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What is Your Pattern?

/ SurrenderedHeartWorship / 2 Comments

As we look to begin a new year, many of us will be making resolutions that almost never seem to make it past the first six months. Wanting to “do better” is great, but I think there is something we can look at that might prove even more valuable/worthwhile to us as we chart our course, and head into the future.

This year, for me, has been one of the most self-revealing years ever. Mainly because I have wanted it to be so. I have searched deeper within myself with the resolve to get more honest with myself than I’ve ever been. Trust me when I say, when you make a decision to “see” yourself as you really are -you will.

It’s not all been a pretty sight. But just as I was uncovering these layers of life, a close friend asked me if I saw any patterns in my decision making that were my “go to” when things got tough. Can you guess what the answer was? Yep! …It was a resounding, yes.

Well, it got me thinking: we all have “patterns” or modes of operating that become familiar to us when we are faced with crisis, questions, uncertainties, turning points, or big impending transitions in our lives. We don’t always take chances and try new methods when it comes to seeking solutions.

I’m convinced our patterns reveal something about our character. With this in mind, what do your patterns say about you? When we look in the Bible, we can see glimpses of people’s patterns:

Jonah was really good at running away
Gideon was good at second-guessing
Thomas was good at doubting….

Those “patterns” were the very things God dealt with in each of their cases. And the same holds true for us. Fortunately, God’s power is greater than our patterns. That is, IF we are submitting ourselves to His lordship in our lives. Would you agree that sometimes our patterns of behavior are unhealthy? If so, what are some of the patterns in your life that have proved this to be true?

To gain a better understanding of your personal patterns, go back to one of your most recent crisis, or seasons of transition. What are the things you did to cope/deal with it? Do you tend to run away from the crisis? Do you retreat or isolate yourself? Do you do the opposite and talk people’s heads off about it? Do you eat more? Shop more? Sleep more? You get the idea. You “do” something, and it’s usually the same pattern for the next crisis, and so forth.

Let’s pause to look at the bright side, though. It must be stated; there are also GOOD patterns in our lives. I certainly don’t want to overlook those. And neither should you. The fact is: we can choose good patterns over bad ones if we so desire. However, we will never up-root the bad patterns if we refuse to become aware of them, and how damaging they can be to us, as well as to those we love.

I’ll close with this challenge: Look at your 2013 patterns of behavior. Which ones are worth keeping? Which ones are worth up-rooting? Which ones do you see God bringing up again and again in an effort to get you to allow Him to renovate your character? He wants the very best for you. And it’s o.k. for you to want the very best for you, too.

Love & Blessings!
-Cindy Magsig

Scriptures:
Philippians 3:17 “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.” (NLT)
Ephesians 5:15-20

The Pursuit of Healing

/ SurrenderedHeartWorship / 1 Comment

Healing is a gift. No matter how it comes to us, or in what form; when we are desperate to be healthy, well, cured and free, it is a gift. The longer I live and the older I get, I realize I need healing in many areas of my life. Areas that are not limited to that which is purely physical, but areas of emotional and spiritual wellbeing as well.  Fortunately, for those of us who believe in God’s Word, we have lots of promises like:

Psalms 103:3  “He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.”  And  Psalms 147:3   “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” (NLT)

Many times, it is not enough to simply believe in words, but to act on what we say we believe.  If you took time to read many of the stories in the New Testament when people were healed by Jesus, you would see some very common threads.  At times, Jesus was passing by, saw a need, and decided to bless with the gift of healing.  But more times than not, people came to Him seeking to be healed. For example:

Mark 1:40 “A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed…”

Matt. 21:14  “The blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple, and He healed them….”

Mark 7:25  “A woman who had heard about Him came and fell at His feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, and she begged Him to cast out the demon from her daughter….”

Luke 6:8  “Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward, and Jesus restored his hand….”

Then, there’s  this:  (…..I just love this….)

Luke 6:17-19  “Jesus went down with them [the disciples] and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases [physical]. Those troubled by impure spirits [spiritual/emotional] were cured, and the people all tried to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.”    [added words in brackets-mine]

…So cool that regardless of what version of the Bible you read concerning Luke 6:19, all say the same thing:  … “Power was coming from Jesus, and He healed ALL of them!”  (see also Matt. 15:30).

I’m convinced that those of us who come to Jesus, believing by faith that HE is the source of our healing, will walk away healed.  It may not be the way we, in our human mind and heart, believe it should be. But in the power and sovereignty of God, we will be blessed with the gift of healing!  We can place our hope and trust in this.

Gonna close with this incredible story of healing in the N.T. It’s in Luke 7:1-10

Here’s a quick paraphrase:

A Roman officer had a slave who was sick and near death. The Roman officer highly valued this slave. So he sent some respected Jewish elders to Jesus to ask Him to come and heal his slave. The elders begged Jesus to come saying; “If anyone deserves your help, he does, for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.”

