by Angela Sanders | Jan 9, 2018
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15
“Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.” John 13:34
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests…be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18
YES! All of this!
With all my heart, I want to do these things. I really do, but have you looked around lately? Watched the news? Scrolled through your social media feed for even five seconds?
There’s so much hurt right now, so much to be done, and so much to pray about. It’s overwhelming, and if your tendency—like mine—is not only to feel for, but with everyone, it’s enough to tempt you to despair, to just flip the little sign on the door of your heart over to ‘closed’ and lock up against the world so you’ll have something left for you and yours.
The Bible tells us that in the last days, the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:12), and I’ve got to be honest. I can see how that might happen, even in the warmest of hearts.
So, what do we do? How do we soldier-ambassadors for the Kingdom stay warm out there in the dark, in the cold?
We keep moving.
Relying on the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us (Philippians 2:13), we keep praying, we keep serving, and we keep giving out pieces of ourselves, trusting God to replace what our obedience costs us like he sustained the widow and her son when it seemed their reserves would run out (1 Kings 17:7-16).
He’ll do it. He is doing it, and if we allow ourselves look back for just a moment, we’ll see He’s also bringing results.
You’ve heard it a million times and have probably said it to others, but that’s because this profound truth bears repeating: God is busy, even now, working all things—the things we want and the things we don’t—together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).
God. Not us.
Oh, friends, there’s joy in that! There’s peace in that! There’s rest and release for our oh-so-weary hearts in that!
Serving God isn’t about praying harder—still not sure what that means—or burning yourself out or taking on burdens only He can bear. It’s about obedience, squashing superstition, ignoring expectation, and doing what God tells you to do as an individual. It’s about praying as you feel led, serving others as you feel led to serve, spending energy and emotion as the Holy Spirit stirs it within you, and leaving the rest up to Him. Anything more or less is rebellion.
Remember, God has set apart an entire people unto Himself (1 Peter 2:9-10). He has a whole Body to work with in the form of the Church, or those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, made up of men and women of different ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds with different gifts, abilities, interests, and passions (1 Corinthians 12). It’s not only futile, but vanity to think that any one of us must, or even can fix things on our own.
Even if we could, even if we did, who would get the glory then? People who don’t deserve it. That’s who.
Nope. It’s about Him. All of this is about Him.
Listen, life here on earth, with all its hurt and heartache, is only a breath, no matter how distant the horizon may seem (Psalm 144:4)), and when it’s over, we get to spend forever—FOREVER—in the presence of our good, good Father, basking in His light and love (1 Peter 1:3-4).
Until then, we have one job to do, and it’s not to fix, convince, impress, or manipulate anyone or anything. It’s to keep our collective spotlight bright through individual submission and obedience to the Holy Spirit in all circumstances and train that spotlight on God (Jude 1:24-25), the One in Whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), the One Who has overcome the world (John 16:33).
The morning’s coming, sibs (Psalm 30:5)! Keep moving! By God’s power within us and for His glory, let’s stay and keep each other warm.
by Angela Sanders | Dec 22, 2017
It happened again today. Someone mentioned the “magic of Christmas.” Honestly, I’ve heard the phrase so many times it barely registers, but this time it caught my attention.
To me, the “magic of Christmas” is Jesus’ birth, the very idea that the Most High God would send His beloved Son to be raised then sacrificed by undeserving traitors for their eternal redemption.
To this woman, however, the “magic of Christmas” is people simply being nice to each other, tipping big and holding doors open, in particular, things she knows instinctively will pass with the season.
I supposed she has a point. It is kind of magical how most people tend toward kindness during the Christmas season, even if a few choose not to, and she’s right to assume this kind of magic will, for the most part, soon pass. Although we humans are pretty good at donning our attitudinal best and mustering up good will toward men for brief stretches of time, we just don’t have it in us to love others as God would have us to for the long haul. Our humanness gets in the way.
However, when the Holy Spirit, God Himself, enters a person’s heart as a result of their having put their faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection for salvation from the consequences of sin (Eph. 1:13), the impossible becomes possible (Luke 18:27) and being human is no longer a limitation.
