Ministry

Leaving Home

/ Shannon Jarvis / Leave a comment

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I dropped my oldest daughter off at college recently and I feel like I am in the spin cycle of an industrial size washing machine. I can’t seem to slow down the myriad of emotions that keep steamrolling through my mind and body; I miss her, but I am excited for her, I am happy she is boldly following her dreams, but I am sad for the loss of her presence in our home, I am scared that I can’t protect her from so far away, but I am proud of her courage and independence. I know God is with her as the journey leading to this moment was marked by confirmation after confirmation that she is truly on the path He has set before her. This alone should give me transcendent joy and peace. I know this. I want to embrace it. But it is so hard to let go.

1901348_10152592136409842_2465773142710084956_n Where did the time go, I ask God? There were so many things I wanted to do as a mom over the course of her childhood. Here at the end it feels as though it was over just as it had begun. My heart aches with wanting more time; more time together for simple things like walks and talks in the park, sitting and listening to what is going on with her, brushing her hair, holding her close, putting everything else aside to just be with her.  I wanted to read her books that were magical in my childhood, sharing with her life lessons and beloved characters.

There were so many things I wanted to teach her that we simply never got to. I am shaken with fear over the things that I missed, the memories that were never made because I was too busy, or distracted, or just plain focused on myself, and my circumstances.

How much time did I lose with her, worrying about money, plans, errands, social agendas and other distractions that were inconsequential? There are things that need to be done in life, no question, but my regret lies in losing sight of what was most important. In the midst of busy life everything seems important at the time, but looking back, only one thing remains, love.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.  1 Corinthians 13: 1-3

God’s word reminds me that our relationship with Him is the same, nothing else will matter in the end. I know this but find myself being pulled by the world and it’s priorities. He gently reminds me in this season to keep my eyes on the prize, to refocus and choose with intention where my treasure lies.

 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  1 Peter 1,2

For this realization I am grateful in the midst of what feels like a terrible loss, the loss of a precious stage of life. I was not prepared for what this would feel like, perhaps we always feel cheated, like the time was not enough. But as I lean in to God He comforts and guides me.
The truth is, with Christ, it is all gain. I am gaining a young woman who I love no less and who needs me as much as ever. From this day on I will remember what this feels like and focus with intention on where and how I spend my time. How blessed I am to have the future with her ahead and time to make more precious memories. When the spin cycle ends, the truth is I don’t have to let go, I need to hold on. After all, in Christ, we have eternity.

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 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Is There an App for God?

/ Shannon Jarvis / Leave a comment


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Life is a constant struggle to do what is right. Our schedules rule our worlds. Men and women both often find themselves overwhelmed, overwrought and overworked in our high-tech culture. The blessing of technology also means we have more options and opportunities than ever before. As a result, we are racing just to keep up.  God forbid an opportunity pass us by.  If you blink you might miss something!

Just this week I discovered the “Amazon Echo”. It’s a robot that looks like a tall speaker! It sits on your counter top and awaits your verbal command to execute almost anything an app can do; which today seems to be endless. I had to stop and pause for a long time to fully absorb the reality and ramifications of this new tech.. Once again, daily life has the potential to be drastically changed. From the era of smartphones and Google-Mania comes a mighty temptation to rush to keep up and forget what we are doing, and why.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;  to be made new in the attitude of your minds;  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24

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As believers we desire to walk in the will of God. This is not some fairy tale ideal. Once we surrender our lives to Christ, the Holy Spirit shows us where, and how, we have been blinded by incorrect thinking and beliefs. He gives us a spirit of discernment and wisdom that grows as we make choices in line with the Word of God. Despite our best efforts we often get off track.  It is harder than ever to focus in a world flooded with new and amazing distractions!

