GodandMe2theMax

Do you need a spiritual fill-up?

Psalm 107:9  "For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."

Easter morning finally came.  The day we've excitedly and expectantly waited for!  What an amazing day of worship and celebration of my risen Lord!  I don't know about you, but the energy was high at my church.  We had three services, and people made professions of faith in Christ in each service.  It was so cool to see God at work in our midst.  Afterward, we hung out with some good friends for lunch and played games.  Then I felt like I was about to crash.  I'm one of those kind of people that will push myself with a full schedule until every minute is booked up.  I love to have people over, entertain, and I don't always know when my tank is on empty until it's too late.  Let's just say that my energy level on Easter Sunday evening was below the "E."  Spiritually I was full from the day's events, physically, I was empty and exhausted.

Contrast that with the picture below that I took a few months ago after taking my daughter to a doctor's appointment across the other side of town.  I glanced down at my gas gauge and noticed it was on empty.  The light was on, and I was at least fifteen miles from home.  Decision time.  Do I push my limits and get the van home so my husband could fill it, or do I try to cut over through traffic to the gas station on the opposite side of the road and get home even later than planned?  Chance it, I did, but fear finally took over.  I ended up pulling over for gas, just a few miles away from my house.  By then, the tank was below the "E" and I knew I had pushed my little van as far as I could.  I really don't think I could have made it home.  I was running on fumes, and quite easily, all forward motion could have stopped at any moment. 

Once I got empty--really empty--all I could think about was finding what I needed to keep going.  I was desperate for one thing, gas.  That was all I could think about. 

Sometimes , especially on days when I'm exhausted, it's easy to think that running on empty is a bad thing.  But think of it in a spiritual sense, and take some time to read through Psalm 107, especially the verse for this week.  Psalm 107:9  "For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."

Just like a car running out of gas, we have to empty ourselves of...ourselves.  We need to be so empty we are desperate.  Desperate to be filled by the Lord.  Desperate to not do life on our own.  Desperate for Him.  Desperate for more.  If you are hungry for Him, He will fill you.  If you are thirsty, He promises to satisfy you.  It's only when we get rid of the "me" in our life and and replace it with "Him" that we will be able to keep our engine of life running smoothly.

Let's make sure we're having a Spiritual fill-up every day..not just on the big days like Easter. 

  

 

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

  

Pass the oranges, please...

Proverbs 11:25  "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

On Saturday, I sat outside in the sun at my son's soccer game.  The wind was gently blowing, but frankly, it was stinkin' hot for being so early in the season.  The sun was beating down on my already sunburned arms from last week's game.  Now, I've never been a big fan of oranges...they're just too messy for me.  But as the sun was beating, I started to think how refreshing an orange would be about that time.  You see, it was our turn to bring oranges for the half time snack.  We were well into the second half of the game, so I went on the hunt for some leftovers.  I found several bags were left, still on ice.  Wow!  For someone who doesn't really care for oranges, I inhaled in a matter of minutes the equivalent of about three entire oranges.  "Refreshing" doesn't even begin to describe it.

Now think about it.  What if you could offer ice cold, fresh oranges to someone in the hot Texas sun?  What if you saw someone out there who was dehydrated, and you could offer exactly what they need?  How would that make you feel?  Take a look at the verse to memorize for this week.  Proverbs 11:25  "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." 

Our Sunday morning worship service was a tremendous example of this verse.  Our church is involved in a community development  project in a little village called Bukabwa, located in the Mara region in Tanzania, East Africa.  Bukabwa is a community of about 5,000 people that before a few weeks ago, literally had no hope.  Two of our pastors and my husband Frank just returned from Bukabwa last week.  Our church's vision for this community is to not only meet their spiritual needs (there's no church even in this entire area) but also to partner with the African Inland Church to teach them micro-finance, transforming little by little, the entire community.  Our pastor shared with us that to sponsor a pastor for one year, build a church building and a home for the pastor next to it, it will take only $5,000.  He then did an uncharacteristic move.  He asked our church family to donate on the spot to meet this need.

Now, he didn't just take an offering.  He asked people to come forward and lay their offering on the platform.  I sing on the worship team, and I can't even start to tell you what this did for our team as we sang.  "Give me one pure and holy passion."  People started lining the aisle.  "Give me one magnificent obsession."  One by one they came forward and left their offering on the alter.  There was a line to get to the front of the church.  "Give me one glorious ambition for my life.  To know and follow hard after You." 

