Author: Jacquelin Stoner

Jacqui is a writer, teacher, life coach, and an encourager. She walks alongside of individuals who need help navigating to the better place God has envisioned for their lives. She has discovered that God is central to genuine lasting life change.

TETHERED TO GOD – WOLVES AT THE DOOR

If you are willing, the Holy Spirit will come alongside of you before the Throne of God. That composes a portion of the beautiful picture of being tethered to God.

At the beginning of WWII, King Edward of England was forced to abdicate the throne. The public reason being his refusal to give up the love of his life (she was not queenly material). There was a greater reason Edward could not remain on the throne. England was fighting for its existence as a free country. However, Edward greatly admired Hitler and made visits to Nazi Germany.  Like the false teachers in Jude, Edward “found fault, followed after his own lusts, and always spoke arrogantly.” If he had remained on the throne, the outcome of England from WWII would have been disastrous. Edward was tethered to Hitler.

GRUMBLING FALSE TEACHERS

Jude addresses influential false teachers who are dangerous. Described as “grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage” (Jude 1:16). Charles Spurgeon observed: “Nothing ever satisfies them. They are discontented even with the gospel. The bread of heaven must be cut into three pieces, and served on dainty napkins, or else they cannot eat it; and very soon their soul hates even this light bread. They pick holes in every preacher’s coat; and if the great High Priest himself were here, they would find fault with the color of the stones of his breastplate.”  These teachers are not tethered to Christ.

GOD’S GAME PLAN

What does a believer do when in danger of being influenced by such influencers? God provides a game plan. We are not to get lost in the craziness. God promises to take care of the situation. Stay tethered to God.

HOW TO PRAY

I once had pneumonia. The only way I could breathe was by sitting up, which is terrifying. My life depended on following the doctor’s instructions implicitly. Our spiritual lives depend on implicitly following the mandates in Jude 1:17-25. The first instruction is prayer. Don’t say, “I don’t know how to pray.” God already gives an answer for that excuse. “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:26). If you are willing, the Holy Spirit will come alongside of you before the Throne of God. That composes a portion of the beautiful picture of being tethered to God.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT THOSE LED ASTRAY

But what are we to do about those influenced by those wolves, the false teachers? By being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we can know when we should comfort and when we should rebuke. Never are we commanded to hate them or to be unconcerned for their salvation. The key is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and our own vulnerability to be led astray. We can choose Who we are tethered to.

CONNECTED TO GOD

David Guzik writes: “In mountain climbing, the beginning hiker attaches himself to the expert so that if he loses his footing he won’t stumble and fall to his death. In the same manner, if we keep connected with God, we cannot fall. He keeps us safe.” Tightly tethered to God means rigorously continuing to pray, vigorously reading and meditating on His Word, and choosing obedience to God, regardless of the consequences.

FINDING SOLACE AND PEACE

A tethered person finds solace and peace in Jude’s doxology: Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling or falling into sin, and to present you unblemished [blameless and faultless] in the presence of His glory with triumphant joy and unspeakable delight, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, before all time and now and forever. Remain tethered to God!

For further inspiration, listen to the testimony of Megan Donahue  

HERE AM I, DO YOU WANT TO SEND ME?

I have tasks which overwhelm me, but are they in the Father’s plan? I worry and fret over my inadequacies.

Day 25 and so 25 items exit my life. Some of them go to the trash heap. How many plastic mats advertising businesses does one need? Other items are tools that may be invaluable to strangers. So, to the donation site they go. My apartment only has limited space. How did I accumulate so many items?

In the same way, I only have limited space in my heart and mind. What’s taking up all this mental real estate? I have tasks which overwhelm me, but are they in the Father’s plan? I worry and fret over my inadequacies. Finding peace is challenging.

I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. God gives many opportunities, but am I really obeying Him when I say “yes”? There are more qualified people. What did I get into when I said, “Here am I, send me”?

Indeed, He sent me. I look at what God is doing. All those conversations which bless both me and the other person. The work of the Holy Spirit displayed in lives I see being changed. I said, “Here am I, send me.” God is filling my life with opportunities that are not to be discarded.