Jesus decides to go with them, but before they get to the house, the Roman officer sends some friends out to tell Jesus this:

“Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. I am not even worthy to come and meet you.  Just say the word from where You are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am a man under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers.  I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come.  And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 

You know?  I love the understanding this man has of authority!  This concept of authority becomes key in this story of healing.  And it is key in our understanding of healing as well.

The Bible tells us that when Jesus heard what this man said, He was amazed!  And He turned to the crowd that was following Him and said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all of Israel!”

How would you like to amaze Jesus and have Him say that of you?

….Hand raised really high goes here….. Yeah. Me, too!

Of course, the slave was completely healed by the time they all got back to the house.

But here is this powerful man who humbled himself to just let Jesus be Jesus, and believe!  In essence, he was saying, “I’m not worthy of Your power and Your sovereignty, but I will yield to it, because I believe AND You alone hold all authority to heal.”

So much so, that Jesus was impressed with his faith!!  This is the kind of faith I need. Pretty sure you do, too.  It all begins when we come to Jesus in our pursuit of healing…..for whatever it is we need to be healed of!  And we let Jesus be Jesus, and do it His way.  And we resolve to believe His way works! …Because it really does!

Love & Blessings!
-Cindy Magsig

Song – “Healing is in Your Hand” by Christy Nockels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sG94EKGDcU
Song – “Healer” by Kari Jobe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2yDB528p3Q
Additional Scriptures: Luke 13:1-13, Luke 5:17-20, John 5:1-9, Mark 9:17-27

Don’t Hold On!

/ SurrenderedHeartWorship / 4 Comments

…..So a backwards statement gets our attention. Why is that?  Is it because it stands in stark contrast to what you have always known, and always done?  Partly.  Mostly, you just want to make sure it’s not something you’ve missed that really counts, or means the difference between good and bad, better and best.  Backward things don’t always make sense to us.  Like, take Matthew 10:39 for example:

Matthew 10:39

“If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”  [Jesus speaking]

Seriously, tell me how do I purposefully seek to lose my life to someone in order to find it?  I’m not wired to do that, am I?  Statements like these are, well, … scary!  I mean, the act of surrendering itself is scary.  And even risky many times.  It is innate to “cling”.  I don’t have to think about holding on, but I do have to think about how NOT to hold on!

Oddly enough, Matthew’s account of Jesus’ words is not the first time we are presented with this idea of senseless surrender. There is a story in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 38, of King Zedekiah who was faced with a choice of holding on, or senselessly surrendering his very life!

Just to set it up – the prophet Jeremiah was in trouble.  He was thrown into an empty cistern, with a thick layer of mud at the bottom (which, of course, made him sink) for telling the officials and the people of Jerusalem that everyone who stayed there would die from war, famine, or disease; but those who would surrender to the Babylonians would live. Their reward for surrendering would be life. (verse 2)

Eventually, King Zedekiah had his officials bring Jeremiah to him so he could question Jeremiah about what the LORD had told him. Here’s how that conversation went down:

Jeremiah 38:17-18

“Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the Babylonian officers, you and your family will live, and the city will not be burned down. But if you refuse to surrender, you will not escape! This city will be handed over to the Babylonians, and they will burn it to the ground.'”

Okay …. then it gets good! Look at the next couple of verses:

Jeremiah 38:19-20

“But I am afraid to surrender,” the king said, “for the Babylonians may hand me over to the Judeans who have defected to them. And who knows what they will do to me!”  Jeremiah replied, “You won’t be handed over to them if you choose to obey the Lord. Your life will be spared, and all will go well for you.”

Sometimes, surrendering feels like a death trap when we consider the possible outcomes that are very much out of our control. Incidentally, Jeremiah told the king that if he chose NOT to surrender, a whole list of other problems awaited. (verses 21-23)

What’s the point of all this?  Glad you asked!  The moral of the story is not that we must surrender to our enemies. It is that we must surrender to the sovereign authority and instruction of God, and choose obedience even when we are terrified of the potential outcome!  A surrendered heart is one that TRUSTS GOD no matter what!  Is that you?  If not, what is it that you are holding on to?  Is holding on worth losing your life?  Is letting go worth finding it?  Tough questions, I know.  But, obedience is obedience, pure and simple.  Either we will obey, or we won’t.  Either we will let Him have all of us, or we won’t.

Which brings us back to Matthew 10:39 when Jesus said, “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for Me, you will find it.”

Don’t be afraid to surrender to Him. He has AMAZING blessings for you on the other side of surrender and obedience!

Love & Blessings!

-Cindy Magsig

Every Step You Take . . . I’ll Be Watching You….

