February 2021 – Far More Life

Distorted Vision

When we are focused on the wrong things, we make bad choices. One way we focus on the wrong thing is by comparing ourselves to others. Another is to reject what we have and obsess over getting what they have. A distorted focus can lead us to manipulate situations to gain what we think we are lacking. But in the process, we forfeit far more life.

The story of Jacob, Leah, Rachel illustrates this well. In Genesis 29, we see a budding romance between Jacob and the beautiful Rachel. But the morning after their wedding, Jacob learns he was tricked and is married to Rachel’s less-desirable older sister, Leah. After a confrontation with his father-in-law, Jacob agrees to keep Leah if he can marry his beloved Rachel, too.

Leah’s focus became gaining her husband’s love. She thought giving him something valuable — many sons — would achieve her goal. She sacrificed peace, happiness, and more in this pursuit. Leah birthed 6 sons and a daughter, but there is no evidence that she won her husband’s love or realized her motives and actions were wrong.

Rachel also had distorted vision. She had her husband’s love but was focused on becoming a mother. She, too, sacrificed peace and happiness in pursuit of her own agenda. Jealousy blinded her to God’s blessings and caused her to idolize what she did not have. After years of despair and manipulation she finally birthed a son. But that was not enough; she wanted another one. God did allow that, but she died in childbirth. The very thing she thought would make her life complete caused her death.

We, too, are tempted to think that we will find far more life when we get what we want. If only… When this happens… After this… We focus on the elusive goal, blind to the cost. Even if reaching our goal brings temporary peace and joy, it does not last. Eventually we grow dissatisfied and convince ourselves fulfillment is just ahead. But, like Leah and Rachel discovered, this only leads to bad choices and heartache.

Genesis 37 tells that Jacob favored Rachel’s sons over Leah’s, and Leah’s sons went to great lengths to remove the competition. Not only did these women miss out on far more life, but their example distorted their children’s vision as well.

This family failed to see that far more life is found only in God. He promises:

Who is the man fearing Yahweh? [Yahweh] will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will lodge in prosperity, and his offspring will possess the land.Intimate fellowship with Yahweh is for those who fear him, and [Yahweh] makes known his covenant to them. (Psalm 25:12-14, LEB)

A prosperous soul — far more life — is given to those who pursue intimate fellowship with God. Those who lay aside their own purposes to focus on achieving His purpose. This allows us to recognize God’s work in our lives and help those we raise and mentor to see it, too. Jesus explained it this way:

Then Jesus called the crowd and his followers to him. He said, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me and for the Good News will save it. It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost.” (Mark 8:34-36, ERV)

Imagine there are two life plans you could follow. The first option is the plan you develop. To make this plan you look at your available resources and consider how to make the most of them. You take your desires, skills, and preferences into account. You research the possibilities and choose the one that looks best. When obstacles arise, you assess how to keep moving toward the goal. Or you modify your plan, sometimes shifting focus. The second option is the plan God developed for you that fits within His master plan. He holds every possible resource and can give you whatever you need whenever you need it. He created you with desires, skills, and preferences that allow you to not only complete His plan but to be fulfilled by it. He foresees the obstacles and ensures a path forward is always available. God’s plan is the only one that leads to far more life. Would you give up your plan to focus on His?

We are wise to answer “Yes!” But a distorted view of God or ourselves can prevent us from seeing what is best. It seems better to focus on our own plan if we think God is distant, indifferent, harsh, selfish, critical, angry, or not trustworthy. We cannot believe a God with these characteristics would offer a plan that gives us far more life. Similarly, if we think too much or too little of ourselves, we will seek fulfillment through an inward focus. Believing we are responsible for finding far more life on our own, we disconnect from God to seek the path forward. How do we correct a distorted view of God or ourselves?

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…fixing our eyes on Jesus…For the joy set before him he endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV)

We study God’s Word to discover His perspective. We replace lies with His truth. We reject sin. As we choose to focus on Him, the path to far more life becomes clear.

Sisters,
How has focusing on the wrong thing caused you to make bad choices?
When have you trusted in your circumstances for satisfaction and happiness? Did it last?
Does intimate fellowship with God sound appealing to you? Why or why not?
Is a distorted view of God or yourself pulling you away from His plan? How will you correct it?
Praise God that His perfect plan for you includes far more life!
-Shari

Abundance

Do you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?

Is the glass as half-empty or half-full?

Do you focus on the darkness of the forest or the light that shines through?

Does God feel close to you or far away?

Your answers to these questions indicate whether you have an abundance or scarcity mindset. One mindset embraces far more life while the other stifles it.

Without Christ, hardships, heartache, and difficulties emphasize our emptiness. We cling to what makes us feel good for the moment, knowing it will not last. Good circumstances seem rare. Real joy and inner peace elude us. We may feel hopeless and helpless to find relief from our physical and emotional burdens. Far more life sounds like an impossible dream. We experience a negative mindset and spiritual scarcity.