My apartment is emptying out, but my soul is full and overflowing with the graciousness of God. I am not the wisest, the most intelligent, or the most gifted. However, I continue to say, “Here am I, send me.”

Listen to the story of Rebecca Stanley 

WHAT DOES GOD DO WITH BROKEN TREES?

Yes, I am that splintered and broken tree.

Once upon a time, I stood straight; filled with pride. I thought I could bear the force of life’s storms. With all our years of pastoral experience, how bad could it be? Then came the year of multiple typhoons. In a blink of an eye, came the sudden loss of career, savings, home, our church family, and friendships.

THE MIGHTY HAD FALLEN

My base weakened during that horrific season. The soil supporting my roots was filled with sand. I snapped. Uprooted from the earth, that one last mighty gust of circumstances toppled me over with a mighty crash.  And so, I lay broken, humiliated, and confused. All who passed by saw how the mighty had fallen. My dreams had plummeted to the ground.

Yes, I am that splintered and broken tree.

THAT BROKEN WORTHLESS BRANCH

What does the Father do with broken trees? All that remained of me was a branch broken from a worthless, wild wilderness tree. Certainly I am worthy of the burn pile. Yet He tenderly offers to graft me into Himself. He permanently attaches me to the eternal tree of life.

STAYING FRESH AND GREEN

I read the words of David in Psalm 92:12-15:The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.”

THE CHOICE

Old age pursues me, but I choose to still produce fruit and flourish no matter what tornadoes are headed my way. The storms threaten to twist, break and uproot me again. I choose to trust and tether my roots tightly to the Hand of God and to His Word. Never again do I want to be that barren tree filled with pride and worthless. I am grafted into Himself.

No matter what age or stage of life you are in, have you tethered your roots tightly to Jesus Christ? Lots of storms loom on the horizon.  You can bear fruit, even in the darkness.

Click for further info on being grafted into God

Click for further info on Jesus being the Vine

MINIMALIST LIVING

Over 200 items have either left my home. This led me to reflect on behaviors in my life, what I cling to, “just in case.”

Oh yes, I am doing the Minimalist 30 Day Purge with a friend. I got rid of one thing on the first day of the month. Two things on August 2nd. Three things on August 3rd. So forth and so on. The rules are explained: “Anything goes! Collectables, decorations, kitchenware, electronics, furniture, bedding, clothes, towels, tools. Whether you donate, sell, or trash your excess, every material possession must be out of your house—and out of your life—by midnight each day.

THE CHALLENGE OF “THE PURGE”

“It’s an easy game at first. Anyone can purge a few items, right? But it grows considerably more challenging by week two, when you’re forced to jettison more than a dozen items per day. And it keeps getting more difficult as the month progresses.” (Look up the Minimalists for further instructions)

Today I drove to the drop-off at the local Reuzit Shop and the volunteer who was handling donations looked at me with horror when I explained my plan. Not sure if the horror was from him having to take continued donations from me or horror if he ever had to do it in his own life.

OVER 200 ITEMS HAVE LEFT THE HOUSE

I’m now on day 17. Okay, I’m an over-achiever, had some extra time, and now have worked ahead to day 21. So that means that over 200 items have either left my home or are waiting to make an exit. Some items have been small, such as the pens that no longer work, but then some have been larger, as in that lawn chair which has gathered dust in the storage locker.

WHAT I CLING TO “JUST IN CASE”

It’s amazing when given a great challenge, one can let go of items. I guess I needed a good excuse. This led me to reflect on behaviors in my life. The things I have clung to, “just in case.” Under the excuse of wanting to defend myself, I have clung to anger. Under the premise of desiring to have the last word, I have clung to sarcasm. God wants to empower me to purge the way I do life.

LETTING GO OF BEHAVIORS

In the words of the Apostle Paul: “You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

THE TRUCKLOAD OF “DON’TS”

“What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life. Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work.

DON’T BREAK GOD’S HEART

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted. Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:20-32)

EACH WORD IS A GIFT

Hmm…. I think God is telling me to get rid of much more than physical items in my home. I can not do this on my own strength. My new mantra has to be “Say only what helps, each word a gift. Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.” Amen!

