Kathy Howard's Blog: Unshakeable Faith for Life, page 53

6 Truths to Remember When Life is Hard

“Life is hard! Why does God allow His children to suffer?”

If this isn’t the question Christians ask the most, it’s certainly near the top of the list. It may seem that sometimes God answers our prayers for help and sometimes He doesn’t. But, while we humans are overwhelmed by our physical and temporary circumstances, God has the spiritual and eternal in mind. We often live for the short-term while God is constantly working on the long-term.

So, what can we do in the midst of pain, grief, struggles, and difficulty, when God doesn’t seem to be working on our behalf? No matter our physical circumstances, we can – and must – choose to stand firmly on God’s truth. Our emotions will betray us. The wisdom of the world will lead us astray. But the truth of God stands firm forever.

Why does #God allow His children to #suffer?
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In the middle of a trial or difficulty right now? Reflect on the following six truths from Scripture:

God is all-powerful and in control of every situation (Psalm 77:14; Jeremiah 32:17; Ephesians 1:18-21) – It might not look like it in the moment, but does have the power to change or work in any situation we face. Sometimes though, God chooses to work differently than we want Him to work.
God knows and cares about every aspect of our lives (Matthew 6:25-34; Hebrews 4:15; Philippians 4:19) – Just because God allows something into our lives or doesn’t remove a hardship it doesn’t mean He doesn’t care about our pain. He knows every need. He sees every tear.
God is good, loving, and faithful (Psalm 145:17; 1 John 4:8; Lamentations 3:22-23) – Even when our circumstances are bad, God is still good. In fact, often it’s in the middle of difficulties that we most experience the goodness, love, and faithfulness of God.
We are not alone in our trials; God is always with us (Isaiah 43:2; Psalm 23:4; John 14:16; Matthew 28:20) – God may not remove our struggles, but He will not leave us to face them alone.
God will strengthen and comfort us in the midst of troubles (Psalm 147:3; Isaiah 40:27-31; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; 2 Corinthians 1:8-11; Philippians 4:13) – One reason God allows trials into our lives is to teach us to depend on Him. As we lean on Him, He will fill us with His comfort and strength to endure.
God works through difficulties in our lives to accomplish His eternal purposes (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Romans 8:28-29) – As much as God cares about our physical condition, He cares even more about our spiritual condition. He works in and through our trials to refine us spiritually, shape our character, and prepare us for His purposes.

6 #truths to remember in #trials and #difficulties
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Even these truths don’t answer all our questions about illness, grief, and pain. But even though we can’t fully understand, we can claim these truths and trust God for the rest.

Which of these truths did you most need to hear today? Why?

Other related posts you may find helpful:

Is God Still Good When Our Circumstances Aren’t?
Praising God in the Hard Times
More Questions than Answers
The Hiking Boot Debacle

 

 

The post 6 Truths to Remember When Life is Hard appeared first on Kathy Howard.

De-Stressing Christmas Step 3: Eliminate

What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you hear “Christmas?” Is it “worship,” “family time,” “rest and reflection?” Or is it cooking, shopping, busyness and exhaustion?

Our culture has perpetuated a “Christmas” that pushes us to do more, spend more, eat more, and say “yes” to everything. We are often relieved when December 26th hits and the frantic activity finally ends.

That is NOT how it has to be. This post is the third in a series to help us take some of the stress out of Christmas. In the first post, I encouraged you to ASK yourself and your family what traditions and activities are most important in order to determine what you can cut right at the start.

Are you relieved when #Dec26 rolls around? #DeStress #Christmas
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In the second post, we made a complete list of everything you do during the Christmas season and EVALUATED those things with the following questions:

• What activities consume the most of your time and resources?

• What activities do you dread? Are these activities necessary?

• Does the item help you or your family worship our Savior?

• Does it put people over things?

• Does it focus on spiritual things instead of physical things?

• Does it further things that last or things that are temporary?

6 questions to evaluate your #Christmas activities
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Now that you’ve asked and evaluated, it’s time to follow through and actually eliminate some activities and cut back on others. I’m not saying we should cut out every fun activity if it doesn’t meet the criteria above. But we can find a balance that leaves plenty of room for Jesus and family.

