The Be One Life

Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength together a one.

Whole and Good

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What if the lie in the Creation story is not “The Fall,” but something much more subtle and far-reaching?

What if the deepest lie carried through our world religions, philosophies, marketing strategies, and cultural messages is the belief that we and the world are innately flawed?

This worldview is so insidious that most of us rarely notice it. It whispers, “If you do one more thing, then you’ll be whole.” It looks and sounds good. It grows on a beautiful plant that mimics the truth. It looks nourishing, wise, even holy. But once we ingest it, our entire worldview shifts.

Instead of seeing with an ayin tov, a good eye, we begin to see everything as flawed, including ourselves. We blame one another, nature, our bodies,  time, and circumstances. We treat our lives like projects instead of experiences. We treat mistakes as character defects rather than lessons in the human journey. We even begin to treat the human experience itself as something to escape.

But in the beginning, the Creator called it all good, very good.

What does it mean, then, to be made in the image or likeness of God? Does it mean we all look like God physically? We don’t look exactly the same, and Numbers 23:19 reminds us that God is not a man. Does it mean we share characteristics of God, like when someone says you remind them of your parent? Do we share God’s spirit? Genesis 2:7 says that the Eternal God formed man from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the spirit of life, and man became a living soul. Perhaps it is that our spirit is a part of the Eternal God’s spirit, and that is what makes us made in the Divine image.

The Eternal created humans in their image, both whole and good. The Eternal is a spirit with no beginning or ending who created all life in our world. Humans were made differently from all other life because the Eternal lovingly placed a portion of that eternal, infinite spirit within our finite bodies. We are eternal spirits with finite bodies, not bodies with a spirit. The combination of the two, spirit and body, makes us human and makes us a whole soul. Every person is born whole, lacking nothing. That is why the Eternal lovingly formed each of us in our mother’s wombs, making us beautiful, complete, and whole. The Eternal looks on every person and says we are “very good.”

In Hebrew, wholeness is shalom; it is the state of something fully formed, completed, or finished. A related word, shalem, means complete or whole. That is how the Eternal created each of us: whole, with all the potential we need already within us.

Yeshua pointed to this wholeness when he named the greatest commandment:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:29–30) Wholeness is lived when these four elements–heart, soul, mind, and strength–work together in unity. Yeshua lived from this place of wholeness to show us how to reconnect with the Eternal and awaken from the delusion that we are broken or separate.

Many of Yeshua’s teachings on wholeness are misunderstood today because the Hebrew word shalom is often translated as “peace.” Peace is only one aspect of wholeness. When the angels sang at Yeshua’s birth, they were proclaiming wholeness on earth (Luke 2:14). When Yeshua healed people, he sent them away in wholeness. When he prepared to leave his disciples, he said: “Wholeness I leave with you; my wholeness I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27)

Yeshua came to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to the truth that we are already whole, and to give us an example of how to live from that wholeness in connection with the Eternal. When we awaken to this truth, we can also accept that we were created good and can return to the good life at any time. The Hebrew word for good is tov, which means functional, or operating as designed. Its opposite, ra, means dysfunctional.  Humans were created good, with the freedom to choose actions that are functional or dysfunctional. People are not completely good or completely bad; they simply choose to operate in functional or dysfunctional ways. The Eternal, though, is wholly good, and our goodness flows from being created in the Divine image.

Yeshua recognized that he could not live functionally in a world full of dysfunction, illusions, and lies without maintaining unity and oneness with the Eternal. He taught that while no person always chooses good on their own, with God all things are possible. His life demonstrated how we can operate out of wholeness and goodness when we are aligned with our original design.

The Bible, then, is a story of relationships and restoration. In the beginning, humans lived whole and good, walking with the Eternal. We lost that connection when we believed the lie that we were lacking something; that we could become like God by grasping for more rather than living from the wholeness already within. This is our human story, but it doesn’t end here. 

Whenever someone or something reminds us that we are already created whole and good in the image of God, our relationship with the Eternal is restored. Yeshua taught this human experience in the parable of the prodigal son. He showed us how to live as children of the Eternal, whole, good, and deeply loved.

Perhaps this is what his life, death, and resurrection reveal most clearly: that Nothing, NO THING, not suffering, not failure, not injustice, not sickness, not loneliness, not even death, can separate us from the Creator. The lie says we are broken and need something more to be fixed. The truth says we were created whole and remain held within the Eternal, always.

