That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. Joshua 7:12 NIV

What in your life is “devoted to destruction“?

I know that seems like a silly question, perhaps even a harsh question, but it’s not to God. He wants us to rid ourselves of anything that is devoted to our downfall.

In the passage above, the people of God had lost a major battle. People were killed in the process. Joshua fell upon his face before the Lord. “What has happened to our blessing?”, Joshua must have thought. He cried out to the Lord and the Lord said, “Get off your face Joshua!”

God said that Joshua and the Israelites needed to rid themselves of anything that was standing between them and God. Joshua went to the people and found a man who had been worshipping idols. The people took that man from the city and stoned him to death.

Pretty powerful stuff! Yet, God takes devotion very seriously. Thankfully we are living outside the days of the law. We are now living in days of grace. Even in these times, however, those things that have our deepest devotion should be dedicated and pleasing to God, because in the end, the life we’ve lived for Christ, our family and others will be the life we value most! Other things will matter far less, if even at all.

What in your life is devoted to destruction? What do you need to rid from you life so that you can more fully trust and serve God? Is fear an issue in your life? Do you tend to worry unnecessarily? Is money your chief motivator? Would you put your career before your service to God? Are you greedy? Do you hold grudges? Are you prejudiced? Do you need to accept God’s forgiveness or forgive yourself for mistakes made? (Here’s a space for you to insert your own. _______________________ )

I need to warn you of something: ANYTHING THAT COMES BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS EVENTUALLY DEVOTED TO DESTRUCTION!

God wants us to rid our lives of those things that take us away from a total oneness with Him! Ask God to help you today!

Karen on our staff has been asking Cheryl to do a guest post for the Grace Community Church website for months and she finally agreed. She chose the title “Who me – a pastor’s wife?”. Let me say that I believe one of the most important jobs in the church is that of the pastor’s wife. I’m thankful I have such a good one. For more of my thoughts on Cheryl, click HERE or if you want to know how to honor a pastor’s wife, click HERE.

This is what Cheryl wrote:

Who me – a pastor’s wife??

Who me – a pastor’s wife???

After numerous requests to do a Guest Blog for Grace, I realized I had resisted as long as I could. It may be because there are so many great bloggers living at my house that I feel so intimidated at just the thought of trying.

The thought that kept going through my mind was what do I have to say that anybody would WANT to read? I feel God told me to just take this opportunity to share a little about myself….Ron’s wife … a mom to Jeremy (21) and Nate (18) … a daughter … a sister …. a friend …. a co-worker (again) … most importantly a follower of Jesus Christ and oh yeah – a pastor’s wife.

I am Cheryl Edmondson and the proud wife of Ron, who is one of the amazing co-pastors of Grace Community Church and together we have two awesome sons. I was born in Clarksville to J F and Earlene Burney and except for four years in Tuscaloosa, AL (Roll Tide!!) while my dad received his doctorate and my mother her undergraduate degree – I have lived in Clarksville all my life. I have two older brothers (Mike & Steve) and one younger sister (Laurie). I recently lost my dad due to several health issues. I was a “daddy’s girl” and miss him very much!!

I am blessed with more friends than I can count. I have been reminded lately during the time of my dad’s death and then again today as I attended the funeral of a longtime friend – how precious friendships are. There is a childhood poem that I was reminded of today – “make new friends, but keep the old ones…one is silver, but the other gold.” During both these times, I saw friends that I had not seen for years. Friends that I was very close to at one time …. But you know what? Our hearts were still connected when we saw each other again …. My biggest regret was that I had let so much time pass without spending time with these friends. That I had allowed myself to get too busy …. But we all do that – don’t we? Yes, what a sweet reminder of how precious our friends truly are.

My degree is in accounting and I have been employed in several positions over the years from the electric company to co-owning a small manufacturing company with Ron to working on a church staff to public accounting. After a short break from the working world, I have recently accepted a part-time position at Hope Pregnancy Center as Administrative Director. My passion is to do ministry and for as long as God allows me to work part-time – I pray that He will allow me to do ministry at HPC, but also be more flexible to do ministry for GCC.

Oh yes, the one I keep forgetting – I am a pastor’s wife!! It is the one I have to keep reminding myself of probably because it is the one I feel the least worthy to be. I’m just a regular person …. I have good days and bad days …. I make lots of mistakes …. I don’t read my Bible as much as I want to …. BUT I love Sundays!! My passion is to see others growing in their relationship with Christ!! I love it when God allows me to use things from my past to minister to others!!! (2 Cor 1:3-7) But I don’t have to be a pastor’s wife to do any of these. I loved these same things before Ron was called to vocational ministry. Maybe that’s why I have such a hard time remembering that I am one ….

And yes – I am a follower of Jesus. I am so thankful for the amazing grace that God has poured out on my life. I became a Christian well into adulthood and regret all the wasted years. That’s why I am so thankful that God allows me to be a part of Grace Community Church and see the lives that He is changing in and through the various ministries… I pray that as long as I live God will use me to point others to the saving grace of my Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ!!!

That’s who I am …. a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend … follower of Christ … and … oh yeah … a pastor’s wife.

