Why is Friday Good?

Why is Friday Good?

In the Gospel accounts of the first Good Friday, I’m drawn to the parts about Peter. Maybe it’s because I’ve long identified with him on some level, and I’m sobered by his betrayal of the man who’d changed the trajectory of his life.  It seems shockingly out of character, and I find it uncomfortable to absorb. 

Because Peter wasn’t passive or afraid or a curious bystander when it came to Christ. Quicker than most, he recognized Jesus as the Son of the living God and lived like it mattered. You don’t ask Jesus to call you out of safety into deep, turbulent waters unless you fully believe he can save you when he does.  And Peter did.

But this particular day…  

Jesus is breaking bread and pouring wine.  Revealing truth a bit confounding, he shares with his closest companions the time has come for him to be struck, and them to be scattered.  Fittingly, Peter insists he won’t scatter, even if all else do.

And so emerges a glimpse into his now epic denial: reliance on self. 

Jesus, heart heavy, asks his friends to pray with him.  Peter, long on zeal but short on follow through, fell asleep.  

Three times. 

Alone in his pain, Jesus consoles. “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”  The master teacher gives Peter the secret to remaining resolute; it’s spirit, not strength; Me, not you.  

…

Later that evening, while waiting outside the court where Jesus was taken after his arrest, Peter warms himself by the fire.  Those huddled alongside him begin to talk.  A keen-eyed teenaged girl finally asks,

“Aren’t you a disciple of that man?” 

Pulling his cloak a bit tighter Peter replies, ’No’.  

“Surely you are?”  

“I tell you, I am not.”  

“But that accent...” 

“I swear on my life, child!  I don’t know the man. Now leave me alone.”  

Three times.  

Rooster crows, Jesus sees, Peter weeps.  

This was his good Friday.

…

Sometime after that, a resurrected Jesus finds Peter early one morning back where their journey began - in a boat, fishing.  Preparing breakfast together around a fire, I wonder if memories resurfaced of the first time they met, or if distance from their darkest hour permeated all? I wonder if Peter’s heart leapt the same as before, or if it beat more knowingly, when Jesus bid him come?

“Peter, do you love me?” Jesus seeks to bridge what fear has torn apart… 

Stoking fire, appearing useful, Peter answers, “Yes, Lord, you know I do.”  

“Peter. Do you love me?” he continues probing at the pangs of buried ache…

Staring hard at burning ember, feeling weight so hard to bear, “Yes, you know I do.” 

“Peter, do you love me?” as his wounded hand extends, easing burden, shielding shame…

Peter lifts his head to look upon his Savior, resting full assured “Lord, you know all things, you know I do.”

Three times, a broken man reclaimed. 

Each time, redemption for the lost and for the ones who’ve lost their way.

This is why Good Friday’s good.

~ elizabeth dougan

Selective Passion

I have no problem sharing something if I’m passionate about it!  I was reminded of this today as I stood at the service desk at Walmart returning a dozen boxes of votive candles that I had purchased for our recent IF Gathering.  As the woman was checking the receipts and returning the candles I was going on and on about how much I loved these candles, how long they burn and what a great deal they are compared to other candles that are similar.

  I told her that if she ever has a need for this type of candle that they are the best and to remember that!   She probably could have cared less about the dumb candles that I had piled upon her countertop, but because I am passionate about how well these little guys have served me in the past, I couldn’t help myself, really.  I was truly hoping that someday this information would prove useful to her.

If only I could have that same enthusiasm when sharing my faith.  If I could so easily go on and on, unsolicited, about how much I love Jesus, truly hoping that someday the information would prove useful.

Why do I care so much to tell that woman how wonderful the candles are and I don’t care enough to share how awesome the Light of World is?  It caused me no fear to offer that information but I would have had a small panic attack if I had chosen to tell her about God’s love for her, right then and there.

There is something to be said for developing relationships in which you have a natural opportunity to share your faith.  But there is also something to be said for seizing a moment that may never come again.  My problem is, I always default to the long term relationship scenario and never step out into the scary, share my love for Jesus because I just can’t help myself scenario. 

Whether I would like to admit it or not, I reserve that kind of sharing for street preachers, pastors or those lucky people who are just naturally bold and evangelistic by nature.  It’s not how I roll.  Unless of course, I am sharing about an amazing candle, then look out! 

This should not be so.

These said candles were burning on each table at the IF Gathering as I sat in the dimly lit room feeling ashamed at how feeble my attempts to reach the lost really are.  The speaker on the big screen was pleading with us to not keep the wonderful news of our Savior to ourselves.  He begged us to remember what is at stake.   He reminded us that it doesn’t need to begin with a big initiative or the writing of a book.  It starts with one life at a time.  Just make ONE disciple.

