Change can be good. I don’t like it, but I know that change can be good. Change for change’s sake is a waste of time. But purposeful, innovative change breathes freshness and vitality.
On a personal level, though, I like to stick with a routine, to play it safe and feel comfortable.
Sometimes, though, Jesus calls us out of our comfort zones. He might lead us in a different direction or to a new ministry. He might ask us to stay where we are, but to make adjustments that turn the place around.
I started blogging in 2013 with a few breaks here and there. My purpose was to help my readers thrive in life and in leadership. I thought I would put my Doctorate in Strategic Leadership to use. My premise was that when people thrive in their relationships with Jesus, their leadership thrives as an outflow. When we walk with Jesus, He empowers us to be effective in what He has called us. When leaders thrive, their ministries thrive, and God is glorified.
However, the past two years I have sensed a shift in focus. There are lots of blogs and podcasts out there on dynamic leadership with huge followings. Leadership guru Carey Nieuwhof’s tag line is “Thrive in life and leadership.” He didn’t “steal” it from me, but I have used that for more than a decade.
I have been asking Jesus to show me if it’s time to stop blogging or to start over. I believe His answer is that I’m suppose to start over. I love Jesus, I love people, and I love God’s Word. I spend about twenty hours a week studying for and writing sermons for Sundays. Throughout the day, I get thoughts that inspire me in my relationship with Jesus. Why not share those?
That’s what “The J Word” is about – Following Jesus and His Word. It might be a sermon. It might be a short devotional. Whatever it is, I pray that the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart and equips you to love Jesus more.
Let’s be more like Jesus today than we were yesterday. Stay tuned!
Call to Action
Is there an area of your life that Jesus is asking you to change? What is it?
What are you going to change? Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you.
Earlier this summer, my husband I took a trip to the California Redwood Forest. The last time we had visited was almost 39 years before on our honeymoon.
We traversed the well-worn dirt paths, surrounded by lush green foliage on either side. It was like a blanket that partially covered the mammoth roots of the mighty towering trees. Step by step we went deeper into this enchanting land. I felt transported into the story of J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings series, specifically Lothlórien, the fairest realm of elves. Only this was more breath-taking and surreal.
I paused and the Holy Spirit met with me. I was suddenly aware that just as I stood surrounded by the lofty redwoods, I was engulfed by His presence. My spiritual eyes discerned the presence of God pervading the forest as the Sustainer of Life of every living being. I wept with profound awe and worship. I was also grateful that no other hikers were in the area during this beautifully holy moment.
Suddenly the words of Psalm 8 enveloped me:
O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority— the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents. O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
The psalm describes the majesty of God and His close relationship with human beings. It defies logic. The Creator of the universe gave us charge of everything He made. When we read other passages, God not only shares His authority, He pours out His love on us.
“What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?”
Too often our view of God is minuscule compared to His majesty. We lose sight of His glory.
“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1 NIV).
The Apostle John, the author of Revelation, described the throne of God in heaven:
In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”
This is the God who loves us so much that He made a way to be in relationship Him. That way was through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we place our trust in Jesus and commit to follow Him, we are adopted into God’s family.
This all-powerful God is also all-loving. And, He loves you!
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you wrap your mind around this and to remember that your God is greater than anything you can ask or think. No matter what you might face in this life, it pales in comparison to your God. He can accomplish so much more than you can possibly imagine.
When you follow the Supreme God, you will thrive in life and leadership.
My oldest daughter, Jessika, has a penchant for asking questions. As a little girl (almost from the time she could talk), as soon as I said something, she would ask “Why?” She wasn’t trying to be difficult; she genuinely wanted to know. So I would formulate the most thorough answer I thought possible for a two/three-year old to understand. Again, she would respond, “Why?” The older she got, the longer these sessions lasted. She had an insatiable desire to deeply understand her world. Of course, there were occasions that it was not possible to have an extended conversation.
Sometimes I had to say, “I don’t have time to talk about this right now. You just need to trust me.”
Today as a grown woman with girls of her own, Jessika’s questions are much more complex, and she continues to investigate beneath the surface, seeking to understand the “Whys.”
Asking “Why” can be powerful, leading to discovery and understanding. Our eyes may be open to see the bigger picture more clearly. As we search the Scriptures and seek God in prayer, we learn to know and love Him more. However, there are times when asking “Why” does not satisfy and the answers we receive are simply not enough.
