Knowing when to say “no” has become my kryptonite. I know that I’m not the only one who has this struggle nor have I been the only one seen as the poster child for “overcommitted” – yet, as I read the Word I find that saying “no” can be a blessing I need.
As Jesus walked the earth, He journeyed from town to town, often healing the sick, sometimes raising the dead, and performed other miracles as He saw fit. Yet as He went, He did not go and heal every sick person in every town. He was selective, and while we’ll never know the purpose behind His choices, we can reflect our way of doing ministry off His example.
He didn’t heal every person He met, or walk on every sea He went to. He didn’t multiply every meal or raise every dead person. In short, He didn’t partake in every potential miracle or ministry moment that presented itself. He didn’t do everything there was to be done, so neither should we.
We cannot outrun or avoid responsibility as a Christian. We have a job to do and that is to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28). The job God commands us to do needs us to be rested and prepped for the divine appointments He will orchestrate. If we are too busy because we can’t say “no,” how can we prepare and rest for these moments?
In Colossians 3:23, I find that God desires excellence, not perfection. So- aim for excellence, and if you notice something holding you back from achieving it, adjust accordingly. We live in an overcommitted, under-rested world but we ourselves do not need to live this way. If Jesus chose moments of ministry and moments of rest, we can too:)
”This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.“
Psalm 118:24
Right now I’m in a season of life where there is a lot to be thankful for. With so much change and so many things that can keep me busy I forget to express that gratitude to the One who deserves it most: God.
What do you have that you are thankful for?
I do not mean material or earthly possessions either! I am talking about those sweet things, or people, or seasons of life, where you are growing! Where you are seeing the goodness of God in your life.
Express your gratitude today!! Thank the Lord for His goodness and unending love and grace for us. We do not deserve Him, but He gave Himself for us.
Every day should be another day that we give to the Lord, because everyday is a day from the Lord, so be grateful for your next day, and the next, and the next.
The other day I heard some scripture that I’ve probably heard hundreds of times before, but now, in this season, it hit me a bit differently.
”Now a man was sick, Lazarus, from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, and it was her brother Lazarus who was sick. So the sisters sent a message to Him: “Lord, the one You love is sick.” When Jesus heard it, He said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus.“
John 11:1-5 HCSB
”Having said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” As soon as she heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him. When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and told Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died! ” When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, He was angry in His spirit and deeply moved.“
John 11:28-29, 32-33 HCSB
We know from previous scripture and what we read here in John 11, that Mary had an intimate relationship with Jesus. She had spent much of her time at the very feet of her Teacher…learning, resting, loving, serving, and weeping. So when she is confronted with the deepest sorrow, it’s no surprise that we find her falling at the feet of Jesus. We can’t know the tone or intent of Mary’s comment for sure, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” But, empathizing with the grief of loss, I imagine it going something like this, in a very raw and real way…”Where were you, Jesus? Why weren’t you here? Why didn’t you save him?”
You may be thinking, how dare she?! You can’t BLAME or question the Almighty God and still worship Him! I’ve certainly had those thoughts at some point in my walk with Christ. Why did Mary feel safe to question the Messiah? The answer is right there…she was in an intimate relationship with Him. She was seen, known, and loved at a time when it was taboo for women to be taught anything by a man. She was safe at the feet of Jesus to be her true self, if nowhere else, because He’d proven that fact time and time again. Also, she and her sister understood that ultimately, all power and authority belonged to Him as the Messiah.
And how does Jesus receive Mary’s supposed insubordination? “He was angry in His spirit and deeply moved.” Mary’s pain moved the heart of her Creator to action. Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and their cries did not go unnoticed by Him.
Thirteen years ago, to the month, my mother and I sat weeping over the body of my sister, who had passed away in bed from an apparent accidental overdose of prescription medication. It came as a complete shock to our family, as we’d never even been aware that my sister had a problem. Our world was completely and utterly turned upside down. One day, she was here and healthy, and the next day, she was gone. I wrestled for months and even years about what I could have and should have done differently.
Most significantly, I wrestled with God. At my very lowest, crying from the depths of my soul, “Where were you, Jesus? Why weren’t you here? Why didn’t you save her?” I’d seen and heard stories of addicts have near death experiences and close calls. Why couldn’t we have had just one close call to alert us that she even had a problem?!
