Being Accountable

Jeremiah 23:24 '"Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?" says the Lord.'

When you truly understand that God knows all the secrets hidden in your heart, and yet loves you anyway, you will find that your desire to do things that are pleasing to Him will increase. Having God as your main accountability partner will help prevent you from doing things that you may later regret. However, it is also important that we make ourselves accountable to others as well. Temptations are all around us, every single day of our lives, and Satan loves to see us trip over them! None of us are so pure that we do not have to fight temptation and those who think they are above reproach are only fooling themselves.

Making yourself accountable to others forces you to be more responsible in your actions and to avoid giving in to temptations. Millions of dieters throughout the world have found that having an accountability partner has helped them resist breaking their diet and helped them remain focused and motivated with their exercise routine. In the same way, having a friend who can pray for you and with you, and help you to stay focused on living your life to please God, makes all the difference to your spiritual walk. Of course, your accountability partner does not know everything about you and will only know what you confess to, but if they are walking alongside you they will soon get to know you well enough to know when you are hiding something from them!

I personally have grown to find it incredibly comforting to know that God knows everything about me. That He knows what I am going to think, say or do even before I do! The reason that I find this comforting is because it means He cares. Our heavenly Father, who created the infinite Universe, loves me so much that He is concerned with my every thought! And when I make a mistake, get angry and lose my cool, say something I shouldn't, I know that He still loves me.

It takes strength to hold one's self accountable to others and to God. Making yourself vulnerable and admitting to your weaknesses is one of the most difficult things that human's face. We all like to feel that we are strong enough to handle things on our own and yet that is not the way that God has created us. He has created us for community and a certain level of interdependency. That is why we are told that we are all a "part" of the body of Christ! We are not an independent body, fully self-sufficient and not needing others in any way. No, we are all unique with our own particular gifts and abilities that we bring to enrich and strengthen our Church community in order to make it more effective in doing God's work. Who do you hold yourself accountable to?

The Things We Say…!

Luke 6:45 'The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart …. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.'

Every day God presents us with opportunities to impact the lives of others. We do not have to travel to foreign countries to make a difference in this world. We just have to touch the lives of the people that we encounter in our everyday lives. A kind word to a colleague or the lady at the till in the grocery store can impact them more than we may ever know. Often we feel the urge to say something nice to someone but then shyness or the fear of rejection overcomes us and so we say nothing. When we have these urges, it could be God prompting us to do His work and by not doing so we have missed an opportunity to bless someone else.

One of our biggest failings is to let down our 'guard' when we are with the ones that we love most – our families. They often bear the brunt of our unpleasant day as we take our frustrations out on them or allow their actions to annoy us to the extent that we snap out at them in anger. We say things to our families that we would never say to someone else! It is so important for us to remember that they are the ones whose lives we influence the most, particularly our children. However, we are all human, we all have good and bad days and there are times when we will be angry or frustrated. The joy of families is that they know you well enough to know when your behavior is out of character and as a result of things going wrong.

What we say and how we say it is also an indication to others, who may not know us well, of our character. Don't allow anger and frustration to take control and cause you to mistreat someone. Rather let the goodness of your heart make an impact on someone's life today in such a way that they are encouraged and uplifted. Remember that, as a child of God, you are also His representative to the world around you. Let His goodness, love and mercy shine through you today.

God Don’t Make No Junk!

Have you ever felt that you are just not "good enough?" I have that feeling fairly often and it can rob you of your joy for life. It is quite literally a feeling that suffocates you and prevents you from growing emotionally and spiritually. I am convinced that the devil is one hundred percent behind this feeling and uses it to derail you and prevent you from living your life the way God intends you to.

Have you ever been at a function and felt like the outsider, the ugly, frumpy, unwanted one and convinced yourself that your invitation was actually a mistake but that the host is just too polite to say anything? Or looked at your reflection when you're at your most vulnerable and wondered who the freak-show is in the mirror? Oh, and how about this, sat with a group of people and felt like the stupidest person in the room and that everyone is talking above your IQ level?

So how do you combat it? Well, personally, it's one of the hardest things to fight. If you mention it to others then they just brush it off as you being silly, or if you try and convince yourself that you are wrong, you always end up losing the argument! I have found that the only way to deal with this is to remind myself that God has made me in His image; that He created me to be exactly, uniquely, specifically as I am and that it's ok if I don't fit in with societies idea of 'beauty'; in addition He spent years pursuing me because He, the Creator of the Universe, loves me exactly as I am and wants a personal relationship with me! Of course, one additional thing that you can do is tell that pathetic little wimp of a demon to buzz off because you are busy and totally not interested in his stupid ramblings and comments. I personally enjoy doing that as I find it rather empowering!

