by MeredithNMills | Jan 3, 2015 | Uncategorized
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Romans 12:2a.
Can I just be super real? This morning I woke up in a really bad mood. It’s Saturday and I just wanted to “chill” today. I’m tired of being tired. I’m tired of having a messy house – rugs rolled up because we’ve been in potty training boot camp this week…a bathroom vanity in my living room (awaiting a busy plumber) and dust everywhere from a not-planned bathroom remodel…clutter from a two-year old adorable tornado…never ending laundry and dishes…And I’m tired of playing referee. Why can’t we just have peace and niceness all day? The thought of an uninterrupted meal, of meeting no one’s needs but my own..that sounds so nice.
I guess it all boils down to this – I’m tired of being a servant. I can try to explain or rationalize it lots of different ways, but that’s at the heart of it. I knew I was being selfish, and I hated seeing that ugliness. But I couldn’t just make the attitude go away.
I’m oh so thankful that God welcomes me to pour all of this out to Him. Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in Him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us.” So today I did just that. I laid bare my restless, fleshly soul. I told Him what He already knew. And He met with me. In love, forgiveness, acceptance, and grace. He reminded me that I cannot change myself. Change happens as my mind is renewed in truth (Rom 12:2, above).
I realized that I may have incessant cleaning to do, but at least I have a house to clean. And a bathroom is being remodeled, but I have two others to use. And He has provided so faithfully for the remodeling project. And dirty dishes mean we have food to eat. And dirty laundry means we have clothes to wear. And I have precious, delightful children to referee and take care of. I wouldn’t change that for the world. And my sweet big girl is a wonderful helper and my precious hubby is so kind and helpful. There is so very much to be thankful for. I lost sight of that when I was dwelling on what I wished I could change.
In addition to all of these things, I’m forever grateful that I’m loved and accepted by God because of Jesus, even in the midst of my sin. And how thankful I am that I’m no longer a slave to sin, to wrong attitudes. I don’t have to be controlled by shifting emotions because I’ve been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). I am more than a conquerer through Him who loves me (Rom 8:37). I am loved, accepted, and empowered to change through the Holy Spirit living within me (Eph 1:19-20).
This day, every day, is about Jesus. It’s not about me and what I want. Jesus instructed His followers that there is a daily choice to be made. “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus spent His life serving His Father by serving the people around Him. He got weary, yes. And He took time to rest and refuel (Mark 6:31). But serving was His way of life.
So today, with a renewed mind, I choose to serve. To shine Jesus by loving those around me. And not in my own strength, but by His grace, through faith in the One who loves me (Gal 2:20). I choose to be a channel, a vessel that He uses – not striving to produce this “fruit” for Him, but allowing Him to do it in and through me (Gal 5:22-23). This is how I can honor Him today (Jn 15:8).
by MeredithNMills | Dec 25, 2014 | Uncategorized
“‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us’” Matthew 1:23.
Emmanuel…God with us. Wow. That just blows my mind. God with us. God Himself. The Most High God, Sovereign Ruler and Creator of all that is, who exists outside of time and whose power knows no limits. Radiant in glory. Spotless and Holy. Worshipped by angels. Feared by darkness. Incomprehensible. Uncontainable. This God, He took the initiative to come to us.
He saw the terrible mess we are in. Death and destruction trump life and order. Hatred and violence fill the planet. Pain infects every heart. Suffering touches every life. Creation itself groans under the weight of our condition (Rom 8:22). All because of a choice made thousands of years ago. A choice to exalt self and be our own gods. And since that fateful day in the garden of Eden (Gen 3), each person ever born has been infected with the disease of sin. We’re born with it (Rom 5:19). We choose it (Isa 53:6). And it breeds all kinds of wickedness and destruction in this world we call home.
God knew we needed a Savior. In fact, He knew we would need a Savior even before He created mankind (Eph 1:4). So He wrote the plan for our redemption. He would send a Rescuer – not a representative, but God the Son. He would take on human flesh, with its frailties and limitations. He would know human pain, experience human suffering. The pain of a broken heart – He felt it. The agony of loss – He experienced it. The humiliation of betrayal – He bore it. Sickness, hunger, temptation, exhaustion…He knew them all. He lived the whole range of human emotion. He became like us, so we could become like Him.
