​First things first.

Mom’s wise council to me before starting any project. It didn’t always involve the same specific actions, but the general steps created a natural flow for how things were going to go.

1. Set a goal.

2. Prepare what you need.

3. Work toward that goal.

4. Finish and complete the goal.

Many times my goal was to clean my room. I needed a laundry basket and the will to put things away. I tended to get stuck on number 3 when I unearthed a book I hadn’t seen for weeks or found other fascinating items that diverted my attention away from getting to point 4.

As a natural procrastinator, I could make a project like cleaning my room last for as long as I wanted, or until Mom had had enough.

Something magically happened though when accomplishing the goal was accompanied with a treat. If I knew that we would go someplace special when I was done, I moved like lighting!

I still struggle with goal setting. If the final result isn’t worth my effort I’ll dally all the day and never accomplish a thing. I like to think it doesn’t have an effect on me, but I’d be wrong.

That lack of effect really is a numbness to disappointment in my lack of accomplishment. Not letting it bother me really means that I’ve stopped caring about living with purpose.

When we go with God we’re called according to His purpose. To walk in a way worthy of our calling. To walk in a way that pleases Him.

The goal, first and foremost, is to please the Lord with our lives. Doing what is good, acceptable and perfect. That’s done by keeping God first in our hearts, minds, and souls.

With the goal before us of finishing well and willing the prize who is Christ, we find completion and wholeness.

"He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything." Colossians 1:18 (NASB)

What about you? How do you keep first things first?
Do you begin your day in a certain way?
Is there a verse that helps you keep your focus on Jesus?

​One of my favorite places to go since moving to the East Coast is Ocean City, New Jersey on the Atlantic shore. As a Midwesterner I’ve had the chance to see Lake Michigan in Chicago and Lake Superior in Duluth, MN. But there is a difference standing on the eastern shore of this country looking at the horizon, where the sea and sky meet.

It is there other worlds appear.

In my natural state I can touch their surfaces, but if I tried to venture deeper into the ocean below or the sky above I would need to be changed.

I wouldn’t survive in the deep sea unless I was equipped with gear that handles the changes in the pressure of this new environment and gives me fresh air to breathe. The same holds true for survival in deep space. As I am, I could not exist in the deep places unless I adopt the proper means of modification. 

So, safely I stand on the edge and observe.

What does it take to go deeper with God?

When God brings us to the end of what we know and shows us there is more beyond our understanding do we shrug Him off and cite the reasons why it couldn’t work? It is easy to limit God to our known boundaries and expect Him to abide by them. So safe. So routine. So wrong.

God has other worlds to show us. Places where His Grace shines in ways we will never see in our comfortable spot. Territories in which His attributes take on a fuller range of meanings beyond our childish definitions of them.

“5 Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness {reaches} to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are {like} a great deep. O LORD, You preserve man and beast. 7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. 8 They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. 9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light”                Psalm 36:5-9 (NASB)

Go deeper with God. Ask Him to help you trust Him.
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What about you? How have you gone deeper with God?

​What are you afraid of?

Speaking in front of groups? The dark? Spiders? Clowns?

Fear is prevalent world-wide. It isn’t unusual to be afraid of something or a certain situation. Even the possibility of new good things can trigger a tremble in your belly.

I wonder if the greater issue is how we process our present, in light of the unknown future and our known past. A choice we made previously resulted in this bad condition therefore we will not allow ourselves to be put in a position where that choice will have to be made. We seek protection and safety. We avoid any and all possibilities of hurt and failure.

Comfort has soft boundaries set in rigid lines.

Please, God, don’t make me do that again!

Corrie ten Boom once said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” This statement coming from a lady who sacrificed safety in her home to protect the Jews and then suffered with them inside Nazi concentration camps. How could she make such a bold statement?

It wasn’t her first response to God when the Nazis came calling. But in daily life and every situation that brought her face to face with this conflict Corrie took her fears to the Lord. She observed how her father and her sister trusted God in the midst of evil times. She allowed the Lord to minister His Grace to the broken places in her heart instead of hardening her heart against the transforming power of His Spirit.