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I recently got to enjoy some time in Indiana with my daughter and parents as we attended a Global Gathering for the Church of God.  During one of the beautiful summer evenings there, my daughter was enjoying carefully catching and releasing fireflies.  I just enjoyed watching her soak up every minute of dusk that night, totally intrigued by these little amazing flashing bugs.

The next day as we walked along the paths on the college campus of Anderson University, she began to look down at every step I was taking.  Suddenly, she blurted out, “Mom! Watch where you’re stepping! You are stepping on the ants in front of you and killing them!” After we laughed, I said, “I can’t help it!  I can’t see every little ant along my path! I don’t mean to step on them, I’m just walking forward!”

Just then, I got silly and started looking down VERY intently at every step I was taking, making sure not to step on any ants that were scurrying along the path in front of me.  And when I did see one, I would take this HUGE, giant, exaggerated step over the ant so as not to squash it.  We both laughed at the sillyness of it all.

In that instance I thought; “You, know? Our kids are watching our steps.”  Whether we realize it or not, our kids are taking note of our lives … the things we do; the things we say; the way we treat others; the things we value and give all our time to; the way we “present” ourselves to others, but the way we really are … everything!

Our kids watch us so carefully, that they can tell A LOT about how we feel just by looking at our facial expressions.  Many times, a parental “look” is all it takes for them to know what our expectations are.  No words needed.

Here’s the deal: before you let this truth worry you as a parent, remember that you hold tons of influence in the lives of your children. And that can be a really good thing!  Your ability to influence them can be for their benefit AND for yours as well.

Here’s what I mean: Galatians 5 talks about “Walking in the Spirit” (NKJV).  We can start by modeling the fruits of a life that is guided by God’s Spirit.  Wait!  Let’s back up!  Actually, we can start by looking at the things we are told NOT to do in Galatians 5:19-21.  You can read it for yourself. But I’ll just throw out the list real quick for the sake of convenience.  We are told to steer clear from . . . .

  • Sexual immorality
  • impurity
  • lustful pleasures
  • idolatry
  • sorcery
  • hostility
  • quarreling
  • jealousy
  • outbursts of anger
  • selfish ambition
  • dissension
  • division
  • envy
  • drunkenness
  • wild parties
  • and other sins such as these listed

This is truly a useful check-list for us. Do our kids see any of these things in our lives? If they do, we can ask God to help us have victory over these areas.  If need be, we can look over this list and take one at a time, allowing God to help us have success in the areas we are weakest in. This is a great place to start.

Our families are worth every effort we make to put our very best forward!  We are never without help and/or hope.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us: But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives . . .

  • love
  • joy
  • peace
  • patience
  • kindness
  • goodness
  • faithfulness
  • gentleness
  • self-control

Yet, another useful check-list. Do our kids see these characteristics in us fairly regularly and consistently? Again, God longs to strengthen us in these areas.  If we have to focus and work on one area at a time, so be it.  We are never without help and/or hope.

Through God’s Spirit, we have the ability to walk in a healthy way. One that our kids can glean from and begin to walk out themselves. This is not just good for them. It’s good for us, too. May you walk forward in the power of His Spirit. And may you and your children enjoy every blessing/reward that comes from finding our lives in Christ.

Psalms 37:23  “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (NLT)

Spiritual Wellness

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Recently, I have been on a quest to learn more about vitamins.  Everyone knows how important it is for us to receive our daily allowance of vitamins.  Vitamins help our bodies function better.  They help boost the activity of our cells, our organs, our immune system, and our overall energy supply.  Needless to say, there are many benefits when we take vitamins and/or a multi-vitamin on a daily basis.

Now, having vitamins in your cabinet is great, but in order for you to get the benefits of vitamins, they need to be ingested.  They need to make their way into our bloodstream in order for our bodies to receive the “nutrients” they provide. When we are functioning better internally, it shows externally.  The glow on our faces.  Shiny hair and strong nails.  Healthy, strong muscles that are working at a better capacity.  And a more efficient metabolism, are just a few of the benefits.

But vitamins are a curious thing, because when you take one kind of vitamin, sometimes taking a different vitamin helps with the absorption of another key vitamin.  For our bodies to work at maximum capacity, absorption of what is “received” or “taken in” is key.

I thought about this on a spiritual level.  We receive and take in the Word of God in SO MANY different ways.  We receive it at church.  We receive it during our quiet times in the Word.  We receive it when we are listening for God’s voice on our knees, waiting to hear from Him.  We receive it when we are driving in our cars listening to worship songs.  And in this day and age, we receive it through social media … through Twitter and Facebook. We see scripture posts, picture quotes, or blogs.  So the availability of spiritual vitamins (if you will) is EVERYWHERE.  Reception comes easily. But absorption is key.

