Dear Drama Queen

Really?  Must you really turn this into a major ordeal? Don’t you think you might be blowing this way out of proportion? Maybe if you would take a step back and take a deep breath you could calm down enough to see that the situation is not as bad as you think it is. Yes I know it’s not perfect and there are many things that need to be worked out but you’re only fueling the fire with your vain imaginations and “what ifs.”  You need to “fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure and lovely and admirable.  You need to think about the things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Eph 4:8) like Christ’s birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, ascension, reign and return.

I’m so sorry that you have to deal with these issues but rehashing the details with “all your closest friends” isn’t helping you and is only stirring up strife in the community.  You are dividing friends and tearing apart your family.  You need to take this to your one and only true friend who is also your Lord and Savior. The only one who has the power and wisdom to change the situation in His perfect timing but more importantly who can transform you from the impatient, selfish, self-righteous drama queen you are to a woman with a gentle and quite spirit who seeks to build-up and encourage others.

Excuse me! Did I hear you right? You have no idea why your children are drama kings and queens?  You really don’t know why they are making mountains out of mole hills, spassing out about the most ridiculously unimportant matters and unable to handle the normal irritations of living in this sinful and broken world?  Well, there are two reasons: one, they are a reflection of you and what they have learned from you and two, they are sinners just like the rest of us.  They need the saving and transforming power of the Gospel just like you and I do. 

As I take a deep breath and step back from the situation this is my prayer……..

Most graciously Heavenly Father, forgive me for being short and impatient with my friend; forgive me for seeing her as an interruption in my schedule; forgive me for being selfish and self-righteous with her. I lift my friend up to you and pray you would pour out your grace on her and calm her anxious heart. Give her faith to believe you are working in her situation; help her to trust you to take care of all the details for your glory and her good. Use this situation to bring her to the end of herself so that she might be filled with you.  And I pray you would pour out your grace on me and give me wisdom to know how to love and encourage her; how to be her Gospel friend.  Amen

The Gift of Gifts

O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,

and enlarge my mind:

let me hear good tidings of great joy,

and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,

my conscience bathed in an ocean of trust,

my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father:

place me with ox, ass, camel, goat,

to look with them upon my redeemer’s face,

and in him account myself delivered from sin,

let me with Simeon clasp the new-born child to my heart,

embrace him with undying faith,

exulting that he is mine and I am his.

In him thou hast given so much that heaven can give no more.

From the Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers

Dear Friend

I’ve been thinking about you “absolutely knowing God loves you” and praying that His Spirit will bear witness with your spirit so that you will know that He loves you. I think the fact that you are struggling with knowing is a sign that He does love and that your faith in Him is growing.  Often times we question God’s love for us because we think there is something we have to do to earn it or we think that if He really loves us we won’t suffer but these are lies of Satan. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love, our good works are so tainted with pride and self-righteousness that they are but filthy rags to God. We suffer because we live in a broken world and sin has effected everything including our health so don’t let Satan tempt you into believing that your illnesses are a sign God doesn’t love you.

God is sovereign and He rules over all things, there is nothing out of His control and all the heartaches of life He uses to draw us to Himself, to grow our faith in Him and to empty us of ourselves, that is to keep us from believing we can earn His love.  Oh my heart longs for you to BELIEVE by power of the Holy Spirit that you are dearly loved by God not because of what you have done but because of what Christ did for you. He came as man and lived a perfect sinless life and died on the cross taking on the wrath of God and was raised from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God that we His children might know Him as Lord and Savior. See how great a love He has for you! 

Often when I am struggling with this issue I will read Ephesians chapter 1, 2 and 3 because it reminds me of the depth of my sin and the magnitude of God’s love for me.  

Hugs and prayers and much love for you.

Dear Friend

After hearing a piece of your childhood story I am rejoicing that God rescued you from the dominion of darkness and transferred you to the kingdom of His beloved son. (Col 1:13) It is because of His great love and mercy He took you out of the life style you grew up in and now holds you in His arms as your loving heavenly Father and faithful Savior. Before you even knew Him as your Lord and Savior He was working in you to see the destructiveness of sin and drawing you to Himself.

Therefore my dear friend I pray that you will reject the assumption that it was by your strong will and determination that you left that lifestyle but understand that if God had not intervened in your life you would have continued in it.   (1Cor 15:11) Self-righteousness and pride makes us think we saved ourselves and leads to works righteousness, which is the viscous cycle of trying to earn God’s blessings. But understanding the depth of God’s grace leads to trust and faith and peace.

So enjoy living in the kingdom of His beloved son, which is resting in His sovereign love for you, believing in the redeeming work of Christ and trusting in the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Rejoice and give thanks for the good work he has begun in you and will carry on to completion.