Position

Position

According to the

Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

1. The way in which something or someone is placed or arranged

2. The place where a person or thing is or should be

The way we position ourselves is important and it is something we do daily. Position is important to our posture so we don't get hurt. For example, typically while I'm at the gym I work-out in a specific position depending on the equipment I am using to keep myself from getting injured. At work, when picking up young children, I have to squat in a certain position while picking up the child so I don't throw out my back. While reflecting on the different ways we physically position ourselves, we also need to look at the ways we spiritually position ourselves.

Luke 5:1-7

"One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”  And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking."

Simon had been out fishing, working hard ALL night with James and John. After catching nothing, Jesus comes along and tells Simon to get back in his boat, go out to deeper water and let down his net to catch some fish. Although Simon and his partners had spent all night working hard to catch fish, they were in the wrong position. They hadn't gone out deep enough in the water, so Jesus came and re-positioned them. But Simon ultimately had a choice in how he would respond to Jesus' command...I mean, after all...they were busy washing their nets and finishing up...they had worked hard and were probably exhausted and maybe even a bit discouraged. Have you ever been in a situation that has just completely worn you out and Jesus leads you out a littler deeper? To trust Him a little more? Simon could have said nah bro, but he chose to obey Jesus.

The simple choice of obedience caused both boats to overflow with fish, and with that we learn that there is blessings in our obedience (Deuteronomy 28). The two boats were literally almost sinking. I don't know about you, but I want the blessings of God to cause the boat of my heart to sink...to sink in His grace...to sink in His mercy...to sink in His faithfulness...to sink in His love. What if Simon chose not to obey? What if he chose to simply give up? What if he chose to not go that extra mile Jesus had asked him to go? He would have walked away from his blessing. He would have walked away from his abundance and it also would have affected his two fishing partners. Jesus specifically told Simon, not John and James. Our obedience is not just for us but also tied to those around us. Your abundance may just be in your obedience. 

Obedience...is...hard. Because of obedience, Jesus died. He submitted Himself to the will of the Father so that through Him, many may be righteous and many may be saved. God gives us a free will and will never force anything on us, but there is greater on the other side of your obedience. God promises to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever ask for, hope for or imagine. God is faithful. God is faithful. God is FAITHFUL.

I promise you. God is FAITHFUL. There are so many doors that swung open in my life by simply choosing to obey what God had called me to do. When I came home from winter break almost one year ago, He had placed it on my heart to not return to school for my last semester of my senior year...
"huh? God what do you mean?!" After all...I only had ONE semester left. I prayed about it, let it go and trusted that He would confirm and sure enough...He did. I had to leave everything I had known for 3.5 years...my classes, my job, my staff,  and my friends as I stepped out into the unknown..not to mention the amazing food. (If y'all know me you know I'm a foodie!) However, I do plan on going back to finish my degree...just in His timing, not mine. People have been questioning me all year about going back to school. I love school. I love learning. But for now, I am positioned right where He has called me to be for my current season. There is so much peace in that and I have experienced the faithfulness of God in ways like never before. When I began working in a childcare program as an Asst. Floating Teacher, the Lord had then placed on my heart that one of the home classroom teachers would be leaving and I would be replacing her. So, I had thought to myself, "well, okay cool God, your will be done!" and low and behold about a month later she gave her 2 weeks and within another 2-3 weeks my boss pulled me into her office and offered me the position. I told you already...God is FAITHFUL! I love my job. I love the children I get to spend my everyday with. I love the lessons I am learning. I literally get excited on Monday mornings to start a new week with these kids. I would do ANYTHING for them. Yes, I get tired. No, the road isn't always easy and no, I'm not perfect and make plenty of mistakes. But....God is faithful! He has placed me in a position where I'm able to learn and grow.

So, I encourage you to step out in faith. I encourage you to be obedient. Trust me, you don't want to miss what's on the other side.

Love,

Beth

If you need prayer or want to chat,

please email me:

bohandley2@gmail.com

Fragile Jar of Clay

2 Corinthians 4:7

"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves."

