I Miss Community

Every day when I open the refrigerator, I’m reminded. I see drinks and food I keep stocked for specific people. When I get ingredients from the pantry to cook dinner each night, I am reminded then too. I see my stock of paper plates and plastic cutlery, just waiting to be used. When I walk by my dining room and see the linens folded on the sideboard, cleaned and ready to lay out on the table, I am reminded. I see empty chairs whose seats have not been filled in a year.

These are all small daily reminders of when I used to have people over for a meal—friends, family, small group, parties. I’m reminded of how much has changed over the last year. And how much I miss community.

I miss the spontaneous, “Hey, let’s meet for lunch at that new restaurant down the street.”

I miss potluck meals and the sharing and trying of new recipes with friends.

I miss what the Spanish call “sobremesa" when you sit around at the table talking far long after all the food has been eaten. All of a sudden someone checks the time and you realize you’ve sat in the same spot for hours doing nothing but sharing life with one another.

I miss celebrating special occasions with family and friends where everyone surrounds the person in front of a big cake and we sing “Happy birthday” and laugh as the person blowing out the candles always struggles to blow out that one stubborn flame.

I miss looking at a friend and being able to tell just by the look on her face what she is thinking.

I miss all my church members gathered together, singing and rejoicing together as one Body. While I am thankful that a quarter of us can fit socially distanced in the gym on Sunday mornings, I miss the other three quarters whose faces and voices I’ve not seen in a year.

I miss being with people and not worrying about who might or might not be sick and am I standing too close and wondering is that a frown or a smile under the mask and hating that everything I hear sounds like mumbling but I nod in understanding anyway.

I miss community.

In Psalm 42, the sons of Korah write about being far from the house of God. For some unknown reason, they can’t go to the temple to worship God. They hunger and thirst to be in his presence. They are saddened and grieved by the separation and wonder when they can be with him again. They look back on sweet memories of joining with the throng to gather for worship, singing and rejoicing at their great God. “These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival” (Ps. 42:4).

I feel this longing each Sunday. I also felt it this past weekend— the weekend when our denomination’s yearly women’s ministry leadership conference is held. More than a conference, it is like a homecoming. I love seeing my sisters from all over the world. I love catching up with hugs and stories and fellowship. I love how we pick up right where we left off the last time we met, as though there was only a brief pause to our conversation. I love how we encourage one another on in ministry. I love how we learn from one another. I love how everyone rejoices in the fruit God produces in each other’s ministry. This year’s conference was virtual and oh how we longed to be with one another in person!

We used the technology available to us to connect, encourage, and equip each other in the work of ministry and I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for platforms that allow us to have Bible studies virtually. I’m grateful for church leadership which labors to provide worship that is safe for everyone. I’m grateful for all the ways we’ve learned to navigate our new reality.

But I still miss community.

That’s because we weren’t made for filtered connection. We weren’t made to be satisfied with friendship mediated through a screen. We weren’t made for six feet of separation. We were made to do life together. To sit at the dinner table for hours. To laugh and hug and tell stories. To gather with the throng and rejoice at the goodness of God.

I don’t want to grow used to how things are. I want to continue to long for in person fellowship. I want it to nag at me and remind me of how things are supposed to be. So I’ll leave those drinks my friends like in the fridge and continue to keep my paper plate supply ready and waiting.

And I will continue to miss community.

Psalm 36 and the Light of God's Steadfast Love

Life is filled with contrasts. Sweet and sour. Scratchy and soft. Cold and hot. Light and darkness. Such contrasts stand apart from each other like the poles of the earth.

The most stark contrast in the Bible is that of sinful humanity and the holiness of God.

In Psalm 36, David paints a picture of the sinner, of one who is far from God, juxtaposed against God and his steadfast love for his people.

The sinner is described as one who progressively steps into sin and finding no consequences, steps deeper still. He has no fear of God (v.1). He assumes that he’ll continue to get away with his iniquity (v.2), so he then devotes his life to sin (v.3). Before long, he lies on his bed in the dead of night, plotting and planning his evil deeds.

