/(h)yo͞oˈmilədē/ noun: 1. a modest opinion of one’s own importance, 2. an absence of pride or self-assertion, 3. To accept, with gratitude, a cup of coffee when you’d prefer tea (or vice versa. Teri’s 2022 definition), 4. The cup of tea you drink after you’ve acquired the taste for humble pie (Teri’s 2023 definition).
Happy National Be Humble Day!
(celebrated every year on February 22nd)
I confess I suffer from the self-inflicted wounds of pride. I confess my pride injures those around me. That’s why humility may become an annual tea party on my website in February. God loves me and has dished me up slices of humble pie in so many flavors that God’s recipes make Baskin Robins look like a vanilla ice cream shop. And by His grace, I’ve acquired a taste for this painful pastry that most people detest.
Through God’s chastening, patience, and love, I have learned to embrace the things that keep my pride in check. Have you?
The canyon between humility and humiliation spans the distance between Heaven and hell. These two things are polar opposites. Humiliation is the awful feeling of shame and failure. It is God’s great blow to the arrogant (Psalm 119:21). God humiliates the proud. When He does, there are two responses: sparks of anger, self-justification, and retaliation or contrition and repentance, which is God’s preferred result. God humiliates to produce humility.
Humility, on the other hand, reveals the confidence of the righteous. Humility receives correction with gratitude (Proverbs 12:1 & 15:10). It secures a believer in the fact that God works all things—even humiliating things—for our good. It is the confidence that every trial perfects our patience and equips us to serve others more effectively.
Humiliation may lead to humility, but it is not the same thing. To feel humiliated and never humbled creates a living hell for the arrogant and everyone around them.
Humility knows there are no second-class saints; they don’t view other sinners as less than or unworthy of compassion. The humble realize the seed for every sin rests in their soul; like St. Paul, they claim they are the chief of all sinners ( 1 Timothy 1:15). Christ displayed perfect humility when He laid down His life for us (Romans 5:8).
The humble make peace. The humiliated stir up strife with anger (Proverbs 15:18).
Do we feel humbled or humiliated by degrading circumstances or admonishment? Trust me, if you don’t learn to enjoy humble pie, our Father will keep serving you slices in unending flavors. Take these lessons to heart on Be Humble Day. Let’s not eat any more humble pie than we have to.
fi*del*i*Tea /fəˈdelədē/ n. 1.faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support, 2. sexual faithfulness to a spouse or partner, 3. Drinking only variations of Camellia sinensis (white tea, black tea, green tea, and oolong are variations of the actual tea plant. Camomile, hibiscus, mint, or any other herb are not).
Some people enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day; others loathe it. The world drowns in the tears of jaded lovers and betrayed spouses. Broken homes and single parents leave children rattled and wondering if there’s any such thing as true love, the kind that doesn’t cheat and abandon us.
Just forty-four years before Constantine legalized Christianity, the previous emperor of Rome, Claudius Gothicus (Claudius II), ordered the execution of Saint Valentine on February 14, 269. What incited the wrath of Claudius II? Valentine’s fidelity to Jesus. Valentine refused to quit evangelizing. Tradition also credits him with the marriages of Christians during a time when Christians were denied the right to marriage by Rome.
Valentine knew God’s faithful love and willingly laid down his life to remain faithful to the Christ who died to save us all. Maybe you’re a jaded lover or a betrayed spouse. Perhaps you’re a lonely single who hates Valentine’s Day because you find yourself yet again without a beau. But let me encourage you in the reality of Who Jesus is. He is love (1 John 4:8). He is Semper Fidelis (Latin for always faithful). Jesus will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
This year let’s show our fidelity to the Lord by embracing Saint Valentine’s spirit of sharing the love of Christ with others. Let’s get a good Gospel pedicure and bring good news to those around us who are desperate for God’s forgiveness and love.
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7
It’s nice to enjoy romance on Valentine’s Day, but it’s really not about that. We celebrate Valentine (the saint) because he displayed fidelity; that’s worth celebrating.
Let’s enjoy celebrating God’s love and faithfulness. Who could you send a Gospel-laced Valentine to this year?
I love invitations. Last year, I issued many invitations to several events: a girlfriend getaway with my three oldest friends, my book launch party, and Bill’s and my 40th wedding anniversary party. The people who showed up to celebrate with me made these events spectacular. Receiving invitations is equally delightful. I received invitations to several weddings and baby and bridal showers. I bet you enjoy invitations too. We feel included—wanted—when someone invites us to be at an event or even to just go for coffee.