The bible refers to us (Christians) as fragile jars of clay that hold the pure, magnificent treasure of Jesus Christ within us. When you think of a jar of clay, it is easily broken when hit with something hard. If it falls on the floor, it is sure to crack if not shatter. When life hits us, the storms have a tendency to break us....when that loved one dies, when you lose your job, when the weight of all the rejection you've faced leaves you hopeless, down and depressed. Deep down, you know there may be hope, but that hope seems like a distant fairytale. Something you're unworthy of. Something you can't just quite fathom or put your finger on because your heart has run dry. In those moments of brokenness, when the words of others, our insecurities and our experiences seem to break us, just as it would for anyone (believer or not) we have a choice. 

A choice to respond differently and let the light of Jesus within our hearts shine through this fragile jar of clay. As Christians, we hold the treasure of Christ within our hearts and when shattered, our brokenness is an opportunity for God to shine His light through us for all the world to see Him. Fam, your suffering is not in vain. Your brokenness is not for you, but for the broken world out their dying and in need of Christ. Have you ever desired for someone else to see your brokenness or be aware of the horrid situation so they could see the light of Christ?

"Man, you mean you're going through 

ALL of that but you're still smiling?!"

"Man, you barely have enough money to

 buy food for the week but your still giving?"

Matthew 5:15

No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. 

Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives 

light to everyone in the house.

The world is watching our responses to the tests and trials we go through. The tests that TRY to shatter our faith. It doesn't mean that we make life look like a walk in the park, because it's not. It doesn't mean you don't burst into tears on the phone with that family member because of what has happened, it just means that your broken enough to let your light shine through the tears. It's okay to be broken in a world that tries to force it's picture perfect image on those who live in it. There are somethings I go through that it's only the grace of God I can stand. It's the grace of God I can go to work with a smile on my face. It's the grace of God I can cast my care (anxieties, fears, worries, doubts) unto Him because He cares for me which frees me to go and do what He's called me to do without weight on my heart. It's the grace of God that keeps me together when it makes logical sense for me to simply fall apart.

As Christians, we need to learn and grow to a place where we stand out because we respond differently to those who belong to this world. Just a few months ago when I was traveling back from Pittsburgh after visiting my sister, there was no more room on the flight for my carryon bag so I had to check it. Deep down I was angry and wanted to blow up, but after seeing the women in front of me do that, I chose to respond differently because I do not belong to this world. I had to make a split second decision to stand out instead of choosing to blend in. Plus...I didn't want to embarrass myself the way she just had. So, cheers to pressing on and letting our lights shine for Christ in the good and the bad! Allow God to use your brokenness to shine some light into the dark hidden corners of the hearts around you.

Let your light shine,

Beth

My sister and I in Pittsburgh! #LuLu

Run YOUR Race

Have you ever been focused and busy doing what you needed to do and then all of a sudden look up and find yourself super distracted? There are moments in my every single day I find myself in this place. I am an infant and toddler teacher, and with that being said...distractions happen! One needs a bottle, the other needs a diaper and so and so thinks it's safe in their little toddler brain to run across the classroom instead of using their "walking feet" then......I have to put the baby down to tend to the running child who tripped and hit their head....get the boo-boo bear from the freezer and make sure the child is ok....moving on, to make a phone call that no teacher truly wants to make only to go ahead and then fill out an accident report with all it's required signatures. On top of all that, their are typically other children seeking the attention of their teachers wanting to sing songs and read books...or color and build blocks.  It can be exhausting, but so much fun! 

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I am not a good multi-tasker...so it's funny to me that God would currently have me working as a teacher....to the most curious and active little creatures on this earth! It's a job that requires me to multi-task and can easily get me into a place where I feel overwhelmed if I don't prioritize and stay calm. One of my friends knows that I absolutely struggle when it comes to multi-tasking....she knows very well that I cannot talk and listen to music at the same time...I get...distracted and have a hard time focusing. A couple of weeks ago when we were at a friends house, I turned down the music so I could focus on the conversation and it wasn't long before my friend began to explain my multi-tasking challenge! (I love having friends who truly know me and my random little quirks, it's truly a blessing!)

