Think about what it means to mimic Jesus.

A Bible-blog devotion with morning instructor, Sara Armstrong Patton

The world is ever-changing around us: unsettling, upsetting, sometimes even horrifying.
The Bible and its truths don’t change.
Jesus doesn’t change.
God doesn’t change.
The love God has for us doesn’t change.

One truth that will never change is found in Romans Chapter 6. Verse 16 tells us that we must choose whom we will serve – God or sin:

"Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living."

 

There are no other choices; there is no third option. In this overwhelmingly complicated world, I find rest and peace in that thought. There might be 48 different kinds of cheese crackers at the grocery store, but there is only one God, and we either choose to serve Him or choose to serve sin. Serving Him isn’t always something that comes natural to us, however. Choosing to serve God often means reacting in ways which feel completely unnatural. We must deny our human instincts if we answer the call to mimic Jesus.

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, ‘If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

(Mark 8:34).

 

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. (Ephesians 5:1)

Think about what it means to mimic Jesus.

In John 4, Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well. She was ostracized by her community and chose to go to the well in the heat of the day to avoid seeing the other women. Because of her immorality, she was shunned and rejected by those who lived in her area. Jesus knew she had five husbands already and that she was living with another man to whom she wasn’t married. Did He take her in front of everyone and talk about her sins? Did He condemn her? He did not. He told her about “living water,” eternal life, and the only thing which can satisfy our souls. I ask myself hard questions when I read about the Samaritan woman. How do I treat those who are ostracized in my community? Do I judge them publicly, do I judge them in my heart, do I silently watch as others judge them? Do I love them as Jesus does? Do I mimic Jesus? Am I serving God or serving sin?

In Luke 22, Judas betrayed Jesus. He accepted money and handed Jesus over to the chief priests, knowing that the chief priests were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus. Did Jesus retaliate? No, He did nothing to seek revenge. As I read what Jesus said on the cross, I believe He forgave Judas, just as He forgives all of us.

 

On the cross, he made a statement about forgiveness.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)

 

He asked for forgiveness for those who crucified Him, for Judas who betrayed Him. I ask myself hard questions when I read about Judas. How do I respond when someone is hurtful to me or my family? Do I seek revenge; do I hope something bad will happen to them? Or, do I forgive and love as Jesus loves? Do I mimic Jesus? Am I serving God or serving sin?

We are called to make a choice.

There are only two choices: serve God or serve sin.

I am human and weak, and it’s not always easy, but every day I make choices to serve God. He loves me enough to sacrifice His only son. Do I deserve that love? Absolutely not, but I don’t have to. He gives it freely. It’s a gift, not an award. In my thankfulness, I serve Him, not because I am trying to earn His love or His mercy or His grace, but because I love Him. I pray you love Him and will make choices every day to serve Him too.

Sara

 

Life's Lemons

Right this moment...I am physically tired.

My eyelids are heavy and I am hoping that my kids will want to watch a quiet movie very soon.

Why am I so tired?

Well, I am glad that you asked.

Meet my mom.

 As far as I am concerned she is the best mom on the planet. 

And I know for a fact that God chose her just for me!

My mom (her name is Dianne by the way) has had her fair share of sickness this year and last night we got to have another "slumber" party - her words not mine - in the hospital.

This year alone, my mom has had a stroke, been diagnosed with a-fib, had a cardioversion to correct her a-fib, had several needle biopsies due to a large tumor found on her thyroid and then had her thyroid removed.

What a bunch of lemons!!

I am sure that each of you reading this could name your own lemons... some much worse than what we have been dealing with, but that is not the point of this blog entry.

The point is that through it all.....there has been peace.

Through it all.....there has been confidence.

Through it all......there has been rest.

Through it all there has been an absence of fear.

Because, through it all there has been... Jesus.

