Christianity is a lifestyle of self-denial and discipline: one of total surrender and obedience to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Some view this as a constraining, boring, and old fashioned way of life. But we only have one life to live. We can seek to find our own way of life, or we can give our life back to God and discover true abundance.

“Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all His benefits”  — Psalm 103:2

These words were spoken by King David of Israel. He knew God and followed after the heart of God. He was a frail, flawed human like all of us, but because he kept God first on the throne of his heart, he experienced a life full of God’s presence and intervention. I would like to mention several of the benefits of living the Christian life in an effort to persuade some and challenge others:

God gives me lasting peace in a tumultuous world. It guards my heart and mind from fear, worry and anxiety. It is not fragile and fleeting, but beyond my understanding and stronger than life’s storms and uncertainties. He gives rest for the weary soul.

His joy is my strength – not just physical strength, but the part of me which will outlast this aging body. Jesus delivers from depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. He renews my mind, which can be so easily polluted with all the things I see and hear. He gives a sound mind that is not tormented with suicidal thoughts.

God gives wonderful counsel free of charge in His Word. When I apply it to my life, the result is that I live a more abundant life. I have great help in my relationships, such as marriage, children, parents, co-workers, friends, and yes, even enemies. That’s what life is really made up of – relationships – and having a personal one with Jesus makes all earthly ones even better. His office is always open, and He is never on vacation.

Jesus is ready, willing, and able to give all types of healing – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I don’t need a psychic, medium, or holistic therapist to overcharge me for their services. I can activate my God-given faith and access His healing power.

God has knowledge of and provides for all of my needs. He supplies them from His great resources and riches. Most of the time I am unaware of how He is constantly doing this, and often I have to trade my worries in for a whole-hearted trust in Him.

I choose to indulge in good, clean fun. There may be many other self-indulging options available that offer unrestrained but temporary pleasures, but God lets me choose – and when I choose, I also live with the consequences. Consequently, I’ve chosen to live a life free of regrets, guilt, hurt relationships, or punishment. When I also confess and turn from wickedness, I will be given an escape from God’s judgment against sin.

I experience pure love from its very source, which is God. Love that never fails and is so deep, so wide, and so forgiving that it’s difficult to understand, because there is nothing like it anywhere else in life. I know God as my heavenly father, which makes me one of His sons. Even if your father was abusive, neglectful or absent from the home, God is a kind and everlasting Father whose family is always growing because He keeps adopting more children.

Jesus has empowered me to live a lifestyle free from self-destructive addictions like smoking, alcohol, drugs, pornography, gossip, and complaining. I reap the benefits of a moral lifestyle with no regrets. God has cleaned the proverbial skeletons out of the closet of my life. And when new ones die and want to make their grave in my heart, Jesus comes with resurrection power over past hurts, pain, guilt, and shame.

There are many more examples, but perhaps this sampling will give you an idea of why I am convinced that being a Christian, not just claiming the title, is the best life possible!

Late! If there is one thing that I can’t stand, it’s being late. I usually leave early so that doesn’t happen. But then I worry I am too early, and whoever I am meeting won’t be ready for me. Isn’t that as rude as being late? Well, that’s not a concern today. No sir, today I am good and late. I try to subdue the panic rising in me as I drive. “What if I get in trouble? I’ll say that I was… oh! I’ll say I was helping an old lady cross the road. Yeah, can’t get in trouble if I’m late because of that! That is awful, though, shame on me for planning to lie like that.” I finally convince my other eye to open and equipped with two bloodshot eyes I realize my socks don’t match. “Great! Just great.” I save everyone else the trouble and yell at myself as I sit at a red light. “Come on, Amanda! Why can’t you get your act together?” I drum my palms against the steering wheel; I feel a little shaky as panic starts to get the best of me.

Wait! Life has a tendency to put us through the wringer. Yet in the midst of my panic in the car, I realized God doesn’t ask us to beat ourselves up for our mistakes. Our God is a God of peace, trust, and perfect love. I don’t propose being totally still in the presence of God when you are supposed to be driving. But we have the option to calm our spirits in His presence and remember that He is God. He has control of our lives and He knows what is going on. It’s a bit like a boat ride that Jesus and his disciples took. While Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat, a storm arose of such severe degree that even the experienced fishermen were sure they were going to die. Their boat was full of water, so they woke Jesus up:

“And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”  –Mark 4:38-40

It may seem to us like our ship is sinking and God is sleeping on the job. But we don’t need to be afraid! We can have perfect peace, even in the midst of all the troubles that life can throw at us. With just a word from His mouth or a touch of His hand, Jesus can restore the peace in your heart. No matter what storms may rage around us, Jesus has the power to calm the turmoil, inside and out.