God's people gave generously Sunday morning.  It refreshed me.  It refreshed so many on our worship team that at one point in the response song, several of us were so filled with tears that we couldn't even sing.  I don't know the final numbers yet, but I do know that there was a lot more than $5000 given. 

As if God didn't already show up and show off, a friend unexpectedly handed me a generous donation today for the mission trip to Colombia my daughter and I will be going on this July.  Fundraising has been slow for us, and this gift definitely was an unforeseen blessing.  Half of the money is due by the end of the month, and we are still far from that goal, but this gift definitely helped boost us closer.  Yes, in more than one way, God's people brought ice cold refreshing oranges to church.

We have probably all been recipients of unexpected blessings like I've mentioned above.  But, how many of us have been the giver?  Have you ever given out of obedience, even though you don't really have the money to do so?  The Bible is very clear about the principle of giving.  Give, and it will come back to you.  I've seen it over and over again.  (Luke 6:38)  There's been several times in our family's life that we knew God was definitely telling us to give, even though we really didn't have the means to do so.  I can testify that every time we've been obedient in giving, God has refreshed us in return.  Sometimes the refreshment is monitary, but always it's spiritually refreshing.

Break out the oranges and give where God leads.  Abundant, refreshing blessings are waiting.  Try it.  You might just find you like oranges!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

How far will you go?

John 14:21  "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me.  He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him."

How far will you go to get something you want? 

Back in November, I wrote about my son Jacob, and how he reacted to a pickle that was put on his plate in pre-school.  Clearly, pickles are something he detests.  But this week, an interesting phenomenon happened.  Let me start by saying that trips to McDonalds are a rarity in this house, especially since "Super Size Me" was aired in Amber's Jr High School health class.  Nonetheless, McDonalds had some special happy meal toys being advertised: "Young Justice."  It was spring break, and we caved.  Off to McDonalds we went.  To help out Jacob with his quest for Young Justice toys, I ordered a happy meal, Amber ordered one, and of course, Jacob ordered one.  Clearly, Amber and I ordered the meal with the intent to give Jacob the toy inside.  At first, Jacob assumed our toys were his and started to open them, until I pointed out that they were not his property until we gave them to him. 

Amber then got the most devious look on her face.  "Jacob, you can have my Batman toy if you eat this pickle.  No washing it down with lemonade.  Now extra food.  Straight pickle." 

I ask again, "How far will you go to get something you want?"  Jacob has such a history with and disdain for pickles, I never thought he would take Amber up on the deal.  Truly, Amber planned on giving him the toy anyway.  But those were the ground rules, and Jacob was willing to go pretty far.  He stuck with the deal 100%.  He ate that pickle, even though he clearly was disgusted.  From a parent's point of view, it looked like an episode of Pediatric Fear Factor.

I started to think about what was playing out before my eyes.  This child wanted something so badly, he was willing to do about anything to get it.  But do we ever want to please God so badly that we're willing to experience a bit of discomfort to make Him happy?

Take a look at Judges 4.  In it Deborah the prophetess was leading Israel.  She summoned Barak and told him God was commanding him to take ten thousand men and march to Mount Tabor.  She then told Barak God was going to hand over the enemy to him.  Barak's response to Deborah, "I'll go only if you go with me."  There's been a lot of studies on Barak, and we can draw some of our own conclusions, but what I want to focus on is God's command.  God didn't say, "I'll hand over your enemies to you if you take Deborah with you."  No, it was "Go," without conditions.  It was Barak's job to obey.  It didn't matter if he was uncomfortable in the position God was calling him to.  His job was not to change the game plan.  His job was only to do what God told him...completely.

Now look at the verse to memorize for the week, John 14:21.  If we know what God commands us to do and we actually do it, then that proves our love for Him.  One of the key things here is to actualy contemplate the thought, what is God commanding me to do?  Clearly, there are obvious Godly character traits in the Bible that we should exemplify.  But what specifically is asking you to do?  Is it out of your comfort zone? 

Is He asking you to go work with inner city homeless people?  Is He telling you to go get uncomfortable on a mission trip?  Is He asking you to dig deep in your pockets to help support a friend raising support to go on a mission trip?  God doesn't always call us to do things that are easy.  If it's easy, what kind of faith would that take?   

How far are you willing to go to obey?  Are you willing to be uncomfortable, no matter the cost?  Will you even eat a pickle?