We experience liberating peace when we unravel the lie, spit it out, and refuse to plant its seeds in our lives or in the world; then we begin to recognize shalem olam, the wholeness and goodness of ourselves and all creation. The human experience is not evidence that something is wrong with us. It is simply the embodied experience of being human with all of its highs and lows. In this lifetime, it is the only experience we have, so let’s choose wisely.
Our prayer is that we live as those who trust that we were created whole from the beginning and that we walk with the Eternal in that truth, here and now.

Appointed Times

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During these days that some people are referring to as uncertain times, let’s remember a promise from the YHWH (God) of all creation that says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22 ESV)  YHWH established the times and seasons to continue on no matter the circumstances. We can always trust that YHWH is in control. He has appointed days for His children to worship, remember, and celebrate. Let’s take some time to consider these days that YHWH created for us to connect with him, so that we can grow into our calling of being holy.  As Peter said in 1 Peter 1:14-16: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Many people celebrate holidays every year such as easter, christmas, valentine’s day, halloween, and thanksgiving.  Some people only go to church service on christmas, mother’s day and easter. These days can be great times for families and friends to get together, but did you know none of these days are found in the bible?  They are not YHWH’s appointed times. Have you ever considered what YHWH says are his holidays or Holy days? Did you know that YHWH set aside several days in the bible that are Holy, set apart for Him?

Leviticus 23 lists the appointed days of YHWH, they are:

  1. Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5: 12-15; Isaiah 56:1-7)
  2. Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12; Exodus 13:1-10; Exodus 23:14-17; Leviticus 4:1-8; Deuteronomy 16:1-8)
  3. Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14)
  4. Feast of Weeks or Harvest (Exodus 23:14-17; Leviticus 23:15-22; Deuteronomy 16:9-12)
  5. Day of the Blast or Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25)
  6. Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32)
  7. Feast of Ingathering or Feast of Booths and Eight Day Feast (Leviticus 23:33-44; Deuteronomy 16:13-17)

These days help to sanctify us and prepare us to live in the presence of YHWH in Eternity (Exodus 31:12-17; Revelation 21:22-27).  Each of the appointed times points us to Yeshua (Jesus). The Sabbath points to the rest will have in Yeshua (Matthew 11:28-30 and Hebrews 4:8-11).  We see Yeshua in the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread in that he died on the day of Passover making him our Passover lamb and He removed the old leaven of sin from our lives (John 19:31-34; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).  Yeshua is also the firstfruit wave offering because He was raised from the dead on the day of the wave offering (Leviticus 23:9-14 and Mathew 28:1-10). This makes Yeshua the firstfruits of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-26). The Feasts of Weeks or Pentecost is when Yeshua sent the helper he promised, the Holy Spirit (John 14: 15-21 and Acts 2) The Day of the blast or Trumpets points to when Yeshua will return (1 Corinthians 15:50-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).  When we observe the day of Atonement, we can look to Yeshua as the final sacrifice for atonement (Hebrews 10:1-18). The feast of ingathering or booths points to Yeshua’ return when He will gather up his people to dwell with Him (Matthew 24:29-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; Revelation 22:1-4). Yeshua and the Apostles observed these days (John 4:16-30; Matthew 26:17-29; John 7:1-39). Paul, the apostle and other followers of Yeshua continued to observe these days after Yeshua’s death (Acts 2:1-2; Acts 12:1-5;Acts 13:14-25; Acts 13:42-49, Acts 15:21; Acts 16:13; Act 17:2-3; Acts 18:4; Acts 20:13-16).  

Observing these days was so important that Paul says not to let anyone stop you from observing the sabbaths, festivals, and new moons (Colossians 2:16).  If YHWH says these are his days and Yeshua and his disciples after him observed these days, should not we, as YHWH’s children, observe YHWH’s appointed times over any other holidays?  The Lord made this promise to Soloman that holds true for all his people: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14 ESV). What actions are we taking to humble ourselves and turn to the way of YHWH so that YHWH will shine his face on us and answer our prayers?

Unbreakable Marriage

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Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have an amazing marriage that would last happily ever after like the fairy tales?  

 

That kind of marriage does exist and it is no fairy tale.  