 

God didn’t say, ”Hey, if you get around to it and it doesn’t feel too awkward, go ahead and mention Me, but if not, no worries, just be nice and neighborly  and maybe that will rub off enough to lead them to Me.”  He actually commands us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”  Mark 16:15 

Do I want to keep allowing my fear of what someone might think, fear of overstepping my boundaries or fear of rejection to stand in the way of someone’s eternal salvation?  Do I want to keep my faith small instead of allowing it to grow each time I trust God and His plan?  I’m realizing that I have made it all about me.  I’m thinking it’s time to make it about others.

If you, like me, have had these struggles and fears, would you be willing to join me in stepping outside of your safe scenario and into a place of obedience and true love?

I will never know if that woman will someday need those candles for an event and be glad that I shared with her, but I do know that sharing the gospel is the most important thing I could ever tell someone and that I could put my passion to better use!

 

 

Debbie K.

 

Armor Wearing and Battle Victories

Several weeks ago, I had a DAY.  You know the kind of day I’m talking about…I woke up tired, with zero motivation for my to-do list, the sink was full of last night’s dishes (not to mention the sink needed a good scrubbing), my lips were chapped, I could not find a pen that worked, we were almost out of diapers, I was not exited about my lunch, things fell out of both the closet and the cabinet when I opened them, my pants felt too tight, I seemed to hit every stop light, I had zero energy and my head was flooded with negative thoughts about myself. I struggled with comparison all day long and felt overwhelmed with despair by the state of our nation and world in general.  Yep, it was one of those days.

I know I'm not alone when days like these rear their ugly head.  We all go under water from time to time thanks to circumstances that push us to our limits.  It would be nice if we could just crawl back into bed and start days like these over, but sadly, its not that easy.  

Priscilla shared with us last week in our Women Unplugged study that when we are feeling low on that God-given inner peace we all long for - the kind that rises above our crazy circumstances and to-do lists - it is really because we are low on thanksgiving.  And we run low on thanksgiving because really, we are low on trust in the One who is Lord over everything in our life. (Even those piles of laundry and dirty dishes!) To put that equation into practice, the reality is, on days like these, when it feels the hardest, we are supposed to say 'thank you' the loudest. 

I truly desire to live a life anchored in gratitude. I do.  For me, gratitude is an easy practice when things are running smoothly and feel good.  But I am learning that the discipline of finding things to be thankful for when tears of frustration are brimming and I have reached my maximum capacity for the day at 10:30am...is when the rubber meets the road and our Almighty God meets me, and offers his Peace grace by grace. 

I’ve been especially thankful for the hope and peace that seep in from the renewing of my mind in Christ Jesus. (Romans 12:2)  I know when I’m neck deep in one of those seemingly impossible days or seasons, I always try and cling tightly to the hope that change is possible and that things can be different.  Activating my God-given Armor starts with me and the attitude of my heart.  I so easily forget that in the heat of battle.

Peace that transcends those challenging days is as far away as my heartfelt offerings of thanksgiving and trust. So much of life I have no control over, but I do have control over that.  So today, I am putting my stake in the ground here...at the beginning of this beautiful month and the start of a beautiful new season.  I'm claiming all of these days forward for:  gratitude and trust, for believing God for the renewing of my mind, for celebrating new beginnings and fresh starts, for peace, for presence in the battle, for intentionality and practiced discipline. But most of all, I'm claiming these days forward for Armor wearing and battle victories.

- Sarah L. 

Why all the Pressure?

It's been said I put a lot of pressure on myself,  Generally speaking, I agree.  When the pressure's on, I function as if some catastrophic consequence is looming if I don't...what?  Show up on time? Clean my kitchen before I go to bed? Rigorously exercise? Say the right things?Be completely cool and cavalier under all this pressure?

Who is it that makes these demands of me? Who gets inside my head and says, I must be so disappointing to you - "you" being the nonexistent yet ever present observer of my life?

Here's where it hovers on a grander scale...

Due to the influx of constant correspondence (via text), and constant comparison (via all the rest of it), my definition of "life-long" friends has changed and become somewhat skewed.  When I'm in the company of friends who get regular texts from their other friends while we're together, I begin to feel one-dimensional.  Like, apparently I am not needed elsewhere. Truth is, I don't have friends I text daily (or even weekly), so I question if I qualify as life-long, since I'm not on anyone's most recents list.  And I can't even talk about how sad I get that I don't have girls I go on trips with... I mean, (via my social connections), doesn't everyone?

The pressure whispers, 'do I matter?'

Another area the pressure has me hamstrung is security.  It seems I should have had the good sense to project manage my home, make wise investments, and blaze through half my bucket list by now.  Oh, and buy health insurance I can actually use.  Knowing how abysmal my attempts at these have been, I muddle along, perceiving some unseen others as victors in life because they navigated the big stuff successfully and have the spoils to show for it.

