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How Deep is Your Faith?
When the Robersons moved into a house not too far from ours, we were thrilled. It’s always fun to have dear friends living close by, and especially if they give you their trees. Let me explain. You see, they didn’t like the landscaping around their house and wanted to get rid of a few Savannah holly trees. Being the kind and thoughtful friends that we are, we volunteered to take the trees off their hands and plant them in our own yard. Wow, what a deal! Free trees! We found just the right spot for them. Our house backs up to a pleasant little creek, and so we planted them near the creek to enhance the beauty of the area. Five lovely Savannah hollies lining our creek! We were so proud of ourselves.
The water in our creek tends to rise when we have a rainstorm, and boy did we have a gulley washer one night right after we planted those hollies. On the morning after the storm, we woke up and looked out our window toward the creek. Hmmm, we wondered, what were those large holes in the ground? Wait a minute, and where were our hollies? Three of them were completely gone! Yes, swept away! We had another storm soon after that, and guess what. The other two were swept downstream too. Oh well, easy come, easy go.
Now if the hollies had been given the time to take root in the ground they may have stayed around, but since they were newly planted there was nothing to hold them in the ground as the water rose and the current flowed. If you have ever watched flood waters rise, then you know the strength and power of the water’s current. It will sweep away anything and everything that is not deeply rooted or firmly founded in the ground. In a moment, large objects can be swept away and carried for miles downstream. The same is true with the flow of life and the current of our culture. If we are not deeply rooted in the truth of Christ and the assurance of His love, we can easily be carried away by the latest philosophies or our own whims and feelings.
There is a constant flow of ideas that “sound right,” and “seem good” in our culture today. But we must know The truth – God’s truth. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:31,32).” As we hold to God’s teaching and are rooted and built up in Him, then we will be free from the pull and drag of man-made rules and fine sounding philosophies. Here is Paul’s encouragement to the Colossians:
Colossians 2:6-8
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
No more shallow Christianity! Let’s be intentional about letting our roots grow down deep into Christ as we study His word and get to know Him. We don’t want to be guided by the latest fads or our finicky feelings. When we get to know what the Bible has to say about Christ, our faith is made strong to weather the storms of life and discern the philosophies of our culture. Take some time to read God’s Word for yourself each day.
A portion of this blog is an excerpt from Karol’s book A Woman’s Secret to Confident Living.
Check out this month’s $5 special, Karol’s DVD on the topic.
https://positivewomanconnection.com/books/#monthlyspecial
Who is Jesus?
Holy Week brings our focus in to who Jesus is and why He came to this earth. God doesn’t want us to be confused about Christ. Jesus Christ’s deity is central to our Christian foundation and beliefs. If you believe that Jesus was just a nice man or a wise prophet or a good angel, then you are missing the very essence of Christianity. Paul, in His letter to the Colossians, made it clear that Jesus was all man and all God. There is no one else who fits that description. Christ is the one and only God in human form. Immanuel, God with us, sent to this world to offer His life for us.
In Colossians 1, we see one of the strongest statements in all of scripture as to the divine nature of Christ. He is supreme over all creation and over all spiritual beings. He is the one who created us and sustains us. As this passage paints a true picture of Jesus in vibrant color, I see the power and the beauty of the One in whom I have placed my trust. I know I can safely and confidently place my life and my future in Him. Here’s what Paul wrote about Jesus:
- He is the visible image of the invisible God.
- He is the firstborn (supreme) over all creation.
- By Him all things were created.
- He existed before everything else began.
- He holds all creation together.
- He is the Head of the church.
- He is the firstborn of all who will rise from the dead.
- In everything He has the supremacy – He is supreme over all, the first in everything.
- All God’s fullness dwells in Him and through Him.
- God reconciled all things through Christ, by making peace through His blood shed on the cross.
Take a moment to ponder each of these descriptions of Jesus throughout the week this week, and praise Him for who He is.
Praise you Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God three in One. There is no other. You are the God of all creation, the beginning and the end. Loving, Merciful, all-wise God, all glory and honor belong to You. You are before all things, and by You all things exist. Thank you God for caring about me. I am honored to be called your daughter. Glorious God, thank you for letting me know you through your son Jesus. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, You are the One Who was and is and is to come.
A portion of this blog is an excerpt from Karol’s book A Woman’s Secret to Confident Living.
Check out this month’s $5 special, Karol’s DVD on the topic.
Are you a Confident Person?
Confident? That’s not exactly how I would have described myself for much of my life. Words like “insecure” and “self-doubt” were much more accurate terms. For many years, even as a Christian, I battled self-defeating thoughts and guilt feelings in my mind. Perhaps you can relate to what I’m talking about in your own life. Most women struggle with some form of insecurity. Even women who appear confident on the outside, often struggle internally with a lack of self- assurance. It’s one thing to look confident; it’s another to be confident.