God's word promises us that He will bring it to health and that all will be healed. And that through Him and His healing that peace and truth will be seen. Notice that God's word does not specify the healing or where it will take place? Our family has been lucky in that mom's healing has come here on earth....but God does not always work that way..but He is always working to bring nothing but good to those who believe. (Romans 8:28)...in heaven and on earth.

So, when God hands you lemons...what are you doing with them? Are you celebrating the healing that will come and having a glass of lemonade or are you just making an ugly face? Do you have peace in the truth? Can you rest even when you are physically exhausted? I sure hope so. And if you aren't sure how, we would be happy to share Jesus with you!

Off to bed...lemons and all!

~Donna

Balance In This Place

Balance.
It's the one word prayer that I came home from our family beach vacation whispering.
In a world where most of us overindulge and seek more and more of the good life, I say, "Lord, give me balance."
Preparing to leave for our vacation time takes some preparation on my part. I am the planner of the family. I locate the place, make the reservations, pick a time to leave, coordinate our work schedules and our children's schedules, pack the bags, prepare the car for all our needs and at the end of it all I feel like I am definitely ready for a vacation!

It's a balancing act.

In the moments before we depart, I wonder. What am I forgetting?
The cat? Check!
The thermostat? Check!
The lights? Check!

As I grab the last few items from the kitchen table I know that whatever I leave behind will not be sorely missed. And if need be in this world of Walmart, Dollar Tree and grocery stores we are able to run around the corner to grab what we "need". Unless it's a trip to Okracoke or Sunset Beach! Then you realize that you can live without eight pairs of flip flops and seven scents of body lotion!

Balance.

When the car pulls into our destination and all our "essential" belonging are unpacked I spy that one place I know will provide my balance during our vacation frenzy. That one place that I found last year on the early morning rise when all other heads stayed laid in the bed. There it is, my little place for balance. The swing... an invitation to come...tucked in the shade...overlooking the sea...perfect sights and sounds provided by the Creator. Add one me, one bible, One Jesus. Balance.

I invite Him in to join me on my adventure to seek the kingdom first.
Before the feet are in the sand.
Before the hunt for my shells.
Before the trip to the seafood buffet.
Before the putt putt games and the shopping excursions.
Before I let the rest of the world enter and take away the balance.
He anchors my soul, sure and steadfast, He offers me rest, nourishment, peace, love, joy, hope.
So when the calls come in from the outside world, the world of ups and downs, twists and turns, and all that we let offset our balance I am attached. Attached to the anchor. My unwavering Christ.

 

 

My Balance. My Rock. My Anchor.

Present when the call comes about illness. Present when the storm brews in the distance. Present when the uncertainty of here looms in the night.

He offers Balance.

Rest for the weary,

Strength for the weak,

Hope for the hopeless,

Love to the lonely.

Balance.

 

And while I seek the kingdom and long for balance, there are others in need of this treasure as well. He sees them well before I see. He knows them long before I know. He spots the worn, the weary, the broken, the torn. He offers guaranteed promises:

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

 



He sees what I see as whole. He notices the fragile that I overlook. He tends to the frayed well before I even see the tattered. And he gives light to darkness.

And he whispers in the wind, "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go" Genesis 28:15.

He speaks through the warmth of the sun and says, "behold, I am freeing you today from the chains which are on your hands...come along, and I will look after you" Jeremiah 40:4.

In the calm after the storm He proclaims, I Am!

I am your balance. Your Rock. Your Anchor. Your God.

 

And as I unload the car and place my purple bible on the tableside I smile and thank the One who knows all my tattered, torn and battered places for the balance He offers, the rest He gives, the love He showers, the light He shines.

Ahh, balance. ~ Jodie

Freedom...are you really free?

I wrote a paper in school once for my history class. Now, like many of my school projects I had help from my parents (thanks mom and dad) and this was no exception. I really don't remember the theme of the paper but I do remember the one line that I wrote inspired by my dad:

"Freedom is NOT free, Freedom is NOT cheap. It is a commodity to be consumed and it must be constantly replenished."