The pressure whispers, 'my best years have been lost.'

Then there's the whole productivity/purpose thing.  I can waste hours (translation: days), sitting on a couch strategizing how to best execute my Next Big Thing, while supposedly everyone else is living their purpose driven life.  They're following their hearts and running their races, regardless of impediments.  Meanwhile, I feel trapped by the nothingness.  How did the stay their course, find their stride and realize their dreams?

The pressure whispers, 'why am I so incapable, so lame?'

This is the pressure I speak of.  Some may say, the lies I listen to.  When I'm in my right mind, having a good day, meaningful encounter, or simply taking a walk, I know these things aren't true.

We all struggle to find lasting friendship - to not be let down when "life-long" and "day to day" don't equate, and can logically grasp those are two very different concepts.  (and PS - traveling is expensive and more a function of socio-economics than it is friendship.)

No one feels completely secure.  Who could?  Life is crazy.  Those appearing more peaceful are those who place their trust in God, or, because they happen to be doing fairly well at the moment, themselves.  (But self is a very precarious trust-holder.)

Here's a little secret:  every speaker/writer/dream-maker desperately hopes that what they're saying/writing/doing matters to someone, somewhere.  (And lest we fail to acknowledge, words are forever stored in that elusive "cloud" so perhaps the fewer attached to our name, the better.)

It's time to take the pressure off.

This is yet another reason I have been enamored with the humanity of Christ.  When I recall, "he was tempted in every way as I was, yet without sin", I forget he had people following him around all day long, every day, for at least three years.  I forget he had an actual audience.

Talk about pressure.

Given he was exposed to similar struggles as I, He must have wondered if his life-long friends would be there for him in his day to day; wondered if he'd managed each sacred moment completely; wondered if he was making an earthly difference.

That doesn't make him less God, but more human - and he was fully both.

His life was lived in perfect balance; the ideal blend of friendship and solitude, intention and interruption, purpose without the striving.

And then, the sweet exchange:  His life well lived, for mine.

Christ in me, the hope of glory, silenced the audience.

So why all the pressure?

~elizabeth (Liz) d.

Instructions

I love IKEA. And not just because of low prices, modern styles and the smell of cinnamon rolls at the checkout lane. I love IKEA because I have an affinity for ready-to-assemble furniture. I’m not kidding. Some may cringe or have heart palpitations at the thought of such a task, but not me. I say bring it on.

My love is two-fold: having a picture of what something is supposed to look like, and having explicit directions on how to get there. With confidence, I can know that if something didn’t turn as expected, it is merely because I missed a step. And a solution is as easy as retracing my moves and completing the direction correctly. It’s that simple.

I wish life were like that. Imagine if we were given a complete set of instructions on how to assemble events and things that happen to us. If only we could put together a beautiful and sturdy life structure with an Allen wrench (the crooked tool that comes with every piece of IKEA furniture) and good twist of the wrist.

Sometimes I wish I had a picture of how life was supposed to turn out. A promise that everything would be fine in the end, as long as I continue to make the right choices. It would be helpful to know that as long as I do A, followed by B, then C would surely happen. If the directions were followed exactly, then I should be good to go.

But here is the thing, that’s not how God works. God has been teaching me lately that His love for us is so much bigger than that. He loves us far more than we could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20), and God’s plan for us far exceeds anything we can come up with on our own (Isaiah 55:8).

And unlike my IKEA bookshelf directions, God doesn’t show everything to us at once. Psalm 119:105 says “God’s word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” A light doesn’t reveal the end of a trail; but rather, only a few steps in front of the traveller. You must step out in faith in order to see further down the path.

It is during those moments of uncertainty that we can choose to trust in God. That’s what He wants from us. He wants us to let go of OUR plan and simply draw near to Him. (Mathew 11:28).

How do we do that? Maybe spend five minutes in prayer each morning this week, thanking God for a new sunrise and asking Him to guide your day. Maybe choose one verse from the Bible that encourages you to trust in God and reminds you that He is in control, and that His plan for your life far exceeds anything you can come up with on your own. I’ve listed some of my favorites above.

Be encouraged, for God promises (Psalm 32:8) “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.”


Rebekah H.

Confession

As soon as you wake up you feel it. It’s not supposed to be there. Your mind knows that and instantly the weight increases with the layer of guilt. In the darkness you breathe deep and slow, in and out, hoping for release. Space to see the light you know is there. You pray. You praise Him even in this. You confess it to God. You ask the Holy Spirit to help you, guide you, lead you away from it. You recite scripture.

Yet, it’s still there.

I don’t know what it is for you.