When we enter a relationship with Jesus Christ, we move from spiritual scarcity to spiritual abundance. We trade death and condemnation for life and forgiveness (Colossians 2:13-14). Our life circumstances may not change, but our perspective does (Acts 26:17-18). We now have a source of hope and help (Psalm 33:20). We have access to inner joy and peace through the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). We can trust in the promises that God is for us (Romans 8:31) and always with us (Ephesians 1:13-14). Besides our salvation, spiritual abundance — far more life — is the most precious gift God gives us. The Apostle Peter highlights the importance of this:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4, NIV)

Whatever we do, whatever situation we face, God sees His children as holy and blameless. Our life, present and future, is abundant because our standing before God is secure. We have His love, blessing, and support no matter what. That is far more life. Rich, internal, and unshakable abundance.

There are many religious people who claim that following God will bring you good things in this life: promotions at work; bigger incomes; nicer houses; more toys; happy marriages; good children; and more. When something bad happens, they claim God is displeased and punishing your sin or lack of faith. But that is not what God’s Word says.

If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be punished. The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2, CEV)

God will never punish His children, because Jesus already took that punishment on our behalf. Born-again believers in Christ are never out-of-favor with God. He never withholds blessings from us. He never scolds us. We are always holy and blameless in His sight. When we sin, the punishment has already been served, allowing us to remain connected to God through far more life. Our feelings do not separate us from God, even though our enemy, Satan, wants us to believe the guilt and shame we feel means God has turned away from us. Our sinful choices may yield natural painful consequences, but those are never God’s punishment. Instead, His Spirit continues to live inside of us and we continue to experience His abundant love, joy, peace, goodness, faith, and more. We continue to have far more life.

These [Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab, David, Samson, and many others], though commended by God for their great faith, did not receive what was promised. (Hebrews 11:39, VOICE)

Even people who are commended in the Bible for their faith did not see their circumstances improve. But God gave them something better than earthly riches: His faithfulness in the present and His promise of a Messiah who would rescue their descendants from the oppression of sin. Instead of removing their struggles, God gave them hope, joy, and peace as they endured. They experienced spiritual abundance and far more life as they awaited the fulfillment of His promise.

To embrace far more life, we must embrace God’s definition of abundance. It is spiritual abundance. Soul abundance. Heart abundance. It means we find our blessings by looking up to Him, not at the circumstances of our life on earth. Abundance means that regardless of our external circumstances, our spirit thrives.

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (I Timothy 1:4, NIV)
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV)
For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:5, NIV)
For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17, NLT)

Grace. Faith. Love. Good works. Comfort. Righteousness. These are the riches that God offers us through Christ. This is the abundance of far more life!

Sisters,
Before reading this, how did you define abundance?
What did you learn about abundance?
Are you tempted to interpret difficult situations as God’s punishment or displeasure? What Bible verse reminds you of God’s true mindset toward you?
What tempts you to pursue material abundance over spiritual abundance?
Thank God for eternal abundance — far more life — through Jesus Christ!
-Shari

Warm Love

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12, NIV)

Sadly, this verse seems to sum up the current climate of our culture. We are a spiritually, morally, and politically divided people. We disagree on what is “wicked” and are quick to criticize those whose definition differs from our own. People engage in hateful dismissiveness rather than loving discourse. It is discouraging and leads us away from far more life.

Although it is right to be sad about the current state of affairs, we should not be surprised. It was predicted over 2000 years ago and has always been true to some extent. But we can consider this a call to be counter-culture and put the warm love of far more life into practice. As society’s standard of righteousness moves further from God’s standard, we have an opportunity to INCREASE our love for others and reveal God’s true character. Jesus tells us how in his first sermon:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? … And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48, NIV)

Love your enemies; this includes people who actively oppose us. Pray for those who persecute you; this includes people who attack us or call us names. God sets the example for us. As Creator and Judge, He would be justified in withholding all good — even sunshine and rain — from those who oppose and attack Him. But He does not. And He does not want us to withhold good, either. Looking out for the welfare of those who oppose us is an example of warm love. It sets us apart from the majority and reveals God’s Spirit living inside of us. We find far more life as we strive to be like God in our love.

…Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39, NIV)

Give the same regard to others that you give to yourself. Do kind acts for them that you do for yourself. Some people pay for the order of the person behind them in the drive thru, especially when that person has been impatient or otherwise indicated they are having a bad day. This is one way of responding with warm love. We regularly offer our neighbor warm love by clearing the snow from a significant portion of his sidewalk. It feels good to bless him in this small way. Perhaps one day it will open the door for a conversation about Christ. But in the meantime, we find far more life by showing him love.

