In Humble Service

Friends of Faith:

For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Lk 1: 11

God has a unique way of showing us right from wrong; of humbling us when we feel “good;” of guiding us on HIS path of righteousness; of asking us to learn His wisdom; of guiding us to understand others and of putting us in places which remind us to be more Christlike.

“My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God. What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not.” Sir 3: 17-18, 20

It isn’t easy to humble myself and let God determine if I have done right. I can’t just say I am saved and then make choices that are against God’s law; and being “good” doesn’t save me if I know that Christ wants me to profess to others His life (by living in His footsteps). So I must learn to be faithful and obedient, if that is what I profess to be. I must continue to pray (listen) to God, serve like Christ, discern through the Holy Spirit and ask His Church for guidance.

Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” …. “For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” Lk 13: 22-30

Like many people I want to be assured that I am saved. I want to know I am right. I have a tendency to judge myself as “deserving” salvation rather than learning the patience, humility and courage that comes from knowing that I must allow God alone to judge me and that I may not always get what I want. I may even have to suffer here on earth to receive the rewards in heaven for DOing the work of BEing a Christian.

“For they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

God asks us not to love ourselves, but to make ourselves humble by loving Him and loving others. 

Jesus could have been taken the crown of the righteous King of the Jews. Instead he bore a crown of thorns and died on the cross, showing us how to suffer, showing us how to give up everything we want and have by dying to our own selfish desires for the sake of others. And Jesus showed us how to love by allowing God to have the ultimate control that He modeled to us by doing the works of a Christian.

Jesus gave up everything because love doesn’t come from a feeling, love comes from a service, that of serving others, of serving those who have less. Love is shown when the first become last, when those who have give to those who don’t; when those who are first give to those who are last; and when those who have wisdom find compassion – seeking to understand the foolish and downtrodden.

Love is shown in families when we say “I’m sorry for hurting you;” “I will take care of you even when I have something else planned;” “for better, for worse; for richer for poorer; in sickness and in health;” and when we forgive “seven times seventy” the spouse or the child who continues to (by our standards) to make a mess (of their rooms, or their lives). THIS is true love. This is God’s love. This is how God teaches us right from wrong, humbles us and shows us the straight and narrow path.

Heavenly Father, Mold and fashion me into someone who trusts you with humble innocence and a childlike faith. May my faith be so strong that it obeys with courage when I am asked to put my own desires last and others needs first. Help me to find peace in being powerless and joy in giving others the hope of seeing beyond this life into the next. Amen.

Be humble. Be last. Serve others. God will not forsake, for eternal, not earthly, happiness is His promise.

Blessings,

Charlotte

On Your Mark, Get Set, Get Ready

Friends of Faith:

Am I chosen OR am I ready to be chosen?

“I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the children of Israel.” Rv 7: 4

Many of us have read this passage and probably wondered like I have what I could possibly do to be a part of the “chosen” 144,000, knowing as I know myself that this number over the last 2015 years is minutely small – a sliver of all of the Christian people that have come and gone, and in humility, without trying to fool myself, honestly knowing that I am not even close to being or becoming holy enough to being ONE of only 144,000.

So why do I, and should we, continue to seek holiness, to be Christlike, and to live for God? Why do I continue to strive to achieve heaven when at times it can appear to be so unachievable? Why do I have hope? Because this verse is followed by this passage:

“After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.”

All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed: “Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.” Rv 7: 9-14

God may have only “marked” 144,000 but he has left the door open for all those who in hope seek his mercy; for those who in perseverance and patience seek to know Him and to do His will; and for those who remain faithful to Him despite temptation, persecution, sufferings and sorrows.

This passage is not about a few, about being “gifted or chosen,” this passage is about being prepared, about hope and mercy and about a lifelong journey towards God. For only God will know whether I am ready and whether I have done what it is that he has called me to do. My job is to be willing and to be humbly ready to lay down my life for Him so that I never feel too “chosen” or so “privileged” that I fail to do the one and only job he calls me to do – to love everyone else as unconditionally as He loves me.

Lord, we are a people that long to see your face. Help me to be ready to do your will, to stand against evil and to desire what is not vain. Help me to seek to know and acknowledge all that I have been blessed with, to be in your presence every hour of every day, and to be ready when I am called. Thank you for your patience and your mercy. It is through my hope in you that I find peace and joy. To all may there be blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might to our God forever and ever. Amen. (From Ps 24)

So I strive to give up my prideful ways and my desire for earthly belongings and in humility to become “marked” by a ready willingness and an eternal hopefulness that through His grace and blessings I will be chosen BECAUSE I was ready AND willing to do His will: in love, with love, by love and for His love.