…you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Dueteronomy 13:3

God in His infinite patience and mercy walks us through our trials and missteps. He sets our feet upon a path that leads to Him if we remain faithful. Nothing apart from this is worth our time or energy. This is radical thinking when you are caught up in other things, but “other things” lead to sin. For Christians, sin is anything that separates us from our relationship with God or comes before Him. In my life, that means I have to be intentional about the amount of time I spend with “technology” compared to the amount of time I spend in prayer, in the Word, and seeking God in my daily choices. Let’s be honest, we could spend all day on our Smartphones if we aren’t careful and it doesn’t stop there…

If the Devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy…

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God gives us opportunities daily to know Him more.  What happens when we are too busy to slow down and act on those Godly opportunities? How many times have you gone from one thing to the other, and before you know it, the day is over and you have not thought about God for more than a fleeting moment?  How many days do we go without praying, acting in our own strength, making choices that do not honor God but distract us from our true purpose?  Most of us struggle with this regardless of how long we have been Christians, we are too easily distracted, and the Devil knows it.

We are called to simple acts of kindness and love, ministering to others in need. These meetings have Heavenly consequences. When we can slow down and listen to the prompting of the Holy spirit, we don’t miss out on divine appointments set by God.  It’s shocking to think that we could miss out because we are playing Mine Craft, Candy Crush, or some other equally addicting game.  They seem harmless in isolation, but we must ask ourselves if we have unconsciously shifted our attentions away from God’s calling on our lives and given up precious time.

A  famous Christian Pastor tells of how he was in a busy hotel when he was a young man and a bellman offered to help him with something. He felt that he really didn’t need help.  He was about to say “no thank you” as he was in a hurry to get back to his room and check his email. But years of walking with God had taught him the importance of listening to that voice inside, the God voice, asking him to do something against his better judgment or desire. That voice told him the boy needed to speak to him. The pastor chose to slow down and listen.  He was able to comfort the boy and minister to his needs.  The boy was blessed, but in the end that meeting blessed the pastor in a way he never expected. That divine appointment led to another meeting that led to the pastor publishing his first book. That book went on to be a best seller and impact thousands of lives for Christ.

Is there an app for God?  We are the God app.  He writes the code for our lives, He is the Master Designer.  He works through us and in us.  God has an infinite wireless connection to every soul He created, that never glitches, disconnects, or becomes obsolete.  Technology is amazing and we should embrace what is new, as long as we keep our eyes on the real prize…

As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 18:30

Heavenly Father we praise you for the miracles and wonders in the world around us. Guide us in your ways.  Help us to choose wisely how and where we spend our time, resources, and money. Remind us who we are in you, and that you have a purpose for our lives. Let our identity be in you God. We are who you say we are; beloved children, created in your image for good works in your name so that more may come to know you God. Help us stay on course Father, make us intentional in putting you first above all else, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Love, Honor, and Learn God’s Word…

/ Shannon Jarvis / Leave a comment

joMy daughter recently shared with me one of her favorite parts of Romans. God has given her a heart for young girls her age and she looks for opportunities to mentor and disciple teenagers. She told me that some have asked her to share with them practical things about God that can help them in high school, so she’s been teaching them Romans 12: 9-12.

When she and I went through the verses together she said that she chose it because it helped her at a younger age when she really needed it. She said she would read it over and over again. I never knew this. I felt a deep sadness that I had not shared this with her myself, that when she needed it most, I did not have enough of God’s word in me to comfort her and guide her. I loved God for a long time and innocently thought as a young mother that was what mattered most. Looking back, I see how God was shepherding us both. I know that there is “no condemnation in Christ”. God is truly the Father of us all. I know He knows how much I love Him, and my children; and that He does not want me to regret but rejoice in my walk with Him secure in the knowledge He has had us both in the palm of His hand the entire way.

It’s not about our failures or mistakes as mothers, it’s about our faithfulness and obedience. That being said, I have learned that it is not enough to love God, if we do not have His word firmly planted in us we will not grow and we cannot fulfill our roles or minister to others in the way God intended. We are meant to lead our children, how can we lead them in ways we do not know?

