Ever Question God?

I was angry at God the other day, (but I have since repented, lol). I was bent out of shape because I had to move again for the 4^th time in the last 18 months.  Now, these moves have not been the kind of moves that are filled with happiness and excitement, but rather they are filled with snappy attitudes, weariness, broken dreams and disappointment.  (And by the way, I am not married to a man who is in the military and we are not missionaries.  We are just your ordinary family trying to get by in this fallen world.)

As I stood in the kitchen of our rental home unpacking pots and pans again, I soon became disheartened and my heart sank and my flesh gave way.  Trials.  Tribulations.  Long-suffering.  Heartache.  (Ughh!)

How much longer, Lord? 

How much more will You take my children, my husband and myself through?    

Will You uproot us from this place as well?  

All those questions ran through my mind and the little seeds of anger and self-entitlement started to sprout in my wicked heart that morning.   

Did you happen to notice how I was cleverly questioning what the Lord was doing in my life?

Interestingly enough, just two days earlier I sat for a few moments to write a new post on marriage, (well that didn't happen) because the Lord felt it fit for me to learn a few more things about Him, Job and his sufferings, along with Satan and what God would allow him to do.  As I studied the scriptures, I had a hard time swallowing what the Lord had to say to Satan in regards to Job’s life, (and mine as well).

Picture this scene in your mind’s eye for just a moment.

God is seated on His throne in heaven and angels come to present themselves before the Lord, along with Satan. (Job 1:6)  The Almighty God asks Satan where he is coming from and Satan replies, “From to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it.

Can you see that scene, dear sister?  Satan is roaming the earth, seeking whom he may devour.  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  1 Peter 5:8

Now here’s come the part of the story that was painful to read because it is just a matter of time before that same statement will apply to either you or me!

As Satan tells the Lord that he has been walking back and forth on the earth, the Lord says to him, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”  Job 1:8

Think about that statement for just a moment and let it sink into your brain.  Now, take a look at your trials and apply the above verse to you.   

“Have you considered my servant (insert your name).”   

Whatever is going on in your life, God is ALLOWING it to take place!

The Lord sifts our trials through His hands before we receive them.

The conversation between the Lord and Satan continues on in Chapter 1 of Job.  Satan basically tells the Lord that the reason why Job is a man who fears God is because the Lord has blessed the work of Job’s hands by providing him with many riches.  Satan further says that the Lord has protected Job by putting up a hedge around him and all his household.  In other words, Satan basically said,  Of course Job is righteous and fears You God, because you have abundantly blessed him!  Snicker, snicker, with a hint of sarcasm. 

Satan continues to say to the Lord, “But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

Here’s the Lord’s response.  “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”  Job 1:12 (later in the story, God allowed Satan to bring devastation to Job's body as well.) 

 

Let me show you something in this verse:  God knew the heart of Job and He knew that Job could go through his trials and thus, God allowed Satan to harm Job.  The Lord knew Job better than Satan did.

The Lord knows our hearts and minds as well and He knows us better than the enemy.  He knows that you and I can go through the trials that He has already sifted through His hands.

Here's 5 Things to Know About the Enemy (in case you were wondering!)

1.  Satan is accountable to God.  (Job 1:6)

2.  Satan is a created being, he is finite.  He is not all-powerful and he can only be in one place at a time. (Job 1:7)  Although he does have his demonic minions running around trying to trip us up.

3.  Satan can tempt us, but he cannot know what we are thinking nor can he foretell our future.  (Job 1:9-11)

4.  SATAN CAN DO NOTHING TO US WITHOUT THE LORD’S PERMISSION! (Job 1:6-12)  Love this!!!

5.  God actively restrains Satan.  (Job 1:12; 2:6) 

We can be confident that with God’s power we can overcome Satan.

Satan does not have free reign to do whatever evil he wishes.  God is still, and will always be, sovereign.

Yes, God ALLOWED Satan to test Job for a time. But God also delivered Job from suffering, he restored him and blessed him even more.

As Job endured much, he asked the Lord the 'why' question?  Yet, God never gave Job the answer, instead God asked Job many questions. 

God may never give you or I the answer to our 'why' as well, but here is something for you to think about:

The scriptures say that as Believers we are to be set apart for God’s holy purpose.  Did it ever occur to you that the purpose God had in mind for your life was to go through trials faithfully and obediently the way Job did?  “Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast.  You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”  James 5:11 

In the end,  Job responded to the Lord, "Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth."  Job 40:4  (You can add vile to the list next to my wicked heart as well.)

