Don't Snap! Snap out of it instead!

Don’t Snap!

I thought we would take a few minutes to learn from one of those small things that we probably don't pay too much attention to—the rubber band.  I looked it up and the rubber band was patented in England way back in 1845 so it has been with us for a very long time.

The rubber band is a tiny little thing but I think as women we can learn some lessons from it.

Stretch your Faith!

One of the first characteristics we see in a rubber band is that it is stretchy because it is made out of rubber.  It's the best quality about it because if it didn't stretch it wouldn't be so useful to us.

I think as Christian women, one of the first things we need to learn is to stretch our faith.  Stretching our faith helps us grow.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”.  Hebrews 11:6

We see in this verse in Hebrews that it is impossible to please God without faith.  We've got to do a little stretching where our faith is concerned.  It's like when we stretch our muscles before exercise.  It helps us become more efficient.  The three things stretching muscles helps is our muscle control, flexibility, and our range of motion.

Stretching our faith makes us become more efficient Christians.  Wow!  What a range of motion we can have where faith is concerned.  What marvelous things we can accomplish through just a little faith.   I'm reminded of that verse about the mustard seed.

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Be Flexible!

There is something to be said about not budging on the Word of God and biblical principles, but in other areas we have to learn to be flexible.  Women that are never flexible can fast become a hindrance to the very things they are trying to accomplish.  You don't want to become the brick wall that is unmovable.

Are you open to new ideas?  Can you embrace change when it is needed?  Can you adapt to the variety of personalities within your group?  Can you see the reality of a situation compared to what you would like it to be?

I think one of the things I've learned about being flexible is that I have to remember that passage in Philippians 2 where it talks about how we are to look on others.  I just have to make myself go back sometimes and read the entire chapter to put things into perspective.

Verse 3 says,

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves

When I start putting other people's needs above my own, I am more apt to be more flexible.  I start looking at things with other points of view than just my own.

 

Hold it Together!

Rubber bands are great little tools for holding things together such as index cards and other things.  The postal service has been using rubber bands on stacks of mail for years.

How good are you at holding things together as a woman?  Are you able to keep calm and keep your others calm when unforeseen or upsetting things arise?

Do you wrap your arms around your friends and the people around you by praying constantly for them?  

You were not dropped into a wherever you are today without help.  You have the Lord to rely on.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:1

Don't Stretch till you Break!

We've seen that rubber bands are great little useful items but what happens when we stretch them beyond what they are made for?  Snap! They break.

One of the biggest issues I have found in working at this church over the years is that many have a tendency to overcommit themselves.

Overcommitting can cause you to stretch yourself too far and too thin.  Just like a rubber band that has went past the stretching point, you will end up snapping and maybe breaking altogether.

When we put too much on our plate we are in danger of some breakdowns coming.  They might be physical, emotional, or spiritual.  Sometimes it could be all three.  Don't put yourself into that position.

Recently we held an all staff meeting here for our church.  All 4 campus staff gathered together and we had a guest speaker to encourage us as we face the challenges of ministry.  I’ve been pretty busy lately and the encouragement was great.  I actually walked away asking myself if I am trying to do too much by myself?  Do I allow others to use their talents and gifts? Am I spending enough time with my husband and family?  

The speaker had told us that GOD doesn’t actually need us.  He finds pleasure in seeing us serve and he enjoys watching us grow, but he doesn’t need ME to do his work.  So rather than stretching until I break, I need to take a BREAK and allow others to serve.

Conclusion:

It is always a good idea to slow down from time to time and really evaluate what we are doing.  I'm hoping that the insignificant rubber band can help us do that.

I hope it will remind us to stretch our faith, to be flexible, and not to stretch beyond what we should.

We all have the potential to break down but if we are going to snap, we had better snap out of it!  

Here are four things that help me when I feel like I'm a crusty old rubber band that won't stretch anymore and has lost its flexibility.  Or maybe I feel like that rubber band that has to be discarded because it is broken and isn't quite so useful anymore.