As we go with God there will be times when our first response is fearful. We may initially be scared to enter in to what the next step of our walk with God may require of us. God understands. But we should not allow that fear to make a home in our hearts. Any fears, cares, or concerns need to be brought to the Lord, as often as they come.

1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
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There are three points in this verse I’d like to close with:
1. Casting involves a determined act of release. Think of it as tossing away a piece of garbage.
2. “All you anxiety” means any and all things that distract your focus away from Jesus. Jesus has promised to be everything to us and provide for our needs. Believe His Word. It is faithful and true.
3. Why can we do this? Because the underlying truth is that Jesus cares for you. Don’t let everything you’re concerned about overshadow your ability to trust Jesus.
 
What about you? How have you found release from your fear? 

​Okay, I confess. I am a pastor’s wife.

I didn’t dream about growing up to be a pastor’s wife when I was a little girl.

I dreamed about being on stage acting. Playing different characters like one of my favorite actresses, Carol Burnett.

Something happened on the way to the theater. I met a Pastor. A Youth Pastor, to be precise.  Cue plot twist.

We talked about being in the ministry and expectations of congregations and how we could use our gifts together and separately. We discussed what would happen when we started a family throwing in another plot twist in my mind.

We went back and forth with ideas, each verbalizing their vision of what our future might look like. This vision casting wasn’t completed in a day or a week or even before we got married. This was a multi-layered issue that would live quietly and not so quietly in the shadows of our relationship because to tell you the truth, my desire for acting and drama went deeper than I wanted to admit.

Elizabeth Elliot has described authentic love as sacrifice. Putting someone else’s needs before our own. This was my struggle. Not necessarily fighting against David’s desires, but God’s. I wanted to be married, have kids, even learn how to step into the role of The Pastor’s Wife, but I also wanted what I wanted.

That’s the thing about going with God. His way is the good way. But good isn’t always easy. Marriage is good. Children are a blessing, the little stinkers. Spending lots of time apart from both is NOT good. So what’s a girl to do?

Posturing, ranting, digging in my heels is not going to win points with God. James 4:6 says, “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.’”

And yet we read about the gifts that God Himself gives to us, for His glory.  How then are we to use those God-given endowments?

I have found that the greatest strength we can build into our marriage is a mutual support, a give and take if you will, that works together for the benefit of all. It resembles a dovetail joint in furniture.

Joined together so no one may pull us apart. Giving and receiving strength and support for a lifetime.

True for marriage.

And in a similar way God desires us to join our hearts with His for a united purpose.

Psalm 86:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
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How about you? How have you found balance between using your gifts without losing sight of your call?

​Even an introvert needs a hug once in a while.

To have a conversation eye to eye with someone who cares is truly a gift.

Investing time and emotions and brain cells to help another figure out a reasonable solution to a persistent problem can have a joyful result for both.

Whether it’s for quality time or quantity time, these lovely little human encounters happen when we gather together.

Just to be balanced here, not all gatherings produce happy results.

A misspoken comment can pierce a heart and silence further communication.

Extroverts may rise to take control of a meeting without acknowledging other viewpoints in the room.

Some who prefer style over substance can lose perspective of a project’s true goal.

The Bible is clear about gathering together as an ensemble of like-minded believers as we read in Hebrews:
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging {one another;} and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  Hebrews 10:23-25(NASB)

As we go with God we WILL find ourselves going against the grain of this world.

God has called us to be in community with Him and with other like-minded believers because we need the encouragement that comes from our unique spiritual kinship.

The church is God’s means where the body of Christ can grow and remain strong in His Word.
So when there’s an opportunity, give a hug.

Make time for that eye to eye chat over a cup of coffee with someone you don’t know very well.
Use every less than positive event in the church as a point of prayer for everyone involved.

