Fruit-filled Mamas
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,” Galatians 5:22-23.
This weekend we celebrate Mother’s Day, and I’ve seen fruits of the Spirit in the lives of several Moms whom I’d like to celebrate. Join with me, will you?
Love. I’ve been blessed with a mom who has loved all her children through thick and thin, in good times and in hard times, in sorrow and in celebration. She’s nearly 93 years old, but her zest for life and her depth of love continue to be a great gift and example to me.
Joy. My daughter is the wonderful mother of three little girls. The joy I see in her eyes and hear in her voice are priceless, precious gifts to them and to me. She’s an incredible Mom, I take joy in her mothering, and I am so very proud of her.
Peace. I’ve known Carrie for over a dozen years, and she’s always been an example of godly peace and trusting God with her children. They’ve lived around the globe and now, as a grandma, she continues to be an example of peace and trusting God with her children and grandchildren.
Patience. I’ve know my friend Pam for over 30 years. She’s been a second mom to my daughter and an incredible mom to her three very unique girls. I’ve seen her patiently pray, teach, help, love, and care for all her children and others besides, and I’m so grateful she’s in my life as well as my daughter’s life.
Kindness. In today’s busy world, it’s all-too-rare to see kindness in action, but my friend Kara is full of it. She exudes kindness and love, and it’s awesome to be a part of young mothers’ lives and see the next generation being raised with the fruits of the Spirit.
Goodness. My sweet friend Becky was full of goodness from the day I met her more than fifteen years ago. And now, as a Mom, goodness permeates her parenting and fills the atmosphere around her, and all are blessed because of it, especially her boys.
Faithfulness. Three years ago my dear friend Kimberly adopted twins from Africa, and her faithfulness to her biological and adopted children is a witness of God’s fruit in her life. How I love to watch her mother with all the love and faithfulness she has within her.
Gentleness. Though I don’t get to see her often, my friend Johanna reminds me of a gentle mom. She devotes her life to her three children, and when they speak to her, she gives them her full attention, gently loving them in the moment.
Self-control. All of these moms show a measure of self-control that is so rare in today’s world. Whether it’s working through the cultural challenges of living overseas, aging gracefully, or training up a little one in the way he or she should go, these moms show me that spirit-filled motherhood is a beautiful gift our world…and to me!
Who would you add to this list? I’d love to know!
Sweet Words
“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103
I recently had the privilege of doing several workshops for the Evangelical Press Association Convention. One of those workshops was a discussion about applying a biblical worldview to your writing and editing. In two weeks, I’ll be giving the same workshop at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference.
It’s true! God’s word is sweet, even when we read words of conviction or correction. Through His word we find understanding, wisdom, and truth. And once you get a taste for those sweet words and let them become a part of you, “from the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks,” Luke 6:45b. Or writes.
Yet in today’s secular world, unbiblical views can creep into our thinking and writing far too easily. In the past year I’ve edited both articles and books from Christian authors who had obvious unbiblical views. I’m sure they weren’t trying to mislead anyone or send their readers away from God’s truth; it’s just that the world’s views snuck into their thinking and writing without them even noticing it. When I discussed their faulty thinking and and writing, and then showed the scriptural truth of it, these authors were embarrassed, even appalled that they didn’t see their errors.
We are simply bombarded from every direction with unbiblical views. Yesterday as I walked through the airport on my way home I saw several marketing messages that were decidedly unbiblical. On Facebook, folks are posting “send healing energies to Nepal” and other new age ideas every day, many from Christian sources. And on TV and in movies? Well, you get all kinds of unbiblical messages.
The point is, as believers, we not only need to be vigilant to consciously reject the unbiblical worldviews that come our way, but we also need to fill our minds and hearts with His sweet words. Only then will you taste and see that the Lord is good and then speak and write words that lead to eternal life.
What unbiblical worldview have you seen creep into your world lately? I’d love to know.
Jesus with Skin On
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25.
Yeah, we’ve heard this before, probably this past weekend. We hear about the resurrection every Easter. We put on our Sunday best, and we celebrate. We have a nice dinner with family and friends, and we probably pop a few chocolate Easter eggs or Peeps into our mouth as an added bonus.
But do you show the truth of the resurrection?
Of course! You wouldn’t be reading my blogs if you didn’t. Yet how many sat in your church this past weekend and really didn’t believe it? Or like me, how many times have you sat on an airplane and chatted with a stranger who needs to believe or be shown the truth?
How can you “show” the resurrection truth to those who are yet to believe?
As I flew home this past Sunday, chatting with my seatmate, I was reminded how to do that well. In fiction writing, one of the basic rules is “show, don’t tell”. You make sure the characters walk it out and talk it out instead of just describing the scene. You use sensory words and emotions to drive action and cause the reader to engage in the story. You get them involved and make them want to be a part it.