 

Although our lives may be filled with pain, there is a purpose for it and we never need to question God, because He is sovereign. 

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Dealing with Discontentment

Today I was in the process of grabbing food from my refrigerator so I could make lunch for my family.  Sounds like an ordinary afternoon, right?  However, my refrigerator is not in my house but in my friends' garage.  I quickly became distracted by all the stuff that was surrounding me and unfortunately, I immediately became discontent with my situation.

For those of you that are new to The Alabaster Jar, my family and I don’t have a place to call our own yet. We are currently living with close family friends. All of our belongings (earthly possessions) are piled up in our friends’ garage, and yes, that does include my underwear!  You can read more of my story here at: How to Lose Your Dream Home Not Just Once, But Twice

My dresser filled with my clothes.

There are many things in my life today that can cause me to be discontent, especially if I look in the mirror and see my thinning head, my extra, unwanted pounds and the wrinkles on my face.  Oh, and I can't forget those natural highlights called 'gray hair'.  But the discontentment that I faced today included my living situation.


It is very easy in this world to live a discontented life if we allow our minds to go there.

Here are some things that can trigger discontentment:

• Dealing with difficult or broken relationships

• Feeling lonely

• Longing to be married or strains on your marriage

• Financial hardships 

• Chronic illnesses
The list could go on and on.

With the world surrounding us, it tells us we should have:

• a bigger house

• a nicer car

• the latest fashions

• our children need to be in the best schools, (or use the best curriculum if we homeschool)

• we should look younger and be thinner

There is nothing inherently wrong with these things, unless of course we are looking for them to fulfill us; which is the root of the problem.

I think discontentment runs in our blood.  Generally speaking, I personally think that women are more prone to being discontent more than men are. 

For example, take a look at Adam and Eve. Adam was content to eat from all the other trees in the garden, except from the one that was forbidden by God. It was Eve who was discontent with all that was given to her. She just had to have MORE than what the Creator of the Universe provided for her!

Then there’s Sarah. Oh Sarah… what a discontented woman she was! She wasn’t happy about the fact that she still had not bore any children with Abraham. So what does she do? She takes matters into her own hands thinking of course that by doing so, she will become content. Wrong! Because of this, she makes an even bigger mess out of her life.

She had her maidservant, Hagar, sleep with her husband so she can bear children for Sarah. Soon Hagar becomes pregnant, just like Sarah had wanted, but then Sarah becomes discontent (again!) because Hagar was carrying Abraham’s child. Ridiculous! There was no pleasing this woman. She wanted to eat her cake and have it too!

We can become constant drippings... like a dripping faucet. Drip. Drip. Drip. The thought of that sound alone grates on my nerves.

Imagine how we sound when we act and say things over, and over, and over like a constant dripping faucet? Annoying! Who would want to be around a woman like that?

Repeatedly in the Holy Scriptures we see the admonition to the women about our attitudes.   Ladies, if you are not married, don’t discard this admonition because you can still apply it to your lives.

“The contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.” Proverbs 19:23

“A continual dripping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.” Proverbs 27:15

Definition of contentment: satisfaction with what one has

1) a perfect condition of life in which no aid or support is needed

2) sufficiency of the necessities of life

3) a mind contented with its lot, contentment

Contentment will come to us when we focus on the things of the Lord and not on the things of this world.  

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

It is only when we live for Jesus Christ, pursuing Him, knowing Him, and serving Him that will we become content. The pursuit of things that are not lasting, things that will pass away, will eventually lead to our discontentment.

Tips to fill you with contentment:

• • Pray. Ask for the Lord’s strength to protect you from the trappings and deception of the Enemy. (Remember Eve?)
• • Hide God’s Word in your heart and meditate on the Scriptures.
• • Join a Bible study
• • Listen to praise and worship music throughout the day. (if possible)
• • Spend time in fellowship with other strong women of faith…not just girlfriends, but women who desire to know more of Jesus and who want to spend their time talking about Him! If you don’t have friends like this, PRAY, and in time, the Lord will bring you some!
• • Change your perspective from having the things of this ‘world’ to having your eyes on eternity. This alone will make a HUGE impact on your day.
• • Serve the Lord rather than yourself.
• • Ask yourself what is it that you pursue? What are your priorities? Will those things draw you closer to Jesus? Or will you be drawn further away from Him and His presence?