The same God that I’d spent my life, up until that point, learning about and singing to and serving…He heard my cries. When I was weeping at His feet…He was moved. I didn’t and still don’t fully understand the bigger picture of the need for my sister to be taken to heaven as a vivacious 34-year-old woman. But because my God has been faithful to me always, I can rest assured now that His purposes will prevail. “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
I know each of you has a story to tell. Some of you have experienced far more grief and sorrow than I could fathom. If you have yet to experience it, I pray that this sort of grief never finds you, but if it does…sister, stay at the feet of Jesus. Throw yourself before Him, ask Him all the questions, and trust that you are seen and loved.
We all have motives to explain the things we do and why we do them. Why do you believe what you believe?
We can be persuaded and inspired to believe all types of things. Do you believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior? Would you be able to explain your reasoning why to someone else?
A family member or friend may have been your first motive to open the Bible or sit in a church pew. That is a blessing in itself, but it doesn’t stop there. Just opening the Bible and attending church will not save you on their own accord. They are both ways to get to know the true Jesus and foster a relationship with Him; they are essential to experiencing His saving love and grace.
Our motive for a relationship with Christ should be rooted in our understanding of the attributes of His character, not just the eternal reward. That ticket to Heaven is great, but we are not deserving of it…at all!
God is all powerful, all knowing and the creator of all things. He deserves all of the praise and glory for giving us the free gift of salvation. Our faith in the Lord will not waver based on circumstances, if our motives to believe are in the right place. Seek Jesus because of who He is and what He has done!
”For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right.“
I’ve recently welcomed twin daughters into my somewhat quiet life, and they are the greatest blessings I have ever received. Though my previous quiet days are now filled with lots of chaos, I am incredibly humbled and honored to be their mother.
Since becoming a mother, I, along with a very close friend, are holding one another accountable to read the Bible in a year. With this new role, I have found that the Lord’s Word speaks to me in a different way than before.
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”(Deuteronomy 6:5–9)
In this new season of joy, I have also encountered new challenges that I have never experienced. These new roles bring with them fresh opportunities for offense to sneak in, moments where my heart may not reflect life, and routines that reshape my days and demand new priorities.
As a parent, I’m learning that we carry a profound responsibility to demonstrate to our children the Word of God and what it means to have a genuine relationship with Him. We are often the first example they see: how to navigate offense, how to respond to conflict, and how to prioritize The Word of God in our busy lives.
How do we show this commandment to our children? What does it look like to love The Lord with our heart, soul, and all of our might?
Loving the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and might means prioritizing Him and His Word above all else, pouring time into the scriptures and in prayer, no matter how hectic and chaotic our life may get.
As a child, my mom and dad were always disciplined to prioritize their quiet time with The Lord. I can remember waking up for school each morning and they would be in The Word, no matter how busy the day ahead was. They modeled to me the importance of how to create a true relationship with The Lord, and what that looked like in handling day to day challenges.
I would love for you to join me in getting in The Word daily despite the busyness of life, and challenge ourselves in living out That Word when we experience offenses and challenges.
In the never-ending gap between Christmas Break and Spring Break. The days feel long, the calendars are jam-packed, and everyone feels like they’re going a little crazy. Am I right?
Some of us are on auto-pilot, barely present in our own lives. Many are overwhelmed, overstimulated, and just over it. Others are screaming on the inside, feeling a little insane.
King Nebuchadnezzar (let’s call him King Neb) had his own moment of insanity. After controlling his own kingdom for far too long, he had a wild dream that became his reality. In Daniel 4, the king “lost his sanity” as he tried to make sense of his life.
Daniel 4:34 says, “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High, I honored and glorified him who lives forever.”
King Neb tried to do things his way, following his plan, in his time. He wanted to do it all, be it all, and handle it all. He attempted to be his own king.
In his insanity, he saw that surrender was the only way to sanity. He realized that he had to remove his own crown of control, look to heaven, and humble himself before the true King.
I think we can see ourselves in King Neb.
We attempt to do it all by our own strength and might. We try to capture control and create our own kingdoms. We make our own plans and fix our own problems.
Then, we lose it…
We live on edge, overwhelmed by our own lives.
We lose sight of the promise of abundant life.
We let the small things build up and break down.
King Neb’s crazy dream led him to the cure for his own craziness.
