Day 120 – Mentoring (1 & 2 Timothy)

I’ve had many great mentors in my life.  They just come with official titles like mother, husband, friend, supervisor, Sunday School teacher, college instructor.  My friend, Tanisha, was a “Big Sister” for many years taking her “little sister” to events, calling her, tracking her down when she moved, and generally just being available.  What great mentors offer is time.  Not out of obligation or for compensation but out of a genuine desire to help another person.

Edward and I were lucky enough to have spiritual mentors…no, not lucky…God definitely orchestrated it.  Our church was doing the “40 Days of Purpose” by Rick Warren and decided to do a series of home groups for adults who were teaching Sunday School or otherwise not in a regular Sunday School class of their own.  Edward and I decided to do this since we hadn’t found a Sunday School class that we fit into.  Ed and Judy Compton sat at our table and offered to host the group.  By the end of the study, there were 4 couples who were committed to this Friday night Bible study, so Ed Compton offered to take a leadership role and lead us in a weekly Bible study.  We all agreed to “see how it goes”.  For 3 years, Ed and Judy taught us in their home often lasting 2 to 3 hours.  They instilled basic principles of daily worship, Bible study, and prayer as well as the importance of tithing and serving.  They offered an excellent example of a Christian marriage (with ups and downs – not just the glossy, touched up version).  They offered time, love, support, and accountability.  “Maria, why aren’t you serving?”  “Have you found a place to serve yet?”  “Maria, you’d be a great fit for FAITH.  Can I sign you up?”  It was Ed Compton’s push that got me in the FAITH program where I learned the value of sharing my faith with other people.

It’s the mentor in Paul that I see in his letters to Timothy.  He seems concerned about Timothy maintaining a high level of faith, keeping spiritual standards, and growing in this spiritual gift as Timothy in turn mentored the church body at Ephesus.  “Train yourself in godliness…Command and teach these things…Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress…Persist in this, for by doing so you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:7-16)   

Paul also spends time praising Timothy and encouraging him.  It’s this balance in roles that makes the mentoring relationship so influential and important.  “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” (2 Timothy 1:5)  Paul also recognizes that, despite the negative influences, Timothy has chosen the right path which Paul reinforces by saying, “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness…” (v. 3:10)

Paul writes, “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5)  A mentor must indict us when acting outside of our faith, but this charge should be based in purity, honesty, love, and in God’s word.  “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (1 Timothy 3:16)  Mentoring is like coaching in that the focus is in improving ”player” and “team” performance using the playbook.  As a member of God’s team, I look to pastors, teachers, and mentors to coach me according to our playbook, the Bible.  This process equips me to coach others.

My prayer today:

Thank you for the mentors who invested in me, Lord!  Bless them as they continue to mentor others into meaningful relationship with you.  Help me to have the commitment to mentor others and the humility to seek counsel and be led by the mentors you place in my life.  Amen

Add a comment September 17, 2010

Day 65 – Overindulgent (Micah)

I suppose that every generation feels concern that the younger generation is spoiled.  Micah is expressing concern more than 2,000 years ago. “If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, ‘I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,’ he would be the preacher for this people.” (2:11)  It’s kind of like the “name it and claim it” preachings so popular today.  We want, want, want, now, now, now.  I know my generation is overindulged compared to my parents, grandparents, and great-grand parents.  We strut around with our Coach bag in one hand and Starbucks coffee in the other while talking on our Bluetooth and ordering delivery on the computer.  There is nothing wrong with a little indulgence (you know how I love to chat over coffee at Starbucks), but it seems a little ridiculous when there is a little girl in Africa who is too weak to go to school because her last meal was 3 days ago, another little girl in the Middle East doesn’t even have the right to go to school, and another little girl is serving time as a sex slave.

 I will never know hardships like those examples (and don’t kid yourself…it’s not 1 little girl in each of those scenarios…it’s hundreds of thousands!), but I am grateful for the periods of poverty that I’ve experienced (by American standards).  Those experiences help me to appreciate the indulgences that I enjoy today – gourmet coffee, a nice pair of shoes, a house 3x what I need, and opportunities to travel.  As a nation, it took a recession to catch our attention and take a look at where we were overindulging and start to make changes.  Relationships took a priority over stuff and a helping hand was more readily extended.  There was less divorce, but unfortunately, not more God.

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” (Micah 4:2)  Let’s talk to God about how to make a difference in our overindulged nation as well as how we can care for his vulnerable children on every continent.

