Labels

Be warned. I have a label maker and I know how to use it!

Mostly, I have only labelled my own stuff. Me & my label maker have not interfered with the “organization system” hubby uses in his workshop. Except for that little incident in the church kitchen, I think that I have kept this obsession of mine under fairly good control.

I just like labels. They help to keep things neat. Predictable. In place. I do have a fear for the day when I have labelled everything that I can in my home though. Will my friends require that I surrender all labels before I enter their homes?

Labels help us know how to react – how to behave in certain circumstances. When I see a container with a label that says poison, I take certain precautions. If you have a food allergy, you quickly learn to scan labels for those ingredients which would cause you problems.

Sadly though, I must admit that labelling is not always a good thing. Two of the things that we can do with labels can cause great harm and heartache – we label ourselves and we label others.

Remember the story of the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears (Luke 7:36 – 50) – labelled the ‘sinful woman’ – and yet vs. 37 says that she ‘had’ lived a sinful life – past tense perhaps? Jesus talks about how much she loves because of how much she had been forgiven. When Jesus said to the Pharisees who were busy making judgments, “do you see this woman?” the implied answer is “No” – she wasn’t seen. All that was seen was the label that they had applied – “sinful woman”.

We probably all have issues with applying labels. We apply them to ourselves all the time. Sadly, most of them are negative. That comes so easily. Failure. Rejected. Alone. Unworthy. Unloved. Not enough.

The labels become the starting place for what we believe about ourselves and what we really believe about God and His love. We put limits on God’s love and what He can do through us. We say, “I know God loves me but….”

Once we are all labelled up, it is so very simple to look at others and apply labels to them as well.

Might I suggest that the only labels that matter are the ones that our Father applies?

Isa 43:1 “…Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

MINE – He says that I am HIS! He has put his label on me!

And, how about this one:

Mal 3:17 “They will be mine says the Lord Almighty, in the day when I make up my treasured possession.”

Treasured Possession! Not junk. Not worthless. A Treasure!

It’s not that we can’t come to God if we have labels. It is that we need to know that these are no longer the labels that God sees when he looks at us.

Broken, rejected, sinful, failure become whole, accepted, forgiven, redeemed.

You are his Beloved. That’s a label worth accepting.

Ruth

Guarding Against

Deut. 8: 6-18 says, “So obey the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
 But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath." (large font mine)

Do you know someone or have you ever observed someone, who struggled to "make it" only to watch them stumble and fall, and perhaps loose everything they worked so hard to gain?

I have been working at reading through the Bible and I often wonder how the Israelites could watch and be part of so many amazing miracles and still mumble, grumble, complain, and blatantly disobey God; then I am reminded of myself, and perhaps others, who do exactly the same thing. I don't have all the answer as to WHY I do that, but in the above reading it tells me how to guard AGAINST it.

Deut. 8: 10-11 stands out so boldly to me.

Sometimes when life is challenging and difficult we desperately trust in the Lord, lean on Him and can't even imagine breathing without the Lord's guidance, however for many we have done exactly as the Israelites did. We think we achieved the raise, the wealth, good health, the blessings on our own, but we need to remember our blessings only come from the Lord. When the blessings flow and life is no longer moving from one struggle to another we must never forget the Lord and continue to always obey His commands.

Perhaps you need to take some time today to ask the Lord to examine your own heart (Ps. 51), thank Him for the blessings, and remember it's the Lord who blesses each of us with His abundant blessing.

Jo-Ann

My Name is Mercy

My name is Mercy; some call me Grace

I take pleasure in extending favour to those who could never earn it

I am God’s undeserved gift

And I accept no repayments

I set people free, though freedom can seem risky

Some take advantage of me, but that does not diminish my importance

I am the hand of Jesus reaching out to heal

I am love that stoops down

I connect heaven to earth

I am not legality, nor am I licence; I am the just-right in-between

To judge does not occur to me

I provide chances to grow

I trust, and give room for maturity to bloom

I am entitled by no one, yet offered to all

I am an heirloom, passed down for generations

My high cost came at Christ’s expense

Where there is repentance, I come running

Where there is confession, I am right there

I never give up, but offer myself again and again

I am a picture of the love of the Father

I coexist with compassion, and am keen to help

When you cry for me, the Lord answers

When you turn to the Lord, I will meet you

I permit loyalty despite unfaithfulness

I provide refuge, no questions asked

In time of need, I am dispatched from God’s throne

The Almighty delights in putting me on display

I triumph over judgement

I empower people to do great things

I build up, and freely pardon

Through me, the Father gives encouragement and hope

In me, you will find strength

My name is Mercy; some call me Grace

And I am enough

“...My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness...” 2 Corinthians 12:9

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Chantelle

Chantelle is married to her pastor husband, Matt. She is actively involved in her local church with youth, music and kid's ministry all while she is finishing her Education degree.

Motherhood's Calling

In every generation, women, mothers, must answer the call to be what no one else can be and do what no one else can do for their children - mother. This doesn't limit a woman but challenges her to a higher commitment. It's so easy to feel unappreciated, unchallenged, over challenged, bored or unable to fulfil the role. Frustration can run rampant. But God wants us to lift our eyes up out of our present situation and seek His face and vision for our children. Increasingly, the world needs women willing to really invest the time and effort it takes to pursue this vision.

Will you be that woman?