The Lord issues many invitations in Scripture, but one of the most popular we find in the book of Matthew. “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Who hasn’t felt worn out, burdened, or overworked?! If you’ve never felt that way, please, write a book. I want to read your secret. But until that book gets published, let’s learn how to receive this sweet invitation from the Lord.
First, how do we come to Him? By faith (Hebrews 11:6). And not a simple belief in God in general, the demons believe in God and tremble (James 2:19). No rest for them! Look at the last part of Hebrews 11:6, “for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Do you believe Jesus is God, and He rewards those who seek Him? If not, you need to seek Jesus for salvation. Believe He is the one and only way to God the Father. He says to us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This includes you. If you’ve never trusted Jesus to forgive your sin and give you new life, you can never come to Him for rest or anything else. I pray you will stop right now and ask Jesus to save you.
For those of us who have a relationship with Jesus, how do we enjoy His presence?
As followers of Jesus, we’re encouraged to read our Bibles, pray, attend church, and do Bible study. And while all of that is good advice, it’s easy to reduce our role as a disciple to a to-do list. We check the boxes but often don’t feel connected. Boredom sets in for some. Others become rigid in their practice and legalistic about what a Christian must do. It can also induce guilt if we don’t get our devotions done. Jesus doesn’t want to be put on our to-do list or reduced to disciplines. He calls us into a relationship as His disciple, His friend, and, best of all, His sisters. Devotion to Christ isn’t a 30-minute quiet Bible reading and prayer time. Devotion to God is a new, restful, abundant way of living.
Think about relating to your siblings. Do you share memories with them? Do you have fun and enjoy meals together? Do you disagree with them at times? Did you ever fight? Jesus wants these same interactions with us. He invites us to come to Him as a person. It’s okay to wrestle with God. Jacob did! If religious exercises have burnt you out, His invitation is for you. We cannot reduce friendship to a chore and expect it to be satisfying. That’s what the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ time had done and what they expected others to do, earn their way to be with God. But Jesus is inviting us to come to be with Him.
The Lord creates us all differently, with unique spiritual love languages. In his book Sacred Pathways: Developing your Soul’s Path to God, Gary Thomas identifies nine different ways people love God and draw near to him (these are all ways Jesus related to His Father). Here’s a summary:
1. Naturalist: John 6:3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, Mat. 6 Look at the birds of the air, and the flowers of the field. He wants us to pay attention to how He uses nature to illustrate His truth. Do you like going outside to be with God? Do you see your Creator most clearly in creation?
2. Sensate: Consider how God lead Solomon to build the temple. Think about the beautiful sights, sounds, and incense fragrance. We heard Jesus remind us to look. The Bible tells us to taste and see the Lord’s goodness. Jesus at the last supper said this wine is the new covenant; this bread is my body. When you taste good food, do you taste the goodness of God? Do you draw near God when you see beautiful things or hear beautiful music?
3. Traditionalist: Luke 2:41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. Do stained glass, the ritual of communion, and witnessing a baptism transport you into God’s presence?
4.Ascetic: Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed. Do solitude and simplicity provide the best space for you to relate to God?
5. Activist: Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, “It is written my house shall be a house of prayer, and you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Do you sense God’s delight as you stand in a protest for the right to life or against racism? Do God’s justice, and a desire for justice energize you?
6.Caregiver: John the Baptist sent his followers to ask if Jesus was the Messiah. Listen to Jesus’ answer in Mat. 11: 4 – 5, “Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” And don’t forget the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000. Do you love cooking and cleaning, and serving people in need? Jesus did too!
7.Enthusiast: Luke 19:37-40 reveals Jesus defending the celebration of His deity. In the law God gave to Moses, the Lord created feasts that included loud music, great food, and celebratory worship. Do you love to party with God at Christian concerts and worship services? Do you enjoy celebrating Him by dancing or singing?
8. Contemplatives: Listen to Christ’s prayer in John 17“As You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Can you hear His contemplation of the mystery of the trinity? Do you love just pondering the character of God? His love? His majesty? His power?
9. Intellectual: In Luke 2:46, we find Jesus sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Jesus, the Living Word of God, studied with the rabbis. Do inductive Bible Study and a good exposition of the Bile simulate you to worship?
This list is not exhaustive. God is infinite, and as a result, we experience His presence in many ways. Rest in how He created you to enjoy being with Him. Maybe you prefer singing Scripture to reading it or meditating deeply on a tiny phrase rather than reading large portions. Variety is vital in every good relationship, and our relationship with God is no different. Meet with Him in various ways at different times. But do come to Him!