This message is praise to God for giving this scripture to my child and growing in her a heart to share it with other girls whose mother’s truly love them, but like me, maybe did not have the words they needed when they needed them. Here is a short application of Romans 12: 9-12 that I am grateful I have now to share with whomever may need it, young or old.

It is important to know that this part of Romans is the author’s, (the apostle Paul,) instruction about how God desires us to live as Christians. †

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ROMANS 12: 9-12

VERSE BY VERSE:

 Verse 9: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good.”

In our relationships we are to love with a sincere heart, and further oppose cruelty by clinging to what God has said is good here. This is especially challenging for teenagers as their relationships begin to mature. There are very few good examples in the entertainment media of how human beings are to treat each other much less believers in Christ. So many negative messages bombard us on a daily basis. We live in a fallen world and must deal with evil, persecution, pain, suffering and more. When we trust and believe in what God has said we lean in to Him and this truly becomes a shelter in the storm. When we react to the negative or ungodly influences around us, and turn away from God, we lose that shelter and become entangled in battle. Contrary to what the world is telling us, God is telling us not to pretend to love people, but to love them as He does, because He does:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 JOHN 4:7-11

 Verse 10: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Pride is a killer, especially in a world where image is everything. Social rules demand we order ourselves into groups with some on top and even more on the bottom. This is directly against God’s word. He tells us to put others above ourselves. Forget the accolades, compliments and praises we crave, God says it is better to put others first. This is obviously not a popular way of thinking as we can see by the many competitions for awards, magazines, and pop culture icons that we are surrounded by. These things are not evil unless we put them before God. To obey God you must keep your eyes on Him and let go of what is popular.

Verse 11: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Keep your eyes on the prize. One of my favorite Bible teachers says often; “There is no high like the Most High.” God must be first. In everything we do we are to consider if our choice is pleasing to God. Does God want us to make sure we see every Hollywood blockbuster but rarely find time to read our Bibles? Do we make time for fun with friends and forget to pray because we are simply too busy? A wise man once said; “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.” Satan does not have to make us drug addicts or murderers to destroy our witness and our purpose, he simply has to encourage us to take our eyes off of God. No purpose we create for ourselves in the world will ever compare to the purpose God has for us. Do we crave recognition, power, money, and fame more than we desire God? If so, we are on a path to destruction.

Verse 12: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

God is in everything. He does not promise us a problem free life, He does promise to never leave us or forsake us. He promises us beauty for ashes, good from evil, if we believe and cling to hope:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1: 2-4

Finally I want to leave you with these additional scriptures to hold close to your heart. These have saved me from myself more times than I can count, never more so than when I am tired, stressed, or sick, God’s word does not fail to protect me from my foolish reactions, impulses and emotions! If your heart is struggling to love, obey these words, pray and ask God to change your heart:

 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  2 Corinthians 10: 5

Thank you God that you love us so much that we cannot even begin to fathom the depth of your love, that you would give your son to die for us so that we may be reconciled to you! Help us to put others first, to honor them, to love them, because they are your children, not because we judge them worthy. Help us to be wise and give us words to lift others up. Give us strength to resist the temptations and attitudes of the world, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and wisdom to choose the path you would have us walk so that we may lead others to you. Let us not grow weary but hold on to our fervent devotion and zeal for you. May we be joyful, patient, and faithful, oh Lord, in all our circumstances, secure in the knowledge that you are with us and you will work all things together for our good.   Do not let us lose hope but keep our eyes fixed on you. We love you Lord, in Jesus name, Amen.

† The following website is a good resource to use for in depth study of the Bible. For the purposes of this article it was used to confirm the author’s original intention and for Greek translations of key words in the text. http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Worry Not…

/ Shannon Jarvis / Leave a comment

The old man lay still in his bed. Morning light streamed through the window as birds chirped a carefree song of greeting outside.  He was not asleep.  For 87 years, he woke with the dawn and listened as the world began to wake.  The room he lay in was unfamiliar.  The bed was not his own.  Even the pictures on the walls were of places unknown, faces of strangers.  Until the moment the little girl walked in, nothing felt right.  His grand daughter reached out and took hold of his withered hand.  She looked at the cross he’d worn around his neck her whole life, silver, shining in the sunlight. He opened his eyes for the last time and looked at her, “never, never, never give up.”  