Ask the Lord to increase humility and a teachable spirit in yourself when you are corrected.

Don’t think you can mature in your own company.
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God speaks through His Word and those who are surrendered to it.
 
How about you? What is your favorite thing about the church you attend? How does it encourage you in your walk with the Lord? 

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not {merely} look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 2:1-5 (NASB)

This passage from Philippians is my husband’s and my life scripture passage. It was both read and sung in our wedding. We understood that since we were each going with God individually we now needed to be going with God as a couple and this passage was the best representation of what that would look like.

From the beginning of our relationship I knew that David was called to be in the ministry which meant that I would join in that calling as his wife. Never mind the details as to what being a pastor’s wife would look like. God would help me sort that out each step of the way. But I had to take seriously the changes and adaptations that I needed to make from singleness to married woman. God’s Grace enabled me to come around to God’s point of view.

For any group of people who are coming together for the purpose of ministry this passage in Philippians 2 holds four guidelines that will help them see the best return for their effort. It all begins in our relationship with Jesus.

He calls us to come near to Him. He demonstrates His love to us by His death on the cross for our sins. He opens a door of Grace where Truth and Mercy call to us again to confess our sin and need for Jesus’ remedy. His promised gift to us, The Holy Spirit, dwells in our newly revived hearts to encourage, empower, and enlighten us as we now walk to please our Heavenly Father. As we continue in this we should have a tender heart toward God and our fellow man. A heart where Mercy resides. This is the hallmark of a true Christian.

So, if all this is going on in each individual Christ follower, THEN these four qualities should shine through in our actions and words:

Being of the same mind – of whom are you thinking? Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”

Maintaining the same love – for whom are you doing this? Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,”

United in spirit – how are you doing this? 2 Corinthians 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”

Intent on one purpose - to what end is your goal? Romans 11:36 “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him {be} the glory forever. Amen.”

Having a heart after Jesus and the things of God will keep us going in the same way He is going.
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Go with God!

How about you? How have you seen the same Spirit of God manifesting true unity in your church? What has happened when people have functioned in their own wisdom and strength?

​“A man can’t have a sense of his sins until Christ puts life in him. You may put a hundred pound weight on the breast of a dead man and he won’t mind anything about it, but if the man is alive he feels the weight bearing down on him.” -  D.L. Moody

Ephesians 2 begins with the awful truth that we all were dead in our trespasses and sins. Dead people don’t do much, except perpetuate corruption that comes with death.

Nothing good comes from a dead person.

But God…

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), Ephesians 2:4-5 (NASB)

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! God in His goodness and mercy, fueled by His love, reaches to the most hopeless of cases and breathes new life in her. And that’s when she begins to notice things.

For one thing, the weight of sin has impact in her life. She knows that Jesus came to save her from her sin, but she still has a knack for doing the wrong thing. It took me a long time before I would make the connection that Jesus was more concerned with changing my inherently sinful attitudes and bents than my circumstances. Home life still offered an angry, abusive father and a traumatized mom. But God would chisel away at my obvious hatred for my dad for years.
 
Even at a young age I knew I had a penchant for selfishness and rebellion. Vengeance was ready to jump in the situation if I thought it was warranted. God would persistently work on my heart and mind through His Word and the godly people He placed in my life.

The Lord uses every moment for His purposes.

From the time I was 8 years old Sunday morning was a special time for me because I attended Sunday School and sometimes the worship service alone, freed from the tangled mess of home. For those few hours I was to free to be me, or the ‘me’ I hoped to be.

Something remarkable happened in my life one Sunday Morning when I was walking in the hallway after Sunday School. I greeted the Pastor on the way to the sanctuary with a happy, “Good morning, Pastor Brumme!”

His response took me by surprise. “Good morning, Sunshine!” his baritone voice returned. It happened so quickly I wasn’t sure what to do. I grinned at him as I went on my way.

