Choose Your Hard

My friend has a phrase that rings true in all facets of life. It’s a simple 3-word sentence that carries a hefty punch:

“Choose your hard.”

She typically uses it when talking about educational options for our children. Becoming more engaged in our child’s education seems hard until we consider the harder consequences that come when we abdicate our position as parent to a school system that may not align with our family’s values.

Anything of lasting value usually requires some kinda hard:

Physical health 👉🏽meal planning, working out,

Emotional health👉🏽guarding thoughts & words

Spiritual health 👉🏽choosing time with The Word

Financial health 👉🏽 following a budget

Relational health 👉🏽 listening & love

We have the freedom to NOT do those hard things, but the end result produces a different kinda hard…sickness, disease, sadness, hopelessness, debt, broken relationships.

As I read through Paul’s command to not let sin gain control over us, I thought, ”Now THAT’S hard!”

And yet, if you read Romans 6, you discover something secret sauciness about the power of sin.

Most good things in life require hard work, everything, that is, EXCEPT the defeat of sin! Conquering sin has NOTHING to do with striving & EVERYTHING to do with following!

When we accept the free gift of salvation, our old sinful lives are crucified with Christ, we are raised to life & set FREE from the power of sin! That’s a promise! (Romans 6:7)

So when Paul says, “Don’t LET any part of your body become an instrument to serve sin”,  it’s not about white knuckling our way through obedience, but rather LETTING Jesus be Lord!

We’re a slave to whatever/whomever we choose to follow.

I don’t know about you, but when I follow me, more of me consumes me & it’s usually gross.

But when I let my Lord lead, His all consuming love envelops my life!

Jesus, we praise You that You conquered the biggest hard we’ll ever face=>sin!

Remind us that our ongoing freedom from sin is linked to Your Lordship in our lives!

Hard becomes easy as pie when we follow Your lead! Be Lord, Master & Ruler over our faith, finances, bodies, relationships, emotions, what we see, hear, think & speak=> be LORD over ALL!

#OneYearBible

July 20th One Year Bible Readings

2 CHRONICLES 1:1-3:17

ROMANS 6:1-23

PSALM 16:1-11

PROVERBS 19:20-21

Jesus Died Not Only to Save Us from the PUNISHMENT of Sin, but Also From Sin Itself

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why a sinner saved by grace would keep on sinning…

When we know the MUCH that’s been erased on the list of charges against us, why is it so easy to let “little” sins continue to reign? Frustration, jealousy, gluttony, perfection…those are a few of my personal trip wires, but I’m sure the list could go on & on.

I think the problem is that we forget the much that’s been done FOR us, so we slide back into former patterns of sin that were forgiven & taken FROM us.

When Jesus died for us, it wasn’t only to save us from the PUNISHMENT of sin, but to save us from sin itself. PERIOD.

Y’all, we are all utterly helpless & undeserving of grace, yet Jesus died for ALL sinners for ALL time.

Most of us wouldn’t die for a “good” person, but who of us would die for someone deserving of death?

“Not I”, said the fly.😬

God loves us SO much that He sent His Son to die for us WHILE we were still smelly sinners in the pig pen of our decisions!

Dr. Mark Rutland once said,

“There is no ocean that can wash away a drop of blood from a murdered king, but the drop of a murdered king can wash away an ocean of sin for all!”

Wowza, right?

When we remember that innocent blood was shed by the sinless Son of God to pay our bill of lading in full, sin begins to lose its luster.

The former things that lured us into our favorite flavor of sin begin to sour on our palette, awakening us to the fact that not only are we saved from the punishment OF sin, but we are also saved FROM sin itself!

We no longer long to return to it like a dog to vomit. And when we do, the sin hangover lasts only as long as we remain in it, lifting when we turn our spirit, soul & body back to the Lordship of our Savior.

Father, Your plan is so specific. Through the sin of one man, all became sinners, but through the sinless life of another, we are made right with You so we can spend eternity in Your Presence!

Holy Spirit, You know the secret sins that act like trip wires in our lives. Shed light on them & make them lose their luster. Remind us today that we have been saved from the punishment of our former sin AND from sin itself! May we go, therefore, & sin no more!

#OneYearBible

July 19th One Year Bible Readings

1 CHRONICLES 28:1-29:30

ROMANS 5:6-21

PSALM 15:1-5

PROVERBS 19:18-19

Facing the Impossible?

Abraham is the father of all who believe because of his unwavering belief in:

1) The God Who brings the dead back to life

2) The God Who creates new things out of nothing

Let that sink for a moment in light of any seeming impossibilities you are facing today…

👉🏽Healing that doesn’t seem to be happening

👉🏽Relationships that feel irreparable

👉🏽Bills that are big

👉🏽Circumstances that will not change by anything you do

Our pastor is in the middle of a message right now called, “Look Up!” There are many circumstances in the Bible that carry the command to look up, but Abraham is always the one that hits home for me 🤗

Romans 4 reminds us that EVEN WHEN there is no reason for hope, Abraham keeps hoping - believing he’d become the father of nations- BECAUSE that’s what God said.

Period.

Even though the womb of his wife Sarah is described, “as good as dead”, his faith does not weaken.

My pastor warned yesterday to be careful not to look OUT for too long because the facts before us will cause us to look DOWN, missing out on the amazingness of our good God when we look UP!

God brings the dead back to life AND He creates NEW things out of NOthing!

Hope in Him is the only kinda hope that will not disappoint!

So even though we run into problems & trials, we can rejoice for they develop an enduring kinda faith that strengthens our confident hope of salvation from any & all impossible boulders on the road ahead!

Father thank you for the reminder our pastor shared yesterday:

That feelings are a sum of two things:

1) What happened to you

2) What you tell yourself about what happened to you

Even though hard things have happened for all of us on some level, Holy Spirit, counsel us & weave Truth into the facts as we process. Help us not get stuck in the yuck, freeing us from worry, fear, bitterness & resentment, so full healing can happen!

When we feel like we are at the end of our rope, remind us that it ain’t over til it’s over, especially when we have a resurrecting God on our side Who creates new things out of NOthing!!

#OneYearBible

July 18th One Year Bible Readings

1 CHRONICLES 26:12-27:34

ROMANS 4:13-5:5

PSALM 14:1-7

PROVERBS 19:17