Really Lord?

| Marie Griffith

I’m glad this exchange is recorded in Genesis for us.

9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.

“There, in the tent,” he said.

10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

           Genesis 18:9-14

The “they” who asked Abraham the whereabouts of his wife are the Lord and two angels. Abraham stood near his heavenly guests as they ate while Sarah listened to the conversation from the tent.

One of them reminded Abraham of the promise God made. The promise of a child….born to Abraham and Sarah. When Sarah overheard this, without knowing anyone could hear, she responded with a laugh and a bite of sarcasm.

I mean, Sarah had a point. She was 89 or so years old, way beyond the age to have babies. It was impossible.

Abraham laughed, too, when he first heard the promise (Genesis 17:17). But God didn’t respond to Abraham’s laughter the way He did to Sarah’s. I wonder why?

I think Sarah was scared to hope in the promise. Her barrenness made her bitter and she was resentful about the mess she made with Hagar (Genesis 16). I imagine when she overheard the promise of a child her heart fluttered. She remembered her longing and the uncountable prayers. Then she remembered the disappointment and pain. So she laughed it off.

Thankfully, God sees past all our pretense. He knows when we’re acting stronger than we are. He sees beneath the fake smiles and forced laughter, and He hears what’s beneath the sarcastic remarks.

God knew exactly what Sarah needed. The Lord asked Abraham why Sarah laughed then asked another question He knew Sarah would hear.

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

There have been lots of things I thought impossible. My marriage. This house. Our work. My heart.

I face impossible situations now. So impossible that I can’t see the possibilities any more.

But then I remember….

Marie, is anything too hard for the Lord?

 

Photo by Lionello DelPiccolo on Unsplash

Waiting is the Hardest Part

| Marie Griffith

I was in the Great Smoky Mountains over the weekend on a new trail with a different landscape and its own kind of challenges. The promise of a spectacular view and an abundance of wild blueberries filled me with anticipation as we made our way to the top. The narrow, rocky parts of the climb almost wore me out sooner than I needed to be worn out. I felt like a kid on a long car ride to the beach. Are we there yet?

When we reached a trail intersection that informed us we were six-tenths of a mile away from the view and the blueberries, I was encouraged. img_6870

No big deal, I thought. This is fine. We’ll be there in no time.

Six-tenths of a mile never seemed as long.

We are always waiting for something. Waiting in line. Waiting to speak to customer service. Waiting to finish a project.

Sometimes the waiting is exciting. Other times it’s painful.

Waiting for the right one to marry or for the marriage to be what we thought it would be. Waiting to lose the weight. Waiting for a relationship to be restored. Waiting for the perfect job or the dream to come true or a promise to be kept. Waiting for the cravings for the alcohol or the pills or the entire box of doughnuts to stop.

Waiting for a child. Waiting to forget the regrets of the past and the day you can look in the mirror and like the person you see. Waiting for the sadness to go away. Waiting for God to come through.

That kind of waiting can be so hard that one more day of it seems unbearable. It feels impossible to keep going.

img_6871It’s that kind of waiting that God will use to change us. When it all feels like too much and it’s taking too long and it’s just too hard.

He’ll open our eyes. Or reveal Himself to us in a new way. God works while we wait. He may not change our circumstances.

He’ll do something even greater. He’ll change our hearts and minds. He’ll make us more compassionate and less judgmental. Give us greater faith and softer hearts.

In the waiting, we learn to fix our eyes on Jesus. We learn that He is with us and takes care of us. We aren’t diminished in the waiting. We grow in it because we work through it. We are made stronger and more patient in the waiting. And we see more clearly because of it. Best of all, we learn to love better because of the waiting.

God is greater than the pain of waiting. Great things will happen.

Just wait and see.

I truly believe I will live to see the Lord’s goodness. Wait for the Lord’s help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help.    Psalm 27:13-14

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Choosing Surrender Instead of Success

| Marie Griffith

This is the guest post I promised by author Carrye Burr. Her new book is How to Be a Moon: Embrace Your Worth. Reflect God. Light Up Your Generation. You can read my book review here and purchase the book on Amazon here.

What can the moon teach us about success?

The world refers to success as one’s arrival at status, wealth, power, or prestige.  It measures success by accolades, accomplishments, ability and authority.

When we feel like shrugging off the larger culture’s definition, we declare that success should be defined by the individual: “What does success mean to you?”  We decide for ourselves what would make us feel satisfied, significant, or sufficient.

The world might say that I’ve truly become successful as a writer if I end up on the New York Times Bestseller List, but a personal goal might be selling 1,000 books.  As a mother, the world may suggest I’m successful if I produce honor roll kids that don’t throw tantrums in public, but a personal success marker might be to find a healthy meal that all of my kids will eat.

