It all started with an eagle. A year and a half ago, I was about to start a new job. As I was writing in my journal about it, perched on my favorite spot in the house, I saw a large brown bird on our backyard fence. I gasped, grabbed my binoculars, and zoomed in on what I thought was an elusive hawk that I’ve seen before and have been trying to identify.
I finally captured the hawk.
But this was no ordinary bird. This was a golden eagle sitting in the sun. I could see him clearly, right down to his distinctive beak. I watched as he turned his head a complete 180 degrees, probably scouting out his breakfast.
So, I dressed quickly and went outside to get a better look. I did the short loop behind our house, and, since it was such a nice morning, the short walk turned into a longer walk. As I continued down the main road, all I saw was more birds. Birds of every shape and size, from geese and egrets by the pond to the smallest sparrows dotting the grass.
My favorite was the trio of tiny blue birds with chestnut chests, which I later researched and discovered to be Eastern bluebirds. It seemed as if they were following me down the road, swooping and landing and swooping up again.
I love object lessons in nature, when scenes outside point to what we see in God’s Word. There are so many verses that mention birds, and some that specifically mention eagles. These verses tell of God’s faithful care and abundant provision. They issue a call to rise above worry and to trust the sovereignty of almighty God.
Is. 40: 31 NET “Those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings…”
Matthew 10: 29-31 NIV “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Matthew 6:25-27 NIV “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
“Look at the birds of the air.” “Don’t be afraid.” That’s just what He led me to do on that spontaneous morning walk – to look and to be reminded. The nests in the trees, the birds seen, the birds unseen but heard clearly. Everywhere I looked, there were reminders of His faithfulness, reminders of Him. I love reminders such as these, and I love what they point to – the One whose praises the birds sing, our faithful, loving Creator.
Starting a new job. How long we continue to live in this city. When we move to the next. Financial goals. All the changing seasons of life.
The birds remind me to lay all this down at the feet of our Creator. This loving God invites us to know Him, and in knowing Him, we have all we need. (2 Peter 1:3)
At the start of each new season of life, at every bend in the road, in every moment of my life – I have all I need. I have everything I need in knowing God.
And I always will.
So, I trust Him to provide each next step at each right time. He is near, and He is faithful. He provides. He does it for the birds, and He does it for me.
Romance, suspense, drama. I recently read a book that checked all the boxes. This story wasn’t in the latest beach read or best-seller – it was in the Bible. The book of Esther reads like the best novel. It’s a juicy, plot-driven story, a tale that’s true and enduring.
I love a good story. Stories of yesterday and today, stories of the epic and the everyday. Stories are at the core of our humanity. They’re the common thread running through our lives, across centuries and cultures. Stories are how we process life, how we share it with others, how we learn, and how we go on.
Stories can lift our gaze from our own preoccupations and broaden our perspective. They offer a reprieve from daily stressors, mindless tasks, and endless distractions. Stories, both on the page and screen, can inform, inspire, entertain. Stories shared orally keep us connected to one another throughout the shifting scenes of life. Good stories can enrich us as we seek to more fully live out our own story.
I have devoured countless good stories. I love each plot point of Pride and Prejudice, each ball, each letter, each conversation with electric undercurrent. I love sinking my teeth into a good mystery. Wilkie Collins, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Agatha Christie are some favorites. And more recently, Richard Osman and Robert Thorogood, whose adaptations are soon coming to the screen.
For novels, I love the light-hearted fun of Sophie Kinsella and the expert wittiness of Alexander McCall Smith. I love spending summers on Nantucket with Elin Hilderbrand.
I remember being held captive by The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, unable to put it down as midnight came and went. I remember the exact moment I read the plot twist to end all plot twists: the boathouse scene in Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.
And I remember vividly coming to the last page of The Silmarillion, Tolkien’s masterpiece. It’s the story he started writing in a notebook in World War 1, one he returned to throughout his life, and was published posthumously by his son and literary executor. This is the story that undergirds and entwines all his other works of Middle-earth. It’s the grand mythology he set out to create for and dedicate to England. It is his magnum opus, and it is magnificent.
Although I have read it many times over the years, I will never forget finishing that first read. I was on my lunch break, sitting on a bench outside the Capitol in Tallahassee. It was springtime. Lush pink azaleas and trees laden with Spanish moss were my backdrop. Birds serenaded me as the sun warmed my skin. It could not have been a more sublime reading environment. And there I came to the final pages. The last ship sailed, and there was the end of the Elves on earth. I was utterly transfixed.