And now for Day 22…..

WHAT DOES UNITY REALLY MEAN?

Have you ever been through a church break-up? Resentment and unforgiveness ruled supreme and you couldn’t even seem to sense Jesus’ presence anymore. And the pain was overwhelming.

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” Ahh! Easier said than done. (Psalm 133:1-3)

“Have you ever been through a church break-up? For years you met together on Sundays, wore out each other’s carpet, cooked meals for those who were sick, told one another how much you loved each other and how much Jesus loves us.  And then you found you disagreed on something vital, and everything started to crumble. Suddenly, arguments became the order of the day. Finally the congregation split in two. Those you considered your best friends didn’t want to speak to you anymore.  Resentment and unforgiveness ruled supreme and you couldn’t even seem to sense Jesus’ presence anymore. And the pain was overwhelming.” (quoted from “In Defense of the Gospel”)

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

What is the church? A club? An organization dedicated to a particular interest or activity? My father faithfully attended both the Lions Club and church. As a child, I did not see much difference between the two. Thankfully, Jesus knows the difference. Jesus considers His Body, the church, so significant that one of His final prayers is for the future church: “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:20-21) How the Lions Club interacted within itself did not make anyone believe God had sent Christ. It was just a club. Church, as designed by Christ, is to be marked by unity.

CHURCH IS NOT A CLUB

Christ’s concept of unity is a miracle, utterly unique from anything offered by our world. Without the magnificent work of the Holy Spirit actively empowering how believers interact with other believers, we miss the target by a mile. We become only an organization, a club.

IN UNITY, DISAGREEMENT IS POSSIBLE

In biblical unity, believers can disagree. Remember the sharp disagreement between Barnabas and Paul over the issue of John Mark recorded in Acts 15:36-39? John Mark previously deserted Paul and Barnabas on a missionary trip.  Barnabas wants to give the young man a second chance. Barnabas and Paul come to a compromise: Barnabas leaves on a missions trip with John Mark and Paul departs on his journey accompanied by Silas. The plus is that they ended up making two productive trips instead of the sole one previously planned. Furthermore, notice Paul’s attitude. He continues to praise Barnabas (I Cor. 9:3-6) and at the end of his life, Paul thinks so highly of John Mark that he requests a visit from him (II Tim. 4:11).  Barnabas and Paul disagreed, but they never slammed the door on their relationship. They maintained unity even though they had disagreed.

LIVING IN UNITY LEAVES A MARK ON THE WORLD

To live in unity with believers matters to Christ! Tristan Wax observes, “In the end, the goal isn’t papering over differences and finding surface-level agreement. Church unity matters because (1) our unity is connected to the unity of God himself (and thus our disunity is a scandalous affront to the gospel), (2) the world sees a reflection of God’s inner life in our fellowship when we participate in his divine love, and (3) it’s the means by which we withstand the pressures of the world that rage against God’s truth.”

Does your unity with fellow believers mirror God’s glory or do you just consider church a club? Are you ready to obey and to “withstand the pressures of the world that rage against God’s truth”? With the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, living in unity with believers is our deepest reflection of God’s glory.

Click to read further: Christian Unity Is Deeper than ‘Getting Along’

LOVING ENOUGH TO CONFRONT

His behavior affects the entire local church, yet they cower in fear.

The scandal of the century, Watergate, happened in 1972. Daniel Silliman writes in his book “One Lost Soul: Richard Nixon’s Search for Salvation”: “President Nixon tried to hide it—blaming it on underlings, protesting he knew nothing about it—but the cover-up started to unravel. Pastor John Huffman was a personal friend of Nixon and worried about him. He said Nixon wasn’t handling things in a biblical way. ‘You need to confess,’ Pastor John Huffman told Nixon. ‘You need to be honest with the American people.’

THE MESSAGE OF NATHAN

“Pastor Huffman preached a difficult sermon with Nixon in attendance using the text of Acts 26:26: ‘The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.’ The message was clear. The cover-up was immoral. Huffman didn’t add the words of Nathan the prophet, but he might as well have said to the president, ‘You are the man!’