Ultimately, success is a vague bar to measure the value of my life and endeavors.  The bar is always changing, and I find myself striving and never quite arriving at ultimate worth.  Maybe you’ve experienced your own emptiness in trying to seek success in the roles and to-do lists of your own life.

Whether we’re using the tape measure of the world or our own personal ruler, God has an entirely different way to gauge our lives, outside of productivity and performance.

If we want joyful, purposeful lives, I believe the moon gives us two lessons about God’s version of success.

First, success isn’t measured by what we do, but Who we reflect.  The moon is only as bright as the sun it reflects; likewise, there is no greater mission in our lives than to intimately know our Light Source, Jesus.

Our goal isn’t to accomplish and influence more, but to rest in the presence of the Maker who gives us our worth and gifts for His purposes.

The second thing the moon teaches is that our goal is really not to be successful but surrendered.  The moon shines brightly not by striving, but by resting as a reflector.  To live like a moon, then, is to die to ourselves and allow the far greater light of God (our Sun) to shine off of us.

In Luke 9:23-25, Jesus puts it this way:  “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

I’m not confident that God would even use the word “success.” If He did, His version wouldn’t include climbing up, accumulating more, or achieving greater goals.  Over and over we find Jesus using counter-cultural language to describe a full life:  Lose your life.  Be last. Deny yourself.  Be a servant.

Jesus never sought to gain authority in a physical kingdom, win a popularity contest, or leverage His speaking opportunities to get wealthy.  His greatest promotion was straight to the cross.  And He asks us to die to ourselves too.

Only in Christ do we find that we have more joy, purpose, and hope by seeking less.  Our surrender is actually accomplishing more than our strengths and gifts could on their own.  There is no greater goal than becoming like Jesus and allowing Him to reflect His light and love to a broken world around us.

How are you tempted to define success or worth in your own life?  Are you so caught up in your to-do list or goals that you’ve neglected to make time to rest in the presence of Jesus?  This is a daily struggle for me, but I know it’s worth the battle.  Join the conversation and share how you keep your eyes focused on Jesus and His definition of what matters!

by Carrye Burr

You can read more from Carrye on her website Less to Be More.

 

 

Got Questions?

| Marie Griffith

This installment of Monday School is inspired by a man named Nicodemus. I think I love Nicodemus.

The only information we have on him is in the Gospel of John. He was a Pharisee, which means he was a scholar who studied the Law and was intentional in the keeping of it. He was also a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jews. He was highly regarded by the people and, obviously, an influential man.

One night he went to Jesus. John doesn’t give us any insight into why Nicodemus went to Jesus at night. Maybe he doesn’t want the other Pharisees to know. Maybe this was the only time he could speak to Jesus alone. We’re just not sure. But we do know Nicodemus respected Jesus because he called him Rabbi. Nicodemus acknowledged the fact that Jesus was a teacher from God. Then Jesus confronted him with a truth he didn’t understand.

Nicodemus knew a lot, but he didn’t know it all. He did what anyone who wants to know and understand would do. He asked Jesus a question. Then he asked more questions.

Someone I love is doubting what she thought she knew. She’s asking hard questions and I don’t always know the answers.

Her struggle would be unnerving except I know that God knows what is needed to make her faith real and strong. Coming to truly see, treasure, and trust Jesus Christ almost always begins in a crisis, one filled with questions.

I tell her to ask all the questions she needs to. Ask God. Ask me. Ask those she trusts to tell her the truth. Go to the Word with a desire to learn. Tell Jesus what she’s thinking and what she’s doubting.

Because she wants and needs it to be real. And don’t we all?

The last thing we learn of Nicodemus is that he, with Joseph of Arimathea, prepared Jesus’ body for burial. “Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.         John 19:39-40

Nicodemus was brave and humble enough to ask the questions that night in the dark. Then he was brave and humble enough to prepare his friend’s body for the grave.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  Matthew 7:7-8

My prayer for those I love is the same one I pray for myself:

God, may we seek you wholedeartedly. Give us a wholehearted devotion to You and cause us to love you with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds and all our strength.  

 

How to Be a Moon

| Marie Griffith

I finished Carry Burr’s newest book over the weekend.  The topic of the book is one we’re all familiar with: our need to make a difference and to know we matter. But this isn’t a book about learning how to build your self-esteem, gain a massive following, or improve your life with positive thinking. Instead, Carrye shows us how to embrace our worth, reflect God, and light up our generation.

In fact, it’s in the title of the book. How to Be a Moon: Embrace Your Worth. Reflect God. Light Up Your Generation has a serious message, but Carrye delivers it in an insightful conversational style using the moon as an analogy of how we reflect God.

