Finding Significance

  • Finding Significance, Heart Stuff

    Pursuing Our Dreams in God’s Timing

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    The hot San Diego air blew against my back as I unloaded my 8-month-old from her car seat. Together we slipped through the doors of the pregnancy support center into the cool, friendly room. I was excited to start my first day of volunteering– something I’d wanted to do for a long time.

    That day the center had an immediate need for help in the clothing closet. My daughter and I headed over, and after brief instructions from the receptionist, we started organizing clothes into the vast wall of bins.

    That’s when everything went sideways.

    The more bins I organized, the more my daughter tried to “un-organize.” She dug into low lying bins and spread clothes all over the floor. While I’d first been excited to help, I suddenly only wanted to get my little one out of there before she caused more chaos.

    That day I left discouraged and frustrated. My dreams and hopes for getting involved went flitting away like a hummingbird from a feeder. Poof. Gone. Not only that, but I knew it could be a long time before I could volunteer in a helpful way again.

    I felt like my child was getting in the way of following God’s call on my heart. However, I soon realized that wasn’t true at all.

    My husband is in the military, and a few months before the above clothes-bin incident, when we were packing to move from Norfolk, VA to San Diego, California, I had found an old journal. As I flipped through the pages, I’d realized a theme that I’d overlooked for years.

    At every duty station we’d been to, I had the desire to volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center. I had looked at websites and mulled it over, but I’d never done it. After this realization, I committed to act on that desire once we got to San Diego.

    In my mind, after all the times I hadn’t gotten involved, I felt like I had to act on that dream NOW. But after that day with my daughter, the door of active volunteering seemed to slam shut in my face.

    I could still donate clothes and supplies, but I wanted to do more.

    But throughout this process, I started to realize something important: Just because things don’t work out NOW, doesn’t mean the desire is not from God or that we have to let go of those dreams.

    It’s easy to doubt God, to doubt if that passion is really from Him or if He wants us to pursue it. And it’s easy to give up on a dream when we realize that something is more important in the moment– for me, like caring for the children God blessed me with.

    But that doesn’t mean those callings will take a back seat forever.

    God formed us with a true identity built into us. He put us here for a reason, equipped with passions and gifts. And I started to see that God has a way of bringing things to fruition in the proper time.

    Seasons change, and as they do, so will our activities.

    Just a month after my crazy volunteer day, I got a huge surprise: I was pregnant with my third daughter. That was a complete miracle since fertility treatments and miscarriages surrounded the births of my older two. Not to mention, due to the timing, we realized my husband would be deployed when the baby was due. Plus, I knew I would need a C-section.

    The next year was a whirlwind. My husband deployed when I was 7 months pregnant, and I was home with two young kids. Two months into deployment, baby number three arrived and I spent a few months recovering from my surgery.

    That year was probably the most crazy, busy, intense year of my entire life. And the Lord knew that I needed to focus on my growing family through it all. Even though I had desperately wanted to help at the pregnancy center, it wasn’t God’s timing in that season. The dream of helping women in challenging situations hasn’t died. I’m finding ways to pursue it now as my kids get older and we’re living in another state.

    I am learning continually that God’s timing is greater than our own. I’m learning to trust His timing and that He gives us our dreams for a reason. And best of all, that He walks with us through every season and brings His peace and purpose into the midst of our normal, everyday existence.

    Whether we think we’re “accomplishing” our dreams or not, we can trust that He is always working out His good and perfect will in our lives. Even when it seems like twists and turns in life keep you from pursuing your dreams in the ways you hope, God’s timing is perfect. He will sustain us and give us purpose and peace in every season, and faithfully fulfill the desires of our hearts.

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  • Finding Significance, Knowing God

    Believing God Loves Me

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    “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them…We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:15-16,19 (NIV)

    Do you know and believe that God loves you? I know that can be a tough question. It’s one that’s worth asking because it’s where our identity in Christ begins–with us believing in, and relying on His love for us. 