1.  First I have to remember that I am serving Christ.

2.  I have to remember that it is not all about me and that GOD doesn’t need me to do His work.

3.  I have to remember that my strength comes from HIM.

4.  I have to remember not to get hung up on small or big things, that people always come before paper and.... rubberbands. J

In the scope of eternity....

There’s a piece of my calligraphy in our bathroom, where it’s been for many years in a place where I would see it (over the commode!), of one of life’s most important questions: “In the scope of eternity, what does this matter?"

 

This simple question can create a lens or filter through which we can assign value and importance to our experiences. It helps us know if something is worth getting upset about or not. If it’s not going to matter two weeks from now, much less in eternity, let it go.

 

Many of our stressors would be less stressful if we would just put them in perspective.

 

I learned this from my Dad.  Placing questions in full view for daily consideration.  I ran track as a high school student and enjoyed watching sports a lot.  When you play sports, there are going to be wins and losses; when we are younger we can think those wins and losses are a lot more important than they actually are. But when filtered through the question, “In the scope of eternity, what does this matter,” you can see both wins and losses as valuable for teaching and revealing character.

 

I have recently put another calligraphy plaque in the bathroom as well: “Win without boasting, lose without excuses.”

 

I find myself invoking this question when trying to encourage people.  I frequently find myself asking “One hundred years from today, where will you be? When you are facing Jesus, what do you want to be glad you did now, and what do you want to avoid regretting? Think back on this difficult time from the position of one hundred years from today, when you are in eternity.” When the challenge of facing one’s internal pain is filtered through this question about eternity, it is encouraging to realize that cooperating with the Holy Spirit to uncover and relinquish our unhealed and broken parts will change us forever, making us more fit for future Kingdom responsibilities and glory.

 

The answer to the question, “In the scope of eternity, what does this matter,” is “The hard work and pain will be totally worth it.”

 

It’s helpful to ask myself this question when I’m experiencing nighttime sleeplessness, or physical pain, or financial stress. And it’s also helpful to ask myself this question when I’m concerned about my loved ones; when the answer is, “In the scope of eternity, this is REALLY important,” it motivates me to pray. Hard. And long.

 

What are you wrestling with? In the scope of eternity, what does it matter, really?

Ministry has always been hard

Read 1 Kings 17

When you’re scared to death and vulnerable, you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know how long it’s going to take, and you don’t know what’s going to happen when you get there, what do you do?

You remember that the path to a miracle often goes through uncomfortable territory. 

God told Elijah to walk more than 100 miles during a drought through dangerous territory, where everyone knew who he was and that King Ahab had a price on his head. When Elijah finally made it to Zarephath, he met a poor widow who was going to feed him. But how could she help defend or protect him from a pagan town full of people who wouldn’t hesitate to kill him?

Miracles don’t happen when things are comfortable. Miracles happen when things are uncomfortable.

Elijah didn’t say, “God, there are three things wrong with this plan. One, you’re sending me in the wrong direction. Two, you’re sending me to the wrong location. And three, you’re sending me to the wrong protection.”

Elijah just obeyed.

God’s path to a miracle often takes us through uncomfortable territory because it forces us to depend on him.

Miracles never happen in your comfort zone, when everything’s great and convenient. You don’t need a miracle when everything is settled in your life. You only need a miracle when you’re on the edge, when you’re scared to death, when you’re insecure, when you can get hit at any angle. 

Are you at a place right now in your life where things are a little uncomfortable — financially, emotionally, relationally, spiritually, or physically? You’re a little nervous, a little on the edge, a little insecure. Congratulations. You’re on the path to a miracle!

Just like Elijah, God wants you to obey so you can see his miracle at the end of the road.

• Who are the people who can encourage you on the uncomfortable road of faith you may be walking right now

How will I know God is moving?

There invariably will come a time in our spiritual journey when the Lord will solicit our cooperation in permitting Him to guide us in a new way. His preference is that we would sense His leading, fully cooperate and move in the new direction.

However, as is all too often the case, He must intervene in the affairs of our lives due to the fact that we are comfortable and entrenched in our present course of action. 

