What Would You Try If You Knew You Couldn't Fail?

Have you ever asked yourself that question?  That simple question has been on my mind lately, especially after last Tuesday night.  Our girls' Bible study has been going so well.  Last Tuesday, we talked about whether God really is enough for us.  So many times we worry about having enough money to pay the bills or having enough clothes to wear.  We worry about how we look and get in a tizzy over not being able to fit into that size two dress anymore.  We worry about what other people think of us and if people will think we are weird if they find out we are Christians.  We worry about sharing our faith because we are nervous we won't have the right words or we don't know enough about the Bible.  So many worries.  We waste so much of our lives fretting over things that God has promised He can and will take care of.  As I was going through the homework for the study last week, I started wondering, "Do I really live my life like God is enough for me?"

The first time I asked myself that question, a feeling of conviction swept over my heart.  I don't rely on God to be enough for me.  I'm pretty safe when it comes to putting myself out there.  I like to do things that I know I'm good at, that I know I won't fail at.  When I think about sharing my faith with someone, I can think of a million excuses why I can't.  I don't know enough or I don't have the right words.  I'm worried about what they will think of me or how they will respond.  I'm afraid of rejection.  Excuse after excuse after excuse and all of them have to deal with not having enough of something.  Isn't God enough for me?  Won't He give me the words to speak?  Don't I trust Him?

I love the story of Gideon.  If you haven't read it, it's a great story of the underdog.  Gideon was a young Israelite guy working in the wine vats preparing for his family's escape from the mighty Midianites when God spoke to him.  Judges 6:14-15 says, "The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength that you have and deliver Israel from the power of Midian.  Am I not sending you?"  He said to Him, "Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel?  Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house."  God asked Gideon to deliver Israel and what was Gideon's response?  Excuses.  Sounds pretty familiar.  But God's response to Gideon's excuses is the same response He gives us.  Judges 6:16 says, "But I will be with you," the LORD said to him.  "You will strike Midian down as if it were one man."

The first thing that strikes me about this exchange is that God commands Gideon to "go in the strength you have".  God asked Gideon to step out in faith and reminded him that he had strength already.  Gideon obviously thought the strength He had was not enough because we hear his excuses next, but God's response is key.  God promises Gideon that He will be with him.  If God made that promise to Gideon, don't you think He promises us the same thing?  Sometimes God asks us to do hard things and that includes using the gifts we already have, but God is faithful to multiply those gifts and inject them with His power and strength to make even our smallest amount of knowledge and strength affective.

When you read further into the Book of Judges, you see Gideon in a real pickle when it comes to this whole defeating the Midianites thing.  Gideon starts out with an army of 30,000, but God dwindles it down to a mere 300 men by the time the battle is revving up.  The Midianite army consisted of thousands upon thousands of soldiers, so with Gideon's puny 300, the chances of defeating their foe looked pretty desolate.  But notice in verse 15 of chapter 7, Gideon says to his soldiers, "...Get up, for the LORD has handed the Midianite camp over to you."  Gideon was confident that the Israelites would be victorious, but why?  I'm sure He didn't look at his 300 men and think, "Sure, we've got this.  No sweat."  Gideon wasn't confident in his own strength or the strength of the 300 soldiers.  Gideon was confident because His eyes were on the Lord and he knew that God's provision would be enough.  The Midianites, consisting of thousands of soldiers, were defeated by Gideon's 300 men.  The reality is that the 300 men weren't Gideon's soldiers, they were God's chosen men and because God provided those specific 300, God used them to deliver Israel.  God gave Gideon enough strength to lead the Israelites in the battle against Midian.  God gave Gideon enough soldiers to defeat their foe.  Don't you think God will give you enough of what you need to do what He has asked you to do?

God doesn't ask us to do things that are impossible.  The only impossible task is the task you take on by yourself, without God.  Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  The verse doesn't say, "I can do all things."  It says we can do everything "through Christ who strengthens me."  Anything is possible when we rely on Christ to work in us and through us, but when we try to do it on our own, some things really are impossible. 

So here's my question...what is God asking you to do?  Is the reason you haven't done it because you don't think you can or maybe you don't have what it takes?  By the world's standards, Gideon had no chance of defeating the Midianites, but with God's help, he did just that.  Where we have inadequacies God steps in and fills the void.  Do you believe that?  Do you believe God is enough for you?

As I write this, I am still trying to fully grasp this concept in my own life.  God is opening doors for me to share my story and my faith with people and I am nervous that I won't know what to say.  I get tongue-tied and break out in hives.  I worry about what people will think of me and what I have to say.  I worry about people judging me for my past and where I have been.  The problem with all of those statements is the word, "I".  When we start worrying about everything and everyone around us it is because our focus is off of Jesus and on ourselves.  When our eyes are focused on Jesus, we don't see the things around us, we only see His face and His hands reaching out to give us exactly what we need.