    For a long time, I didn’t really grasp just how much God loves me. I knew it in my head, but somehow I imagined there would have to be part of me that was worthy of it to really experience it. I felt blessed just to be in the room with Him, and rarely felt worthy of a place next to Him at the table. After all, who am I that He should take notice of me, let alone esteem me as a beloved friend? 

    As I grew in my relationship with God, He gave me a sense of belonging with Him. He showed me through his faithfulness that He loves me truly and fiercely. It’s then that I began to see evidence of His love in everyday things, great and small.  Because of Christ, I started to see myself through His eyes and gained confidence as His beloved daughter, redeemed and made whole. 

    I continue to be inspired and encouraged by the story of apostle John in the Bible. He was someone who really embraced his identity as one whom God loved. In fact, John more than once describes himself throughout the gospels as “The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”. 

    That bold of a statement might seem a little strange and maybe even a bit self-important. But in reality, when John talked about himself as the disciple whom God loved, he was carefully choosing words to describe what was most important about him.

    John’s core identity, how he saw himself and interacted with the world, was completely founded on His relationship with Jesus. We will always surrender our lives to whatever the defining love or influence is in our life, and for John, Jesus was the defining influence in his life. 

    One example of this is in John 13:23, where Jesus is talking with the disciples. We read that John was sitting right next to Jesus, which at a glance could have seemed a bit bold perhaps. But John was confidently sitting at the feet of Jesus because he knows he belongs there. He believes and relies on the love Jesus has for him. John is secure in where his identity is. He picks the seat closest to Jesus because it’s where he belongs as one loved by Jesus. 

    I recently learned something really cool about the phrase “The disciple whom Jesus loved”.  The Greek for loved here can literally be translated as the disciple whom Jesus keeps on loving. His love for us isn’t conditional. It’s not past tense, it is new every morning. It is evergreen and unwavering. 

    Whether we overcommit and underdeliver, whether we say yes or no, if we get it all right or if we get it all wrong, we are the ones that Jesus keeps on loving. We don’t have to wonder everyday, “does he still love me?” The answer will always be, “Yes! Now get on over there and sit next to Jesus because you are someone whom Jesus keeps on loving. There’s nothing we can do to change His love, nothing we can do to lose it. God is love, and we are His beloved. 

    As we begin to see ourselves this way, as one that Jesus keeps on loving, everything changes. When our relationship with Jesus is the defining influence in our lives, every other decision, big or little, all passes through that filter. 

    John 4:19 says “we love because He first loved us.” Our love for God begins with letting Him love us. When we allow God’s love to sink into our very being, it transforms us. When we believe in and rely on His love, we find a peace and joy that transcends our circumstances. It defines and shapes our identity and how we move in the world. It gives us security and confidence. It is a firm foundation upon which to build our lives. When we experience God’s radical love, it changes everything. 

    You are God’s beloved. It is who you are. He created you, He sees you and He loves you so much. Believe in that, spend time with God and learn to trust in His love and rely on it. He will never fail you or abandon you. He has planned ahead every detail of your life and will provide for you. Take your spot at the table next to Him, as one loved by God. He is happy to have you close to Him, right where you will always belong. 

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  • Finding Significance, Knowing God

    Unstoppable Love

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    I had a quiet moment to myself last Saturday, which is a rare gift during these days of living in close quarters with my quaran-team. It was the day after Good Friday and the day before Easter Sunday. It was an “in-between” day that often gets lost in Easter egg hunts and grocery shopping for a big dinner the next day. 

    But this year, in the stillness of the world around me, Saturday tugged at my heart strings in a different way. I pondered how the disciples felt on that “in-between” Saturday so long ago. They had loved Jesus and left everything to follow Him. His crucifixion shook their confidence and understanding of God’s plan as they were surely overwhelmed by grief and disorienting uncertainty. In less than 24 hours their whole world had gone dark. And yet, on the other end of the story, we know the dawn is coming. The Son will rise again. But in between darkness and light, time seems to simultaneously stand still and pass before you like water through your fingers. 

    I can’t help but feel like we are also currently living in the “in-between” time right now. It’s been a few weeks since we had to start staying at home, but we’re not out of the woods yet. We’re hopeful and eagerly awaiting the time when we can all be together again, but we don’t know exactly when that will be. 