So many thoughts tumbled in my brain - Who, me?  You wouldn’t say that if you really knew me. Are you making fun of me? I’m NO Sunshine…

One Sunday I asked him if he even knew my name. He said he did, but he preferred to call me Sunshine. Only God could have known how I needed that balm of Grace for my soul.

It’s true that we will battle with our old nature till we die. But, the Spirit of God has been given to all believers and speaks Light, Life, and Truth to us always.

How about you?
​
Have you ever experienced a moment of God’s Grace that changed your life and how you viewed yourself?

Other – different or distinct from the one first considered

Not the first choice, but the best choice.

Not my natural inclination, but where God’s Spirit directs me to go.

Going with God is walking in the way that lines up with the Lord’s precepts and not be swayed to go back to the typical, cultural norm.

This can only happen if I cease conforming to the world and begin being transformed in my thinking according to God’s Word.

What is the difference between conformity and transformation?

Conformity looks at the outer characteristics and follows that pattern in order to blend in. Think of a caterpillar strapping on a beautiful pair of paper Monarch wings. There may be a resemblance to a butterfly, but there is no hope of rising to the sky. Why? It is still a caterpillar with all the strengths and weaknesses that a caterpillar inherently possesses.

Transformation goes beyond the surface and institutes a change from the inside out. It is a mysterious process. The caterpillar that entered the chrysalis becomes the butterfly with alterations in its appearance and abilities. Authentic wings form in it by Creator God to lift it to new heights and take it to new places it only dreamed about before.

The world tries to convince me that fitting in is good. To follow the prevailing winds and set my sights on breezing through life feeling good about myself.

God’s Word calls me to come and die to myself in a cocoon of surrender. Through the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit He promises to make all things new.

His love transforms me from an earth-bound creature into a glorious masterpiece that transcends earthly limitations.

All for His praise and glory!
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Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, {he is} a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
 
How about you? In what ways has God transformed your thinking since you began walking with Him?

​What happens to us when we get to know someone intimately? We begin to tune our senses to their presence. Our eyes search the room for their face. Our ears tune into their frequency to pick up their voice. We sidle up next to them just to feel the warmth of their body next to ours. The closer we are to a person the closer we want to be.

The same principles of closeness apply when we are going with God.

Seek the face of God. There you find His Grace.

Seek to hear His voice. In it you will know His heart.

Seek to draw close to Him. As you do, He will draw close to you.

Our relationship with God is one that grows and deepens over time.

It is not without difficulty, because we will always be contending for the Spirit as we rebuke our flesh and the desires it wants. Every step of the way, God is there giving us strength and power to overcome anything that would defeat us and keep us from Him. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is the power that works within us.

So hear and take heart that God is speaking, calling, drawing us to Himself.

Maintain a sight line to the things that delight the Lord.

Quiet the noise in your own heart so you can hear Truth that will set you free.

Allow Him access to the places in your life YOU don’t even want to visit.
​His desire is for your good and your release.
 
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17(NASB)

I titled this series, “Going with God” because I see the primary focus of a Christian’s life is to please Him and listen for His shepherding voice.

Going is a succession of departures and arrivals. Beginnings and endings. When done according to God’s will we’ll reach our final destination to His unveiled Presence in Heaven. What joy!

The thing about this sojourn in the ways of God is that He doesn’t place us on a track, lock us on target, and coldly watch as we go the right way without our voluntary participation.

God’s utmost joy is that we desire Him the way He desires us.

The greatest commandment, as quoted by Jesus in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, comes from Deuteronomy 6:5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (NASB)

Without Christ doing His transforming and sanctifying work in us we function with a heart that is deceitful, a mind that cannot understand Truth, and a willful defiance that demands our own corrupt ways.

To have a heart after His in spite of the ongoing battle between our flesh and God’s Spirit needs to be our moment by moment goal. It isn’t a natural motivation for us to love God until the Holy Spirit empowers us to want to love God back.

O Lord, help us to do what it says in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
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How about you? How has God shown you the blessing that comes from leaning into Him?