Posts Tagged ‘Grace Fox’

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What’s Your One Wish?

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

If you could ask God for anything you wanted, what would it be? These possibilities come to mind when I brainstorm this question (in no particular order):

  • good health
  • a long life
  • a strong marriage
  • the ability to undo a past mistake
  • wisdom
  • more hours in each day
  • financial security
  • assurance that what I do day in and day out really matters

Well, guess what? You can ask God for whatever you want. John 15:7 says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!”  Sweet, eh?

When I read these words, I immediately thought, Grant me a fruitful life, Lord.  Use me to make an eternal difference in the lives of countless people around the world. I figured this sounded like a good Christian prayer. After all, the next verse says, “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” Surely God will grant my wish.

Remain in Christ and your life will be fruitful.

The more I ponder this wish, however, the more I realize that I can do better. My wish shouldn’t be for a fruitful life; it ought to be for the ability to remain in Christ. If that wish is granted, then fruitfulness will come automatically. John 15:5 says, “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.”

And so, if I could ask God for anything I want, my wish is this: That He will teach me what it means to remain in Him. I see this as a foundation stone for my faith. It impacts every aspect of my life—choices, priorities, values, attitudes, and more. I look forward to seeing how God will answer.

How about you? If you could ask God for anything you wanted, what would it be?

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Blemish-Free

Friday, May 20th, 2011

Today’s society puts ‘way too much emphasis on perfect skin, don’t you think? You’ve gotta be blemish-free to be beautiful, so you’d better take out a loan and start collecting soaps, creams, and concealers.

blemish free on the outside

I remember my terrible teens—those days when my skin broke out and declared itself my personal foe. I spent all my hard-earned babysitting income (earned 50 cents/hour back then…double after midnight!) on facial scrub and every other marketing miracle on the shelves. After high school grad, I became a salesperson for a skin care company so I could buy their products at a discount. To top it off, I ended up taking prescription meds to clear up my blemishes. That thought unnerves me now because, frankly, I know in retrospect that my skin issues did not warrant drugs.

Imagine all the time, energy, and money North Americans invest on their physical appearance in hopes of being blemish-free. Now imagine the difference in our society if we’d invest the same on our spiritual and emotional well-being.

A woman named Abigail once warned David against killing her husband, who’d treated him with contempt by withholding hospitality to him and his army. “When the LORD has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, don’t let this be a blemish on your record,” she said (1 Samuel 24:31).

Wise woman, Abigail was. She knew that David’s reputation could be soiled if he killed Nabal simply because he was angry. She counseled him to think twice before acting upon emotions, reminding him that his behavior would have long lasting consequences.

David heeded Abigail’s advice. We’d do well to heed it, too. If we want to be blemish-free emotionally and spiritually, then let’s be careful not to allow our feelings to dictate our actions. Let’s think twice before doing something we’ll later regret. Let’s live according to God’s commands, and we’ll be blemish-free.

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3 Characteristics of True Friendship

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

What does true friendship really look like?

What are the characteristics of true friendship?

I guarantee it runs deeper than Facebook. Here are three characteristics that I glean from the friendship between David and Jonathan:

“One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the LORD. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh” (1 Samuel 15-18).

#1 – True friendship means being willing to go out of one’s way to lend encouragement. Scripture says David and his motley crew were roaming the countryside, trying to escape Saul and his henchmen.  They must have been difficult to find, but Jonathan took the time and made the effort to locate his friend because he knew he needed encouragement.

How does look in today’s world? We need to take the time and make the effort to encourage others in need. Yes, life is busy. We’re all busy.  But truth be told, sometimes we just need to stop the rush long enough to pray with someone, send a greeting card, or make a phone call.

The finger’s pointin’ at me today. I’m sweating over preparing several workshops for an upcoming conference, but a friend just learned that her husband has three months to live. What to do? She needs encouragement, so I’m having supper with her in the hospital cafeteria tonight and trusting God to multiple my hours so I can finish the workshop prep.