    We strain our ears for good news and try to cheer one another with memes and Zoom calls and e-hugs. Our hearts cling to the hope that this will soon be over and that God is near. 

    The story of Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection spurs on that hope. It helps us to trust that God is at work and that just as Jesus’ story did not end in the tomb, our story doesn’t end in our present circumstances either. 

    However, I see even more than hope for the future in the story of Jesus. I see a God who loves and pursues us in the here and now. A God who went to greater lengths than I could ever fathom, just to be near to us. A God whose ultimate priority was to make a way for us to be with Him, to right our wrongs and welcome us home like prodigal children. 

    Because of Jesus, our status as God’s beloved children is secure. It cannot be undone. There is nothing that will keep God from loving us. We are adopted into the Kingdom, co-heirs with Christ, a royal priesthood. Not from our own merit, but on the merit of Jesus Christ who redeemed us. 

    It is through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, that one of my favorite Bible verses gets it’s awe-inspiring power.

    I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

    Romans 8:38-39 NLT

    Did you catch that? Nothing can separate us from the love of God! He gives us beautiful contrasting language to describe His love and it’s limitless tenacity. Neither angels nor demons, fears for today or worries for tomorrow, nothing in heaven or below–not even the coronavirus, economic strife or social isolation, can separate us from His love that is revealed in Christ Jesus! Jesus is living proof of God’s unstoppable love for us.

    In one single act on the cross, anything and everything that could have ever separated us from God was defeated. God saw us in our helplessness, in our striving and failing and knew He had to intervene on our behalf. He left His throne to become one of us, a helpless baby, dependent on his parents. He experienced everything we experience, He can relate to our joys and cares, better than anyone. He loves us so much that He willingly gave himself up to die and was raised to life again three days later. And the very same Holy Spirit empowers us to no longer live as victims of our circumstances, but as empowered citizens of God’s Kingdom. If God can do all of that-surely He is able to love us right where we are, in the middle of any mess. 

    The disciples had no idea on Saturday what was coming on Sunday. Just like we can’t see what’s on the other side of our present situation. But we have seen the power and might and goodness of God. We have God’s Word, His character revealed to us through His Son, and the power of The Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. We have living proof of the lengths to which our Heavenly Father will go to love us. And we can set our watch by this truth: God loves us with a love that never ends and there is nothing that can separate us from His love. He loves us today, tomorrow, and every moment in-between. Sweet friend, rest in that truth, lean on His promises, and let His love wrap you up like a warm blanket. God loves you and He’s not going anywhere.

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  • Easter, Finding Significance, Knowing God

    You Are Worth It

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    Easter can be a perplexing time of year. It is both joyful and somber. With springtime in the air, Easter egg hunts, and church worship services, we celebrate the joy and celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and triumph over sin and death. But there is also the week leading up to Easter, Holy Week. It’s a time of reflection and remembrance that before the victory, God chose to sacrifice and Jesus chose to suffer. He took on our sin and paid the price for it. It is the most expensive ransom ever paid, and it begs the question, “Why would he do that for me?”

    Recently, I was sitting in the prayer room at my church with a friend who was wrestling with this very question. She was struggling to understand how God could love her this much, or that He would go to such lengths just to be with her. We were about to take communion together, and as she held in her hand the tiny piece of cracker and little plastic cup of juice that represent Jesus’ physical sacrifice, her sorrow was palpable.

    What she couldn’t see in that moment, is that she is worth it. God loves her so much that He dreamed of her, planned ahead for her, and created her for a purpose. Jesus willingly gave up His life for her because He believes that she is worth it. And He believes that you are too.

    God created you to know Him, love Him and have fellowship with Him. He calls you His daughter, and co-heir with Christ. He is proud to be seen with you and looks forward to time with you. If He had Facebook you’d be in his profile pic. If he had a fridge, your picture would be on it.

