Treasure Trove

“And so, since God in His mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up.

We reject all shameful and underhanded methods.

We do not try to trick anyone and we do not distort the word of God.

We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know that.

If the Good News we preach is veiled from anyone, it is a sign that they are perishing. Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, so that they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don’t understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. We don’t go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord. All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants because of what Jesus has done for us.

For God who said “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. But this precious treasure – this light and power that now shines within us – is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So that everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.

We are pressured on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken.

We are perplexed but we do not give up and quit.

We are hunted down, but God never abandons us.

We get knocked down but we get up again and keep going.

Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.”

2 Corinthians 4:1-10

Our gracious Father has buried in each of us a treasure trove of resources to be used to glorify His kingdom. We are the light! We have His power harnessed within us! God knew when He planned your salvation that the power He was giving you would be held in a weak and perishable body, but oh how His goodness can prove to be a match for your sinful nature. When you demonstrate the power and strength that God has placed in you, and deny your fleshly desires and nature, you show others how God works. Both believers and non-believers will see that God is working in you.

You cannot do it on your own.

How many of us have failed miserably trying to show God just how good and worthy we could be? I can admit that my failures never seemed to end, but everything changed when I put my trust in Christ Jesus. God never abandons us. He is there to motivate when we feel down, reassure when we start to falter, guide when we need direction.

You have been given a wonderful ministry and you have been bought into the kingdom of God with a high price. You must never give up in your pursuit of the kingdom and in doing God’s work to claim our fellow man.

Now hop to it girls! Go get in the game.

Yeah, Yeah, I know, "The devil is a liar"...

"Be alert and sober of mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

So it is no revelation that just as there is the existence of God and His angels, there is the existence of satan and his demons. Hopefully, we believers can all agree on that. Right? Well...because I can sense a slight bit of resistance from some of you (I see you back there! Yeah, you.) let's discuss today the penchant for some Christians to ignore the devil and his efforts to wreck havoc on the world.

During a conversation with a friend and classmate a while ago, the topic arose of satan's continued efforts to manipulate the minds and actions of people everywhere. My comment that we believers are not excluded, and are even targeted, was met with her response: "There you go with that devil stuff...". What? I went on to expound on my point and remind her that the devil is not only real, but that he is "prowling around like a roaring lion looking some victim to devour." Needless to say she was not impressed.

Of course, many well-meaning Christians believe that "the devil is a liar" and all that, but what else do they believe? It seems like far fewer believers in Christ are willing to confidently proclaim their understanding of satan's sole mission: "to steal, to kill, and to destroy." (John 10:10). But to steal, kill, and destroy what, you ask? Steal your dreams. Kill your hopes. Destroy your progress towards the mission God has set before you.

Job 1:7 reminds us that satan is busy "roaming about on the earth and walking around on it"...And don't think that he won't worm his way into your happy little Jesus party.

"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and satan also came among them." Job 1:6

So there! Look over your shoulder, the folks in your circle may not all be saints. I'm just saying...

God has ultimate power over all things, yes. But recognize that satan was cast down to earth after being booted out of heaven and that dude is bitter. If he thought leading a revolt against God was going to work you know he is not going to play fair with you. We as believers have to recognize that satan will wiggle his tricky behind into anything he can get his hands (or hooves) on. Stop thinking that you can go about your merry way and he's going to be sitting on a park bench whistling for you to come over! He's much more subtle than that. Satan will:
- Cause your friends to not call you on your birthday so that you will want to curse them out.
- Proceed to get your dog to pee on your rug, just for you to step in it with bare feet, and cause you to miss bible study because you're cleaning up the mess. (okay, so maybe that only happens to me...)
- Try to allow bitterness and resentment toward your family to keep you from sharing the gospel with them.
- Have you thinking that the only way to get the attention of a fine young man is to flaunt your God given physical assets and give him access to them before marriage.
Recognize his craftiness ladies.

The next time the devil comes around trying to mess with you just put him on notice, "Get behind me satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests but man's." Matthew 16:23. Understand his mission, don't succumb to his foolery, and keep a level head. The devil IS a liar, but he's a hater too; don't drink the hater-ade.

Stay Fly Girls!

