your arms outstretched, possibly stumbling over things or smacking straight into a wall, feeling more and more pain with each attempt to get out. You may even begin to get down and crawl, something you haven’t done since you were quite young, but you simply don’t know what else to do. Even though you can feel your body being scraped and cut, as you try to make your way, you continue. You’ll resort to anything. You need to find a way, and there’s no one there to tell you what to do.  No one you can trust, to help you out of this dark place with no chance of escape.

Suddenly you remember. Wait a minute, there is someone to get you out of this dark place where you have nowhere to turn. Inside yourself, you mentally ask God, “Are you there? Do you see me? Can you really get me out of this?”

Then, as more time passes, and you keep trying on your own, with no results, you find yourself crying out, “Jesus! Help me. You tell us in Your Word that we can put our trust in You! Lord, get me out of this darkness.  I don’t know which way to go!”

Suddenly, the answer is clear.  You know exactly which way to go.  Jesus answered, and made the way out known to you.

God is always worthy of your trust.  Man may fail you. Friends and family will fail you, from time to time. But, your Heavenly Father, your very Creator, will never fail you.

When you’ve tried everything else, try God. Maybe next time, you will remember to trust Him first, and save yourself all of the bumps, cuts and bruises from stumbling around in the dark. He will never let you down.

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My Reflections

TRUE WISDOM – Proverbs 3

Rachel's Reflections

We’ve all been there.  We’re in the midst of a situation, frustrated, trying to figure out what to do next. We begin to question ourselves.  It can be a dark place.

I can still remember the night, after my first day of teaching.  I had gone through my years at college, earned my degree and certifications. I had been prepared by others and life, with more than I could have ever hoped for.  My first day, as an official teacher even went well.

So why did I drop to the floor of my bedroom, feeling completely overwhelmed?  I found myself doing the only thing I knew to do. I cried, hiccuping, gasping cries, to the only One who I knew understood me better than myself, my God.  I wasn’t upset that I didn’t feel equipped with knowledge on the subject I was teaching. I wasn’t uncomfortable working with my students. Yet, I felt inadequate.

Who was I to think I had something to teach the future of our country, young men and women, who would be molded partly by what I imparted to them?

So, what else could I do? I felt inadequate, because I am.  All of a sudden, for at least 9-10 months, the lives of others were being entrusted to me.  Many would come to me, expecting answers, and the responsibility suddenly felt too great.

But, as I cried out to my Heavenly Father, all was made right. He gently reminded me that I may not always know all the answers, but I know Someone who does.  When those impressionable lives asked me for direction, I may not always know what to say, but I know Someone who does.

By the time I stood up, not much had changed around me, but something had definitely changed inside of me.  I felt confident that no matter what lied before me, I could walk forward, knowing that my God would guide me.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  I was confident, knowing that not only did I not have all the answers, but I didn’t have to have all the answers.

Isn’t that where true wisdom comes from, acknowledging the One who is greater than ourselves? Why do we sometimes lack wisdom, in a situation?  Sometimes it is just a matter of crying out to the One who can see the beginning and the end, and asking for His wisdom, which far surpasses our own.

Life isn’t always easy, but no matter what happens, know that God has a plan for you and your circumstances.

As with all of my blog posts feel free to COMMENT, to FOLLOW my blog and to SHARE. I value you taking the time to read my posts.