“And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 The last few weeks have been spent gathering with different friends, and family members celebrating the various holidays. We can remember the days of laughter expressed with joy. Some of the encounters might not be completely fun while others were filled with debates that left you feeling annoyed and even with worry but, the holidays remind us that we are made for companionship that with the right people we are better together. When we have been hurt by so many people in our past, often we come to believe that we do not need people in our life we can do everything on our own, but we were not created for isolation. We are created to live life with people and for a purpose. The hardest part is finding the right people to become a part of your community. As we age, we might become skeptical of having anyone become a part of our community when we see a new face often, we do not want to trust them since we do not know them, or we do not want to be hurt like we have been in a previous friendship. It is hard to trust after being hurt, but we cannot go through life alone. Trusting a new person can be hard since we must be vulnerable. We must let them know who we are it can be scary; however, at the same time we must be brave and willing to be loved by another person. We need people in our communities that will encourage us to become our better selves, learn to grow, and develop to thrive. When we find the right people to become a part of our community we do not just grow, but flourish. We become even more than what we expected we can become. Heavenly Father, may you place the right people in my path that will continue to challenge, encourage, and even help me flourish. May your Spirit help me discern who I need to let in and who I need to stay away from. Walking with you, Stacy Watkins
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“Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
This past week brought about a lot of tension between friends, family, and even coworkers. Each of our friends have burdens that many of us do not know about. To know our friends better we must create space for them to vulnerable. Create space to let them discuss their lived experience and what is currently burdening them right now. We must humble ourselves and be willing to listen regardless of our feelings. When we love our friends and neighbors, we walk with them through their struggles, their struggle becomes our own struggle. One burden is the temptation to do things that is not good for our health or even for relationships. It might be difficult but, we are to share with those who we trust what temptations we are facing. Those within our circle can hold us accountable. Some burdens feel a little harder to talk about like being lonely during the holidays or learning to make new friends in a different state. It may feel strange to ask someone if they can sit with you because you do not want to be alone but, they will be glad to be there for you. Christ carried all our burdens when he died on the cross for all of us. There is nothing we must face alone since he is always with us and will never forsake us. Heavenly Father, thank you for carrying our burdens to the cross. Everything that we are facing we do not face alone because you are with us each step of the way. May we continue to lean on you. Praying for you, Stacy Watkins Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. (Colossians 3:18)
The word submit makes me want to cringe. Often it is used as a reason for women to obey their spouse regardless of what they say or how they treat them. This is not the case. Submission can be seen in two ways in a military context we submit to the leaders who are over the unit. However, your spouse is not in a military regimen with just you and them. It would be difficult to conquer a nation with just the two of you. Submit here is used meaning a voluntary attitude of cooperating, assuming responsibility, and obedience. It is voluntary not mandated. Your spouse has a choice in cooperating in what you are requesting of them, they get to decide if they want to obey or assume responsibility. The decision rests with them. The spouse is a cooperative partner. A partner in your relationship. “As is fitting in the Lord.” The type of love that is fitting in the Lord is one of sacrificial love that Christ calls for husbands to led by. They are the example as the head of the household of how to protect those under their care, support them, and sacrifice for them. Just as Jesus submitted to the Father. The aim of submission is unity. Jesus submits to the Father to bring mankind into a right relationship with the Father. Spouses submit to each other to create a stronger family unit. Praying for you, Stacy Watkins “Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:2)
He is without integrity. A person’s character tells us a lot about them. There are several characteristics that people consider someone of integrity if they are honest, trustworthy, respectful, patient, and are responsible. We all know someone who we question their integrity. Sometimes we question someone’s integrity based on how they dress without even knowing the person. Our egos can change our character values. When we want to look impressive to someone, we might talk ourselves up. It might be a little lie, and no one got hurt from it, but a lie is still a lie, and we should always tell the truth. We may tell ourselves there are acceptable reasons to lie such as when we are being interviewed, we do not fully know the person, or even that it is hard for you to trust other people. However, you are denying yourself the opportunity to be a trustworthy and honest person. The excuse you do not know the person does not allow you the opportunity to get to know someone. You cannot know another person until you take the time to be vulnerable and share with another person. The idea that it is hard for you trust people does not have to do with the other person but with yourself. You can seek help from mental health professionals to learn to build trust within yourself and others. The righteous will live by faith when we have faith, we take a chance on vulnerability and allow the opportunity for another person to see us with all our emotional baggage that we bring into the relationship. Living by faith allows us to open our hearts to trust someone by creating new positive experiences together. It is through the help of Jesus that we can change our character from someone without integrity to someone who is called righteous and just. Praying, Stacy Watkins “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The Lord takes vengeance against his foes; he is furious with his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished.” (Nahum 1:2-3)
This verse can be kind of daunting the beginning is all about how God is a jealous God and will take vengeance on his enemies. However, if we believe in Jesus, we can look at this verse in a different light we can have comfort that God will avenge us. When I was in high school someone did something that was very hurtful and did not sit well with me. I have thought of all the ways I could hurt this person and get vengeance. I wanted this person to suffer as much as I had and buried eight feet under. The only thing I wanted to focus on is hurting them because of what they had done. This kind of thinking is not healthy and not helpful. The Bible constantly reminds us that vengeance does not belong to us but God. God says “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay. In time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.” (Deuteronomy 32:35) God will not leave the guilty unpunished for their crimes. Instead of seeking vengeance for those who have hurt us we can pray for them to make better choices, know Jesus, and even work towards reconciliation if possible. God knows all and sees all. True justice comes from him since he knows what is just and fair. If you have been harmed by someone pray for them. Trust God has seen what has happened and will act on it how he seems fit. He will enact justice in his perfect timing. Keep doing what is right and do not take vengeance in your own hands. Praying for you, Stacy Watkins “And in the place where they were told: You are not my people, they will be called: Sons of the living God,” Relationships can be difficult and often challenging to maintain. Many of us have friends that we no longer talk to or spend time with. Family members because of our life choices that are not good for us stop talking to us. The choices that we make can strain relationships pushing them to the point of nonexistence. The people closest to us, our own family, can decide that they no longer want to be around us or even that we do not belong apart of the family anymore. We have heard tragic words of “You are dead to me” or even “You are no longer my son or daughter.” Leaving many of us abandoned and alone and even feeling unloved. Places can remind us of broken relationships the pain and the hurt that we once felt being torn from relationships that we once held dear to us in our hearts. For many of us we can avoid these places for years. The pain of returning can sometimes be unbearable. However, the same place can bring redemption. God takes the places that can bring us anguish and heartache and instead can bring redemption. Although, family and friends may turn their backs on us and say “we are no longer family” or even “You are dead to me” there is a God who says that you are his son and daughter. There is a God who loves you even when you are reminded that those who are supposed to be closest to you blood relatives want nothing to do with you. God sees you and loves you declaring that you are his child and will never leave you. Praying, Stacy Watt |
AuthorPastor Matt Huff leads Portland Central Nazarene Church. He loves being in ministry and seeing lives transformed by the power of Christ. Archives
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