The Be One Life

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

Gentleness

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GentlenessGentleness is the spiritual gift of being mild mannered and implies humility and meekness. Our society equates traits like gentleness, humility, and meekness with weakness. In the kingdom of God, however, gentleness is an aspect of strength. Our perfect example of this is Jesus. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus approached teaching others with a humble and gentle heart, and at the same time he was strong enough to carry all of our burdens. We too are called to teach the word to the lost with gentleness (2 Timothy 2:25).
As husbands and wives, we need to show gentleness in our marriages for us to grow as one toward one another. This begins with opening up the lines of communication and listening to each another. One of the hardest things for a husband to do when he sees his wife suffering is listen and empathize. Naturally, he just wants to fix the problem. This is where gentleness comes in. Husbands, your wife does not need you to be her savior when she is going through difficult times; she already has One. She needs you to be her partner who helps and supports her with gentleness as Jesus brings her through whatever trial she is facing.
Wives are called to clothe themselves with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God (1Peter 3:4). That beauty of gentleness will speak volumes to your husbands, more than anything else you might wear.
Jesus is our example of a gentle spouse in His gentleness towards his bride, the Church. He has always loved her, and showed the church gentleness for her, flaws and all. Whenever we get off track, he gently corrects us and reconciles us with God (Colossians 1:15-20).

Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the gift of gentleness in our teaching and our marriages.

Beautiful Feet

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Beautiful Feet

Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!”

Do your feet feel beautiful? Whether they are the bare feet on my yoga mat, the feet of John in the wilderness, the feet covered by fancy shoes in the pulpit, the sneakered feet in a fitness class or the feet of missionaries (I could go on forever), they are beautiful if they are bringing the message of peace and salvation that comes through Christ alone.

To all my fellow sojourners and ministers (such a scary word to me) of the gospel, thank you for pointing souls to Jesus. This is the call on our lives as Christians. Join me in prayer for boldness for all of us whose feet are on mission, those who are tip-toeing toward it, and those who will be affected by it.

Reverse Warrior for Christ

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reversewarrior“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” -Jesus (Luke 6:27-28)

While standing in reverse warrior this morning and focusing on Jesus’s words in Luke 6:27-28, I realized that Jesus is telling me to be a reverse warrior. When I think of a warrior, I think of someone strong, forceful, and skilled at combat. Jesus reverses the concept of being a warrior and tells us to win over our enemies by being loving, kind, and skillful in prayer. Fear tells me that if I approach my enemy this way, I will lose everything to them. However, Jesus tells me that if I put my faith in His way, my reward will be great.  It is a sign that I am a child of the Most High. I choose faith over fear; I choose to love, to bless, and to pray for those who are against me (or Jesus).  Here I stand as a reverse warrior for Christ. 

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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