Category: Calling my name

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Not Worthy, But Welcomed & Wanted

                                              Acts 10

 

     Acts 10 is an enormous blessing to me and to all who are not Jewish. It’s in Acts 10 where Gentiles are grafted into the family of God.

The cross is our beginning and the testimony in Acts 10 is our blessing. It is the fulfillment of John 3:16. For God so loved the world…….not just part of the world – the whole world – Jews and Gentiles. Hallelujah!!

God loved me so much that He did all this for me. I can’t wrap my head or my heart around it. I’m not worthy. And that is exactly the point.

None of us is worthy, but we are all welcome & wanted.

One of the main characters in Acts 10 is Cornelius, a centurion of a battalion. He was a commanding officer.

I am very familiar with command. My husband was a squadron commander of a C-17 squadron during 9/11. The weight of responsibility is quite significant. The actions and beliefs of a commander affect the troops under him or her. And so it was with Cornelius.

Cornelius feared God and his household also. He gave alms to the Jewish people, meaning he supported them perhaps mostly in a financial way. And Acts states Cornelius prayed to God continually. His lifestyle and beliefs would  have spilled over into all areas of his life. It’s merely speculation on my part, but from my military experience, I surmise he was an honest, fair, righteous and trustworthy commander. He would have been a commander that his troops respected and followed without question.

 I love that God noticed him, call out to him and commended him in verse 4. It must have thrilled Cornelius’ heart to have that from God, even though he was a Gentile. Extraordinary !!

Though unworthy, God chose Cornelius & Peter to usher Gentiles into God’s family. All who were there received forgiveness, the Holy Spirit and then were baptized.

Not worthy, but welcomed and wanted. God is just that amazing. God loves extravagantly. God is not prejudiced and He welcomes all.

The Jews are God’s chosen people.  Thank you God for choosing me too, and grafting me into your family. You welcome me and you want me even though I’m unworthy. Praise you……….both now & forevermore.

Peace & Blessings friends………………..

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Who I Am Is More Important Than What I Do

Acts 17:28  For in Him we live and move and exist (are)….

 

For a long time now, I have said or written – Who I am is more important than what I do.  I still believe that with all my heart.  But after spending time in God’s word and re-reading the book Your Sacred Yes by Susie Larson, I need to add more to that statement.

Before my husband, Tracy, died, I was solid in who I was and what I was supposed to be doing.  Once Tracy was gone, however, and after about a year of intense grief, I began fretting over what others perceptions of me might be.  Just typing that makes me shake my head.  But seriously, it’s something many people do all through life – disastrous life event or not. 

Expectations – Comparisons – Control – Approval

Call it whatever works for you.  The enemy slips in, most often imperceptibly, with the lie that you are not enough, or you need to do this or that, or what will people think?  Sometimes the thought or idea comes in like a cloud and other times it sort of blasts us in the face. 

For me, I think that the enemy took something my husband said shortly after his cancer diagnosis, and twisted it.  Everything around the diagnosis felt like a blast.  But the father of lies kept his finger on it till some time after Tracy died.  And then he began sliding it into my thoughts from time to time.  The enemy doesn’t care what we are going through.  He pushes the knife in and slowly turns it, making us uncomfortable and looking in the wrong places.

I felt like people in general expected me to go find a job, or do something philanthropic that was visible.  And because I was focusing on other things, I allowed myself to worry what others thought.  When I found someone in a similar situation, I bought into the comparison game.  I wanted to be in control, but so much of my life was out of my control – well, let’s face it – most of it was out of my control. And approval………well, I certainly received encouragement along my journey, but I decided that, of course they would cheer me on!  They were dear friends.  Of course they would offer extra love and pats on the back.  Isn’t that what would be expected?  Ah – there’s those expectations again.

So today, after many years, I’m confronting myself with this sin.  2 Corinthians 10: 12 says – For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.   The idea is – comparison is fruitless and a total waste of time.  In my head I know this.  I know this verse.  But – I didn’t fully accept that it applied to me. 

Well – with God’s help, that stops today. 

The deal is, I must remember who I am in Christ.  Yes – who I am is more important than what I do.  And who I am is a child of God.  Who I am is blessed, chosen, adopted, loved, redeemed and forgiven (Ephesians 1: 3-7)  Who I am is God’s warrior princess dressed in His armor.  Who I am is precious and valued in God’s eyes.  He will never leave me or forsake me.  His plans for me are good and I can trust Him.  And as the focal scripture says, For in Him we live and move and exist (are).

So – who I am is more important than what I do. And who I am is a child of God.  Who I am is an anointed and empowered by His love child of God.  I’m not perfect but I’m in progress.  I’m unfinished. Philippians 1:6 promises God will complete me. 

Have I totally got my stuff together?  Nope.  But I have clarity on what God is calling me to do right now.  So from here on out, I will strive to ignore what others may think.  My status before God is the most important. After all, at the end of the day – at the end of my life – that is what matters. 

I sincerely hope you have already figured all this out.  But if you are struggling with comparison, expectations or what others think, immerse yourself in God’s word and realize in a clear and fresh way who you are in Christ.  Let’s beat the enemy at his sick game. Jesus never condemns, but the enemy always does. 

So friend. . . . walk in the fear of the Lord, not the fear of people. 

Peace & Blessings

 

 

 

 

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He Knows Your Name

John 20: 16  Jesus said to her, “Mary!”  She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher)  NASB

In March of 2020, I moved from St. Louis to Louisville, KY.  This was a pretty big deal, but even more so at the beginning of a pandemic. 

I had left my support system which had been established for 11 1/2 years to start my life over – completely.  Daunting on it’s own.  Monumental and fraught with difficulty in a pandemic.  

Being the new kid, I was constantly introducing myself because no one knew my name. 

It didn’t take too long before I had some connection with neighbors met during walks in the neighborhood .  I was introduced to a few, very few, folks from church, but not for a couple months.  In each case, I said the same phrase – my name is…………

But there’s one person that didn’t need introduction.  Jesus.  He knew me before the move, through the move, and after the move.  He knows my name.  

I can prove that.  In John 10: 27 it says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,”   Indeed, I have been listening to His voice for a long time.  Best yet – He knows  me.  He knows the real me.  He knows my name. 

And in Isaiah 43: 1 it says, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!”    Wow – redeemed & called by name.  I’m known – I’m His.  

In the key verse, Jesus is speaking to Mary.  She doesn’t realize who He is till He says her name.  Can you even imagine what her heart experienced at that  moment?   Jesus, the one she saw die, was now calling her name.  Breathtaking. And – she was the first one He spoke to once resurrected.  The very first one – Mary – hearing her name.  

There’s something special about the connection of saying a name.  Just by the sound, it communicates so much.  

Tomorrow is Resurrection Day.  It’s an enormous celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.  It’s the reason we have hope.  And to think. . . this resurrected Jesus knows our name.  He knows my name!!   

That right there is cause for extraordinary celebration.  The Cross – The Resurrection – Jesus.  And He is saying your name – He is saying my name.  

Hallelujah !  What a Savior

Peace & Blessings