The first things I eliminated were things we dreaded. It was so freeing! Really, it started with my husband. He always dreaded hanging lights on the house. And I dreaded pushing him to do it. One year he simply said he didn’t like it, he didn’t have time to do it, so he wasn’t going to do it. And that was that.

The neighbors didn’t start a petition. No one egged the house. We just didn’t have lights. We may hire it done some year in the future. Or my husband may do it himself after he retires. But it’s okay to just say no.

It’s okay to #SayNo to #ChristmasActivities
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Even changing the way you do some activities can help. Don’t want to make homemade cookies for the cookie exchange? Then don’t go or buy 6 dozen from a local bakery. Totally hate decorating the tree? Then don’t do it! Or buy one with the built-in lights, set it up, plug it in and call it done!

Look at it this way, even buying a prepared pie crust or cookie dough in a tub redeems time you can use to play games with the family or read the story of the first Christmas in a recliner by the fireplace.

Accept the #Christmas activity #elimination challenge!
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Now it’s time for the elimination challenge. First, set a goal, such as cutting your list by a third or even half. Now work your way through these steps:

Pull out the list you made last week. (If you missed it, you can do it now.)
Put a check mark by the chores and activities you dread.
If they’re beneficial to someone in a meaningful way, mark them off your list.
Put a star by the chores or activities you can simplify, like buying cookie dough in a tub.
Now alter that item on the list to the simplified version.
Put a hashtag by any chores or activities that you don’t necessarily dread but that consume a lot of time.
If you enjoy then and would miss them, leave them on your list. But if you really don’t care either way, mark them off!

Congratulations! You have just taken a bold step to cut back on the busyness of the season and redeem that time for your family, for time with Jesus. How do you feel???

I’d love to know what steps you’ve taken to de-stress your Christmas! Will you share?

The post De-Stressing Christmas Step 3: Eliminate appeared first on Kathy Howard.

Advent Devotional Helps Girls in Poverty

That month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is often consumed with busyness. Decorating. Cooking. Cleaning. Parties. Shopping. And… you fill in the blank!

Unless we purposefully and intentionally focus on the reason we celebrate, Jesus and His coming easily gets lost in the whirlwind of activity.

“Good Tidings of Great Joy,” a 25-day advent devotional book, will give you a brief, daily reminder of the birth of our Savior. All proceeds of the $5 book cost go directly to benefit the Light of Hope Learning Center in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

LOHLC was established in 2006 by two American Christian women who had a desire to help Bangladeshi girls from the slums get off the streets and away from the dangers of human trafficking. At The Light of Hope, girls and young women receive basic education, vocational training, nutrition, hygiene and the Gospel message of Jesus.

When you purchase “Good Tidings of Great Joy,” your dollars directly benefit these girls and help keep the LOHLC operating. For the cost of a venti latte you can help protect a girl and feed a family. And, the devotional will help your family focus on Christ this Christmas!

Purchase your copy today and get it in time for the Advent season!

Find out more about the Light of Hope Learning Center and BFF, an advocacy ministry for the work in Bangladesh.

The post Advent Devotional Helps Girls in Poverty appeared first on Kathy Howard.

De-Stressing Christmas Step 2: Evaluate

Do you have a Christmas list? I’m not talking about a list of gifts you plan to buy for family and friends. Or a list of gifts you’d like for family and friends to buy for you…

No, I’m talking about a Christmas to-do list.

Your children won’t have one. More than likely, your husband won’t have one. But you probably do. If it isn’t written down, you have it in your head.

Your list – written or mental – may include items like this:

 

Order the holiday ham.
Take photo for family Christmas card.
Shop for new outfit for company Christmas party.
Decorate the tree.
Put lights on the house.
Bake and decorate Christmas cookies.
Pull out the Christmas dishes.
Shop for family Christmas gifts.
Wrap packages.
Get the kids pics taken with Santa.
Clean the house for company.
Anything and everything else that you or your family expects at Christmas!!!

This list could go on and on and on. The problem is, we get so busy doing our to-do list, we have no time left for family, rest, or worshiping the new born King.