As hard as it is sometimes, try and remind yourself of some of the following simple truths; you are not what you weigh; it's the size of your heart that draws people to you, not the size of your thighs! You are exactly as God wants you to be, but it's up to you to use all that He gave you to be the best you can be – you cannot be anybody else and if you were, well then who would they be? Other people can only put you down if you let them! Don't make excuses for who you are, make the most of who you are!

If anyone has any pearls of wisdom to add, please write them in the comment box.

Satan Tempts – God Tests – Do you know the difference?

 

How often do you hear people say "God is tempting me?" Quite honestly it drives me crazy because they don't seem to realize that God will never tempt us to sin. That is, after all, what temptation is. Satan will always tempt us, it is his plan to de-rail us from our walk with God, to cause us to sin and consequently feel ashamed, guilty, unworthy, anything that will make us turn our backs on God. Temptation comes in many different forms. We are all familiar with the well known ones of lust, adultery, pornography, addictions like alcohol and gambling, but there are far more subtle temptations that we have to resist. For example, to spend your tithe money on a new gadget or handbag, to spend hours playing games on the computer when you could be spending some of that time in prayer or reading your Bible. To find other "important" things to do when the Church calls for volunteers to help feed the poor, etc., etc. I am sure that everyone of you reading this can come up with some secret "pleasure" that you have that takes your attention away from God and fritters your time away on some useless pursuit.

God however, will test us. In the same way that a motor vehicle is tested for safety, endurance, reliability, so God will put us through various tests in life. The tests that God gives us may include hardships, persecution and suffering. The testing that God puts us through will refine us, strengthen us and draw us ever closer to Him. There are so many examples in the Bible of how God tested people, Job, of course being the most well known one. Put yourself in Job's shoes for a minute; would you have reacted to God's tests as he did? Or would you turn your back on God, not trusting Him with the bigger picture of your life.

We have to understand that our problems and trials are the testing ground for how God is going to use us, throughout our lives, to advance His Kingdom. We are being molded and shaped by the master potter, however, unlike clay, we have a choice as to how we are going to react to that molding and shaping. Just as a lump of clay does not know what it is going to be shaped into, but through being malleable and workable the Potter is able to turn it into a work of art that is both functional and beautiful, so we do not know what God is shaping us for. That is where faith comes in, and when we have faith we are able to be obedient and when we are obedient God uses us in amazing, life fulfilling ways that will be rewarded for all eternity.

 

Bride or “Mistress”? Which one are You?

I don't know about you but when I really care about someone, I talk about them all the time. Their name is constantly on my lips and I am always telling everyone who cares to listen, just how fantastic they are! I want to stay in touch with them all the time and am so grateful for the fact that I live in this modern age of hi-tech communications. What would I do without the ability to phone my darling hubby when he is far away (which he often is), or video-call my precious step-daughter on the other side of the world, or send text messages to friends and all the countless other methods we have of communicating. Don't you feel like that? Can you remember when you first fell in love? Didn't you want to tell everyone about this fantastic person you were convinced that the sun rose and set on? How about your first child? Certainly he/she is the most beautiful baby that has ever been born? Grandchildren? You get the picture?

Have you ever had an affair or known someone who has? Imagine what it must be like to sneak around and never be able to tell anyone about this person you love so much, never to be able to include them in those special family events or to meet in public places in case you get seen by someone who knows you. I can only presume that affairs never last because they are nothing but a pile of messy frustrations and unfulfilled dreams. They are doomed from the outset because they are selfish, hurtful, underhand relationships with no future to build on. An affair may stroke an ego or satisfy a desire but it is shallow and stagnant as opposed to a marriage which is like a river, filled with life, growth and movement. A marriage, like a river, may have its rocky and turbulent places, but it has direction and purpose.