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. Proverbs 25:28 (I’m gonna try and not have cake tonight!)

The key to contentment in one’s life is the relationship you have with Christ. Knowing who He is as you continually seek Him and realizing who you are in Him is where content will be found! “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6

For those that are married, you can read my post here called, Discontentment in Your Marriage.

 

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A Dog's Passionate Pursuit

I was slightly immersed in one of my favorite books, My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers, as I looked on at the kids splashing in the pool today.  I wasn't sure at first what they were playing.  Kids on either side of the dividing line (pool sweep hose) while throwing objects at one another (gently, of course).  I soon figured out that they were playing a game of water dodge ball; which included my dog as a participant.  I watched on.  

I noticed (as usual) that my dog was quickly fixated on her toy.  The one she chases.  The one that squeaks.  The one she loves.  In fact, we refer to her as a rabid dog because she is so consumed with it.  She chases it so much that it causes her paws and nails to bleed as a result of her pursuit.

I often refer to her as being an addict for her toy.

As all the objects would fly throughout the air and land in the water, it wouldn't take long for Scruffy the dog to leap into the pool to get her heart's desire.  

Although her toy became one of the balls, she could clearly distinguish between the real one (hers) and the imposters.  As more balls were hurled through the air, in no way was she distracted by what came her way.  Her eyes were on the prize; her toy.

The various 'balls' that were used to play- Scruffy's toy included.

 

With a dogged-determination (pun intended), she didn't lose sight of what mattered so much to her.

She got her prize.

She is a dog.  No conscience.  No soul.  An animal.  Yet, she could clearly go after something with all of her 'dog-being'.  A passionate and relentless pursuit.  A persistence that would leave her choking up water, exhausted and sometimes bleeding.  But she wouldn't give up.  

The children stopped playing.  The game is over.  Disappointment sets in.  She waits for one of the kids to throw her toy so she can continue in her pursuit again.

Disappointed but still focused, she looks on.

As I watched all of this play out, I couldn't help but think about my own pursuits.  

Am I as intentional and as focused after my Prize?   I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:14  Or will I be mislead by many of the world's imposters?

Can I distinguish in this world what is worth pursuing?

Or when the distractions that are being thrown my way leave me unfocused, lost, thrown off balance, or defeated, will I be tenacious enough to continue in my pursuit?    

When life becomes a disappointment, will I still look to my Prize, the One I love?

I, being a human being, filled with the power of the Living God, will I chase after my Prize with such determination?  Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  1 Corinthians 9:24

Imposters, distractions, and disappointments all showed up in the pool today for my dog, but they showed up for me as well.   

Distractions that made it difficult for me to not only seek Christ, but to hear from Him and to be in His Holy presence today.

Disappointments with extended family that brought me to tears (again).

Imposters masked as joy and peace.  Would I succumb to  busyness, food (chocolate), or entertainment to numb what I was feeling inside?  

Would I seek the Imperishable Crown?  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  1 Corinthians 9:25

As my dog bleeds for her prize, would I be willing to bleed for my Prize?  Pushing everything aside to seek Him, find Him, know Him and be obedient to Him.
 
In the pursuit of Christ we need to: 

• ·       stay focused on Him

• ·       be undeterred by distractions and disappointments

• ·       be discerning of imposters 

• · and sometimes we need to bleed for Him; by overcoming our fears, injustices, insecurities, and self- so we can know Him more and make Him known to others

As we passionately and relentlessly pour out our life for Christ, remember that He bled for us because we are His prize!

 

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How to Lose Your Dream Home Not Just Once, But Twice

Sometimes I just want to close my eyes and pretend I am not living this life because this is not what I had expected, yet, this is what I prayed for.   

Between being sick for so many years and now this?  The home being lost, again!   

The Lord had asked me to revisit my dreams, to live in my home once again only to have it taken away again.  My emotions fought with my spirit.  I didn’t want to question Him because I KNOW He knows what is best for me.

Let me tell you a story about,  How to Lose Your Dream Home Not Just Once But Twice.  It’s a ridiculous story, but a true one nonetheless and I can’t wait to share it with you so you can find God in the midst of your own hardships (and sometimes absurdities) of your life.

