Galatians 6:1-2, 10
“Brothers, if someone is caught in sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently…Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ…Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Divorce and separation will inevitably produce environments of chaos. Sometimes these environments occur over night or sometimes they are years in the making. In a matter of what seems like a few moments, your family unit is instantly shattered and the stability of your parents and siblings no longer exists. It is usually during these times that the pervasiveness of chaos creeps into your own life- perhaps you start hanging out with a group of friends who you know are destined for trouble…or you start dating guys who refuse to honor your boundaries… you neglect your studies and take up partying…or you abandon your faith and embrace a life based on your own justifications and rationalizations.
Rest assured that when chaos is occurring in your life, compromise is sure to follow. Perhaps you are able to fight it off for a while, but believe me, sooner or later you will meet compromise face to face and you will be forced to choose a certain path… and compromise will ALWAYS appear to be the most appealing.
Compromise is Satan’s pride and joy and it is a tool that he uses relentlessly to attack the hearts of Christians, especially in times of chaos. Satan desires more than anything, to isolate you from the truth of Christ and other believers who can help you fight against him.
As Christians, we have been called to be “fishers of men”; we have been called to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ to help them carry the burdens of life. God never intended for you to walk this journey alone, rather He promised He would be with you and that He would uphold you with His righteous hand. God longs for us to reach out to other followers of Christ and seek help. He wants us to challenge compromise through Christian counsel and companionship. He wants us to surround ourselves with others who can speak His truth over our lives. He longs for us to be encouraged by those who are spiritually stronger than us in times of chaos, confusion, and compromise so that we may be constantly reminded that regardless of our circumstances, we serve a God of perfect purpose and intention.
Find strength today by reaching out to those who can pour out Christ’s unconditional love upon you. Search for those who rest in God’s word and can help you face and conquer the lure of compromise.
There is strength in numbers- you do not have to walk through your pain alone.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Happy thanksgiving everyone! One thing I love about Thanksgiving is the fact that it gives us a chance to reflect on God’s gifts in our lives. Here is a list of some things that I am thankful for this year:
- Delicious food
- Fall weather
- Talking personally with God
- Good books
- My puppy
- God’s protection
- Rain
- The Internet
- That one day soon we will live in heaven
- The fact that there are only a few more weeks ‘till Christmas (!)
What are you thankful for? Whatever your burdens today, there is no way you can stay discouraged if you dwell on your answers to that question
I hope you all have a wonderful day eating turkey and mashed potatoes!
- Aimee
Take His Breath Away
What takes your breath away? Perhaps you’ve received that perfect gift you’d been dying to have. Maybe it was the first time your parents let you have a spend-the-night party. Maybe it was the first time a boy told you he loved you or even your first kiss. Maybe it was the first time your parents let you drive the car by yourself.
When’s the last time God took your breath away? Did He rescue you from a difficult situation? Has He surrounded you with incredible friends? Did He show favor on you in a totally unbelievable way? Why does God do things for us that take our breath away? He’s trying to teach us to do the same for others. Stretch yourself. Do something so radical and completely out of your comfort zone to help someone. You may be broken over your family situation but God still wants you to reach out to someone who’s broken, too. Take His breath away.
“The King will reply, I tell you the truth whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. “ Matthew 25:40
Encouragement:
Don’t discount your abilities to help others because of your age. Do you know of someone who is being ostracized? Cheer up someone with flowers or a special card. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Ask God to press someone on your heart to help. I assure you God always blesses those who help others. Remember you can never out-give God.
Know I’m Praying for you,
Sherry
i heart Thanksgiving!!!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, it always has been and I am convinced it always will be. It is a time where it isn’t about gifts, but about quality time together. Growing up it was a time where all my extended family would be together and I didn’t have to go from house to house or visit my dad’s family. It was the one holiday where I was in one house with one family. I think due to that, it quickly became my favorite. Do you have to do a lot of house hopping over the holidays? It can get pretty tough right? When I was young I would even get a little aggravated because I felt that I was being tossed around like a suit case in the back seat of a car and being taken from house to house. As I have gotten older though, I have learned to appreciate those times. I want to encourage you to pray that the Lord will give you a positive attitude this year around the hustle and bustle of the season. This times are tough and it is only through the Lord’s strength and joy that comes from him that we are going to truly be able to make it thought.
Unfortunately for us here on the blog we all are facing divorce or separation of our parents. It definitely throws a wrench in the holidays, but I want you to encourage you to try to find the positives in it. Here are a few things that I thought that I am thankful for despite my parent’s current marital situation. I am thankful for a HUGE family and people that love me and desire to spend special occasions with me. Secondly,I’m thankful that I’m healthy and that the Lord has given me another year to serve him. Lastly, I am thankful that the Lord has given me large holiday to remind me to pray for me parents for their hearts to turn to him during this season. What are you thankful for?
His List
The large party room was filled with the sound of clinking glasses as my group of summer interns and our families celebrated the end of the summer at this special luncheon. “Excuse me, excuse me,” the intern coordinator took the stage and waited for the noise to calm down. “Hi,” she smiled, “it’s time to present the certificates to the interns.” She began to call each highschooler up to the stage where she handed them a certificate. I got ready for my turn. But before I knew it, the room erupted in loud applause for the group standing up front. My name hadn’t been called! The rest of my table turned questioning eyes towards me. Should I walk up there anyway? How embarrassing! Suddenly I heard someone shout my name. One of my friends went up to the coordinator to explain that I had not been called. My pulse pounded in my ears. I hoped the crowd couldn’t see the redness of my face. The coordinator brought me to the center of the stage and the audience gave me another round of applause. A moment later I walked back to my table.
This situation was pretty embarrassing at the time, but I learned a valuable lesson later when I was reading in my quiet time. I was reminded that God also has a list of names. He records every person who has believed in his sacrifice for salvation. If you trust Jesus as your savior, YOU are on that list! You belong to an eternal family. But unlike humans who sometimes make mistakes, God never fails. On that last day when God calls each name on the list, you will not be forgotten.
Do you feel like your circumstances make you an outcast? Like your parents have neglected you and your feelings when they make major decisions? Turn your gaze on Jesus who sees you every moment of every day of your life. One day you will be called to share in his joy forever, because you’re on his list.
- Aimee