To secure our attention and place us on the pathway God desires, there are strategies that He employs that are very effective. As much as we are not to be ignorant of Satan's devices (2 Cor. 2:11), we must be even more knowledgeable of the ways of the Lord (Ps. 25:4). Knowing God's ways will result in us experiencing His mighty acts (Ps. 103:7). 

Here are three ways God works to move us in a new direction: 

• Disruption of Our Plans
• Dissipation of Resources
• Dissolution of Relationships 

Disruption of our Plans 

The Apostle Paul had received an apostolic commission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. In keeping with his mandate, he targeted key cities in the Roman Empire to visit. Yet, the New Testament narrative informs us that on at least one occasion he was not able to fulfill his objective because God saw fit to stop him. "They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they came near Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not allow them" (Acts 16:6-7). 

Like Paul the apostle, while attempting to do the will of the Lord, perhaps you were heading down a certain roadway and you ended up "hitting a wall" and were stopped in your tracks. From that point on, no matter how hard you worked, you were incapable of making significant progress. Initiatives and projects that were originally inspired by a lofty vision and deep passion ended up languishing, some of them even terminating. 

When stuck at an impasse, it is a natural tendency to return to familiar surroundings. We see this in the lives of the disciples after Jesus' death. They went back to fishing even though they had clearly been mandated to forsake their vocation and follow Christ (See Luke 5:10-11; John 21:3). Because they were commercial fishermen, there may even have been economic motives behind their actions. Nevertheless, we see clearly that there was no lasting provision and no permanent peace in returning to past environments. 

When God leads us out of a place of familiarity and the way forward is blocked, what is the solution? 

There are some breakthroughs reserved for us that can only be accessed through prayer. We must seek God until we receive a clear answer from heaven. Whether it was Paul's night vision of the man in Macedonia summoning him, or the voice of Jesus speaking to the disciples on the seashore in Galilee, the New Testament Christians received clear direction from the Spirit and were able to regain momentum and experience breakthrough. 

Dissipation of Resources 

When God wants us to move in a new direction, He may also permit us to experience the dissipation of resources. Elijah had been powerfully used by the Lord to declare prophetically the purpose of God in dealing with Israel. "And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word" (1 Kin. 17:1) And just as the prophet had foretold, the word of the Lord came to pass. "And there was a severe famine in Samaria ... "(1 Kin. 18:2). 

During the famine, God looked after Elijah. He gave him specific instruction relative to how he would be sustained. "Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.' So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook" (1 Kings 17:2-6). 

Cherith which means "place of covenant," was where the Lord demonstrated His faithfulness in taking care of Elijah. However, the day would come when the brook would run dry and the birds would no longer fly (see 1 Kin. 17:7). Although Elijah had come to depend on such provision, God seemed to have no compunction at all cutting off these resources. 

Has Your Brook Dried Up? 

Have you experienced something similar? Your streams of resource have dried up. You struggle to make ends meet and you do not know how you are going to keep going. During such a time, trust that the Lord will soon speak to you like He did to Elijah. "Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you'" (1 Kin. 17:8-9). 

More than a cute cliche, you will see that the place where He leads you will be the place where He feeds you. Where the Lord guides, He provides! 

Dissolution of Relationships

A third way the Lord works to set us in motion in a new direction is through the dissolution of certain relationship. (Please note: we are not addressing covenant marriage relationships here). We see this clearly in the life of David. The heart of King Achish, once favorable to David, turned away from him." Then Achish called David and said to him, 'Surely, as the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines'" (1 Sam. 29:6-7). 

An unanticipated meltdown in a relationship can cause great pain. Abandonment and unanswered questions will naturally follow. One vital truth to come to grips with is that God will on occasion send certain people into our lives for a short season or perhaps even a brief encounter. 

God-sanctioned, transitory connections, though nonsustainable, serve a purpose in facilitating the plan of the Lord. Being able to differentiate between what is intended to be provisional and what is meant to be permanent will enlighten one of the Father's intention for the relationship. 

Here is a powerful truth to embrace when a key connection you value has dissolved for no apparent legitimate reason: The Lord is turning the hearts of men in the direction He desires (Prov. 21:1) and is in fact making it easier for you to let go and move forward into your next assignment. Therefore, do not take the matter personally and become bitter with people as though they are rejecting you. 