The Pick of the Litter – Part 1

“The Lord Almighty says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. I am your father and master, but where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have despised my name! But you ask ‘How have we ever despised your name?’ v.7 You have despised my name by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect."  Malachi 1: 6-7

If given the choice on any given day we would choose to pick the best options that are available. The best apple in the barrel. The best strawberry in the basket. The best outfit in the closet. Right? We are far less likely to reach to the back of the closet for the tired, run over shoes from a few years ago to wear to a party. We are going to immediately reach for the cute, fresh ones we bought a few weeks ago! Of course. We want the pick of the litter for ourselves. Likewise we should give the pick of the litter to God.

Malachi 1:7 begins our discussion on how we should consider what we give to God:

V.7 “You have despised my name by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.”

During this time sacrifices of animals were the custom and requirement for atonement. The giver, a believer in God, would give a living sacrifice to God as an offering on His alter. Things started going wrong when someone came up with the idea of sparing the best and instead offering the leftovers. Let’s be honest, if we were in the days of biblical times many of us would think “Why hand over my prettiest, fluffiest, fattest sheep/ goat/ ox as an offering? I could use that skin for a nice handbag, the fur to make a lovely sweater, and uh-huh, wouldn’t that make a month’s worth of delicious dinner for the family…I think I’ll offer the sickly little animal over there in the corner. Yeah, him. I can’t do much with that one, so I can just bring that as an offering and call it a day.” Now, may the Lord richly bless you if you think this is an appalling mindset; and may He also richly bless those of us who can be honest with ourselves and admit that we would have more than likely taken the above approach.

V. 8 “When you give blind animals as sacrifices isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord Almighty.”

So let’s put all of this in perspective for us modern women – you know, without the sheep and goats and oxen. Let’s look at our time and energy as our offering to God. God has blessed us with abundant life and resources to enjoy this life HE has given. When we hop out of bed, prepare for our workday or big event, push ourselves like mad women all day, then come home and fall into bed with barely enough energy to say our prayers, we are cheating Him. If I’m on the computer all day, uploading pictures of my great weekend outing or corresponding with friends, but don’t take the time to read and meditate on God’s word, I am cheating Him. I am giving God second best when I run all over town, to this event and that meeting, having brunch with the girls, setting up my plans for the rest of the weekend, but then don’t have time to attend church because ‘Sunday is the only day I get to sleep in and recover from my busy week’. Our Lord has made it amazingly clear in Malachi 1:12 “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it is alright to defile the Lord’s table.”


Let’s put a bookmark in that until next week ladies… (a little cliffhanger for those who like adventure!)


By God’s grace you will take the opportunity to worship this Sunday at your local church. It’s Resurrection Sunday y’all, this is what it’s all about for us Christians! Put on something jazzy and praise the Lord for sending His Son as a sacrifice for our sins.


Stay fly girls ;-)

The speck and The board (subtitle: Deal with your baggage girl!)

"And why worry about a speck in your friends eye, when you have a board in your own?"  Matthew 7:3

In the grand (and even not so grand) scheme of things, all of us have an Achilles heel.  That thing, or things, that can make us not only fall off of the wagon but jump off of it and then try to walk instead of just hopping back on...Some of you know what I'm saying!  One woman might not be able to control herself if a gallon of ice cream is in the vicinity - she will kick off her shoes, curl up on the sofa with a spoon and a dishtowel (to wrap around the carton so her hands won't get cold), then zone out into her own little world.  Another woman will melt into a puddle of sugar, spice, and all things nice when a handsome man walks into the room - with a flip of her hair and the bat of an eyelash she won't focus on anything but getting him to focus on her; a slow sache across the room to catch his eye, a brush against his shoulder, an extra chuckle or notable comment, a sly cross of the legs, anything to get his attention.  Neither of these women sound like you, huh?  Seems a little pathetic to you?  Maybe you can't imagine a woman would stoop to that level, but what may be incomprehensible in your view may be a way of life for someone else.  Criticism is a hill of rough terrain - the longer you travel on its path the bumpier the ride gets. 

"Judge not, that you not be judged."  Matthew 7:1.  This passage of scripture is so basic that it is confusing to some.  Let's look at the concept of the speck and the board and really break this thing down...

Matthew 7:3 "And why worry about the speck in your friend's eye when you have a board in your own?"  Duly noted.  But what if your friend calls attention to her "speck" and asks for advice/ feedback/ help with her speck?  Well, I'm glad you have asked such a poinient question missy!
 