 

 

 

 

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Grow my roots...

Colossians 2:6  "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Roots.  It's what a plant needs to keep growing stronger.  A root anchors the plant and absorbs nutriments and moisture to help it grow.  You can have the biggest, healthiest plant ever, but speaking from experience, if left unwatered without sunlight, the roots will begin to surface and the plant will eventually die.  A green thumb, I have not.  In fact, with the exception of one, I have successfully neglected all plants I've ever had to the point of no return.

Well, this last week, God has been teaching me the importance of growing my roots deeper.  You see, I kind of think I know my Bible pretty well.  I don't mean to sound proud when I say that.  It's just that I grew up in a Christian home, went to a Christian school for thirteen years, went to a Christian college, and well, I've been growing in Christ a long time.  But sometimes it's easy to be complacent and forget the need for continual growth.  Our pastor has been challenging us about this very directive of growth from God the last few weeks at church, too. 

Well, last Wednesday, when our worship team finished practicing a song, our worship pastor opened up his Bible and started reading a passage from Revelation.  Now, I've read through the Bible, cover to cover, several times.  But as he read, I heard some things I don't remember hearing before about how John describes the return of Christ.  In it, he said Jesus will have written on His robe and thigh, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords."  Hmmm...yep, I definitely never remember reading this description of Jesus.  Sure, I knew Jesus is called the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" but does that mean Jesus will have a tattoo on his thigh with this title?  I'm not sure, but it kind of sounds like that, doesn't it?  And then another thing in the passage caught my ear.  It said Jesus will bear a name that no one knows but He Himself.  I listened as Pastor Steven kept reading.  I stood there captivated by this phrasing from the Bible that I just had never remembered hearing before.  How could I have missed this in all my years of being a Christian?  I got home and re-read the passage.  In fact, I've probaby read it at least 5 times since.  We know so many names for God, and yet, there is one name that will not be revealed to us until He returns.  Take a look for yourself at the passage - Revelation 19:11-16. 

Now take a look at the verse to memorize for this week in Colossians.  Paul says, just like we've received Christ, we should continue to live in Him.  Continue.  It's a verb, but it's one that calls for action in the present tense.  We need to persist.  Last.  Endure.  And how do we do this?  By building up our roots in Him.  This strengthens our faith, and the bi-product is an overflow of thankfulness.

The story from Revelation is just one example of how God hit me upside the head this week with the need to grow my roots.  Sometimes when you've been a Christian a long time, it's easy to not look for new things in Scriptures.  "Been there, done that" should never be a mantra of a Christian.  Instead, it should be "Show me.  Teach me.  Help me learn."   The more I learn, the more my roots grow, the more I realize so little I know.  I wrote this poem this week, in response to the passage from Revelation.  God, keep growing my roots so that I am a life-long student of Yours.

A Name No One Knows...
Revelation 19:11-16

We think we know Him, this Jesus of ours,
but is that really the case?
If He returned today, right in front of our eyes
would we recognize His face?

Provider, Healer, Messiah, Friend
Lover of our souls, No Beginning, No End
Righteous Judge, defeating all foes
And He’ll bear a name that no one knows.

His eyes will be like a blazing fire. 
On His head will be many crowns.
He’ll be dressed in a robe dripped in blood
And His name is the Word of God.

King of Kings and Lord of Lords
Will be written on His thigh and robe
He’s faithful and true.  Immeasurably pure.
And He has a name no one knows.

Such a mystery, this Christ in me.
I spend my days trying to know Him more
Realizing I’ve got so far to go 
To really know that name no one knows.

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Heartburn...

Judges 2:10  "After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel."

Heartburn.  A burning sensation in your chest that once you get it, seems to stay with you for a really long time.  It hurts.  It's constant.  And it's a reminder of what you ate (or shouldn't have eaten.)

I started a study in Judges this last week, and as I read through some of the corresponding Scriptures, Judges 2:10 struck me with a burning in my heart like I can't explain.  Yes, it's true, this verse gave me Spiritual heartburn.  In context, Joshua, the great leader of Israel had passed away.  Time elapsed, and everyone who had seen God do mighty things in Joshua's generation, anyone who was an eyewitness to God's hand of deliverance, eventually died as well.  When they died, they left behind a generation that had no personal experience or interaction with God Almighty.  That generation, according to verse eleven did evil in the sight of the Lord and served other gods. 