And lately, I have enjoyed reading All Creatures Great and Small and the others in the series of James Herriott’s memoirs – an endearing account of his days as a veterinarian in the North of England in the 1930s. The reader follows him all across the Yorkshire Dales, from one farm to the next.
We encounter ewes in labor, cows with bovine disease, and one pampered Pomeranian who is a most beloved family member of a wealthy widow. We meet farmers who fancy themselves more of an expert on animals than any vet but who always invite him in for “a cup o’ tea” or “a bite o’ supper” once his work is done. You can’t help but fall in love with all the characters he introduces, both two-legged and four-legged.
And you can’t help but fall in love with the land. In my mind’s eye, I can see the purple heather on the high fells, the lush green hills dotted with sheep. Herriott takes the reader right along with him as he drives out to each call. We stand in the barn with him, peering over his shoulder. We follow in his footsteps as he trudges through snow. We easily imagine the beauty of life lived among such wholesome people in such an enchanting place.
I love stories such as these. I love immersing myself in the tale as it unfolds scene by scene. And I love how a good story stays with you long after the last page is turned.
And most of all, I love the stories in Scripture – stories like Esther that are even more meaningful because they are true. They are real. The words of Scripture are “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). Words that ring true for all eternity. Words written on my very heart.
These are the stories that I return to the most, words I love to re-read, words forever archived in my soul. These are stories that stay with me. The words of Scripture inspire, encourage, challenge, remind, soothe, fortify, and focus me. No other work moves me the way the Bible does. Its words are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63). The best story of all.
Whatever was written in the past was written for our encouragement so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.
The season of spring has been gracing us with its presence for nearly a month now. The 21st of March has come and gone, and even Easter is behind us, but I only recently remembered to put out my front porch spring sign. Better late than never I suppose.
The turning over of one season into the next snuck up on me this year because I’ve started a new job. I’ve returned to my social work roots as a case manager for home health for the elderly and disabled. I’ve entered a new season, one I’m enjoying.
Changing seasons in nature, changing seasons of life – change is constant. But one thing that never changes is the holy, indestructible, unwavering love of God.
It’s a love that never fails, never fades, never changes. It’s a love that reaches to the very depths of our souls. It’s unconditional and eternal. It envelopes the whole world in its vastness yet it draws near to us intimately and personally. It’s a love like no other.
It transcends our questions, our doubts, our fears. It eclipses our needs, our failings, our struggles. The love of God is all-encompassing and everlasting.
No one else is capable of loving us the way God loves us because God is love. The very definition of love is… God. “God is love.” (1 John 4: 8, 16) We love – ourselves, others, God – because He first loved us. There can be no love without God. He is the source and essence of love.
When we find God, we find love – and we find we are so very loved by Him. We are loved with a love no one else on Earth is capable of.
And because God never changes (Hebrews 13:8), His love for us will never change. It will always be there for us, whether we feel it or not. Whether we acknowledge it or not. In the midst of changes and challenges, in good times and bad, His love exists. His love endures. And it’s ours for the taking.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
1 John 4:16 NIV
As we accept, embrace, and internalize the love He has for us, we then love Him, ourselves, and others.
What a truly blessed life is available to us – to spend our days being loved by God and loving others. A life enriched, a life of purpose.
A life of love.
May we know “what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love.” Ephesians 3:18 HCSB
Italy awaits me. Or so I think. In my family, we’ve been talking about a big overseas girls’ trip for years now; just my mom, my sister, my niece, and me. We haven’t had a clear destination or timeframe in mind, just the desire to travel and make memories together. But now, my sister wants to run in the Rome marathon in 2024, and my mom wants to show the sights in Italy to my niece and me, since we’ve never been there. So, while this idea is in seed form now, it may take root and become reality. In just two years, the women in my family may invade Italy.
I’m picturing pizza at its finest, window shopping, tossing coins in fountains. I’m picturing wandering through vineyards and sampling what they produce. I’m picturing warm sunlight over Tuscan hills, a good evening meal after a full day of exploring.
I’m sure this is nowhere near what the Apostle Paul pictured when he looked forward to going to Italy. Regardless of what he envisioned, it seems Rome was never far from his thoughts.