Matthew 7:4  "How can you think of saying, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye' when you can't see past the board in your own eye?"  So before we go running around, looking down at the woman that has lost one too many battles with Breyer's, we must analyze ourselves for the boards in our own eyes.

In verse 5 of the same passage Jesus calls this person a hypocrite. An He's serious about it!  A hypocrite is defined as 1. a person who pretends to have virtues, morals, or religious beliefs, principles, etc, that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs  2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

In review, it is hypocritical to bad mouth/ criticize/ look down on: a) an overweight person if you are an indulger in something that may not show on your physical exterior. b) a single woman with several children if you have had abortions, close calls, or multiple sex partners. c) a woman wearing a skirt that is too short/ top that is too low/ pants that are too tight if you seek attention in other ways like demeaning others to boost yourself up.  Get the picture?

Matthew 7:5 "First get rid of the board from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friends eye."  I see this last verse as a message of assistance rather than one of admonition.  I used to think the message was "Stop worrying about fixing everyone else until you fix yourself!"  But now I see it from a whole new perspective.  Think of an airplane oxygen mask.  When you take a plane, the instruction for dealing with a loss in cabin pressure is to place your mask on first before making an attempt to help others with their masks.  This is not because it is 'every man for himself', it's because I can be of no use to others if I am going down while trying to help them out.  Likewise, if I have recognized my board - overeating/ overspending/ lusting of the eyes and flesh - and am working to remove it, I will have more compassion for what the person with the speck is going through and be able to share with them the power that God gives to overcome the specks and boards in the eyes of life.

As followers of Christ we are tasked to help strengthen and build His kingdom.  Blind builders with specks and boards in their eyes are pretty ineffective... As we are working get our eyes board free we are to also be compassionate towards others around us who are working to do the same.  I'm praying for you ladies!  With God all things are possible.

Stay fly girls!

The New Normal

2 Timothy 4:3-4
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

It's interesting to me when the Bible starts pointing fingers.  Not necessarily at us, but at "them".  "They", them, *their*, not you, me, or I, of course.  It's like putting us on notice in a 'round about, passive aggressive type of way... I like to think of it as conviction.

Today's passage, my lovelies, is an ominous revelation into what has become our present society.  Our dear Paul is mentoring Timothy in the ways of the Lord and on how to lead his people. Paul is commanding and encouraging Timothy to preach the word - to "convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" 2 Timothy 4:2b - and not to dilute it or stray from it.  Should be simple: unroll the scrolls or pull down the tablets from the bookshelf and tell the congregation what they say. Easy peasy, right?!

Well in a perfect, sinless, heavenly world it might be that easy (key word: might).  But you and I both know that A&E (Adam & Eve) changed the game and put an end to sinless perfection.  So here is Timothy in a town with a church that needs some guidance.  And there is Paul, in jail for preaching the gospel of Christ and sticking to his convictions.  If that were you and there was some dude or lady in prison calling you (collect more than likely...), telling you how to be a leader, how would you feel about it?  Maybe a little sceptical about what they were saying?  Maybe just a little.

The challenge that we face as believers, spiritual mentors, and individuals in today's society is that it becomes easy to boost up the people and ideas that conform to our way of life and way of thinking.  If I am an over eater and indulge my cravings for food with reckless abandon, I am inclined to ascribe to a doctrine that allows for my indulgences.  Likewise, if I am tired of my husband and am ready to peace-out, I am inclined to ascribe to a doctrine that allows for me to leave my spouse.  We are prone to link ourselves to the ideologies that are in accordance with the way we want to live.  We would rather support a lie that allows for us to live in comfort than adhere to God's rules that bring us closer to perfection.  This is what Paul was getting at when he sent this message to Timothy.

"According to their own desires...they will turn their ears away from the truth..."

And just to be clear, Paul's "they" and "their" is talking about us, that's you and me. FYI.

As believers we have to be mindful to adhere to the gospel. Even if what we read in the Bible or hear in a biblical message convicts us about an area that needs improvement we must comply.  Don't be "turned aside by fables" which is bible talk for "don't believe the hype" or "don't fall for the lie".  The devil is crafty and he will plant seeds of disobedience and rebellion in your heart that will cause your mind to regard sin as acceptable.  Sin is unavoidable - but it is also not to be touted as an acceptable way of life.  The bar has been set so low for levels of acceptable behavior, attire, and speech that it is hard to follow Godly guidance instead of the ungodly.  Spiritually discern and analyze with scripture any leader, mentor, or general guidance you receive.  God has given us a measuring stick - The Bible!  Use it as your baseline and you will gain God's perspective and not the world's.