#2 – True friendship means helping one another keep the right focus. Jonathan encouraged David to stay strong in his faith in God. He could have planned a strategy to get rid of Saul so David could return home and get on with his life, but he chose a better way.

What a great example for us today! We, too, need to encourage our friends to keep the faith. To live God-honoring lives. To rise above the status quo. To settle for nothing less than God’s best even when it’s tough.

#3 – True friendship means spurring one another on to become what God has intended. “Don’t be afraid,” said Jonathan. “My father won’t find you. You’ll be the king of Israel, and I’ll be next to you.” I love this picture. You see, humanly speaking, Jonathan was heir to the throne. He saw life from God’s perspective, however, and knew that David was God’s choice. In essence, he was saying to David, “Face your fears! Go for it! I’m with ya all the way!”

We, too, need to encourage our friends to face their fears and pursue God’s purposes for their lives. We need to reassure them that we’re there for them, cheering them on through thick and thin.

What are your thoughts? What characteristics do you value in true friendship?

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Turning Fear to Confidence

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Yesterday our pastor spoke about overcoming fear. It’s an endless topic, it seems, with endless reasons to feel afraid.

This week, farmers in Manitoba wait and watch as floodwaters approach and fill their fields. In the southern States, the Mississippi river rises and workers desperately try to avert a catastrophe that could exceed Hurricane Katrina. And this comes on the heels of rogue tornadoes that recently killed hundreds.

Men and women struggling today to save their homes and livelihood, and those grieving the recent loss of their loved ones are dealing with fear. Most of us, however, watch these situations unfold on TV until we’ve heard and seen enough, and then we go about our daily business. But every once in a while, a closer-to-home situation arises, and fear threatens to take up residence in our hearts and minds.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend from church drew me aside at the end of the Sunday service. Her voice choked as she whispered, “I’ve had a cat-scan, and the doctor saw spots on my lungs. I’m going for further tests. Would you please pray for me?” I gave her a big hug and asked God to fill and surround her with His peace as she waits for her tests and the results.

Over the past couple of weeks, my hubby and I have trained nearly two dozen people who will be doing short-term missions trips this summer. They’ve expressed fears of another sort: fear that their fundraising efforts will fall short, fear of getting lost in airports, fear of inadequacy as they minister to people of another culture, fear of eating unfamiliar foods, and fear of not getting enough rest or of becoming ill on the trip.

As for me, I struggle with fear, too. Here’s the latest: I’m afraid that, if our mission volunteers allow their fears to grow, they’ll become discouraged and change their minds about going! I’m also afraid that we’ll have to cancel one of our outreaches in Romania because that team still lacks two members. Time is running out. How might a cancellation impact the ministry of our career staff with whom we plan to partner for this outreach?

Every time I feel fear tighten its grip on me, I turn to the Scripture and focus on its truth. This morning I read, “They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly” (Psalm 112:7,8).  What a great reminder, eh?

No matter what circumstances you and I face—and I guarantee we will face tough stuff—we can rest assured that the Lord will care for us. We may need to retrain negative thought patterns by filling our minds with the truth found in Scripture, but as we do, we can move beyond our fears with confident trust in this all-powerful, all-present, all-wise, and ever-loving God.

What fears are you facing today?

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A Taste of Honey

Friday, May 13th, 2011

What do you do to stay refreshed in the midst of a busy and sometimes downright difficult life?

King Saul’s son, Jonathan, found refreshment when he dipped a stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey (1 Samuel 14:24-27). He’d spent the day fighting the Philistine army, battling to the bitter end. He and the other soldiers were “pressed to exhaustion that” partly due to fighting, but also because Saul had foolishly told them they couldn’t eat until they’d fully revenged the enemy.

Jonathan hadn’t heard Saul’s command. When he found the honeycomb on the forest floor, he took a little bite. The result? “After he had eaten it, he felt refreshed.”