Now, I understood "enough" at my young age what that meant but I did not truly understand the sacrifices made on my behalf, as an American, until I grew older. And then, I met friends who had spouses who were in the military and I saw first hand some of the things that they face. I watched as my dad would meet people who were struggling with PTSD from living through Vietnam and I realized how blessed I was that my dad had lived through it as well, without those adverse affects. And I began to be more thankful for ALL those who had sacrificed over the years to allow me the live in this free country called America. And as great as that is..it has it's limitations.

But there was another sacrifice that was made for ALL of us...and His name is Jesus. See our freedom in Christ came at a price as well...just not ours. There was One who died on a cross to set us free..Once and for ALL...no more replenishing. And once we accept His death, we are free..free to live, free to dance, free to love, free to sing, free to worship....free from death!

So, today as you celebrate the 4th of July..I pray that you are really free. I pray that you will choose to live your life for Christ, as a servant...who is free! Thank you to all of those who have served, are serving, and will serve to keep my freedom as an American....but if that were taken from me today, I stand knowing that I am free..forever and always..because of Jesus and for that I am most thankful!! How about you? Are you really free?

God Bless America

~Donna

The Power of Words

Words.

We use them everyday.

We speak them.

We type them. 

We think them.

But do we always take time to analyze our words? Do we realize that there are times when words can make or break a person? Did God intend for us to use them as weapons or for His glory?

I have heard and seen a lot of words this week that have been good; as well as, bad. I have seen people break down the Kingdom through words and I have seen the Kingdom built up because of words...all within a matter of 7 days. So, in honor of our summer of repeating I decided to share a little about Peter...again. For those of you who may not have been around when we studied the disciples in Faithfully Fit, Peter was known as the disciple with the "foot-shaped" mouth. Yep... you read that right. He was always sticking his foot in his mouth. Words...ugh!

In Matthew 16:16, we find Peter speaking some powerful words.."You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!" But in no time when Jesus began speaking about His destiny and what He must do to fulfill God's plan, we find Peter rebuking the very Messiah (Matthew 16:22). Peter's words became a stumbling block and a product of the kingdom of darkness.

Psalm 34:13 says this "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech." My husband, Justin, said it best this week - For Christ has offered us more grace than we will ever be able to understand, so why as Christians are we not offering that same grace to others?

Words.

So what are you gonna do with your words today?

What are you gonna do with the words that you heard or spoke this week?

Well, I am going to move past those "not so good" words and focus on this...17 kids coming to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior this week because they heard THE WORD! 

But more than that..one of them just so happened to be my baby boy, Austin.

As I sat in our living room last night, I listened as my husband and my son talked about Jesus and then I listened as my son prayed to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior and I thought...ahhh such beautiful words!

As Christians, may the words of our mouths match what Jesus has done in our hearts..so that we can be the Jesus that people need to see.

 ~ Donna

Christmas and VBS?

Six months until Christmas.
Really?
Well, that is the enthusiastic statement I read on social media yesterday.