When you get scared you can ask God for His peace, too, and He will provide it for you.  There are two verses that helped me. The first can be found in II Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” The second verse is I John 4:18, which says that “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Like the title, “God is Bigger Than The Bogey Man”, God is and forever will be bigger than any fear in your life. Even when it seems that there is no one you can turn to, God is always there!

Sometimes we have things we’re afraid of  that we don’t tell other people about, because we are embarrassed about it. Just remember that there are thousands of people in the world, young and old, that have the same anxiety as you. Whatever your fear is: if you’re scared of spiders or snakes, the dark, being alone, or even death – God can and will give you His peace. All you need to do is ask Him. “Ask and it shall be given you.” Remember, God has not given us the spirit of fear, so you don’t have to be frightened any more!

But then, out of the blue, chills ran down my spine. I felt goose bumps crawl across my skin. Suddenly, I felt his presence cover me fully and completely. I knew at that exact moment that angels were spread across that chemistry room. And most of all, I knew that my Jesus, my Lord and Savior, my Redeemer and Provider, was right there with me. No matter what happened, no matter what issues came my way, His promises would remain the same.

“Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”  — Isaiah 41:10.

I am reminded of a very familiar story of Elijah, who after doing the will of the Lord, fled to hide from the wrath of Jezebel. After praying for the Lord to end his life, Elijah traveled to Mount Horeb, where the Lord dealt with him:

“And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”  — I Kings 19:12-14

Even though the Lord had never forsaken him, Elijah still doubted the Lord’s faithfulness. Elijah felt as if he were the only one that served the true God. But the Lord reminded him, in His still, small voice: “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” (I Kings 19:1)

It is easy to forget that God is not subject to the human frailties we are. Too often we put limitations on His ability, defining it through our carnal eyes. I can tell you what God will say to us. He will say that we are His children, His bride, and His church. He will tell us that He died on the cross for our sins, and He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He can tell us that He knows every tear that we cry, and that He cares for us more than anyone else. However, I feel the need to declare what God will not do. He will not leave us, nor forsake us. He will never lie, or break His promises. He will never abuse us, or take us for granted. He will never mock us, or tell us that He’s too busy for us.

It may seem as if things are going too quickly, and the only choice you have is failure. A natural reaction to that would be to try to control everything, to try to do it on our own, to make our own plans apart from what God wants. But it is His will alone that is good and perfect and can be trusted. As it is said in Lamentations 3:22-23, “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

“Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”  — Psalm 62:8

There is a place where you are always welcome. In that place you are completely safe. There you continually feel loved, no matter who walks into or out of your life. Even through dark times, that place is always able to give the fresh glow only the Son can give. To get there, all you need to do is get down on one knee and then the other, close your eyes, and tell God that you are giving him your all. Give him present or past relationships that you are hurting from. Tell Him your frustrations and anxieties. God wants to be the friend you talk to in the middle of the night, the one you greet when He wakes you, and the one you thank when you see a beautiful sunset.

But there’s a catch: in order to get there, you need a solid foundation of trust that only comes from a heart-to-heart between you and Him. It is only by testing and trying God that we are able to trust Him and trust for all the things He’s promised. Through our journey of testing we often feel disbelief at first, and when He comes through we are amazed and ready to give more of ourselves. In the end we  are no longer testing Him — it has beautifully bloomed into a reliance and trust.

When we establish this level of relationship with God, He gives us three gifts in our heart. These are peace, perfect joy, and complete protection. Like a rock, these three things cannot be moved or shaken from our lives. Once we enter into this level of intimacy and allow Him to move into our being, He will hold us up amidst all of our troubles. We can be at peace, because even at our most jaded state of being, there is a solid foundation of God grounded in our core.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”  — Proverbs 3: 5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”  — Proverbs 3:5-6

As a little girl, I used to like to fish with my brothers… except for when my fishing line would get tangled. I would sit for many frustrating minutes — wasting my time, as I saw it — trying to untangle that mess. It seemed like the more I tried the worse the tangle became. Life can be like that. Complex!