My life’s busy. Here’s what today’s schedule looks like:

8 AM – grocery shop to buy food for the people who will attend our missionary training event this weekend

9 AM – price-check items that must be bought and delivered to teens in Romania this summer

10:30 – collect training materials

11:30 – lunch with my daughter  (belated Mother’s Day treat),

1 PM – Costco trip to buy remaining food for the weekend

4 PM – meet out-of-town friends for coffee

6-9 PM – weekend training kicks off

And so my day goes. I’ll bet your day is busy, too. It won’t look like mine, but you’ll have errands and other stuff to do to keep your household running, or to prepare for weekend guests, or to catch up after a busy week at work.

In the midst of the rush, we need to keep ourselves refreshed. I woke early this morning to spend time in the Word. Doing so refreshed my heart and gave me oomph for the hours ahead.  I’m also going to eat nutritious food, maintain an attitude of praise, and try to get to bed at a decent hour so I can stay fresh throughout the weekend. When training ends on Sunday, I think I’ll do nothing for a few hours (and not feel guilty).  And next weekend, I’ll take my husband away for one night – an early birthday gift for him, but a much-needed escape that will undoubtedly feel like a taste of honey and leave us refreshed from the inside out.

What do you do to stay refreshed? What’s your taste of honey?

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Replacing God

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

It’s easy for me to judge the Israelites as slow learners when I read about their Old Testament adventures, or should I say, misadventures.  For instance, take the time when they made a golden idol and then worshiped it while waiting for Moses to return from his mountaintop meeting with God.

Psalm 106:19-21 says, “The people made a calf at Mount Sinai; they bowed before an image made of gold. They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating bull. They forgot God, their savior, who had done such great things in Egypt..”

What??? These folks had just witnessed God’s power in amazing ways. They’d just experienced Him as their deliverer from Egypt and slavery. Instead of clinging to Him, their rescuer, they forgot about what He’d done and replaced Him with a golden bull. They lavished their affections on a cow. How’s that for gratitude?

The Israelites replaced God with a golden calf!

Yes, it’s easy for me to judge the Israelites as slow learners. But the truth is, I’m slow sometimes, too. I’ve never crafted a golden bull in my basement or backyard, but I’ve been guilty of lavishing more love on doing ministry than on Jesus in times past. If I don’t guard my heart, I can easily make ministry an idol that replaces my glorious God. How foolish is that?

How about you? How’s would you describe your love for God? Do you still regard Him as your glorious Savior who has done great things on your behalf? Or have you replaced Him with something much, much less? Your career? A relationship? Your looks? Money?

God has given us His all. He does not deserve to be replaced. Rather, He deserves our complete affection. I choose to give it to Him. Will you do so, too?

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The Intentional Spiritual Life

Monday, May 9th, 2011

The older I get, the more I realize the importance of being intentional about my health. As a result, I try to eat nutritious food and workout at a gym at least three times per week. Believe me, some mornings I’d rather sleep in, but I know my body will feel sluggish if I choose my bed over a bike or elliptical machine For me, and probably for you, intentionality is vital to fitness.

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The same is true about my spiritual life—intentionality is the key to spiritual health. And so, I spend time alone with God every day. I read His Word, I journal the things I learn through it, and I invite His presence into every thought and action.

I don’t consider doing so a chore or religious obligation. Rather, I view it as a privilege and joy to develop friendship with the God of the universe. Imagine! God rules over all, and yet He knows my name and longs for relationship with me. Is growing that relationship worth the effort? Absolutely!

Psalm 105:4 says, “Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.” Talk about the spiritually intentional life! The words search and seek are active verbs. They tell us to “look carefully through something, trying to find what is there or hunting for something lost or hidden.”

If we want to be spiritually fit, we need to be intentional about it…continually, not just when we feel like it. We need to value Jesus and seek Him diligently. Money, career, position, stuff, and even ministry will try to lure us away, but we need to make, and keep, Jesus as our priority.

When we do, we find His strength for life’s difficult situations. We learn how to respond to prickly people in a God-honoring way. We discover wisdom for major decisions. Every aspect of our lives benefits when we’re spiritually fit. What do you think? Is the effort worth it?

Question: What actions do you take to be intentional about your spiritual fitness?