Like the flip of a switch, David then turns on the light and shows us God in all his glory. He describes his attributes:

• steadfast love (v.5)

• faithfulness (v.5)

• righteousness (v.6)

• perfect judgements (v.6)

• saving (v.6)

• a refuge (v.7)

• generous (v.8)

• life and light (v.9)

• defender and deliverer (v.11)

What marvelous contrasts! And ones our hearts need to see. As God’s children living in a fallen world, it is hard not to despair when sin seems to reign. The psalmist wants us to remember that God is on the throne and that he rules in perfect righteousness. In fact, the world is full of God’s goodness, righteousness, and steadfast love. He is the light that cuts into the darkness of this fallen and broken world. John Calvin encourages us: “however great the depth of wickedness which there is among men, and though it seems like a flood which breaks forth and overflows the whole earth, yet still greater is the depth of God's providence… Whenever, therefore, our faith may be shaken by the confusion and disorder of human affairs… let us remember that the judgments of God in the government of the world are with the highest propriety compared to a great depth which fills heaven and earth, that the consideration of its infinite greatness may ravish our minds with admiration, swallow up all our cares, and dispel all our sorrows.”

On this side of redemption’s story, Jesus Christ is the character of God made flesh (Col. 1:15). In him, steadfast love and justice meet. He rescued and redeemed us from the greatest evil of all: sin and eternal death. He shelters us in the refuge of his righteousness. He showers upon us grace upon grace. He is the source and wellspring of all our spiritual blessings. He is the water of life, the light of the world.

It is Jesus who conquered evil at the cross. He reigns as King over all. He keeps and preserves us in his care.

Sometimes, when all seems dark, we need to be reminded of who God is. We need his light to cut into the darkness. We need that contrast to “swallow up all our cares, and dispel all our sorrows” as Calvin wrote. Dear friends, let us remember God’s steadfast love in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

God's Promises to the Fearful

When I was teen, I went through a dark season of depression and despair. Everything in my life felt hopeless. The future was dark and bleak. I felt like I was at the bottom of a pit and no amount of clawing at the walls would pull me out of it. I struggled to get through each day—to put one foot in the front of the other.

At the time, I worked at my local library—one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever had! I often re-shelved books after they were returned by library patrons. As I placed the books back snugly in their home beside the other books on the shelves, I often flipped through them to see if they interested me. Over time, I found myself taking home books from the religion section, books written by Graham, Lewis, Sproul, even Joni Earekson Tada. I started writing down quotes from these books and posting them on the wall of my bedroom. Any Bible passages they quoted I memorized and tacked to my wall as well. These morsels of truth fed my hurting heart. I clung to those words which pointed me to the One who saved me. I put my hope in these promises, that while the sky was black as night above me, the light would one day return and penetrate the darkness.

And it did.

Do you have a favorite promise of God? Perhaps there is a passage you turn to time and time again to remind you that God is with you in your sufferings and trials. Or you rest in the truth that your salvation is secure, even though the devil tries to tell you otherwise. Or when the pains of life are unrelenting, you look forward to the promise of everlasting joy in eternity. There are numerous promises laced throughout Scripture, each of which are rooted in the meta-promise that God will be our God and we will be his people.

As I read and researched for A Holy Fear, I marveled at the numerous promises God makes to those who fear him. Even more, when I contrasted these promises to those of our lesser fears. For what does future fear promise but loss and sorrow? What does the fear of man promise but more rejection and heartbreak? Can the fear of harm promise rescue or deliverance?

All our lesser fears can promise is only more fear to come.

But for those who fear the Lord in the face of lesser fear—those who turn to the Lord in awe, wonder, worship, adoration, trust, and worship—are promised more than we can even imagine. Promises such as:

• Deliverance (Psalm 33:16-19)

• Satisfaction/Contentment in God (Proverbs 19:23)

• Friendship with God (Psalm 25:14)

• God’s Delight and Pleasure (Psalm 147:10–11)

• God will teach us (Psalm 25:12)

• Good for us (Psalm 34:8–10)

• Everlasting mercy (Psalm 103:17)

And there are many more found throughout the pages of God’s word! Each of these promises are rooted in the person and character of God, for whatever God says always comes to pass. God’s word does all that he wills it to; it never returns void: “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). We can trust God’s promises for us because he is faithful. He is our promise keeping God.

Dear friend, if your fears overshadow you today, if they whisper promise of more fear around every corner, turn to the Lord. Come to the throne of grace and bring your fears before him. See him in all his glory and wonder and find him as greater. Fall before him in reverence and worship. Relish his goodness and faithfulness toward you. Mediate on and savor the joy of his promises for you. Hang it around your neck like a necklace, identifying you as his own.