Jenny and I...my friend who knows my

multi-tasking challenges!

Check out her blog here!

Recently, I have found myself in this place of distraction...but in a different way. I found myself spiritually distracted. I was trying to multi-task...focusing on my lane and the lanes of others. It's a popular Christian phrase to, "stay in your own lane" but there is so much truth behind it!

Hebrews 12:1-2 (AMP)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us,  [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [b]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in a place where I had become distracted in doing what God had called me to do because I was busy focusing on what He has potentially called another to do. I was trying to run my race while focusing on the race of another which caused me to lose sight of what God was doing in me and through me. That's not to say that I don't care about what God is doing through the life of another, because we all belong to one another in the body of Christ, but I can't run someone else's race. God did not design me with the same pair of running shoes He designed for them. I can only run the race God called me to run and encourage others to do the same. God says to run the race set before us, not the race set before others. Not everyone is running the same exact race...God has something uniquely planned for each and every one of us with the same end result of bringing Him glory! 

The direction you look in is the direction that you run in...and that includes your past! (Check out one of my first blog posts: Don't Stay in Sodom!) Anyways, one of my facebook friends posted a video of her young toddler who was running around the track one sunny morning. As I watched the video (numerous times) I noticed that the toddler kept looking over his shoulder to his right, therefore continued to run and crash into the lane next to him. He wasn't able to run in his lane and kept crossing over. If your eyes are on someone else's lane instead of your own, you're eventually going to crash into it. Thats when the Lord began to show me that I had become distracted and crashing into the lanes of others. Oh gosh, God....what have I done? It wasn't intentional, I swear. How did I get here?! I love doing what you've called me to do, I love serving, I love leading....it's not always easy, but its worth it!

Doing what God has called me to do in this current season is such an incredible blessing. I truly am amazed by His constant grace that strengthens me. He has blessed me with some of the most amazing people along the journey and God's provision in my life has been abundant. I don't have time to be distracted and try to run someone else's lane....their shoes don't fit my feet and my shoes don't fit theirs! Needless to say, God gently and lovingly refocused me on Him and doing what He has called me to do instead of focusing on what He has called others to do.

So, I'm encouraging y'all now to run YOUR race!

Love,

Beth

Ready Or Not...Here I Come

One topic that many people choose not to talk about is the fact that Jesus Christ will one day return...we know not the day nor the hour, but we do know that He will return. The Lord will return for a church without spot, blemish or wrinkle...but the question is, are you ready? Being ready doesn't mean perfection because not one of us will ever be perfect here on this earth...Jesus is the only one who is 100% perfect. The only way anyone can be without spot, blemish or wrinkle is to BE IN CHRIST.

Colossians 1:22 (NLT)

Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the 

death of Christ in his physical body. 

As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, 

and you are holy and blameless 

as you stand before him without a single fault.

Phew. What a relief it is to be in Christ...knowing that when I stand before God in Christ when He returns that I will be holy and blameless before Him without a single fault. Its not because of my good deeds and good works, but because of Jesus and His finished work on the Cross and the blood that was shed to make my sin as white as snow.

God warns us to BE ready....not be busy getting ready. There are so many people who are "waiting" to give their life to the Lord and truly live out this Jesus thing for real. They still want to have their fun and turn up at the club and keep a whole bunch of men in their bed that have not paid the price for them called marriage. If this steps on your toes, I make no apologies because it's the truth...and the truth, well it doesn't always feel good when it first hits you. You may be reading this and currently don't have a relationship with God through Christ...if this is the case, know that God loves you and desires to be in a covenant relationship with you. He is patient, kind, loving and forgiving...slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion (Numbers 14:18)

