And all of you, serve each other in humility, for God opposes the proud but favours the humble.  So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honour.  Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.  1 Peter 5:5-7

Here is a truth that God has been whispering into my ear for the last week:  humility and humiliation are not synonymous.  They are two very different responses we can have when facing certain circumstances. 

Are you working a job that is below your level of education or expertise?  Were you unable to get into the university you wanted?  Did you recently fail a test or exam? Did someone break up with you?  Is someone spreading rumours about you and destroying your reputation? 

These are all circumstances that have the potential to lead us into humiliation or humility.  Allowing ourselves to feel humiliation reveals that we are dwelling on self-pity, pride, and the need to be vindicated.  Choosing to act with humility reveals that we are relying on the promises of God, taking our value and worth only from Him, and trusting Him with the outcome even when people are talking. 

Learning to be humble in the face of hardship and injustice can be so hard, and it is my prayer that God would help me to resist feelings of humiliation.  If you are facing a circumstance right now that is pushing you toward feelings of humiliation, I encourage you to actively pursue humility instead and watch what God can do!  Let’s make that our goal this week.

Michelle

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This week something very peculiar has been happening within my circle of friends and acquaintances.  A mysterious bag of home made cookies and a jar of milk have been left with anonymous notes all around the city.  We have a debate going on facebook about who it could possibly be, and everyone seems to have an alibi.  It has been SO much fun trying to figure out who the cookie monster behind the notes and cookies is!  One thing is for sure: whoever it is has blessed us all immensely!

This has made me think: when was the last time I did something creative to serve others?  When was the last time I did so anonymously?  Christmas time, I think, is such a great time to creatively serve others. Let’s all come up with ways in the next few weeks to do so, and share the love of Christ through acts of kindness.

Have a great weekend ladies!

Michelle

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A good friend of mine recently shared her prayer request with me: that she would become more disciplined.  Disciplined in her finances, her health, and her relationships.  Disciplined in prayer, reading God’s word, and doing what it says. 

When I got off the phone, Jay and I watched Kingdom of Heaven.  The story takes place during the early Middle Ages, and at one point a walled city is under siege by a group trying to overtake it.  As I watched the movie I thought, “Oh good, they have a wall to protect them. As long as the wall holds and they don’t run out of resources, the people inside are safe.”  Can you imagine being inside those walls, listening to the roaring army outside and praying that they don’t make it in?  It makes my problems seem very insignificant!

Proverbs 25:28 says that a person without self-control is like a city with broken down walls.

Bam.  By desiring to practice discipline and self control in all areas of her life, my friend is building a strong wall.  There is so much wisdom in this!  What will this protect her from?

Financial bondage, failure, debt, and regrets
Health problems related to lifestyle choices
Barren relationships and lack of community
Missing out on how God works through prayer
Lack of wisdom
Lack of judgment

What areas in your life need more self-control?  How are you preparing for an attack on your city?

Michelle

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I grew up in Ethiopia, and I remember my parents sometimes having ambassadors and their wives over for dinner at our house.  Back then I didn’t fully understand why ambassadors were so important, but now I wish I could go back and ask them all kinds of questions about the governments they represented and what pressures they faced.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, an ambassador is a high-ranking diplomat that one country will send to another to represent its interests.  It can be a difficult job, but most ambassadors consider it an honour to represent their country in another land.

Do you see where I’m going here?  When I was in high school I stumbled upon this verse from 2 Corinthians 5: 20:  “We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us.”

If you are a Christ-follower, you are a citizen of Heaven.  The earth is not our home, so don’t get too attached.  I need to constantly remind myself of this.  We are here as ambassadors, representing God’s interests in a foreign land. 

This morning I found a piece of paper stuck in my Bible with some sermon notes scribbled on it.  This is what I had written:

The Gospel is always on trial.  People are always watching us.  Is there enough evidence in my life to convict people’s hearts to believe the Gospel is true?

Ambassadors are always being watched. 
Their jobs is to represent their home well. 
We are ambassadors of Christ.
Are we representing Him well?

Important questions to work through, I think.

Michelle

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I heard a message this week about decision-making.  The pastor outlined three important questions we should ask ourselves when we are facing a decision:

Is it the right or wrong thing to do?  This is when we must look to God’s word and examine what it says.  The Bible is clear about many issues being right and wrong.  Other issues it allows for some flexibility.  For those issues that are not necessarily black and white, the next question becomes very important.

What is the wise thing for me to do?  This is all about context.  In light of my past behaviour, past circumstances, family history, sinful habits, etc., is this the wise thing for me to do?  For example, the Bible describes wine as a blessing from God. But though it does not condemn alcohol itself, it is very clear that getting drunk on it is wrong.  Not because God is robbing us of fun, but because He knows the devastation that can happen when people lose control.  Rape, drunk driving accidents, abuse…the list goes on and on. The Bible is also clear that we should not drink alcohol around people who might stumble because of it.  Don’t offer a drink to someone a recovering alcoholic. Or to someone who has decided not to drink because of their family’s history of alcohol abuse.  If you are legal drinking age and are asking yourself whether to drink alcohol, ask yourself truthfully: is this the wise thing for me to do?  If so, in what context?

What is God leading me to do?  If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit lives inside you.  If you quiet yourself down enough to listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice he will guide you into the right direction, even when facing tough decisions.  The Holy Spirit will never contradict God’s word (ie. the first question).  But he will certainly help you with the second question by giving you wisdom.  The guidance of the Holy Spirit, in my opinion, is the most exciting part about decision-making!

Are you facing a tough decision today?  Ask yourself: is this right, is this wise, is this where God is leading me? 

Love you so much girls,

Michelle

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