Following the Crowd

"Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong" Exodus 23:2a

Last week we discussed why it is important to be a Christ follower. We saw that Christ is the Leader we are to follow. The question now is “How do we follow Christ?” Let me share some practical ways to follow Christ in our daily walk.

Choose to follow Christ and not the crowd. Exodus 23:2a says “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” We have so many opportunities to follow the crowd on a daily basis. When we let our lives get out of control, following the crowd seems like the best thing to do. We look for quick ways to make more money, lose more weight or get more done in our days. Quite simply, that is not God’s way. Jesus’ own words tell us in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Choose to make the Bible your manual for living. God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. Commit to reading the Bible regularly to learn more about how God wants you to live. Join a Bible study, study different topics in the Bible, or read the Bible through. If you are faithful to study God’s Word, He will be faithful to show you the way He wants you to live.

Choose to set a Christ-like example. We have many people that we influence every day. We are mothers, wives, daughters, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and much more. If we are dedicated to becoming Christ followers, then we need to let our actions match our commitment. Be careful in all that you do so that your life will point others to Christ. 1 Peter 3:15 gives us this command “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Commit yourself to following Christ. I promise you that you are in for the adventure of a lifetime.

Christ Followers

“Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10 NKJV

I have been trying to get into a routine of walking for several weeks now. I know that walking will not only help me lose the weight I’ve been trying to shed, but it will improve my overall health and stamina. However, there is one problem…my lack of will power. I just can’t get up in the morning early enough to get the household chores done so that I’ll have time to walk after I take the kids to school.

Sometimes I have the same problem when I’m trying to follow Christ. I just don’t have the will power to keep on going. I know that following Christ will be beneficial for me and for His Kingdom, but there are some days that it’s hard to follow Him. When this happens, I try to re-focus my thoughts and remember what God’s Word says about being a Christ follower.

First, when I realize that I am following the world more than I am following Jesus, I remember that Exodus 23:2a says “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” I examine my thoughts and actions to see if I am following the crowd more than I’m following Jesus.

Next, Psalm 119:166 reminds me to follow God’s commands. “I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands.” I search God’s word for His commands so that I know what He wants me to do.

Finally, I heed the words of Micah 6:8, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” I test my thoughts and actions to see if they are in line with God’s requirements.

Over the next month, we will explore each one of these elements of following Christ in depth. Then the last week of February we will see how the life of Paul was changed as he became a Christ follower.

My prayer for you is that you will allow God to work in your life and show you what it means to be a Christ follower. He alone is the Hope for your home.

What's Your Story?

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4 TNIV

2009 is here, so what are you going to do? Are you going to spend your time spinning your wheels trying to get more accomplished in less time? Or, are you going to allow God to direct your path and show you what He wants you to do? The new year always brings an opportunity to "start over" and begin anew. There are so many things I would like to accomplish this year, but I know that not all of those things are what God wants me to do. My number one priority this year is to spend more time in His Word learning all I can about Him so that I will recognize when He is talking to me and showing me His will.

God was so gracious last year in opening many significant doors of opporunity for me. Looking back, I realize that I would never be able to guess all that He was going to do in my life last year. So, that makes me all the more excited about 2009. As I glance at the calendar for this year, I have no idea what God has in store for me. All I know is that there will be some good and some not so good. But, whatever He chooses for me, I have the confident hope that He will work things according to His purpose.

We read in Romans that we have stories in the Bible to show us that we have hope no matter what we go through. When your story is told this year, will your life reflect that hope? Remember that future generations will be looking back to see what we did with our lives and how we handled whatever came our way. What's your story going to be?