The secret to sanity isn’t having everything under control. The secret to sanity is surrendering it to the One in control.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us”. -Romans 8:18 NKJV
When I was growing up in the ‘70s, family time typically revolved around certain television programs. For our family, it was often weekly game shows. While I was studying and meditating on Romans 8:18 one recent morning, I thought about the particular game show “Let’s Make a Deal”, hosted by Monty Hall. Part of the show included Monty picking a contestant from the audience (the audience would dress in some crazy outfits in hopes of gaining his attention) and offering some moderately valued prize. He would then barter with them and offer a trade for something else in a particular box. The person had to weigh the value of their current prize against the potential of what was in the box. Sometimes it paid off to trade and the hidden prize was revealed to be of greater value, like maybe an appliance. Sometimes the trade was of little value, like a can of dog food. These prizes were called “zonks.” The person’s decision was based on chance and much uncertainty.
When we think about the meaning of “revealed” and our certainty in Christ, it serves as a reminder that, unlike game show contestants who take chances in hopes of something better, we as believers have the assurance and certainty of what will be revealed in Christ. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NLT
God’s promises are beyond our comprehension, yet they are revealed to us through His Word and His Spirit, providing us with hope and assurance. Our hope is not based on uncertainty or chance but on the unshakable promises of God. We can hold on to this certainty, knowing that our future glory in Christ far outweighs any of life’s uncertainties we may face.
To paraphrase what Paul says, anything else is a “zonk”.
“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.” Philippians 3:8-9 NLT
As Christians, we’re going to mess up. We’re going to sin. But when He died on the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the condemnation and judgment we should have faced.
Romans 8:1 tells us, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”
An example of this is in John 8 when the religious leaders brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus. Obviously, a man was involved, but he was gone, and the religious leaders had set up a trap. They said, “This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (verses 4–5 NLT).
But Jesus knew exactly what they were doing. And instead of answering right away, He stooped down and wrote in the dirt. We don’t know what Jesus wrote, but whatever it was, it made had a big impact. Then He stood up and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” (verse 7 NLT).
The Bible tells us that one by one, they all left, from the oldest to the youngest. So, Jesus said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
She replied, “No, Lord.”
Then Jesus told her, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more” (verse 11 NLT).
This woman knew she was going to die that day. But instead, everything changed when she looked into the eyes of Jesus and looked at the others who had condemned her. And she believed on the spot. That’s how long it takes to believe in Jesus. It’s instant.
God always sees us for what we can become. Think of Simon Peter. When he was still known as Simon, Jesus gave him a new name, Peter, which means “rock.” Now, if there was anything that Simon was not, it was a rock. He was hotheaded, compulsive, and argumentative. Yet Jesus said, “From now on, you’re a rock.”
Maybe the other disciples were laughing at this, thinking, “Rock? Does Jesus know Simon?” but they didn’t know him like Jesus did.
Because yes, Jesus did know him. But Jesus wasn’t calling Simon what he was; He was explaining what he would become. Where we see failure, God sees potential.
We see a Simon. God sees a Peter. We see the past. God sees the future. We see a mess. God sees a message. God sees us for who we are in Christ, not what we were in sin. God does not see us in our sin; He sees us in His Son. God can change everything in your story—if you’ll only let Him.
A few days ago I was sitting at Chick-fil-A, and we were praying over our food when a lady walks up and says “Hey! Can I ask you a question?”
We end up having a 30 minute discussion about religion. She was telling me about her beliefs, and I was telling her about my Jesus.
She ended up leaving the conversation because she couldn’t give me answers to my questions.
Looking back on it I would have never initiated that conversation. I am not the type to begin talking to someone about different beliefs or religions. But that conversation went well for the Christians in the room.
A spark was started in her life and in mine.
It’s when we go out of our comfort zone that we can see more of how God uses us in the day to day.
It’s when we answer “yes” to the simple questions. And it’s when we simply share about Jesus and His miracle life!
Talk about the Lord. Don’t be afraid to share what He’s done for you.
And to put it in Daisy language (not fancy, kinda country): if you prioritize anything, it best be prayer. Because ladies – without prayer, it’s all gonna go to pot.
Now that’s just the truth.
Let’s plan to put God first this week.
Let’s prioritize God & be Kingdom-minded.
Let’s pray. Let’s pray for God to guide us every step of the way.
You’ve got this, girl. You’ve got this.
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3
Rays of Sunshine inc 