We move beyond reception of God’s Word, to absorption when we allow His precepts to get into our spiritual bloodstream.  And when they do, it changes us both internally and externally.   It can be seen in the way we live out our faith.  When our faith is strengthened internally by the absorption of the Word of God in its several different facets (however it comes into our bodies, our temple) there is outward evidence of our spiritual health.

A healthy spiritual life can be ours when we receive AND absorb the great precepts/teachings God is putting before us.  The question for us is this: What are we doing with all this external good we are taking in?  God’s principles and teachings are for OUR good. For OUR benefit and nourishment.

For EVERY living thing, nourishment is the key to life. We know, too, that malnourishment is not what our bodies were designed for.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul encourages young Timothy (1 Timothy 4:6) to stay true to the teachings of Christ so that he can be a worthy servant of Jesus – one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching that he has followed.  We are nourished by the message of faith.   But knowing about it, and applying it are two different things. The real benefit comes from following the teachings, not just receiving them.  Life check: How do you apply the teachings of God’s Word in your life? Answering this is a great place to start evaluating where you are.

1 Peter 2:2 tells us to cry out for spiritual nourishment so that we grow into a full experience of salvation. (NLT)  Receiving God’s Word is great, but allowing it to penetrate deep into our spirits is best.  A consistent regiment of  taking in, and living out God’s principles in our lives is where spiritual health lies. Stay healthy, friends.

Love & Blessings!

-Cindy

Letting Go

/ SurrenderedHeartWorship / 6 Comments

There may come a time in life when we have to let go of something we don’t want to let go of. Others tell us to take heart and find comfort in the fact that something better is waiting on the other side of letting go. But how can we be sure? How can we be sure if we let go of what is comfortable and familiar, we will be happy?

Stepping out into unknown territory can be unsettling for sure. What’s more is: while we are dealing with the uncertainties of the future, we are also dealing with the pain of detaching ourselves from what we are giving up. So both fear and grieving are a part of the equation. There is this mix of angst and sorrow to manage in the deepest places of our heart.

The goal seems easy enough … we want to make the best decisions as we move forward. And long to take the kind of steps we will not regret.

Others may tell us, “Let go, and let God”. We are challenged to surrender any control we have over our own lives without even knowing what that really looks like. So….what does that really look like? Well, first off, the one thing our hearts long for in times of uncertainty is assurance. The question becomes: where will that assurance come from? And who (or what) will give us this assurance? At the core, all we really want to know is: will we be secure?

For starters, the best thing to do is to seek to move from anxiety to assurance. So let’s break this down:

Assurance:

– Can you have complete assurance in your job?

-Can you have full assurance that someone won’t break your heart (be it intentionally or unintentionally)?

-Can you have assurance that your bank account will always have a bountiful supply and never run dry?

No. We can’t even be sure we will wake up tomorrow. Every day is a gift!

I think you get the picture. I don’t want to make this writing a real “downer” – my goal is to encourage you! But since there will always be things out of our control, not even WE can guarantee ourselves assurance.

Here’s where the Good News comes in: God is in control of all things. He always has been. He always will be. Sure, He allows people to choose to do right or wrong, good or bad (hoping they will choose good, of course), but He will always hold unlimited power. And because of His power …

-You can be assured God is in control.

-You can be assured of His love for you.

-You can be assured He will orchestrate good outcomes for you, even when you have to go through bad things along the way. He works all things for our good and our purpose. (Romans 8:28)

-You can be assured that if you give Him control (something He has anyway, something you don’t have anyway), He works from a heart of love and goodness.

Psalms 111:7  “All He does is just and good, and all His commandments are trustworthy.” (NLT)

Lamentations 3:25  “The LORD is good to those who depend (look to Him for assurance) on Him, to those who search for Him.” (NLT)        italicized words added, mine

Knowing God’s Word, and more than that, believing in His Word helps us to let go of the things we are being moved away from. HE is our assurance as we move into unknown territory. We may not know what awaits us in the future, but He certainly does. Trusting His goodness and love will give us the courage and comfort to move forward. We are reminded in Hebrews 11:1 that faith (in God) is what gives us assurance about the things we cannot see.

Philippians 4:6  “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” (NLT)

This is the cure/treatment when you find yourself reluctantly having to let go. Time will bring new opportunities, new faces, new places that will fill you with hope. Be open to it!

Love & Blessings!

-Cindy Magsig

Extra Verses: Proverbs 3:26, Proverbs 19:23, Psalms 125:1, Psalms 63:8

Theme Songs: “I’m Gonna Be Ready”  by Yolanda Adams  &  “God, You Are God”  by Josh Lopez with Broken, Restored, Loved (CBC Music)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuMxxkPiCxs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bk5iRcphWY