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Prayer for My Children

Friday, May 6th, 2011

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m posting a prayer I wrote for my three kids several years ago. Enjoy, and feel free to share it with other moms and grandmas!


Dear Father,

If I focus on the state of the world around me…

Families broken

Integrity lost

Truth abandoned

Rights demanded

Life devalued

I could wring my hands in despair.

Instead, I will pray to You—the true and living God.

My children are growing up in this tainted, suffering world.

Their only hope is that You govern every aspect of their lives…

Choices

Friendships

Time

Entertainment

Career

Life partner.

Thank You for loving them more than I ever could.

I trust You to develop in them character qualities that honor You…

Love

Wisdom

Holiness

Truthfulness

Humility

Fear of the Lord.

Thank You for having a special purpose for my children’s lives.

Please teach them Your ways so they will…

Hunger and thirst for righteousness

Treasure Your commandments

Say no to temptation

See others through Your eyes

Serve others as Christ did

Recognize that their strength comes from You.

Thank You that Your plans are to give them a future and a hope.

As they grow up, please fulfill Your promises to…

Satisfy their spiritual hunger

Make them shine as lights in the darkness

Give them peace and add years of life

Grant them favor and a good reputation in Your sight and the sight of man

Cause their lives to prosper and bear fruit

Know the joy that comes from serving You first, others next, themselves last.

Hear this prayer for my children, dear Father.

Please give them pure hearts so they might…

Know You intimately

Obey You

Cling to You

Praise You

And love You

Because You loved them first.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

© Grace Fox 2011

Photo courtesy of www.christianphotos.net

Grace Fox is an international speaker at women’s events and the author of four books including 10-Minute Time Outs for Moms, 10-Minute Time Outs for You and Your Kids, and 10-Minute Time Outs for Busy Women. Her fourth book, Moving from Fear to Freedom: A Woman’s Guide to Peace in Every Situation, now has an accompanying 7-part teaching DVD and Bible study guide complete with leaders’ notes. Ideal for small groups!

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Gracious Uncertainty

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Gideon must have thought God had lost all grip on reality.  Imagine going to war with 300 soldiers and expecting to win. Ludicrous. But that’s exactly what God had told him to do—whittle down his army until only 300 men remained. And so he obeyed. (Judges 7)

Call it ludricous, or call it gracious uncertainty. Going to battle with so few warriors may have seemed like certain suicide to the human strategist, but not to God. His ways surpass all understanding sometimes.

“We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God,” writes Oswald Chambers. “”As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises…Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in—but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him.”

Gideon remained faithful to God even though he had no clue how the details would come together. How do you and I fare next to Gideon when God gives us tasks that seem impossible or senseless?

What surprises has God given you when you’ve been faithful to His call?

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When God Says Go

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

When God gives a divine assignment, our human tendency is to say, “Who, me? I can’t do that.” Fear looms, and we offer excuses such as, “I’m not smart enough,” or “I don’t have the skills necessary.”

questions

Gideon’s story is a prime example. When God tells him to rescue Israel from the Midianites, he immediately focuses on his inadequacy. “But Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” (Judges 6:15)

Sound familiar? I’m dealing with similar fears right now as I plan an event designed for business women. I’m convinced this is a God-given task and I’m moving forward, but part of me says, “Who, me? I don’t have anything to offer these corporate gals. Why would they want to come? What if no one registers? What if it’s a complete flop?”

Then I remember Gideon and God’s message to him: “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you” (v.14).

These words bring me courage. They assure me that, when God gives an assignment, He simply wants me to say yes and to move forward with whatever skills He’s given me now. “Go with the strength you have,” He says, and He looks after the details.

I also find courage in a promise God made, not once but twice. “I will be with you,” He said to Gideon (vv. 12,16). Herein lies the ultimate secret to overcoming fear. God’s presence in our lives—what more do we need? What more do I need as I move ahead with planning this event?

Can you relate to Gideon and me? If so, how does the command, “Go with the strength you have,” encourage you? How does God’s promised presence impact you?
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