The Be One Life

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

Unity Bound in Peace

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Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. -Ephesians 4:3-4 (NLT)

What is peace? How can we live in it? Peace is not just the absence of war. Peace is a blessing from Jesus; a state in which we are reconciled with God. We have peace when we are one with the Source. Jesus created all things and in him all things are held together. Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Let us meditate on how can we live together in peace after we first accept the beautiful gift of peace from Jesus. It is this peace that bonds us in unity.

Paul, an Apostle of Jesus, wrote in Ephesians 4 that we who believe in Jesus should “make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” We are called to use peace as the bonding agent to keep us united in the Spirit. Being united in the Spirit is not about everyone having to agree about everything, but about the whole body agreeing that Jesus is the head. The unity of the body of believers is motivated by our one glorious hope for the future, the hope of eternity in heaven with Jesus. This foundational hope can lead us a live worthy of our calling!

How can we continue to keep this peace and be one in the Spirit? Paul gives some insight into this in Ephesians 4:2; “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”

Let us answer this call by God to live our lives in peace with one another! This teaching has great application to our marriages. The bond of peace helps us to act as one with our spouse. When we cultivate peace in our marriages by practicing humility, gentleness, patience, and making allowances for each other’s faults because of love, we will be united in the Spirit. Be One in the Spirit!

Gratitude- Life Debt to Jesus

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Have you ever read a book or seen a movie where the hero saves someone’s life, and then in gratitude the saved person dedicates her life to serving the hero? This life debt concept is highlighted in many stories, including Star Wars and Harry Potter to name a couple. The greatest story ever told also has the life debt concept, but what sets it apart from other stories is that it is our story and it’s True. The redemption story features Jesus as the greatest hero to ever live. God loved this world so much that he sent Jesus to save the world by taking the punishment for the world’s sin. Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice to God for us all. If anyone has reason to be grateful, it is us.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus, used this same type of life debt concept when describing the relationship those who follow Jesus have with Him in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. He says, “Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive this new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” Those who believe in Jesus are given a second chance with a new life free of the guilt of sin. How great is that?! Does knowing you are forgiven of every wrong thing you have done in your life make you feel grateful?

As followers of Jesus, we live in service to God out of gratitude to Him for his love, mercy, and grace. We are not working to earn our salvation, but because we are already saved by Jesus’ sacrifice. Romans 8:7-11 gives an excellent explanation of how God’s love, mercy, and grace produces gratitude in everyone who believes in Jesus.

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”

Our gratitude for God and desire to spend our lives serving him stems from the love God first showed us. Through our restored relationship, we can rejoice and gratefully give God all the glory. This month, join us as we explore what the Bible says about living in gratitude and how it flows into our relationships with our spouse, children, extended family, and friends.

Be One, Beloved

Gentleness – Gentle Words

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Gentleness2017Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. -1 Peter 3:15-16. (NLT)
What happened to respect and decency when expressing our views to one another? It seems that we have chosen to turn a deaf ear to truth, and instead focus our attention on the loudest voice in the room. Do we truly believe it is okay to engage in conversation or debate using any means necessary? Even if it means completely disregarding the other person’s humanity or well-being? One of the reasons our conversations have sunk so low in our culture (including our homes) is an underutilized spiritual gift from the Creator–gentleness. Gentleness in speech can make to difference in having a conversation or an argument (Proverbs 15:1).

There’s an old saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” That is so untrue! Words are much more powerful than sticks and stones. It is often words that cause people to pick up the sticks and stones. James 3:5-10 teaches us about how words have a powerful effect on us and can be like setting a forest on fire. Words have the power to both bring peace and start wars. It is up to us to choose our words carefully to build up our relationships instead of tear them down. We should “always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” (Ephesians 4:2)

If someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. Your testimony about how Jesus changed your life may be exactly what that person needs to hear. When we share the words of God with someone, we plant a seed in their hearts for God to nurture and grow. It is not our job to bully people into accepting Jesus. Only Jesus can save and the Holy Spirit works on the hearts and minds of those that hear the gospel to bring them to salvation. So friends, we must answer people who question our faith gently and respectfully. When people see the love of Jesus in your heart play out in our lives, it will be much easier for them to believe the words that we say.

Let us live our lives with love and gentleness towards one another so we can build up one another in our relationships! When we have trusting relationships, we can gently and humbly help a spouse or loved one who has gotten off course find their way back to Jesus. Be gentle.

All Things Work Together For the Good

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IMG_1017“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” –Romans 8:28 (NLT)
How many of us love this verse? This portion of God’s love letter speaks to our souls because it reminds us of the big picture. It is easy to misinterpret God’s message to us here and make it all about us. Let us say it plainly friend, it is not about us.

This verse is about God.

Often we make this verse mean that everything will work out the way we want it. Our desired outcomes become the only ones that matter. We start to think “if I do this, then I can make x happen.” We get lost in the details of our lives and take the focus from God to us.

But our amazing Creator is too big for that box. When we shift our focus from us to Him, we see that “the good” is something that will always draw our souls closer to our Creator. When we are focused on only our own good, we often choose things move us in the opposite direction. Putting the focus back on God reminds us that even when horrible things happen, God will use them for His glory and to draw us into deeper relationship with Him through Jesus.