He would do what we couldn’t do – live a life of sinless perfection (2 Cor 5:21). He would pay the penalty for sins He didn’t commit. He would experience the final human reality…death. But it would not, could not, contain Him. Like a victor bursting through the finish line ribbon, He rose to life, never to experience death again (Heb 7:27).
So this Baby in a manger that we celebrate tomorrow…that was why He came. To do all that for us out of immeasurable love (Eph 3:17-19). To be “God with us.” To walk among us so that He might redeem us.
But there’s another facet to this name Emmanuel. He was “God with us” during His physical life on earth. But when He ascended to Heaven, He left His Spirit here to indwell the hearts of His followers (Jn 16:7). So, even today, 2000 years after the first Christmas, He is still our Emmanuel,”God with us.”
And that makes all the difference in my life here on earth. Because God is with me through His indwelling Spirit, I have victory over sins that once controlled me. I have hope when life feels hopeless. I have peace when life is not peaceful. I have strength when I am weak. I have wisdom when I feel clueless. I can be whole when my life is broken. I can have joy when life hurts. I have a Friend that sticks closer than even flesh and blood (Prov 18:24). He will never leave or forsake me (Heb 13:5). He is the ultimate satisfaction of every need I will ever face. Because He is Emmanuel, God with us. This is the wonder of Christmas.
by MeredithNMills | Dec 20, 2014 | grace, rest, Uncategorized
“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you -” Galatians 4:19.
Ahhh, Christmastime…shining lights, the smell of Christmas trees, bell ringers, happy music, and shopping. Lots of shopping. Everyone bustling about in search of the perfect gift. Because Christmas seems to be all about the gifts. And with good reason. After all, Christmas started with God’s most precious gift of His Son to a sinful world.
But you know, it’s interesting how God presented His gift of Jesus. This priceless Gift came so simply – wrapped not in the costly garments of royalty, but in rags. Announced by angels not to the “important” people of His day, but to humble shepherds. Bringing not the earthly peace people longed for, but the offer of peace with God. So simple. So understated. And yet, so like God. He just doesn’t seem concerned about outward appearances.
Lately I’ve been studying in Galatians. I was struck by the contrast between Paul’s ministry goal (Gal 4:19, above) and that of the false teachers he warns against (Gal 6:12-13). The false teachers were consumed with making “a good showing in the flesh.” They wanted their followers to look good – to be good rule-keepers (which, by the way, the teachers themselves couldn’t even do!) Kind of like a beautiful, shiny gift with nothing at all inside. Admirable to look at, but hollow and empty of any true value.
Paul, on the other hand, labored to see Christ formed IN those to whom he ministered. Rule-keeping (specifically here in regard to circumcision) doesn’t matter. What matters to God is a heart-change – a “new creation” (Gal 6:15). This new creation comes about when we place our faith in Christ (2 Cor 5:17) and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. Our new life now is to be guided by faith, rather than by a list of do’s and don’t’s (Gal 2:20). As we walk by faith, being led by the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 22-25), we fulfill a new law – the law of Christ. This new law is the law of love (Gal 6:2, John 13:34-35.) As the Spirit (not you and I!) produces His fruit in and through us (Gal 5:22-25), our faith overflows in loving service to others (Gal 5:6, 13).
This, Paul says, is what matters to God. Not the doing. But the being. Being a new creation. Having faith – faith that brings about salvation, and faith that works itself out in daily, Spirit-led living.
On the outside, a life of law and a life of grace may look pretty similar. But what’s inside is vastly different. A focus on rule-keeping may produce a neat and tidy life, one that is full of good works that others praise and admire. But it also produces emptiness, weariness and a constant demand to do better. A life led by grace, however, is a life of spiritual rest. By grace through faith, I am already righteous before God so I don’t have to prove that to Him or anyone else. I can relax and rest in my relationship with Him. He is my Daddy and I am His extravagantly loved child. I can trust Him to lead me moment-by-moment, allowing His peace to rule in my heart (Col 3:15) and His Spirit to express Himself through me (Gal 5:16, 22-25).