THE FAITHFUL FRIEND

“That sermon hit Nixon. It sent him into retreat. In that isolation, ultimately, his presidency ended. Huffman’s choice to speak up seems to be a moment of moral courage. Huffman recalls it differently. All these years later, he remembers how he felt about Nixon and how he saw in himself the same weaknesses as Nixon, the same susceptibility to sin. He remembers he said the thing he would have wanted someone to say to him as a faithful friend. “I really loved the man,”

THE DIFFERENCE

“It makes me think of all the other ministers who didn’t challenge Nixon when they knew he was like a lost sheep, gone astray. I think of all the other powerful leaders caught up in scandal, from King David to modern day leaders and the ministers around them hoping to catch a little reflection off the light of their celebrity. What made Huffman different? I think it was love.”

THE CHURCH THAT LACKS COURAGE

The church of addressed in the book of III John ignores the truth regarding one of their leaders. They have in their midst a man by the name of Diotrephes. “Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us….and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.” Diotrephes loves being in power and refuses to listen to clear teachings regarding visiting Bible teachers. He boots out anyone who disagrees with him. His soul isn’t “prospering” (verse 3) and wilts on the vine. The danger is that soul sickness like this is contagious. The entire community of believers suffers. They lacked courage.

Diotrephes needs to be confronted face to face by his fellow believers. He appears healthy on the outside, but his interior spiritual health is desperately ill.  The man bursts with pride, envy, slander, and disobedience. His behavior affects the entire local church. They cower in fear.

LOVE ENOUGH TO CONFRONT

The Apostle John gently writes: Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but [imitate] what is good. The one who practices good [exhibiting godly character, moral courage and personal integrity] is of God; the one who practices [or permits or tolerates] evil has not seen God [he has no personal experience with Him and does not know Him at all]. Basically, John says even though Diotrephes puts on a big show, he does not know God. The local church needs to deal with it, even though this can get messy. They need to love Diotrephes enough to confront him.

Do you know a Diotrephes in your circle of believers? Have you taken the time in prayer and in the Word to lovingly deal with him/her? A soul is at stake and possibly the souls of many others. God can give you same courage He gave to Pastor John Huffman. Love enough to confront.

For further reading on confronting someone regarding sin, click to read Galatians 6

Click to read the article “He Told Nixon to Confess”

THE DILEMA OF SALLY’S LONLINESS

The friend paused and replied, “Sally, right now your voice is raised, and you are jabbing your finger at me. If that isn’t anger, I don’t know what is.”

Sally still can’t figure out what is wrong.  She is not in her prime, single, a believer, and feels friendless. People disappear from her bank of friends right and left. They are there for a season and then drop off the map. Sally keeps asking God, “Why don’t my friends stick around?” Seriously, does God have limited resources?

Today she read in her Bible that God gives wisdom to those who ask for it. Sally ardently asked God for wisdom regarding friendship. However, the following events transpired which did not appear as God’s answer to Sally’s prayers.

UNWELCOME ANSWERS TO HER PRAYERS

She encountered an ex-friend at the grocery store. Sally mustered up the courage to ask why they had grown apart. The woman cautiously looked at her and said, “I just couldn’t put up with your anger anymore.”

Sally immediately declared, “What anger? What are you talking about? I may get a little frustrated, but I don’t get angry!!!!”

The friend paused and replied, “Sally, right now your voice is raised, and you are jabbing your finger at me. If that isn’t anger, I don’t know what is.”

Sally looked down at her hands. They were clenched into fists. Looking down the aisle, Sally could see customers eyeing her with alarm. Was her voice that loud? She hustled out of the store and called another ex-friend. As soon as the second woman answered the phone, Sally blurted out, “Tracey, can you believe it. I saw Nancy at the grocery store. She says I’m an angry person.”

After a long awkward pause, Tracey slowly said, “I’m so sorry Sally, but yes, I agree with Nancy. That’s why our visits are few and far between.  I just can’t take it anymore.” Sally hung up.

SHE ASKED FOR WISDOM, NOT FOR THIS

As the day went by, Sally continued to make additional calls. A few women answered the phone, but many went straight to voicemail. The women she talked to often hemmed and hawed. Some gave the same response as Nancy and Tracey. Sally burst into tears. What was wrong with God? She asked for wisdom, not for this.

