Tag: McDonald’s

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Red Hair and Roses

Dear Sister,

I have red hair.  I don’t think about having red hair as I’ve had it since I was born.  Every once in awhile someone will comment on it making me appreciate the gift the Lord has given me.  I am sure that you have something similar in your own life that you may take for granted because of its constant nature.  In fact, how often do I walk past a bed of flowers and take a minute to take in the wonder of the delicate details?  How often do I ponder what to eat for dinner forgetting to be thankful that I am blessed to eat dinner?  Not only do I eat dinner, but I can have Indian, Mexican, Thai, American, Italian, or McDonald’s!  The Lord has given us variety in His creation from plants, to animals, to landscapes, to faces!  We don’t eat just manna, we don’t only sit on rocks, there is more than one color, there is more than one climate!  We can taste, feel, see, hear, and touch our environment!  WOW!  Psalm 33:5 declares that “the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord”.

Why is this?  Genesis chapter 1 tells us that the Lord created all of the heavens and the earth and declared them GOOD.  He is the author of goodness.  He is the definition of goodness.  And yet, since we experience His goodness on a daily basis…since it is so constant and abundant…we esteem it lightly.  Sister, this should not be.

Our Lord is good in another way that I often take for granted: Genesis 3 reports to us the beginning of the curse of the earth.  Sin entered when Adam did not trust that the Lord was good when the Lord told him not to eat of that one tree.  He believed the serpent was right and God was withholding a good thing.  From that point on the earth has been cursed and death cannot be avoided.  Yet even in this, God is good.  The first time we ever commit sin, we deserve death.  Yet the Lord in His goodness delays this punishment.  We live and breathe another day.  We receive another chance for repentance.  Sister, that is because of the goodness of the Lord.

Lastly, and most shockingly, the Lord’s ultimate goodness was seen not only by not having our sin punished immediately, but putting our punishment on His own perfect son.  Jesus took our punishment for sin and gave us His righteousness.  We are now adopted sons with full inheritance of God’s family!  We have eternal life because our sins have been forgiven!  How often do we dwell on this?  How often does the goodness of the Lord compel you to thank Him and treat others out of this thankfulness?  Do you despise the Lord by forgetting His goodness?

Oh may we not forget His constant and abundant goodness or think it as mundane.  May I thank Him for my red hair while I am also stopping to smell the roses.

Your Sister in Christ,

Colleen

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Feeding Our Joy

It’s hard maintaining joy in the Lord. My dear sister, you’re not alone when your heart grows cold toward the Lord, when you’re spiritually dry, when the fire only smolders—when the joy is gone. You are not alone.

But to comfort you, sweet friend, it’s not enough to say you’re not alone. Misery might love company, but company can’t change misery. I write to encourage and exhort you to find your joy again…by looking in the right places.

No one goes to McDonald’s to order fillet mignon. Yet this is what we do when we look for joy in the fleeting things of this world. Are you like me? Do you try to find joy in the comforts of life, in food, in silly distractions, in achievements, in the recognition of others, etc., etc.? I beg you to remember, sister, that joy is not found here. Let’s get out of McDonald’s.

What were we doing there anyway? We are daughters of the King! Our Father can afford to give us the best. And he already has. He has given us his only Son. We already possess the Living Water, the Bread of Life; everything else is just an imitation.

Your soul, oh beloved daughter of the King, refuses to be satisfied by the cheap junk food of worldly pleasures. The Spirit within you, the Spirit of Christ, craves the weighty, the transcendent, the beautiful, the true. You’re only truly satisfied by eternal things. Why is this so? Because you are a new creation and, like Christ, you’re deepest desire is for God. The weighty, the transcendent, the beautiful, the true, these all point us to God.

So sister, will you join me? Let’s stop this childish game of hide and seek; we know where joy isn’t found, so let’s stop looking there. Let’s stop gratifying our cravings for worldly pleasures. I’m sure you’ve noticed that giving in only creates a vicious cycle of stronger cravings, more frequent sin, and eventually, joylessness. Instead, let’s gratify the cravings of the Spirit within us for the things of God. I’m sure you’ve also noticed that this creates a happy cycle of stronger cravings, righteousness, and joyfulness.

Only feeding on Christ, only abiding in him can satisfy these cravings. John 15 tells us that abiding in Christ means depending on him for everything (including our joy) and obeying his commandments. We become satisfied and joyful when we feed on the food he’s given us for our soul. Oh sister, go head, please gratify your desires for the Word, for fellowship, for corporate worship, for time with the Lord, for good teaching, for good works. Trade in your junk food for real food and you will find joy.

And always remember, my dear sister, trust not in your own efforts to pull yourself out of the pit of joylessness. Humble yourself before the Lord. Admit you have not the joy he commands. Your faithful and loving Savior stands ready to embrace you in his arms, ready to draw you into his intimate presence and give you the joy you so long for. He is the very source of our joy, and he can never be taken away from us. His promises and steadfast love endure forever.

In Him,
your sis, Sarah