We may never know why. Life can be hard. Life doesn’t always make sense. Amid beauty and joy, there are also unexpected tragedy and crisis, illness, financial set back, and broken relationships. Hardship often leads us to desperately ask, “Why?” God is never offended by our sincere questions. He promises to give us His peace, comfort, and strength. However, He never promises to give us answers.
Hebrews 11 commends the men and women who lived by courageous faith and received God’s promises. It also commends the ones that endured tremendous hardships and suffering. “All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us” (vs. 39-40, NLT). They continued to live faithfully for the Lord without knowing the reasons for their difficulties or seeing the end results of God’s promises.
Job lost everything and suffered intensely. God appeared to him and revealed His glory, but He never explained Himself. Job was restored and blessed, but he was never given the back story that we can read in the first two chapters of Job.
I wrestled for months, even years, asking “Why” my youngest daughter was born with Spina Bifida. One day when she was about two years old and had just experienced a series of medical difficulties, I called out to the Lord, desperate for answers. He gently directed me to Psalm 139:13-16.
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed (NLT).
God spoke to my heart, “This Word is true for your daughter. I was not looking away when she was being formed. I oversaw every detail.” That day my questions were not answered, but they were settled.
Jesus is always enough. There are many reasons we may suffer. Perhaps it’s the consequences of our own choices. Maybe it’s the result of others’ sinful and selfish actions. Or we may suffer because we live in a broken world fallen from God’s original perfect design. It might be a spiritual attack. Regardless of the reasons, knowing the “Why” does not take away our pain.
In John chapter 9, Jesus passed a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him “Why?” Then they offered their best guesses, “Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” (vs. 2). “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him” (vs. 3).
The man was born blind and had lived in darkness his entire life, all to demonstrate God’s glory. That was the answer, the one directly from Jesus. But, what did that mean? The disciples could have kept asking questions. In that moment, though, even with the best answer, the man was still blind.
But Jesus didn’t leave him there.
Jesus touched the man and healed him. Jesus opened the man’s physical eyes and he could see all the images that had for decades been hidden from view. Jesus opened the man’s spiritual eyes and he could clearly see the Light of the World and worshiped Him.
In that moment, there were no more questions. He had found the answers in Jesus Christ.
Life is rarely neat and tidy. We may never receive an satisfactory answer to our soul-searching questions this side of heaven. However, we can find God at the heart of every unanswered questions, and He can absolutely be trusted.
In the midst of all our challenges, all our heartaches, and all our questions (whether answered or not), the loving, healing presence of Jesus will always, always be enough.
We will thrive in life and leadership when we rest in Him.
What comes to mind when you hear the word “pride”?
I often think of people who overestimate themselves, consider themselves as better than others, and see no need to rely on God. They elevate themselves, sometimes taking advantage of others to get what they want or acting above the law.
We see in Scripture that God opposes the proud.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6 NLT).
Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).
Our old human nature leans toward pride. It is wrong and separates us from God.
Pride isn’t always obvious though. It’s not just the arrogant, self-absorbed ones who are driven by pride. There is another side of pride that is more subtle. It’s thinking too lowly of yourself.
Pride happens when you diminish God’s love for you. You hear lies about yourself and you believe them.
You feel worthless as a person. You have a hard time accepting yourself and are critical of yourself but extend kindness to everyone else.
You may even entertain thoughts that you are a mistake and doubt that you have God-given purpose. (I can relate with that one). As a result you might even allow people to treat you like a doormat because you feel that you have no value.
You might seek attention from others in an attempt to please them and gain validation from them.
You feel hopeless, unable to see God’s blessings and presence in your life.
You respect the worth of other people and recognize their sacredness, but somehow you’re an exception.
When you hold on to these thoughts and feelings as reality, you’re putting your thoughts and feelings above what God says about you. You’re saying that you know better than God. That is a form of pride.
God’s Word says that you are fearfully and wonderful made. He knew you when you were in your mother’s womb, crafting you with special care (Psalm 139:13-16). You are a masterpiece designed with something amazing in God’s mind (Ephesians 2:10). You have been called according to His purposes (2 Timothy 1:9) and God equips you to do what pleases Him (Hebrews 13:21).