Later that evening, Sally sat down in her recliner and looked up the topic of “Christians and Anger” via Gotquestions.org. A flood of verses appeared before her:

THE ANGER VERSES

  • “Refrain from anger and forsake wrath!
  • “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”
  • “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
  • “Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.”
  • “For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
  • “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”

Was this the reason for the absence of the deep friendships Sally desired? As Sally prayed, she remembered all her angry encounters with clenched fists. She felt a light breeze blow over the pages of her Bible.

FILLED TO THE MEASURE OF ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD

Looking down, Sally read the prayer of the Apostle Paul for the believers at Ephesus: And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:17-20) 

At her wits end, Sally knew only by immeasurable power of God could she conquer her anger. She cried as she confessed her sin. God had answered her prayer for wisdom. Can she rely on His resources alone?

SALLY’S POLLUTED “POUR OVER”

People are there for a season and then drop off the map. Sally keeps asking God why she can’t find friends who stick around.

Sally can’t figure out what is wrong.  She is a believer but feels friendless. People are there for a season and then drop off the map. Sally keeps asking God why she can’t find friends who stick around. Seriously, does God have limited resources?

This morning, she read in her Bible, “May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.” (I Thessalonians 3:11-13 The Message)

SALLY’S PAST ENCOUNTERS

Sally began to take stock. She remembered the previous week when she had been pouring over a lot, but not the pouring of goodness that the Bible refers to. There was that heated discussion with her sister about politics. As usual, her sister ended up storming out of the house. That same day, Sally discovered that her family doctor did not believe the Bible. She quickly set him straight and reminded him that he was on the path to hell. Later that night, Sally discovered her brother, of all people, believed in evolution. It is enough to make Sally want to explode. What indeed is the world coming to?

WHY DO PEOPLE AVOID HER?

Last night Sally couldn’t sleep. Her mind kept replaying the interaction with her doctor. She heard her loud voice and saw herself repeatedly jabbing at him with her finger to make a point. Were there similarities between that and her altercation with her sister? Why did her sister keep rolling her eyes at her and then slam the screen door in Sally’s face? Why didn’t all these people see the truth? It hurt that her sister and brother seem to purposely avoid her.

JESUS POURS LIFE

While contemplating these encounters, Sally turned on the light and opened her Bible. The pages flipped opened up to John 3. Sally knew this story well: Jesus’ encounter with a woman who clearly is of bad character, has skewed theology and is on her way to hell. Yet, what does Jesus do? He calmly engages her in conversation, asking questions along the way. He then extends an invitation.  Jesus pours life in that conversation without raising His voice or jabbing His fingers. The Savior offers life.

GOD’S PLAN: DANCING RATHER THAN PLODDING

Later, she read: “One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life.” (I Thessalonians 4:1-3 The Message). Sally pondered the question. Is she just plodding along in her Christian life? Is it possible to find great friends? Can a joyous spirited dance pour out of her soul?

THE ABSENCE OF SHORT CUTS

The long way is often better

My husband and I have 2 divergent styles of driving the car.  He likes to meander off the beaten path and enjoy the scenery. For him, “short-cut” means “long-cut.”  My approach to driving is navigating as efficiently and fast as possible. It is a running joke in our household that the fastest route is always with Mom at the wheel.

THE “LONG-CUTS”

Too bad that my style of navigation isn’t God’s style.  God’s life map often includes the “long-cuts.” He does not consult my plans entailing a delightful marriage to a minister with an adoring congregation. Included in the picture is motherhood to at least four loving children and an eventual abundance of grandchildren. Our real estate is a unique beautiful brick house. Along the way, I was to develop as a well-respected teacher. Yep, that was my life map. Well, I got the first plan right:  marriage to a minister.

OUR DETOURS

The off-road detours were not part of my plan:  losing loved friends to terminal diseases, upending our lives and moving 14 times in our marriage, coping with years of strain of unemployment and financial stress, not having any daughters to go shopping with, and saying goodbye to career dreams.  The detour list goes on and on. God does not often match His GPS with mine.