One of my good friends has given me permission to blog about part of her experience in coming to the Lord. Thanks Tasha!! She knew that Jesus was real and that it was time to give Him her heart. She grew up in a Christian household with an awesome, praying mama. The day before she gave her life to Christ, she made a conscious decision to go turn up at the club just one last time before hitting her knees and truly surrendering her life. She wanted to have her last bit of fun and God in His love and grace saw the plans He had for her, to prosper her and not to harm her. It's an honor to say that God has blessed me with the opportunity to now serve in ministry with her. Thankfully, Jesus did not return that night in the midst of her last bit of fun...but some folks are in that current state where they want to have their last bit of fun before truly surrendering their lives to Christ...but what if Jesus returns in the midst of your last bit of fun?

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. 

No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

It may seem like there is still time to get our lives together before Jesus returns...that we can still go out and turn up at the club while cussing, drinking, smoking, gossiping, etc...but tomorrow isn't promised. Are you ready to meet the King right now, right this second? Is their oil in your lamp? 

Tasha and I after church one Sunday

One of the many parables in the bible is The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids:

Matthew 25: 1-13

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

Jesus is the eternal oil in our lamps that keep it lit...that keeps the light continuously shining before us so we can see the path that God intends for us to take. The five foolish bridesmaids were those who had no relationship with God and when the Lord returned...it was too late....they couldn't go to the store to buy themselves some oil. On the other hand, the five wise bridesmaids were those who had a relationship with God through Christ and their lamps were lit. All ten bridesmaids had fallen asleep and grew weary in their waiting for the bridegrooms return...and when he returned suddenly those who weren't ready didn't have time to get ready....this is why God is warning us to be ready...to come to Christ and have the lamps of our hearts lit and shining. Ready or not, Christ will return at His appointed time but it is the heart of God for NONE to perish but for all to repent and live in eternity with Him.

Salvation is not something we can go to the store and buy....it's not something we can earn by our own works and effort...it's not something we can borrow from someone else....Salvation is dependent on Christ and Christ alone and His finished work at calvary. It takes a moment of faith to be saved and life long process of sanctification to become more and more like Christ. God promises to finish the good work He has started in us (Philippians 1:6) and doesn't expect perfection, but we can be prepared by receiving the free eternal oil of Christ Jesus. He is a God of perfection, a God of completion...He finishes what He has begun.

Love,

Beth

The day in the life of an infant and toddler teacher

during summer color week!

**Disclaimer: Christians have fun too...I have an absolute blast and absolutely love life with all that God has blessed me with...especially my friends who crack me up!**

If you don't know Jesus and are reading this and want to give your life to the Lord, here is an awesome resource that will support and guide you through this process: Just Click Here :) If you have checked out this resource, prayed and given your life to the Lord and want some further support or prayer, please feel free to email me at bohandley2@gmail.com.

Just Be You

I saw so many things wrong that I needed God to change, but every time I put my hands on the wheel He took His off. He couldn't change me while I was trying to change myself and I've learned that God does a much better job at dealing with my sin, faults and mistakes than I do. There was no amount of energy or strength that I could put into changing myself... trust me I tried. 

Zechariah 4:6

"It's not by might nor by force, but by His spirit"

I was legalistic and self-pious...looking spiritually strong on the outside while spiritually dying on the inside. The truth is I wasn't living I was just existing. After God saved me, I became a brick...cardboard isn't even thick enough to describe my personality. I was automatically afraid of everything and stopped doing the things I had once loved to do.