As John Bunyan wrote:

“Child of God, thou that fearest God, here is mercy nigh thee, mercy enough, everlasting mercy upon thee. This is long-lived mercy. It will live longer than thy sin, it will live longer than temptation, it will live longer than thy sorrows, it will live longer than thy persecutors. It is mercy from everlasting to contrive thy salvation, and mercy to everlasting to weather it out with all thy adversaries. Now what can hell and death do to him that hath this mercy of God upon him? And this hath the man that feareth the Lord. Take that other blessed word, and O thou man that fearest the Lord, hang it like a chain of gold about thy neck—"As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him" (Psa 103:11). If mercy as big, as high, and as good as heaven itself will be a privilege, the man that feareth God shall have a privilege.” (A Treatise on the Fear of the Lord, p.85).

Do you know God’s promises for those who fear him?

Join the Launch Team For Tell "God How You Feel"

I’m excited to share with you about my new children’s book, Tell God How You Feel: Helping Kids with Hard Emotions, releasing March 5.

We learn from an early age how to navigate the difficult emotions of life. Fear. Sadness. Worry. Loneliness. Rejection. For some of us, we learn to avoid painful emotions. Others of us may “feed” our emotions through various temporary distractions. Still others may hide or cover them up. Yet the Bible teaches us to bring all our hurts to God.

Tell God How You Feel is a discipleship tool for parents to use in engaging their children with their emotions. It is designed to help children learn to bring their emotions to God and tell him about all their sorrows, fears, and hurts. It teaches them the process of Biblical lament.

Tell God How You Feel contains stories about a set of siblings, Mia and Josh. Each child faces difficult emotions and throughout the stories we see their parents help them learn to identify and verbalize their emotions. They teach them about those in the Bible who felt hard emotions. Mia and Josh then learn to pray to God and tell him how they feel.  These read aloud stories are ideal for family story times with thoughtful questions and discussion starters at the end of each story.

Want to have access to the book before anyone else?

Want to join me in discussing the book with other readers?

Want to participate in fun challenges and giveaways?

Then join the launch team! You can click here to learn about all the details and to sign up. Invite your friends!

I look forward to seeing you on the team and sharing with you about this discipleship resource to use with the children in your life.

Blessings,

Christina

God Hears Your Wordless Prayers

I’ve always appreciated the disciples’ request for Jesus to teach them how to pray in Matthew 6. These men grew up hearing prayers in the synagogue. They knew the prayers of Scripture. They even heard Jesus pray. Yet, they wanted to learn how to pray.

I don’t know about you, but I have numerous books on prayer lining my bookshelves. Each one has helped me learn about the heart and purpose of prayer. Some books focus on specific prayers of the Bible, helping me to shape my own. Some provide written prayers I can pray myself. Some give practical tips on prayer, including ways to manage my long list of requests for myself and others.

Yet no matter how skilled we might be in prayer, no matter how well we construct and organize our prayers, no matter the length of our prayers, there are times when we come to the Lord and simply have no words. We stand muted before of the painful sorrows of life. We can barely breathe, much less give voice to how our heart is broken by loss or paralyzed by great fear. Prayer just seems impossible when it feels like we are drowning in despair, fear, pain, sorrow, or shame.

When I am made silent by the circumstances of life, I remember the psalmist’s words: “I am so troubled that I cannot speak” (Ps. 77:4) and realize I am not alone. I read the groans of David and hear them echoed in my own heart, “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping” (Ps. 6:6). And I realize that what God wants most isn’t necessarily a stream of eloquent words, but “a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17).

That is something I can bring.

I can bring my broken heart.

Just the simple act of coming before the throne of grace reveals the contents of our heart. The Lord sees our humble offering and if all we can muster up is “Help me!” that is enough. For as the Apostle Paul encourages, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:26-27).

The Puritan preacher, John Bunyan, wrote, “It should comfort your heart if the anguish of your spirit keeps your words few. The Holy Spirit stirs up your heart in groans and sighs so much the more vehement when your mouth is hindered. Though your mouth is hindered, your spirit is not.”