THOSE WHO POINT TO JESUS

We sometimes feel like lost travelers who long for the route in which everything makes sense. Intermittently we find solace in fellow travelers who have navigated the same backroads; those who have not cursed God in the process. The blessings are the travelers who share the pain and point to Jesus.

THOSE SEASONS OF LIGHT

And yet, there are those seasons of light. The times when I had the privilege of directing children’s performances and realized that without God, none of this astoundingly joyous moment would have been possible. The occasions when I share the bottomless truth of God’s Word with a friend and finally see the “aha!” light blink in their eyes. God rides to the rescue in ways I never imagine. Indeed, God shines His light, but seldom when I claim the sole right to turn on the light.

NOT THE NAVIGATOR

I am not the navigator in the pilot seat, but part of the obedient crew in the back of the plane. I am the adventurer of Hebrews 11 who identifies with Abraham, who “was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” God calls us to be explorers who look and long “for a better country – a heavenly one.” 

God may direct my path through the mud, the weeds or choose the well-maintained highway, but point A rarely goes directly and easily to point B. All He asks is that I obediently stay on His path and look at the delightful scenery He places along the way. Lord, help us to trust, even in the “long-cuts.”

Click and listen to the story of Andy & Jamie Stewart

TOO MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE

I had thought that no matter what I could process a way through my greatest challenges

Growing up, my father constantly worked. He was a child of the Great Depression. His repeated mantra for his busyness was, “I have too many irons in the fire.” There is a strong genetic link to his youngest daughter: me.

THE IRONS WERE MULTIPLYING

My week has been a doozy. Currently, I’m in the process of learning the ropes at a new employer. After leaving work Monday I received a message from my doctor’s office to go straight to the ER for tests to determine if I was experiencing a new pulmonary embolism. After 6 hours at the ER, all the testing was negative, but I still had no answers. My mind was thrown off track. The irons were multiplying in the fire of my heart and mind.

MY WORST NIGHTMARE

Three days later, Thursday afternoon, I woke up from a power nap. It was 6 PM. I checked my calendar and realized I was supposed to be leading the Writers Group at 6:30PM at GCC. For years, my recurring nightmare is discovering I’m scheduled for a major commitment, and I am not prepared in the slightest. In the nightmare, I cannot even locate where the event is to be.

I couldn’t think straight as I raced to GCC. My dream became reality, especially when I arrived at church and found out that our scheduled room was occupied by another group. Where were we to meet?

The entirety of the events of the week occupied major space in my heart. I couldn’t think straight. I’m glad I didn’t drive past a metal detector. I had so many “irons in the fire” that the metal alarms would have been shrieking.

GUARD YOUR HEART

The Apostle John speaks to this: Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols—[false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God’s place in your heart]. (I John 5:21 AMP) My paraphrase is: “Dear believers, guard your hearts so that all those ‘irons in the fire’ do not occupy (and explode into shrapnel) your heart and take the place of God.”

THE IDOL OF SELF-DETERMINATION

God humbled me. My computer presentation for the class did not exist, my energy level was depleted, and my mental acuity was zero. I thought I had everything under control until God showed me it was just the idol of self-determination.

Maybe some of you have run into the same idol: thinking that no matter what, you can process a way through the greatest challenges. The Holy Spirit prompted me to throw the idol of self-determination out the car window. The wording of my prayer changed between home and GCC. I had been pleading, “Lord, I am so embarrassed, please don’t have anyone show up for class.” I now prayed “Lord, do whatever You want with whatever You have planned for this evening.”

GOD THREW OUT MY “IRONS”

And that’s exactly what He did. Just one person came, and it was totally God’s event. The conversation I had with one lone writer was an answer to previous prayers regarding growing a friendship with that particular participant. Self-determination certainly did not answer that prayer. It was God. He threw out my “irons”.

So, what are the irons in the fire that are occupying your heart and mind? John says, “Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols—[false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God’s place in your heart].” In light of eternity, the schedules, anxieties, and responsibilities of this life are just a flicker. Don’t allow anything to take God’s place in your heart. Let go of the irons.

Click here for more on being too busy for God.