Scripture tells us in James 1:17 that “every good and perfect gift comes from above.” We must remember that all good things come from God. In the Kingdom of God, many things that Jesus considers good (suffering, humility, dying to self) are seen as exactly the opposite in our fallen world.

This month’s theme is goodness. Let’s open God’s word together and explore what it says about this fruit of the Spirit. As we grow together in goodness, we can reflect more and more of God’s light into the world.

Kindness

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Kindness“But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7 (NLT)

God showed us great love and kindness when he sent Jesus to save us, not because of anything we had done to earn it, but because we needed it; we could not save ourselves. As we look at God’s loving kindness this month, we want to pose a few questions:

Love and kindness go hand and hand. Is it possible to be loving without being kind?

Jesus was the personification of love, but was he always kind?

If Jesus was always kind, what form of kindness did he show when his mother and brothers were standing outside asking to speak to him and he answered, “who is my mother and who are my brothers?”or when he overturned the money changers’ tables in the temple, or the many times he rebuked the religious leaders?

To help us answer these questions, we should first clear up the misconception that being kind means being nice. There are clear differences between the two. Being kind means giving others what they need according to God’s will (Roman 11:22-23). On the other hand, being nice means giving the other person what they want, even if it is not what God wants. Being nice focuses on pleasing others, but being kind focuses on pleasing God. Being kind requires us to tell the truth in love (2 John 1:4-6), whereas being nice requires we tell people what they want to hear. Being nice worries about pleasing the other person or what they might think of you, while being kind focuses on what best for the other person in light of salvation (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
The biggest difference between being nice and being kind is that kindness leads us to value one’s soul in light of eternity over making them momentarily happy. Would we let a child (or any loved one) play or stand in the middle of a dangerous street? No! We would push, pull, and if necessary, drag them to safety. Pushing someone is not always seen as nice, but in this case, it is the kindest thing to do.

Simply put, Jesus was kind to everyone he met, but He was not always nice. What example does Jesus leave us for being kind and loving? The kindness Jesus displayed put other’s spiritual well being over pleasing them. Was that also an expression of his love? As his disciples He wants us to show love and kindness to all those who cross our path, even if it means “pushing” them away from the danger ahead. Kindness is a huge part of loving one another and loving our enemies. In order to have strong, Christ-centered relationships with our spouses, children, and friends, we must cultivate kindness for one another. Today and everyday, let us all bear the fruit of kindness with the people God has put in our lives!

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Self-control

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self-controlBoth love and godly communication are keys to any good relationship. Whether the relationship is with your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors, your enemies, or even God, all relationships need love and clear communication to flourish. This is where self-control comes in. Self-control is a spiritual gift we all desperately need, yet constantly struggle with. So often in our relationships, we want the other person to love more deeply, communicate more clearly, control their actions…first. The truth is that this begins with controlling our own actions; the practice of self-control.

When we accepted Jesus, we made a commitment to follow him wholeheartedly. A major part of being a disciple of Jesus is that we love God and others. True love requires that we keep our word, that we build one another up, and that we are trustworthy. None of this can be accomplished without self-control. God wants us to speak truth in love and gentleness and encourage one another with our words. (Ephesians 4:2, 15; 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Following through on our promises show the other person that we can be trusted and that we really do love and care about building a good relationship.

God intends for us to exhibit self-control out of love for our spouse because our marriages are a reflection of the relationship of Christ and the Church. Husbands must show self-control to be the Christ-figure in our marriage and serve our wife as Christ served to the point of death. Wives must show self-control by submitting ourselves to our husband. We must ALL practice self-control by submitting to one another (Ephesians 5:21-33).

In order for us, the church, to show the world we are one with each other and one with Christ, we must exhibit self-control in our words, actions, and in all areas of our lives, so that the world may see and give glory to God. Let us all ask God to bless us with the gift of self-control in all our relationships!

Faithfulness

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faithfulnessWhen we think about faithfulness, it is hard not to think about love as well. Faithfulness and love go hand in hand. Love produces faithfulness. We learned love from God, who in his loving kindness and infinite mercy personified love in the form of Jesus to save the world (John 1:14). God did not form this plan haphazardly; He laid out this plan before time began. God showed unending faithfulness and love for his creation (us) by sending his Son, Jesus, to the earth to redeem all humanity (John 3:16-17). In turn, Jesus was loving and faithful to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins (Romans 5:6-11). Because we are made in the image of God, we ought to reflect this love and faithfulness towards God and each other. (Mark 12:29-32; Mark 8:34-36).

Our love and faithfulness to God should overflow into our marriages and families. God gives us the example of a faithful spouse in his faithfulness to Israel (Hosea 2:19-20). Jesus gives us the example of the faithful spouse in his faithfulness to his bride, the church (Ephesians 5:25-33). As husbands and wives, God has called us to be one. An excellent way to do this is to practice faithfulness in though, word and deed, allowing nothing come between you.

As spouses, parents, children, and friends, let us show love and faithfulness with our relationships the way God shows love and faithfulness to us.

Stay Free

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Stay FreeHappy Freedom Friday! Its the day where we like to remind ourselves and you that WE ARE FREE!

During this crazy busy season when the world tells you to do more, buy more, and hustle more, we want to remind you that Christ has set you FREE to simply BE in Him. SPEND some time today with the ONE who loves you most, and then let that love bubble up and overflow to your spouse and the world around you!

Embrace freedom friend, it belongs to you if you belong to Him!

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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