Colossians 2:20-23

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

My friend Baina and I during our
Pinky Promise airport photoshoot, lol

There were so many rules, regulations and rituals I had tried to follow to earn the love and acceptance of God instead of standing on His truth...the truth that although I fall short of His glory and perfect standard every single day, He still declares I am righteous...not because of me and my perfect behavior or church attendance, but because of the blood of Jesus. (Romans 3:23) He has washed my sin and made it as white as snow...He settled the matter of my sin at the cross knowing very well (because He is God) that I would still sin, make mistakes and fall short of His glory. In no way am I condoning sin and saying it's okay, because it's not...but we serve a PERFECT God who remains PERFECT in the midst of our imperfection. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He cares about the situations we get ourselves into and we need to grow to a place where we learn from our mistakes and allow God to work it out for our good (Romans 8:28)

Isaiah 1:18

"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

God has been faithful, He has delivered me from that mindset and way of living and continues to prune me as He finishes what HE started. He is truly a God who restores. He is currently restoring me to who He created me to be...He's restoring my personality...He's restoring the silly, down to earth girl with a child-like heart I once was.

I love to cook, bake, clean, organize, eat ice-cream, laugh (a lot), run and workout, be with my friends, do my makeup and go SHOPPING! And so much more...there are so many things I'm learning about myself. Pink used to be my favorite color...anyone who knew me knows that EVERYTHING I owned was pink...I forced myself to love a color I truly didn't care for...because I was a cheerleader and a female...I mean pink should be my favorite color, right?. I didn't love myself or who God created me to be because I didn't know any better, so I tried to be like everyone else. I had all these different pieces of others who I tried to be like when the real me was buried beneath the surface. Beth was crushed and no where in sight. You could see me, but you didn't really know me. I didn't really know me - I knew a false illusion of who I thought I was.

Jetskiing this past weekend for the 4th!

I learned that no amount of religion can save anyone. No amount of trying to change myself could help God do what He wanted to do. It wasn't until I let go of trying to change me that God could actually change me. I still have my moments, but it's not long before God reigns me back into Him and His word and helps me to simply remember to let go so he can change me and finish what HE started.

As humans, we make letting go so hard when it's really so simple. It seems the harder we try to let go the harder we hold on and the tighter our grip gets. Letting go is simply that, just letting go. It goes from our hands into the hands of God and from there, He handles it. There's times things need to be broken or stripped from us, but God can do more in a short period of time when we let go than in our years of holding on to things He wants us to let go of. Letting go doesn't always mean to get rid of something. Sometimes we need to let go and step back so God can step in. We get in the way of our own healing and blessings because we are busy trying to do Gods job.

We need to do our part and cooperate with the work of God in our lives, but we also need to take several seats and simply let God be God.

Just Be YOU!

Love,

Beth

Mercy Said NO

The grace of God has met me in places I didn't even know I was in. I was once in a place where I had no knowledge of holiness, no knowledge of who God TRULY was...I was doing me and living life on the edge. There's someone out there reading this who needs to know that God loves you unconditionally, that His grace makes a way out of no way...the question is: will you take that way? 

Isaiah 55:8-9

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so my ways are higher than your ways

    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Often times, we search for the easy way out...but most of the time, Gods ways are not the easy way out. Sometimes He takes us certain directions and routes to develop the fruit in us that will GLORIFY HIM and not our silly emotions that are fickle and constantly changing based on our circumstances. The path of righteousness is a narrow road, but a road that God has also made wide enough to keep my feet from slipping (Psalm 18:36)...Gosh, God is FAITHFUL!

There are so many words to describe who God is, but there is one particular experience in my life (that will be the focus of the blog) that honestly, makes me weep at the faithfulness of God. He is a FAITHFUL God, even when I am unfaithful. He is THE God who sees me...not just in my good, but in my bad, in my ugliness, in my darkness. He saw the depths of my heart and still chose to love me. He saw me lost, drunk, confused, stumbling in the darkness and He kept me.

One of my sisters in Christ who 

knew me in my ratchet stage of life.

