Volume 17: Rest in Paul

Overall, this was a tough week. A lot of zooms and interviews and just believing lies in midst of loneliness. Now, here I am, sitting attempting to write this blog, not finding any words to write because I feel down after reflecting on the week. 

Church was so great this morning - the children pageant and Pastor Eric's encouraging sermon on Jesus's gentleness and importance of viewing ourselves as He does. And this week has been so rich in Scripture in reading through Paul's letters and now starting 1 Peter.

However, I am currently finding myself in this odd season of enjoying my time with the Lord, spending time in His Word and looking forward to my advent chapter each morning. But then there's a lack of actually applying and connecting the truths with my heart and thoughts. 

I think a lot of it stems from being lonely here in Chattanooga and not having many outlets to live out my faith. So may I find an outlet to be outward focused! And stop being self centered about silly things. 

Here I am, pouting and feeling lonely and am at a loss of words for this simple blog that maybe 4 people will read....

There Paul was, facing every worst case scenario we can think of, and yet he had plenty of words, using His sufferings as a microphone to proclaim the good news of Christ. 

As we've been reading through Acts and the letters, I've been thinking a lot about Paul and everything he went through: 

    Kidnapped

    Beaten

    Threatened

    Arrested multiple times

    Accused

    Interrogated

    Ridiculed

    Ignored

    Shipwrecked

BUT, rather than being a victim, Paul wrote in his letters things like:

"I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." Philippians 1:12  

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as a loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3:7-8

"I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14

"For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.." Philippians 4:11

How did Paul do it? How did he remain so consistent in the midst of terrible circumstances? How did he persevere through all of the trials, never losing faith?

As I ponder his life, and try to think how I can live more like Paul, I think his mindset is summed up in his statement to the Colossians, "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things on earth." Colossians 3:2

When we are focused on the things above, the eternal matters - loving the people around us, displaying patience, leading with humility, serving one another, forgiving each other, etc, we are able to overcome whatever we may face. 

May I set my minds on things above, learning to be content in any situation, and do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 

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On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to talk with someone from Columbia, Hungary and Great Britain and I had a thought: how amazing that God knows the hearts of ALL of His children all around the world! With the international interviews, it is very common that they are not Christians or are not practicing their faith. Yet, how incredible that the same God knows them and loves them and is pursuing them daily. 

Who knows how the Lord might use Ty or me in a short 20 minute interview. May we be open and allow Him to work through us!

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Highlights from Honest Advent this week:

Wonderful Counselor: "He became human so we would know He had nothing to hide. He lived in a complicated world so He could relate to the complexity of being in our world. His name is God-with-us so we would know we are prized and in that feeling of being prized would come to a deeper prizing of ourselves." 

Mighty: "Jesus is mighty not because of His capacity to overcome hardship but because of His willingness to go through human hardships, like we have to do. It is this compassionate empathy that has the power to transform the human heart."

"MAY YOUR PRESENT STAGE OF LIFE BE THE MIGHTY GROUND FOR DIVINE PARTICIPATION."