The funny thing is that while I did not have that exact thought earlier in the day I had a similar thought. I was riding out to my mother's house to take some medical supplies and my mind wondered. What is today's date? After missing several days of work to help take care of my mom I had lost track of the actual date. Then it dawned on me...the month of June is almost over. Summer feels like it just started. But here I am, one week away from our families summer vacation, one month away from my son moving away for college and apparently six months away from Jesus' Birthday!
SIX MONTHS UNTIL CHIRSTMAS.
But let me back up. Let me explain why I would even share this here on our Faithfully Fit blog.
Something huge usually happens in the month of June in my life. And it's still happening.
But for the first time in over 16 years I am not participating (a tear is forming).
Vacation Bible School. Or more affectionately known as, VBS.
VBS is taking place at my home church and I am missing.
I am missing the children run in each night with smiles on their faces.
Missing the contagious songs that get stuck in your head and won't leave you alone at night.
Missing the tired feet after a long week of standing, running, walking.
Missing the stories of Jesus from a child's voice.
Thankfully, God has given me the great joy of participating through prayer. And also the great treasure of showing me how He answers our prayers.
You see, over a year ago I began praying about my involvement with VBS and what it should be in 2014. I knew that my life would be a little different with a son graduating high school and I know that balance is  an important part of any life and in Christian service. So I began to pray to see the path God needed for me to take.
I'm good at multi-tasking.
I can do so many things.
But what Lord? What? What would you have me to do?
His answer was for me to bow out of VBS in 2014.
Honestly, it was not the easiest of choices for me to make.
Thankfully, God spoke and I listened.
You see as I stepped out on my patio this morning to hear the birds a moment He spoke again. He said, "I knew where you needed to be long before you did".
I knew that one month before VBS I had a huge Women's event to not only plan for but also to speak at with my faithful sister Donna. God is just starting a work in the ministry we call Faithfully Following. I knew that my son and my niece would be graduating from high school and there would be many activities, family gatherings and events happening. But I did not know that my husband would have surgery nor that my mother would have surgery.
He did.
God did.
And God knew that I would need to help with their care. And He also knew that He had plans for others to step up to VBS. His work would be done. And it's ok that it was without me (ouch).
And yesterday "six months until Christmas" was not the only thing I read on social media.
I read, "We had 8 kids come to accept Christ in our class last night" (Happy tear!).

Lindsey Walker and Freddi Davis, mother and daughter serving together in VBS!

So this morning I praise the One is always present to hear my prayers.
Always answers in the right and loving way.
The One who knows all the moments of my day.
Always overseeing what is best.
I praise my Father, God in Heaven, Lord of lords, and King of kings as He brings the little children into the Kingdom!
~ Jodie

Passionate Pieces

It's funny how God pieces things together sometime.

Recently, I had a thought.
I wondered what would my life look like if my passions were the same as Christ's passions? And furthermore, what if my burdens were His burdens. I didn't want to lose my thought so I quickly wrote down two words in my journal, "Passions/Burdens". From that point on I began seeking to see what God wanted to speak to me about these two words.
It did not take long for me to see God piecing together things.
First, I felt God saying to me, "Be passionate for Me. You have been passionate about many things in life and good things have come from your heart's desires but focus on your passion for Me and see great things flow for Me."
It's true. I have been passionate about many things. I was passionate about college and pursuing my nursing degree. Then I was passionate about getting a nursing job and learning all I could about my new profession. I was passionate about becoming a mother. Passionate about being a good mother. Passionate about helping in church and in schools. None of these are bad but without Jesus being my first passion they were always lacking something. These things are out of order without Him first.
I heard God say, "Let me be first."
God continued to show me His wisdom.

It's funny how he pieces things together sometime.

While attending my son's high school graduation services a high school student delivers her address to the audience and speaks about her pursuit to find her passion. And it caused me to reflect back to when I was in high school. I believe I did the same thing as this graduating student. I looked for my passion. I remember being passionate about different subjects of study and different topics of debate in my classes and then, well, you have the list already. Nursing school, career, motherhood, ect.
Often Jesus was in the mix. But was He my passion? Did I share His passions? Were my burdens His?
And God did it again. In that funny way He put a another piece together for me.
I sat out on my patio and studied a Sunday school lesson and then somehow I ended up turning to the book of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah.
And there I became engrossed in the pages describing the King's cupbearer and His determination to restore a wall....His determination to do God's work....His determination to pray for God's people.... His determination to stand firm in the face of adversity....
His passion for God. His burden for God's people.

God said, "linger here and learn from Nehemiah".
God is still showing me the pieces.
I am digging deep. Paying careful attention.
Sitting at His feet.
Listening, lingering. Learning.
May my passion be Christ. May my burden be His.
~ Jodie
Lord, Let my passion be Christ, let my burden be the Lost. Let me be eager to share my passion with those I am burdened for! Amen