Wise words can lead us where we need to be, but in moments of weakness and despair, they are often forgotten. Where does hope come from then?  What can make the difference in giving up or holding on? When we turn our eyes to people and circumstances, and take our eyes off of God, we can lose sight of hope. We can be like sheep without a shepherd, wandering, lost and alone.  The truth is, that with God there is always hope.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever–present help in trouble.   Psalm 40

In every life, there is trouble. I was born into trouble and can scarcely remember a time in my youth when I wasn’t overcoming something, or suffering in my circumstances. A sense of worry grew in me that was always in the back of my mind. I worried when times were good that they would soon turn bad. I worried when times were bad, that they would never be good again, or that they would get worse. I prayed, but I did not know the God of the Bible. To my young mind, He was a force too large to comprehend, outside my reach, far removed from my dysfunctional world.  I prayed, but did He hear me?

Years of worry did not reduce my suffering, or diminish my pain. Worry, like salt in a wound, only made everything worse. It did not glorify God. I wore it like an impenetrable armor, but it protected me from nothing. It was the manifestation of my fear, in direct opposition to the Word of God.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?   Luke 12:25

The more we know God, the less we are prone to fear and worry.  In God’s Word we find a clear path to peace, a divine instruction to face our fears and handle life’s many challenges.  His comfort sustains us, His love changes us, His sacrifice restores us, His grace covers us.  Worry not, the Lord is your Shepherd…

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The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

Psalm 23

Thank you God that you are close to the broken hearted, that you love us and sustain us.  Be near the lost and the lonely, God.  Comfort them with your Holy Spirit, give them peace and the strength to persevere, for you alone can fill our empty places and restore our joy.  Take away our fears and our worry and remind us that you are with us, always.  You will never leave us or forsake us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dominoes and the Devil • Part 2

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And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

Jesus did not promise us a life free of trials. Just as all men are sinners, all men will encounter trials. It is a misconception that if you act “good” God will reward you in the form of blessings and abundance. God does bless us but He does not promise us a life free of trial. We know we live in a fallen world and that there is an enemy who stands against us. Satan uses temptation to cause us to stumble with the ultimate goal of leading us away from God and His plan for our lives.

Without God we will fall into temptation; with God temptation is a trial we can triumph over.

With this in mind, the first thing to realize is that not only are we fighting our own sin nature but satan is using it against us and he is bent on our destruction. We can be victims or victors. Christ tells us to “take up our cross…” and to expect persecution, tribulation, and suffering. Through this process we are refined and made stronger. The enemy will attack using our own weakness against us, tempting us when we are most vulnerable. Under these pressures we may be tempted to abandon God’s ways as they require strength and perseverance on our part: strength to do the thing that we feel too weak to do, and perseverance to endure the thing that is most difficult to endure. How can we stand strong?

There are many ways we can fall into sin. It may look like drinking too much when our bodies and minds are tempted to use it as an escape. This imagined relief is a lie. It may look like taking comfort in another’s attention when your spouse is treating you poorly or neglecting you. This imagined love is a lie. It may look like taking something that does not belong to you. This imagined prosperity is a lie. It may look like leading a group of people and being convicted everyone needs to know you are the reason it is successful. This imagined superiority is a lie. You can recognize temptation by the principal that satan seeks to give us a good thing in a bad way. The bottle of wine is a good thing, consuming more than we should is a bad thing. Love and intimacy is a good thing, seeking it outside of your marriage is not. Having needs is good, stealing to meet them is not. Being a leader and enjoying success is good, craving recognition and credit for the things you’ve done is not.