It gets even better!
If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, God is your God. He has adopted you into His family as His beloved child.
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure (Ephesians 1:5 NLT).
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! (1 John 3:1 NLT).
Yes, these verses say “us” but they include you, not just everybody else.
God chose you. You are His child; He is your Father. He loves you deeply. That is the truth!
Kick pride to the curb. Take God at His Word. Find Scriptures that talk about you being in Christ or Christ being in you or how much you are loved. Believe what He says about you and spend time dwelling on that.
Don’t believe the devil’s lies. Don’t believe the lies you tell yourself. Train your mind that what God says is true. His Word is exalted above everything and everyone else.
We are nothing without Jesus, but with Him we are priceless. That’s true humility.
Reject prideand you can thrive in life and leadership.
When my kids were young, we were a homeschooling family. I wanted to invest in their holistic development based on Biblical principles. Also, the nearest school was a one hour bus ride away, and it was rated one of the lowest academically in Washington State. The last two reasons alone were compelling reasons for my kids to learn from home.
My daughter was in second grade when she started getting exasperated by spelling lessons. She would whine, “I can’t do it. It’s too hard.” After several sessions of her griping and throwing up her hands in defeat, I came up with a plan.
She would memorize Philippians 4:13.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (NKJV).
The moment she said, “I can’t…” she had two choices. She could either write out the verse multiple time or she could sing a fun children’s song for ten minutes.
I can do all things, all things, all things. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.
How many things can you do? All things! How many things can you do? All things!
The song quickly lost its charm!
Eventually my daughter stopped saying, “I can’t…” She might have thought it or mumbled it under her breath but she had learned not to say it out loud.
In hindsight this wasn’t a very good method of discipline. It didn’t develop love for God’s Word. It was a source of punishment. It also didn’t promote being honest about feelings and learning how to manage them. Instead I shut my daughter down. I would do this differently if given the chance.
Nevertheless, my mistakes do not negate the power of God and His Word. In fact, the verses before v. 13 expound on the hardships the Apostle Paul faced.
I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want (Philippians 4:11-12 NIV).
And then…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (NKJV).
Life can seem overwhelming sometimes. It can deal harsh blows.
You feel weak. You lack the ability. You have no control over a situation. You struggle to lead. You face the insurmountable. You’re at the end of the rope. You can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Sometimes taking the next step can seem impossible. It’s through Jesus that you find contentment and strength the carry on.
Notice that the verse doesn’t stop at “I can do all things.” That would simply be positive self-talk. The truth is “I can’t do all things.” The key is in the second half of the sentence “…through Christ who strengthens me.”
You can’t but God can.
And He does when you place your trust in Him.
Let your focus move from yourself to the One who strengthens you.
Spend time pondering and applying the verse to your situation. Write it down or sing it if that works for you. Whatever you do, allow the truth of God’s Word to sink into your spirit.
As you do, you’ll find that you thrive in life and leadership.
“Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys” (Exodus 40:36-38 NLT).
Have you ever read this passage and felt envious? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be led throughout this journey called life by the visible presence of God? If God Himself were leading us, wouldn’t His direction be unmistakably clear? Wouldn’t it be so much easier to follow His will if we could actually see evidence of Him? Wouldn’t it eliminate the questions and confusion we often face today. Certainly having God in our midst would solve all our problems. Then again, maybe it wouldn’t…
A quick skim of the Israelite’s wanderings reveals that having God in their midst was not a panacea to selfish, sinful choices or willful disobedience. Moses repeatedly intervened on behalf of the community because the Lord was furious with their blatant disregard for His holiness. They complained about their hardships, longing for the luxuries available to them in Egypt, the land of their former captivity. They refused to enter into Canaan, their land of promise because of the reports of the fearful, unbelieving spies. They rejected the leadership of Moses and the priesthood that God Himself had ordained. They were seduced by Moab, enticed into sexual immorality and idolatry. All these events occurred while the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle, manifested as visible dazzling light and dreadful fire.
I would like to think that if I were in the story, I would live differently. But my misguided prideful notions last only a moment.
As followers of Jesus Christ we are blessed by an intimacy with a holy God that was not available under the Old Covenant. We have access to both a personal relationship with God and His unlimited powerful resources.