So, what’s the answer? How can we take the stress out of Christmas and focus on the things that are truly important?

Last week we started a 3-part series on de-stressing Christmas. Step one was to ASK.

Ask yourself and your families what’s important and what’s not. What Christmas traditions and activities are “must-haves” for you and your family? What isn’t that important? You may be surprised!

Asking your family and yourself what’s important is a good first-step. But my guess is you probably only cut a handful of activities or chores from the Christmas season. Now, we need to get a bit more serious. It’s time to…

 EVALUATE Christmas.

Think about the various ways you spend your time during the holiday season – in fact, make a list. Write everything you can think of down on a piece of paper or type it into a notes app. I mean everything. Everything from shopping to baking to decorating to going to see Christmas lights to attending parties.

Now thoughtfully and prayerfully consider the items on your list. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

What activities consume the most of your time and resources?
What activities do you dread? Are these activities necessary?
Does the item help you or your family worship our Savior?
Does it put people over things?
Does it focus on spiritual things instead of physical things?
Does it further things that last or things that are temporary?

6 Questions to #evaluate your #Christmas activities
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Okay, you have one week to do your homework. Make your list and contemplate the value of each chore, item, and activity on it. The hard part comes next week, but oh, it will be the most beneficial!

What Christmas chore or activity do you dread the most? Tell us!

What #Christmas activity or chore do you dread most? #Evaluate #Busyness
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The post De-Stressing Christmas Step 2: Evaluate appeared first on Kathy Howard.

All Creation Sings God’s Praise

Have you ever stopped to consider the size of the universe or the scope of creation? Earth, our home, and seven other planets revolve around a sun to form a single solar system. Yet, our sun is just one of more than 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. That’s big! In fact, it would take us 100,000 years to cross our galaxy at the speed of light. And that’s just the beginning. Our galaxy is only one of billions of galaxies across the vast expanse of the cosmos. And our God made it all.

Let’s take an abrupt shift in our thinking and move from big to small, from inconceivably huge to microscopically tiny. About 100 trillion cells comprise the human body – including yours. Each cell is packed with DNA. This complex molecule stores information that determines your body’s unique physical characteristics, like the color of your eyes. If the DNA in just one cell were laid out flat in one long line, it would stretch more than 6 feet in length. 

The same God who tossed billions of galaxies across the universe also folded 6 feet of DNA into every cell of your body. He determined the size of the cosmos and counted the number of hairs on your head.

Creation summons us to know and worship the Creator. The psalmist David heard and responded.

The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 They have no speech, they use no words;

    no sound is heard from them.

4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

Creation reveals the power and majesty of God. No language difference or cultural barrier can hinder its message. No government or law can silence its voice. The vast beauty of the heavens and the complex inner workings of the human body reflect the holiness of God to every person, of every language, in every place. Without exception.

Time to do a little declaring of our own. In the space below, write a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to the Creator.

 

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De-stressing Christmas

This post is a giveaway! You can enter up to 4 times. See how to enter below. The winner’s name will be drawn at 7pm Sunday, November 8th.

I have a confession to make. I’m a recovering Christmas junkie. I struggled for years. And if I’m not careful I will fall back into that black hole of tinsel and holiday baking.

Too many decorations. Too much cooking. Too much shopping. And that’s just the beginning.

The wrapping has to match the tree. And I have to make goodies for the neighbors. And host the Christmas coffee. And the Sunday School Christmas party.

Then a few years ago, on Thanksgiving weekend, exhaustion hit. I realized I was already dreading Christmas. Totally shouldn’t be that way.

So, I gathered the family and starting asking questions about what was most important to them.

Big Christmas dinner? Not necessary. Soup would be fine.

Tree? Oh yes. That’s important.

So, we put up the tree but skipped the big dinner. Wow! Brilliant. And that was just the beginning of taking back Christmas. We decided to keep the things we enjoyed the most and forget the rest. Less stuff and activities would mean less stress!

In her book Get Yourself Organized for Christmas, my friend Kathi Lipp encourages readers to plan for and celebrate a “clutter-free” Christmas:

“A clutter-free Christmas says that we are doing only those things that are truly important. We are not getting weighed down by unnecessary expenditures, obligations, or craziness.”