The point I am trying to make is are you "married" to Jesus Christ, or just having a "fling on the side" with Him? Do you want to communicate with Him and praise Him all the time? Do you have a desire to show or tell everyone what He has done in your life and is still doing or do you keep your relationship with Him a secret? Are you living your life in a way that gives glory to Him, regardless of whether or not it makes you popular, or are you living to please your peers? Do you keep your relationship with Christ a secret and only make it to Church if there is nothing else happening on your social calendar? Do you laugh at the odd "dirty joke" so that people don't think you're a prude, maybe even tell one of your own? I could list a thousand other things that society finds acceptable and normal but that Christ would condemn and any true follower of Christ would not participate in.

A person who truly loves Christ cannot live in a way that is not pleasing to Him. Their desire is to praise Him and to pray, to serve Him by doing His works, being His hands and feet and spreading the news about what He has done for each and every one of us! To do this you don't have to become a missionary and travel to some foreign place, you can do all of that right in your own home or workplace. You can smile at a stranger, hold the lift door for someone, speak kindly to your employees, listen to a colleague who is having a bad time or provide a meal for a family in need. Of course there are a multitude of other things you can do, big or small, but it so often is the little things that count. Let your relationship with Jesus show in the way you conduct your life. Let the joy of knowing that the Creator loves you spill over and touch the lives of others so that they too want to know and experience His love in their lives!

So ask yourself, are you a loving "bride", pure in your love and commitment to Christ, or is your relationship a well kept secret?

Turn Times of Doubt into Times of Strength

We all have doubts at some time or the other. We generally doubt ourselves more than anyone else, but it just takes one disappointment, one situation or relationship going sour, and we begin to doubt God. When things seem to go contrary to what we are wanting, loved ones fall ill or betray us, or a countless other host of circumstances, the first one we throw all our doubts onto is God.

Personally, I think this is crazy! Not that I have never had doubts, far from it. In the depths of depression, God was the first one I doubted and blamed! No, the reason I say this is crazy, is because God is the only one that we can depend on. When I was circling down into the abyss of depression, feeling that I was unloved and unlovable, that I was a waste of a human skin who was of no earthly use for anything, that is when God was able to reach through to me, and convince me that He did have a plan and a purpose for my life and that He does love me.

When we are faced with a tough situation, a betrayal, or anything else that turns our world upside down, that's when we should be turning to God. He doesn't mind if we doubt Him as it opens the door for further conversation with Him and fresh opportunities for Him to work in your life and to show you that you can depend on Him. Give Him the chance to strengthen you, to renew your faith and to demonstrate His unfailing love. You will find, as you spend more time with Him, on your knees, a peace and inner joy that will permeate your soul and give you the courage and the ability to get through whatever difficulties you are facing. God allows us to go through these hard times because it is only when we are 'beaten' that we can be re-shaped and re-worked into a stronger, more faith-filled follower of Christ. Remember that He is ultimate truth and ultimate love and He loves us completely, therefore, we can trust Him over and above anyone or anything else.

 

A Trouble Shared

Philippians 4:13-14 'I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.' How many times have we heard just verse 13 quoted – with emphasis on the first few words "I can do everything". We are all so guilty of keeping the emphasis on verse 13 and completely ignoring verse 14. God has promised us that He will strengthen us and be with us through life's difficulties, but God has also created us to be in relationship both with Him and with each other. He has given us gifts that are only of any use when they are used for someone else's benefit; teaching, encouraging, hospitality, etc., are all pretty useless if they are not used for someone else's benefit!

The old saying "a trouble shared is a trouble halved" is true. The problem may still be your full responsibility, but by discussing it with someone (particularly someone close to you), you no longer feel so alone and you are able to get a different perspective on it, perhaps even some advice. By allowing someone to be a part of your problem, you are also allowing them to possibly fill a role that God had for them. Their role in helping you through your difficulty may be something that they have to grow through as well. Part of God's purpose for their lives and possibly for yours as well, could be the whole reason that you are going through that particular difficulty.

This doesn't mean that we must now start dumping our problems on everyone else! Not at all! With a little bit of discernment and wisdom you will know when and whom to share your problems with and to what degree! Just understand though, that God will often send someone to help you, it may be a stranger or someone close to you, but the thing is to accept the help that comes your way and not deny the person the opportunity to walk beside you. When I had my hysterectomy last year, my step-daughter was able to come and spend over a month with me, seeing to my needs and running the household. In addition to me being blessed with all her help and her wonderful company, she was blessed (although I am sure not as much) by having the opportunity to spend time with her Dad, her step-brothers and her friends, that she would not otherwise have had before she left for a year in Japan!