What about you, my friend? What does God see when He looks inside? Does He see someone desperately trying to “keep it all together,” to do all the right things for Him and others? Does He see His beloved child running frantic with the demands of life (especially the Christmas craziness)? Be still, my friend. Stop striving, relax, let go. He is God (Ps 46:10). Enjoy Him. Walk with Him. He loves you enough to come to your world, to live the simplest of lives and die the worst of deaths. All to make you His. What greater Gift could we ever receive?
by MeredithNMills | Dec 10, 2014 | abiding in Christ, rest, Uncategorized
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30.
Overworked, weary, exhausted? Pick me, pick me!
Do those verses resonate within you? They strike a chord deep inside my soul. The word “weary” could also be translated “work to exhaustion.” That is me so much of the time. Exhausted. Worn out. Weary of the treadmill of life. Long nights and even longer days. Have you been there?
And “heavy-laden”- that means “to load up” or “overburden.” Do you feel “loaded up” with burdens, with cares, with responsibilities? It’s just the nature of life to carry burdens. Whatever the job description, responsibilities and “burdens” come with the territory.
A while back, I made a list of the “sea of demands” weighing on me…teaching my kids, preparing meals and snacks, laundry, cleaning, errands, activities, friendships. I should be investing in people outside my home. I should be a fun mom (who doesn’t care if they spill sugar on the floor when they want to help cook.) I should have my kids’ friends over and do crafts with them. I should invite people to our home for dinner. I should have a cleaning routine. I should cook healthier food. I should learn to coupon. I should potty train soon so we can stop paying for diapers. And on top of it all, I should be making time for daily prayer and Bible study. But how, oh how, is one person to do it all?
Into this chaos and craziness comes a gentle invitation. “If you’re weary and overworked, come to Me. I will give you rest.”
It’s interesting to note that He doesn’t confine this invitation to a certain scheduled time of day – “If you come meet with Me every morning, you will find rest.” Instead He invites me to get in the “yoke” with Him, to walk with Him every. single. moment. The picture is that of two animals fastened together, working in sync to pull a cart or a plow. When I am connected to Him , He carries the weight of my burdens. The work He calls me to do, He does with me and through me because I’m in the yoke with Him. (John 15 calls this “abiding in Him”.)
In addition to “taking His yoke,” He invites me to learn from Him. The weight of the plow is made lighter as the two oxen walk in step. Similarly, as I learn to become more like Jesus, I am falling into step with Him.
Of all His attributes, He chose to list here His gentleness and humility. Biblical gentleness is not just a personality trait that comes naturally for some and not for others. It is “that attitude of the spirit in which we accept God’s dealings with us as good and do not dispute or resist…It is a condition of mind and heart that demonstrates gentleness not in weakness but in power. It is a virtue born in strength of character.”* It is “the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation…This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of human will (Galatians 5:23).”**
Jesus was gentle and humble. His heart was at rest. As we walk with Him and learn from Him, our hearts can rest, too.
Please don’t misunderstand me. Concentrated, set-aside time alone with Him is vital. We learn of Him and become like Him by studying His Word and talking with Him in prayer. How precious and life-giving is His Word (Psalm 119:97)!
But God is not confined to our alone times with Him. He wants to walk with us and show us how to apply His Word in the moment-by-moment grind of life. He wants all of life to be worship, not just set aside times of singing or studying or praying. His yoke is easy and His burden is light because He carries the weight of it for us! He wants us to rest, even in the midst of life’s struggles. His heart toward us is good. His love for us is unfathomable.
Do you need rest? Come to Jesus. Share His yoke. Learn from Him. And find rest.
*Lexical Aids to the New Testament from the Key Word Study Bible
**Blue Letter Bible Lexicon
by MeredithNMills | Nov 26, 2014 | Uncategorized
“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith…and overflowing with gratitude” Colossians 2:6-7.
Is it just me, or does it seem like the one holiday we Americans rush past is Thanksgiving? I mean, we see Valentines Day candies by January 1st and Halloween decorations are out by the end of summer. But we seem to skip straight from Halloween to Christmas, almost forgetting that Thanksgiving is sandwiched in between. Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE Christmas and can hardly wait to decorate and start playing Christmas music. But I’ve just been pondering why we’re so quick to pass over the day set aside to give thanks.
