Archives for October 2016

Yes to the Lordship of Jesus

10.25.2016 by Deb Hoang //

We’re continuing the conversation by answering how can we say yes to God and I (Kim) am so excited to have my dear friend, Deb Hoang, share her heart and insights with us. Deb is a wife, mom of two girls, a women’s ministry leader, is passionate about discipleship and leading women to grow deeper in their relationships with God.

One early morning at the shore of Sea of Tiberias, a man sits across from his master barely able to swallow the freshly roasted fish in his hands. Each moment seems unbearably heavy with unspoken words hanging in the air. The master breaks the silence. He asks the man, “Do you love me more than these?” And the man answers, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” (John 21:15)

This exchange between Jesus and Peter is one of the most gracious, merciful and loving encounters for me personally because I identify with Peter. After Peter’s betrayal of Jesus on the night of his crucifixion, Jesus comes to reinstate Peter as his disciple and entrust him with the awesome ministry of church planting he commissioned before the crucifixion. “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” Matthew 16:18 (NLT)

Jesus doesn’t rebuke. He doesn’t interrogate. Jesus asks the most important question regarding the foundation – the rock – on which to build his church upon. LOVE…the loyalty of Peter’s heart to Jesus.

Jesus, my master, has been asking me this same question. He has so persistently been asking me, “Do you love me more than these?” And I answer, “Yes, I love you, Jesus.” But somehow he is unsatisfied with my answer. He keeps asking me because I am not answering his question. The emphasis is, “Do you love me more than these?”

The on-going battle between Jesus and me is bit like a game of the throne of my heart. Jesus is the rightful owner of the throne and I am the usurper, trying to sneak back onto the throne every chance I get. Whenever I experience challenges, trials or even triumphs, the issue always comes down to who is the King of my heart. Am I willing to let Jesus reign as the supreme importance and authority in my life? I say, “Yes,” with my mouth, but in reality it’s not the case.

Jesus and I have been stuck on this one issue for years. He insists…absolutely insists we must get this straight! Finally, when I was in the depth of despair and anguish as a consequence of my rebellion, he revealed this truth…

All of your sinful, rebellious decisions and actions are offensive and detestable to me because you are choosing to disregard the First and the Greatest Commandment:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2-3

Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38

I was guilty of idolatry. I’ve loved people and things more than Jesus. I’ve placed on the throne of my heart my husband, my children, my own selfish desires, and even destructive strongholds! During my lifetime, I’ve surrendered the throne when in desperate need of Jesus’ help or when experiencing spiritual revival at a retreat, only to drag him down and elevate someone or something else onto the throne repeatedly.

So what does it mean to say, “Yes,” to Jesus’ question, “Do you love me more than these?” It is a daily commitment to surrender the Lordship of my life to Jesus. No one or nothing else can ever be esteemed higher than Jesus.

Jesus alone.

Jesus always.

Jesus above all.

What does it look like in my life? Each morning, I sit in my prayer corner with a cup of hot coffee and headphones on. I begin my day lifting up to these words to Jesus in reverence, adoration, and conviction.

“My heart, Your throne

This life belongs to you and you alone

Let there be no divide

In only you may my soul be satisfied.”

(“Satisfied” by Jordan Feliz)

After Peter answers, “Yes, Lord,” Jesus reveals his command to Peter. “Feed my lambs.” Similarly, during the offering of the first fruit of my day when I’ve first committed myself to the lordship of Jesus, I am able to discern his voice…his commands and most of all his LOVE.

The Most Difficult Yes

10.18.2016 by Kim Findlay //

It’s my (Kim’s) turn to talk about saying yes to God here at Facets of Faith. Tracy and Jen have shared earlier this month so be sure to check out their answers!

I choose to trust you. No matter what, if she lives or dies, I trust you.

The words tumbled out before their impact registered. The doctor had just delivered devastating news: my youngest daughter was going to die from a fire that destroyed our home.

My worst nightmare came alive as I stared fear and death square in the face. I had no idea what to expect after that moment. Life shifted, tilted, and threw me completely off-balance. But even so, I made a life-changing decision that day. I said yes to God while I plunged head-first into the dark shadow death cast on my life.

Over the next eleven years my life plummeted deeper into darkness and sorrow. The broken pieces of my heart cut deep. The broken pieces of her daddy’s heart sliced deeper until our rocky marriage finally broke. The fallout from those years altered every aspect of my life —nothing escaped unscathed.

So why did I say yes to Him? If you had asked me that moment in the hospital, I might have said He was going to miraculously change everything. People were praying. Others declared a full healing. The path before me would turn straight and smooth. I wanted my happily-ever-after “God-moment” where He rescued Emma and saved us from utter destruction.

That happily-ever-after never came, at least not Hollywood’s version.

Here’s what did happen when I said yes to God.

I experienced His Presence.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:18, NLT

As I traveled through the darkness, I sensed God’s presence near. Conflicting feelings swirled inside —pain and joy, sorrow and hope. Gentle reminders that heaven was near but not in its fullness. Suffering and brokenness mark this world, but when Jesus came to earth, heaven broke through and marked those who love Him through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I experienced His peace.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33, NLT

Peace is not something that can be fabricated, not the true abiding peace that gives strength and perseverance to the weary. Peace is a gift God gives when we say yes to Him, and I felt it. I experienced it. His peace calmed and sustained me through the bleakest moments. His peace strengthened me as He developed resilience within me.

I experienced hope.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13, NLT

Emma died. My sweet girl experienced life on earth for five years, and now experiences the glory of heaven for eternity. I still long for her, but I have hope that this life and this world is not the end. One day I will see her again.

But I also have hope that my heartbreak isn’t wasted. That God didn’t forget about me, make a mistake, or leave me to navigate the dark valley of death and sorrow alone.