    After sin entered this world and separated us from God, His singular focus became to make a way for us to be with Him again. He has been working tirelessly ever since, pursuing you, loving you in every moment, good and bad. He gently whispers his promises and sings over you with love. (Zephaniah 3:17). In every moment, in every circumstance, he keeps on loving you, because you are worth it to Him.

    God’s love is not just lip service. “He demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) This is love beyond comprehension. He himself went to the cross as the ultimate sacrifice, to bear our shame and take our sin. But He didn’t stop there. He rose from the grave, He conquered death and broke sin’s hold on us forever, so we we will never be separated from His love again.

    God’s passion and love for us for us led him to the cross for the purpose of redeeming us. When the ground shook and Jesus conquered death, He declared our worth right then and there, once and for all. Because of Christ, we can lean against the very throne of God as his beloved daughter, redeemed and made whole.

    I imagine the voice of our Heavenly Father, calling out, “I love you! You are my precious daughter and there is nothing I would not do for you. I went to hell and back to save you and I would do it again. There is no height, nor depth that will keep you from my love. There’s nothing in heaven or on earth that can separate you from my love. (Romans 8:31-39) In your darkest moments, when you are at your worst, you are worth it. In your victories and triumphs, you are worth it. I am here with you. I will guide your steps and guard your heart. I love you daughter. You are worth it.”

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  • Finding Significance, Purposeful Living

    Living On Purpose

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    “What is my purpose?” “What was I created to do?” “How do I find my purpose and feel fulfilled in my current season of life?” These are all big, burning questions that we hear a lot of women asking and seeking the answers to. Last week we talked about the three different types of purpose. (You can read about them in our article “Made For Purpose”.)

    The first purpose is universal, to love God and believe in His son, Jesus, sharing His Word and His love with others. This is the foundation upon which our identity is built. The second purpose utilizes our unique gifts and can be lived out through our vocation, in our churches and our communities. The third is our day-to-day purpose. These are the everyday tasks or duties we are called to in our current circumstance and season of life.

    Today, I want to focus on this third type of purpose, our everyday purpose. I’m hoping to offer some encouragement that it is possible to experience a fulfilling sense of purpose in our day-to-day lives, regardless of the season of life your are in currently.

    If we’re being honest, our everyday purpose can sometimes feel a little less than glamorous and exciting because of the repetitive nature of daily tasks and to-do’s. Taking care of our families, making meals, cleaning the house, working a job, and helping friends in need, can blur together into a routine that feels mundane or predictable. While there may be moments of fulfillment, it’s hard to feel like you are living out purpose when you are sitting in the carpool lane, folding another load of laundry or giving medications and caring for a chronically ill loved one. It can be challenging to feel like you are using your talents and gifts during your daily routine. We can find purpose and fulfillment in our day-to-day through a change of perspective. I know this may sound oversimplified or like a platitude, but stick with me.

    What if we zoomed out from our limited perspective and instead saw our circumstances from an eternal one? Having an eternal perspective allows us to see God’s hand in all the little details. We will begin to recognize how He is using us right where we are, in each task we have before us, to do real work for His Kingdom.

    Recently, my kids approached me asking to have some friends over to play. I was super tired and wasn’t too keen on doubling the number of noisy boys in my house that day, but God nudged me to see beyond what was right in front of me. When I zoomed out to an eternal perspective, I saw that my younger son wanted to invite over a boy who tends to get picked on a lot at school and could use a friend to encourage him. My older son wanted to invite a classmate to hang out who is a great kid and a positive, godly influence in my son’s life. I could see that my sons were making good choices with their friendships and it was important for me to support that. Having an eternal perspective showed me the ministry that my kids were living out and how God might be at work in their friendships.

    Sometimes the little things we do have a bigger impact than we can ever know. I have a friend who has a fantastic smile. She knows the joy of being God’s daughter and it shows in her eyes every time she smiles. It’s contagious and brightens every room she enters. It’s part of how God made her. It’d be easy to say “It’s just smiling, no big deal”, but to the person that is hurting, is it just a smile? To the one who feels unseen and unloved, could it mean something more? Is is possible that God can break through to the hurting and broken through something as simple as a smile? Zooming out to an eternal perspective, we can begin to see how God uses the little and big things to accomplish His good work in our lives and in the world around us.

