Tag Archives: Bible Study

Worldly Detox

Posted on by
2

As I sat there quietly and listened to the sermon on self-discipline, I watched the woman in the beautiful turquoise shirt sitting two rows in front of me. And, oh, I loved those matching dangle earrings. They looked super cute with her short haircut. With each drink she took of that soda, I thought, I want that.

That’s when I imagined it … in SLOOOWWW MOOOOTION … jump the seats, in my gray-ruffled dress, tackle her and snatch that bottled beverage!

Crazy. I had gone mad. But, can I at least get points because I didn’t actually do it? Just a thought.

I was on day seven of soda detox and needless to say, it had been a deliriously rough week. I had cravings and horrible headaches. I was SO tired. I didn’t realize how addicted I was to that little drink.

A simple habit turned into an addiction.

And, that made me think, what else am I addicted to? What starts as a little thought and turns into a craving?

Perfect body. Better-shaped nose.

Purses, shoes, jewelry. What is your drug of choice?

Bigger house.

Promotion or better job.

More money.

God teaches us that these worldly things are just things. They don’t matter.

“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.” 1 John 2:16-17

If I’m even willing to have the thought of jumping over seats and tackling a woman in the middle of a great sermon to feed my soda addiction, what are we willing to do for these worldly things? Will we compromise our beliefs or integrity to get what we want?

What if we replaced our worldly toxins of greed and selfishness with Jesus?

Jesus says in John 4:14, “Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

What if we devoted more time to God’s Word so that we could strive to be more like Jesus?

As we’ve been reading through Proverbs this month (I hope you’ve joined us each day on Facebook and Twitter) – I’ve learned a valuable life lesson.

When we make God’s Word a priority, we crave less of the world. With each verse learned, we become a little more like Jesus.

Loving. {without judgment}

Forgiving.

Peaceful.

Content.

Giving selflessly.

Serving others.

“To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” Revelation 21:6

 

{On a side note, I’m on week three without soda. I feel awesome, so much energy. And, I don’t even crave it now. It got easier!!}

Replacing Judgment with Love

Posted on by
1

It was an adulterous encounter. Dishonorable, wrong and sinful, then interrupted by several men. Imagine the embarrassment and shame. She was caught in the act of adultery so we can assume she was minimally dressed, if any clothing at all. I’m sure she did not go willingly. A brutal and humiliating scene as sin was exposed.

She was taken by the religious leaders and brought in front of a group of law-abiding citizens, where Jesus was teaching.

Let’s pause here. I would die! I mean, to be caught in the act of adultery and brought before a crowd. And to top it off, Jesus was there. Think about an embarrassing sin you’ve committed. What if you were caught in that sin and presented to your church? That thought is mortifying!

In John 8:4-5, the religious leaders said to Jesus, “This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

If I didn’t know Jesus, I would expect a huge reprimand here. I mean, she did break the law. No question, she was caught in the act of adultery. There’s no gray area, she sinned.

Jesus stayed calm. He bent down and wrote in the dust with his finger. Complete silence. Can you imagine the tension? And, then He had an amazing, loving and surprising response.

“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

One by one, the crowd walked away. Only Jesus and the adulterous woman remained. In verse 10, Jesus said, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

She answered, “No, Lord.”

Now, in this moment, Jesus could’ve thrown the first stone. Jesus was the only person who lived a sinless life. He was “justified” under the law because stoning was a consequence for adultery. But, He didn’t.

Jesus replied, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Another life changed by Jesus. He replaced rightfully-earned judgment and condemnation with love. He substituted guilt and shame with a story of redemption. He is a God of second chances.

 

The religious leaders wanted the woman stoned and humiliated. Jesus was more forgiving, He showed compassion, mercy and love. Jesus forgave and transformed her life. In only eleven verses, we learn a major life lesson – don’t throw stones at others. Judge less, love more.

“Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” John 13:34

 

Am I too busy?

Posted on by
2

It had been a stressful day. Up at six o’clock, pack lunches and take my oldest to school. Rush back to the house to prepare for a leadership meeting at church (which lasted more than three hours). Grab lunch, then to the grocery to pick-up items for a school party. Organize the party and pick-up my daughter. Home for dinner and finish her school project, then back to church for kids’ activities. During it all, I’m also juggling my part-time job, fielding phone calls and trying to spend “quality time” with my youngest son.

 

When we finally got home, I said to my husband, “I’ve had a bad day. I’m going to bed.” No sincere interest about him or his day, just … all about me.

All the “busyness” I had created in my life was good. I mean, we were at church for over five hours, right? And, I was volunteering at my daughter’s school. In all my chaos, though, I didn’t have time for the ones I love most – Jesus and my family.

That was two years ago. I fulfilled all my commitments to the best of my ability, but I made a promise to myself – never again would I become so busy that I didn’t have time for those who mattered most. And, yet, here I am again. Beginning of a new school year and I’m planning to sign-up for everything. I had to remember my promise.

I’m not saying volunteering is bad. Absolutely not! I used to recruit volunteers so I know how important they are. But, everything is a balance. I would rather be an effective, committed volunteer versus the chaotic, frazzled woman I was a few years ago. I don’t want to be so busy that I miss Jesus throughout my day. I’m asking myself, where does God want to use me? That will be the best use of my time.

In the Bible, we learn about two sisters preparing for Jesus’ visit. Martha was running around, preparing dinner and was busy trying to make everything perfect. Her sister, Mary, was not helping. She was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Him.

I will admit, by nature, I am definitely like Martha. Could you tell from the crazy introduction? I thrive on busyness, I love feeling “productive”. And, when my husband or others don’t help, I get irritated. Well, so did Martha.

In Luke 10:40, Martha says, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” It’s all about Martha just like my busyness is … all about me.

Jesus replied, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Make time for Jesus. He will show you how to spend your time, He will prioritize your life. God will direct your path.