Maybe the stores jump straight to Christmas because there’s not a lot of money to be made off of Thanksgiving (with the exception of grocery stores). But what about the everyday average American? Our culture is definitely dominated by consumerism, and not gratitude. But without a personal walk with Jesus, or an awareness that God is the Giver of all good things (James 1:17), how could it be otherwise? After all, the foundation of gratefulness is a recognition of how good someone else has been to us, especially when we haven’t earned the goodness. But we Americans pride ourselves on being “self-made.” We’ve worked hard for what we have, so why should we be grateful for what we think we’ve earned? Sure, we all can and should appreciate those who love us and have made sacrifices for us…parents, teachers, etc.
But we Jesus followers have so very much more to be thankful for. We’ve been rescued from the self-destructive disease of sin, granted pardon by the One who sets the rules. This pardon was purchased at the enormous price of His own Son’s blood, shed by choice for those who were once His enemies. He is both the Just Judge and the Justifier. What extravagant love is this! What immense value this bestows upon those whom He would rescue at such a cost. We were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2), but now we’re alive in Christ! We were slaves residing in the domain of darkness, but now we’ve been transferred to the kingdom of Jesus (Colossians 1:13). We are loved (2 Thessalonians 2:16), wanted (John 15:16), treasured (Deuteronomy 26:18). In a word, we’ve received mercy.
But our kindly intentioned God (Ephesians 1:5,9) didn’t stop there. He has lavished good gifts upon His beloved adopted ones. We are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians :13-14, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We’ve been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). We are the recipients of lavish grace (Ephesians 1:6-8). We have an open invitation to the throne room of the Most High God (Hebrews 4:16). We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We have Jesus constantly talking to the Father on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25). The God of hope (Romans 15:13), the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3), the God of grace (1 Peter 5:10), the Father of mercies (2 Corinthians 1:3)…This is OUR GOD! Our Daddy (Romans 8:15)! In a word, we’ve received grace.
Mercy and grace in abundance, and all kinds of physical blessings as well. We have so much, so very much, for which to give thanks! Our “cup of blessings” is certainly overflowing. May we overflow with gratitude in return, on Thanksgiving and every other day of the year.
by MeredithNMills | Nov 7, 2014 | Uncategorized
“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9.
It’s a glorious fall day in the mountains…radiant shades of yellow, red and orange cover the landscape with a blanket of autumn loveliness. The days are warm, the evenings delightfully chilly. It’s the most wonderful time of the year…at least I think so! As I drink in the beauty of this new season, I’m reminded of my own life and of this season in which I find myself. God is doing such a deep work in me. Renewing my mind and teaching me about Himself. Helping me to find my identity in Him. I’m learning about gospel grace and the place it has in my daily life. To see others with eyes of grace, instead of with eyes of judgment. It’s a beautiful change…in a sometimes pleasant, sometimes painful way.
But like the changing of the seasons, transformation takes time. Growing is a process. And sometimes I get impatient with that process. I want to be so much farther down the road to Christlikeness than I am. I want to be a gracious woman, consistent in trusting God, not so easily “knocked off my feet” by shifting emotions. I long to be firmly grounded in truth, to have all the answers to my many questions. I want to be “grown up” – now!
But oh, how patient my God is. And how not impatient He is. Like a daddy watching his child learn to walk, He rejoices with each step I take and gently picks me up every single time I fall. He doesn’t get angry with me for stumbling. He just scoops me up and sets me on my feet again and continues to lovingly teach and train me.
He is, after all, the One doing the work in me. The One bringing about growth and maturity. (“For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose” Philippians 2:13.) As 2 Peter 3:9 (above) proclaims, God is not in a hurry. He is patiently waiting until just the right time to send His Son back to earth. He’s giving more time for sinners to turn to Him. In a similar way, He is patient with His children as He works in us, renewing our minds and transforming us from the inside out (Romans 12:2).
This has been so freeing for me to understand. It’s not up to me (nor am I able) to fix myself – or others! I can rest in the awareness that God is working – at His own pace, and in His own way. My “job” is to abide in Him, to let His Word abide in me (John 15), and to let Him live through me (Galatians 2:20).