    How can you begin to apply an eternal perspective to your everyday life? Walk through your average day in your mind and examine how you see your daily tasks and roles. Take special notice of your attitude toward each one. How might something we see as mundane or ordinary take on a greater purpose if we see it as joining the Lord in the work He is doing?

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

    Colossians 3:17

    I want to challenge you to look at things differently this week. Ask God to help you see things, including yourself, from His eternal perspective. What gifts or natural aptitudes do you have that show up in your daily routine? Are there things that you have dismissed as “It’s just listening, checking in on a friend, reading to my kid, putting a band-aid on a cut… (fill in the blank)”. Maybe you think to yourself “I do this all the time, it’s not a big deal”. All these things have an eternal impact. We just need the right perspective to see it.

    It may seem like a minor thing to you to listen to someone tell you about their day, but to the other person, it could mean the world to feel heard. Being your naturally cheerful self may seem normal to you, but it could encourage someone who is having a difficult day. Showing up for the 20th time to your kid’s soccer game or helping them with their homework feels routine, but to your child, it means you value them and see them.

    God has made you on purpose with your unique passions, giftedness, quirkiness, and all, to bless others and serve Him. When we see the way we were created, as the gift that it is, suddenly just being yourself has purpose. With an eternal perspective, we will find our purpose in our everyday interactions with those around us as we recognize the ways God is at work in even the mundane routines of our lives.

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  • Finding Significance, Purposeful Living

    Made For Purpose

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    Within each of us is a desire to be significant, to have a purpose, to make a difference in this world. It’s part of the reason the Enneagram and other self-evaluation tools are so popular right now. We want to understand ourselves better and long for more to this life than just the mundane day-to-day. But where does this desire come from?

    We can go back to the time of creation itself, in the book of Genesis, and see that God made man on purpose and for a purpose. When he created Adam and Eve, He gave them specific tasks to help make something of the world around them. He put before them purpose in caring for creation and all that is in it. Our desire to create goodness and lasting impact is part of being made in the image of God.

    When we hear the word “purpose” we typically think of something grand–that one thing that makes us unique and makes our impact in the world. We often ask, “what is God’s purpose for my life and how do I find it?” We can get the wrong idea that we each have only one purpose and if we don’t figure it out, we can miss it and we don’t get another chance. While some people in this world have been given a very clear purpose and spend their whole life focused on that purpose, such as Mother Teresa did, for most of us, we are given different purposes in different seasons of life as we grow in our gifts and strengths. There are many opportunities throughout our lives to have a sense of purpose and feel fulfilled, but first we have to understand the different types of purpose.

    Our first purpose, which is our general purpose and applies to everyone, is to love God and believe in His son, Jesus. It is through following God each day, learning more about Him in His word and sharing His love with others that we find our ultimate purpose. This is where we find the true source of our identity and from which all other purpose is driven from.

    Our second purpose is in our specific calling. The word “calling” in Greek is “kaleo” which means “divine invitation”. Ephesians 2:10 says that “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are each uniquely made and have been given very specific gifts, strengths and passions, and we are invited by God to use them!

    Determining our interests and passions can often help us figure out what God has invited us to do. God often works at the intersection of our gifts and our passions. We can find our God-given purpose to serve and bless the world uniquely through who He has already made us to be. This purpose can be lived out through our vocation, in our churches and our communities. We can find this calling and purpose in the volunteer work we do, through ministries we are a part of, through our job, raising our families or through a hobby. If you are feeling unclear about what your calling might be, that’s ok! God has something for you! God is already at work all around you and has given you gifts that will make an impact on his Kingdom. Prayerfully dream with the Lord on what your calling in this current season might look like, and how you might join Him in Kingdom purpose!