She grabbed my attention from the start with her self-deprecating humor and relatable stories. The writing is funny and authentic. Sometimes I felt I was sitting across from Carrye in a cozy coffee house sipping our favorites lattes listening to her shenanigans.

She shares her own struggle to embrace her worth and lets us in on what she was thinking and feeling during some of those most intense moments. I appreciate Carrye’s vulnerability as I relate to her embarrassing, and sometimes painful search for significance. She points out many of the lies we tend to believe about our worth. Carrye says, “One of the greatest barriers to experiencing the full life God intends for us is believing that our significance is directly tied into our roles and actions.”

But she doesn’t leave us there. She then reminds us of the truth. “Our worth is never dependent on who WE are but on who GOD is and the way He sees us.” 

The next part of the book helps us understand God’s way of shining. His way is not our way. “Our frenzied desire to find purpose makes us live like multitasking, crazy people, insecure and distracted from God’s heart.” Carrye teaches us how not to be glory grabbers, which, if we’re honest, we tend to be.

She ends the book compelling us to light up our generation by living out God’s purpose right where we are and reminding us of our ultimate goal: Jesus Christ. “May we not be driven to know success or fame, but to know Jesus Himself.” 

Each of the ten chapters has thought provoking questions at the end called “Moon University.” The book is a great tool for a solo study but the benefits are multiplied within a study group. Carry’s hope is by the end of the book, every reader will feel equipped to turn around and help others know their value and identity in God.

Every How to Be a Moon reader will gain a better understanding of reflecting the glory of God and will laugh while doing it.

And that’s always a good thing.

Order the book from Amazon here.

 

 

Sandcastles

| Marie Griffith

My kids love the sand. When they were younger, they spent hours building sandcastles. They smoothed over the perfect spot for the castle, then gathered wet sand near the edge of the ocean and hauled it back to the construction site. They pressed the sand into molds, turned them over and patted carefully so the tower or wall of the castle came out perfectly formed. They worked diligently to create their sandcastles. Sometimes they finished their project before the tide came in and sometimes they built the castles in a place the tide couldn’t reach. But eventually and always, the sandcastles were destroyed. Either by the ocean or the beach walkers.

Jesus told a story about building in the sand. It’s found in Matthew 7:24-27.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

In this short parable, Jesus compared two types of hearers and two types of builders. Here’s a simple way to look at what he said:

The hearers who do what Jesus says = wise builder

The hearers who don’t do what Jesus says = foolish builder

According to the story, both the wise and the foolish hear the same words and both builders work to build their houses. The only difference is the foundation.

Jesus mentioned two foundations – rock and sand.

Do the words of Jesus = rock foundation = house stands

Don’t do the words of Jesus = sandy foundation = house falls

Jesus closed out the Sermon on the Mount with this story, but offered no editorial comment. He let the crowd sit with the image of the collapsed house. The crowd was amazed at His teaching, but Jesus wanted more than that for them.

Jesus started the same story in Luke 6:46-49 with these words:

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”

Doing what Jesus says makes all the difference. It’s the difference between heart change and lip service, integrity and duplicity, a tender heart and a calloused one. It’s the difference between choosing the hard work of forgiveness and holding a grudge. It means we walk the walk, not just talk the talk, and we reflect His glory instead of seeking our own.

I’m learning to be a wise builder and I’m thankful God won’t leave me to do it alone.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.   Psalm 40:2

 

All the chisels I’ve dulled carving idols of stone
That have crumbled like sand beneath the waves
I’ve recklessly built all my dreams in the sand
Just to watch them wash away
Through another day, another trial, another chance to reconcile
To One who sees past all I see
Reaching out my weary hand, I pray that You’d understand
You’re the only One Who’s faithful to me
All the pennies I’ve wasted in my wishing well
I have thrown like stones to the sea
I have cast my lots, dropped my guard, searched aimlessly
For a faith to be faithful to me
Through another day, another trial, another chance to reconcile
To One Who sees past all I see
Reaching out my weary hand, I pray that You’d understand
You’re the only One Who’s faithful to me

Jennifer Knapp

 

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Skip Day

| Marie Griffith

I’m about to do something I haven’t done since I was a teenager.

SKIP SCHOOL!

There’s no Monday School today, y’all!

I’ve worked hard on several projects recently, had a very busy day at work, a meeting afterward, and was unusually late getting home.

I needed to be outside, so my daughter and I went for a walk in the park and had great conversation, while my husband recovered from his own hard day in his comfy chair enjoying the cool air in the house.

I will share this treasure though.

Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in love in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.   1 Corinthians 15:58

What’s Next?

| Marie Griffith

Last year, I took my commitment to grow as a communicator to another level when I attended the Speak Up Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I signed up to attend again this year, but was stressed over the time away from my family and the time off from work. I almost backed out.