“I long to see you.” Romans 1:11 NASB
“I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.” Romans 1:15 NIV
“I have been longing for many years to see you.” Romans 15:23 NIV
“I must also see Rome.” Acts 19:21 NET
Throughout Paul’s ministry, Rome loomed large. Wherever he went, whatever he did, he seemed to know Rome was ahead. And he did make it there, eventually. He made it there unhindered.
Unhindered.
This is the very last word in the book of Acts (NASB translation), and it perfectly sums up Paul’s state and the state of the Gospel after everything that happened in the preceding 28 chapters.
After all the attempts to silence the Gospel; after all the detours and delays; after beatings, imprisonment, shipwreck – through it all, Paul arrived at his destination: Rome. He was a little worse for wear, but he was unhindered. And the message of life and salvation in Jesus’ name continued to spread throughout that region – unhindered.
He was unhindered because he remained obedient to the Lord, stayed focused on Him and not the circumstances surrounding him, and trusted the Lord regardless. He knew God could do anything, use anything, accomplish anything. He knew God would bring him to Rome, and he did.
His faith was unhindered.
And the Gospel was unhindered. Nothing could stop it! The message of the resurrection of Jesus and the hope and life found in Him spread literally everywhere Paul went. People were saved, the church was strengthened, and the kingdom of God advanced – unhindered.
There is an important lesson for us here, something we see clearly throughout all of Pauls’ missionary journeys, through all the miles he clocked. It’s the lesson of looking at the big picture and not hyper fixating on one small scene, even though this is easy to do.
God can use what seems like a detour to bring us right where we need to be. Paul knew God wanted him to go to Rome, so he didn’t worry about all the stops and starts along the way. He trusted God to protect him and to bring him to the right place at the right time.
And he opened himself up to opportunities along the way – everywhere he went, he ministered. In a prison cell, in the Areopagus, in city after city, onboard a ship, on the island where they shipwrecked – all along the way to Rome, he ministered to those around him.
He didn’t discount those opportunities just because they weren’t at his final destination. He didn’t belittle his circumstances just because they weren’t ideal. He didn’t write off the possibility that God could move – even in circumstances such as his.
He was faithful where he was while he was on the way to where he was going.
So, what’s your Rome? What’s the one thing you desire from God? Your overarching goal, your focus, the thing you see clearly in your mind but not yet in reality.
It’s good to have a Rome. We should all have a Rome, a direction we’ve received from the Lord, plans and desires and goals that we’ve surrendered to the Lord and are pursuing in Him, with Him.
Rome is a good thing as long as we don’t rush the journey to get there. We must be careful not to be so focused on getting to what’s ahead that we miss what God has for us along the way. We need not be so consumed with seeing the Coliseum, the museums, the history, and the hills that we neglect to see the beauty in front of us right now.
God has people for us to impact, lessons to learn, growth to gain now. And all this will only serve to prepare us for when we do get to our Rome.
Remember the big picture. Rome is just one stop in life’s journey; God has many places to take us. And regardless of the backdrop of each season of life, God can accomplish something good in it, and He can bring us to the next destination on time even when it seems like we’re miles away.
So, let’s savor each season, keeping our eyes open to the opportunities around us, all while we work towards Rome. Let’s take a mental snapshot of each phase of life, internalizing the lessons learned, and adding new postcards to the collection as we go. And as we do, the big picture of our lives will become clearer and clearer, lovelier with each passing year, as we move forward – unhindered.
And when we finally make it to our Rome, we will be ready to receive all that awaits us there because we’ve been faithful along the way. I believe Rome will be breathtakingly beautiful – and that’s worth waiting for.
Having lived most of my life in Florida, hurricanes are nothing new. But seeing the images of the devastation from Hurricane Ian are mind-boggling. Rivers where streets once were. Empty plots where houses once stood. The outline of a state altered.
These images recall the destruction of Hurricane Michael, the last major storm to hit Florida. My family and I witnessed the remnants of this destruction first-hand when we visited the area in the spring after the storm. Even then, Michael’s mark was evident everywhere we looked.
Mexico Beach, FL – only foundations remain where properties once stood
Port St. Joe, FL – where a gazebo used to be by our favorite restaurant
Like many others, I pray for the rescue efforts, the survivors, and all those impacted by Ian. As the water recedes, may resources rush in. And may the rebuilding process be successful and smooth – layer upon layer, brick by brick.