…Urge the younger women to love their husbands and children. (Titus 2:4, NIV)

Sometimes the people we serve the most are the people for whom our love cools the most. Caring for those in our own homes day after day can become wearing. We can get bogged down in what we are doing and forget why we are doing it. When my children left home, I thought I would have a vacation from daily cooking. But soon I realized my new attitude of doing as little food planning and prep as possible was not loving toward my husband. I had to choose whether to adopt a “fend for yourself” attitude of cold love or to be a vessel of God’s warm love by continuing to regularly prepare foods we could enjoy together. When I chose to show my husband love, I discovered another level of far more life!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30, NIV)

Our love for God is the most important of all. If we let that grow cold, we will be miserable and unable to find far more life. But as we devote ourselves to loving Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, our love for Him and others will grow warmer and more vibrant. This love flows through a circle: as we get to know Him better, our love for Him deepens, giving us more love to give others. Then as we pass His love to others, we discover new aspects of far more life that motivate us to keep deepening our love for God. Growing our connection to God keeps our love warm.

A deeper connection to God also enables us to see others as He does. God is not surprised when people who have rejected Him increase in wickedness. The cycle of righteousness, rejection, wickedness, and revival has been repeated over and over throughout history. God also sees beyond people’s actions to their heart, and knows they are often trying to meet legitimate needs in illegitimate ways. When we see people as God does, we offer compassion rather than judgment. Rather than cooling our love, this produces warmth.

The Bible points out that the love of most will grow cold toward their fellow humans. But a deep and genuine connection to God — far more life — gives us warm love to share with everyone around us. Friends, enemies, family, and strangers alike.

Sisters,
How has the wickedness around us impacted your love for others?
What individual or group is your enemy? What would it look like to love them?
How do or can you love your neighbor as yourself?
Is it easier or harder to love those in your household than those outside of it? Why?
Is your love for God growing warmer or cooler? How can you deepen your connection to Him?
Thank God for showing you His love — and blessing you with far more life!
-Shari

Deceptively Peaceful

We have to make many decisions every day. But not all decisions are equal. Some are quick and easy because we know they have little long-term impact. Others we recognize as significant and consider the options carefully. But sometimes we do not see them clearly and overlook opportunities for far more life.

The book of Genesis gives the account of Abram and his nephew Lot. They lived a nomadic life, moving their herds from one location to another. As their wealth grew, the land could not support all the people and animals of both households. So Abram suggested they set up separate camps. He graciously let Lot choose his preferred location. The Bible records:

Lot looked and saw the whole Jordan Valley. He saw that there was much water there…At that time the Jordan Valley all the way to Zoar was like the Lord’s Garden. This was good land, like the land of Egypt. (Genesis 13:10, ERV)

Lot chose the land that looked more fertile and promising. That seems wise since his was goal to provide food and water for his herds, family, and workers. But the scene before Lot was deceptively peaceful. He actually pitched his tents near a corrupt city that, in time, corrupted him and his family.

How often do we look only at the surface when making a decision? We, too, can be fooled by a deceptively peaceful exterior and fail to see the situation accurately. I participate in a White Elephant gift exchange each December that makes a game of giving away useless and almost-useless items. Over the years we have found the worst gifts are often hidden beneath the most elaborate wrapping. They are deceptively appealing because the outward appearance leads you to believe a treasure is waiting inside. One participant enjoys warning newcomers, “Beware of the pretty wrapping paper.”

Satan also loves to hide behind a beautiful or peaceful exterior. He tricks us into thinking sin is not “that bad”. Or he makes it seem like an experience or circumstance will fulfill us. But Satan is a liar whose goal is to keep us from experiencing God’s best. He makes sin and pain appear deceptively peaceful. He wants to distract us from finding what truly brings far more life.

God wants to satisfy our hearts and minds. He offers true peace — and far more life. Consider this powerful promise God gave His people through the prophet Isaiah:

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:7-11, NIV)

Giving, investing, sharing, caring for others because they are valuable to God and therefore valuable to you…these lead to far more life! But Satan whispers — or yells — lies to dissuade us from experiencing this: Do not sacrifice for others; they will not appreciate it! Do not give too much; you may not have enough left for yourself! Do not get involved; everyone needs to learn from their own mistakes! Do not take risks; someone else is in a better position to help! People are too messy! Protect yourself!

Repeatedly God’s Word instructs us to focus on His work and trust Him with the details. He wants us to look deeper into His ways when making decisions so we can invest in far more life.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33, NIV)
But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29, NIV)
…For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. (I Corinthians 10:33, NIV)
[Love] does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (I Corinthians 13:5, NIV)
“Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. (I Peter 3:10-11, NIV)

Following and trusting God are not passive pursuits. Far more life requires us to actively engage with God and others. Disengaging offers deceptive peace while investing in others brings far more life. Building our own kingdom offers deceptive peace but building God’s kingdom results in true peace. Striving to fulfill God’s plan fulfills us in a way that pursuing our own plans cannot match.

Be on the lookout for deceptive peace. It is all around us, tempting us to turn away from God and join the majority. The road to God may not look as lush and fertile as the one most people choose to follow through this life, but it actually offers all we need for far more life that lasts throughout eternity.

Sisters,
When have you pursued something that looked good but ended up being bad?
When making a decision, what helps you look below the surface?
How has God blessed or satisfied you when you did what He instructed, even if it seemed like a bad idea?
How are you actively engaging with God and people?
Thank God that His road leads to far more life!
-Shari