If you want to use your money to make a difference, here are some suggestions:

• Women for Afghan Women http://www.womenforwomen.org/global-initiatives-helping-women/help-women-afghanistan.php
• Human trafficking – http://humantrafficking.org
• World Hunger – www.worldhunger.org
• Feeding America – http://feedingamerica.org

My prayer today:

Lord, thank you for exceeding all of my needs - for a warm/cool home, plenty of food, employment, clothes, and a great church to fill my spiritual belly (with the freedom to do so).  Lord, I have no understanding of the suffering that people experience with hunger, abuse, war, and disease.  Help me not to take my blessings for granted and give me the compassion and means to help others in need.  More than anything, people need salvation and the security of eternal life.  Give me the words, tools, and passion for feeding people Your Word.  Amen

Add a comment July 23, 2010

Day 29 – Genealogy & the Lord’s temple (1 Chronicles 1 – 29)

This book begins with chronicling David’s line.  We know this is important because Jesus comes from David’s line.  It’s fascinating to study one’s genealogy.  My mom loves to trace one’s ancestry.  She’s found ancestors of mine from both sides of my family were on the Mayflower.  She’s wonderful at telling the story of someone’s life with very little information.  With a just a few dates and a little census data, she’ll take you back in time to explore the likely events of your ancestor’s life.

Back to David…he was busy making preparations for the building of God’s temple.  He assembled the supplies, building materials, and skilled workers.  He organized the priests, musicians, treasurers, and gatekeepers.  “Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord…” (1 Chronicles 22:6)  David had wanted to build the temple himself, but God decided that David had waged too many wars and shed too much blood.  David faithfully prepared Solomon and all elements necessary for successful completion of this massive project, despite his disappointment. 

2 Kings 12:4-12 talks about raising money for repairing the temple and for paying the repair workers.  During the reign of evil kings, the temple would fall in disrepair.  People would pay to upkeep religious places and symbols for false gods, if they were scared to experience the false god’s wrath.  King Jehoash, however, was “…right in the eyes of the Lord all his days…” (2 Kings 12:2) and designated funds and services to maintain the temple.

These passages about building and repairing the temple made me think about our trip to NY and work projects at the church.  Why did we want to do that?  God doesn’t care about paint or flowers.  It’s true that God does not care about buildings.  He is not physically in need of a place to stay.  He’s concerned about people.  Our project was about people.  We wanted to serve and bless others.  The irony, of course, is that we were the one’s blessed.

My prayer today:

Lord, thank you for your church.  Though I don’t need a building to be with you, I love having a “home” to visit and see “family”.  I love to come together with your children and sing, hear your Word spoken and discussed, and develop relationships.  Lord, I pray for my HW and KGBC families.  Help us to be fishers of men, like Jesus.  Amen

Add a comment June 13, 2010

Day 28 – Evil deeds (1 Kings 9 – 2 Kings 25)

2 Kings is filled with Kings, like Jehoram, Ahaziah, Jeroboam, Zechariah, Menahem, and Pekahiah (just to name a few) who “…did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” (2 Kings 8:18 & 27, 14:24, and 15:8, 18 & 24)  Even King Jehoash, who “…did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days…” allowed the people to make sacrifice to false gods at the high places. (2 Kings 12:2-3)  Finally, there’s some relief to these wretched practices when King Hezekiah comes along.  “And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.  He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah.  And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it.  He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kinds of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.  And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered.” (2 Kings 18:3-7)

There are two major points that strike me in 2 Kings.  First, God was gracious enough not to wipe out these nose-thumbing sinners in order to preserve the Davidic line which led to Jesus.  Second, there is a big difference in the King’s experience when God is just honoring the covenant versus blessing the King who doing right before the Lord.

Again, consider King Hezekiah.  He is ill, and the Lord says, “…you shall die; you shall not recover.” (2 Kings 20:1)  King Hezekiah prays and reminds the Lord that he has “…walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” (2 Kings 20:3)  The Lord grants Hezekiah’s request and gives him 15 more years of life.

On the other hand, consider King Manasseh.  He was another king doing evil before the Lord.  He rebuilt the high places of sacrifice and worship that King Hezekiah tore down.  He led the people to commit greater sin than the nations they were fighting.  God says, “Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.” (2 Kings 21:12)

Do these passages apply to our nation today?  Should America be concerned?  As Christians, have we allowed too many violations of God’s Word to become acceptable for the sake of “tolerance”?  Do we sit silently in the safety of our salvation?  God chose to bring great devastation upon His beloved people more than once due to their sin and tolerance of sin in their society.

My prayer for today:

Lord, I’ve never been tempted to worship false Gods, but I’m very tolerant of others worshipping false Gods.  Help me to have the wisdom to say the right thing in your eyes, and the courage to demonstrate the right behavior in your eyes when faced with this situation.  Thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes at a young age to see you for the one and only true God that you are. Amen

Add a comment June 12, 2010

Day 14 – Pick one (Joshua 6 – 24)

I love, love, love Joshua 24:15b, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  This is a firm decision – a clear choice.  There is no hemming and hawing (are those words?).  There is no ambiguity.  Joshua is clear about his decision to serve God and suggests to the people that they must make a decision.  As a whole they have been all  over the place.  Remember when Moses came down from the mountain to find the people worshipping a golden calf? (Ex. 32:1-7)

I have found myself serving “gods” of all sorts – relationships, money, jobs, hobbies.  This often happens accidently, or at least without intent, but serving God must be a choice with deliberate intent.  I think that Satan’s greatest weapon against Christians is a lack of commitment and lack of action.  He’s already lost the battle with our soul, so if he can get us out of the fight altogether, then he’s satisfied.  I am no threat to Satan when I am comfortably indulging in my self interests.  ”No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)  I’ve found that you can’t serve both God and self, but serving God results in great personal rewards whereas the reverse is not true.

