missions is God's heartbeat

I've heard people talk about the Biblical basis of missions. But I think it's more accurately stated as the missional basis of the Bible. It's so easy to assume that missions is a New Testament idea. But it's not. It's been God's heart since the very beginning. His passion for the nations is evident throughout the entirety of the Bible.

I know many often struggle to reconcile the God of judgment and wrath in the Old Testament with the one of mercy and grace in the New. But if we look closely enough, we can see His heartbeat as a thread all throughout.

It's so evident in the Bible stories we learned in Sunday School, but amid the flannelgraphs and illustrated kids' Bibles, we may have missed it.

Way back in Genesis, God promised Abraham overwhelming blessings. Not so Abraham could live an abundant, selfish life. But so that "all people on earth will be blessed" through him. All people.

The story of Noah and the ark shows us more than God's wrath on the sinful world and the rescue of every kind of animal. It reveals God's mercy, compassion, and love for the nations of the earth. The promise set forth in the rainbow was God's covenant with all of mankind---not just Noah's family. Not just the people of Israel. Not just the Body of Christ. God's covenant of grace was "a covenant for all generations to come." All generations.

What was the whole point of David and Goliath? Little beats big? God on your side is the majority? We can do all things through God's strength? All of those things and more. Ultimately, it reveals God's heart. David conquered Goliath so "the whole world will know that there is a God." The whole world.

Then there was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three young Israelites in the fiery furnace. In the end, King Nebuchadnezzar decreed that the people of "every nation" will know that "no other god can save." Every nation.

Not only did the Lord spare Daniel's life in the lion's den, but "all the peoples, nations, and men of every language" heard about it. The king issued a decree that basically said, "There is no God like Daniel's!" Every language.

Even in the Psalms we can read of God's heart for the lost. "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations." David's prayer was "Bless us, Lord, so that all nations may come to know You!" There are so many other passages like that strewn throughout the Psalms. All nations.

As you read the Bible this week, look at everything through the missions lens. You'll see things you never noticed before. And you'll discover the heart of God in a whole new way.

God's ultimate plan is for all nations to know Him.  As Christians, as God-followers, we are called to be a part of His plan.

All of us.

Originally a guest post at my friend Becky's

a little somethin' for the guys

I don’t know that I’m the greatest candidate for a marriage series. I mean... I’m going through a divorce... Sigh...

So I’m gonna keep this short.

But I wanna talk to the men for a minute. Just for a minute, I promise. I’ll get right to the point...

: : :

So guys... Come finish reading on Fireflies & Hummingbirds > (It really is short...)

maybe even more so

It's so normal to me that I don't even really think about it anymore. Most of my friends are people I met online.

Although I've gotta be honest... Using that phrase "met online" bugs me. It seems to diminish or devalue the experience and the friendships because of the negative connotations it holds for so many.

I never make distinctions like "online friends" and "in real life friends". There is no delineation between them. A friend is a friend, no matter where or how we met.

The friendships I've built over the internet are every bit as real, deep, and authentic as any I've ever built face-to-face.

Maybe even more so.

Because I articulate myself better in writing, I'm quicker to dive into weighty topics over Twitter, email, and blogging than I probably would in person. Then once that groundwork is laid, it's a whole lot easier for me to carry on that conversation offline.

Authenticity breeds authenticity. And while there are those who misrepresent themselves online, the majority of people I've gotten to know have proven themselves to be genuine.

Being real makes others feel safe to do the same.

And that's how great friendships get built.

My life is full of them. And I am so incredibly grateful.

I have more friends now than I've ever had. I don't say that to try to sound popular. (Because, trust me, I'm not. At all.) I say it with a shake of my head and disbelief in my voice. I can't seem to find the right words to convey how astounded and humbled I am by the relationships God has gifted me with.

Because they truly are a gift.

And they have carried me through the most difficult season of my life. Even those people I haven't had the chance to hug yet.

Honestly, as long as we're bringing our true selves, it doesn't matter if we get together in Starbucks or in an email.

Friendships are about connections of the heart.

And hearts hang out in the strangest of places.

Originally a guest post at PrudyChick.com

even me

I knew the entire 18 months that my husband was having an affair. At first it was just a suspicion; by the end, we were fighting every single day about her. He kept denying it. And insisting that the real issue was me. How dare I accuse him of something like this?!

Until I confronted him with undeniable proof.

I don't know what I thought would happen after that. I don't know that I was thinking at all. But I certainly didn't imagine everything that's transpired in the year-and-a-half since then.

I never anticipated the bottom completely falling out of my world, making every single thing in my life uncertain and unsure. I never expected him to leave me for her. I couldn't imagine that things would get far worse long before they'd ever start getting better.

I wonder if I'd have gone through with it if I had known what would happen.

I was so crushed, depressed, and broken, that I'm not sure I would have. And that breaks my heart.

It also makes me realize that---and I'm almost afraid to say this out loud---I'm grateful. With tears streaming down my face, I'm thankful that my life shattered to pieces... because I am already more whole than I was before all this happened.

Don't get me wrong. The past few years have been hell. They've been harder than I ever imagined I could survive, and I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone. Even her.

But sitting here today, I have a clearer picture of my value and worth than I ever did in my marriage.

I still have a long road ahead of me. I will live with the pain of this heartache for a long time. But today... Today I feel hopeful that God is redeeming this.

He doesn't waste a thing.

Everything can be made new. Everything can be redeemed. Everything can be made whole.

Even this.

Even me.

[Originally a guest post at Pearl Girls...]

faith in the key of plan b

I've experienced God's miraculous power in my lifetime. I've seen His divine protection and provision. I've watched Him do incredible things. But when my life crumbled around my feet a couple years ago, what God can do and what He was doing didn't line up.

God could have stopped my husband from cheating on me. He could have changed his mind about leaving me for the other woman. He could have saved my marriage, protected our ministry, and kept my heart from the deepest pain I've ever endured. He could have. But He didn't.

And I realized something simple yet extraordinary.

There's a difference between faith in what God can do and faith in who God is.

From my microscopic vantage point, it often seems like God's actions and inactions---what He allows---aren't consistent with His character. But I can't see the big picture from my tiny corner in the vastness of eternity.

Because the truth is, His character never changes. No matter what I'm experiencing in my life, God is loving, faithful, and trustworthy. He is just and merciful. He is Healer and Redeemer. And He doesn’t waste a thing.

Nothing---neither the best nor the worst that I’ve known---is wasted. Ever. Everything can be made new. Everything can be made whole. Everything can be redeemed.

Nothing is wasted.

Even when it doesn't appear that way right now.

My faith is supposed to be about much more than trusting Him to make everything work out according to my "perfect plan".

After all, He is more concerned about my holiness than my happiness.

So while life continues to unfold very differently than I'd ever imagined, I want to live with active trust in who He is, even in the midst of pain and brokenness.

Easier said than done, I know. The only way I can even think about making this shift is in moment-by-moment decisions of faith.

So right now, I'm choosing to anchor myself in the unmovable bedrock of God's character.

And trusting that what feels like Plan B (or maybe Plan F) is really His best for me.

Originally a guest post at Refine Us >