2 Timothy 3:16-17  "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." NKJV

Stay Fly Girls! And Happy New Year ;-)

Stay in Your Lane - Part 1

Romans 12:4-21

I used to work with a girl who was a powerhouse at work.  We were in sales, and I don't know how she did it but everyone she worked with she seemed to get a sale from.  Now I always thought I was good, but she was making me feel pretty inferior.  You see from my perspective, if she was in sales and I was in sales we had to pull the same numbers in order for me to feel valuable.  That makes sense right?  Not so much...

As I was doing my devotions and bible reading I came across Romans 12:6a "God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well."  In the context of this passage, this verse can be such a huge relief to most of us.  One woman who seems to keep her house clean and her life in order (all while in her sleep) may not have the ability to connect and relate to people the way another woman can.  Neither is inferior to the other - they simply have different God given abilities.

Romans12:4-5 "Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body.  We are all parts of His one body, and we all belong to each other, each of us has different work to do.  And since we are all one body in Christ, we each belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others."

We all know how disastrous it can be to start comparing ourselves to others!  If your hands start looking at your feet and think "Wow, look at those nice shoes.  And sheesh, she doesn't soak us in those nice baths and get us massaged like that.  She must love them more than us..."  Then the hands are envious; they want to be feet and do footly things.  They don't feel their position is good enough so they stop being good hands because they are trying to be feet!  Now I know this may be an awkward analogy but you get the picture.  The moral of the story is - be a great hand instead of an awkward foot - Stay in your lane!  The kingdom of God needs hands and feet and all the other parts!

As you do all that you can, in the best way that you can, you will begin to see the areas where God has given you a special function to bless others - at work, at school, at church, and in the world.  If you are a great organizer help your local soup kitchen streamline their programs.  If you are a great encourager help motivate the people around you when you see they are down.  If you are a great cook come to my house and put your gifts to good service.  No really... Use your "special function" to benefit the kingdom.  God has a function for you, and your function may be different than those you work with or those in your inner circle or family.  "And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others." Romans 12:5b 

Don't forsake your function; it is your assignment from God.  He has done a great work in you, now its time for you to work for Him with a renewed spirit. Amen.

Stay fly girls!

So you've given your life to Christ... Now what?

John 15:5-8 NLT "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.  Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.  But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like and it will be granted!  My true disciples produce much fruit.  This brings great glory to my Father."

 

Here is the Sunday morning routine:  Wake up.  Turn on the radio or TV to a gospel or preached word station.  Turn on the coffee pot or tea kettle.  Stand in the closet thinking about what to wear to church.  Take a shower, coif the hair, get dressed.  Start heading out the door.  "Ooops!" you think, "What do I need to bring with me so I can do the "other stuff" I want to do after church?"  Bring a change of clothes/ shoes/ etc. so that I won't go through the mall/ brunch/ dinner/ movies looking like I just left church... Could this be you? (*me: hand raised, looking at the floor in shame)

You've given your life to Christ, but are you living for Him?

Many of us shuttle through life desiring to put a check in each box:

• good job - check
• degree - check
• more degrees - check, check
• nice house - check
• nice car - check
• find a man - check (another topic for another time)
• go to church - check

We have a perceived sense of security in knowing that we have given our lives to Christ by being saved, going to church, maybe even going to bible study during the week.  We really feel secure if we are tithing, let me tell you!  Paying your weekly installment to get on the list, huh?  Not quite ladies.  Having things to do AC (after church) is not the problem; but living for all of the other things and not for God is.  You must ask yourself "Am I living for Christ?"  Do you live and breathe the fire God has placed in your heart or are you on auto-pilot?  Have you recognized yet that God has planted in you a seed that he wants to cultivate, till, and prune so that you will bear much fruit?  We are reminded of this in John 15:5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me you can do nothing."

Let's be clear and honest here, "remaining" in God can be a struggle.  Everyday it is work - staying in touch with God and keeping the lines of communication open so that he stays in touch with you - not always easy.  But is gets easier every day.  You pray to God, you listen to what He is saying to you, and you look out for what He is showing you.  He will show you how to live your life better by living for Him.  As you accomplish your goals and set out through life you will begin to take advantage of the opportunities God gives you to witness for Him; whether it's at work, at school, in your social circles, or with your family.  Be joyous and helpful in God's army!  Smile at the lady in your office that is snippy to you.  Wave every day to your neighbor who pretends not to see you.  Forgive. Open your hand to give.  Reach out to others.  Allow the power of God's grace to work in you so that others will see and experience His goodness.

