by Amy Spear | Mar 22, 2016
How many times do you get mad at your husband in one day? I don’t mean a knock-down-drag-out fight. I simply mean, just not happy with him over something he has done, or not done?
“Better to live in a wilderness than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife” (Prov. 21:19).
“Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife” (Prov. 25:24).
As a woman, I cringe when I hear these verses. Where are the verses about being a lazy man, or a workaholic, or something other than what I could be!?
I noticed that my husband was always off at work when I started complaining. Tripping over his big shoes, not taking out the trash, leaving his dirty dishes out from the night before, the wet towel on the ground, never doing __________. You name it, and I would grip about it.
God would always bring these verses to my mind, and as much as I hated to admit it, I was that nagging wife. Oh good, he’s not home though, he can’t call me nagging! Someone has to hear you nag in order to be a nagging wife, right!?
Well…
When he did come home, I would hold my tongue for the first little bit, but as the evening went on, I began to subtlety complain, not “nag”. You know what I mean!
“Honey, I really need that trash taken out so I can cook dinner. I can’t stuff another thing in it because you forgot to take it out this morning.”
“Could you please pick your shoes up? I stubbed my toe on them again!”
“I can’t really expect the kids to help me with dishes if you aren’t going to.”
Oh yes, you know what I mean! That subtle complaining turns more and more into nagging, and with each huff of my breath, the anger began to build. Should I be surprised that my anger comes spilling out when throughout the whole day I have stored up anger against my husband!?
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he;” (Prov. 23:7).
“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:25
These verses omit the thought that we aren’t nagging wives as long as nobody hears us! God’s word says we are what is in our heart, and eventually it will come out.
How do we stop the nagging then?
It all begins in our heart.
We must stop the complaining and angry thoughts throughout the day. When a negative thought pops into our mind, we must take it captive and bring it before the Lord and ask Him to help us deal with it. We need to thank God for our husbands, and replace those bad thoughts with good ones. We need a change of heart!
You see, the issue isn’t really with him, it’s with me. I need God’s help to change. I can try with all my might to hold my tongue, control my temper, and have a grateful heart, but without God’s help, I am doomed to fail. God has to change us from the inside first. Then, what comes out will be fruits of His Spirit and not my spirit.
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:25).
Take your thoughts and complaints to Him and see how He begins to change you from the inside out!
by Amy Spear | Feb 17, 2016
Have you ever started something knowing the newness would wear off soon?
Recently my three kids and I traveled south to pick up the newest member of our family, a four-legged canine fellow. He is the cutest thing you have ever seen! And we love him already, but in the back of my mind, I know that there might be more days this pup gets on my nerves than the days he doesn’t. More so in this puppy stage because they are so much like a baby needing constant attention, waking you up in the middle of the night, barking, whining, not to mention potty training. He sounds more like my two year old than I would like!
So why go through all this? Why get a dog in the first place? Mainly because my daughter has been asking for about four years now and saying “no” has gotten a lot harder. I grew up with dogs and loved the memories I had with them. Honestly, because I want one too, even though I know it will be a lot of work!
Sometimes the excitement of being a Christian can wear off too. There are seasons in which being a Christian is exciting and refreshing. You wake up in the morning excited to spend time with God, and the time you have never seems to be long enough.
Other times you hit the snooze button one too many times because getting that 10 minutes of extra sleep sounds like a better idea than getting up and reading your Bible. You go to church out of routine, not conviction, and you listen out of politeness rather than eagerness to hear from Him.
The excitement has worn off!
How do we get it back, you may ask?
I don’t have a three-step plan, but I’ll tell you what I do, and I pray it finds a place in your heart today.
What do I do when the newness and excitement of being a Christian has worn off?
I beg God for passion! I pray He gives me a fire in my bones. That He gives me a desire and hunger for His word. Only He can put breath into dry bones and resurrect them from the valley of death (Ezekiel 37). It doesn’t happen overnight. You have to keep begging God for it! For me, it begins to grow slowly, and I begin to feel passionate once again. He restores my soul, and spending time with Him brings life back to my dead bones!
I don’t know if your spiritual life feels more like dry bones today than a new and exciting adventure, but either way, ask God for passion, ask God for new breath, and see how He changes your attitude towards Him and the things He has called you to do!
This is a song I see when my heart needs uplifting:
Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You
To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you, my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTSzT-3V05Y
by Amy Spear | Feb 15, 2016
“Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him (Jesus)” (Matt. 8:2).
“… a Roman officer came and pleaded with him (Jesus)…” (Matt. 8:5).
“That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus” (Matt. 8:16).
“Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat” (Matt. 9:2).
Approached. Came. Brought.
