I don’t know about you, but for me, it is so easy to justify the “almost right” in my life!
The truth is it isn’t that hard to choose between something good and something bad. It can, however, be difficult to choose between something good and something better. Because the “better” choice doesn’t always mean easier, more pleasant, more lucrative, or more fun, it doesn’t always seem to be better. But Lisa reminds us that the better choice is always Jesus, even when choosing Jesus brings humility, unpleasant consequences, or loss of relationships because choosing Jesus leads to peace, holiness, and wisdom.
Lisa stepped on my toes again and again, and I realized how deeply the message had penetrated when I encountered a “Jesus over Everything” choice recently:
One of the effects of the COVID lockdown, mask mandates, and cultural unrest has been a strain on my marriage. And one weekend, I had enough. Mark and I weren’t talking except to accomplish the daily routines. We weren’t saying goodbye as he left for work, acknowledging when the other walked in the room, or saying good night at the end of the day.
When Sunday dawned, I had already decided I wasn’t going to church. I didn’t want to sit in the pew next to him and pretend that everything was fine. After all, authenticity is the name of the game these days. As I got ready for the day, fully intending to put on my yoga pants and announce to my family that I would be watching the service online, I felt the nudge.
You know the nudge, right? The one that brings questions to mind where you have to justify your decisions? The one that you try to reason away?
Why do you go to church in the first place, Kelli?
What are you teaching your kids if you don’t go to church today?
What are you teaching them if you do go?
And trust me, I had all of the justifications ready! After all, I grew up in the church. There’s no place in Scripture where it says I have to go to church every time the doors are open. It’s legalistic to think that I have to go to every single service!
But that’s the beauty of a “Jesus over Everything” choice. It’s not about your justifications of the “good” thing; it’s about submitting to the “best” thing.
That’s when the Holy Spirit asked, “Who is taking first place in your reasoning?”
Ouch! There it was, the question that brought clarity. I wanted Mark to sit in that pew alone that day. I wanted to teach him a lesson and stay home sulking at the same time. I wanted to manipulate him into fighting it out with me. This wasn’t about legalism or even self-preservation. It was pride and selfishness.
Well, I went to church. I sat in the pew and watched Mark sit transfixed by the message. I didn’t pretend everything was fine, but I did feel my heart softening as I heard the Word preached. And by the time we left the church building that day, Mark and I were talking again.
What if I had settled for “almost right” instead of pursuing the “Jesus over Everything” choice? Only God knows what the outcome would have been, and I can honestly say I’m glad I don’t know.
Sister, I encourage you to read Lisa’s book. No matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, you will find applicable truth that will help you distinguish the “right” from the “almost right” in your life, too. And there is no telling what God will do with your life once you’ve chosen Jesus over everything!
If you want to learn more about how to study the Bible on your own, download my FREE workbook below.
Sometimes I fail to see the connection between theological principles and my everyday life. For example, I’ve learned about many of God’s attributes in my Bible study, but I haven’t always understood what they have to do with me. I want to explore one of those attributes with you and help you make some practical implications.
I’m sure God has attributes that we don’t even know about; after all, one of His attributes is that He is infinite, so He probably has an endless number of attributes. But the ones we know about can be divided into two categories: communicable attributes and incommunicable attributes.
His communicable attributes are the ones He shares with us. They are easier for us to understand because we have a shadow of them in us as image-bearers of God—things like love, mercy, justice. Those attributes may not look the same in us, but we can grasp them a little easier than His incommunicable attributes.
God’s incommunicable attributes are those that only He has. These are harder for us to understand because we can’t relate. They include attributes like omniscient, eternal, infinite, and omnipresent. I want to unpack God’s omnipresence a little bit because, if we can catch a glimpse of what it means, it could transform our Bible study, our perception of ourselves, and even our worldview!
“Omnipresent” means “All present.” In other words, God is everywhere. I don’t know about you, but there are times in my life that would be simpler if I could be in two places at once! Just keeping my family on schedule with our activities would be easier.
When we think of someone being in two places at once, we might think of an out-of-body experience where our spirit is detached from our body. This isn’t how God is omnipresent. There isn’t a central location, or hub, from which He sends out projections of Himself to different corners of the world. He is actually present everywhere all of the time.
A simple definition of God’s omnipresence is “God is fully present in all places at all times.” Let’s break down this definition one phrase at a time.
“Fully present”
We may not be capable of being in two places at once, but we claim to be able to accomplish two or more tasks at the same time. We call it multitasking. But the truth is multitasking is a myth for humans. We can only successfully multitask if only one of the tasks requires our full attention. For example, I can apply my makeup while I listen to a podcast. Applying my makeup is a habit that doesn’t require much thought, so I can focus on the podcast. That is, until I drop my blush container. Then suddenly I’ve tuned out of the podcast and am focused solely on recovering the container and mourning the shattered pieces on my bathroom floor. We are incapable of focusing on more than one thing at a time.