Sometimes my questions are more than my answers, my month more than my money and my burdens more than my strength. My mind becomes wrapped in cares and tangled with vexing situations and try as I may I cannot get peace… until I do a little thing that I’ve learned along the way.  I wrote about it in a sort of poem one particularly memorable time.  My home was taken by fire that year, the day after Christmas, my marriage was crumbling and I was stumbling in a darkness I had never felt the likes of before.  Here is the poem:

Today I set aside all my worries and cares
For a few moments
I dropped all I was doing.
I stopped long enough to step down from this whirling ride of life,
And I left the crowds behind.
I walked and turned a few corners away from distraction.
My foot-steps made their way in the direction
From which I heard you calling all day long.
And you met me there.
And with tear stained eyes and raised hands
I lifted a praise from my lips
to the one who hung
Between this old world and the heaven of heavens
For me!
You’re always there when I call, always near when I cry.
Every time I’ve a need, you supply.
You’re faithful!
In your presence where refreshing winds blow
They dry my tears,
Calm my fears
Give me direction.
Come with me as we walk up a hillside
Though it’s a climb, it’s worth it,
You will see
I can hear His voice,
I will make the choice.
If you have sin, He forgives
If you are weak, He has strength
If you fear, He gives courage
If you are helpless, He brings security.

Are you confused and lonely, wondering and wandering, trying several paths, not knowing which is right? Do you wish you knew the outcome? Do you ask for direction but seem to get no answers? Does life seem mind boggling and complex? Let me reassure you, it is! But you’re not alone. It was like that for me too. You’re not alone! You may not know all the answers but you can know the One who does. You see, peace is not a thing. It is a person: the Person of Jesus Christ. Most of the answers you need to know will come in due time. Some answers you probably don’t even need. Life can be complex, but trust in the One who made life, who walks every step before you, and life will be much more enjoyable.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  — John 14:27

Let’s ponder that thought; God’s peace is not likely to be experienced in a reasonable fashion, with a humanistic point of view. Proper worldly behavior is dictated to us daily by various forms of media, and airwave propaganda, all of which give off the stench of self indulgence. This broadcast, if put in the form of a book, would be titled “How to serve Self for Dummies!” After a introduction to this subconscious manipulation, we become fully trained in the art of entitlement.

It is a false sense of security when we find peace this way, an imitation if you will. After the senses are tickled and our comfort is established, we resist everything that challenges this ideal. It becomes our natural reaction and the peace that God wants to give us, a true and everlasting peace, is compromised. We are bombarded daily by questions that challenge our faith and our dream of finding peace. Be aware: the enemy is always working to compromise our relationship with God. Many times after these encounters we may question God in prayer, “Why did you do this?”, “What did I do to deserve that?”, “Can you even hear me?”, “Are you listening?”, “Can’t you see the pain and suffering in our world?” and “Why aren’t you doing anything?”

A proverbial tantrum!

These are all questions I have found myself asking at one juncture or another, and from these places my faith was tested. The peace that God wanted so desperately to give me was challenged. I have found that there are always two roads to take: one leads to understanding, the other to misunderstanding. One will leave you with true peace and the other will appear to be peace but will leave you with feelings of fear, worry, doubt, etc. One choice is made in surrender, the other in resistance.

The peace that God wants to give, that the world cannot, is only experienced through surrender.  To know God is to love Him, to love Him is to trust Him, and to trust Him is to surrender. That is always the result of trust. How we act during the times that are difficult for our flesh will determine whether we have peace or not. It’s easy to be at peace when everything is going good, but when things aren’t so good, what will I do?

I will either surrender or exact my will. Either I will resist, or I will surrender as Jesus did: “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39). By His word we have understanding that He is in control. Trusting Him with control of our life is the doorway to enter into his rest. Peace be unto you!

Current conditions cause many people to revisit old questions of purpose and life after death. Everyone wants to be sure of something — something greater than this life can hold. Do you just die and nothing happens? If that’s the case, why spend time on earth at all? To gain earthly things that are of no benefit? What is my purpose in living?

Well, if you’re raising your hands, or even if you don’t want to admit having those feelings, I will be honest and tell you that I’ve had those thoughts. Sure, I have my whole life ahead of me, but I used to wonder what my purpose in life is. I wondered whether I had a better reason to live, something greater to achieve than just an education or a good job. Don’t get me wrong: I still wonder at times, but the emptiness I felt when I thought about that question doesn’t haunt me anymore. Life changed forever when I discovered my purpose in life.