For me it’s weight on my shoulders and a constricting of my chest. You desire to pull the covers over your head and stay there all day. Instead you swing your legs over the side of the bed and your feet hit the floor. Because that’s what you know you have to do. What you’re called to do.

And that’s what you’ve been doing every day in this season. You’re showing up and you’re battling as best you can. The season has been long and you’re weary. Today you go through the motions, but your heart has long since abandoned ship.

It sounds like many of us are in this season. Even if we identify these feelings and emotions without any basis in Truth we’re unable to shake them. Our emotions no longer align with what we know as truth. God’s truth, His Word. We’re reading it, writing it, reciting it and still our insides are contradicting what’s before us in black and white or even red and white.

You feel alone, unloved, and unworthy. You know He’s always with us. You are His Beloved. You were worth the ultimate sacrifice.

I continued to battle the best I knew how. Even though I continued to confess my feelings and ask for God to lift me up from the emotional pit, it didn’t happen. Even though I prayed against the devil’s schemes with all the authority given to me, it didn’t happen.

The emotions rose to bubbling over. I began to confess to others.
“I’m afraid to hope. Can you hope for me?”
Yes. They said yes.

I confessed, but I confessed safely. No one had to know or see just what a mess I was inside. How could I actually say I felt these things when I’m trying to lead others to a deeper, bigger faith??
But it became impossible to contain and in utter desperation I came clean to my husband. It almost started an argument because I didn’t start the conversation well. I just blurted out. “I feel unloved. Unloved by God, by you, just really not cared for.” He braced in preparation to defend himself and God. I quickly interrupted with the real problem. “It’s not true. I know it’s not true! But I can’t get my emotions right.” I layed it all out. He prayed for me and it helped a bit.

The next morning a friend asked how she could pray for me. It just came out. “My emotions are lying to me and even though I know Truth and am fighting for it, I can’t get out of the pit.” She prayed for me and it helped a bit.

They both continued to pray, as did those who were hoping on my behalf. I know they did because the next day I began to feel better. My feelings came under the control of Truth and my battle strategies began to create change again.

Community is important. We were made for it. Just as Moses recognized his part in the battle was to keep his arms raised toward heaven, we often know what to do and do it. Sometimes our arms get tired and we need others to come alongside us to hold us up. The victory depends on it.

So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.… Exodus 17:11-13 



Who do you need to invite into your mess? Who’s arms are you called to hold up?

~Nanette

All You Need Is Love

I have a devotion book I absolutely love. And here’s why I love it:

• It’s not dated so if (I mean, when) I miss a day or two or five, the date doesn’t glare back, sneering at me for missing so many days. 
• Each page includes a scripture, relatable, real life application, PLUS it ends with a prayer. All inclusive. That’s how I roll. 
• And, perhaps even better than both of those, my mother in law gave it to me. 

It’s called “Today, God Wants You to Know.” As I was getting ready the other morning, I began reading while I was brushing my teeth. The title happened to be, “Today God Wants You to Know the Beauty of Putting Someone Else First.” Sometimes when I read the title for my devotion that day, I think it will have no effect on me…won’t pertain to me, won’t be something I need. But then, I read it. And 9 times out of 10 (or 9.99!), it always does…and this one was no different. I thought to myself, “I don’t have trouble putting others first.”

The verse was Romans 12:9-10 “Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.” Then, about halfway through the application part, I read “God says we sin against Him when we pretend to love others but dislike them. Instead, we are called to genuine love.” So what exactly is “genuine love?” The site www.unlockingthebible.org describes ‘genuine love’ as having these characteristics: patience, generosity, humility, courtesy, restraint, joy and consistency. Well…I’ve definitely got some work to do!

Perhaps you are in a similar situation as myself and find genuine love to be a struggle for you with a certain person. For me, that person is my brother. We aren’t close and never have been. As awful as it sounds, there isn’t a lot of love there either. This devotion hit me in just the right place that I couldn’t move the bookmark. Sometimes, I stay on the same page for days because the message is so real, so pertinent, I need to soak it up more than once (another reason I don’t like dated devotions!). While I immediately thought of my brother when I read this passage, I get stuck with HOW? How in the world do I get past the past (and sometimes even the present) to move forward? How in the world do I accept things as they are, accept him for who he is, who God made him to be? How in the world do I love genuinely?! Oftentimes, I am just not sure I can. But then of course, I know I can because I have God. I have God to lean on. I have God to ask for help. And I have prayer. I have all these “tools” at my fingertips. I just need to use them.

If you missed Dan’s sermon last Sunday, check it out. Is there someone in your life you have “bad blood” with? Is there someone in your life you need to genuinely love? That’s a yes and a yes for me. I don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like, but I’m sure it’s going to be messy for me along the way.

And that’s okay…I’ve got to start somewhere!

Ladies, let’s get out there and start baby stepping our way to some genuine love!

Julie