“…He (the Devil) has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” John 8:44

A good liar makes the lie believable to the one hearing it. What may make sense to us when we are tired, hungry, angry, or lonely, is clouded by the condition we are in. We seek to meet our need in something other than God.   The truth we need to be constantly aware of is that ONLY GOD can truly meet our needs; all other attempts to do so will always and ultimately meet with devastating consequences and total disappointment. Like dominos lined up perfectly in a row, satan knows he only needs to knock the first one down to begin a chain of destruction.

The lie is the catalyst. Satan and our sin nature both whisper lies; “you should have what you want, you deserve better, why should you wait, other people do worse things…”, and on and on. This is the road to denial and temptation. The best way to fight off an attack is to first, know your enemy, and second, expect him to be true to his nature. Whether or not we want to do battle, we are in a battle so we either fight or surrender. Satan will try to get us to believe the lie, cover the lie, and then lose hope of ever leaving the lie. He wants us to believe we are the bad choices we have made. More lies.

“…I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me–and I in him–bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing” (John 15:1, 5) 

 The truth is we are who God says we are; God gave us  the truth  (His holy word- The Bible), Christ IS the way  the truth and the  light (John 14:6). God speaks life to  us: trust in me, you are  more than conquerors, I will  never leave you or forsake you, you  can overcome, I  will forgive you, redeem you, and deliver you  from evil.  The good in us is God. If you believe in Christ, you  have the Holy Spirit in you to guide you and give you  strength.  It cannot resist temptation for us. We must  make our own choices.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1  

Think of your sins as dominoes set to fall one by one, each piece numbered and marked; pride, envy, greed, gluttony, sloth, lust, wrath. Satan comes like a thief in the night but we need not fear. As the tenacious Sherlock Homes would say; “the game is afoot!”.   The devil has set the stage and put the pieces in place. We know what happens if the first domino falls, if we do not stop them, in the end there will only be destruction. Be prepared.

I give you the three “R’s to help you stay on the path of righteousness and defeat the devil; Resist the temptation, Remain in God’s word, Remember who you are. You are a child of the almighty God!

Help me God to see the sin in my life for what it is. Give me the strength to persevere when things seem too difficult to bear or push through. Let me be ever faithful and obedient to your word and call on your name alone when I am weak. Thank you Father that WHEN I am weak, YOU are strong. When I am tempted, Lord, deliver me from evil and remind me who I am. Show me the path you would have me walk, oh Lord, that I may set my feet upon it, in the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Dominos and the Devil • Part 1

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When I was a child my father gave me a set of dominos. Not knowing the rules of the game or how to play I would make up my own version and imagined it was not far from the truth. I quickly grew tired of arranging them by the dots and began to try to build something with them. I noticed that if you stood them in a row, and tipped the first one, they would knock each other over one by one. I would set up row after row, tip the first domino and watch the rest helplessly fall in turn. We did not have the internet or “youtube” in the “good ‘ol days” and I had never seen it played before. I was fascinated. Black dots on shiny ivory, one through six, seemingly endless combinations and patterns to create. They fell and I re-set them, only to watch them fall again and again.

As I grew, choices and consequence fell before my eyes like unstoppable dominos. I knew actions had consequences but despite this, throughout my early years I would make several very bad choices that I would have to live with for the rest of my life, choices that haunted and tormented me. I wanted to be “good” and to make good choices but no matter how hard I tried, I could not live a perfect life, void of bad choices; One day, in desperation, I cried out to God and asked him to save me from myself; “Why God, if I am good, did I do that? Please help me to be good!” My heart was ready to listen to what God had for me. I turned to my Bible and prayer for answers.

“For I know that good itself does not dwell … in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Romans 7:17-19

We are all sinners; “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23  Not only this, but there is an enemy, the enemy of God, who desires our destruction. When Eve believed the serpent’s lie in the Garden of Eden and ate of the forbidden fruit, we were forever marked by sin and separated from our loving God. God had given us every good thing we needed and more but the serpent convinced Eve that it was not enough. God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden for their disobedience. Because of this man was separated from God by his sin. Are we doomed then to forever make bad choices and live with the consequence, always asking God for forgiveness?

