What’s Weighing You Down?

Recently, following a bad ice storm, I was traveling from Atlanta to North Carolina. As I traveled up the interstate, I noticed a lot of trees had fallen and many pine trees were leaning. The weight of the ice had caused many trees to fall, break, or bend. Highway crews were still clearing the trees, limbs and other debris from the storm.

As I continued traveling north into the Carolinas, I observed the same scene and it got me to thinking. Many times we live like these trees. We’re not weighed down by ice, but we are weighed down by so many other things that come into our lives. It could be a health crisis, or a situation at work. It could be guilt from a past failure. It could be a troubled marriage or a strained relationship with a child. It could be any number of things…you fill in the blank.

Although we can’t do anything about those bent pine trees, we can do something about those things that are weighing us down. The psalmist instructs us, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22). So whatever is weighing you down take it to the Lord and allow Him to sustain you. You can always trust Him to hold you up no matter what’s weighing you down.

More Precious Than Jewels

Proverbs poses an interesting question, “An excellent wife who can find?” (31:10). It’s not that she doesn’t exist, but the reality is, she’s hard to find. When a man does finally find her he begins to discover that “she is far more precious than jewels” (31:10). Because of her great value, the husband of an excellent wife praises her (31:28-29). I’m so thankful that I found—or I should say, that God found for me—an excellent wife, one who is definitely worthy of my praise.

So, on this Valentine’s Day, I want to give praise to Shelley, by sharing 14 things I love about her…

1. She’s passionate about her love relationship with God! I have been blessed to watch her grow significantly these past 20 years.

2. She’s beautiful from the inside out. Admittedly, I was first attracted to her outer beauty (and still am!) but soon began to discover that her inner beauty was just as radiant.

3. She’s a wonderful mother who loves her daughters unconditionally and teaches them with her words, but more importantly, with her life.

4. She’s an avid reader who shares what she’s learning with me and our girls.

5. She’s gentle and kind—she diligently seeks to live a life of grace to all she comes into contact with.

6. She’s a great cheerleader. Through the years she has not only encouraged me with her words, but I’ve also watched her do the same with our girls and so many others.

7. She loves and values her family! She loves to invest time with me, our girls, her mom, brother, and grandmother.

8. She’s a gifted writer with a God-given talent. Her writings stir my heart.

9. She’s got a beautiful smile—and it’s very contagious!

10. She’s truly selfless. I’ve watched her time and time again buy the girls something they need with her own birthday or Christmas money rather than buying something for herself that she needs.

11. She loves to take walks—and I love taking walks with her! I love that time to connect with her.

12. She takes great care of herself and her family. She not only exercises to stay healthy, but she also encourages our family to do the same. Oh yes, she prepares healthy meals—and they’re delicious!

13. She’s a great listener, always quick to hear and slow to speak.

14. She’s a gifted, creative and patient teacher, at home with our girls, at church with the youth and adults, and in the ESL class where she has served as a volunteer teacher.

To me, Shelley is definitely far more precious than jewels and my love for her grows deeper and stronger with each passing day. I’m so very blessed and I’m thankful for God’s wonderful gift to me!

Happy Valentine’s Day Shelley! I love you!

  

Where’s Your Focus?

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building             (1 Corinthians 3:1-9).

To say the least, the church at Corinth was a church with problems! This is clear as you read Paul’s entire letter, and strikingly clear in these few verses alone. Paul described their behavior as unspiritual, infant-like, fleshly and in a human way. Certainly not a compliment! Certainly not how a Christian should be described! If Paul were writing to you and your church, how would he describe you and the members of your congregation?

What was the issue that Paul was confronting in these verses? Some church members were following Paul, and others, Apollos. In other words, one group in the church was loyal to Paul, others to Apollos. I’ve seen this play out in the church time and time again. When church members develop loyalties around individuals in the church you’re going to have problems—serious problems! When church members take their eyes off God, and place them on man, that church is not headed for trouble, that church is in trouble!

Thankfully Paul redirected the Corinthian believers’ attention from Apollos and himself to the One who the focus should be on. In fact, Paul went as far as to say that he and Apollos were nothing. In other words, they didn’t count! The only One who counted, the only One who these believers should be focused on was God Himself. I have heard it said, and as a pastor I have stated it many times myself, “It’s all about Jesus.” If that statement is true in our lives then that means it’s not about us—or anyone else for that matter! When it’s about us, pride surfaces. When it’s about others, people take sides and division arises. Sadly, when this occurs, God is not honored as He should be.

As God’s children, we need to keep our eyes off ourselves and others, and keep our eyes focused on God, the One alone who is worthy of worship. Think about what will happen when we, the Church, keep our eyes focused on Him. We will not be focused on ourselves. We will walk in humility. We will not show favoritism toward others. There will be no division in the church. God alone will be exalted and glorified!

So, if your focus is on yourself or someone else other than God, then confess and experience God’s forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9). Focus on God, the One alone who is worthy of our worship. Don’t be sidetracked. Don’t be detoured. Follow the admonition of the writer of Hebrews who challenged us to keep looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). Let’s keep our focus on HIM!