What does He invite us to? Rest! Yes, but what kind of rest? For years I’d come to this promise and stop at the end of Matthew 11:28 and beg the Lord to let me sleep or nap or stop spinning plates. Then I wondered why He didn’t seem to be listening to me. I’d ask, not receive, and wonder if God was a promise keeper. But I discovered the problem wasn’t God. He didn’t give a faulty invitation. The problem was me. As James puts it (James 4:3), I was asking amiss. I coveted my concept of rest, but that’s not what Jesus offers.
Jesus offers us a paradox, a holy mystery of abundant living. Listen, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29 – 30). He wants us to rest while we work. To learn to be gentle as we work, not stressed out and impatient (which I so often was and at times still am). Harshness results from hurry. I once heard a Bible scholar say the one word he believes best describes Jesus is unhurried. Are you unhurried?
Unhurried is unworried. When we’re anxious, we’re not resting. Jesus never worried about time. Jairus’s daughter was dying or dead, but instead of rushing off to Jiarus’ house, Jesus stopped to assure a critically ill woman that her faith made her well, not the hem of His robe. She came to Him weary, spent, and completely depleted, but she reached out to touch Him and found rest and restoration. She met the person who took the time to know her personally. Wow! And then Jesus strolled to Jiarus’ to raise his daughter from the dead. No matter how long God seems to take, He is never too late. Can you settle your heart on that reality and learn to work at His pace, not yours? That’s what He’s inviting us to, His “unforced rhythm of grace” (as it’s paraphrased in the Message Bible).
I’m learning to come to Jesus in more ways and more often than just once a day. I’m learning to listen for His still, small voice and feel the rhythm of Him walking beside me as His easy yoke embraces me to work with Him. I’m being His child and walking with Him. As I do, I’m finding the rest I craved for so long. I’m being His child and walking with Him.
I know this blog is long, but I trust that if you read it unhurried, you will discover and receive the fantastic offer Jesus sets before us every moment of every day!
Two days ago, my husband and I marked the forty-year milestone in our marriage—a ruby anniversary. That’s right; the 40th anniversary is the ruby anniversary. I wonder if that makes me a real-life Proverbs 31 woman. After forty years of marriage, am I worth more than rubies? Our anniversary celebration brought back bitter-sweet memories of planning a surprise party for my parents’ 40th in 2000, twenty-three years ago.
My parents, David and Janet Donaldson, May 2000.
I’m so thankful God put it on my heart to do this for them. I called all their friends and relatives from across the country and invited everyone. I asked those who couldn’t come to please send a card. My folks had no idea what I’d been up to. The looks on their faces were priceless. My parents never celebrated a 50th. My dad passed away six years later at the age of 67. So young!
My husband turned 67 a few months ago. We realize life comes with no guarantees, so we threw a big ruby bash with a 1940s ruby slipper vibe. We’ve spent the last decade living in Kansas, and no doubt my “red shoes encouraged, but not required” personal comment to family members and a few friends met Dorothy’s approval.
My middle daughter gifted me with a stunning, custom-designed red satin dress. I had been looking online for a new affordable dress, and she said, “No, Mom. It’s like a second wedding dress. I want it to be special.”
More remarkable than her expensive present was the clean feeling of fidelity my husband and I share. I did not wear white to our wedding forty years ago because the chastity it symbolizes was not mine to give. I didn’t come to Jesus as a virgin and would not misrepresent myself in a covenant ceremony. By God’s grace, I am a chaste bride.
Celebrating our 25th anniversary, I wore a white and silver top. All of our children were single in 2008.
While wearing this “second wedding dress” brings me joy, honesty brings me even greater pleasure. My husband and I speak honestly and openly about our sexual relationship. It was not always that way. We both carried baggage into our marital bed; most people do. Even virgins can struggle to find or give marital pleasure to one another. If only we were honest! We could learn to cry and pray with our spouses as we work out these difficulties. Bill and I learned to do that, and you can too!
Celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary in forties fashion!
Then there’s the joy of holiness. Chaste couples enjoy the pleasure of worship in their marriage bed. God intended sexual intimacy between a husband and wife to culminate in fireworks and out-of-body ecstasy. It may not happen every time, but when it does, my hubby and I are not the only ones saying, “That was good!” The Lord declares, “It is good,” too.
Intimacy creates a safe place to find joy. To share yourself, and expose yourself unashamed with the only person you trust implicitly for a lifetime, satisfies a soul more than the world’s cheap imitation.