Not if we believe the Gospel. Hope came to earth in the body of Christ. He paid the price for our sins and offered us salvation. He died, was buried, rose again and is now seated at the right hand of God. (1 Corinthians 15). Through His sacrifice we are redeemed and reconciled to our loving God if we surrender our lives to Him. Though we are saved by faith, until Christ returns, sin is part of our daily lives. It is our nature. I do not want to yell at my children, crave more money, or tear down those I should love with self-righteous judgment and criticism, or worse. So how can we contain our sinful natures? Everything we need to know is in the Bible; God’s word is complete.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground….” Ephesians 6:11-13, NIV 

 As believers in Christ, we are to take up the full armor of God  (The Belt of Truth, The Breastplate of Righteousness, The  Shoes of Peace and Preparation, The Shield of Faith, The  Helmet of Salvation, The Sword of the Spirit, Prayer). I have  known that since the early days of becoming a Christian. For  those growing up in the church it is one of the first lessons  taught in Sunday school. As believers in Christ, we are  soldiers in God’s army and yet we can become frustrated, angry, and full of doubt. I have learned through trial and tribulation that those are exactly the moments when the enemy is waging his war in our hearts and minds, to keep us down and defeated. It is critical to know your enemy before you go into battle. We must PREPARE ourselves to fight!

Lord give me strength and conviction to fight for you.  Let my actions and my words honor you. Let me be salt and light.  When I am weary, renew my mind and soul, remind me who you are.  I commit my life to you, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Unbeaten Path

/ Shannon Jarvis / Leave a comment

We are all on a path. As Christians our desire is to seek God’s will in our lives so that we can be on the path He desires for us. We pray and ask God for guidance. We read the Bible, the Word of God, for instruction and confirmation of our choices. We seek the counsel of believers who have more knowledge, wisdom, and experience than ourselves. When all three of these are working together (prayer, the Word, wise counsel), we have the best possible chance to find the path that leads us to God’s will. Have you ever felt that you are trying your best to follow this formula but something keeps going wrong? Do you know someone who can not stay on God’s path, or any path for that matter? How do believers find themselves lost, alone, and confused far from able to navigate life God’s way? The answer may be right before your eyes, hidden in plain sight.

Human nature is one of the elements that is constantly threatening to interfere with our progress. Perhaps the greatest danger on the road to our destiny is the very will God has given us which allows us to make choices in the first place. Our pride and natural reactions often mislead us into thinking we know what to do next, or convince us that we know more than we do.

Imagine walking down a beautifully paved walkway clearly marked and outlined. Rimming the edge there are beautiful flowers and shrubs placed perfectly in complement to the winding stone path you are confidently walking. In the distance you can see the horizon, like a promise, hovering above a sea of shimmering possibilities. You take comfort in the appearance and design of the surrounding landscape, it appeals to your senses visually and instinctively. In our minds, there is an order to how things should look, sound, smell, taste, and feel. Our instincts tell us that we should walk only on the paved road and follow it to the beautiful conclusion we can see before us. The danger here is that in trusting our senses or our instincts, we fail to recognize that God’s order is not our order and that His way is not our way. When God would have us leave the path and trample through the manicured plantings, we freeze. “That can not be right”, we think. Our mind begins its biological and cognitive duties to keep us safe and unharmed. It urges us to choose the “safe” logical direction. It looks for patterns and predicts the outcome. Past experience provides data on positive and negative triggers that are potential warning signs. Sorting this information often takes place subconsciously and without our awareness.

Most of us are programmed in ways we rarely acknowledge. When we have seen what we imagined to be our goal and have longed for it, we resist God’s urging in the opposite directions. The mind is powerful. It can be convincing, compelling, insistent, and sadly, completely off-track. Our feelings work in concert with our mind, as they are chemically connected, and further confuses our ability to make a decision in the moment. But decide we must and knowing how to navigate the urgings of the body, mind, and soul will help us to follow God and avoid the slippery slope of self-reliance.

