Our church is doing a series on Trustworthy, and almost every week after worship before the sermon, there is a quick video testimonial from someone in our body.  Two weeks ago it was my dear friend, Janice.  Janice is someone that all of my friends + I look up to, someone who’s given us all wisdom, grace, called us out when we need it, and mostly pointed us to the Word of God and serving others.  Watch this quick 3 minute video then I”ll meet you back here.

I love everything Janice said in that video: how we have to be  “self feeders” in the Word of God.  She says, “the bible is my sword and need it everyday.  When I lay my sword down, I’m not prepared for battle.  God knows what verse we need for that day.”  I love that.  She also says,  “the thing you think you don’t have time for, is the thing you most need.  your family needs to see you doing this.  once you’ve done it for a while, it’s a well worn path towards god.”  At the end of the video she says,  “my time with the lord is really going to be my legacy” – Janice Henry [what an amazing legacy to have!]

I needed that encouragement.  I’ve fallen off the path of spending time in the Word every single morning, and I needed that push to get back in it.  To be reminded of Ephesians 6 when it says to “put on the whole armor of God, so you maybe able to stand against the schemes of the devil”.  That whole section in Ephesians 6 was one of the first long passages I memorized years ago, and it’s been hidden in my heart.  All I needed was that reminder to pick up my sword [the bible] every day to prepare for battle!

As only God can do, He made that happen this week.  I just love how He works. Our community group is going through the book of Philipians and knowing we were going to have a small group discussion on it this past Wednesday night, I knew I needed to get in the Word and start taking some notes.  I didn’t get very far before God just started showing me new things in His Word.  I was encouraged and built up knowing that “He who began a good work in me would carry it out to completion”.  As the Word of God often does, it convicted me too, and that night around the coffee table with 6 girls I asked them how they handle what it says to do in Philipians 2:3, “do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more signifigant than yourselves”.

That is something I sometimess struggle with, rivalry.  After being gone for a week, and pretty much dissconnected from my online world,  I came back + realized so much happened while I was gone!  New collaborations, people on glamorous trips together, just everything looking “perfect” on the outside.  I actually wrote that night [before I started studying Philipians] “I hate the comparison game, it’s a theif of joy” Philipans 2:3-4.  wow, you think God is trying to teach me something?  I was feeling sorry for myself.

I just love how God set all this up!  I was beating myself up comparing myself to others, feeling left out, not wanting to be in this “rivalry” game, but wanting to live by the spirit and have the attitude of Christ [ Philipians 2:5]  Our community group girls sat around + talked about not desiring someone else’s gifts, but wanting to use the gifts god gave us as individuals for his glory.  So the next day, the last line in my well loved devotional, Jesus Calling said  “walk along this wondorous way of collaboration with my Spirit”.  Isn’t God so good to put that ONE WORD in there?  I walked into that day praying that the Spirit would lead me.  That I would desire the fruit of the spirit, and not desire fleshly things.  I wanted to set my mind on the spirit.

I had a adoption Noonday show on Thrusday night for a good friend.  One thing I love about shows is getting to meet my friends other friends too!  So towards the end of the show, my new friend Raegan mentioned she wanted to host a trunk show!  Great, I told her!  Then she mentioned that she might want to be an ambassador.….wait, what?  Didn’t she know this was MY thing? MY town?  MY territory?…..attitude of christ…..fruit of the spirit…and literally yall!  after about 3 minutes of me saying those things in my head, God totally changed my attitide!!!  It was NOT of me.  Because I wanted to be selfish and keep it all to myself.  But I said YES!  Then I became really excited about this idea of collaborating.  I just thought, why would I make it ABOUT ME, when it so wasn’t.  The reason I do Noonday is to advocate for the opressed, to help bring orphans home, and to educate people on how there is so much power in their purposes.  Why would I not want someone else on board in our town to share that mission?

I know this is ALL because Janice encouraged me to GET IN THE WORD.  To prepare for battle every day.  and yall, look what God did in 3 days!!!  He is so good.  His Word is active and alive.  This is to remind me every day that I NEED HIM and His Word to go out into the world and be a light for Christ.

Has God spoken anything really cool in your life through His word that has prepared you for a specific situation?