Our bodies change over time; we will never be as firm and attractive as we were in our 20s and 30s. Fidelity develops a more profound attraction over time. The covenant commitment makes wrinkles appear softer, flab appear firmer, and even sag seems sumptuous. Fidelity in lifelong matrimony is magic, sheer miraculous joy!
Bill and Teri with their youngest two grandbabies.
Let’s keep our vows. Let’s live in the joy of fidelity God intends for us. It’s not easy, and sometimes we need help. Bill and I sought counseling when we sometimes struggled to be mutually satisfied in our marriage bed.
If you are struggling in your marriage, seek godly Biblical counseling. Let someone help you and your husband learn to enjoy what God intended for your pleasure. And if you or your spouse have violated your covenant through adultery, don’t despair. I repeat. Do. Not. Despair! Our God provides forgiveness and restoration. He pursues His unfaithful bride. The Lord even called the prophet Hosea to marry the prostitute, Gomer, to illustrate His unfailing love and forgiveness. By God’s grace, He restores even the most hopeless relationships and helps us forgive sins that seem unforgivable.
It is a new year. Let’s celebrate with a renewed commitment to fidelity.
If you’re struggling and want me to pray confidentially for you, please email me at [email protected].
Lord, let the wonder of Your unfailing love shine into a world that desperately needs to understand the joys of staying married. Let our marriages reflect the beauty of our covenant-keeping Savior.
We cringe at the darkness descending in our culture. We pray for revival in the world to reverse the evil we see but do we understand revival begins with us, dear sisters?
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
Will you join me in humility, prayer, and repentance in 2023?
Abba, we cry out to You.
You are holy and call us to be holy.
May we be women on our faces, dependant on You alone.
May we
Adore You intentionally,
Confess our sins promptly,
Thank You continually, and
Supplicate specifically.
May You graciously revive our hearts so that we will be lights that shine bright in this present darkness.
Faith / By teri
/ December 27, 2022 February 23, 2022
Wait for it . . .
This time of year, long lines leading to customer service stations trail across stores. Are you waiting in one now as you read this? Stop reading and praise the Lord. There’ll be no lines in the rapture. Blast! A trumpet will wake those who sleep in Jesus, calling them up out of their graves. Then the saints still living on earth will be caught up and meet Him in the air.
If you’re standing in a return line, I’m guessing either a gift didn’t fit, or you don’t like it. Praise God! He gives perfect gifts. The Sparkling white robe He’ll wrap around your shoulders when you step into His presence will fit better than any earthly tailor could ever manufacture. It will feel warm, clean, and smell better than any garment softened with Downey. And imagine how comfortable clothing designed in a sin-free environment might be—better than micro-fleece, chenille, or the finest silk in all oriental history!
I trust you worshipped the baby Jesus of the manger, the star of the first Advent. But consider what significant event His birth pointed to–the Day of the Lord. He’s returning! The second Advent ought to strike reverence in the hearts of God’s people and fear in the hearts of the lost. But how will a dying world hear the truth if we don’t proclaim it?
When you’re standing in a return line after Christmas, I suggest saying to your neighbor in line, “He’s coming!” Maybe that person will ask, “Who’s coming?” and you can tell them about our Jesus!
I remember my grandpa reading through the Bible at dinner time. “And So and So begot Whose It, and Whose It begot What’s His Name . . .” His idle attempt to read the text without pronouncing names made us chuckle. But as a mature believer, I’ve discovered a gold mine in these genealogies. The Gospel of Mathew begins with the ancestry of Jesus.
I delight in reading and reflecting on this portion of Scripture at Christmas time. In the first five verses, three of Jesus’ “mothers” are named: Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. Through these women, God built the household of King David and our Savior. Their stories remind us not everyone is born into a family of faith. Their lives reveal God’s redemption—bringing them into Christ. Their testimonies encourage us, as God’s people, to be mindful of our relationships with the lost.
Tamar ~ neglected by God’s people
Tamar experienced the neglect of God’s chosen people. Judah failed to give his twice-widowed daughter-in-law in marriage to his third son. Judah blamed Tamar for the death of his two older sons. He feared that his third son would die too if he gave her to him as a wife. He failed to keep his promise to care for her. However, God did not fail her.
Tamar knew justice required Judah to give her a son. Tamar understood what Judah owed her and took bold measures to secure her future. God honored her risqué attempt to raise an heir to Judah. The Lord vindicated Tamar with twins—a replacement for both of Judah’s boys.