    We find our third purpose in day-to-day tasks or duties we are called to in our current circumstance and season of life. We have families to take care of, meals to make, houses to clean, and friends who need our help. This type of purpose is the one that we sometimes struggle with the most because we don’t always recognize how we can find purpose in our day-to-day. When we recognize that each task and job before us is given to us by God, we can find joy and purpose through even the smallest of things. It may be as simple as helping your daughter with her homework, making a meal to nourish your family or being a listening ear for a coworker. God uses the strengths and characteristics He has given you to bless others, even in the purposes of the mundane.

    We can easily feel dissatisfied, however, when we blur the last two types of purposes-calling and daily purpose. It is only natural to want your vocation to also be the thing that you are perfectly gifted for and passionate about. We crave the satisfaction and joy of having a life-giving job that perfectly utilizes our strengths and talents. And in fact, that’s what our culture tells us we should be striving ceaselessly toward, and in doing so, find our worth. And while sometimes we get to do what we are most passionate about, God’s timing is not always our timing and we can find ourselves feeling adrift in the meantime.

    So what do we do when the season of life that we are presently in doesn’t afford that perfect opportunity, and we feel discontented and confused? It’s important to zoom out and see your circumstances from an eternal perspective. This builds our faith and allows us to trust that God is at work in our everyday, which cultivates contentment in our day-to-day purposes. I know this isn’t always easy or intuitive, so over the next couple weeks we will take time to further explore what this looks like in real life. We’ll share more about this eternal perspective, and how to experience purpose and joy in every season.

    In all these things we can trust that God will help us see the purposes that lay before us as we look to Him and spend time in His Word and in prayer. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” We can let God be our joy and our fulfillment as we seek to serve Him in all the opportunities that come our way with the specific gifts, strengths and passions we have to offer. You are wonderfully and beautifully made by God, on purpose, for purpose!

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  • Finding Significance, Identity in Christ

    Who You Are

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    Nowadays we have a lot of pressure to do all the things and do them perfectly; to be everything to everyone; to basically be superwoman–all the while looking fabulous and handling whatever comes our way with an air of ease (not even breaking a sweat). Do you ever feel the pressure to be it all? We think we need to be the perfect wife and the Pinterest-worthy mom, have a successful career, make sure our kids eat their vegetables, volunteer for the latest cause, and be there for everyone who needs us while somehow not losing our sanity.

    The problem with trying to live up to this image or expectation is that we can end up feeling like we are never enough, feeling empty, exhausted, and unlovely. It leaves us feeling like we are ever-striving but never arriving. We were never meant to keep striving to be somebody. Because the truth is, you are already somebody. You are already worthy, enough, and successful in Christ! He has made you the way you are with all the things that make you, you–to be who you need to be for your friends, your kids or your spouse.

    What if we got off the hamster wheel of chasing our self-worth and identity from our jobs, roles and the approval of others? What if we first found confidence from knowing who we were made to be and owning that? What if we found our security from knowing that what defines us is who God says we are?

    Every day we must choose if we are going to let the opinions and pressures of the world to tell us who they think we should be or we can stand firm in the never-changing truth of God’s word and who God says we are.

    You are CHOSEN. (John 15:16)
    You are REDEEMED. (Col 1:4)
    You have PURPOSE in Christ. (John 15:16, 2 Corinth 17-21)
    You are COMPLETE in Christ. (Col 2:10)
    You are WONDERFULLY made by the hand of the Creator. (Psalm 139:13-14)
    You are the SALT and LIGHT of the earth. (Matt 5:13-14)
    You are one in whom God DELIGHTS. (Zephaniah 3:17, Gal 2:20)
    You are an HEIR to the kingdom of God. (Romans 8:17)
    You are EMPOWERED through the Spirit. (2 Tim 1:17)
    You are God’s MASTERPIECE. (Eph 2:10)
    You are a CHILD of GOD. (John 1:12, Eph 1:5)
    You are LOVED! (Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:10)

    I know it is not always easy to remember these truths and so very easy to get caught up in the lies the enemy whispers in our ears, telling us we have to keep striving to be enough. But please know, your momentary feelings are fickle and can lead you astray, but the truth of who you are in Christ is solid and secure. So next time you find yourself doubting who you are, your purpose, and if you are enough, repeat these truths to yourself. Choose to focus on what is true and let the Holy Spirit remind you of God’s truth.