Enter for a Chance to Win!

Kathi’s book is full of practical, doable “projects” to get your Christmas honed down, organized, and clutter-free! And guess what? She gave me a copy so I could give one away to you! You can enter up to 4 times:

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Too Early to Think about Christmas?

You may be wondering why I’m talking about Christmas now. Before Thanksgiving. We need to talk about this before Thanksgiving. After will be entirely too late. By then, you’re already in the middle of it.

So, before I get all worked up and all stressed out, I’m going to take a step back and purposefully give Christmas some thought before I dive in. Will you join me?

This post is the first of 3 that will help us “de-stress” our Christmas. (Be sure to check back for the next 2 Thursdays!) Today, I encourage us to take one action step:

ASK

Ask yourself and your families what’s important and what’s not. What Christmas traditions and activities are “must-haves” for you and your family? What isn’t that important? You may be surprised!

Don’t forget to comment and share for your chance to win a copy of Kathi Lipp’s book “Get Yourself Organized for Christmas.” Share you favorite Christmas tradition!

 

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5 Resources to Equip You for Bible Study

Bible studies written by someone else can be great guides to help us study God’s Word. But they should be supplemental to our own personal study of the Bible. They shouldn’t be the only – or even primary – way we study. There is no substitute for going straight to the Source!

Want to study the Bible on your own, but you aren’t sure how to get started? Maybe you’re afraid you might “do it wrong.” Remember, as believers, we have direct access to THE Teacher. The Holy Spirit, who indwells every Christian, is our Counselor and Guide. He is the One who gives us understanding of spiritual truths.

However, there are right ways and wrong ways to approach God’s Word. For instance, we always need to consider the context and the book’s literary genre. But with just a little help, you can easily study the Bible for yourself. Once you are equipped with the right tools, you will enjoy a lifetime of digging into the depths of God’s truth!

Although there are numerous great resources available, I want to share five with you today. I have read all but one of them and it came highly recommended from a trusted source.

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart – I first read this book during seminary. The author’s primary purpose is to help readers understand the differences between the various literary genres of the Bible – like poetry, narrative, prophecy – and how that affects the way we understand and apply it.

2. Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin – This book is a great place to start. Wilkin identifies common ways we incorrectly approach the Bible and gently gets us back on the right track. She gives an easy to follow and correct approach to personal Bible study.

3. How to Study Your Bible by Kay Arthur – Arthur did not invent the inductive approach to Bible study, but she did make it popular through her Precepts Bible studies. This book will show you how to study any passage through “observation,” “interpretation,” and “application.”

4. Living by the Book by Howard Hendricks and William Hendricks – This book is the only one of the five I haven’t read, but it’s next on my list. Like Arthur’s book, this one also teaches the inductive method, but it goes into more depth, adding valuable information and tools.

5. Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods: Twelve Ways You Can Unlock God’s Word – Warren shows readers how to do 12 different kinds of approaches to Bible study like a chapter analysis, word study, verse-by-verse, or character study. The book includes examples of each method as well as helpful forms you can reproduce for your own use.

5 great #resources to help you do #BibleStudy on your own!
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If this is all new to you, a good place to start is with Women of the Word. It’s easy to read and gives great overall direction. Again, the idea is to let God speak directly to you through His Word instead of using another go-between. Use those Bible study guides as a supplement to what you’re doing on your own!

What have you been studying recently? I’d love to hear. Also, if you have another resource to equip us for studying on our own, share it with us!

The post 5 Resources to Equip You for Bible Study appeared first on Kathy Howard.

4 Spiritual Benefits from God’s Word

The benefits of reading, studying, and applying God’s Word are endless. But there are some we think about – and dare I say, seek – more than others.

We know the Bible teaches us more about God, His will, and His ways. We have experienced God’s comfort, peace, and encouragement through His Word. And we have gained direction and insight for our daily lives. But those things only scratch the surface of the spiritual depth of God’s Word.