I choose today to believe that God is enough for me.  I believe He will give me enough knowledge of His Word to know what to say.  I believe He will give me the words to speak and I believe He will give me the strength and courage to step up and step out for His glory.  Will you join me? 

What would you try if you knew you couldn't fail?  Is it sharing your faith with someone?  Is it starting a Bible study?  Is it inviting a friend to church?  Whatever it is, God is faithful and He is enough to meet whatever needs you have.  There is freedom in relying on Him to be enough.  Check out Psalm 121 below and then listen to the song.  Rest in the peace of knowing that our God gives us more than enough to do whatever He is asking us to do.  God bless you friends!

 Psalm 121

    A song of ascents.

 ¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.

 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore.

 

 

What Does Your Worship Look Like?

On Friday evening, we had the opportunity to go to the Hillsong concert in Tulsa.  "We" meaning my husband and me and nine other friends...it was a blast!  If your eyes have not been opened to Hillsong United worship music, it is the absolute best when it comes to true praise and worship.  I think what I love the most about their music is that the lyrics are straight out of scripture.  What better way to worship our Lord than to sing His words back to Him?  Check out the picture below to get a glimpse of the glorious evening we had in true, unashamed worship...

I think that is what Heaven will be like.  There were thousands of people in the arena.  Young, old, black, white, short, tall.  All kinds of people all from different walks of life, but with one common thread...love of our Lord Jesus.  I'll never forget looking down a few rows from where we were sitting and seeing a sweet older lady with her arms raised, reaching out to the Lord in worship.  I found myself in the same position, reaching up, trying to get as close to the Lord as I possibly could.  At one point during the concert, I looked around and saw what seemed like every arm raised to the Lord.  What an awesome picture of what true worship looks like.  You see worship isn't about raising your arms, but it's about realizing your need of the Lord and expressing it in whatever way you can.  When I lift my hands in worship, it is almost like I am a little girl again, reaching up for my daddy to pick me up.  When it comes to my walk with the Lord, I often find myself needing to be picked up and dusted off.  I can't begin to put into words how grateful I am that my Heavenly Father picks me up every time, just like my daddy here on earth did for me when I was a little girl.

The question that has been rolling around in my head is, what does worship look like in my everyday life?  It's great to go to a Hillsong concert and be caught up in worship through music, but am I worshipping God on a daily basis?  A friend of mine once said, "It's not true worship unless you sacrifice something." 

Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God: this is your spiritual worship."  A Christian life isn't about getting what you can out of God.  A Christian life is about giving all you can to God.  There is a reason why Paul used the word "urge" in this passage.  To urge someone is to persuade, entreat, or to press with a driving force.  Paul is begging us to present our bodies as a sacrifice to the Lord.  We know from the sacrifices God commanded in the Old Testament that He wanted pure, blemish-free sacrifice.  The truth for us is that we can never be blameless until we repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness.  Once we have received forgiveness from God and He has cleansed us of our sin, only then can we present our bodies as a living sacrifice to Him.  Worship in our everyday lives is not about hearing our favorite worship song.  True worship of the Lord is when we offer our lives to Him and give Him all we have to be used by Him and for His Kingdom.

When we have offered our lives to God for His will to be carried out through us, then we can be true, affective witnesses for Him.  Hebrews 13:15 says, "Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess His name."  This verse says "continually offer up a sacrifice of praise..."  Continually.  Not just when you are at a Hillsong concert and not just when your favorite songs are on.  We are told in God's Word to offer up praises to God all the time.  I love the idea that our lips can bear fruit.  My friend Robin always says, "Your words can speak life or they can speak death."  As a sacrifice of praise to God, let your words speak life today.  I've heard that on an average, it takes someone seven times to hear the Gospel before they make a decision for Christ.  You see, you may not be the seventh person and get to lead someone to a saving relationship in Christ, but you might be the first or sixth.  If we choose to worship the Lord through the fruit of our lips and confess Him with our words, you never know what seeds you are planting in someone else's life. 

So what does your worship look like?  I know that when I step back and examine my life as worship, I can use a tune-up, but we can be encouraged by the fact that God is willing to pick us up and dust us off so we can get back on track.  Today, I want to challenge you to praise God with your lips.  Talk with one person about God.  It doesn't have to be a forced act or you giving your full testimony to a stranger (but if it is, that's awesome!).  Today, choose to praise God for something in front of one person and see what happens.  I promise, it's addicting!  I am praying for you as you speak life with your actions and your lips!  Love you, friends!

