Not just for me!

Many people are hell-bent on taking care of Number One (themselves). We note that a large majority of our world live with 'blinkers' on and try to appease only themselves. As Christians, we have to fight against this urge the whole time - it is like swimming upstream. Jesus teaches us to love our neighbour and to serve our fellow man/woman, but this is tough to do.

Advent offers us a different perspective on 'giving' and 'sharing.' So, we look to God as the source of all goodness and mercy - and then we should make an appropriate response. 

God gave us Jesus and he then invited us into his abundant mercy. However, this mercy, hope and peace are not just for us to keep (for ourselves), but to offer to others. 

“Advent challenges us to live in the present moment as agents of this future hope. We can begin to share this hope wherever we find despair and discouragement.” – Trevor Hudson

2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Living in Community

Living in any community is not always easy. Even in a small group of people (family sized) there will always be something that will cause us frustration. The same applies in churches, schools, places of work and social clubs - little irritations crop up which cause us to pull away from these groups of people for a while. 

In the end, it is the desire to belong and be connected, that draws us back into community again. We were designed to be in community! As Trevor Hudson remarked – “Clearly, the climate for growth and deepening in discipleship is community. We can’t become the people God created us to be without experiencing divine and human relationships.”

      Solomon agreed. He wrote “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

      Living in Grace

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What is courage?

What is courage?
Is it a strong belief in "self" to overcome all obstacles?
Or is it perhaps the ability to recognise one's own weaknesses and to confront those?
Is it the willingness to ask for help?
Is it confronting your biggest fears head on?

I like these words from my friend, Trevor Hudson. He writes the following on the topic of courage:

"Courage is the capacity to live constantly with your deepest beliefs, no matter what confronts us. It is steadfastly holding on to what we put first and standing by it in every circumstance."

I pray for courage for all of us today.

Deuteronomy 31:6 - "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” 

Living in Grace
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Uncover the Spring

I am so enjoying reading Trevor Hudson's book on the Holy Spirit. In the chapter, where he looks at how the Spirit helps us to pray, Trevor shares this story:

There was a certain monk who was revered as a man of prayer. One day he was asked how he did it – how he reached this stage of deep prayer. This is what he said: “Looking back, my impression is that for many years I was carrying prayer within my heart, but did not know it. It was like a spring, but one covered by a stone. Then at a certain moment Jesus took the stone away. At that the spring began to flow and it has been flowing ever since.”

I love this story, because it reminds me that we all have a 'spring' bubbling in our hearts, but often we choose to cover this up, suppressing the life giving water from the spring. It is not that God chooses to put a stone on top of the spring, but we do. Perhaps our prayer lives would become more significant if we took the stone away.

I know that God has removed a Big Stone once before - I am positive he can do it again.

Living in Grace
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Offer what you have

Reading through Trevor Hudson's chapter on "What is in your hand?" has been a deeply revealing time for me. Using Moses story from Exodus 4, where God challenges Moses to look at what he already has in his hand, Trevor invites us to do the same thing. Take a look at the ordinary, everyday 'tools' or 'gifts' that we have in our lives at the moment and then to allow God to use them for his purpose and glory.

I find that we so often look around at others and envy their gifts, abilities and talents, neglecting what God has placed into our hands. We spend so much time longing to be like someone else, when we could be offering God what we have. I strongly believe that every single one of us has been given some precious gift (yes, even you) and we honour God when we offering this back to him.

So, please take a minute and do this simple exercise. Write down every thing that you are good at and don't be humble about this. List the things that others see in you and which people have already affirmed in your life. When you have created this list, then say this prayer:

 “Dear God, thank you for this _______________ ability. I give it to you. I commit myself to develop it as much as I can. Will you please use it to make a difference in the lives of others.” (Trevor Hudson)

Ephesians 5:2 - "...and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

1 Peter 2:5 -  "...you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

 

Happiness

I came across an interesting poem today. It reads as follows:

"Happiness is a butterfly.
The more you chase it, the more it will elude you.
But if you turn your attention to other things,
It comes and sits softly on your shoulder."

I am not sure how happy you are feeling at the moment, but I recognise that our happiness is often dependent on external factors. If we experience something "nice" we feel happy, but as soon as something goes wrong, then we feel depressed. The bible reflects on happiness in a few places,

"To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." - Ecclesiastes 2:26

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’" - Matthew 25:23

The poem reminds me that if pursuing happiness is my only goal, then it will probably elude me. However, if I love others and seek to do good, then happiness will 'sit softly' on my shoulder.

Worth thinking about....

Prayer Focus: Give thanks to God for all the people in your life who bring a smile to your face.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

P.S. I read this poem in Trevor Hudson's book "The Serenity Prayer."

Human Wailing Wall

One of the thoughts that Trevor Hudson shared the other evening has been living with me for a few days now. He spoke about how we all need someone to be our "human wailing wall." We need someone who we can turn to, in our moments of trial and pain, someone who will listen to our story and see our tears.

Of course, we know that we can turn to Jesus and that he understands our pain and he dries our tears, but often we need the touch of another person to help comfort us. So, in response to this thought,  I have two questions for us today:

1. Who could be your "wailing wall?"
2. Is God prompting you to become the "wailing wall" for someone else?

 Matthew 25:40 - “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Living in Grace
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Where are you?

When the kids want to ask us something or need us to get something for them, they shout down the passage, "Mom/Dad, where are you?"
If they bothered to walk a few meters they would see that we are closer than they realise.

Sometimes we call out to God in a similar way, asking "Lord, where are you?"
The truth is, God hasn't gone anywhere - he is still there.

Trevor Hudson reminds us that, "Nothing can ever extinguish the flame in God's heart that burns to be in personal relationship with us."

However, sometimes we are the ones who do the hiding and God needs to come searching for us. He calls out to us, "Where are you?" not because he wants to chastise, but because he wants to loves us and restore us.

I urge you not to ignore the call of God. When we return to his loving arms, all will be well.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

A chance to be blessed - sharing with Trevor Hudson

Trevor Hudson has inspired me for years. He has the unique gift of being able to preach God's word with such compassion, sincerity and grace, yet equally with tremendous power. There are only a few preachers who, when their sermons are finished, make you wish they carried on for longer - Trevor is one of those preachers!

The other gift that Trevor has is his ability to put pen to paper. His books have touched the lives of many people all over the world and I am no exception. I was so humbled when he agreed to write the foreword for my first book, Living Oceans Apart - he is a good man.

Trevor has written loads of books, including some of the following:

Signposts to Spirituality
Invitations to abundant Life
One day at a time
Holy Spirit, here and now
The Cycle of Grace
Journey of the Spirit
Questions God asks us

We have the privilege of having Trevor share with us for 3 days, starting this Sunday (31 August) evening at 6pm. He will be sharing on a few of the 'Questions God asks us.' If you are around Pietermaritzburg this weekend and early next week, then feel free to join us. You don't want to miss this opportunity.


Living in Grace
D3LM3