It was March of 2010 when we received the first notice from the Bank that our home was going to be sold on the courthouse steps (foreclosed upon) on April 6^th.  So we moved out and moved into a rental.  We were very blessed for our rental home and we were content there.  We had no desire to move back to our dream home on Ashbury Lane (nor did we think it was ever a possibility), instead we looked ahead to our future with hope.  That chapter of our book was now closed, we thought.  

April through August of 2010 we were able to pay our bills.  Praise the Lord!  For 5 months we were just getting by.  My health was improving and I felt wonderful.  Perhaps there was a light at the end of the tunnel after all? 

Until I turned the page of my book to September, where a visit to the Urgent Care cost us almost $400.00.  A boy's hand with a sliced finger that needed stitches was the reason.  Having no health insurance we relied on the Lord to provide, and of course He did.  But would we have enough money to pay our rent, was the thought that ran through my mind?

I continued to read on until October came.  It was during that time that my beloved was rushed to Emergency.  An EKG was ordered because of a low heart rate and a Cat Scan later revealed a kidney stone.  Thousands of dollars are now owed to the hospital, yet thankful for a healthy husband.

I now become hesitant to turn the page to November.  What's next?  Can we afford to pay rent?  The escrow my husband had been working on for months still had not closed, which meant he wouldn't get paid.  We were told by the Lender that it would close before Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving came and went but with no paycheck.  Our landlord was so gracious to us and told us to pay him when the escrow closed.  He also showed up with a small Christmas tree for our boys, in addition to gift cards for them to buy Christmas presents.  We were blown away by his generosity, empathy and compassion.  In the meantime, the property on Ashbury Lane, (my dream home) still had not sold on the courthouse steps.  The Bank kept postponing the sale of our home but we didn't understand why.  In our minds it didn't really matter to us because it wasn't like we were going to move back there. Or so we thought!

I started to think I was reading a book on horror when I came across the pages of December.  Week after week the escrow still had not closed.  In the meantime my Beloved is doing everything he can to make money to feed us and to keep the utilities on, yet some were disconnected.  Plus, it's been raining and my boy has holes in the bottom of his shoes and his socks are now getting wet.  We hardly have any money and what we do have is for food.  Jesus will provide, I tell my son.  We continue to pray for the Lord to meet our needs. 

My Beloved husband feels like a failure.  I hold him and tell him that the Lord has a plan in all of this.  “Don’t lose hope, I say.  God is moving and working on our behalf.” 

I try to encourage and affirm who he is, “Regardless of your decisions and where ever they take us, do not doubt yourself because God has anointed you as the head of the household.  I will be by your side every step of the way.”  

With tears in his eyes, he says to me, “I am like water to his thirsty soul,”

“It is not I that quenches your thirst, but the Lord, I remind him.”  Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."  John 4:10

It broke my heart to see my Knight in Shining Armor so defeated in all of this.  I couldn’t fix his problem but what I could do was pray for him and our situation and try to have a good attitude as we endured this difficult time.

The sale of the Ashbury property has now been postponed yet another month.  We receive a certified letter from the Bank.  After a phone call is made to them, they inform us that we could qualify for a loan modification but we had to be living in our property (seeing how the Bank had yet to foreclose upon our house back in April like they had told us, the home was still considered our property).  We had no desire to pack up all of our belongings and move back because we knew we would never qualify for the loan modification, plus the home could be foreclosed upon the next month!  We were hopeful that the Lord would provide for us financially so we could just stay in our rental. 

Things we owned were being sold on either Craigslist or Ebay so we would have money for food.  “God will provide all our needs”, was a constant reminder in our household. 

Our boys were told not to expect any Christmas presents from us this year because we didn’t have any money for toys.  “I am sorry boys, but you won’t be getting any Legos this year,” I said. 

It was a tough December for us.  At the beginning of the Christmas season I wrote a short e-book called, Strengthening Your Child’s Faith at Christmas and I posted a link to it on Facebook.  Unfortunately, a family member of mine decided to smear my name on Facebook because of my Christian faith which he was (and still is) hostile towards.  I sobbed.  I was so tired of being persecuted by my family for my faith. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:10 

A few days later we hear from the neighbor kids that their parents don’t like me.  In fact, they tell our kids that their parents can’t stand us and we would probably sue them for all sorts of ridiculous reasons.  What!  That’s odd to hear, seeing how we hardly spoke to them! It still hurt my feelings.  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Even though I knew what the Bible had to say and I knew we were under attack by the Enemy it was becoming more increasingly difficult to bear.  How much longer Lord?  When will the storms let up?