Storms can be scary. Experiencing them on land is bad enough; I couldn’t imagine being on a boat in the middle of a hurricane! But that is exactly where the Apostle Paul found himself in Acts 27. He was on board a ship to Rome in the middle of a storm, with the dangerous shallows of Syrtis lurking nearby. According to the New English Translation, this was an area of sandbars and shallow water. “It had a horrible reputation as a sailors’ graveyard… The name alone struck terror in those who heard it.” (footnote for Acts 27:17 NET)
Yet Paul stood steadfast. In verse 23, he tells the other passengers of the vision God gave him assuring him of his safety and the safety of everyone onboard. Consider his choice of words as he explains his vision and introduces God to them. “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul…” (Acts 27:23, 24 NASB)
The God to whom I belong and whom I serve. According to the New English Translation, the original Greek word translated as belong means “of whom I am.” In other words, “I am of Him.”
Many churchgoers profess belief in God, but can they say they are of Him? It’s one thing to go to church, spend time around Christians, and participate in Christian activity. It’s another thing entirely to belong to Him.
I am of Him.
I belong to Him.
In Him, I live and move and have my being (Acts 17:28)
These truths are the Christian’s mantra. What defines us as Christians, as seen in Galatians 2:20, is that we died to ourselves and now live for Him. We no longer live for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15). Because of the sacrificial death of Jesus and His resurrection, we now have eternal life. Therefore, we are of Him – and hopefully our lives reflect that.
What a wonderful truth! I’m so thankful for the freedom to be alive in Him – that we can be begotten of Him and filled with His life. We can be free from servitude to self, a relentless master, and serve the One who alone knows what’s best for us and can bring it about.
We now live by a higher standard than our impulses and desires. We live by faith in the son of God who loves us and died for us (Galatians 2:20). We live abundant life (John 10:10).
So, by dying to ourselves and living for God, we forfeit what can never truly satisfy and embrace what we were made for – a beautiful exchange. We gladly sacrifice what is lesser to receive what is greater.
And in so doing, we let God do for us what no one and nothing else can, what we can’t do ourselves. He saves and satisfies our souls. He meets our every need and lavishes us with love.
We then spend the rest of our earthly lives belonging to Him. We can say we are of Him, and we let this infuse every facet of life – life as it was meant to be lived.
Somehow, I’m not sure the math checks out, but I choose to trust You anyway. I choose to remember what You promised in Your Word:
“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV
I have an all-surpassing power in me. It surpasses weariness, temptation, struggles, limitations. It surpasses everything that would hinder me as I live in pursuit of God and His purposes for me.
This is a power nothing can diminish – not a global pandemic, not the actions and opinions of others, not my own faults and failings, not regrets of the past or unknowns in the future, not the circumstances I’m unable to change.
Certainly, nothing and no one can conquer the power of God at work in the lives of those who love Him. Nothing and no one. Because the source of the power is indisputable, all-knowing, ever present. And because He will never change, that power will always be available.
At the intersection of my human limitation and His supernatural ability, where my finite understanding meets His all-knowing, at the crossroad of seen and unseen is a choice. The choice to dwell on how I feel and what I see or to tap into the ever-flowing stream of God’s wisdom and strength.
So, I can be overwhelmed by my emotions or overflowing with His grace. I can let my circumstances define my mood, or I can process my circumstances and emotions in Him. I can remain depleted or come to Him to be refreshed.
So yes, the number of things on my to-do list may be more than the amount of time I have today. The amount of energy in my body may be nowhere close to what I wish it was. But I’m thankful for how God’s math checks out. He multiples grace and strength in us. His well of resources never runs dry. The daily stress of life, the major moments and the minutiae cannot subtract from the all-surpassing power in us.
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”
Fall is upon us, and I, for one, am excited! I’m ready to do some baking, break out my fall candles, and cheer on my college football team this weekend. School is back in session and routines are resuming. Everything is gearing up for a busy, productive season.
And that is a good thing. Summer brought some much-needed down time, so we can handle things picking back up. As long as we go about it with the right perspective, as long as we remember one thing.
The Bible tells of a time when Jesus went to visit two of his friends, Mary and Martha. Martha busied herself with preparing food and serving her guests, while her sister, Mary, sat with Jesus and hung on His every word. Martha complained to Jesus that Mary had left her with all the work to do.
Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha, … you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41, 42 NIV
I can be like Martha more than I care to admit. Why is it so easy to become so distracted? Why does busyness so quickly consume us? Why is the focus on the “one thing” so hard to maintain?