God, through Jesus Christ and with the power of the Holy Spirit, gives us assurance and purpose.  Profess your faith ladies, you have nothing to be ashamed of!

The Wellspring of Life

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

Going through adolescence in the 80's was major!  Coming of age during this era, I was exposed to all types of visual and mental influences by way of television and radio. (no Internet back then, can you imagine...)  One song that I remember clearly was by our dear old friend Madonna: "Open your heart to me, baby. I'll give you love if you hold the key.  Open your heart to me, darling. I'll give you love if you, you turn the key."  Now, besides the fact that Madonna is wrong on so many levels, I enjoyed her music back then.  This one song in particular speaks volumes about the culture and mindset that was dominant at the time and still is today - an open heart.

Many times we see women who are love sick, or love crazy, because they have let a man into their heart and he didn't know what to do with the prize he had been given.  We have all been there!  Thinking that if we open our heart and show a man how great we are inside that he will fall madly in love, stay in love, and put us on the queens' throne in his life.  Then we wake up from our dream with swollen eyes, a heavy heart, tear soaked pillows and soggy tissues all over the bed.  God built us to love and to be loved.  The issue is not whether to love, it is rather who we receive love from and who we give our love to. 

I was reading the book "Every Woman's Battle" by Shannon Ethridge, and in it she gives such a clear understanding of the magnitude of our heart's capacity to love and what that means is God's eyes.
"I believe the answer is in he word wellspring, which can also be interpreted as 'source'.  The heart is the source of life.  When God created us, He made our hearts central to our being - physically, spiritually, and emotionally." 
Would you give someone your power source?  Especially if they haven't proven worthy to have it?  Many of us would need several sets of hands to count the men we have had a physical connection with.  Maybe only one hand to count those with whom we had an emotional connection.  But when is comes to a spiritual connection...silence, crickets, no comment. (If you can't say Amen, just say ouch. Ouch!)  Why then would we open our heart to a man who is not our husband, or one who is not hearing from God as the focus and center of his life?

Your ability to guard your heart is paramount to preserving the precious, life giving gift that God has blessed you with.  God knows your need and desire to be brought to the throne of grace.  He is ready to give you the desires of your heart!  But He wants you to guard your heart, leaving it open and accessible to Him first.  When we guard our hearts against the tricks and schemes of the devil we allow access to our Saviour Jesus Christ.  He loves us without conditions.  He loves us eternally.

Don't use this as a rationale for blocking any and all interest or advance from a man - you are too fly to become a bitter spinster!  But be discerning, be vigilant, be wise in your decisions regarding who to spend your precious time and interest with.  A spring is eternal, ever bubbling and refreshing; a well is purposed to make the bounty from the spring accessible.  Protect your eternal refreshment ladies, keep it accessible to God.  Guard your heart girls, above all else!  Amen.

The Struggle Continues...

Romans 14:4 "Who are you to condemn God's servants?  They are responsible to the Lord, so let Him tell them whether they are right or wrong.  The Lords power will help them do as they should."

Now is the time of year when many of us have either forgotten our New Year Resolutions or are acting as though we have forgotten them. As the Lenten season is upon us, we may have taken on a whole new task, or thing, to stay away from as we draw closer to God at this time. Raise your hand if you are struggling right now... OK, hands down. That was a lot of you! (yes, my hand was up too.)

As we roll along in our day-to-day lives many of us struggle in the area of criticism/ judgement/ condemnation. This struggle is often masked in different ways...
It could be a thought: "What is the world is he doing?"
It could be what is said: "I don't know what in the world she was thinking when she did that."
Or it could be an action: "I'm just going to move these over here because he doesn't know what in the world he is doing and I can't have him ruining my stuff!"

Truth be told, if we could count the times we think, say , or do something in a judgmental manner we would be ashamed of the number. During a recent trip I found myself judging everything from how long the person in front of me took to move out of the fast lane, to the tone of voice one of my lunch mates took with our waitress. It seemed like the only time I wasn't being critical was when I looked outside at the pretty sky and marveled at God's handy work.  I am ashamed of myself.  We should be ashamed of ourselves. 