We need to challenge one another to set aside the “gods” in our lives and serve the Lord.  The battle for souls is waging…if your soul is secure, you’re needed on the front lines.  If the battle is over your soul, you must make a choice…Jesus has paid the fare, but you must pick up the ticket.

My prayer today:

Lord, I chose you when I was a small child, and I still choose you today.  Though I get distracted and wonder off for a while, I know my salvation is secure.  As for Maria, she will serve you, Lord!  Unfortunately, Lord, there are people in my life who are not saved and the urgency is in their decision.  Lord, help me to light the path to you.  Let them see your perfect grace and mercy and not my flawed face when they see me.  Amen

1 comment May 26, 2010

Day 8 – Promises in Numbers (Numbers)

Blogging about my reading is definitely a great way to read the Bible.  Usually, I spend most of the second half of the Torah thinking, I can’t wait to get out of this boring part!  This time, I am “looking” for things that especially catch my interest or particularly relate to my spiritual walk at this point in my life.  Though my plan was to read Numbers in a day so I wouldn’t have to blog more about it, there were actually several things that struck me.  Are you reading along with me?  What appealed to you in Numbers?  LOL…I see you looking for that invisibility cloak I referenced a few days ago!!!

First, I noticed the whining again.  “And the people of Israel also wept again and again, ‘Oh that we had meat to eat!  We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.  But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.’” (Numbers 11:4b – 6)  These kinds of complaints are rampant in our society today.  Basic needs are not enough.  We feel we deserve more and even convince ourselves that we need more.  It wasn’t enough that God provided for their every need; the Israelites cried to have their every want satisfied.  I fall prey to this same victim mentality, too.  Do you find yourself dissatisfied even when you get what you want?  I’m finding that the more I get rid of, the less I desire, but I’m certainly not cured of this disease!

The second passage that caught was attention was particularly reassuring.  Korah and a bunch of other guys rose up against Moses and Aaron.  Korah’s gang claimed that all of the people were holy, so how could Moses and Aaron exalt themselves above others (speaking of the high priesthood).  Korah failed to recognize that Aaron was given that position by God.  It was not a self-appointment.  God’s response was swift and sure.  “…the ground under them split apart.  And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people wo belonged to Korah and all their goods.  So they an all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.” (Numbers 16: 31 -33)  Why is this passage reassuring?  God provided protection to Aaron to do the work that he was appointed to do.  Even though Aaron wasn’t perfect and righteous, he was appointed by God to do a specific job, and God wasn’t about to let a thug like Korah get in the way.

God has asked me to do very little in comparison to the tasks of Moses and Aaron, but it is really powerful yet humbling to see Him working in me as if I am just as important.  What has God done for you lately?

My prayer for today:

Lord, thank you for the protections that you have provided to me both big and small.  There are many that I likely miss altogether and others that I failed to express gratitude for.  Forgive me for that.  Lord, please continue to provide protection against attacks to my joy, my health, my marriage, my desire to serve you, and my faith.  Lord, please extend your protection to my family and friends.  Amen

Add a comment May 20, 2010

Day 1 – Genesis 1 – 17:14

Have you ever noticed that the same chapter, passage, or verse impacts you differently depending on what’s going on in your life?  I expected Noah’s story to dominate my take-away today, but instead, it was Genesis 2:18 which reads, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” (ESV)  I suppose this verse struck me, because I’ve been obsessing about the details of our upcoming vow renewal ceremony, and what it means to be a wife.  Not just any wife, but Edward’s wife.  I am responsible for helping to complement his unique strengths and needs.  Unfortunately, I fall into the trap of “mothering” or “bossing” Edward.  Do this, don’t do that!  My friend and accountability partner, Carla, often reminds me, “You are not Edward’s Holy Spirit.”  We’ll see…I’m only in Genesis. 

Anyway, God made Eve to “fit” Adam.  Not to dominate him or be subservient to him, but to complement him.  Fill in the gaps for one another.  This special arrangement that God made between man and wife also meant that she had great influence with Adam, as well.  We all know what she did with that!  One word: apple. 

There is a broader application here, though.  Didn’t God make me to “fit” in many ways, in many places, and in many relationships?  Aren’t I intended to complement others?  These questions lead to me another.  How can I use my strengths to fill a need somewhere and complement what exists?  Is there a place that you “fit” in and are needed, like at work, church, school, or volunteer opportunity, but instead, there is a gaping hole?

Here’s my prayer for today:

Lord, thank you for your Word and the reflection it brings in my life.  Help me to use my influence with friends and family to do good rather than feeding them apples from the dumb Deceiver.  Lord, reveal to me any person or place that you’ve custom “fit” me to help, and then give me to the courage to do it.  Thank you, Lord, for caring enough about me to still see value despite all the grime.  Amen

Maria

2 comments May 12, 2010