Only by HIS grace,

Cheryl

 
Next time you question your abilities to pursue your God-given vision , consider the story of Moses:

Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” Exodus 4:10-13

Moses was used of God to do incredible things for God’s glory, yet Moses, more than many leaders I know, questioned his own abilities. He lacked confidence and would have probably never volunteered for the job. His reasons might have been:

• Past failure
• Fear
• The task was overwhelming
• He was intimidated by the Asker
• He felt unqualified

What’s your excuse for not obeying the vision God has placed in your heart? Is it really a valid reason?
Perhaps you need to do as Moses did…walk by faith, not by sight.

 
This week I have been at Moody Founder’s Week in Chicago. I told my son Nate, who attends Moody, that this would be on my list of conferences while he is in school here. We had been previously, which is one of the reasons he chose the school. This is a true church conference. While it is not my typical conference, I have enjoyed hearing the challenging messages in a more traditional setting.

Getting out of town always provides me with time to develop new thoughts. Often I get into such a routine at home, that I don’t stop to just reflect, ponder, think and dream. I have to be alone, totally removed from my normal comfort zone it seems to really slow down enough to reflect. Yesterday, between sessions, I went for a long run along the Lake Shore Drive. (This is my favorite city in which to run. I posted about that once HERE.) About half way through the run, as I was talking to God, it seemed He impressed on my heart that there are new challenges He wants me to consider.

While I didn’t have a clue what this could mean at this point in our conversation, here is the prayer I prayed (as best as I can remember praying while running):

“God, I don’t want to possess a man-made vision…mine or anyone else’s. I don’t want a hand-me-down version of Your plan…I want to hear from You…I want Your vision…Your presence…Your glory. Protect my heart from wandering or being attracted to anything less than 100% of Your will… God, as You lead me, I will follow…”

It was a great heart check. The rest of the day I spent trying to unpack some of where I sense Him encouraging me to go and do. I don’t have all the answers, and from experience I may not for weeks, but I’m starting to understand some things. A couple thoughts relative to Grace Community Church I will actually share over the next couple days on this blog.  More than anything, however, I am committed to following His heart. That’s always proven to be a good thing in my life!

How do you get your heart on track with God? Do you do it with people or away from people?  Where do you go to do your best reflecting.

Please share your thoughts here for all readers to enjoy.

 
I received a great email of concern this week on an issue I think others may have as a concern as well.  I know I have asked questions like this personally at times.

The email said, “I believe in prayer, but I never know what to say.  What if I say the wrong thing?  Does that make sense?”

Here was my answer:

Yes, it makes perfect sense, but I wonder if you are making prayer more difficult than it is intended to be.  Consider for a moment that God is the “friend who sticks closer than a brother.”  What if God were a person, who is actually in the room with you, that knows you better than anyone has ever known you, that would never betray you, so you could trust Him with anything, that loves you unconditionally whether you do the right things or not, and that always has your best interests at heart…could you talk to that person?

That’s who He is…now talk….

Do you ever struggle with what to say in your prayers? Could it be you are treating prayer as more of a religious formality than a conversation with someone with whom you have a relationship?

What tips can you offer to help others in their prayer life?    What questions about prayer do you have?

I meet many people frustrated with their spiritual life. Often I find they are measuring the wrong things. They tend to measure their day-to-day activities, rather than their progress over time. My intent with this post is to encourage you to measure outputs, not inputs when evaluating your spiritual life.

If you measure only inputs of your spiritual growth…such as…

• How many times you read your Bible
• How many minutes a day you pray
• How many people you invite to church

You’ll often feel like a failure in your spiritual life.

If you measure the outputs of your spiritual growth…such as…

• Are you becoming more patient?
• Are you learning to love people that are hard to love?
• Do you desire to be more like Christ today than you once desired?

You can discern if you are really growing spiritually.

It is much harder to put numbers on intangibles, but deep down you will usually know the answer.  When I try to measure the inputs of my faith, I grow disappointed, because it seems I can never do enough. When I measure the outputs, the results of my faith, I can truly determine if I am growing to be more like Christ. (Thankfully, I can see huge progress over the course of my life.)

Discipline helps develop spiritual fruit, and I believe in practicing private disciplines that help grow your faith (inputs), but the discipline is not the goal, the fruit is the goal (outputs). Jesus didn’t say His followers would be known by the number of disciplines they can keep. Jesus said we would be known by our fruit.

What would you add to the list…what input do you tend to measure to judge if you are growing spiritually? More importantly, how are you doing over the course of time?

Whenever I talk about forgiveness, the reminder of grudges, hurts and past pains seem to surface in people’s lives.  I will get emails, Facebook and Twitter direct messages confessing to scars and wounds being opened.  In fact, the reaction to the topic of forgiveness is so tender for many, that it draws me back to the issue frequently.

As believers, we are called to offer forgiveness, because we first have been forgiven.  Here are 7 principles for offering true forgiveness.

Reflect on your own forgiveness. The fact that God forgives us through His Son Jesus should fuel our willingness to offer forgiveness to others.

