Tuesday, June 26, 2018

A Truly Virtuous Heart



Hello, beautiful readers! 
I was listening to a podcast by @reviveourhearts just the other day called "Develop Virtue by Being Rather than Doing" and when Nancy said this, it totally impacted me. It reminded me of 1 Corinthians 13:1-3...In this portion of Scripture, there's so much virtuous behavior, but all this, without Love, is described as "clanging cymbals". Just noise that'll fade away. It's so so important that we serve the Lord out of LOVE and not out of OBLIGATION. Because what happens when we serve out of obligation is this...an outward transformation, but never one that is heart-deep. This makes people resent God and feel burdened with their checklist of good deeds. Serving out of Love is different. He gives you the strength to serve with joy, and as a result of knowing Him, virtue begins to flow out of your life. And instead of condemning those who don't live out your definition of virtuous, you're able to truly love them with the Love of God, and inspire them to want to know Him for themselves. ❤️ 

The Pharisees of the Lord's day were quite virtuous- on the outside. But on the inside, they were envious, boastful, prideful, and self-righteous. They believed they were better than others and looked down on those who weren't like them. The Lord Jesus didn't appreciate that; He loves a humble and contrite spirit more than any impressive list of good deeds. If you're up for a challenge, keep reading. It's time for a heart check😊 If you'd like to know if you have a virtuous heart, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. 

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Wherever you see the word "love" or "charity" being described, substitute your name in. Now be honest with yourself. Would those at home (those who know you best) describe you this way? [If not, don't be discouraged, we all have room to grow! Just commit to not staying the same, but letting God work in your heart. ❤️]

Let's remember to cultivate a virtuous heart, from the inside out. 

God bless you! -Jas

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Fear Not

Hello friends. I haven't written on my blog in so long and I believe it's time to tell you the truth. I've been dealing with fear, crippling fear, that won't let me write what's on my heart. Fear of not measuring up, of not being good enough, fear of inadequacy. I'll be the first to tell you that my life is far from perfect. I can resonate with the apostle Paul, when he says in Romans 7:19, "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." Yet, like he says in verse 22, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." The Lord has sustained me unto this day, and His Word is my DELIGHT, His grace has lifted me time and time again. I just read a blog post this morning titled "Who Am I Among So Many?" (You can read it here: https://callmejewels.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/what-am-i-among-so-many/) and it hit home. Jewels mentioned the little boy with the five loaves and two fish; the disciples even wondered, "what are they among so many?" We can choose to see how little we have to offer on our own & just keep it to ourselves OR we can choose to give that little to the Lord and let Him multiply our efforts for something so much greater than ourselves, to bless others. From this day forward, I will walk hand in hand with Him, not comparing myself to my beautiful sisters in  the Lord. I will not focus on the best others can do, but the best I can do. Because at the end of the day, it's not about perfection, but personal excellence. I will speak from my heart, knowing that it is God who can use those words to bless even ONE soul. And that makes it all worth it. From this day forward, I choose to let God's perfect love cast out all my fear. 
I will strive for the smile of my Lord Jesus. So that in the day that I am face to face with Him, He will say (not "well done, good and perfect eloquent servant) but "well done good and FAITHFUL servant." ❤️

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind... He hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Timothy 1:7-9

My sisters, if you are dealing with fear, insecurity or inadequacy in ANY part of your life, remember this. He has called you to do a special assignment, one that is uniquely yours. He will equip you for the job and His grace upon grace is with you. You are exactly what the world needs, right this minute. Whether He's calling you to write, to do children's ministry, to go on a mission trip, to write letters to widows, to play an instrument, to help a cause, to feed the homeless, to lead a girl's bible study, or to _______________ (you fill in the blank), it's something you have the talents and heart to do. Go for it in the name of the Lord Jesus, knowing that He is the One who has already, and continues to equip you. To God be all the glory! 




I'd love to hear from you in the comments. Have fear, insecurity, or feelings of inadequacy ever held YOU back from doing something God called you to do? 

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Love Stories + Lessons

I wanted to share a God-written love story with you all. I'm not married yet, so this won't be about me. It's about a couple who has inspired and taught me so much—my parents! They met when they were kids, as their two families were both new Christians and they would fellowship from time to time. My mom was friends with some of my dad's sisters (he has 6 sisters!) and saw him as a friend. However, she admired his godly qualities and obedience to his parents from a young age. They got to know each other in group settings and were pretty good friends. My dad told me that he secretly admired my mom too, but was scared he didn't have a chance with her. When he was 16 years old, he left from Mexico to the USA to start working. My mom's hopes were almost lost...in her mind she thought, "surely he'll find someone over there!" I'm not sure how much time passed, but God used one of my aunts to encourage my dad to write my mom a post card. (Thank you, tia Mela-love you!) 



And guess what—she wrote back! Thus began a 3-year correspondence of letters from Mexico to the US. In all the time they courted, they only talked on the phone three times and saw each other ONCE in Mexico. Imagine that!!!





  There are many more details to their story, but I'll keep it short. ;) Fast forward through time...they have now been happily married for 23 years. 




They have a beautiful, God-centered marriage, and their love for one another has grown. They're by no means perfect, but I've learned so much from their example and words of wisdom. 


Here are FIVE things I've learned from my parents' marriage:

  1. Keep God first, pray for each other, and live out biblical manhood + womanhood. My father is the leader, protector, & provider. My mother is his helpmeet, she lovingly submits, and takes care of the home. They both submit to God. 
  2. Humility is key. Whenever one of them unintentionally hurts the other or has a misunderstanding, they quickly resolve it! 
  3. Be loyal + respectful. Something my mom has told me time and time again is to never make fun of your spouse. They're trusting you with their flaws, their strengths and their weaknesses. You're the person that knows them best, so to publicly humiliate or lightly joke about something they struggle with can cause their trust to be broken. You're on the same team—support each other always and stay loyal. 
  4. Stay sweet. Just because you're not dating/courting anymore doesn't mean you can't surprise them. Sometimes my mom hides little love notes in my dad's lunch, writes on the peel of his fruit (works best with bananas), or in between his folded clothes in luggage when he travels. 
    She asks him what he wants to eat and surprises him with his favorite meal or dessert. Sometimes my dad will give her compliments in front of us kids, take out the trash for her, help with the dishes, or send an encouraging scripture, or sweet text. They're so cute! 
  5. Be selfless and giving. Give more than you take. Put the needs of the other person before your own. Don't just say that you love them--show it! ❤️


Well there you go, FIVE little things I've learned watching my parents' marriage. A lot of these principles also apply to the way we treat others. I get to practice humility and forgiving quickly with my siblings, to not make fun of them or point out their flaws, to surprise them with little notes of encouragement, not talk bad about each other, to support and love one another no matter what. It's good to practice now and be prepared to selflessly love another human being in the future! The way you treat your family will later transfer over to the way you treat your spouse. God bless you all, may His love and strength be with you! 


Learning little by little,

Jas


What's something you've learned from your parents (or from your own marriage if you're married)? Comment down below!