As Christians, we must do the same. We show others what the Christian life is like. We don’t just tell them about the Gospel. We walk it out and talk it out instead of just describe what it’s like to be a Christ follower. We show our emotions and help them to sense the beauty and sweetness and vision of living the Christian life. And we live in such a way that they want to engage and become a part of the action.
I’m grateful that my journey of writing has taught me this truth in a new and powerful way, and I tried to apply this simple principle to that conversation on the plane. She seemed intrigued with the joy and kindness I showed her, and she said she’d think about our discussion some more. I tried my best to “show” and not just tell her about the resurrection life. I tried to be Jesus with skin on.
What about you? How has God taught you about “being Jesus with skin on”? I’d love to know!
The Step Between: Our Resurrection Day
In this past month, a 51-year-old neighbor headed to heaven only nineteen days after being diagnosed with cancer. Another neighbor and friend headed to Miami for a cruise, ended up in the hospital, and was diagnosed with cancer. My 92-year-old mom went to the hospital with pneumonia; I am here with her now as I write this.
Life is fragile, and the step between earth and eternity is a small one. Thankfully, all three of these dear people are believers and are—or will one day be—in heaven. Mom and I have been talking about that a lot this week, and I’m so glad her faith is sure. That makes dealing with the step between a little bit easier.
Sunday is Easter, the day we will celebrate Christ’s resurrection. We will recall His short walk on this earth and the amazing things He said and did during that time. We will remember His terrible suffering and the forgiveness He so freely gave. And we will worship Him and the glorious reality that He rose from the dead to save us all.
I am grateful my mom is still here on this earth, but seeing her struggle with daily tasks reminds me that, one day, she will be free of the earthly shackles that now bind her. She will be able to soar and sing freely, and she will worship and witness the beauty of heaven, thanks to resurrection Sunday.
The reality is that if we give our lives to God and trust in Him, we will all experience resurrection from the dead, and what a day that will be! As I see my loved ones suffer and struggle here on this earth, I find comfort in knowing they are in God’s care.
So on this Easter weekend, remember that we are all just a step between this earth and eternity. But as we trust in Him, we have the hope of heaven and our eternity will be glorious!
Happy Resurrection Sunday!
Acknowledging Words
“Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth,” Hosea 6:3.
I must admit that it’s been a long time since I’ve read Hosea. It’s the story of God’s relentless love for sinful man, and that time in history sounds a lot like today.
Israel had turned away from God. Sexual sin, homicide, theft, and all kinds of wickedness ran rampant. Sound familiar? The story shows God’s agony over His children and implores them to return to Him. “I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior,” Hosea 13:4.
But God gave Hosea a tough task—to marry a promiscuous woman and be faithful even when she was not. He “shows” as well as “tells” how Israel has been unfaithful to their God so that they would understand how betrayal feels.
So what? Hosea begs his people to “acknowledge the Lord” and keep on acknowledging Him. So should we!
In this ever-secular society, it’s easy to shrink back from acknowledging the Lord, His ways or share His truth, the work He is doing in your life, or even what He would think of a governmental decision or a movie or a song or the curriculum our children are being taught. Like those Old Testament believers, we are tasked to use our words to acknowledge the Lord, whether in a conversation or in our writing. We must. If we don’t, what will prevent us from becoming like Israel, a people lost and forsaken.
So whenever you get the opportunity to acknowledge God, seize it like your life depended on it. Because it does.
How do you acknowledge the Lord in every day circumstances?
Wise Words
“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing,” Proverbs 12:18.
I recently had a conversation with someone whose words were full of wisdom, healing, kindness, and life. We were discussing a difficult situation that she needed to deal with, one that could not only harm her relationship with that person but also harm her relationships with many if she wasn’t wise about how she was dealing with the situation. It was obvious to me that she had prayed, researched her options, and counted the cost, even before we spoke. And as she asked for my counsel, she measured her words carefully so she didn’t divulge unneeded details or expose who the person was. During our conversation, she was wise.
What do wise words look like in a world of foolishness, recklessness, and one-upmanship? In a world where gossip and moral relativism run rampant? In today’s world, it’s not easy to discern and it’s almost counter-cultural to speak with godly wisdom. Yet it is possible.
Wise words are those that, even when you have to deal with tough things, whether in speaking or writing, they bring biblical wisdom to the situation, even when we don’t quote scripture and verse. They are not “reckless” and they don’t “piece like swords” as the scripture so aptly says. And when we write wise words, they come off the page and go straight into the reader’s heart.
In the novel I’m working on, one of my characters has a decisively unwise tongue. She loves to gossip and prattle and tell tales. And she often gets into trouble because of her reckless mouth. She shows the readers what this Scripture is talking about, the folly of it, the hurt it can bring, the harm it can do. But can she truly change? That’s the question at hand for her and for us.
We all want our words to be wise, healing, and helpful. We want to bless others by the things that we say or write. But in a world full of way too many words, taming our tongue (or our pen) is something in which we all need the Father’s help and guidance. Only then can we truly have “wise words.”
How do you chose to only speak (or write) wise words?