But God is not like us. He is fully present everywhere. That means that you have His undivided attention all of the time. It doesn’t matter if you are reading your Bible, taking care of your kids, working at your job, sleeping, or even doing something you shouldn’t, God is giving you His full attention. You always have God’s undivided attention. He is a personal God.
“In all places”
At the same time that you have God’s undivided attention, so does everyone else. While you have his undivided attention, so does the missionary in Africa, the pastor in South America, and the teacher in China. And His attention to them doesn’t take away from His attention to you. He is fully present in all places.
Ok, now buckle up because we’re going deeper!
“At all times”
The definition doesn’t say that God is fully present in all places at the same time, though that would certainly be true. It says, “at all times,” meaning in every time. So, yes, He is fully present with everybody at the same time, but He is also fully present with everyone across time!
To God, the past is not the past and the future is not the future. At the same time that He is sitting here with me writing this blog post, He is sitting with you reading this blog post, even though those events are happening at different times for us. At the same time you have his undivided attention right now, so does your grandpa 50 years ago and your kid 50 years from now.
I know, mind blown!
But why does this matter? What difference does it make for you in your life today? There are many implications when it comes to conversations about predestination, biblical justice, and His perfect timing, among others. But I want to focus on what it means for your time in the Word.
When God is sitting with you while you read His Word, He is also sitting with the man who penned the words, taking care to craft the words in such a way that they are written for you for this moment. Take a minute and think about that. I’ll wait.
Because God wrote the Bible from the vantage point of seeing everything and every time all at once, He crafted the words in such a way that they are relevant to every generation in every culture.
The next time you sit down to read your Bible, take a moment to realize that while God is there with you, He is inspiring the author of the text at the same time. I can personally attest that it will change your time in His Word!
If you want to learn to study the Bible on your own without having to depend on someone else to tell you what it means, download my FREE workbook: Learn to Study the Bible.
This year, I set out to learn more about prayer. Prayer has always been elusive for me for a couple of reasons. 1) If God already knows what is going to happen, what is the point of praying? and 2) If I pray for things to change, am I not trusting His sovereignty? But there is no question that all throughout Scripture we are commanded to pray. So there was definitely a disconnect for me.
I have had so much help from others in my pursuit of understanding prayer and making it a daily practice, and I want to share some of those resources with you. This list of prayer resources is not exhaustive by any means, but it has been my starting point for a life-long journey.
**Some of the links to follow are affiliate links, so I make a commission on your purchase. However, I will never recommend something I don’t whole-heartedly love and use.
Prayer Course
I took a prayer course as I began my research. Valerie Woerner does a fantastic job of explaining prayer and giving very practical tips and examples.
Developing a Fluency in Prayer
Prayer Journal
Val Woerner also created this prayer journal. I loved it so much that I got smaller, undated versions as Christmas gifts for the men in my life.
Praying Scripture
One thing I have learned in my journey is that Scripture makes for powerful prayers! Here are my favorite resources for praying Scripture back to God.
Sharon Jaynes’s book Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe has transformed my marriage! She taught me to pray for things I didn’t even realize needed prayer.
And the prayer cards from Daily Grace Co have also helped me learn to pray Scripture over my husband and my marriage. They are also beautiful and can be placed all throughout the house as reminders to pray for him throughout the day. (Read the full book review here.)
Daily Grace Co. also has cards to help you pray Scripture over your children, your anxiety, your pregnancy, and more.
Another resource I have come to love is Jodie Berndt’s book Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens. She gives very practical advice and tips for how to pray for issues your teen is facing and will face in the future. If your children are younger or are adults, she has books to learn to pray for them, as well. It’s never too early or too late to pray for our children and the impact they will have on this world for the cause of Christ!
Write the Word Journal
Finally, I have also truly enjoyed using my Write the Word Journal from Cultivate What Matters. This journal has been specific to cultivating prayer, but there are Write the Word journals for a variety of topics to cultivate in your life including joy, hope, worship, and a blank one you can tailor yourself.
I pray you find these resources helpful. If you have a resource you would like to recommend to me for my prayer journey, I would love to hear all about it!
If you are wanting to learn to study the Bible for yourself, I would love to share my free workbook with you, 6 Steps to Study the Bible on Your Own. It will guide you through the steps from reading the passage to learning it well enough to teach it to someone else. Download it here:
I recently watched a debate on Instagram Live that boiled down to discussing the authority of the Bible and the divinity of Jesus. I’m not sure what made me stop and watch, but I’m glad I did.
One of the participants, let’s call her Jane, made an interesting statement. While discussing the inspiration and inerrancy (no errors) of Scripture, Jane said she loves the Bible, but her god is “bigger than a book.”
