Dear Church: Rest Up, Rev Up and Rise Up!

In this Spiritual Life UPGRADE, Dawn Wilson encourages Christ-followers to "be" the church the world needs to see in powerful ways as the nation enters a time of uncertainty with a new administration.

God's purpose for the Church has not been recinded.

Family of God, this is not the time to become unhinged or apathetic. We need to walk in the Spirit and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. We need to ask God for direction every day. We need to live in power, not defeat.

We need to BE the Church God intended—reflecting Christ and obedient to God.

I'm not just referring to our response to government—which is all some Christians are considering right now. I'm primarily considering our responses to the wickedness in our culture and the personal temptations we face because of those influences every day. 

Our responses are important, not only because we want to please God, but because the world is watching—

the world we want to invite to know Jesus.

The culture in America has changed dramatically from 50 years ago, and the culture will likely continue to change in ways that will concern Christ-followers.

We do not know what God will do, but we know what He's called us to do.

My Three Priorities Going Forward

The Lord has given me three priorities for the days ahead.

1. It's Time to REST UP.

Listening to the news cycles and encountering the evils of this world can wear us out. We can feel overwhelmed or angry, and sometimes we might feel paralyzed with frustration or fear!

Jesus says,

Come unto Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Jesus wants us to find rest in Him in the midst of our troubling circumstances.

We need to be careful to recharge our batteries every day in Bible reading, prayer, and worship so the Lord can refresh us, give us His peace, and prepare us for whatever comes.

When turmoil increases, it's time to seek the Lord and rest in Him.

2. It's Time to REV UP.

We need to rev up our spiritual motors and get energized to make a difference in our chaotic, confusing world.

We need to be examples of what true Christianity looks like. Revving up means getting our lives properly prepared and ready so God can use us.

The Word of God commands believers to be:

"blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world as you hold forth the word of life..." (Philippians 2:15-16a).

There are four clear specifics in that passage that can help us rev up and move forward with strength.

• Be blameless. — To be blameless is to be innocent, without guile, or without fault. Only God is completely without blame. Jesus perfect (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5), and He tells us to perfect even as our Father God is perfect (Matthew 5:48). How is this possible? Those who have trusted the Lord's provision for salvation are "made perfect forever" (Hebrews 10:14)— regenerated as a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). That is our positional standing. When the Father sees us, He sees Jesus our Redeemer and advocate first, and He chooses to remember our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12)—He no longer holds them against us. To "be blameless" is to live like we understand our position in Christ, grateful for God's mercy.
• Be pure. — Having been shown great mercy and cleansed by the blood of Jesus gives us eternal life; but until we get to heaven, we will still commit individual sins. We need daily cleansing .  God wants us to be holy—which means to be set apart for Him. We are not to live like the wicked of this world. Jesus has given us an example of how we're to live (John 13:15). We guard our hearts and keep them pure as we constantly and consistently repent and "wash" our dirtied-up lives in the Word of God and pray, confessing our sins (1 John 1:9).
• Shine as Lights. — Without Christ, we were "once darkness." But now we are light in the Lord and we are to "live as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). That is our inheritance (Colossians 1:12). Jesus told us to shine our light into the world, and our light is actually a reflection of His light (Matthew 5:16; John 8:12). We're not to get apathetic and hide our light (Matthew 5:15). The hope of the Gospel is that people living in spiritual darkness might see the light of what Jesus has done for them.
• Hold forth God's Word. — We're not to promote ourselves or become argumentive. We're simply to share scripture to give people understanding and hope. It is the Word of God and Spirit of God that changes peoples' lives (John 6:63, 68). Note: We are not responsible for how people receive the Word of truth; we're only responsible to share it (Philippians 2:16).

3. It's Time to RISE UP.

To rise up in terms of the Church does not mean rebellion against ordained authority (*); it means to bow in surrender to the King of Kings so we can rise up to do whatever God asks us to do.

We need to do God's work in God's timing and by His means. That means we can't act contrary to scripture.

Here's what rising up might include:

• Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) so we can "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His mighty" against the devil's schemes.
• Praise God in the midst of our circumstances, believing He is in control (Psalm 34:1-2; 95:2-3; Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:9). G
• Pray for our Father God to show us His will—which, again, will not contradict scripture. (Matthew 6:10; Colossians 1:9; James 1:5; 1 John 5:14).
• Place ourselves in God's hands—like Esther did (Esther 4:14-16)—to stand in the gap for God's people and the honor of His name.
• Protect those who are being injured. Stand up against abortion, human trafficking, sex trafficking, and cases of injustice; and help orphans, widows and others—protect and help with wisdom and courage (Psalm 82:3; Proverbs 6:16-19; 31:8-9; Isaiah 1:17).
• Point people to the source of hope—Jesus!—as we faithfully, unashamedly share the Gospel (Mark 16:15; Luke 10:2; John 20:21; Romans 1:16).