The Book Shelf

There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on earth. Ecclesiastes 3:1 The Message

Sitting at my desk working on various projects, I reach up to pull a binder off my book shelf that contains info I need to complete a particular task. Something about this motion has caused me to stop and examine my book shelf closely. I see binders containing information about different church activities I'm in charge of, various versions of the Bible, Bible study aids, notebooks and books about organizing. I realize that I have a book shelf full of binders and information. I have to stop myself and ask "Are all of these really necessary?" See, we're told in God's Word that there is a right time for everything on earth. My book shelf represents my life. If my book shelf is full of binders that represent activities I'm involved in, then maybe I should examine those binders and see if I'm involved in things that God really want me to do. If my book shelf is full, do I continually try to squeeze more on there to make myself feel useful or needed?

I encourage you to look at your personal "book shelf" as we head into 2009. Is God leading you to remove some of those binders so He can replace them with the right binders? Don't get bogged down with your life. Take your schedule to God and He will show you what to do.

Mommy Meltdown

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Psalms 23:1 TNIV

I have to confess...I'm in the middle of a mommy meltdown. This is just one of those times that I let my world get out of control by not allowing God to be my main focus and to be the One in control of my life. As a stay at home mom I continually struggle with self-worth. I know that I am doing what God wants me to do. I know that what I do is very important and will make an eternal difference, but sometimes it feels like it's not enough. I read an article yesterday about some influential women in my state. They all had high-powered jobs as CEO's, presidents, directors and managers of successful companies. Since I'm in the mindset of being in a mommy meltdown, this article just further reinforced to me that I have chosen a position that the world does not necessarily view as successful or worthy of value. There are some days that I want to do something that the world will notice (or even my family and friends) and will recognize me for my accomplishments. But, I have to stop and remember that I am doing what God has called me to do. Yes, that means about 99.5% of what I do goes unrecognized or unappreciated. There are the occasions where people will tell me what great kids I have and how well I am raising them. But those are few and far between.

Last night as I was reading a devotion with my daughter, the key verse was Psalms 23:1. I think God placed that there for my benefit to help me realized that He is all I need and that I lack nothing with Him in my life. So, as I progress through this mommy meltdown, I pray that I come out on the other side better equipped to keep this thought in mind constantly. When I start to have a meltdown because the things I want to happen are not happening on my time table, I want to remember that I lack nothing and that God is on my side.

I encourage you to remember this as well. When all looks bleak and hopeless, know that God is your shepherd and you lack nothing.

Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:9

I did something totally out of character for me today. Normally, I do my best to avoid conflict. I would rather be a peacemaker than get caught up in the drama of life. Somehow pent up frustrations got the best of me and I emailed someone thoughts I had that we probably should have talked through. I've discovered that email is not a great way to communicate because it is hard to discern the tone the writer is using. I tried to make it clear that my tone was not angry or condemning, but I'm sure that didn't lessen the bite of the words that followed. God calls us to be peacemakers. I was not a peacemaker in my email today. Although the things I had to say were valid in my opinion, I probably should have chosen a more peaceful way to say them.

I don't know what the outcome will be from this email. Hopefully not a damaged relationship, but then you never know what the other person is going through when they hear your not so peaceful words. I pray that God will show me how to be a peacemaker every day of my life. I don't know about you, but I want to be known as a son (daughter) of God.

Every Mom Counts

Are you a mom? Would you like to know that there are other moms out there who understand what your life is like? Then you need to know about Hearts at Home. I have personally experienced Hearts at Home through the Hearts at Home website and publications. Hearts at Home also offers conferences for moms. A Hearts at Home conference is like going to "mommy school." You'll laugh, you'll learn, and you'll be inspired to be the best mom you can be. Additionally Hearts at Home offers books, an online mothering community, a bi-monthly magazine, and a free E-Newsletter. I strongly urge you to grab some girlfriends and attend one of their upcoming conferences:

October 3-4, 2008 Grand Rapids, Michigan

November 7-8, 2008 Rochester, Minnesota

March 13-14, 2009 Bloomington, Illinois

If you don't live close enough to drive to a conference, and hopping on a plane isn't an option, you can also order a Home Conference Packet which gives you the conference via CD.

Check out the Hearts at Home website today and find out all that Hearts at Home has to offer you!

http://www.hearts-at-home.org/