In each of these instances, the people drew near to Jesus. They came seeking healing from their physical ailment, and in each instance, Jesus healed them. They realized Jesus was the miracle maker. They needed a healer, someone to do for them what they couldn’t do for themselves.
It makes me wonder, do I take my handicaps to Jesus? Do I handle issues on my own when healing is in the waiting?
If I would take my wounded soul, my crushed spirit, my aching heart to Jesus, would He just leave me hanging in brokenness?
So many times I try to resolve my own problems before I go to Him. I exhaust plans A, B and C, and then when all else fails, I remember I have a God who can save me. Why does it take so long for us to remember Him, to remember He wants us to bring our brokenness before Him, to remember we have a God who is on our side?
Jesus longs for us to come to Him. All we must do is ask. “How much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask.” Matt. 7:11
A-Aware- I need to be aware that I have a problem.
S-Savior- I have a Savior who can handle my problem.
K-Kneel- I need to kneel before the throne and ask God who can answer!
“Be healed! And instantly the leprosy disappeared” (Matt. 8:3).
“‘Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.’ And the young servant was healed that same hour” (Matt.8:13).
“And the man jumped up and went home!” (Matt 9:7).
What if “healing” is waiting for you? Be brave. Ask today! See how God bends down low to answer your earnest plea.
by Amy Spear | Jan 12, 2016
One of my favorite things to do is sit on my porch with a cup of coffee or sweet tea and watch as an Oklahoma storm rolls in. It is breath taking! Last night was no different. God was showing off with His display of lightning clashing and thunder booming. My favorite is when the lightning travels horizontally and lights up the whole sky, illuminating the rolling thunderclouds with all their strength and power.
I sat there amazed at God and remembered that He was in control of all things. At times, the storm would grow in strength, and I was reminded of His great and mighty power!
Can you imagine what Noah and the people of his time thought when they experienced rain and flooding for the first time!? This wasn’t a nice gentle rain. It was a rain to destroy all living creators and life on earth, except those on the boat. Talk about the fear of the Lord!
Noah feared the Lord long before the storms came though.
“By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Heb. 11:7).
The Message version states it this way, “He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told.”
The storm was coming, but Noah had no idea when or how. He just did as the Lord told him to do day-in and day-out. That, my friends, takes a lot of faith! A lot of faith to do as the Lord asks without questioning, trusting that the Lord will protect and provide. A lot of faith that you’re not crazy for believing what the Lord has promised. A lot of faith to not live in the despair of the eminent storm that is approaching. A lot of faith!
We must fear the Lord and live in reverence of Him before the storm approaches.
And the result? “His family was saved.” Praise God!
Do you want to save your family? From what, you ask. From whatever storm that is approaching you!
Then, by faith, live in fear of the Lord and act on what His word is telling you. He is the answer to all of life’s storms!
by Amy Spear | Dec 17, 2015
Nothing is better than a car ride when your kids have been running amuck all day! You strap them in, turn on a movie, finally a little peace and quiet, at least for a few moments!
My favorite part, no one is touching me! In fact, no one is touching anyone else. Everyone is safe in their own seat. Zoning the fighting and screaming out is a bit easier to do since everyone is safe and buckled in. Come on you know you do it too!
Last week, on our way home from a long day, the kids were doing their usual contest of blaring their electronics to see who could be the loudest. So, as any good mom would do, I confiscated everything that made a noise, turned them all off, and we began a moment of silence!
Breaking the silence I said to them, “Did you know the Bible tells us to have moments of silence in our day? It’s how God can talk to us.” I continued, since my kids were actually listening to me, “We have to learn to turn the volume off and take a moment to sit in silence so we can hear God’s voice.”
“When God talks to me He talks in a low voice, Mom. I can hear Him in my heart,” said my 8-year-old daughter in a sophisticated voice.
Not wanting to be out done, my 5-year-old son said, “Well, when God talks to me He has a low Low LOW voice.”
With an amused smile on my face, I replied, “That’s really interesting guys. I don’t normally hear God actually speak to me in a voice though; I just sense Him guiding my thoughts as I think about my day or the choices I need to make. But He won’t be able to speak if we don’t ever listen.”
Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”
How often do you let God speak to your heart? Is there a moment of your day that you spend in silence and allow God the opportunity to cut through the blaring volume of the world around you?
No matter “how” God speaks to you, my friend, you have to be willing to let Him in. Take time today to sit in silence, so He has the opportunity to whisper His message to your heart.
“I think we should play the quiet game so we can listen to God, Mom!” my son shouted with enthusiasm.
“I think that’s a great idea! 1, 2, 3…”
And just on cue, not wanting to miss a captive audience, my 2-year-old starts screaming and throwing a fit!
Oh well, the moment with God will have to wait.
At least she’s strapped in!!