Perhaps the Lord will speak to you about other biblical ways you can rise up in the days ahead.

It's not time to fall apart, Church. It's time to build and live in victory. It's time to Rest up, Rev Up, and Rise Up!

Which of these three priorities needs a little work in your life this week?

* NOTE from Priority #3 — While some Christians may disagree, there may be cases where civil disobedience might be necessary. This article shares three biblical examples when God's people disobeyed civil authority—Article.

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, at Revive Our Hearts, a blogger at TrueWoman.com, writes wiki-type posts at Christianity.com, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of PhotoGranary at Lightstock.

Trust the Blueprints

Kolleen Lucariello speaks into women's lives in engaging, practical ways. In this Relationship with God UPGRADE, she envisions God as a faithful Contractor, accomplishing His purposes in our lives.

"Sometimes full understanding remains a mystery until the contractor completes the work," Kolleen says. "When you can’t fully catch the vision—you watch, wait, and trust the one with the blueprints."

I (Dawn) have studied blueprints before. They can be so complicated! I've wished I could crawl inside a contractor's mind to figure out what he sees sometimes that I'm not seeing.

Kolleen continues . . .

Every summer our house undergoes a little upgrade. This year, a simple front step soon became a front-porch-walkway-landscaping project for my husband and I, filling our front yard with piles of dirt and sand, black tarps, pavers and lumber.

“I can’t wait to see it finished,” our daughter commented during one visit, “It’s going to look so nice.”

The next comment came from our five-year-old granddaughter: “I can’t wait to see it finished, cause then I will finally understand what you are doing.”  

What seemed obvious to us was not to her.

I can relate. Don’t tell her, but I’ve been confused by some of her art projects, too. Some projects only make sense to the one with the plan.

I agree with her. It’s not always easy to catch the vision until the project is complete. I share the same limitations and I find myself struggling to understand when seasons of difficulty hammer away.

I find myself trying to catch the vision for God’s plan every time life becomes paved with blinding unknowns and overwhelming struggles. This is when I admit  “I can’t wait to see this finished, Lord, because then perhaps, I will understand what You are doing.”

Well, I hope to understand, or it might be—"Please, Lord help me understand"

Years ago, we lost our brother-in-law in a car accident.

I became angry with God for what I perceived as unfair and unjust. I didn’t really care to have understanding about what God was doing; I thought He was just being cruel.

I recognize now how God used this tragedy to lead my husband and I to understand our need for salvation. What might have destroyed our faith, God used to cement it instead.

Several years later, we lost a very close friend in another car accident.

The loss was devastating for us, but we knew God as a Contractor was able to build something good out of the destruction.

When the pain was great I found myself repeating, “I can’t wait to see the good at the end of this, God, because right now, I don’t understand the why behind what just happened.”

I would remind myself of what I knew to be true about God:

• You know the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).
• You are deeply concerned about us, and are able to turn this bad into something good (Romans 8:28).

Unlike the first time, I didn’t get mad at Him. I didn’t turn bitter.

I refused the invitation to believe God was cruel.

I just imagined my head on His chest while I wept—grateful that He understood my heartbreak, and that I now understood His comfort.

Life is unpredictable. Perhaps this is why the Psalmist reminds us to put our trust in, and reliance on the Lord, rather than relying on our own insight and understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

With my hazy insight and limited understanding, trusting in—while relying on—Jesus is the only option that offers me any peace when life becomes unsettled. After all, He promised that in Him we would have perfect peace; but He also forewarned us of tribulation, distress and suffering, too.

“Be courageous,” He said. “I have overcome the world” (John 16:13).  

Jesus is predictable when life is not. 

God is the Contractor who began a glorious work within you, and He’s the One who will faithfully continue the process of building you into His likeness—adding a few finishing touches here and there (Philippians 1:6).

When you lack understanding, trust the Lord as you do three things.

1. Rejoice that He sees you.  

“I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love, because You have seen my affliction; You have taken note of my life’s distresses” (Psalms 31:7 AMP).

Your distress has been noted!

2. Focus your thoughts.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT).

3. Find rest.

Jesus said,

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NLT).

Unload your troubles onto Him.

Sometimes you need to patiently wait, watch the process, and trust something good can come from the mess you’re staring at now.

Even when you don’t understand His vision.