New Year’s Eve we decided to drive over to the Ashbury home to see the condition that it was in.  I remember that day well and it is still painful to think about it.  As others were out celebrating and ringing in the New Year with hope, I couldn’t help but think we were probably moving back to the home and enduring another move filled with even more uncertainty.  Life did not look hopeful at this time, in fact, it looked downright depressing.

After a 10 month period, what we saw was a dismal sight:

Weeds around the yard that were at least 3 feet tall

Grass, bushes and trees that were either dead or on the verge of dying due to lack of water

Our once beautiful pool was now devoid of crystal blue water; instead it was filled with trash, debris and rain water. 

We unlocked our front door and stepped into the dust covered house.  I looked around to what was once filled with many memories... birthday parties, Christmas celebrations, friends, family, fellowship. I couldn’t help but question why would the Lord bring us back to this place?  Not only was the home a depressing sight, but we soon realized that our home had been broken into as the back doors were busted and left wide open and banging in the wind.  Dust covered everything.  There was minor vandalism and theft as well.  More sorrow and pain were added to my heart that day.  Along with more work because I had to clean the place!  Could the Lord really bring us back here, I thought?

My Beloved...dismayed, disheartened and downcast.

I wanted to stop reading this book but I didn’t have a choice.  So I turned the page to January 2011, where I received more bad news.   One morning I discovered that there was something wrong with my car.  Later my Beloved takes a look at it and he said I would never believe what was wrong with it.  My response, “I would believe anything at this moment based on how our lives have been.”  He informed me that someone stole the catalytic converters off of the car.  I laughed (my other option was to cry).  That was clearly the enemy wanting to discourage us.  No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me," says the LORD.  Isaiah 54:17  We later find out that parts alone for the car would cost us $3500.00.  That wasn’t in our budget!

Seeing how we had little money and the escrow still had not closed, we felt we had no other choice but to make the move back to our home on Ashbury Lane.  It was a daunting and miserable time of a move, to say the least.

Although I wanted to curl up in the fetal position and just cry, it would serve me no good.  I had a home to pack, a family to care for, my health to manage, and a ministry to run.

We got all of our things into the home around January 23^rd and the sale date of the property was scheduled for Feb. 9^th.  Less than 3 weeks and we might have to move again. 

Should I unpack our things? I thought.

What would that teach our boys?  Would my actions show them that I was trusting in Jesus if I left our things in boxes?  Or did these young souls need to see my actions showing them that I trusted in the Christ?

The Lord made it clear,  “Take your boys to Me.  Show them that you trust Me.”  He said.

So I unpacked our home knowing full well that we may have needed to get out in less than 30 days.   Yet, it wasn’t until 7 months later that we moved. 

So, we have now officially moved out of our dream house, not just once, but twice!  

At the beginning of this post I said, "this is what I prayed for", and this is what I meant by that:

 

My desire and prayer over the years that I have walked with Christ is to be closer to Him, to know Him more and to filled with His glorious presence. 

His answer: Daughter, you will lose your home…again, and you will move…again.  It will be exhausting, painful and difficult.  You will cry in anguish and you will doubt and question Me.  You will live in uncertainty and you will long for stability, but the stability that you long for is false.  I am all you need.

This is what I prayed for and it hurts (my flesh), yet my spirit sings.

But the best part of the story is yet to come!  Join me soon for Part 2 where I will tell you of the many miracles that God did during that time on our behalf!  

Plus, I will share with you what I learned about allowing God to be the main character of my story/my life, rather than me being the 'leading lady'.

 
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Why God Has Not Called Me to Get a Job (Part 3)

Should you get a job in this declining economy?  That's the question of the day to the married woman with children.  

I am going to dive right into the biblical verses to help you with your decision.  If you have not read Part 1 and Part 2 of Why God Has Not Called Me to Get a Job, please take the time to read them so you'll know where I’m coming from.

For many days now I have prayed for the Lord to guide me as I write this post because I know some women may be angry and perhaps even a bit offended by what I write, however, that is not my intention.   I am sure there are many of God’s beautiful and wonderful daughters out there working real hard to help provide for their family due to the economy.  There may even be some sisters reading this that may be going on one job interview after another, and others still wondering if they are doing the right thing by not getting a job.  Let me reassure you that I truly do understand your anxieties, fear and pain.