As I said, this verse burned in my heart when I read it.  It's a reality check for me, and a scary one at that.  Re-read the verse, making it personal this time.  "After 'Beth Banfill' died, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done in 'her' life."  You see, one of my biggest fears is that my children will become adults and decide they don't have any need for God.  Sure, as a parent, I can instill in them God's love as best I know how.  And by the grace of God, I can see Him at work in their lives even as a twelve and fourteen year old.  But am I doing everything God wants me to do to make an eternal difference for Him, not only with my children, but with everyone I come in contact with?

To me, that is a daunting and chilling thought.  It begs several questions that demand personal answers.  When I die, will others know about the mighty works of God in my life?  Regardless of my age, what am I doing to impact my generation or the next for Christ?  Am I passing along the importance of a relationship with Christ to my children, or am I more concerned with making sure they are popular, excelling at sports, fitting in, and having an overall good time growing up?  Where are my priorities, and are they evident enough in my life that others see them, too?

It doesn't matter how old you are at this moment, what matters is that you are making a difference in your generation so that the next one will know of God's mighty works in your life.  We have one life to live for God.  We have one voice, and one generation (our own) to impact for Christ. 

My heart burns to make an impact.  What does your heart burn for?  Do you suffer from spiritual heartburn at all?  Or have you taken so many antacids that you're immune to what God has called you to do?

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Docent for Jesus...

Deuteronomy 6:6-7  "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

750 hours.  1250 hours.  2000 hours.  As I wandered through the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California, last week, I quickly became intrigued with the docents that were in each room, ready and willing to share any and all knowledge of the museum with me.  They each carried a small notebook with handwritten letters and actual historical pictures, bringing history to life.  Each docent also bore a name tag with their landmark number of volunteer hours printed on it.  There was one other point of comparison with each docent, and this one was quite apparent - they were each, shall I say, getting up in their years. 

Let me be honest here.  I didn't grow up loving history.  In fact, it wasn't until recent years that I found a museum actually something of interest rather than a torturous intrusion on my sleep.  However, being married to a lover of history tends to rub off on you, and after almost twenty years now, I can actually say I not only tolerate museums, but I actually like them.  You see, I got through history in school with B's and C's, but I never really embraced its importance.  My parents didn't instill a love for history in me, and frankly, that was just fine with me.  But now that I'm learning to love history, perhaps for the first time in my life, I wonder how many other people are out there just like me.  Worse yet, I wonder how many people are raising their children with the same lack of interest for history.  As I walked through the museum last week, looking at the docents and their volunteer hours, I couldn't help but wonder if museum docents would soon be a thing of the past, taking with them the mass amounts of knowledge that they bare.   

In Deuteronomy 6, God charged the Israelites to be, in a sense, spiritual docents.  Look at the verse to memorize for this week.  (Yes, I know, there's two verses to memorize, but I needed to include both for cohesiveness sake, ok?)   We are to love God, think constantly about His commandments, teach His commandments to others, and live our lives daily by the guidelines He sets out for us. 

Can you imagine how many volunteer hours we would have on our name plate if we actually lived our lives the way God expects us to?  Some of the docents at the museum logged 2000 hours and more.  Yet, how many hours have I spent telling others about Christ?  How much time have I spent teaching others about His mighty works?  Have I committed my life to teaching others His-Story?  Am I logging hours, talking about God when I am at home, walking down the road, laying down, and sitting up?  Or, like the gray haired guides in the museum, are spiritual docents quickly becoming a dying profession? 

Have I been obedient and served my God enough to even earn the title "Docent for Jesus" on my name tag?  How many hours of service will my name badge list when I get to heaven?  
 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

I'm on vacation, so special thanks to my childhood friend Cindi (Goldfuss) Florit for letting me re-post her blog for the verse to memorize this week! 

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Ephesians 5:8  "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light."

 

Ephesians 5:6-11
Galatians 5:19-25

Have you ever heard of the nursery rhyme that says:

"Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row."