    I am praying these truths will cover your heart and mind, so that you will have great confidence in who God says you are!

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  • Finding Significance

    Stewards of God’s Grace

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    “Be a good steward of what you have” is a phrase I often heard growing up in church or at home with my family. At a young age, I could gather that the phrase meant to take care of my stuff, but honestly, I have never really studied much about stewards or stewarding beyond that basic understanding.  Even the word steward is sort of an old-fashioned sounding word that isn’t used much in conversation today.

    In the Bible, stewards were the trusted managers of a household, palace or large estate. Royal stewards were second only to the king and likely had control over the king’s treasury, the royal estate and some military assets. They were also representatives of the king, carrying out his work on his behalf until he returned.

    One of the mysteries of God’s grace is that we are entrusted with just such a task. We find a beautiful passage in 1 Peter 4:8-11 with some instructions about how to live and love as stewards, while we wait for Christ, our King, to return.  

    “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:8-11 (NIV)

    “Faithful stewards of God’s grace…” I LOVE this! This is so much more than just “taking care of stuff!” This is Kingdom business! When we use the gifts we have received, we become faithful stewards of nothing less than the grace God has given us. These gifts do not belong to us for our sole benefit. We are stewards, using them to edify and strengthen the Kingdom of God and community of believers. We faithfully manage the gifts and talents the King has entrusted to us, until he returns.

    We all have things we are good at, that we are happy to do, or God-given characteristics in our personalities. Some qualities we’ve always had, others God has cultivated in us over years of life experience. Whether we speak, love, or serve, we are called to be stewards of nothing less than God’s grace, given to us, for His service and glory.

    If you are wondering what your gifts might be, try this. Write down a favorite Bible verse or two along with some of the things that you enjoy and are good at in life, in family, at church, in ministry, or at work. These should be things that are life-giving–you could do them all day and still come back for more. Take stock of your personality and the character qualities that could be a blessing to others and point them toward Jesus. Then ask yourself, “Will it bless others and reflect God’s light and love to the world around me?” Share with a friend or in the comments! Gifts are meant for community and the best way to cultivate them is through prayer, worship, and Bible study in community!

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  • Finding Significance, Identity in Christ

    Radically Loved

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    “Define yourself as one radically loved by God-this is your true self. All other identity is illusion” – Brennan Manning

    This quote by Brennan Manning is one of my all-time favorites. For some reason, the phrase “radically loved” just lands differently in my mind. It’s easy to take God’s love for granted the same way my kids take my love for granted. I’m always telling them I love them. They know it and sometimes even give me a playful eye roll if I get too gushy.

    God has told us over and over in the Bible how much he loves us. He shows us by providing for even our most basic needs. But do I stop to think about how radically loved I am by God? How do I even try to fathom that the same God who created the universe and all the incredible things in it, thought the world needed one of me too? Let alone that He would come to earth to walk the life I walk, and feel the emotions I feel, to reach into my situation and meet me in my need.

    For years I sought my identity from the acceptance of others. I’ve spent so much of my life being a people-pleaser so that I would feel accepted. I would worry all the time about what people thought about what I said or did. Over time, God has helped me see that He is enough. His opinion of me is enough. I could be set free from the winds and waves of people’s fickle emotions and opinions. I no longer needed to fret and worry about what others thought of me. For I learned to rest my identity securely in the hand of my Heavenly Father whose love doesn’t change. For He is love itself. As I leaned into the truth that no matter who chooses to loves me or doesn’t, or who accepts me or not; He always will and He calls me His beloved, His precious child!

    Do you struggle with fully accepting how radically loved you are by the God of the universe? Do you define yourself as one loved by God? Please know, dear friend, you are so radically loved by God. You are a beautiful masterpiece created by God himself. Allow this to be what defines you. Let’s us no longer find our identity in the illusions that others or the world would have us believe. Proudly proclaim today, “I am a daughter of a King, a precious child of God!” This is your true identity.

    “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” ~ 1 John 3:1

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