My freshman year of college was quite the adventure, and lately there has been one particular experience that often times will bring me to tears at the faithfulness of God:

As a freshman in college, I longed to fit in with the crowd and live the "college life" so I began to drink with the group of friends that I had made at school. There were a couple close calls where  I had probably drank too much, but there was one night in particular that I should have died. That night, if it weren't for the GRACE of God, I would have ended up in hell...people don't like talking about hell these days, but I WILL not sugarcoat what God saved me from. He saved me from the life I deserved (death) and gave me the life I did not deserve (abundant, eternal life), and that my friends is called GRACE and MERCY. That night, I had too much to drink and that may have been the night (if I remember correctly...if at all...) I drank a drink a couple of male friends had mixed some Nyquil in...let me just say, I was sick...to my stomach. My friends had put me to bed and left me to go do their thing (I won't go into many details here), but at one point after they had left me, I had rolled over onto my back and was choking on my own vomit. It was the grace of God that my next door neighbors heard me choking through the walls and that my door was left UNLOCKED so they could get into my room and help me. It was the complete Grace of God that night that I did not die.

  God saw the plans He had for me, He knew where He was about to take me, He knew that the following year I would eventually dedicate my life to Him and repent of my MANY sins, He knew the good works He predestined me to do for His glory, He knew that one day I would be able to look back on this experience and be able to say that I have TASTED AND SEEN THAT THE LORD IS GOOD! (Psalm 34:8)

That night satan tried to snatch me, he tried to destroy me...but that SAME night...God's MERCY SAID NO. Gosh, God is faithful and I am so extremely humbled being able to reflect on this experience and thank God for snatching me from the hand of the enemy. I am thankful that God let me live when I deserved to die. I am thankful that He was so patient and long suffering that although my back was to Him, He was still covering me with His all-sufficient GRACE. If God did it for me, I am believing Him to do it for you...so if you don't know Christ and wonder if you've done too much wrong to ever get right, be encouraged that His grace is ready to meet you right where you are...in your sin, in your shame, in your suffering...just come! Come to the table of plenty...plenty of love, plenty of peace, plenty of joy, plenty of grace, plenty of mercy! 

Love,
Beth

The White Out Worship experience at my home church last April.

Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. 
"Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool."

Got Religion?

If anyone can tell you about religion, it is Paul from the bible. This man was the top of the top Pharisee...I guess you could call him the top chef. Paul was a religious man who strived in his own human effort to keep all of the Jewish laws to maintain his own perfection...and that "perfection" just so happened to be the fact that Paul was actually running around killing Christians and persecuting them until the infamous Damascus road encounter with Christ. Anyone who has given their hearts to the Lord can attest they have truly had a "Damascus Road" encounter with Christ...God filled you with peace and joy, and then throws that heart of yours on the potters wheel where the remolding and reshaping begins...where you have come out from religion and begin to recognize the importance of

R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P.

"I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin-a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault"

(Philippians 3:5-6)

If I am honest and transparent, I was much like Paul...very religious and even after I gave my life to Christ, that religious spirit carried over...but God is a God who delivers!

Anyways, where am I going with this?

Religion is self-centered focusing on all we can do to "save ourselves" and measure up to what we think God wants from us when really, if we could have measured up to begin with then Jesus would not have die on the cross for our sin and for the sin of all the world. The religious spirit is a dangerous spirit which also causes a deep root of pride. Christianity is not all about what we can do for Christ, but it's about what Christ has already done for us. We wouldn't be able to even do anything for Him if He didn't died on the cross to save us from ourselves, our sin and our mess.

Growing up I was very religious...I sang praises to the Lord in my room when no one else was around from a hymn book I actually stole from the church...and had NO conviction...why? Because I had no relationship with God....I was so busy serving a God I didn't even know. 

I sang in the teen choir.

I was a peer leader/peer minister.

I was the president of the youth commission ministry group.

I went on mission trips every summer for about 4 years.

I went on retreats and even an "optional" retreat.

I served in homeless shelters and soup kitchens.

I went to church every weekend.

I wore "Jesus" apparel.

I HID my "church music" on my ipod in fear.

I wore a cross around my neck.