So on your mark, get set, get ready – Love – because God awaits,

Blessings,

Charlotte

Climbing High

Friendsof Faith:

This week I was asked to pray for friends yearning to climb to the top of a mountain, something they understood would be difficult to achieve, something that would take strength and courage, patience and perseverance.

 

Someone is waiting for a response to arms held open in love; someone wants healing rather than just feeling better; and someone is seeking true understanding of their purpose in life—more than just acceptance of their being. They all have a desire for a mountain top experience—to reach for God’s perfection, to be completely healed, and to be completely loved.

 

“Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." Lk 19: 2-6

Zacchaeus could see the obstacles ahead of him, he understood how small he was, both physically and spiritually, and he knew there were others who would follow the laws and be in a better place to receive Jesus’ attention.

 

But Zacchaeus made his desire to see Christ his priority. He resolved to do whatever it would take to get a share in Christ’s presence; he went beyond the easy, he climbed above the crowds, he did everything possible just to get a glimpse of Jesus. And in his expectation to receive nothing he received everything.

 

And there were those around Zacchaeus who grumbled (in jealously) because they thought they had done more to deserve Christ’s attention. They thought that just by doing enough they would get Jesus to “pick them.” And even though they had the opportunity to see Jesus without the obstacles, they didn’t appreciate him as much as Zacchaeus did in his challenges.

 

Even Jesus and the prophets had to sacrifice on their climbs up to the famous biblical mountain tops: It took Moses 40 days and nights to reach the top of Mt. Horeb to receive the Ten Commandments; Jesus went up the mountain to deliver his most famous sermon; and of course he climbed the ultimate path of sacrifice up Mt. Calvary, carrying the burdens of the cross of OUR sins (not his) in order to save US (not him.)

 

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying … Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” Mt 5: 1-2, 11-1

 

The reward at the top of these mountains: the face of God, heaven, and unending forgiveness and mercy for mankind—PERFECTION!

 

Often times, reaching the top seems to take a little longer and be harder work than anticipated, including what I might think are “undue” sacrifices and sufferings.

 

Jesus told the apostles: You (I/we) will have to suffer insults and persecution to be blessed—to get the ultimate reward in heaven. Climbing high, reaching the top, is, and will be, hard work.

 

A climb high to the top requires the graces of patience, perseverance, and true selfless love (charity, empathy, compassion and/or service) to achieve the end result. I continuously remind myself to accept both the consequences and the sacrifices required during the climb to reach the mountain top: to look beyond the current obstacle, to enjoy the journey, and for the opportunity to look down and back from each peak when it is reached.

 

And even in the knowledge of God’s love and desires for me and what is at the ultimate top, I still sometimes find myself hesitate, balk or even stop on the way up. Because the walk, the talk, even the day to day experiences, seem to mean putting behind happiness, pleasures and my own wants and desires. I can remember times when I even tried to pass off my climb (duty) to someone else (“you tell them the truth—I don’t want to be the bad guy”) or have said “why me, why now.”

 

Heavenly Father, you have promised me a glorious view at the top of the climb. I rejoice at each opportunity for a new peak on the journey. Help me to remain faithful, to have the persistence and the patience to keep going, even when I seem to be in an endless valley or the terrain is rugged and the climb is steep. Thank you for your assurance and the knowledge you have given me of your presence—both at the top and along each step of the way. Amen.

 

It takes a power beyond ourselves especially during the most difficult of climbs. The terrain is often beyond our control. But the promise of the view at the top is too intriguing, too inviting, to take the chance that it might be missed.

 

Climb high, there may be valleys, but in order to have a valley, there must be a peak somewhere nearby. And, in the words of the late Zig Ziglar, “And I’ll see you at the top”

 

Blessings on your climb,

Charlotte

Gift of Faith

Friends of Faith:

Faith is a Gift.

And if you are reading this you have already been given a seed of the gift of faith.

Are you growing that seed?

It is up to each of us to nourish it with prayer and through the continual enrichment of education about Christ and His Church; to spread it truthfully to others; and to water it with tears of suffering and joy so that it stays fresh and energized.