Great Expectations

How often do you pray for big things?  When I say big things, I mean really BIG things.  Things that if they happened, there would be no other explanation except that God showed up and moved in a mighty way.  For most of us, our prayers include things that we can probably accomplish on our own.  If it is more money, we can work for it.  If it is a better job, we start looking for one.  I started noticing in my own prayer life that I pray little prayers.  God laid it on my heart a few months ago to start a girls' Bible study for the girls in our youth group at church.  I have never led a Bible study and this has never been done at our church before so really it is an experiment.  The first girls' night out was last night at my house.  My expectations were pretty low, thinking maybe ten people would come.  As 6 o'clock rolled around, my doorbell kept ringing with new faces showing up.  As I turned on the movie we were watching and began counting how many people were there, I was amazed at what God had done.  28 daughters and moms had come.  I prayed for this gathering.  I prayed that God would bring the perfect people to be a part of this, but I underestimated what God could do. 

As I sat there thanking God for how He had worked last night, I was reminded of a special lesson I learned a few years ago.  In 2008, I had the opportunity to share my testimony at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia on Easter Sunday.  The Holy Spirit has blessed their church and it is thriving with growth, both spiritually and in number.  At the end of the service, 13 people came down and gave their lives to Christ.  I remember being overwhelmed with how neat it was to see so many people get saved.  After the service, I told Kaitlyn, the girl who was hanging out with me during my stay, how awesome it was that so many people made decisions for Christ.  I will never forget her response.  She said, "We are so grateful for the ones that came.  We had been praying for 50 to get saved."  When I heard that, I thought, "Wow.  I'm excited if one person gets saved at my church, much less 50."  Kaitlyn doesn't know this, but she taught me a big lesson that day.  We shouldn't limit God with our puny prayers.  We have to expect Him to show up and work in a mighty way.  So here's my question, what are your expectations of God?  Do you only ask Him for small things because you are doubtful He will do the big things?

There are  so many stories in the Bible of people who expected God to show up and He did not disappoint.  Think of Moses and the Israelites.  As they left the bondage of Egypt, they were excited and grateful for how God had delivered them, but that excitement quickly turned to panic when the Egyptians began chasing them and they were caught between their enemies and the Red Sea.  The Israelites turned to Moses for guidance.  Can you imagine what it would be like if your leader was unsure of what to do if it were a life or death situation?  In that moment, Moses knew God would show up.  He expected God to do a mighty work and when he told the Israelites to step into the Red Sea, he was sure God would save them.  The Red Sea parted and the Israelites passed through the sea on dry ground.  So how sure are you that God can do a mighty work in your life?  Do you believe God can part the seas of trouble and despair for you?

Think of the story of Joshua and the defeat of the city of Jericho.  What if Joshua had said, "I don't know guys.  I think we're supposed to walk around this big wall for 7 days and then we'll see what happens."  Can you imagine the frustration of the people?  Joshua was sure of what God had said and he obeyed His commands.  Joshua expected God to bless their obedience and show up in a mighty way.  So after seven days of marching around the walls of Jericho, God tore down the walls at the sound of the Israelites shout.  Are you like Joshua?  Do you expect God to tear down the walls in your life?

Matthew 11:22-24 says, "Jesus replied to them, "Have faith in God.  I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.  Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for-believe that you have received them, and you will have them."  If Jesus made mention of a mountain being cast in the sea, don't you think He can handle your prayers, even the big ones?  This verse isn't a blank check of answered prayers, but it is a promise that what you ask of God that is in His will, He is faithful to do.  Take a moment today and think about the big things in your life that you need God to work in.  Start praying for God to give you a sense of anticipation for what He can do through you.  Don't limit God with your puny prayers.  I promise, there is no limit to what God can do through you. 

Below is a picture of our girls' night out group.  Let it serve as a reminder to you today that God can do more than we could ever dream of. 

And the Winner Is...

Last week, I had the opportunity to help out with the Miss Oklahoma Pageant.  A few years ago I competed and absolutely fell in love with the organization and its purpose of empowering women to reach their educational goals through providing scholarship money.  I might be a little biased, but Oklahoma has some of the greatest women in the country and on stage last week, I got to see their talents, intellect, and beauty, but most of all, I got to see their hearts.  On Saturday night we crowned our new Miss Oklahoma, Betty Thompson.  She is a beautiful girl.  Sweet, talented and cute as a button.  As the results came in, I couldn't help but think about what it felt like when my name was called as Miss Oklahoma and eventually, Miss America.  It was an overwhelming feeling of excitement, the culmination of so much hard work, but at the same time, it was a moment of sheer panic.  I found myself wondering, "What did I just do and what happens now?" 