Trusting in God's Good Guidance 

You may not understand what is currently happening in your life. Does it seem to you that God has messed up your plans? Have resources dried up? Has a relationship disintegrated? 

Sometimes Father God's ways do not make sense to us. Scripture even attests to this reality. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Is. 55:9). This is because the LORD possesses infinite knowledge and perfect wisdom. He is eternal, Almighty and omniscient. He sees the end from the beginning and is completely aware of the final outcome of all things. 

No matter how it may appear on the surface, He is actively involved in the affairs of our lives. On occasion, He may even interrupt our plans resulting in us experiencing a sense of anxiety due to a perceived loss of control. However, as uncomfortable as we may become, we must trust that He is leading us along the best pathway for our lives. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye on you" (Ps. 32:8). 

Trusting God at all times is a non-negotiable prerequisite for living supernaturally in the kingdom! 

Withered under the Son

Well, we have not seen much sun yet this year but as the prophet Isaiah reminds us, we are like wildflowers that soon wither in the heat [of the sun].  I feel very withered. The heat that I am speaking of is not from the sun but the weariness that one feels when they have reached the end of ones self.  God is our only sense of comfort in times like these.  Isaiah tells us to not to fear, as God does not grow weary or tired and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak to those that wait on Him (v.40:7,28-29)

I have felt weary and tired in recent weeks as I have struggled through lots of emotions with recent events at my church. As we all tend to do at times, trying desperately to control and manage things outside of my abilities. I have short-lived strength on my own and my reliance on God needs to be realized as my never-failing source of strength, hope and joy.  It is time to draw near to God, for our minds will be refreshed and our strength will be renewed by Him.

IT IS A GOD THING IN MY OPINION...

Over the past nearly 18 years, I have submitted many things to be included in the church reports.  Beyond the financial reports provided, I have commented on a wide variety of topics, but never a personal God story.  This year, our family verse was 2 Chronicles 15:7 and I have to tell you just a little about how God used this one verse in our lives.  

Many know pieces of my husbands joblessness, our family and pet losses, a few family health issues, and the woes regarding our enormous tax hike!  Many remember that my daughter had to have braces put back on in early 2015.  Did you know that her orthodontist died suddenly just before they were to come off in September; and then, under a new doctor, she had to have dental surgery to remove a tooth up in her jaw that had been overlooked for 11 years of orthodontics?   It could have caused her years of problems in the future if not removed.  The circumstances surrounding this were so “out of this world” that it could only be a God thing! We did not give up!

Did you know that during the time New Song was working on a revised budget, the Elders were making lots of tough decisions including a choice between the facilities manager and me? Jose and I had worked together since 2001 and spent a great deal of time together.  I was praying for him and he was praying for me. Both of us were interviewing and both of us knew one would go and one would stay.  Saying good-bye to my co worker was extremely hard for me.  I was faced with mourning the loss of a valued work partner and assuming the heavy burden of the full time facilities management, in addition to my other responsibilities as the church Office and Business Manager.   In the midst of this all, my husband becomes unemployed once again, but thankfully I still had my job here at New Song.  It was a God thing. We stayed strong!

In recent weeks, we have heard tough announcements from our pulpit.  The circumstances surrounding the events of our Pastor resigning, our mother church calling us to help, and the possibilities at times seem out of this world, beyond our understanding and difficult to process.   I never thought I could go through more orthodontic issues with my daughter, that I could endure my husbands 5 jobs in one year, bounce back from pet loss, enjoy wearing so many hats and also survive Jose leaving.  But then I remembered, He has been so faithful to us all year.  Help came to the rescue through faithful volunteers, prayer warriors, financial support, new jobs, and encouragement from new and old friends for what would come.   Did you know, that although we can’t always see where the road leads, God promises there’s something better up ahead as long as we trust him, be strong, and don’t give up? We will be rewarded! 

 

I believe the Compass Church merger is a God thing!

  

Member, Employee, Servant

Trust Him