Are you frustrated in this moment? Look up and look ahead! What will you have wished you had been doing in ten or twenty years? Are you doing it now? Plan accordingly. Solomon wrote:

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,

but the simple keep going and suffer for it. (Prov. 22:3)

Moreover, he wrote this again in Proverbs 27:12. No doubt, he repeated it because he wanted to emphasize just how important it is to look ahead, assess the situation and change direction as needed.

Is it time for some personal healing? Time to allow some repressed feelings to bubble up and deal with to enable healthier responses to those around us? Really, it's OK if you need to get professional help to figure things out and moreover, it's alright to ask a mentor or rally some close and trusted Christian friends to pray and help you along the way.

Press in and press on,

Giselle

Desperate

Have you ever started on a plan to read through the entire Bible? You begin working your way through the Old Testament when all of a sudden you run smack into… a genealogy! Be honest – do you read these chapters with the same care as the rest of the chapters? Do you skim through wondering what some of these people were thinking when they named their children?

Mostly, I struggle through them uncertain that I really get the point. Having said that, I do have a favourite genealogy. Probably that is not a phrase that you often hear – favourite genealogy – but stick with me.

My favourite is the one found in Matthew – the genealogy of Jesus. This one stands out for me because of the women named in it. Oh what a group of women they are! It is amazing what it takes for a gal to get noticed!

Do you know their stories? Tamar is probably the least familiar to us. Check out her story in Genesis 38. She was a rejected, desperate woman whose methods are questionable but here she is in the list. Named. Part of the family.

Rahab was living in Jericho and was definitely an outsider. A prostitute who consorted with spies to save herself, she was desperate because she knew that she did not have a hope without the God of Israel. She declared, "the Lord your God is God in heaven above and earth below" ( Josh.2:11). A desperate woman in a desperate circumstance, brought into the family.

Ruth’s story is one we know well enough that we easily accept her as part of the family and forget that she too was an outsider. Ruth is often praised for her loyalty and love for her mother-in-law Naomi. But even in her famous declaration, "where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God" (Ruth 1:16), can you hear her desperation? I can’t go back to Moab. I don’t want Moab’s god. I want your God. I will do whatever it takes.

Next up is Bathsheba, who is not named in Matthew’s list but is rather noted simply as Solomon’s mother who "had been Uriah’s wife". Again this is a familiar story though generally told with David at the center. Here is a young woman brought into the palace under questionable circumstances. Don’t you think that she would have heard the whispers and felt the condemnation? Then, no doubt, her heart broke as her baby dies. But, here she is – mother of Solomon. A second chance. Part of the family.

Finally we have Mary the mother of Jesus, on the list. Maybe you never considered her circumstances as desperate. She was unmarried, pregnant and her fiancé was considering divorce, all because she had been chosen to be in the family.

Look at these women. Read their stories. Do you see yourself? Do you see someone you know? These are our stories too. Rejected. An outsider. Caught in sin. In a circumstance far beyond our understanding. In a desperate place. Desperate for God. Desperate women.

"…In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry." (Jonah2:2)

Be encouraged. Our God welcomes desperate!

Ruth

Psalm 139

I don't know if Psalm 139 is a piece of familiar scripture for you or not, but I pray God's words would speak loudly and clearly to your heart as you read it today. 

Psalm 139

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, LORD.

5 You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the grave, you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night—

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up, you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!

Get out of my life, you murderers!

20 They blaspheme you;

your enemies misuse your name.

21 O LORD, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?

Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?

22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred,

for your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Jo-Ann

Testing

A few weeks ago our oldest daughter came home with a question. "Can you help me with my school project?" When she told me the job required 'tools' I quickly pointed her in the direction of her Daddy. The project? Build a chair. I'm sure I could have figured it out, but not without a significant injury to one of us (probably me).

They worked together, father and daughter, to build a chair that would meet the project requirements. The project wasn't finished though until it had been tested and adjustments had been made.

James 1 says "Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds"

I'm sure the chair, had it a voice, would have contested being sat on, moved around and shaken during it's 'trial'. Pressure, affliction and hardship are other great descriptors when we're considering the trials that test our faith. The poor chair would definitely agree that pressure had been applied!

As I consider the testing of my own faith I've realized I'm not at all like the chair. I've contested my testing with questions like "Does God not trust that my faith is secure?" and "Why is He letting this happen?"

I've come to realize that I have approached the testing from the wrong angle. If I believe that God knows all and sees all then maybe the testing of my faith isn't actually for God's benefit at all. If the testing of my faith isn't for Him, then who is it for and what are the benefits?

"Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance and perseverance must finish it’s work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2

It took too long for the light bulb to flicker on and for me to realize that the testing is for my benefit. Let me say it again. The testing is for MY benefit. Testing develops a perseverance that works to bring maturity and completeness that only comes from testing. Knowing the benefits then, why wouldn't I consider the mature response of pure joy?

What James is writing about is not necessarily a single event or experience, but it can be applied to our ongoing journey. I wonder where you are at in the journey of faith. Are you experiencing the trials and testing, the hard work of persevering or are you coming through and experiencing maturity? Perhaps you're in the building phase, working with your Father as He teaches you how to measure, nail, cut and assemble a faith that withstands the testing.

Regardless of where you are at I pray you can join James and consider it pure joy.

Tammy

Tammy is a wife, mom and university student, as well as a campus worker at the University of Manitoba.

Check out www.SegueUofM.com for more information.