I was just twenty years old and scared out my mind of the responsibility that had been given to me.  I remember numerous times thinking, "Why would God choose me for this title?"  I think that is the beauty of God's will and perfect timing.  We may not know it at the time, but there is a reason for everything.  It took me a while to figure out why I was chosen as Miss America.  Actually, it has taken me almost five years to figure it out.  You see, God allows things in our lives to happen so it can prepare us for what's to come.  If there is one thing I know about God, it is that His plan will ALWAYS be better than even our wildest dreams could ever be.  When I won Miss America, I thought it was all about 2007 and once that year was over, my purpose for being Miss America ended too.  I can't begin to tell you how wrong I was!

After my year as Miss America, I moved back to Oklahoma City.  I connected with my friend Robin because she did an interview with my mom and me for Mother's Day.  Robin and I began our friendship and a Bible study and I began going to church with her.  It was there that I met my husband and because of her influence and example, I got saved just five short months later.  I married Randy a year after that and now, Robin and I have started a ministry for teen girls and are writing books and Randy and I have an awesome ministry through our band.  What I know now is that my purpose in being Miss America 2007 had little to do with my year of service and everything to do with the ministry He has given me today.  Through the ups and downs, happy times and bad times and even the times when we don't understand, I believe what God's Word says.  "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28

On Saturday night, only one girl walked away with a crown.  There were tears of joy and tears of disappointment, but the truth is, God's plan was perfectly executed Saturday night.  To my girls who competed last week or to any pageant girls who might be reading this, my prayer for each of is that you can walk away with a peace knowing that God has a plan for your life.  Whether that plan includes a crown at the end of the week or not, please know that God's plan is even better than you could ever dream.  There are no coincidences and no accidents in God's economy.  Everything that happens to you passes through the Hand of God first.  Cling to that and know that God holds it all together.  As you walk the road of life, be on the look out for the big and small blessings God is giving you.  You never know what they might lead to.  Check out the song below and rest in the truth of God's Word and the peace that comes from knowing that even if it doesn't work out your way, God has it all planned perfectly.

A Perfect Purpose

Do you ever have those moments where you know God is telling you something?  You know, those moments where God uses someone in your life to affirm the work you are doing for the Lord or to show you He truly is using you?  I had one of those moments this morning...I work a second job at the university I attend helping answer phones for an office during lunches.  Because of the hectic nature of my mornings, my quiet time and Bible reading is done while I'm at the office.  I work with some of the sweetest people, especially Nancy.  Today, I had my Bible open as she was heading out the door to lunch.  She stopped and said, "I have an idea.  I think we should have a daily scripture here in the office.  Lauren, what are you reading today?"  At first, I was a little surprised at the suggestion, but I shared that I was reading through the book of John.  I told them what I had read today and what I had gleaned from it.  The next few moments are what really took my breath away.  Nancy began sharing her story of salvation and where she is right now in her relationship with God and then she said something that I will forever be grateful for and never forget.  She said, "I think you are working here for a reason."

I tear up just thinking about that sweet, simple phrase.  But isn't that the goal for every Christian?  To be here for a reason?  Think of the life of Esther.  Esther is living in Susa with her uncle Mordecai minding her own business being a regular teenage girl when all of sudden, she is taken to the King's palace to be in the world's biggest beauty contest.  The prize...to be named the new queen.  Esther won the favor of the king's eunuch and of the people around her, not just by her outer beauty, but by her inner beauty as well.  She won the king's favor and was named queen over provinces from India to Cush.  In the Book of Esther, it describes her as a Jewish orphan.  Knowing her true identity, but keeping it a secret from the king, she had to wonder, "Why am I here and how did I get into this?" 

The purpose in Esther being placed in the position of queen became evident when Haman began to plot against the Jews and made plans to destroy them.  Mordecai came to Esther and asked her to go before the King and intercede for the Jewish people, an act punishable by death.  At first, Esther was apprehensive about going before the King, but then Mordecai said, "Who knows, perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this."  Esther knew her purpose in becoming queen at that moment.  In the end, Esther approached the King and was granted her request and the Jews were saved from Haman's plot.

You see, if Esther had never become queen, the Jews could have been destroyed because they had no one to intercede on their behalf.  She had a purpose in her position and place, even though at first, she may not have known it.  So what's your purpose?  Do you know what it is or are you still searching?  Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His creation--created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them."  God prepares works for us to do and He gives us a purpose, but we have to walk in those works and walk with Him to figure it out.  God knew before you were born where you would be today and He has a purpose for you right where you are.  Never doubt that God is using You.  Walk through His perfect plans for your life and He will reveal His purpose as you seek His face.  God bless you friends.