In all honesty, true and lasting confidence is found not in focusing on ourselves, but focusing on the one who created us and discovering our confidence in Him. He is the one who gives us the strength and power to walk boldly in this world.
The word confidence means to have a firm belief or trust. The root word, fidere, means faithful or faith and is the same root you see in words like fidelity or confidant. To have confidence means you have faith or trust in someone or something. Now we can try to live our lives by placing our confidence in our appearance or in a relationship or having the right job or enough money, or being a good parent, but none of these can offer lasting security or inner strength. A God-confidence is different. When we place our hope and security in Him, no one can take it away. It is a rock-solid confidence from the well-spring of our soul. How do we get to a place where we live with a God-confidence?
The apostle Paul said, “Let your roots grow down deep into Christ.” He penned these words to the early believers living in Colossae as he expressed the importance of knowing Christ and finding satisfaction and security in Him. Confidence begins in our thinking and what we believe, and it plays out through the way we live our life in relationship to God and to others. Our confidence spreads its wings and soars when we realize God has a purpose for our lives, and we use our gifts and talents for His glory.
This is an excerpt from Karol’s book A Woman’s Secret to Confident Living.
Check out this month’s $5 special, Karol’s DVD on the topic.
Join me May 4-6 for the Global Media Summit 2017. Click Here for more info.
The Power of Your Example
Who are the heroes in your life? Take a moment to think about the people throughout your life who have inspired you to be a better person or encouraged you to stretch to greater heights? It may be someone you know personally or it may be a person you read about in a book or magazine or on the internet. It could be a former teacher or even a family member or friend. Most of us have at least one person we can point to and say, “She was a great example for me. She inspired me to be a better person.”
For me, I have had several positive examples in my life. Mrs. Billman, my high-school Sunday School teacher was the picture of a godly women. She knew God’s word and reflected its truths in her own life and challenged us as students to do the same. Her gentle and wise way of dealing with people and leading us along God’s path demonstrated to me what it means to live for Christ and be a follower of His. Her example inspired me to become a teacher. My dad was another powerful example in my life. His enthusiastic and positive way of looking at life’s circumstances showed me how to turn my eyes toward hope and not despair no matter what life brings. Dad sincerely cares about others and as I watch his love in action, I am inspired to reach out and be thoughtful and sensitive toward the people God places in my life.
On a broader scale, women like Amy Carmichael, Corrie Ten Boom, Elizabeth Fry and Joni Erikson Tada have served as strong role models of women who lived with passion and purpose despite the difficulties they faced. Their stories have touched my life and inspired me in my journey to follow Christ. I can look back over my life and thank the Lord for the people God has used to influence me and develop certain traits within me. The powerful picture of people who live courageously and fearlessly for Christ can serve to ignite a fire in a new generation of believers. It’s not necessarily what they say that matters. It’s how they live. The heroes in my life exemplify transformed lives. They are sermons in action.
Edgar Guest is credited with writing a poem called “Sermons we See.” I heard my dad quote this poem quite often when I was a young girl. It speaks to the powerful influence our life example has beyond words. Here’s the poem:
Sermons We See
I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day;
I’d rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.
The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear;
And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.
I soon can learn to do it if you’ll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.
And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I’d rather get my lessons by observing what you do;
For I might misunderstand you and the high advice you give,
But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.
When I see a deed of kindness, I am eager to be kind.
When a weaker brother stumbles and a strong man stays behind
Just to see if he can help him, then the wish grows strong in me
To become as big and thoughtful as I know that friend to be.
And all travelers can witness that the best of guides today
Is not the one who tells them, but the one who shows the way.
One good man teaches many, men believe what they behold;
One deed of kindness noticed is worth forty that are told.
Who stands with men of honor learns to hold his honor dear,
For right living speaks a language which to every one is clear.
Though an able speaker charms me with his eloquence, I say,
I’d rather see a sermon than to hear one, any day.
(Edgar Guest, Collected Verse of Edgar Guest (New York, NY:Buccaneer Books, 1976), pg. 599)
We are life’s living lesson books. We have the opportunity to lead people down a good path through the power of our actions. It is also possible to lead people down a destructive path as they watch our lives in motion. It’s rather convicting isn’t it? And yet it also makes us contemplate the type of influence we have on others. May we be examples of Christ’s love and live the message of the gospel in our daily interactions.
This is an excerpt from Karol’s book, A Woman’s Passionate Pursuit of God. The DVD is on sale during the month of March for $5. Click Here for more info.
Join me this year at The Global Media Summit, May 4-6. Click here for more info: www.GMSsummit.com
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