If you haven't been following my story, just this week we moved out of our home that was foreclosed up and the dress you see in this picture is my beautiful wedding dress that was hung to sell at our yard sale a few weekends ago.  Two things I held dearly in my heart are now gone, yet, I have still not gotten a job and below I will explain the Biblical reasons why not.

With sadness in my heart these things are no longer mine. 

First, let me begin by telling you that I am not worthy to type His words, His love, His admonition, His charge, nor His exhortation to you.  Who am I but just another one of His daughters?  Yet, He has called me to write this, a letter that may convict some. “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”  Hebrews 4:12   

But before I go any further, let me first state that whether we work outside of the home or stay at home, we are all on the same team.  Team Jesus.  Jesus said, "For he who is not against us is on our side.  Mark 9:40

Note:  For the woman who is angry when she reads this: please know that the Word of God does NOT condemn, but rather it convicts the heart as the Holy Spirit moves throughout your soul.  (Satan is the one who condemns.  Jesus NEVER does.)  “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”  Romans 8:1

I want to make sure this counsel and encouragement is very clear.  I am writing to the married woman who is still raising children.

This post is NOT written to:

·       Single women

·       Single mothers

·       Widows

·       Married women with adult children

Let’s dig into God’s Word to help direct us for our role as a mother.  We’re going to start at the beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis, chapter 3, verse 16:

·       To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."

“In pain you shall bring forth children” is the portion of Scripture that I’d like to discuss right now.  Notice that the verse does not say, ‘babies’?  Generally speaking, when we think of this verse, we just associate it with labor pains as we are about to give birth to a ‘baby’, yet the verse clearly states, 'children', which is obviously older than a baby.  The verse is not referring to labor pains only.  Here's something else for you to ponder...And why would you have sorrow with 'conception'? (unless of course you weren't looking to 'raise' another child!)

Now comes the word ‘sorrow’.  Let me ask you a question.  If you gave birth to a living, breathing baby, did you equate that day as a day of sorrow?  I think not!  The ‘sorrow’ did not come until we started raising the child, (bringing forth, if you will.)  

'In pain and sorrow' is part of the curse for the woman, because we are bringing up ‘children’.  Motherhood is hard work.  We are shaping a child and dealing with their behaviors and attitudes; it's an ongoing process.  If any of you have children, you know that when the baby was born you received them with great joy, not sorrow.  (For those of you who have two year olds or teenagers you might have more sorrow than joy right now.) 

Now the verses below deal with our role and responsibility as a wife and a mother:

·       "She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27

·      “the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."  Titus 2:3-5

The Word clearly states that as a married woman with children we are called to be homemakers and we are to watch over our household.  Now, in our society that position is frowned upon because the 'world' does not hold that position in high esteem.  If you are a very intelligent person, perhaps you feel like you'd be wasting your time by being a stay at home mom rather than pursuing a career.  Don't be fooled by Satan's lie if you believe that.  Sorry, but society is not very bright! “I, the Lord, speak truth; I declare what is right.”  Isaiah 45:19

Where does it say in the Titus 2:3-5 verses that a woman should be a homemaker ONLY if her husband makes enough money for her to stay at home?  It's not there ladies!  Don't be deceived.  God's Word is clear.

The Almighty God wrote those verses.  The Great I Am etched out His perfect plan for your role as a wife and mother.  Don't just discard it and think that you need to aspire to be something more.  It is not enough for you to be in the center of His will?  “All His words are true.”  Psalm 119:160  

Since I am a married woman with children that I am still raising, I am going to give you the answer as to why God has not called me to get a job....

"so the Word of God is not blasphemed."  Titus 2:5

Bottom line:  if you are married with children that still need to be raised, it is a part of God's plan for you to be the one to raise them.  I tried to tell you earlier that this post might cause you to be angry...I guess I should've told you to have some chocolate by your side while you were reading it!

Just because the economy has changed that does not mean the Word of God has.

The position a wife and mother holds will receive eternal benefits that a paycheck here on earth can never measure up to.

Don’t be misled.  Even if other Christian, married women with children are getting jobs during this economy that does NOT mean its God’s best for your family! 

I know you may feel as if you're drowning, just let go and surrender to Him!  Loosen your control and He’ll rescue you because He is your Life Preserver.  Your faith will go deeper as a result of this.  His glory will be revealed through you and He will do miracles, because He is the Miracle Maker!

