Five Stones

I’m sure most of you remember that story of David & Goliath in the Bible.  If you don’t, let me refresh your memory.  David is a simple farm boy.  He is going down to the battlefield to take lunch to his brothers.  They’re fighting the Palestinians and they have brought out their secret weapon – the giant named Goliath.  Everyone is afraid of Goliath and he is taunting the Israelites.  David arrives at the battlefield and sees what’s going on.  “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?” he proclaims.  David has no fear.  He volunteers himself to go into battle against Goliath.  His brothers and the other men try to make him wear a piece of armor.  I can see it in my mind:  David, still a young boy, ambling around in a grown man’s armor.  I can see the helmet flapping over his eyes and his boots are too big so he stumbles and falls over.  When you think about it, it could have been a funny sight.  However, if he would have put that armor on and went before Goliath he would have been defeated. Why? 

It didn’t fit him. 

It wasn’t his.  It also was not what he was used to.  It would have been all wrong.  So instead, David used what he was used to.  He had 5 smooth stones in his pocket and that’s all he needed to kill Goliath. 

Often times we look at other people and we look at their gifts and we say, “Wow, I would love to have that gift”.  I would love to sing like that...Preach like that…Give like that.  Why can’t I speak like that?  Play like that?  I just wish I had what they had. 

But it doesn’t fit you and it’s not effective in your hands. 

Sure, someone else wearing that armor, wearing that sword would have had success, but that wasn’t David’s gifting.  He had 5 smooth stones.  You see, David had experience with those stones.  He’d killed lions & bears in the wilderness using those very same stones.  He had success before.  Because that’s what his gift was. 

Like David, you have in your hand 5 smooth stones that the Lord has given you to go into battle: your own unique gifts and talents. 

What are your 5 stones?  Are you using them to the best of your ability?  Let’s stop envying each other’s gifts.  Let’s stop emulating other people’s talents.  Instead, let’s be comfortable using the gifts we’ve been given. 

Let's Be Real...Rejection is a Natural Part of Life

I know what it feels like to be unwanted.  Rejected.

I’ve been rejected more than I like to admit.  Rejected by men.  Friends.  Hiring managers.  Let’s be real - rejection is a natural part of life.  But it still hurts.  It sucks. And sometimes, it can be hard to get past.  If you’ve dealt with rejection over and over again, it can become a part of you.  It lingers in the back of your mind, reminding you why you’re not good enough.  Reminding you of the times you didn’t hit the mark.

And if you’re not careful, rejection can grow into fear - paralyzing fear that prevents you from moving forward.

There are people working the same job after 20 years because they have been denied promotions for so long, they’ve given up trying.  There are people who have resigned themselves to singleness – given up on love because they are afraid of being rejected once again.  Fear of rejection can become a jail cell – imprisoning you to a lifetime of mediocrity and settling.

When it comes to living a fulfilled life in Christ, it is important to recognize that rejection is one of the tools that Satan uses against us.  John 10:10a tells us that the thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy.  Think about it for a minute.  Think of how rejection steals your hopes.  Think of those times when rejection killed your self confidence.  Remember – rejection aims to destroy your purpose.

When dealing with rejection, it can be easy to focus on the ones who don’t love us, don’t want us, and don’t treat us right.  Unfortunately, that leads us to neglect the One who does love us, who does want us, who does treat us right. Don’t let rejection push you away from God, let it push you towards Him. There is hope in the second part of John 10:10 – “But I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

The battle we fight is not a physical one – it’s spiritual.  Refuse to let Satan use rejection against you.  Instead, look to Jesus who can restore your hope, remind you of why you’re valuable, and empower you to fulfill your purpose.

Chosen by God (A Valentine's Day Message for Single Women)

LeAnne always dreaded school dances.  She enjoyed getting a new dress and hanging out with her friends but she hated the slow dances.  She felt a great amount of anxiety waiting for a boy to ask her to dance.  It was enough to make her feel like throwing up.  And every time, without fail, her friends would get asked to dance and she would be left holding up the wall.  Standing against the wall, LeAnne would watch the other couples sway to the music with sadness.  They called her a wallflower but she didn't feel like much of a blossom.  As a single woman, it may be easy to fall into the same feelings of despair as LeAnne.  Valentine's Day can be especially hard.  During this season of love, it seems as if everything is targeted towards couples: commercials, movies, products, songs etc.  How do we as single women avoid falling into the trap of being a wallflower?  We can have our own love affair with God.  In God's love letter to us, He tells us all about his love for us.  First of all, it is everlasting and nothing can separate us from His love (Rom 8:38-39).  As a matter of fact, God created us each individually while we were still in our mother's womb and He ordained all of our days before one of them ever came to be (Ps 139:13-16).  He even knows how many hairs are on your head (Matt 10:30).  And knowing that we would be sinners, God sent His Son to save us even while we were still in sin (Rom 5:8)! Just as LeAnne desired to be held and danced with, God wants to hold us (Ps 63:8) and whisper sweet nothings in our ear (John 10:27, Matt 10:27).  Ladies, God's love for us is so high and deep that we cannot fully grasp all the ways He loves us.  Oftentimes as single women, we spend so much time longing for a relationship that we miss out on the greatest relationship of all - one with God.  GOD CHOSE YOU!  He wants to be your friend, your confidant, your love - your dance partner.  He loves you and desires to show you just how much.  He wants to know - Is He enough for you in this season of singleness?