I am amazed at how often I have recited little rhymes like this, never knowing their origins. The Mary that this little poem was about was Mary Tudor, daughter of King Henry VIII, also known as Bloody Mary.  The garden was the graveyards that grew in number due to her instruments of torture, the silver bells and cockle shells. The pretty maids were not little bridesmaids nor maids who waited on her. They were guillotines. Lovely. Just exactly what I want my children to learn about. :-)

But you know, friends, this little rhyme with dark origins has one glaring truth: our actions "grow" something. That something may be good, and it may be bad, but it will grow. So, the obvious question is, how is MY garden growing? What am I sowing? For we know that "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7)  We sow with our words, our actions, even our thoughts. Are we sowing seeds that will result in the fruit of the Spirit? Are we sowing seeds of obedience, submission, love for our Almighty God and Savior? Or are we sowing discord among the brethren? Are we sowing true humility that can actually hurt us when we practice it but honor our Father most of all, or are we sowing pride and dissension? Seeds of humility in asking forgiveness when we truly need to, if for no other reason than to promote unity, or seeds of pride in ignoring situations in which we can technically say we are not wrong but which destroy those around us?

I am greatly intrigued by the similarities of this little poem that seems so innocent to us today but that originated in such horrible circumstances. Then again, I ask, if someone were to make a little ditty about me, what would it say? Would the words be "quite contrary, one who puts people in the graveyard (literally or figuratively or spiritually)? Or would it be "you could tell her God was real because there's no way she could have talked the way she talked, forgave the way she forgave, made right the things that needed to be made right, encouraged in Christ the way she encouraged if the very God of heaven and earth hadn't been there working in her." Would the poem be about my failings as a human being or about my Awesome God? What is the fruit that comes from MY garden? How is Cindi's garden growing?

How does YOUR garden grow? Can you honestly face the question? I challenge us all today to check out our gardens. We can pull the weeds and thorns and thistles, even if they have a hefty root system because they've been around too long. It may take some work. We may get poked. We may get hurt, but it is worth it to get the weeds out. Bloody Mary's garden consisted of her instruments of torture. Ignoring our sins of the past won't make them go away. Do we have the character to honor our Heavenly Father and make things right the way He has said to do so?

We can water in the fruit of the Spirit and choose to think about the things that are "true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

Having had the privilege and responsibility of working a 1-acre garden every summer as a child and teenager, I know a lot about weeds. :-P I know that real gardening is a lot of work. It is an unending process until the snow comes. It is easier to pull weeds when they are small and tender, and in Ohio's clay soil, it can be a nightmare to pull them when they've grown in and established a significant root system. But if you want good fruit, you have to get the weeds out. You have to break up the hard soil so that the vegetables can get air and water. You have to feed them. You have to find ways to keep out the animals and bugs. You have to put a lot of effort, time, sweat, thought into a garden. We have to do the same for our spiritual gardens. How's it growing today?

---A Coffee Conversation, from Cindi Florit

 

What Moon Phase are you?

What Moon Phaase are You?

2 Corinthians 3:18  "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Last year, my son Jacob had a school project to look at the moon every night for 30 days and write down the shape.  The shape of the moon is different, depending on the angle of where the earth is...it could be a waxing crescent, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, waning crescent, or new moon.  (Did they just make these terms up recently, or did I totally miss that when I was in school?)  Admittedly, I was not a good student, but even my husband was at a loss for helping with that project!

Now, simple science lessons tell us that the moon doesn't give off it's own light.  It reflects the sun's light, so if the clouds are out or there is fog in the sky, you can't see it.  Well, we definitely experienced that scenario many times over during that month-long project.  The fog was so bad the whole first week that all we could do was look at the internet to see what the shape of the moon was supposed to be, then write it down.

2 Corinthians talks about reflecting God's glory.  It talks about how Moses in the Old Testament wore a veil over his face after it 'glowed' from being in God's presence.  If they made a movie, certainly it could have been called "The Shining."  But, here in the New Testament, Paul tells us we don't need to wear a veil over our face to reflect God's glory.   He says in verse 18 that the more time we spend with God, the more we are being transformed into His likeness.

Have you ever gone to a part of the country or a foreign country where they speak with an accent?  I've been to the UK several times, and while I was in college, I spent almost a month in Australia doing mission work.  The more time I spend in these kind of places, the more I begin speaking (or unconsciously) trying to speak like them.  My son Jacob has a friend here in Texas with a pretty strong Southern drawl.  The little boy's brother and family do not have do not have this accent...just him.  (I think his goal is to be a country singer when he grows up, and right now, he's got all the swagger going for him.)  Well, after Jacob spends a few hours with this friend, Jacob starts talking all 'hick' and 'country.'  No offense...that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it illustrates the point Paul is trying to say.  The more time you spend with someone, the more you become like them.  Spend time with Christ, and you will become more like Him, reflecting His glory.