I’m not some guru is talking about an explosion or an earthquake that happened and revealed my purpose. No, I’m talking about something small, something that didn’t push me and didn’t make a big show of things. It was just a gentle pulling on my heart that molded who I am today. Today I don’t have to worry about changes in the economy, wars around the world, or any other disturbance — it doesn’t scare me, because I have this great inner peace. Even more than peace, I have a sense of purpose. I realize that I was created for a reason. Every feature of was molded the way it should be. I’m not a cast-off or an accident. I was created and molded to be someone that would live their life effectively for God.

Everyone has a purpose! It doesn’t matter who you are or how you are feeling. It doesn’t matter if you have perfect relationships or if your family is falling apart. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t popular, young, or old. You were created uniquely and wonderfully by the artistic hand of God, and no one can take that away from you. We are God’s Creation, His portraits, created in His image. Once we realize that we are His Creation, that we do have a purpose, we gain this joy and peace in ourselves. No longer do we try to fit in with everyone else, but we shine to be exactly who God designed us to be.

It’s not just for me or a select few: it’s for everybody. Every baby, every toddler, every child, teen, and adult! And it’s worth getting excited about! We were designed and created to be great. We have a greater purpose to live this life. So hold your head up high, have a smile on your face, because we are all loved, we all have a purpose, and we are all made by the Creator of the Universe! “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 139:14)

The name “Prince of Peace” is only used once in the entire Bible. The reference is Isiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”.

Let’s break this name down a little bit: “prince” in Hebrew is “sar,” which means “a head person (a captain, chief, or governor)” and “peace,” is “shalom,” meaning “safe, well, happy, or friendly”. So we can say He is the head person of safety, happiness, and well being. He is the one who looks out for our welfare, our safety, and our happiness, therefore we can put our trust in Him.

He is the one that is in control of our life. As long as we will follow him our lives can be fulfilled, we will be happy and safe in his arms. Peace comes from trusting Him to take care of our lives.

Man of Sorrows

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”  — Isaiah 53:3

Sorrows in this verse is “mak’ob,” which means anguish. Jesus was a man of anguish. He suffered for our sake. Why was he well acquainted with Grief? Isaiah says that it was for our sake: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows … he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”  — Isaiah 53:4-5

He became the sacrifice for us, taking the affliction, the beatings, and scorn, and finally being hung on a cross to die like an average criminal — all for you and me! This name is meant to remind us that He suffered on the cross for us. He took the anguish of death so that we could know him.

In our everyday lives, knowing that the savior is a man of suffering should reminding us that no matter what we are going through, we have a friend who suffered alongside us. There is one who has endured much more than we ever could. Imagine the pain that He felt as He carried the cross up a hill called Golgotha, agonizing over it for our sake. Before that He had taken severe beatings and mockery. The immutable God became vulnerable so that He could be our friend! The next time you face a trial of life, remember the power of knowing the Man of Sorrows, one acquainted with grief: the one who knows better than anyone else what you are facing.

In times like that, the one place that I always go running to is the only place where everything feels right: I run into Jesus’ arms. There is no place where I would rather be than in his arms. In his arms we can find joy, gladness, purpose and peace — oh, that peace that we find when we are with Jesus! It seems to engulf us as soon as we surrender ourselves to go to that place. Everything that we need can be found in Him. Sometimes it seems like everything is rocking around us, but that is when we have to look to Him.

If we are not careful we too often let the weight of the world crash on our shoulders. We let things like financial difficulties, political madness, family members, and sickness worry us . . . whatever we may be going through at the time. We tend to not run into the arms that can take care of it. Instead we start to struggle with a 5000 pound weight that will break us instead of giving it to the Big Bodybuilder who can pick it up like a piece of grass.

I have been learning to run to His arms and let him take care of everything that is going on in my life instead of struggling with what I’m dealing with alone. When you give everything to God, the burden is gone. Every time it happens, I wonder “why I didn’t do that in the first place? Why did I even try to deal with it on my own?” Jesus will take care of problems as long as we are willing to give them to Him. Run into his arms and stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Let that warm embrace of love surround you. He wants to give us that security and love so much. We just have to learn to surrender it to Him.