 

That unbreakable marriage is between Jesus and His church. Saying yes to Jesus and becoming his follower is like a wedding ceremony where you are becoming part of the bride of Christ, the church, and Jesus is the groom.  During His time on earth, Jesus never married in the traditional sense; however, he did commit his life to his bride, the church. Every disciple of Jesus, comes together as one in Christ to make up his bride, the church.  Ephesians 5:31-32 says,

 

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”  

 

When we confess that Jesus is Lord and submit to him, it is like saying our wedding vows, beginning the covenant of marriage. Jesus established the Lord’s supper as his marriage covenant with us at the meal with the apostles the night before he was crucified as we read in Matt 26:26-28:

 

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

 

When a believer is baptized into Christ, washed with his blood, and transformed into a new self by the Holy Spirit, it is like the Holy Spirit is the wedding officiant pronouncing the couple husband and wife, sealing the covenant, adding the believer to the church and making them one with Jesus.  Romans 6:3-4 (ESV) tells us,

 

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

 

We are no longer the same old person living with sin, but a new, complete person made whole, through the blood of Christ. Best of all, we are part of the bride of Christ, the church, sealed with a covenant the no man can break. This is a marriage of our spirit to Jesus and it is the only marriage that is sealed for eternity.  There is no ‘til death do us part; there is no divorce between Christ and the Church, we are His bride forever.

 

Now that is unconditional love.  

This is the kind of love and marriage we want everyone to experience.  May we always celebrate our spiritual marriage to Jesus through our lives, and let it reflect in our actions so that others may experience Jesus’ love.  

Be One.

Wives, How to S.H.O.W. Jesus In Your Marriage: Honor Your Current Season

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marriage_seasonsHappy Truth Tuesdays! We’re rolling through our series now.   So far we have talked about how important it is for Jesus girls to show Jesus in our marriages.  Then we went on to talk about how that begins at home.  This week, I want to talk about an issue that many women struggle with.

This is the third post in a series.  Click here to read the introduction to the series, and here to read the first topic.  

Our society is such an instant gratification society, but is that a Godly way to approach our marriages?

If we are to Show Jesus in our marriages,  we MUST honor our current season.  Did you realize that our lives go through seasons?

Too many times as  women, especially, we do not have the perspective to understand that everything doesn’t last forever.  When you are young, or especially when you are in the throes of a difficult season, like young motherhood, everything seems never-ending, am I right?    The feeding is never-ending, the changing diapers is never-ending, the watching Frozen and Dora the Explorer is never-ending, the chauffeuring and playdating and teaching and taking care of everyone else is never-ending.

But guess what?  It does end.  And then something else begins. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

See, I believe that too many of us spend our time envious of others that are simply in a different season.  We spend so much time trying to live in someone else’s season during someone else’s time that we miss the ability to be purposeful in our own seasons. 

To SHOW Jesus, we must honor our current season by practicing contentment.  We must realize that our current season is where God wants us to be and when he is ready for us to move, He will make it clear.

Spend your current season making a difference where you can be most useful for God.  If you have young children, serve with your family, reach out to other young wives and mothers to form strong relationships.  Be an encourager as you seek encouragement.  Most of all, know that you are useful and that this season is an important one.  You are laying the foundation for your marriage and your children.

Most importantly, SHOW Jesus by honoring your current season and making the choice to serve God where you are right now.  Remember we are only promised today, so we must make the most of it for ourselves, our marriages and the kingdom of God.

I’m so guilty of not honoring my current season.  I have wished time and again that the tantrums and the late night feedings would be over so that I could do ________ (fill in the blank).  I realized though, that this particular season is just as important in our marriage as all of the others.

Understanding my Color Type and adjusting my attitude towards my current season can make all the difference.

What about you?  Have you ever wished you were in a different season?  What can you do today to honor your current season that would make a positive change in your marriage?

Wives, How To S.H.O.W. Jesus in Your Marriage: Start At Home

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start_at_homeHow do we begin to SHOW Jesus in our marriages?

 

Happy Truth Tuesday!  This is the second post in a series.  If you missed the first post (where I talk about how I learned this lesson from my toddler), you can read it here.

Last week I told you that as “Jesus girls,” we are called to show Jesus and His love everywhere we go.  One of the places we tend to have trouble doing this is at home.  Sisters, let me tell you that HOME is the most important place to begin. In order to S.H.O.W. Jesus in our marriages, we must first: Start at home.

Now notice that I didn’t say we have to stay at home.  I said we have to START at home.  

When you show Jesus,we recognize that the first church that you are responsible to and for is the church that lives in your home everyday.  In using the word church this way, I’m talking about the people in our lives, not the buildings we meet in.  Your family, the Christians and Christians in training in your home are the church that you meet with every.single.day.  They are the people we have the greatest influence over and the greatest responsibility to in this life.