You might not think I don't understand your pain and uncertainty.  But I do! I sit here typing this post from my bedroom, but not just any bedroom because this room is not my home but a home of dear sweet friends of ours.  Although I no longer have a house to call my own, I look to the Heavens where my permanent dwelling place will be.

Yes, I can get a job so I can live in my own home and still keep my possessions but I would be outside of God's will for my life and no amount of money and a false sense of security is worth it for me because I would rather be obedient to my Savior, my King and my God.

Take my life Jesus...my dress, my home, my possessions and let it be yours.  Use them for your glory.  Yes, there are tears in my eyes when I type these words but one day every tear of mine will be in His bottle.  He laid His life down for mine and the least I can do is give up a few worldly possessions to be the woman, wife and mother that He has called me to be.  Scars and pain are part of a greater plan.  The narrow path is certainly not the easiest path, but it is the path that will lift Him up for all to see.

Be in prayer about your decision.

Heed His Word because there will be ramifications if you don't.  (I will address the negative impact that working outside of your home can have on your marriage along with the relationship you have with your children at the end of this series.)

Take a leap of faith. 

Be strong in the Lord.

You won't regret it.

Join me soon (from my little bedroom) for Part 4, where I'll address, if your husband wants you to get a job.  Plus, I will tackle the following verses:

·       She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard.  Proverbs 31:16

·       She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants.  Proverbs 31:24

 

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Why God Has Not Called Me to Get a Job (Part 2)

Well, this sure is a popular topic!  I can't believe how many people have read the first part of this post.  I guess in today's economy it's hard not to be concerned about one's financial situation.  Today we'll pick up on Part 2.  If you missed Part 1 of Why God Has Not Called Me to Get a Job, I encourage you to take 5 minutes to read it here so you’ll know where I’m coming from.

Like a father showing his daughter new things she had never seen, the Lord took my hand and revealed His Truth to me. We walked together, Hand in hand.  I am forever grateful that He didn’t send anyone to minister to me.  He wanted me all to Himself, right by His side so I could learn from the Master himself.

His Word does not return void.  Isaiah 55:11

I almost felt like a young girl climbing up on the Lord’s lap as He was reading me a bedtime story, (although at times it felt more like a horror story!) a story on how to live a God-fearing life as a young woman.  

So from Feb. thru June of 1997, I was unemployed going on one interview after another, only to hear the words “You are over qualified and basically, you can do my job”, or they would tell me I was their second choice.

Hmmm, I wonder if not getting those jobs had anything to do with the fact that before each interview I would pray, “Close this door Lord if this is not the job YOU want me to have.”  Of course that's why!  The Lord was protecting me AND pruning me.  He had just the right job in mind for me, plus He was chipping away at my pride.

During those months I had a lot of free time on my hands so….

I dug into God’s Word.  I got myself a study Bible with a commentary included in it so I could understand the Word better.  I used the concordance at the back of the book although I don’t think I really understood the concept of it too well.  In my mind it was kinda like a dictionary of sorts. 

I did, what I call, my own Bible study for women.  I looked up every passage in the Bible that had the word ‘woman’ or ‘female’ in it to find out what the Word of God had to say about it.  I eventually looked up what the Word had to say about a ‘wife’.  (Deep down inside my heart I had a longing to be married to a wonderful, godly man…hmmm, did that even exist?)

Here’s what I learned:

• ·     And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."  Genesis 2:18  A helper?  What?  I’m not a helper, that role is so beneath me.

•  ·       And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."  Genesis 3:13  Way to go Eve!  Thanks a lot.   

• ·       To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."  Genesis 3:16  Okay, so kids equate pain and my husband will rule over me??  And why would I want to sign up for this job?   

• ·       “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”  Ephesians 5:22   Ouch!  I need to do what? 

• ·       Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Ephesians 5:24

•  ·       Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  Colossians 3:18

I was finding that the more I read God’s Word, the more I read that a wife was to submit to her husband. Just for the record, I wasn’t too fond of that idea!  I didn’t submit to men.

Well, I thought, I won’t be walking down the aisle anytime soon because I was not about to submit to some idiot that might lead me off the edge of a cliff! 

Then I came across the infamous Proverbs 31 passage.  That was a shocker of a read.  Really, ‘she makes linen garments’?  I didn’t even know how to sew on a button.

•   ·       “The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”  Titus 2:3-5  Homemaker?  Really Lord?

I had so much to learn and so much pride that needed to be chipped away. 