He miraculously resides within us.
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (Ephesians 3:16-17, NLT).
He fills us with His presence.
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
As marvelous as all this is, sometimes I am strangely forgetful and unaware of these truths. My sinful self is completely preoccupied with me. When I allow it to control, I lose sight of God’s glorious presence as I focus on my own agenda. I grow discouraged and weary when my journey takes an unexpected detour. I become impatient and agitated when my progress is halted, resentful when others are promoted instead of me. I get stressed out when situations are difficult. I complain about all the meaningless things I don’t have and get burdened down by comparing myself to others. I shrink back in fear as I look through the filter of self-sufficiency at imposing obstacles. The pursuit of accomplishing great things for God distracts me from the beautiful simplicity that He makes His dwelling (tabernacle) within me. He is right here in my very midst.
Left to my own devices, I am oblivious to the obvious…I’m not much different from the Israelites after all.
But there is one difference, and it’s significant.
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:24-25).
As a believer in Jesus, my self-absorbed sinful nature has been crucified with Christ. My new self, who is being renewed into Christ’s image and likeness, is riveted to His presence. I live, move, and breathe with the knowledge that His Spirit directs my steps. He empowers me to live for Him. I know that I know that I know my Lord is in control and lovingly oversees every detail.
You don’t have to be oblivious to the obvious. God has so much more in store for you. You can live in daily awareness that God is always near—counseling, assisting, and leading through the Holy Spirit with you and in you.
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:19-20).
Friend, when you walk each day with Jesus, you can thrive in life and leadership.
If you’ve followed my writing on social media or my blog, you know that I strive to be positive and uplifting. With so much pain in our world, I want to share the hope found in Jesus. Sometimes, though, life isn’t pleasant. When we only show the positive, filtered side, it becomes inauthentic. Others wonder what’s wrong with them when everyone else seems struggle-free.
In the spirit of transparency, today was a hard day. My daughter, Haven, has been seeking medical help for over a year for on-going and increasing pain. She has gone from doctor to doctor, from specialist to specialist. She was finally referred to the experts in Seattle (three hours away), and her appointment was today.
I had arranged transportation a month ago and confirmed it a week ago. Yesterday, the company called with our pick-up time of 6:30 am, plenty of time to make it to the hospital. Everything was set. Then today, things fell apart. Our ride was delayed. We called the hospital to explain our situation. The receptionist advised that the clinic was closed, but we could come and find out if they would see us when we arrived.
We got there an hour late and rushed to the neurology surgery clinic. That receptionist looked surprised when she saw our appointment time. I recounted what had happened. She went to speak to someone in charge. She returned with a smile on her face. “They said they will work Haven into the schedule.” Haven and I sighed with relief.
Ten minutes later, the receptionist approached us. “I’m so sorry,” she apologized. “The doctor is too busy to see you. I’ll schedule you a new appointment.” I suggested that we wait and see if there were any no-shows. But, we left the clinic with our new appointment in hand. A telehealth appointment. Couldn’t we have had a telehealth appointment in the first place?
Haven was devastated. We stopped at two bathrooms so she could cry. There was nothing I could do to fix things. Once again, she had been the recipient of the systemic failure too common for disabled and marginalized people who rely on those systems. And so, Haven has yet another month of waiting in pain.
We got home and Haven cried some more. This time I joined her. We cried and yelled and cried some more.
Sometimes a little rant is good for you.
As Jesus-followers, and especially women, we are told not to express “negative” emotions. Sadness, depression, and anger are signs of a lack of faith and self-control. When we feel them, we either dismiss them, refusing to experience them, or we keep them a secret and pretend they don’t exist in our lives. Being human, though, means that we have emotions. God has given them as a gift.
Throughout the Book of Psalms, the authors cried out to God in the midst of suffering, persecution, and betrayal. They acknowledged their pain while trusting the Lord.
Jesus Himself expressed “negative” emotions. He felt anger toward the Pharisees (Matthew 23), and lamented over Jerusalem (Luke 13:34-35). He wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35). And, He always, always trusted His Father.
I don’t doubt God’s goodness and faithfulness to me. However, people and the systems they create can be broken and cause harm. Life can just be plain ole hard. When that happens, it’s okay to rant a little, while, at the same time, finding hope in Jesus.
The J Word 