When we are really showing Jesus, we must first make sure we are ministering to the church in our own homes. 

So many of us want to make big changes in the world.  We want to go out and make a difference in the lives of our co-workers, our friends and the world at large.   We want to matter.  Those aspirations are all good, sisters.  God calls us to that, too.  However, when we are wives, our first responsibility, the first way we show Jesus is to start at home.

We start by showing the love of Christ to our husbands. We start at home by:
  • building our husbands up
  • encouraging them
  • speaking to them in a Christ-like way
  • not using the Word of God as a weapon against them, but as a tool that can be used to speak to their hearts.
  • focusing on their strengths and not their weaknesses.

Titus 2:4-5 calls us to love our husbands—we love them by showing Jesus to them. We show Jesus in our homes when our lives reflect the Word of God, and our lives reflect the love of Christ each day.

When we fill the people in our homes up with this kind of love, it will then have no other choice but to spill over into other areas of our lives.        

Our world needs more examples of Jesus’ love both inside and outside of marriage.

Don’t forget to come back next week for the “H” in how we can SHOW Jesus in our marriages.

What can you do to SHOW Jesus to your husband today?

How To S.H.O.W. Jesus in Your Marriage: Part 1

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wedding_rings_fixedOur family mission is simple:  We show Jesus.  In all that we do as a family, we make sure that nothing takes away from that mission.  As a part of this mission, it’s been my personal goal that as I advance my career as a wellness and fitness teacher that I don’t forget that the true call on my life is to show the love of Jesus wherever I go.

A few months ago, I was asked to speak at a Ladies’ Day, and of course I wanted to say no.  God had different plans for me, and though the Spirit, I was able to craft a message that I pray will speak to your heart.

I have been timid for years with sharing God’s word, and after lots of prayers for boldness, here I go. The Bible passage I’m using is Titus 2:4-5.

Funny that this lesson starts with a lesson I learned from my toddler.

She is the person who helped me to understand this passage more clearly.  How many of you have or have had a toddler?  Right now I’m in full-blown toddler season, ya’ll–pray for me.

One Sunday morning a little while back we were getting ready for church. You know how it is on a Sunday morning when you have littles.  You’re rushing around trying to get them ready and yourself ready and everybody out of the door.  But it isn’t working because:

A toddler will do EVERYTHING in their power to derail your plans.

My toddler girl  was “helping” me get ready for church.  So while I was rushing around she asked me a question that stopped me right in my tracks.

She said to me “Mommy are you a ShJesus girl?”  

Now to be honest, I was only half listening the first time, so I answered her with a  “Huh?”  She said it again, louder this time and seemingly annoyed that I didn’t understand her the first time.  In her two-year old tongue she repeated rather loudly “You a ShJesus girl?”

I have to admit, sisters, I was floored. 

I had no idea how to answer her.  So many long-winded, over the top answers raced through my mind, and then, after a few moments, when I didn’t think I would ever have the words to answer her, the Holy Spirit gave me the words to say.   I found myself simply saying:

Yes, yes I am baby.  I’m a ShJesus girl.  I.am.a.Jesus.girl. and so are you.

It was then that I realized that this is what this passage, Titus 2:4-5 is about.  It is not a checklist like it’s made out to be.  It’s not a set of rules, either.   It’s simply a way for us Jesus girls to “show Jesus to our husbands, to our children, and to the world.

You see, so many of us look at this like a check list or a job description.  As a matter of fact, when I first got married, I thought that if I did these things I would be a good wife.  Soon though, I came to see that checking things off the list didn’t get me any closer to my husband, or to God.  What God is after, what our husbands and our children are after is not our “to do list.”  They want our hearts.  So, I ask you, my sisters, to begin looking at this passage with me another way.  Instead of a to do list to be accomplished or a set of rules to follow, let’s see it as another avenue that we have as wives or future wives to simply “Show Jesus.”

In the coming posts, I will begin breaking down the S.H.O.W. Jesus into each of its parts.  The next post will focus on how we as wives can show Jesus by “Starting at Home.”  Look for it next Tuesday!

This was a hard post for me to share because I’ve always been very timid with sharing God’s word publicly.  I’m growing, though, and in this season, I’m choosing bravery!

What’s your family mission statement?  I’d love to hear all about it.

The Be One Life

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