Benefits of Submission

Three years ago I wrote about the Power of Submission. I was newly married and had only one child. You can read that post here. I have been married 5 years now and am still learning daily the benefits of submission. 

It was brought to my attention by my mentor and close friend that the submitter bears fruit. It is easy to look at this and think, "of course its the woman who gets pregnant and gives birth to a child." Yes that is true but she was speaking of spiritual fruit. 

Bearing fruit is the first benefit of submission.

Genesis 1:11-12 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.  

Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Genesis 1 reveals to us the principal of bearing fruit. You can only bear that which you are. An orange tree cannot birth a lion, a lion cannot lay eggs, and eagle cannot control a hive of bees. Fruit can only be born of its own kind. Anything else is a mutation, and alteration to the original design. We have to submit to the principal. Submitting the the principal is not saying that you have to accept it, because wither or not you accept it, it will hold true. Submitting to the principle is understanding and utilizing it to your benefit. 

Luke lets us know that fruit is not immediate. It takes time and we must be patient. There are different incubation periods for different things. My peas only take 65 days from plant to harvest, my children took 9 to ten months to fully develop. We need to understand that the things God has placed in us will take patience, and time to come to fruition. Submitting to the timetable allows the fruit to fully mature. If I harvest my peas too soon, I won't be able to use them for their intended purpose. 

John tells us that in order to bear fruit you must be connected to what the original seed has produced. A plant cannot disconnect itself from the root and thrive. We need to be connected in order to bear fruit. We can look at our lives and see what we are connected to. Are we connected to consumerism? Selfishness? Fashion? Missions? Ministry? If we didn't tell anyone what we were connected to what would they assume based solely on our fruit?

We should produce love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance. This is a sign that we follow Christ. Galatians 5 lays it out for us. Our fruit should reflect the heart of God. 

Access is the Fruit of Submission

Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Proverbs 31:23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

Eve was given access to God, because of Adam's need of her. We can assume that God would have made woman eventually and for other reasons but the Bible says that God made Eve because He say that it was not good that Adam should be alone. When we submit to our husbands we are submitting to the order God has put in place. 

I always found it interesting that Proverbs states, "Her husband is known in the gates" in between a verse that talks about what she wears and what she sells. She had a reputation. She submitted to her husband's position by honoring him in how she presented herself and even in how she conducted business. 

Hearing the Voice of God

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

When we submit ourselves to our husbands we are obeying the voice of God. It is His word that tells us to submit to our husbands as unto the Lord. What does that look like? We are constantly being perfected by the love of God. We seek to understand His will, we look for opportunities to praise Him, to move and be moved by Him. We respectfully make our request known to Him, yet He knows our hearts deepest desires and His will is that we submit to our husbands as unto Him. I am not saying treat your husband like a god but I am saying we must look for ways to honor them, with the intent of honoring the God who made them.

Submission is a hard word but I am convinced that submitting to God is the absolute best things I could do.

What are some benefits of submission in your opinion?  

Just Another New Years Post

Happy New Year! I know I'm 18 days late but I've been trying to think of some profound way to launch this years blog. I got nothing so I decided instead to share with you a few goals I have and where I feel God is leading me this year. 

1. More patience- I don't know about you but being a wife and mom is hard so I need to check in with God regularly (like at least once a minute) to check myself. My motives, my frustrations... If my first response is I don't like it/want to do it/ want to hear it then there is a problem. My first response should be, how does God feel about this? That's going to take a lot of work and for me patience. Instead of jumping in I will have to ask and wait.

2. Commitment - If I can't keep my word to myself how are others supposed to trust me, here's the thing, as a wife and mom I often put myself last. I mean dead last. Someone always needs us or something  only we can provide. If I say I'm going to do something I'm going to do it, but I need to love and respect myself enough to keep my word to myself. 

3. Dedication - I live my life devoted to Christ and spreading the gospel. One platform I use is this blog. I will be dedicated and commit to posting at least once a week. 

What are your goals for 2014? Where do you see God taking you?

Reaping

Galatians 6:6-10 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. 

Many times we read, " Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" as a threat, I see it as a beautiful promise. It's so easy to get caught up where you are and get comfortable. It's so easy to lose sight of your dreams but you may be closer to archiving your dreams and walking in your destiny than you imagined. 

Sow means to plant, disperse, or distribute. Reap means to cut or gather. I think we forget both words are verbs, they require action. I don't know about you but sometimes I get so caught up in sowing that I forget to change my action and began reaping. God does not intent for us to labor in vain however, we do so when we do not collect our harvest. After-all, what we reap will always be greater than what we sow. 

I realize, more and more, success is a promise for those who work hard. Then why are there so many hard working unsuccessful people? My answer is, they haven't learned to reap. Reaping requires both cutting and gathering. 

We are taught in school to work hard, meet deadlines, learn strategies to improve business, proper conduct and dress. Rarely do we learn salary negotiations, entrepreneurial building blocks, or personal branding  and selling. Frankly, we are not taught to be reapers. Our society treats sowers and reapers as two different kinds of people. This scripture states the sower and reaper are one and the same. 

You have to look at what you've sown and change your behavior to act in accordance to the receiving of your harvest. What does the bible say about reaping? 

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

According to scripture we should not lose heart, give, and trust that we will get a return. Why would we lose heart? Is it because we get tired of sowing? No, it's because reaping means to cut and gather. Reaping may be uncomfortable and at times down right painful, however you cannot gather what you have not cut off. You cannot enjoy the fruit of your labor until you remove some things from your life. 