Consider your present circumstances. As God’s child, are you neglecting to keep a promise you’ve made as Judah did? If so, this is the perfect time to repent and give what you promised. Is God waiting for you to take a bold step of faith like Tamar and claim His promises? Do! God will bless your effort.
Rahab ~ walled off from God’s people
Next, we find Rahab, a pagan prostitute, separated from God’s people by the walls of Jericho. The Lord loved her and sent two spies from Israel to her. She trusted God and sheltered them. As a result, Rahab received the security of a promise kept. By faith, she tied a red thread to her window as the spies instructed her to do. The scarlet strand signaled Israel’s armies to spare her and those under her roof.
Have we ventured far enough into enemy territory to bring in those walled off by the world? Let’s be willing to share the good news of Jesus’s first advent with those held captive behind the gates of Hell.
Ruth ~ estranged from God’s people
After Rahab, we come to Ruth. She originated in Moab. Moab began as the descendants of “righteous” Lot, but by the time Israel came into the Promised land, the Moabites had forgotten their relationship with Abraham. These people were estranged from each other.
The Moabites refused to feed their hungry relatives. Ironically, Naomi’s family went looking for bread in Moab during a famine in Israel. After Naomi’s husband died, her sons married Moabite women. Ruth became her daughter-in-law. Then Ruth’s husband dies. Ruth (whose name means friend) commits to caring for Naomi. Naomi needed Ruth’s friendship, and Ruth needed to return to the blessings of God’s people. Naomi (whose name means pleasant) attracted Ruth to return to Israel. Does our countenance attract those turned off by the church? Ruth was faithful to her family. Are we devoted to our church family by caring for each of them?
I’m thankful the Lord pieced these women into His family. It reminds me that when I was lost, Jesus brought me in too!
As we read through the genealogy of Jesus’s female ancestors, may God inspire us with their examples this Christmas. Let’s pay attention to the neglected, walled-off, and estranged souls around us. Let’s remember why God sent His Son into the world this Christmas. Like God, let’s intentionally bring outsiders into our celebrations.
“And Jesus said to him, “. . . the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:9 – 10
An Excerpt from ChooseNow to Grow Grand, Not Old by Teri Gasser. Book on SALE now on Amazon for 33% OFF until November 26th!
Both of my grandmothers exercised wisdom when it came time to downsize and make a final move to be near family. However, only one seemed to take full advantage of the new possibilities. One event during a family gathering illustrates it best. It happened after our second Thanksgiving meal together.
I had spent much time and prayer preparing an activity for after the family feast. I wanted to facilitate a fun time of interaction between my mom, grandmas, and four children. Making gingerbread houses struck me as the perfect project, a sweet way to work together and prepare decorations for Christmas. I baked enough walls and roofs for four houses, one for my folks, one for each of my grandmothers to take home, and one for our house. Each of my kids paired up with a grandma, except Jenni. She got stuck with her mom, yours truly. It seemed to be going just as planned. I have pictures of everyone smiling. We licked frosted fingers and nibbled on candy, laughing and having a wonderful time. Then, when Anna and Grandma Erma finished basic construction and started decorating the outside of their house, Erma left the table. She went to the living room and sat in an easy chair.
(My grandma Erma with my daughter Anna)
Maybe she felt tired or bored. Maybe. Or maybe she didn’t like working with a twelve-year-old. Maybe my daughter and Erma had different ideas about decorating. We will never know because she never excused herself or explained why she left the table. Later, when the projects were complete, we took pictures. Erma refused to come and have her photo taken with Anna. My mom felt so sorry for Anna. To top it off, when it came time to send the gingerbread house home with Erma, she flat-out refused the gift—the gift I had prayed about and spent so much time and money preparing, the gift she worked on with her great-granddaughter. My grandma rejected a present intended to bring Christmas cheer to her home.
“Oh, no, you take it home,” she told me as I offered to take it to her car as she was leaving.
“But Grandma, we already have one,” I explained again.
“Well, Anna can put it in her room. I’d rather not have it, thank you.”
Ouch. I cannot judge Erma’s motives. I’ve already shared a few speculations. I can tell you her actions and words put a damper on the day. We never made gingerbread houses together again. Oh, my kids and I did, and sometimes my mom and Grandma Irène joined us, but not Erma. It never became a Thanksgiving tradition.
On the other hand, Grandma Irène paired up with my youngest, seven-year-old Jon. She kept that gingerbread house displayed in her apartment year-round for several years and bragged about it to everyone. That’s gratitude at its best!