The deeper we go, the more God’s blessings will cover us. Here are a few more benefits in which to delight:

Preparation for the future – God uses His Word to foster spiritual endurance and fill His children with hope and encouragement. Even if the days ahead are filled with trouble, pain, and persecution we can be victorious every step of the way because God has prepared us through Scripture. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).
Strength to resist temptation – Jesus Himself used God’s Word to stave off Satan’s attacks. Scripture will protect us from sin by arming us with the truth and strengthening our longing to please and obey God. With God’s Word in our hearts – not just in our minds – we can stand firm. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet will not slip (Psalm 37:31).
Spiritual growth – God wants to grow us to be like Jesus. Ingesting Scripture fuels our spiritual growth. God actively uses His Word in our lives to shape our character, change our desires, and mold our motivations to the image of Christ. This spiritual growth fosters a more intimate fellowship with Christ through a deeper knowledge of Him. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:2-3).
Spiritual vitality – Those who live a life rooted in Scripture will thrive. God will bless us when we delight in and are devoted to His Word. Our relationship with Him will be strong and produce eternal results. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers (Psalm 1:3).

4 #Spiritual Benefits from #God’sWord
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When we ingest God’s Word, we will taste the sweetness of the Author of Life. When we go beyond a superficial reading of the Bible and mediate on its truths, we will experience the Person of the Holy Spirit. We will interact with our Creator. That is the point when God will move our hearts and meet the deepest needs of our souls.

Have you experienced any of these spiritual benefits? How do you plumb the depths of God’s Word.

Want to create a hunger for God’s Word? Read “3 Steps to Create a Hunger for the Bible”

Not sure what the role the Bible should play in your life? Read “4 Vital Truths the Bible Teaches about Itself.”

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3 Reasons to Stop Reading the Bible

Faithfully reading and studying the Bible is hard. It requires commitment. It takes time away from other things. And the results and benefits are rarely instantaneous.

In fact, I even found 3 reasons to stop reading the Bible in the Bible itself. Check these out:

Reading it makes us accountable (Luke 12:47-48; James 3:1) – The more we know about God, His will, and His ways, the more God expects from us in stewardship, worship, and discipleship.
Reading it isn’t enough anyway (James 1:22-25) – Simply “listening” or reading is a waste of time. If we don’t obey it, we trick and delude ourselves.
Reading it can be painful (Hebrews 4:21-13) – God’s Word is not “dead” text, just ink on a page. It is a living thing, the very breath of God breathed out. It has the supernatural ability to penetrate our hearts and judge our thoughts, laying everything bare and exposed.

Sounds like it would be better to let our Bibles just sit and collect dust on the shelf, doesn’t it? Yes, then we could be our own boss. We could decide what to do and when to do it. We could rely on ourselves and only on ourselves.

3 reasons to #StopReading the #Bible
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Yep. Certainly we would be better off. Wouldn’t we?

While I could launch into dozens of reasons to read and obey God’s Word, today only one is necessary. Knowledge of God’s Word leads us to eternal salvation.

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

Without Jesus Christ and the salvation that comes only through Him, we would be eternally doomed. God’s Word reveals Christ and His salvation and shows us how to follow Him. Reason enough.

What reasons have you heard to not read the Bible? What excuses have you used? If you read the Bible, why do you?

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Paul’s Life & Writings – 10 Week Bible Reading Plan

Not currently using a Bible reading plan? Start this one Monday and it will take you to the New Year!

The Apostle Paul’s life and writings dominate the New Testament. Much of doctrine of faith came from God through Paul’s pen. The “Roman Road,” the lavishness of God’s grace in Ephesians, God’s strength for us in trials, and the role of the church.

This 10-week Bible reading plan chronologically melds Paul’s life and ministry with his letters. The plan includes 5 days of reading per week, each roughly about 30-40 verses. The two “off” days give you plenty of time to catch up when needed, making this a worthwhile, but doable plan.

This Bible Reading Plan is the perfect length to take you through the end of 2015. Maybe life got in the way and your daily time in God’s Word fell to the wayside. Maybe you’re ready to commit to regularly being in God’s Word for the very first time. This plan is for you!

 Download and print the PDF. Feel free to share!

Life and writings of #Paul. 10-week #BibleReadingPlan #FreeResource
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