Recently I had the privilege of attending a study by Max Lucado entitled “You Will Get Through This.” In it, Max Lucado beautifully illustrates the clarity that comes with simply obeying God. He tells us to ask ourselves, before we make any decisions, if our choice will be pleasing to God. If the answer is ‘yes’ then we can have peace that our decision will not have damaging results. This, of course, assumes that we know God and what His word says. If you do not, the good news is the Bible is waiting with the wisdom of the Lord and thanks to the modern conveniences of Apps and the internet, we are just a “search” away from truth. Along with this, God desires for us to be in fellowship with other believers so that we can counsel and support each other. If you make these things your first line of action when making decisions, you are far less likely to fall victim to your own emotions, urges, and short-term wishes. Max cautions us all “not to trade a moments carnality for a life’s legacy“. Ask yourself what you want your legacy to be so that when temptation comes you can be very clear what you are giving up if you decide to give in.

When we let go of what the world says is valuable and cling to what God says has value, we open the door to blessings far better than any perfectly manicured path we could have conceived on our own. The paths we construct for ourselves tend to be marked by our goals and dreams, our desires and wishes.  God’s path ends in eternity, it produces perseverance and strength. You may have to struggle over thorny ground, endure a darkened pit, or trample across rocky terrain, but be of good courage, God will be with you and you will become who He intended you to be as a result of the journey and your willingness to trust and obey your Holy Father.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”John 16:33

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matthew 6:24

 Dear God, I surrender my life to you. Help me to obey and rejoice in your ways. Let me be a blessing to others and help me to accept the blessings you send to me. Give me a heart of gratitude and eyes to see what you see. I will not desire any earthly thing more than I desire to know and love you Lord. Help me to be committed to this path, give me strength to resist temptations and courage to stand for what is right in your eyes. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Suicide and Sorrow

/ Shannon Jarvis / Leave a comment

I think I was 9 or 10 the first time I read my King James Bible. It had been my dad’s and he gave it to me, or maybe I asked him for it, that part I can’t remember. I do remember it had barely been touched. The pages were crisp and unworn. The black leather cover was smooth and shiny. As I write this, I realize what that implies. It never occurred to me until now, but I think it is safe to deduce that he never read it. What is amazing to me is that it saved my life and looking back I am totally convicted that it could have saved his life as well, but that is another story. There are many testimonies from Christians who say, “the Bible saved my life”. It’s more than just a cliché’ or turn of phrase. From the first time I opened that Bible to the place God has led me to today, my life has been a testimony of the truth of God’s word. His word is truly living and powerful and it changes us in ways we could never imagine…

The spiritual warfare in my house growing up was overwhelming. I knew as a child the difference between good and evil. I could feel it, the presence of light and darkness. I had dreams that left a lingering terror with me even after I managed to wake myself up, as if the evil were still in the room with me. I had been to church enough to know that the name of Jesus had power; we prayed in His name, and we sang about who He was in Sunday school; “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…” When I had these dreams where I could feel the presence of evil, I would pray to Jesus to save me. Sometimes I would declare my faith, “I belong to Jesus”. In the dreams I could feel the hatred the evil felt at these words; it was a menacing, threatening, totally frightening presence and yet I knew if I could fight back with the only weapon I had (Jesus) the evil could frighten me but never harm me in any real way. How did I know this?

My family was not like the Christian families of the Greg Laurie and Beth Moore generation. We did not talk about God. We said grace, a few recited the Lord’s Prayer, and sometimes my mom or grandmother said prayers at bedtime. We went to church at Christmas and Easter and a few days in between. I never thought much about this or what it meant. I only know now, looking back, that God was with me all the time despite my spotty attendance in church or lack of instruction. I was aware of His constant presence.

The more time I’ve spent in God’s word the more I am convicted of the truth that God chooses us as He chose Joseph in the book of Genesis. He chose us, each one. It did not matter that I did not go to church every Sunday, or that I was not in a youth group, or that I did not go on mission’s trips, or experience service projects. That was not my path.   But my walk with God as a child was no less miraculous, awe inspiring, or legitimate than the young believers who did have that type of experience.