God knows and hears the groans of our heart. When we cry out to him and can hardly string a sentence together, he knows what we long to say. He knows the thoughts and intentions of our heart. He hears beyond the sighs of pain and the tears of brokenness. Even more, he hears the Spirit interceding for us, praying perfect and righteous words on our behalf. The Spirit takes our lisps and stutters and makes them holy.

When the difficulties of life mute us, remember it is not how well we pray, but that we pray. And may it  encourage our heart to know the Spirit never cease to groan to the Father on our behalf.

Father in heaven,

I come before you broken by the hardships of life. I feel the weight of my own sin, the sting of arrows flung at me from others, and the searing pain of loss and heartache. As David wrote, my tears flood my bed day and night. All I can do is cry out to you for help. Hear me, Lord. Help me, Lord. Help me to know you are with me. Carry me through this. Comfort me with your love. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Investing in Spiritual Health

In my younger years, I often took my health for granted. Oh, I checked in with a doctor at least once a year and if I was really sick, I sought medical treatment. But I generally gave little thought to my health, other than going to the gym and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.

But the older I get, the more I’ve focused my time and energies on maintaining good health. The more I find myself doing things to maintain the health that I have. The more my supplements have increased. The more time I spend at the doctor.

I see my chiropractor each month for chronic back problems and do stretching exercises each morning to prevent back pain. I see my dermatologist for a yearly skin check and use various creams and lotions each day to protect my skin from the sun. I get an allergy shot each month, regularly dust my house, and take medication as needed to prevent allergic reactions and asthma attacks. Not to mention annual blood work and other tests to monitor my health for any problems.

As one who only goes to the doctor when he is sick, my husband teases me for all these preventative measures. But I’ve learned the hard way that prevention is the best medicine. If I stop stretching my back each morning, I’ll soon find myself whimpering in pain. If I don’t take efforts to protect my skin, I’ll soon myself needing spots biopsied or removed—especially after all those years of soaking in the Florida sun!

I know I’m not alone in the pursuit of good health. Every year around this time we are bombarded with health and wellness ads. We are invited to invest in new exercise equipment, diet programs, and supplements. And to good effect: Americans spend over $4 trillion a year on health and wellness, not to mention all that we spend on medical treatment and prescriptions.

I looked at my calendar recently and saw several yearly check up appointments lined up in a row. As I thought about the time I invest in maintaining my health, I was convicted about my spiritual health.

Do I invest just as much time, effort, and attention to my relationship with God?

If I commit to my physical health in this way, should I not also commit even more to my spiritual health?

And what would it look like if I did?

The Apostle Paul wrote: “for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:8). The time and money we invest in our physical health does have value. It is good to take care of the body God gave us. But such an investment is limited to just this life. The investment we make in godliness, in our spiritual growth, has eternal value. It pays dividends that will last forever.

What does it look like to investment in our spiritual health and growth? It’s not something elaborate or complicated. It’s doesn’t necessitate new inventions or technology. While it does take time, it doesn’t consume time we don’t already have. The method is the same as it was from the start: the means of grace. Prayer. Bible study. Worship. Communion. Fellowship with the Saints. God provides these means to strengthen us in our faith. He uses them to feed and nurture our souls. He uses them to change and transform us into the image of his Son. While commitment to a certain diet or exercise regimen may or may not produce the outcome we desire, commitment to pursuing the means of grace will bear fruit in our lives.

Paul also wrote, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Our pursuits to grow in holiness should be intentional, purposeful. We don’t want these pursuits to be aimless; they should push us forward to the goal. Further, Paul urges self-discipline in our appetites and passions—our sin nature— so that they don’t get us off track. This means the pursuit of spiritual health is not for the lazy. It takes work and effort. Our sin nature will want us to slack off and find reasons not to pray or study God’s word. It will find excuses for us not to attend church and worship our Savior. This is why Paul says we must “run that you may attain it” or as the NLT puts it, “run to win!”

The good news is that our efforts to pursue spiritual health and growth are not left to us alone. As Paul wrote elsewhere, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). It is God who ensures that we grow in the knowledge of him. He makes certain we have what we need to live for him (2 Pet. 1:3). He guarantees we finish the race. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). Praise him for this grace at work in our lives!

As we invest in our physical health at the start of this new year, may not forsake our spiritual health. May we run the race of faith to win the prize of Jesus Christ.