We are busy people. We have jobs, we have families, we have bills. We have people whose lives we want to invest in and people who depend on us. We have commitments, deadlines, and households to manage. And we want to be faithful in all these things. We genuinely want to do a good job with all that’s on our plate.
I think God knew what the pace of life would be in our day. He knew we’d have full schedules and good intentions. That’s why He told us beforehand to remember the one thing. Which is what, exactly?
I think the one thing Jesus was referring to was Himself. Mary was close by Jesus, sitting at his feet in the posture of a disciple, listening to Him. The one thing is relationship with Jesus; it’s maintaining intimate connection with Him, despite all that’s happening around you.
An important aspect of this is guarding. If the one thing is the main thing, then we must hold on to it. We must actively work to maintain it. The Bible exhorts us in Proverbs 4:23 (NET), “Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life.” So, we guard our hearts when emotions swell, when circumstances swirl out of control, when stress surges. We guard against weariness, against distractions, against anything that sucks the life out of us. We guard our time, our priorities, our energy. And we fervently guard against distractions from the one thing.
We guard our lives by maintaining a laser-like focus on God, His Word, and His presence in our daily lives. We stay connected to Jesus, let His strength energize us, and let that carry us through our busy days. And we stay closely connected to other believers who can help us as we live our lives in pursuit of this one thing.
What does this look like in our lives practically?
Spend time with God daily in His Word and in prayer. This is our lifeline.
Share your life with other trusted believers and be accountable to them. Join a small group. Share prayer requests. Share your heart.
Take an overview of your schedule and make sure it reflects what’s important to you. If you need to drop something from your schedule, do it, and don’t feel guilty.
Take breaks when you need to. Take care of yourself. Sleep, exercise, and quality food go a long way.
Make time for people. Phone calls, texts, and definitely face to face time – whether that’s long lunches where you can really catch up or simply running errands together. Take care of others. And let them take care of you.
This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, and it’s nothing we haven’t heard before. But hopefully it’s a timely reminder as we enter the busy fall season:
We can be busy without letting busyness consume us. We can balance multiple competing demands without succumbing to stress. We can conquer our to-do list without growing weary.
We just need to remember one thing.
Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
One night last week, as I was getting ready for bed, I took off my makeup, washed my face, and just stood there, reflecting on the image I saw, reflecting on life.
I’ll be honest – I didn’t like everything I saw. My eyelids were puffy from crying, my pores were huge, and the dark circles under my eyes seem to be getting darker daily. I looked…. exhausted.
As I stared at myself, it struck me that, though my face may show signs of wear and tear, it also shows signs of a life lived.
My laugh lines that grow more visible each year mean I’m growing older, but they also mean my life has been full of laughter. You can read the fatigue on my face, but I’m grateful that I have a family of my own to expend my energy on. My eyelids are swollen from crying, but I have a God who sees my tears, who sees into my heart, and heals me. (Psalm 56:8 MSG – “You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book.”)
As I grow older, He remains the same. He is with me, year after year, developing me into the woman He made me to be. God’s Word says our faces “show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord’s Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 CEV)
As the years roll on and the wrinkles set in, I hope to live my life in such a way that His glory is what’s written all over my face.
These are the thoughts in my mind as I process my birthday today. If I live until I’m 90, then I’m exactly halfway through life. I’m middle-aged.
And I’m in the middle of God’s will for me. I’m in the middle of His love, surrounded by His faithfulness. My life doesn’t look like I thought it would at this age, but it’s a life I rejoice to live every day.
I trust Him with all the paths my life could have taken and with all that’s to come. And with today. He redeems my past and secures my future. He is with me, making life worth living, year after year. And that is why I celebrate today, wrinkles and all.
“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Jesus speaking)
I’m pretty sure if you looked up “creature of habit” in the dictionary, you’d find my picture, one where I’m sporting the same haircut I’ve had for the last twenty years. My keys always go in the exact same spot. I gravitate to the same few restaurants, and once there, I tend to order the same few things. My “usual” has never failed me.
So, I can understand how the Israelites must have felt when they found themselves in a position where being creatures of habit wasn’t an option. In the retelling in Deuteronomy chapter 8, we read of a time when they found themselves in a desert, surrounded by sand, with no food in sight. They had left captivity in Egypt in the most astounding and glorious way, but they had not yet arrived at the homeland God had promised them. They were en route to destiny, and they had gotten hungry along the way.