Nor does He forget you.

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, NLT

I experienced His comfort and offer it to others.

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Corinthians 1:4, NLT

Comfort came through the gift of friends and family. It came through the whispers of the Holy Spirit, reminding me that I was seen and heard and loved. Comfort came through tears that were shed by me and with those who love me. Comfort comes every time someone remembers my sweet girl and speaks her name out loud.

I experienced His goodness.

Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13, NLT

Nothing about my daughter’s death was good. I’ve missed out on eleven years of birthdays and hugs, kisses and conversations. By now she’d have her driver’s license and maybe even a crush or two.

And yet God. When I said yes to Him and willingly embraced the crushing and pressing, He opened my eyes to see His goodness. I looked for it, and He revealed it. By saying yes, He opened my heart to receive His healing and blessing, even through horrific circumstances. By saying yes, He opened my soul to receive heavenly wonders and mercies that defy this temporary world.

I’m nothing special to have endured this suffering. All I did was say yes to God, allowed Him to sift and shape my soul; He did (and still does) the heavy hauling. But by saying yes, even this most difficult yes to God, my voice joins the chorus that sings His praise, giving Him glory so that others may see all He has done and be amazed.

And so can yours.

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3, NLT

Are you willing to say yes to God, even to the most difficult things? He will meet you there if you do.

Join the conversation this week on our Facebook page and share how you’re saying the most difficult yes. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Yes? No? Maybe so…

10.11.2016 by Jennifer Howe //

I (Jennifer) will let you in on a little secret. I’m afraid of commitment. Okay, I said it. It’s all out in the open now. Does that change our relationship? Maybe, but let me explain—

This month we’re talking about the “Y-word,” and that means commitment. If I say yes, I’m completely committed; I rarely back out. I take each one seriously, so I’m slow to respond to invitations, meetings, even coffee dates. I’m not talking about the calendar I haven’t memorized and my fear of over-booking like an airline. That happens. I’m talking about managing the number of yeses I offer. While I like to think I’m not the fool who rushes in, the truth is, my yes is so important to me, I reserve it (sometimes for too long).

When I think about saying yes to anything in my schedule, I’m reminded of the wisdom of James—

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15 CSB

Then there’s the wisdom of Jesus—

Just let your ‘Yes’ be a simple ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ a simple ‘No’; anything more than this has its origin in evil. Matthew 5:37 CJB

With those two things in mind, how can I give my best, solid yes to the next invitation that pops up? Am I arrogant in planning to go somewhere, see someone, or take on a project? If I say yes, what happens if something changes? (Have you heard of analysis paralysis?) I might get stuck in the “what ifs” surrounding commitment. I might be tempted to think any yes is prideful or chiseled in stone. I wonder if, under the right conditions, it’s none of those things.

I want my yes to be thoughtful and purposeful. When I consider “the Lord’s will,” I have a wonderful opportunity to think, pray, and respond. That’s really the process for me, on a good day.

When I’m asked to serve in some way (at someone’s request or God’s), it can be emotional. I love to be helpful and feel part of something larger than myself, which is a good thing. But I need to be wary of feeling puffed up if I contribute to any project or cause. That prideful attitude is not a good thing. So I try to examine my motives and personal agenda, if there is one. Whatever I do, I want to do with a clean hands and an honest heart.

I also have limited time, strength, and resources, if I’m honest. It makes sense to look at responsibilities and necessary boundaries before agreeing to anything. I might be tempted to give a quick yes with the best intensions, but the truth may be that I’m stretched too thin. When someone asks me to serve, I want my first thought to be Is this for me? Let me explain.

For we are His creation—created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 CSB

Opportunities will always present themselves. From coffee dates to “big deal” decisions, I think the best, solid yes comes from knowing the request is, first, in keeping with God’s heart, plan, and his incredible hardwiring in us. My beautiful friend leaned into learning an instrument in a short time for a recording. I am not instrumentally-inclined, so I’m pretty sure that’s “not for me.” That doesn’t mean there won’t be asks that we know are specifically entrusted to us that are a stretch (God supernaturally fills canyon-wide gaps all the time). What’s most important in each yes we consider is if this ask or task is set aside for us for right now.

I ask myself, Is this something I am to walk in by the power of God? Is He working in this moment and inviting me to join Him? That’s what I want to know!

When others know our talents and giftedness, a good number of asks might be made, even frequently. If our God-given inclination is to lead, help, empower others, or show mercy, the requests may seem endless. That’s when we need to pause before responding. When we ask God what he has for us in the day, we will have the wisdom to know which yeses are ours.

Now, if I’m very transparent, just a drop of pride in the mix generates a longer list of opportunities to say yes. That’s where I come full-circle in this post. My fear of offering a yes is half-rooted in the fact that I know my pride might lead me to say yes too quickly or too often. The other half is rooted in the genuine, joyful follow-through on a commitment. Time, energy, resources, and failure swirl around all of that. I end up asking What if this is too much? What if I was never intended to join in this moment? Will I miss something else because of this yes?

There’s the tension in the yes for me. That’s why I want to pause, pray, and then jump in when I’ve got the go-ahead. Is this something you wrestle with, too?

Now you know the thoughts in my head that I hope keep me from going willy-nilly with the yeses in life. I haven’t been asked to fill a big role in full-time ministry in this season. I’m being asked to be present and look for the little yes (with bigger impact than I’ll probably know) in everyday life.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on saying yes this week. Have you found a good way to identify the things “prepared in advance” for you? How has God shown you your beautiful asks and tasks that lay in front of you each day? Have you thought about it? If not, what will you do next?

Thanks for reading! Join the conversation this week and share your thoughts on how you come to your best, solid yes to God and others. I’d love to read what you have to say.