We talked about cutting, let's talk about gathering. We live in a society where it's so easy to connect, that it's hard to connect. It's becoming increasingly uncomfortable to form relationships with people on a personal level. Few people talk on the phone with their friends now. Communication is done via texting, Facebook, or other social media. Gathering is a hands on job. You not only have to cut, you have to gather. You have to pull things, or people together in order to receive the fullness of your harvest. 

The bible also tells us to give. A lot. The more we give the more we get. So yes take the hard work of your harvest and give it away because you cannot beat God giving. When you give, give cheerfully, give with an expectant heart. Have faith that the God you serve will keep His word. 

Lastly, reaping is never done alone. Farmers do not reap their bounty alone, so recognize the season your in, reach out to your family and friends because what you reap will be more than what you've sown and you cannot consume it alone.

Father,

Thank you for the season of harvest. Thank you for the bounty and we trust our returns on our investments will be great because we trust you and your word. Allow our increase to be a testament of your grace and generosity may it be used as a tool to draw the hearts of people to you. We thank you, we love you. In Jesus name, amen. 

Taking the Promise Land

There may be something God has promised you; a dream or desire. You have walked with God, been tested by life's circumstance and learned to trust God for the manna. Now your promise is right in front of you. 

Your time in the wilderness was your training ground. It was your opportunity to grow from the trials, learn the terrain, and put into practice your faith. You are prepared. 

If you read Joshua chapter 3 you will find that having crossed the Red Sea it was easy for the Israelites to step out and cross the Jordan. In Joshua 6 when the Israelites took Jericho they had to walk for seven days around the city. They had been walking for 40 years!

God may ask you to do some crazy things to get your promise, things others may not understand. If you look back at your time in the wilderness you will realize these request pale in comparison to the things you've lived through. 

So go ahead, be bold, step out, seize that promise!

Thank you God for giving us dreams, hopes, and aspirations. Thank you for the training ground. Thank you for the opportunity to exercise our faith and character so we can fully obtain all the benifits of the promise. In Jesus name, amen. 

Living in the Manna-fest

God delivered the Israelites  from Egypt, yet they were in a seemingly worse situation. In Egypt, they were slaves but they knew where they would sleep, they knew what they would eat. After escaping captivity they were homeless and hungry. Moving forward based on a promise riding on a wave of excitement. Then reality set in.

 I can imagine the seeds the enemy planted in their minds, "You were better off where you were, you will never get ahead, how are you going to eat now, is there really a land if milk and honey? Where is it? How far?" We see these seeds manifested in the Israelites complaining.

Are we so different? Have you ever been promised something by God then found yourself in a seemingly worse off position? Are you there now? You my friend are living in the manna-fest.

Exodus 16:3-8 And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us?” Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.” 

Let me tell you about this wonderful place. Here in the manna-fest you will be tested. Your trust in God will be put on trial by your circumstances and judged by your spirit. Is God sovereign? Is the promise attainable? The reason this is such a beautiful place to be is because it is a turning point. 

You can choose to live by your own devices and do what you feel is best or easiest. Or, you could learn to look for manna. Daily raising knowing that God is in control, believing for the morning manna, and the evening quail. 

So how do we live in the manna-fest? Speak the word, out loud, faith comes by hearing(Romans 10:17) Be faithful in your giving, challenge God (Mal 3:10). Practice being content, (Philip 4:6) because wither you realize it or not this (yes, this trial) is for your benefit. Lastly, no matter what lies the enemy tells you, your not alone, you have siblings all over the world praying for you. 

Drive Through Christianity

I, like many in my generation, want things quickly and easily this shows up in many areas in my life including relationships. This mindset also transfers over in the way many of us lead others to Christ. We want to minister to someone, we want them to repent on the spot and give their lives to Christ. This is wonderful when it happens but it can also produce Christians who are saved by grace but still living in sin because the person who planted the seed moves on. Jesus likens salvation to the the planting of seeds. Lets look at Matthew 13:1-9 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. ² And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

³ Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. ⁸ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (NKJV) 

Jesus, doesn't just talk about the seeds He talks about the ground they fall on as well. The stony place, the wayside, and the thorns were all places that were not prepared for the seed. When we lead people to salvation and their hearts are not prepared we bring Christians in to the kingdom that will be devoured by the attacks of the enemy and backslide, those who get really excited and fired up but lack endurance, and those who start to grow in Christ then are stifled by their circumstance. We need to hear God and do more than sow seeds. Sometimes God calls us to prepare the ground, then tend to it. Salvation without discipleship is like a planted seed without access to water, or sunlight. It cannot survive. Matthew 28:19 says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," many people focus on the later part of the verse but the first thing Jesus says to do is to make disciples. He wants us to take time to teach people what we have learned through His word. Salvation is important but without discipleship it does not change lives. 

Many times we as Christians can be so judgmental. We look at someone who professes to be saved and criticize them if they are not leading a godly life. These people may love God and want to serve Him but don't know where to start.Yes we can suggest that these people come to church and bible study to hear from God or we can go get them. This can be done through the unrelenting love of Christ. Phone calls, Facebook, and other social media, taking time out to talk or have coffee, being available. Jesus disciples knew Him because of the quality time they spent with Him, the newly saved get to know God through the time they spend with those who know Him. We need to take time to be like Jesus, time is a valuable thing and people need to know that they are worth yours. 

Father, 

Thank you for your word. For showing us your heart for the lost and the broken. Help us not to forget their wounds and scars need attending too even after they have found you. Give us your heart so we can love in a deeper, more meaningful way, and please still us so we can let your voice guide our steps. We love you, we thank you. Amen

What an Amazing Testimony!!

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/january-february/my-train-wreck-conversion.html