To the degree we allow, the Holy Spirit begins to teach and empower us, to direct us and stir within us noble desires (Isa. 11:2, Phil. 2:13). All we have to do is listen to His voice, obey Him even when it costs us, and let God love people through our obedience (1 John 5:2), so illustrating the Gospel that began with Jesus’ birth.
When we cooperate with God, we shine like the Bethlehem star (Phil. 2:15) long after the general glow of the season fades, and people continue to experience the “magic of Christmas” in our presence. If our obedience leads them to put their faith in the One we serve, that “magic” will be theirs forever!
by Angela Sanders | Dec 12, 2017
“…And that’s what Christmas is all about!” (Fade out.)
Noooooo, Hallmark Channel heroine! I think to myself for the umpteenth time. That’s NOT what Christmas is all about! You just missed your chance!
Listen, there’s so much more to Christmas than baking cookies, building snowmen, caroling or whatever else gives people the warm fuzzies they crave this time of year, and the world needs to know it!
God sent His cherished Son to be sacrificed so sinners could call Him Father, too, for crying out loud, and whether or not those of us who know, believe and claim to have been changed by this mind-blowing truth ever get the chance to shout it from the rooftops, we should, at the very least, do our best to illustrate it.
How do you do that?
Be generous. With your time, attention, resources, estimation of others and forgiveness. Like the Father, give freely without showing favoritism just as God sent Jesus to rescue all who put their faith in Him for salvation from the consequences of sin (Rom. 2:11, 10:13), letting Him meet the needs of others through you and your needs through others when generosity costs more than you anticipated. When you treat people better than any of us deserve, you reflect a gracious Father.
Be patient. Few things are as urgent and/or important as they seem in the moment, but your behavior always has the potential to make an eternal impact, so focus less on how others’ choices affect you and more on how your responses affect them. When you choose compassionate restraint over immediate gratification, you reflect a merciful Father, Who not only made forgiveness for sin possible through Jesus’ death and resurrection, but even now delays Jesus’ return to give more sinners time to repent and join His family (2 Pet. 3:9).
Express gratitude. The Father knows your needs before you ask Him and is already providing for them (Matt. 6:8, Phil. 4:19), just as He provided Jesus before you ever even knew you needed a Savior. Look for His provision, choose contentment and remember, every good and perfect gift is from above (Jas. 1:17), no matter whose hands pass it along. Wanted or not, tangible or intangible, verbalize sincere thanks for everything you receive. When you honor human givers as conduits of God’s grace, you demonstrate confidence in His wisdom and model the faith and humility necessary for people to accept the greatest gift God’s ever offered, salvation through His Son (Rom. 10:9-10, John 1:12).
Want to celebrate Christmas well, Christian? Leave every soul you meet with reason to believe in the saving, transforming power of the Gospel, which began with sweet Jesus’ birth. The Father will take it from there (John 6:44-45).
by Angela Sanders | Nov 14, 2017
Cleaning out a drawer this week, I found a card with big, gold letters.
Because you’re my mom, I’ll always have a special reason to believe in the goodness of God.
A very mature sentiment, but I couldn’t remember having received it recently from either of my grown kids. Curious, I looked inside and found the familiar, but almost forgotten scrawl of my precious little ones.
My heart welled, and my eyes stung. Alone, I held the card to my heart for a moment.
My kids hadn’t picked the card. I knew that. They couldn’t have. At the time it was given, they had no frame of reference for the sentiment expressed.
But my husband did.
Seeing who I tried to be and what I tried to do for our little family, my husband had loved and appreciated me and coached our kids to do the same. Oh, I’m sure the kids meant what they wrote, but, in a sense, their scrawl was actually a gift from his heart.
Having been a minister’s wife for almost 25 years now, I understand the strain ministers and their families experience during the holiday season. Sure, the schedule is tough, and you sometimes wonder whether there will ever come a day you can just focus on you and yours, but it’s more than that. It’s a yearning to see people grow to maturity in their faith and offer our gracious Heavenly Father the worship He’s due with sincere and grateful hearts because you know Who He is and what He’s done. You love Him.