If my focus is on television or my favorite show, it will consume my thoughts.  If I put my sole attention on food, gambling, or drugs, I easily can become an addict.  If my sole focus is on work, I will be a workaholic.  But if my focus is on Christ, I will become more like Him.  I will be addicted to Him and His love.  Now that's not a bad thing!  Look at the verse again.  We are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory.  And where does that glory come from?  It's from the Lord.  I cannot be transformed into His likeness without spending time with Him.

Yes, sometimes the clouds and fog roll in.  Sometimes it's difficult to reflect God's glory when circumstances happen that shake us.  We end up waning, like the phases of the moon.  But just like the sun is always there, Christ is always there, waiting to be reflected.  God doesn't promise me this perfect life where everything goes according to my plans.  He asks me to be faithful...to spend time with Him...to reflect His glory, even in the fog.  For me, my focus has been on God, but I've felt lately as though I've been in a fog.  Life is flying by seemingly a mile a minute, and I feel like I just can't get a handle on anything very well.  So today, I'm asking God to blow His sweet breath through my life to blow away the fog and the clouds, so I can be a full moon, shining brightly and reflecting only His glory! 

What moon phase are you?

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

No distractions. No excuses. No ADD surfer moments.

Hebrews 12:2  "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Distractions.  Losing sight of the goal.  It happens to the best of us.  Sometimes we just get so focused on what we think is really important that we lose sight of what should be our real priorities.  I recently saw this exemplified last week while watching an episode of Untold Stories of the ER.  This particular one featured an ER in Hawaii with two surfer dudes as the prime focus.  Let me just say that these guys were ADD in action.  You see, they had decided to go out spear fishing, and I might add that they actually seemed pretty good at it.  Sure enough, one of the guys spotted a beauty of a catch, and with meticulous aim, he got it.  The problem?  He speared the fish right into his buddy's leg.  They arrived at the ER with one main goal.  I don't know about you, but I can think of a few things that should have been at the top of their priority list when arriving at the ER.  Perhaps questioning if the spear could be removed safely.  Perhaps focusing on not bleeding out when the spear was removed.  Perhaps getting medical attention to avoid infection.  But no.  The main goal of the two guys was to save that fish, still entangled between the leg and the spear, so that they could eat it for dinner.  I think these two surfers lost sight of what was really important, don't you.      

If you've been a member of Groupies4God very long, you might remember that back in September, we learned Hebrews 12:1. It encourages us to persevere in this race called life.  This week, we'll memorize verse two of Hebrews twelve, and it tells us how to persevere -- by fixing our eyes on Jesus!  That's the goal.  Focus on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith!  Our faith began and will be finished in Him.  He started it, and He's perfecting it in us, daily.

The verse  then goes on to say that "for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame."  Do you really think Jesus found joy in going to the cross, and suffering pain and shame for my sins and yours?  I don't think so.  In fact, in Matthew 26, we see Jesus praying that "the cup pass over Him."  I do believe, however, that the joy Hebrews 12:2 is talking about is the good that would come from His death.  Jesus knew that by enduring the cross, He would conquer sin and death so that we could have eternal life.  It was the greater good.  Yes, He gladly went to the cross on our behalf, without distractions.

Honesty time here.  If you know me, you probably also know that I have a bent to be just like those surfer guys.  When I am extremely stressed, my ADD brain kicks in, and it's hard for me to prioritize the fog clouding my brain.  Work, family, and friends distract me from what I know I should be doing.

What about you?  What has God called you to do that you aren't focusing on with all your effort?  Has He clearly told you to go on a mission trip, and yet you're holding on to your fear?  (Matthew 28 says go, that one should be a no-brainer!)  Has He asked you to serve in a particular area at church?  Maybe it's even more simple than that.  Maybe God is telling you to follow Him whole heartedly.  He's been pricking your heart to spend more time with Him, praying and reading your Bible daily.  What is it?  Take some time to write it down.  For me, writing it down in ink is the hardest part.  That's where I become honest with myself.  That's the point of commitment for me, no turning back.   

What distractions are in place that keep you from fixing your eyes on Jesus?  Financial pressures?  Stresses of work?  Busyness of life?  What about your friends?  Yes, even your "bestest" of friends could be distracting you.  All these things can lead us to give the same answer the disciples did to Jesus in Matthew 26, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  The disciples wanted to pray with Jesus, but they were just so stinking tired!  How many times do we use the excuse, "There just aren't enough hours in the day!"  Think about it.  Search your soul.  Ask our Father in Heaven to show you and reveal truth in your life today.

