When Duty Calls

Each and every one of us have responsibilities. Some of us have duties to raise children, or to keep a steady job, or to keep the house clean, or feed a dog. No matter what our duties are and how long our to-do lists may get we have one sole responsibility and that is to love God. Micah 6:8 says "..what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God."
I am such a busy person I always feel the need to accomplish 500 things at once and forget about this one simple reminder that all I need to do is to do the right things and love God. If I can do these simple things everything else will fall into place as it should.
But, in these simple commandments is a duty in itself. We are responsible to spread the word. I love to feel that going to church each week, reading the scriptures, raising my kids in a christian household, and attending many church activities is enough, but that's just barely scraping the surface of what we should really be doing.
Our Savior lived and died for us. He listens to us contradict ourselves. He watches us go against him time and time again. We have such an amazing Lord and we continue to let Him down, but even more so we continue to not spread His word. We can allow ourselves to look like the holiest people ever, but without spreading the light we remain in darkness ourselves.
Many people think this isn't necessary or doesn't apply to them because when they picture spreading the word of God as full on missionary work when this doesn't have to be the case. It could be as simple as mentioning God when someone is confused or playing a church hymn in the car with someone or praying before you leave. Little things like this can make a big difference in someones life and everyone deserves to know the truth!
Reading:
1 Corinthians 9:16
Reflect:
How can you better yourself by helping someone else find God?
Make it a mission this week to show someone God, even just in a small way! 

Willpower

So, as I'm sure you've noticed Clare and I have been slacking on blogging. Summer has come and Clare started summer classes, I am finally getting a quick breather before school starts up again in August, and filling in my "breather" with work and my little family. Because of our "priorities" our blog has taken seat on the back burner. But, we are both determined to get back into the swing of things.
Even though our purpose for this blog was to spread the word of God (hence "His hand extended") this has been the least of our priorities, which honestly, a) don't take up all of our time, and b) aren't really all that important. Which brings me to today's topic, willpower.
There are many times, most days actually, where I think "oh its okay, I've done so much, ill just take a quick nap." and neglect my scriptures which are now beginning to collect dust.  Or, "the kids are crabby, we can skip Bible time tonight." Simply because I don't want to deal with it and in the end I am robbing them of very important things. I think I can rely on my willpower and that alone and i am starting to see that that is not the case. Our bodies (mind, will, emotions) would love to run our lives, and these things are vital to a successful life and they can get you far, but they are never enough to let you cross the finish line.
what if, instead of relying on willpower we relied on God. He can instill HIS power, which is so much greater than our own, into us, and we will be able to run laps around everyone relying on their own willpower. Also, God will be getting the credit for all the wonderful things we wold be able to do, rather than ourselves.
John 15:5 says "Apart from me, you can do nothing." this is such an important verse to keep in mind during todays study.
Reading:
Galatians 5:16
Reflect:
-When looking at the things you get done and the things you don't, are you using your own willpower or are you using God?
-In what ways can you change your ways to stay motivated and glorify God?

The Way God Works

God works in many ways. Some miraculous, some expected, some small, some large, and some in the most unexpected shocking ways. I don't want to say God works better in some ways than others because that's not right, but to me he shines brightest when he works in these crazy ways which is how he worked through me.
I was raised in a bad home around drugs and abuse in a trashy unsafe trailer park. I never knew about God, but my entire life I felt there was something bigger. Most my life I sent condemning God for the things I'd been through. I said things no person should say and lived a life that reflected those view points. But, some how, by thr grace of God I discovered the Bible. I read it all the way through in a matter of months and wanted more and more. I wanted church and missions and to help people and to live the way God demands.
People thought this was so strange that I, the girl from the trailer park, the girl on drugs, the teen mom, the "scrapper" now wanted God. After spending my life wanting material possessions that would never last and persecuting Jesus, He became all I wanted.
To this day I know that our savior is all I need.
We see a snipet of a story similar to mine in today's reading. A man who once persecuted Jesus would now be used.
Reading:
Acts 26:14-18
Reflect:
How did God find you?
If you were born into religion how has God kept you?
As Christians what can we do to make sure God can work through us to spread the scriptures to people who may not hear word otherwise?

Obedience

Obedience is something that I struggle with. The world thinks I am a wonderful Christian, who came from a rough start with the odds against her but was able to turn her life around. The odds were against me and I was able to pull through because of my faith in God. The world sees me the way I want God to. Unfortunately, the world isn't what matters.
I am going to be brutally honest in this post and try not to sugar coat anything:
-I am an unwed mother living with my boyfriend who I continue to have sex with.
-I lie when I feel that it will benefit me.
-And most importantly I allow people to think much different of me.
Yeah I have been with the same man since I was 14, I don't drink or party, I tithe the church and overall I am a good person but I am not obedient. And that's what this post is all about.
For those of you who have read Radical by David Platt, "We have a master who demands radical obedience." this means we don't get to pick and choose what demands we follow or ignore. Our God demands us to follow everything he says. Not just what we feel is directed towards us.
I don't get to say that God didn't mean me when he says we must not have sex out of marriage. I don't get to say God didn't mean me when he says all lying is bad, even just leaving out some of the truth. and I certainly don't get to say God didn't mean me when He said He is the only one with the right to judge, not anyone else.
But, I also know that this is a big problem in churches everywhere. Think about it, how obedient are you?
Reading:
-Exodus 4:10-14
Reflect:
-How obedient are you?
-Do you ignore things God has said because "they don't apply to you" or "that's not relevant Anymore?"
-Are you doing everything in God?
-How can you ask God for guidance to help you be more obedient?

Disabilities and fallbacks.

As a kid with a rough home life I often wondered what I did to deserve this. Even before I really knew God I knew that there was something much bigger than me out there and I couldn't help but feel that I must've done something to deserve all the wrong that had been done to me throughout my life.
As I've grown older, moved out of my parents house and became an adult of my own I have taken the time to strengthen my walk with God and gotten to know him. Last night I was reading the Bible and something that really stuck out to me was God discussing a mans disability. He makes it very clear that no one did anything wrong to cause that man to be born blind. Jesus says this happened so that the works of God could be displayed in him.
I personally feel that everyone has some form of disability or fall back that they feel keeps them from being this non-existent normal that people have made up in their head. Today's reading says that those fallbacks are just ways for God to use us to show how amazing He is.
Reading:
-John 9:1-12
Reflect:
-Do you think that you have a fallback that God can use to show his works?
-Will you actually allow God to work through you or do you refuse to be better than your disability?
-God can use each and everyone of us, what can you do to let Him use you?