So I started to connect the Biblical dots as I applied them to my life and this is what I realized:

• If I made the decision to become a Christian wife, then I was ultimately placing my life into my husband’s hands for him to lead me.  Yea, well I’m not okay with that.  

• I had to be obedient to my husband.  That was funny.  I think I chuckled a little bit when I read that verse, but then I think I got a little angry with God on that one.  (No wedding bells in my future… or so I thought.)

• Then I read that I would be the maid!  I didn’t know how to keep a home.  I certainly didn’t know how to cook either and I wasn't about to learn!

• If I had kids, it would be painful.  It would hurt when I birthed them and I was the one who was supposed to raise them. That was a scary thought!

I fully understood what the Scriptures had to say about the role of a wife so I quickly became content in my singleness stating, “I would rather remain single and serve the Lord than settle for just any man.”  “If and when I say, ‘I Do’, my husband needs to be all that and then some.”

And just for the sake of it, I couldn't keep myself from reading what 'the man' had to do.  What was his curse, role and responsibility?  I found the verse below to be very interesting.  The curse for the man was for him to toil the field, not the woman.  Something I pondered, but nothing I really needed to think about since I wasn’t married. 

And to the man he said, "Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.  Genesis 3:17

All those Scriptures were so much for me to take in.  It was something I needed to learn because based on how society (Satan) pushes a woman to ‘have it all,” you know, the career, the husband, the kids, the house, etc.

I felt that I was raised to be like a man, not a woman.  My desire was to be the woman that God created me to be, not who I created myself to be or who 'the world' says we, as women, should be.

Regardless of how I was raised and what I had pursued for many years, I realized that God was and still is A LOT smarter than I am.  Okay Lord, I will learn to be a Godly woman.  "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.  Psalm 111:10  

Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.  Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.  For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands.  Now I am supposed to have a gentle and quiet spirit as well?  Okay now, that is asking just way too much!  And again, with the stinkin' submissive thing!  Really Lord, how come you have to tell us sooo many times?  (There's actually a reason why, but that will have to wait until I write my posts on Marriage.)

During this time of studying God's Word, I get a job.  Not a job I wanted by the way.  It was, in my opinion, a job that was beneath me.  (chip, chip, chip).  If I remember correctly the way it was advertised it was for a secretarial type position.  I'm not getting some man his coffee, I thought.  I had the job announcement and application in my car for well over a month.  I wasn't interested, yet, I had exhausted all my avenues and the Lord closed all the doors.  I didn't really have a choice so I applied.  

I went to the first interview COMPLETELY uninterested giving short, one word answers.  The Human Resources Director said, "I think you are just what we are looking for."  That's nice, I thought with disgust in my heart.  She had me interview with the Vice President that same day.  (He would be the one I would be getting coffee for.)

As I was ushered into his office, I noticed the Bible verse plaque that was displayed on his desk.  It took my breath away.  I was thrilled to be around another believer, another  follower of Christ.  I interviewed with him.  He tells me I am skilled enough to do his job.  I smile, yet, I started to feel somewhat honored that he said such a kind thing to me. We spoke some more.  He tells me he wants to hire me but he wants to change the position to fit my skills.  Wow!  I was floored.

A few days later I show up for my first day of work but just before I head inside, I am sitting in my car thanking the Lord for the job that He has given me.  I cry because I am sooo humbled and honored that the Lord would have chosen me- a sinner, for a job like this.  So, are you wondering what the job was for?

·       It was for a Christian organization.

·       It employed believers.

·       Daily staff devotions were a part of the 'work' day.

·       They did community outreaches where the Gospel message was presented.

·       They fed the homeless.

·       Gave clothes, shoes and school supplies to needy children.

·       The organization had a mission on skid row in Los Angeles.

God chose me.  The sinner, the proud me, to be a part of His work.

Did I say I was humbled and honored?  

With a humble heart, I gladly served my boss his coffee, (even when he told me not to because he would remind me that I  wasn't his secretary.) (smile)  My response to him:  I am a professional servant for Christ. 

I was in the process of being transformed into a Godly woman....which was a good thing because I met my husband 3 months later.  (Well, that's not quite true, I met him when I was 14 years old and he was my volleyball coach; a coach I never wanted to listen/submit to.) God sure does have a sense of humor!

Join me for Part 3, where I am going to break down some Scriptures and help you apply them to your own life.

 

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