Consider the imperfection of others. Resist the opportunity for revenge.  Don’t hold people to standards they cannot live up to.

Look at your own plank.  You aren’t perfect either and probably don’t meet all the expectations others have of you.

Build positive learning experiences….even from negative experiences.

Release the burden of guilt that you are holding against yourself and others. Guilt absorbs a person’s energy.  Releasing guilt provides freedom.

Don’t avoid future conflict. It’s a part of life among imperfect people.  You will need to practice forgiveness many times in life. The more you practice the better you will become at offering it.

Set a new path. In freedom and forgiveness, learn from your experiences and live a life closer to the model Christ set for us; loving others as we love ourselves; forgiving as we have been forgiven.

Whom do you need to forgive? Is it a parent, friend, family member, ex-spouse, co-worker, boss, or maybe even you?  Do yourself a favor…with God’s help and grace, extend forgiveness today!

Perhaps you know the story.  (Genesis 27)

Jacob had tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright.  Esau was furious.  His preference would have been to get even. He was bigger and stronger.  Jacob had tricked him before. He had every right to seek revenge.  No one would have blamed him. 

What did his father advise?

You’ll live by your sword, hand-to-mouth, and you’ll serve your brother. But when you can’t take it any more you’ll break loose and run free. (Genesis 27:40 Message Version)

The English Standard Version says, “you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

I think what Isaac, Esau’s father, was sharing with his son was that the pain of disappointment would be difficult. Jacob would triumph even in his trickery. Esau would indeed lose his birthright. It would be difficult to accept.

I think, however, that Isaac, with his wisdom gained through years of experience, also shared with his son an important truth. Once Esau grew weary of his unforgiving spirit and he finally offered Jacob forgiveness, Esau could be free to fully live at peace again.

Isaac knew what it sometimes takes years for people to understand. When you choose to forgive the one who hurt you, you get the monkey of bondage that comes from an unforgiving spirit off your back. Offering forgiveness brings freedom to the one who injured, as well as to the one that did the injuring.

To whom do you need to extend forgiveness so you can freely live again?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 2 Corinthians 1:3-6

As a minister, I often meet people at some of their lowest points in life. It has always been interesting to me the degree people will go to hide the painful parts of their life. We tend to portray our lives as struggle-free. We mask our hurts with fake smiles and half-hearted clichés of wellbeing.

I am not an advocate of blasting one’s struggles to everyone who will listen. I’m a private person myself. The truth is, however, that one person’s struggle helps another struggling with the same issue. It’s easier to identify with someone once you’ve experienced what he or she is experiencing. It is much more difficult to know how another person feels if you have never walked where he or she is walking.

For example:

• If you have never been hungry, it’s harder to really know hunger.
• If you have never been broken-hearted, it’s hard to know the pain of a broken heart.
• If you have never received rejection, it’s harder to understand being rejected.
• If you have never cried yourself to sleep, it’s harder to give empathy to those worn out from their tears.
• If you have never struggled to make a house payment, or a payroll, or a utility bill, it’s harder to understand the fear money (or the lack of it) can bring.

Have you been trying to hide the hurts in your life?

Remember, the pain of your past is one of your best assets to ministering to others. Ask God how He can use your past to help heal someone who is currently suffering.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things, which were told them by the shepherds. Luke 2:18 KJV

It’s the day after Christmas. Are you still wondering what all the “fuss” was about?

I can imagine the “wonder” going on in Bethlehem shortly after the birth of Christ. There was great wonder in the naming of this baby. Jesus, which means “salvation of God”, was not something someone like Joseph and Mary typically would have named their son. Talk about high hopes for your children!

With the excitement going on in the town because of the census, it is probable that few took notice of Jesus’ birth. Therefore, when the shepherds go about joyfully, almost ecstatically, proclaiming the Good News, people most likely wondered “what baby?”… “I didn’t see a baby”. They were so busy with their own celebrations; they had missed the birth of a Savior!

What about you? As you clean up the torn packages from yesterday, and you pack away all the new gifts; as you travel back home or prepare to head back to work, what difference has Christmas made in your life? Have you thought about it? Did the fact that a Savior was born make a difference in your life this week/this year? Are you living a life that reflects that truth? Or…are you still wondering what all the excitement is about?

Many celebrated Christmas this year. How many really understood the why behind the celebration? The parties are over and the gifts are open, and many will be sad that the celebration is over, but the celebration alone will never completely fill a person’s heart. Only the true gift of Christmas, the one they named Jesus, can fill the void in a heart that often dwells at the end of a Christmas celebration.

After the dust settles from the hustle and rush of buying, wrapping, opening gifts, stuffing ourselves with holiday treats and enjoying the company of friends and family is over, perhaps you and I should pause and really reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.  A Savior has been born…He is Christ the Lord!  That Savior grew, lived a sinless life, died on a cross, rose again, and now intercedes between God and man on behalf of those who believe.  He wants to be your friend that sticks closer than a brother.  He wants those who are weary and heavy-burdened to come to Him.  He wants to bless our lives with true peace.

…And that part of the Christmas season…will last throughout the coming year…and throughout eternity!