Romans 14: 10 reads "Why do you condemn your brother?  Why do you look down on your brother?  Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgement seat of God."  Verse 12 continues, "Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God."  These verses are profound because they confirm our personal testimony to God.  Trust and believe, you will not be called to the witness stand to testify against your friend' flaws and faults.  Nor will I be called upon to give my personal account of all the errors I think others have made in their lives.  God is not interested in my take on the behaviors/ words/ deeds of everyone else .  But on the flip side, no one will be called to testify against me either.  My life, my words, and definitely my actions, will be my testimony.  The impact I have made on others, both positive and negative, will bear witness for me.  The people who we may have condemned in our mind will not be called to the stand.  Those who we have talked about or looked down upon will not be called to the stand.  God has not put us here to be the sideline commentators for the missteps of others.  Instead, He graciously convicts us to do better and be better towards our fellow man.

"So don't condemn each other anymore.  Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another brothers path."  Romans 14:13

Now go ahead and pull out your list of New Year's Resolutions and write down one more: No Condemnation!  If there is one resolution that we should keep it should be this one.  Now the one about not eating cupcakes...you have permission to cross that one off your list ;-)

Stay fly girls!

The Great Transformation

"And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2


One of the first CD series I ordered from a radio ministry was by Dr. R.C. Sproul.  Great teacher; although he can be more descriptive than my little pea brain can handle.  His radio ministry is called "Renewing Your Mind", which I thought was a nice program title - short and accurate according to the focus of his ministry.  But how interesting it was for me to find this title in Romans 12:2.  "Hmmm, that guy is pretty clever."  I thought.  Little did I know! As I started to grow closer in my walk with Christ I gained a level of understanding for this passage of scripture that was indescribable.  So was the beginning of my great transformation...


As women in the world today, we are faced with continuous images and reminders of what "the world" finds acceptable.  Mainstream media and culture is just that, the main-stream that everyone follows and measures themselves against.  But the first part of this verse makes everything clear: "And be not conformed to this world," (People try to make it confusing, but the word of God is so crystal clear sometimes, isn't it?)  The New Living Translation says, "Don't copy the behaviors and customs of this world".  Easier said than done, right?.


TV shows, music on the radio, movies, magazines, computer and cell phone apps, they all promote and encourage the conformity of society to the world view and image.  We have to go out of our way not to be overly exposed to the mainstream view of normal.  I cut off my cable TV subscription and haven't turned a television in my house in 12 months.  Extreme?  Yup; to some of you it may be.  But that's what I had to do to start the transformation process.  For some of you it may mean ending your subscriptions to certain magazines.  For others it may mean not watching certain shows or TV channels.  God convicts the heart of those who love Him and search for His truth.


"But be transformed by the renewing of your mind," - Now we get down to the nuts and bolts!  Transformation by the renewing of your mind.  This is where God gives us the foot print of how to navigate this journey that is the Christian life.  You are not the same as you were before salvation.  Although you may do some of the same things, and have some of the same problems, you are not the same.  Sin is bondage, and we were born into sin, therefore we were born into bondage.  Think of your redemption through Christ as your breakout from bondage.  Like in the movie Shawshank Redemption - you are breaking out of jail.  Chipping away slowly at the rock wall built around your heart and wading through sewer lines to climb to your freedom!  This is the best visual I can paint for your mind renewal.  Not a pretty picture, I know, but work with me.


Ephesians 5:22-23 says "Throw off your evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception.  Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes."  We have to think differently ladies.  When we think differently we act differently.  This leads to the third and last point of the passage..."that you prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."  Wow!  Did you feel that?  The power of God living and breathing in His word?!


When you think differently - not being conformed to this world...
You act differently - being transformed by the renewing of your mind...
Then you prove God's perfect will to yourself and to others - a testimony that God's plan is good and acceptable and perfect...How awesome is that! (I think I just wrote a sermon.  Look out Billy Graham!)


God gives us the outline all in one verse.  Don't get me wrong, God summed it up in a nice little package but this is not going to be an easy journey. (cue Shawshank visual)  But believe me, the tools you need to dig yourself out of the bondage of sin and this world are all in His word.  This verse is your little spoon, and the bible is the big poster protecting the big hole you have dug out to break free of your bondage. 


Renew your mind.  Change your thought life.  Free yourself from the world's mainstream view and practices.  Pull out your little spoon girls and get to work.  I'm rooting for you!