Sounds good, huh? I was doing all the right things for the wrong reasons...serving a God I didn't even know....I thought I knew Him, I pretended to know Him, but the truth is my heart was FAR from Him. At one point I remember even questioning heaven...a conversation I had with a cousin of mine and said it just wasn't logical, it doesn't make sense and begin to talk about science. I was too carnal minded to even think about heaven. But God, He takes the weak and foolish things of this world and puts the wise to shame (1 Corinthians 1:27). I am not saying the things I did were bad (minus the stealing--that was bad)...in and of itself they were good things, but I had it backwards...like Paul, I was relying on my own human efforts to make myself "good"....not in the eyes of God, but in the eyes of the church...I was church minded, not Christ minded. I was serving a God I didn't know the first thing about. I can't even say I was working to be saved, I didn't even know what being "saved" meant. I didn't even know there was a heaven and a hell. I was so blinded by this mask called religion until Jesus stripped the scales from my eyes.

I was a living, breathing, walking definition of 

Matthew 7:21-23

 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

This may step on some toes, but no amount of good works can get you into heaven. No amount of serving in the church will make you good enough. No amount of religion will make you good enough. No amount of reading the bible will make you good enough. No amount of anything besides Jesus Christ will ever make you good enough. It is not enough to know OF God, we need to KNOW him...to know someone is to be in relationship with them...someone you're in relationship with is someone you talk to and spend time with, someone you sacrifice for if you really love them.

It is only through the precious, spotless lamb of God where we can find rest for our souls. That is why Jesus tells those who are burdened with religion, heavy burdened trying to work their way TO HIM, to simply come and rest in Him (Matthew 11:28). If I am transparent, this was one of my biggest battles and challenges throughout my journey with Christ. But God, sets the captives free and I am no longer bound to the chains of religion. There are moments where I still have to fight it through the strength of Christ to STAY FREE. But God! His Grace. His Mercy. His LOVE.

Don't hide behind your mask. 

Religion relies on the law; relationship relies on Christ

"For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are trulycircumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have effort in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!"

Philippians 3:3-4

Relying on our own human effort to overcome sin or follow the law will leave us running in circles, falling short of Gods glory every time. Romans 3:23 reminds us, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God"...every time you fall short, religion will be there telling you have to measure back up to Gods standards, working your way back to Him instead of repenting and confessing your sin, simply receiving the forgiveness God has for you. Most Christians have gone through this, and I know it's something I battled with for what felt like forever. Religion makes everything complex, but faith can make everything so simple. 

We cannot finish in the flesh what was started in the spirit (Galatatians 3:3). Even as a saved, born-again believing Christ follower, there have been times where I have begun to try and finish in the flesh what was started in the Spirit. Times where I have taken the gifts God has given me for His glory and begin to turn them into a good work of something I need to do in order for God to love me or accept me. Those gifts quickly became "Beth centered" and not "Christ centered". God says HE will COMPLETE the good work HE has STARTED in me. It doesn't say that the good work will be completed in my own strength and striving for perfection...but that God will finish and complete the work He has started in me. (Philippians 1:6) Yes, we still need to do our parts, but leave Gods part up to Him.

No amount of praying, fasting, tithing, serving or doing can save you or me. Yes, those things still NEED to take place as we grow and mature in Christ, but it needs to take place in order. These good works are a result of salvation, not something we do to earn brownie points with God. It's so easy for Christians, myself included to get worked up in a performance mentality. "Oh, I missed my quiet time with the Lord today, that must mean God doesn't love me as much today as He did yesterday when I spent my first hour with Him"....but...God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He doesn't love us based on our performance, but based on Christ's performance. Don't get me wrong, we still need to serve, pray, tithe and be doers of the word, but why do we do what we do? Are we relying on Christ and the FINISHED work, or are we trying to add to the cross by the efforts of our own human flesh? The cross is enough. It cannot be added to, it cannot be taken from.

Let's make sure we are seeking after Christ,

not after religion!

Love,

Beth

Me and two of my sisters in Christ that I

am humbled and blessed serve in ministry with.

Check out Pinky Promise Movement and
search for a group of Christian women seeking
after the heart of God:

www.pinkypromisemovement.com