I’m thankful I made the trip, because it was exactly what I needed. I didn’t believe it was possible for this year’s Speak Up Conference to be as outstanding as last year’s, but it exceeded my expectations again.

I reconnected with friends, made new ones, and learned a wealth of new information from the remarkable staff of publishing and speaking professionals. I’m summarizing my time at the conference this year differently than I did last year, because this year’s conference was a heart check.

The conference was exactly what I needed because I was reminded of a few things.

First, I was reminded God loves the broken and uses us too.

That’s all He has, because we’re all broken and we all, deep down, want to know our lives matter. We all want the day in and the day out of our lives to mean something, to know it’s not all a waste.

Sometimes, it’s easy to think there’s no way God could or would use the mess of my life for His kingdom purposes. But He has, He does, and He will.

Second, I was reminded why I do this.

God gave me the gift of writing, so I write to share my story, others’ stories, and the story of Jesus and how I’m learning to follow him wholeheartedly. I write to encourage, inspire, and connect. To give hope, to make you ponder a question you’ve never asked before, to make you laugh or cry. To help unlock a memory stored away. I write to help you see someone in a different light, or help you start the journey of forgiving, or put into words what you can’t seem to.

I write to pass it on.

If my experiences teach you something, reveal a truth, make you think about something you’ve never thought about before, or simply make you feel less alone, that is enough.

Lastly, I was reminded of Who this is all for. It’s all because of Him and for Him. When I gave my life to Jesus decades ago, I told Him to take it all. I meant it with all my heart, but I had no idea what I was in for. All I knew was He loved me and I didn’t want a life without Him. I’ve said yes to Jesus again and again since then and I’m saying yes now.

So what’s next? What do I do with all my ideas and dreams?

I’ll seek Him and pray. I’ll keep following Jesus, living my life, and loving the people God gave me. I’ll serve my family, do my job, and look for ways to love others. Prayerfully, with a heart to do it all well. I’ll learn as I go with plenty of mistakes. I’ll pray for opportunities to teach and serve and share my stories. I’ll write and I’ll dream.

And I’m more ready and determined than ever to live like it matters and inspire others to live like it matters.

What about you? What are your dreams and what’s next for you?

 

Photo by Raul Petri on Unsplash

 

 

 

The Greatest of All

| Marie Griffith

Have you ever been embarrassed for someone? Like when American Idol aired some of the most awful auditions at the beginning of the season. Watching the ones who couldn’t sing, try to sing.

I have the same feeling when I read the story about the mother of James and John asking Jesus for her sons to be placed in seats of honor beside him, one on his left and the other on his right (Matthew 20:20:28). Jesus basically answered them with, You have no idea what you’re asking. The other disciples were furious when they found out, probably because of their own selfish desire to be at the top.

Did the disciples hear anything Jesus said ever? Were they blinded by their self-centered concerns?

There are more “greatest of all” discussions among the disciples. One of them happened shortly after Jesus washed their feet and shared a meal with them. The night before Jesus was arrested and would soon die for them, the disciples argued over who of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24-30).

It’s embarrassing and unsettling to read these stories. Unsettling because I’ve done the same thing. In a different way, but the same thing. I’ve never asked for a place of honor, but I’ve thought I was more honorable. I’ve thought I was more than. More faithful, more loving, more deserving. I’ve thought I was less than. Less faithful, less loving, less deserving.

The disciples were just doing out loud what we do in our heads all the time. We don’t argue with our friends about who’s the greatest, but we think we’re favored because of the books we read, the Bible studies we teach, or the classes we take. We feel entitled to the good life because of our great faith and good deeds. Or we compare and feel less than, and in our silent quest to feel important we strive and push our way to the top of a religious system that has nothing to do with following Jesus.

Thinking to ourselves or saying it out loud, comparisons are rarely a good thing. Unfortunately, it’s what we do and we must work really hard not to give in to feeling more than or less than others. If the disciples walked with Jesus and still had trouble with this one, we know it’s going to be a difficult one for us to grasp as well.

We define greatness in terms of human endeavor, accomplishments, and status, but Jesus turned that upside down. He said things like:

But it should not be that way among you. Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant.  Luke 22:26

The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child.  Matthew 18:4

Whoever accepts this little child in my name accepts me. And whoever accepts me accepts the One who sent me, because whoever is least among you all is really the greatest.  Luke 9:48

You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.   Mark 10:42-43a

Not so with us.

Father, create in us clean hearts. Let us see when we’re comparing and striving, then cause us to turn to You, our All in All, the Greatest of All.

 

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Photo by Valario Davis on Unsplash