Where in your life are you struggling to understand what God is doing? How can you trust God's "blueprint" for your life and find rest, peace and even joy in Him?

Kolleen Lucariello, #TheABCGirl, is the author of the devotional book, The ABC's of Who God Says I Am; and as a speaker, she speaks into women's lives "one letter at a time." Kolleen and her high school sweetheart, Pat, reside in Central New York. She's a mother of three married children and Mimi to five incredible grandkids—with one more on the way! For more information about Kolleen, visit her website.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Classically Printed at Pixabay.

Waiting for God's Beautiful Timing

Sally Ferguson, a retreat planner, teaches women how to get away from the craziness of life and wait on the Lord. In this Spiritual Life UPGRADE, she reminds us of a precious principle for intimacy with God.

"I look out the window at my backyard," Sally says, "where reside two apple trees, one Granny Smith and one Red Delicious. My three year old granddaughter persistently reaches for the miniature fruit, hanging on the branches."

"'Not yet,' I tell her. 'The apples need time to grow and get sweeter. Their colors will change when they’re ready.'"

Growing up in the Midwest, I (Dawn) saw many such apple trees. I know exactly what Sally's talking about. It's a beautiful illustration for patience.

Sally continues . . .

I often expect life to be ready, for me, too.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has made everything beautiful in its time, but I impulsively seize opportunities that aren’t ripe yet, and wonder why they taste bitter and feel tough.

Why is there such mystery around when things happen?

       Four ways to know when God’s timing is ripe.

1. Do you have a skillset needed for the job?

People have a way of volunteering us for their projects.

While we’re being taught to learn to say “no” for our own sanity, there are times we do need to say “yes,” for theirs.

In John chapter 2, Mary asked Jesus to take care of the punch at a family wedding. Jesus said, “It’s not my monkey, not my circus.” (Not His actual wording!)

But He helped anyway. Verse 7 says He knew what to do, and He helped save the family from great embarrassment in front of their community.

There are times when I know what to do, and need to get involved, even if I think it’s lousy timing.

2. Does it require an act of faith?

Occasionally, I get the most bizarre ideas, yet cannot escape their unrelenting nudge.

Is it me, or is it God’s idea?

The best thing I can do is ask the Lord to make it absolutely clear with my next step.

In Matthew chapter 14, the wind was whipping around Peter’s feet. He had stepped out of the boat to walk with Jesus, but the splashing waves redirected his attention.

When fear crept up, he cried out for help.

Jesus asked Peter to trust Him, but He didn’t change the circumstances first.

Verse 32 says the wind died down when they climbed into the boat. Not before. Not after. But at the right time. Obedience has its reward.

3. Will God get the glory for something bigger than what you could have done?

Matthew 14:33 says the people in the boat worshipped Jesus when they saw what happened.

My impatience demands action. But, when God moves, the “wow factor” usually stops me in my tracks.

It’s at that point I know the result is much more than I dreamt and requires a level of trust previously unknown.

Who am I, to rush God?

Isaiah 5:19 proclaims an indictment on me for telling God to hurry up! He promises He will swiftly take care of things when the time is right (Isaiah 60:22); and He will do it for His own glory (Isaiah 48:11).

4. Do you have peace about the outcome?

Even though we can’t see the future and the outcomes of our choices, we can trust the One who does.

My NIV footnotes say about Psalm 27:3, “Confidence gives us patience to wait for God’s timing and not demand immediate response to our petitions.”

Oh, to have that confidence and complete trust in the Lord!

Why does God appear to be silent when we ask Him to answer our prayers? My friend, Mary Corey said, “It’s to keep us close to Him, when He seems to be taking too long.”

Let the waiting draw you closer to the Lord.

When God is moving, nothing can stop the momentum of His work in our lives. It’s exhilarating to be in that tsunami of change.

However, we have to wait for that to happen. Ephesians 1:9-10 says He is waiting for history to reach its full potential.

Here’s a secret: Mark 1:15 declares the time to be ripe, now, for us to submit to the Lordship of Christ. Let’s act on what we know to do, and wait for God to do His thing.

When we surrender our agendas to Him, He’s never too late.

Are you ready to pause? Use your skillset, faith, trust and confidence in God to guide your resting and waiting for Him to move on your behalf. The fruit will all be worth the wait.

How are you growing while you wait for God’s timing?

Sally Ferguson loves planning women’s retreats. Her coloring book, What Will I Be When I Grow Up? (Warner Press) and ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat are both available on Amazon.  Visit her latest retreat release here.  

Graphic adapted, courtesy of mploscar at Pixabay.