Sometimes, it happens—at least, you think it does—and your spirit soars. In those moments, every sacrifice you and your family made in obedience is worth it because you feel sure His heart must be blessed.
Sometimes, though, it doesn’t. Low attendance, apathetic stares and lackluster participation, whatever the underlying causes may be, break your heart and sink it to the pit of your stomach. In those moments, you weigh the results of your efforts against what they cost and wonder whether or not you chose wisely.
You did.
Rest assured, your people will come around in due time, maybe not when you want them to, but they will. Remember, transformation is the Holy Spirit’s job, not yours, and He’ll get them where they need to be when it’s time for them to be there (Phil. 1:6).
In the meantime, take heart. God knows the dust we’re made of, and He doesn’t expect perfection (Ps. 103:14). God of the Harvest, He doesn’t even expect results (1 Cor. 3:7).
Truth? When all is said and done, it won’t really matter how many people attended your Thanksgiving meal, how many shoeboxes and angels were taken, or how ‘alive’ your living Christmas tree actually felt. All that will really matter is whether or not you led your people the way God told you to lead them.
To obey the Father is to love Him (1 John 5:3). Do this and He will be blessed, despite any melee or mess.
by Angela Sanders | Nov 9, 2017
When the kids were growing up, Todd and I talked openly with them about God’s provision and presence. We prayed with them, read them Bible stories, and fully integrated ourselves into the life of the Church so they wouldn’t miss any opportunities to witness and experience these things for themselves, but now that they’re grown, the burden of effort where spiritual matters are concerned rests squarely on their shoulders. All we can really do at this point is remind them of what they already know and, hopefully, saw in us.
My dearest children,
Salvation is free, but fellowship with God takes work.
I wish I could tell you the Christian life was easy and that putting your faith in Jesus for salvation from the consequences of sin was the hard part, but that’s not true. Salvation is the simple, if not easy, beginning of a life with just as many ups and downs as anyone else faces, maybe more. This being true, there will be times you feel close to God and times you don’t.
Although some of that fluctuation can be blamed on the mental, emotional, and physical limitations that come with being human, perceived static in your communication and/or distance in your relationship with God should never be ignored. If caused by sin or apathy, it will only get worse with time, and your pain will only deepen if you don’t address it.
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
Where intimacy is concerned, God does not barge. He invites. Just as He didn’t force you to become His child and enter into a permanent relationship with Him by putting your faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection for salvation, He will not force you into daily intimate fellowship with Him.
He expects it, yes. Why wouldn’t He? He is the source of your eternal security, after all. But He will not force it.
Instead, He waits, wooing you with His goodness and grace and allowing circumstances, like sheepdogs, to encourage you back into His glorious presence, the only place true safety can be found. Like the prodigal’s father, God is always available to His children, arms open wide, ready to forgive, comfort, heal, restore, teach, encourage, fill, and strengthen.
But you have to let Him. You have to go home.
Of course, that requires humility. To seek Him, you must admit your own inadequacy and need.
It requires submission. To serve Him, you must deny yourself.
It requires repentance. To live in the light, you must leave the darkness.
It requires focus. To see Him, you must look at Him. To hear Him, you must listen.
It requires obedience. To know Him better, you must do what He says so He can show you how He works.
It requires discipline. To progress, you must make conscious, consistent choices to keep moving in the right direction.
Most importantly, it requires faith, belief so strong it leads to action. Fortunately, He’s ready to provide as much of that as you need. All you have to do is apply it.
That intimacy your soul craves, the almost tangible assurance that God is right there, accepting you, loving you, preserving you for Himself through good times and bad? It’s yours for the taking—Jesus said so (John 14:23)—but first, you must draw near.
Devour His Word. Keep praying. Let the Holy Spirit renew your mind as you walk faithfully the path He points out. Lean into your brothers and sisters for mutual encouragement, correction, and support. When you so strive, the Father will meet you, and the payoff will far outweigh any cost.