Back to the surfer dudes in the ER.  The cool thing is that even though they got distracted from the important issue, the doctor was able to bring their focus back.  He was able to help them realize what the real priority should be - removing the spear, not saving the fish.  In the end, they actually got the best of both worlds and came back that night with dinner for the doctor, a special thank you gift. 

I believe God, the Great Physician, is a lot like that doctor.  He helps us gain focus, and He heals us spiritually so that we can accomplish His will.  Are you ready to serve without distraction?  Are you ready to stop using excuses?  Get your pen and paper handy, and get honest with God.  No more distractions.  No more excuses.  And no more ADD surfer moments.

 ---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

What Not to Wear, Spiritual Lessons in Clothing from Colossians

Colossians 3:12  "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

It's the new year, and that means most of us are trying to figure out what changes need to be made in our lives for 2011.  Colossians 3:12, the verse to memorize for this week, is a perfect resolution for the New Year.  I heard someone say earlier this week that instead of focusing on the physical things you want to change in your life like your weight, you need to ask God what qualities you possess that are not consistent with His character.  Those are the areas that should be your focus of change for the New Year.   

With the advent of the tv show "What Not to Wear" on TLC, my teenager Amber is my personal fashion expert.  She watches every episode and gives me much needed fashion advice.  I usually will not walk out the door without her giving me a thumbs up.  In fact, it's not uncommon for me to change clothes numerous times until I get that nod of approval.  You see, I'm not really good at fashion.  I like it, and I love to shop, but putting it all together is a bit harder for me. 

Do you have any old items of clothing that you are emotionally attached to?  I used to have this pair of overalls.  They were too big for me, and I looked terrible in them, but I didn't care.  I loved them.  They were comfortable and unrestraining.  The last day I wore those favorite overalls was the day I met with a professional at my son's school.  Never in my life had someone talked to me like I was an uneducated and truly stupid person like that professional did.  I was so frustrated with how I had been treated, and as I tried to figure it out, I came to the conclusion that I was judged by my clothing.  Never again would I let that happen, so in the garbage the overalls went.

In Colossians chapter three, Paul talks about spiritual clothing.  Paul had style, in a spiritual sense, and he shares those spiritual "fashion" do's and don'ts with us.  Take some time to read Colossians 3, especially verses 7-17.  In this passage Paul says, don't wear the clothes that you used to wear, the sinful clothes of anger, rage, lying, etc.  He says, put those things away. 

You see, sometimes sin is like my old overalls.  It's comfortable.  It's unrestrained.  And although I know it doesn't look good, I don't care, because to be perfectly honest, it feels really good.  But, the truth is that I need to throw those old sinful 'clothes' in the garbage.  How do I do it?  Prayer.  Soul-searching.  Confession.  Commitment.  And only with God's help.

I think it's pretty awesome that God gives us a choice to get rid of our old clothes, and then He shows us a brand new wardrobe to put on.  This isn't a wardrobe from Goodwill.  It's a high-end spiritual fashion set of clothes.  It's the clothes you would see on the runway of heaven.  Paul says that we should clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love.  Most of these are the fruits of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22-23.  These clothes we should wear are all character qualities of Christ.  Think about it.  If you were given a jacket or article of clothing from your most revered person, would you not cling to it, smell it, hug it, sleep with it, and even live in it?  Why do we not do the same thing with Christ and the clothing He offers?

Then Paul closes the section with answering "how" we get this new wardrobe.  By letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.  By letting His Word dwell in me.  Doing everything in the name of Jesus.  And giving thanks to God.  I can get this new wardrobe and it doesn't cost me a financial cent!  Being the bargain shopper I am, that's my kind of wardrobe.  But, it does cost me myself, my commitment to Christ, my yielding to His way instead of mine...it costs giving up my wants and wishes for His will.  God's fashion must be my priority, not my own desire to wear sloppy, comfortable overalls.

Perhaps like me, you've read these verses hundreds of times.  Perhaps like me, you're starting the new year with good intentions and new resolutions.  Let's all make a new resolution to have a "What Not to Wear" experiment in fashion - God's way.  Let's start with memorizing the verse this week and internalizing it in our lives.  Whether you're a girl who loves to shop or a guy who hates it, I think you can relate to the wardrobe God wants us to be clothed in.  Shopping anyone?

 

 ---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com