"The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" Lk 17:5-10

Reacting to faith is Work. And working because of my faith makes me yearn to see others grow in their own faith.  "So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Jm 2:17

Increasing faith, increases faith: so the more I believe, the more convicted I am to work in my belief. But the more I believe, the more likely I am to be tested by storm in that belief. (This is in part because it is easier to see the lack of others faith, which saddens and can discourage me, and partly because God will allow me to be tested to see if I can withstand stronger and stronger storms.) And so the greater my faith, the greater the challenges become in doing the work of living in that faith.

Faith, in the example of Jesus, requires us to do more than just get by, and more than just enough. We shouldn’t just expect to come in from the field (to go to church for a one hour obligation, or to say we’ve been saved) and take our place at table (heaven.) Jesus gave His all, in hope that we will give Him our all.

Faith requires us to trust and to have courage. It invites us to stand up and not be ashamed of speaking God’s truth. It challenges us to bear hardship and suffer when the truth creates a division between those who believe and those who do not, even when that division is with someone we love (a friend, sister or brother, or a parent).

“Beloved: I remind you, to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.
“Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.” 2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14

We want to see God—but in our own time. We complain that working in and through our faith is not bearing the fruit we want. So we grow impatient, forgetting that God will never disappoint us.

How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord. Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live. Hb 1: 2-3, 2: 2-4

Ignoring or rejecting faith can cause sin, and causes us to weaken. BUT the Reward of Faith is Heaven—IF we wait and IF we trust, if we sow and grow. If we will only believe in that faith that God is in charge and that prayer, patience and perseverance always bear fruit. His Love will never fail.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever. Amen.

In the words of Fr. Larry Richards…Faith…”Got it! Get it! Gonna do it?”

Have Faith!

Charlotte

www.morningreflection.blogspot.com

If Only

Friends in Faith:

Is your faith, your marriage, your family life, or your time tested by the “if only’s?”

If only… I had tried harder or not given up so quickly. If only… I had said this or not said that. If only…. I had one more day or one more hour to do something differently.

“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it….
“... So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, or when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. No one experiencing temptation should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. … and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does…. “ James 1

How many times do we have to live with the regrets of an “if only” because we gave up too soon?

Do we give up because we lost confidence or felt like there was no hope? Do we give up because we don’t feel like we can take the pain any longer? Do we feel like we are reliving “ground hogs” day and we don’t want to do it one more time?

What if God would have given up after he created the sun and the moon? What if God would have given up after he created Adam? What if God would have given up when Adam and Eve sinned? What if God had given up before He sent Jesus to us? What if God had given up before He sent us His Spirit to guide us? What if there were no apostles to spread the Gospels?

What if parents quit telling their young children “no?” What if a home builder couldn’t “see” past the framework? What if no one “talked” to their family? What if no one ever served another person, a waitress, a beautician, a housekeeper, or a cook? What if no one ever said “please” or “thank you?”

Sometimes I am tempted to give up on a goal because I feel as if everything is working against me.

If only…I had stayed on my diet and not given in to that one little “brownie” put before me.

Sometimes I am tempted to quit because there just isn’t enough time, so I put off what is truly important because of more urgent demands.

If only… I had spent time with family or friends instead of searching the internet or reading “junk mail/email.”

Sometimes I am tempted to give up on societal problems because they are so large I don’t know how I could possibly improve the situation or help solve the problem.

If only…I were more influenced by the example of the saints, like Mother Theresa who just kept moving forward for God’s greater goals and less influenced by “the Jones.”

Sometimes I am tempted to give up because I don’t see a “personal” reward or the person I am working with doesn’t show any gratitude for the time commitment I have made to help them.

If only…I would remember that God rewards me with His grace even when I forget to say “thank you” for His blessings.

Heavenly Father, Your example of perseverance is perfect guidance and strength. Help me to focus on goals that are made for Your glory—my family, my health, Your time, and Your grace. Thank you for blessing me with this day, this hour to spend in Your presence. Help me not to give up too soon, but to move forward in Your path, towards Your light, guided by Your truth. Show me the way by guarding me from the evil that tempts me to give up so that I don’t have to live with the regrets of the “if only’s.” Amen.

What is your “if only?” Is God Your strength? Will you persevere in seeking and finding His truth, living his commandments and serving others as he has called us to do?

Make today a day that you set aside one “if only!”
Blessings,
Charlotte