During the height of these dreams I came home one day at age 12 to find out that a 10 year old girl who I loved deeply had tried to commit suicide. She was part of my family and I felt responsible for her. I pictured her in my mind; her hair was cut to her shoulders with straight bangs, her eyes were sky blue and her skin was perfect, complete with rosy cheeks and a small innocent smile. She was only just beginning to lose that little girl look. “She slit her wrists”, they said. No one knew why. It was a miracle she did not succeed. Someone found her and stopped her.  I don’t know who it was.

I was devastated and for many reasons that day, at the moment I found out, I was struck with the absolute certainty that I could not go on. That I could not go on with the life I was living; good little girl in the midst of chaos, getting good grades, setting a good example, trying to make everything ok for everyone else…I was not contemplating hurting myself but on a deep level I knew I was about to change, forever. I could not experience this and remain the same and what I sensed happening was a shift in my soul, a loss of faith, a change in character. I felt the anger and shock like a poison slipping down the back of my throat, quickly threatening to consume every part of me. I was in a pit, instantly thrown into darkness. I prayed to God and told Him that I could not believe He was real if He could let this happen. I asked God how He could allow this. I told Him I could not love a God who would let a little girl want to kill herself. I prayed in a way I had never prayed before. I pleaded with God to save me if He was there because I knew that I was about to lose Him, and with Him all hope.

Just as suddenly as I had fallen into despair and doubt, I felt something fill me; it was like having boundless joy poured into my body. (I realize that this will be hard for many to believe. I also know that there are times when we cry out and get no answer. I don’t know why I was blessed with this experience only God knows that, but if we believe that God is who He says He is, then maybe this is not that hard to believe after all). I suddenly had an awareness that I was in the presence of God. There really are no words to describe this “joy” as I am calling it but beyond this I knew that it was Jesus. Like a blind woman feeling the face of her beloved child, I had instant recognition that this “joy” that filled me was Christ. He spoke into my soul and told me everything was going to be ok; not just this horrible truth I was facing, not just my life, this child’s life, but everything, and not just right then, but for eternity. It was a feeling/message that I, given my limited understanding of God at that time, would never have conceived.

 

In the moment the feeling was so great, I had to get up and run because my body could hardly contain it. I was like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music on the mountain top, face thrust toward heaven, arms thrown wide, spinning and smiling with elation. It made no sense! To go from lying on the floor weeping under the weight of a pain that was all consuming, to that, is not physiologically possible in my experience. I have never again experienced anything like it and I have had moments of equal pain and sorrow in my life since then. I believe this is because when God speaks truth to us it becomes part of us. I will have that moment always. The message God gave me that day was not just for me. It was for everyone who believes in Him. Later I would read it in His word; “We desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end.” Hebrews 6:11 The full assurance of hope until the end.

I am happy to share that the child that tried to kill herself would grow up and become a Born Again Christian 10 years later and walk with God for the next 30 years. Sadly, the story does not always end that way.  This blog is dedicated to sharing what God has shown me over the past 35 years through the Bible, the people He has put in my life, and through my own trials, pits, and victories. I pray that my stories will bring hope and truth to others who long for the peace and joy that only comes from the one true God, and the living word He has left for us. Did God really tell a 12 year old that “everything would be ok”? Yes, he did, the Bible tells us so…

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:2

“Thank you God that you are close to the innocent, that your Holy Spirit comforts them and protects them in times of trouble. I pray that every man, woman, and child that has lost hope and thinks dying is the only way will be saved from the dark thoughts that burden their hearts and minds. Give them hope and open their eyes to see You Lord and not the ugliness that threatens to destroy them. I pray for the families affected by suicide, intercede where it is possible and give hope to their loved ones left behind, do not let them be crushed under the pain of their loss and devastation, give them peace. Have mercy on the souls of the lost Lord for we know that you are good and that it is your desire that none should perish. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”