God had the solution for their hunger, but it was something new, something different. He tells them in Deuteronomy 8:3 that it’s something “which neither you nor your fathers had known.” And again in Deuteronomy 8:16, he describes it as “something your fathers had never known.”
What is this strange new thing? And why is it pointed out, not once, but twice that it’s something new?
Manna. A fine, flakey substance used to make bread. Scripture tells us it tasted like wafers with honey. And it was a new item on the menu.
The Israelites were on a new course, one that was leading them to their promised land. They had new hope in their hearts. They had new commandments to live by. And they had new food in their bowls. Everything they were encountering was new – except for their God.
They had to trust that their God remained the same – faithful and trustworthy – even when everything else around them was new. They couldn’t base their trust on what was familiar and comfortable. They had to enlarge their perspective and place their trust solely on God – not on routine, not on comfort, not on predictability.
They had to have new faith in a new season, to trust God regardless of the circumstances. And that trust had to lead them to obedience, to picking up the manna and eating it, even though it was foreign.
It was a test of faith, and they passed. By eating the manna day in and day out, they were acknowledging God as their provider. They were accepting what He gave them, event though it looked different from anything they’d seen before, even though it wasn’t what they expected.
Certainly, there are things in my life that look vastly different from everything I ever expected. The story God’s given me looks so different from what I always pictured. But like the Israelites, I need to trust Him anyway. I need to hold on to Him and just eat the manna when it comes, even if I don’t understand it, even if it looks different. I need to trust the Source.
The thought ran through my mind as I fought back tears. I was a newlywed, riding in the car in my new town, unimpressed with my new surroundings, overwhelmed with drastic life changes. Even though I was glad to be married, I couldn’t help but miss the friends, the job, the church I had left behind – a culture that resonated with me, a city where I had put down roots. I was in a new chapter of my life – which was a good thing – but the scenery changed dramatically.
I liked the old view better.
That was ten years ago, and thankfully I’ve gotten used to my new surroundings. They’re not new anymore. Time has helped me adapt, but what helped the most was changing my thinking – reminding myself of the correct definition of life.
As a Christ follower, my life does not exist in my job, my relationships, my calendar, my responsibilities. My life isn’t just what I can see in front of me. My life comes from a higher Source. The rest – the daily stuff of life – is just circumstantial.
It can be easy to allow circumstances to consume us and morph into our identity. They are realities we deal with on a daily basis. They’re on our mind when we lay in bed at night, and they’re waiting for us the next morning. It’s all we think about when we think about us.
Single wanting to be married, married and wanting a baby, a health scare, a family crisis, what we see in the mirror, financial abundance or scarcity, a degree with letters after our name, our title at work, the title of “Mom” – these do not define us. They are opportunities to trust God and opportunities to serve others. They can give direction and meaning to our life, they can greatly affect our life, but they are not our life.
The number on the scale is not who I am.The number of followers I have on social media is not who I am. My unfulfilled goals and desires, my successes and struggles, others’ perceptions of me – these do not define me. They are not who I am.
Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t have goals and work towards progress. The number on the scale doesn’t define me, sure, but I’m still working to lower that number to a healthier range. Not for looks, likes, or any reason other than wanting to steward the body God’s given me and to have energy to do all He’s called me to do.
It also doesn’t mean we simply coast and neglect to address the looming issues in life – the catastrophes and crises, the overwhelming issues we all deal with. When I had cancer, I met it head on. It was a focus of my prayers, my research, my mental capacity. It consumed much of my time.
Even though these things don’t define us, they are still a big deal. Huge! So, we tackle these issues from a standpoint of who we are in Christ. We filter our circumstances though the Word of God – who He is, what He’s done for us, and who He says we are.
As Christians, our identity is not in our circumstances but in the person of Jesus and the finished work of the cross. Because of His sacrificial death and resurrection, we can say-
I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I have been given new life. (Galatians 2:20)
I have been adopted into His family. (Ephesians 1:4, 5 and Romans 8:15-17)
I am His. (Song of Solomon 2:16)
Cancer, money, marital status – these are not who I am. Fill in the blank in your own life. For me, infertility is not who I am. It is not my identity. It is something I deal with on a daily basis, and it has drastically affected my life, but it is not my life.
My life is not the sum total of my circumstances. My life is Christ. And that life could not be more loving, more exhilarating, or more fulfilling. It’s not perfect, but it’s a life I rejoice to live every day, regardless of the circumstances.
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory.