God bless you as you celebrate Thanksgiving in a grand way!
My son-in-loves good friend said concerning women, “Any creature that can bleed for a week and not die should be feared.” Yes, sisters, God, Who should be feared and is wonderful, made us to be fearfully and wonderfully strong. Let me introduce you to two of the scary, strong women I know as I share an excerpt from my newly released book,.
Legendary Lola (born on Friday the 13th, October 1911!
“She always brought home the most ribbons from the fair.”
“She worked as hard as any man!”
“She always caught the biggest fish!”
“She could drop an elk bull with one rifle shot from horseback.”
Who was she, this legendary woman? Lola Michaeline Burton Salveson, my Great Aunt. Lola loomed larger than life when she came up in a family conversation. She was my father’s favorite aunt and her husband, Orville, a.k.a. Bud, my dad’s favorite uncle. Together Lola and Bud ran a cattle ranch south of Pocatello just outside the smaller than small town of Downey, Idaho. Much like the legendary Idaho potato picture in postcards—the giant potato that fills a semi-truck bed—Lola’s reputation outsized her demure stature by several feet and pounds.
She stood five feet tall on the outside but dwarfed Goliath on the inside. Her petite frame, complimented by fair features and curly, burnt umber locks, made her quite a good-looking woman in her youth. Her dark eyes gleamed with steely resolve. Now, I’m not saying that Lola was stubborn, but I will say her tenacity made a mule look compliant. Her feet were small but wide. Poor Lola, finding sandals to fit was impossible for her. She liked painting her toenails red. Determined to show them off, she hired a doctor to amputate her little toes. “You can’t see pinky toes in sandals anyway. Now I can find sandals that fit,” Lola boasted.
The Heroin Jael
To the Israelites, Jael became a legend when she killed their enemy with kindness. After feeding Sisera and lulling him to sleep, she took her hammer and tent pegs. The tools she had long used to dominate the hard, dry ground became weapons in her hands as she pierced the skull of Israel’s persecutor. Her story appears in the book of Judges, chapters four and five. This gruesome tale reminds me again of Lola cutting off her pinky toes. In her domain, she would show off those pretty red toes no matter what it took!
From creation, God gave us dominion. He made us in His image, and part of bearing that image requires us to rule over our domain. Yes, Sisters, you and I were created to master. For those of us who are married, we partner as one with our husbands. Our place of submission is not a lesser position. We must secure the order of our homes. In so doing, we extend our husband’s ability to have dominion outside the home. I don’t believe a woman should only work at home. I do know if a woman’s home is not well-ordered, she has no business exporting her skills to other domains. We need to get our priorities in line with our purpose. Once those are in order, it’s all about domination!
In this trick-or-treat season, let’s choose to treat others with the strength and courage God intends us to have. Let’s choose to live larger than life!
The love we give to others, the influence for good we have in another’s life, and the deep, meaningful friendships we make by investing and taking an interest in people; this is the wealth I want to accumulate. It means I must be aware of the people around me and learn to anticipate their needs. It means I need to make an effort to remember names. It amazes me how a stranger serving me responds with delight when I read their name tag and address them by name. We all long for appreciation as an individual who matters. When we choose to learn someone’s name, it speaks volumes to them. I discovered this when Bill and I came to Grace Baptist Church.
Before moving to Kansas, I got a copy of the church’s picture directory and began studying it. I looked at the faces of people I’d never met and prayed for each one by name. The Lord blessed that effort. Over and over again, different members of Grace shared their surprise at how quickly Bill and I remembered their names. They were impressed with how many other people we remembered and knew. All I can say is that I made a small effort, but God multiplied the results. He gets the glory!
God reveals His heart for people by knowing the number of hairs on our heads and knitting each one of us in our mother’s womb. By declaring us His image-bearers, He valued people above all other created beings. The Lord deems us worthy of a priceless redemption bought by the blood of Christ. He paid top dollar for broken merchandise. Now, if that doesn’t make us feel loved, nothing will. And if that doesn’t motivate us to see the value of others, nothing else can. Since God finds people that worthwhile, shouldn’t we? Simple practices like remembering birthdays, favorite colors, and food preferences honor people. Understanding their goals, sorrows, and fears reveals how much we value them. Relationships—thriving, loving relationships—make us truly wealthy.
Let’s grow grand in our relationships by accumulating friends and investing in people. Let’s not be misers when it comes to being generous with people. Let’s get really rich!