This was reminiscent to me of a statement in William P. Young’s book The Shack. One of the characters in his book says, “Nobody wanted God in a box, just in a book. Especially an expensive one bound in leather with gilt edges, or was that guilt edges?” (For a full review of the book The Shack, click here.)
On the surface, these statements sound good. Who wants to worship a god who is limited to a book? But that’s just it—He’s not limited by a book; He makes the book limitless!
Who put God in a book?
First, it’s important that we make something very clear: Man did not put God in a book. God chose the written word as the medium by which we get to know Him. He chose the men who penned His Word. And He chose the very words that were written. He did all of this with us in mind. As our Creator, He knows how best to communicate with us.
As a result, the Bible isn’t an ordinary book. The Bible was written by some 40+ men over a period of 1,600 years, and yet has a common thread woven through its entirety. Its pages contain God’s beautiful love story as He pursues us and gives us the means to participate in a relationship with Him.
This is what the author of Hebrews says about the Bible:
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 ESV
No other book does what the Bible does. And anyone who spends time in the Word can tell you it is life-giving and life-changing.
Why is the Bible different?
What makes the Bible different from other books is the fact that it is inspired by God. It was literally breathed out by God to the men who wrote it down. However, Jane argued that the inspiration the writers of the Bible received was no different than the inspiration an artist feels before he creates a work of art.
While it is true that our only measure of beauty comes from God and, therefore, beauty in art has a shadow of inspiration, it is not the same inspiration of Scripture. Artistic inspiration is not equal to divine inspiration. Art doesn’t speak to everyone. Different types of beauty appeal to different people. But the word of Scripture is universal.
If this is a struggle you have been facing, I urge you to spend time in the Word. Many have set out to disprove Scripture only to be changed by it and embrace it once they really studied it. If you need some direction for Bible study, I invite you to download my free workbook, 6 Steps to Study the Bible on Your Own.
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If you want to know more about how it was determined if a book was inspired and, therefore, it was included in the canon of scripture, I recommend you listen to the second season of Phylicia Masonheimer’s podcast Verity. Click here to check it out. (And when you’re done with season 2, go back and listen to season 1 because it is fire, too!)
How would you define an idol? Having grown up in church, I know all of the stories about the Israelites and their idols: the golden calf, the foreign gods, even Dagon, the idol that bowed down to the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 5). When we think of idols in this context, we would claim not to worship idols.
But idols don’t have to be crafted with our hands. An idol is anything that takes your attention off of God, anything that keeps you from your time with God. In this context, sleep can be an idol, TV can be an idol, and, dare I say it, food can be an idol.
Did you realize your “quiet time” can become an idol, too? It seems contradictory because your “quiet time,” your time in the Word, isn’t taking your focus off of God, right?
Oh, but it can!
It’s all too easy to spend time in the Word just so you can check it off your to-do list, post a pretty Instagram picture with your coffee and your colorful pens, or hit a goal you’ve set for yourself. The motive behind your devotional time can be pulling your focus off of God.
When I allow perfectionism to keep me from the Word because I think I have to have the prettiest space or the right Bible or the perfect pen or the best mug for my coffee, I am making my quiet time an idol.
When the reason for my time in the Word is to reach a goal or check it off a reading plan, I’ve lost focus of the purpose.
When I use my “quiet time” as an excuse not to face my responsibilities, or I wear it as a badge of honor so others can see how spiritual I am, my “quiet time” has become an idol.
Spending time in the Word should be a time of worship when we focus on knowing God more intimately.
So how do I avoid creating an idol out of my devotional time?
Realize that God’s expectation is that you will come to Him as you are. You don’t have to get your ducks in a row, clean up your act, or get your house in order to spend time with Him. Think about it this way: what are your expectations of your kids before they come to you? Do they need to clean up? Do they need to look or act a certain way? Would you reject them if they didn’t? Of course not! If my son wants a hug from me as he’s walking off the baseball field after a grueling double-header in the heat of summer, he gets that hug! Why then do we think God has expectations of us before we come to Him?
If you realize you are distracted and having a hard time focusing on what you’re reading, stop. Figure out what the problem is and fix it, or come back to your reading later in the day when you can be more focused. Minimize distractions as best you can, but be flexible and have grace. While you should have a plan, it shouldn’t be too rigid. You are developing a relationship, not simply trying to be more productive with your time.
Litmus Test
A great question to ask yourself is if you couldn’t tell anyone about your devotional time, would you still do it? I’m not encouraging you to keep your study to yourself—we need community and accountability—but if all of that was stripped away, would you still spend time with Him? If you know your answer to this question is “yes,” then your devotional time is really about your relationship with the Lord.
If your answer right now would be “no,” don’t quit. Giving up won’t solve the problem. Refocus. Repent, ask forgiveness, and realign.
If you need help with your time in the Word and want to learn to study it for yourself so you don’t have to depend on someone else to tell you what it means, download my free 6 Steps to Study the Bible on Your Own Workbook.
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