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Christian Living, Faith, Love

God Doesn’t Need To Be Politically Correct

Posted on May 18, 2014 by Ramona Levacy Billingslea

When Abraham asked God, Who are you?, the Maker of the Universe answered, Is.

In the prophecy of the final days, He describes Himself: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8).

How would you describe yourself? Would you do it by your occupation? Your age? Your physical description? Your personality traits? By the company you keep? By the things you have or have not accomplished during your time on this planet?

God knows how to describe you. As the Creator of everything, He is the only One who can see straight to our true hearts. The Psalmist says it this way: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (Ps. 43:5).

In one of the famous lines from the TV classic, The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby tells his television son, Theo, “I brought you into this world, and I’ll take you out.” God could do that. In fact, there are countless examples in the Old Testament where God’s patience wore thin and His vengeance was wrought against a people who had been given every chance to believe and still persisted in worshiping other gods, in sinning, in denying God’s omnipotence. Think Sodom and Gomorrah.

Paul assures us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Jesus warns us to remove the moat from our own eyes before worrying about the speck in others’ (Matthew 7:3). We are all guilty of something.

So, what do you plan to do about it?

Jesus held the world to a standard of perfection because He Himself was perfect. He threw the money changers out of the temple, but He also allowed Himself to be flogged and crucified by the authorities as a sacrifice for my sake as well as yours. Jesus said things that were true and cut to the heart, but He said them with love, and He promised peace. All He required was our surrender to Him.

So, what do you plan to do about it?

In today’s world, what if we tried speaking God’s truth in love with an end goal of peace in mind? What if we didn’t worry about what other people thought about us as long as we knew that God was at the core of our actions? What if we could be sure that our pride had nothing to do with what we had to say, in other words, that our eyes were clear of moats?

Paul describes Jesus,

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience: And patience, experience: and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:2-5).

In a world that grows increasingly hostile to truths based on God’s word and not modern, “enlightened” ideas, where what feels good seems more popular than what is good, I am convinced that Christians need to strive to wear the armor of God. Barbara Mandrell had a song when I was a kid–I Was Country, When Country Wasn’t Cool. In America today, we are facing an environment where being Christian is no longer cool. Our children are encouraged to do more than dress in certain clothes, and expressing an opinion on the wrong side of the political landscape could literally lead to dire consequences.

So, what do you plan to do about it?

The peace of God, a peace that transcends understanding, is the kind of peace that can whisper in a whirlwind and be heard. To follow the example of Christ is not to condemn with hatred in our hearts, but to love others enough to gently lead them in the narrow way to God. But first, we have to be sure that our own walk is being made as Christ holds our hands. And that means prayer, introspection, fellowship, and study in His word.

In the coming days, your faith may be tested. You may no longer have the luxury of practicing your faith in a bubble. You may have to step out and say things that don’t make you popular with people but keep you on the narrow path that is the walk with God to eternal life. It is God’s place to judge, but it is our place to spread the good Word of the grace that can mean salvation for anyone who is willing to believe.

So, what do you plan to do about it?

God doesn’t need to be politically correct. He IS. In God, there are no politics, only a kind of truth that sees the heart and does not waver. The Bible speaks of peace as the blessing of God. This peace is our ultimate gift on this earth, not happiness or shiny cars or pretty jewelry or the right clothes. This peace does not waver in the face of opposition or hardship. It is constant because it relies solely on God, and He never wavers.

So, what do you plan to do about it?

Go in peace and love that only God provides, and know what you plan to do about a world full of darkness for which you have been chosen to shine His light.

Christian Living, Faith

Random Acts of the Spirit

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Ramona Levacy Billingslea

There are three random things that stick in my mind from the preceding week. I’ve decided to call them “random acts of the Spirit.” In no particular order, here they are:

1. God is patient. In my Ryrie Study Bible NASB, there is a table that outlines some of the major events in the life of the great missionary, Paul. Do you realize that from the time he was converted on the road to Damascus in 33 A.D. to his first missionary journey in 47-48 A.D., some 15 years had passed? We know from his own writings that Paul spent at least three years in study after Damascus before he felt ready to approach the movement in Jerusalem. Before that, Paul was already a great scholar in the Jewish tradition. In other words, Paul certainly had the background to feel that he would be ready to preach Christ’s word right away once he was converted, but instead it took him more than a decade of study, prayer and fellowship to be ready to take the Word to places no one had ever dreamed of. The key to Paul’s success has to be his hope in Christ. Because he never gave up hope that God would use Paul in the way and in the time that God saw fit, Paul accomplished so much for the glory of Christ, a system of belief that guides the church to this day. God works on a timetable that is completely different from the hustle and bustle push of this modern world.

2. Seeing the passion for God in others is inspiring. When you step out in faith daily, as Christians try to do, you can find yourself discussing God in all kinds of places, even as you are getting your hair styled! My wonderful stylist is a young woman with a real passion for God. As we were discussing how life was going this week, we dipped into a discussion of some of the things we have been learning in our own separate studies, including the subtle ways that Satan works to push us aside from God’s purpose for our lives. As my hair stylist put it, “I literally have to stop my thoughts sometimes and tell the devil, no. I have the creator of the Universe in me, and you have no place here.”

What a wonderful way to look at the awesome gift that is the grace of God in us! When we truly have the Holy Spirit in us, we have an obligation to uphold that presence. I have been using the idea of the Creator of the Universe for the rest of this week. Needless to say, I was inspired.

3. When we have God in us, it is enough. I watched The Wizard of Oz for the first time since my childhood this week. I had forgotten that the main focus of the movie is that all the characters need to realize that the one thing they long for most is the thing they already actually have. The Scarecrow is the one to have the problem-solving ideas. The Tin Man sheds the most tears. The Lion stands up to the bad guys. Dorothy realizes, “There is no place like home.”

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we also accept the peace that is no place like home. For those who rely on material things to feel better, the idea that faith in the unseen being all you need may seem impractical or impossible, but this peace is what helps those people you see stay steady in the roughest of waters.

Claiming God and living God should be one and the same. And when you look for random acts of the Spirit in the week ahead, you’ll find that you will be more likely to shine His light and chase away the shadows.

Christian Living, Faith

Why Blessings Trump Happiness

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Ramona Levacy Billingslea

The gospel music sister act, Mary Mary, has a hit song titled “Go Get It” that is all about being your time to claim the blessings which are promised to those who believe. The chorus proclaims:

Go get it, Go Get it, Go get it, Go get it, Go get it
Go get yo blessing
Go get it, Go get it, Go get it, Go get it, Go get it, Go get it
It’s yo time, it’s yo time, it’s yo time, it’s yo time

At first, you may think, why do I have to go get my blessing? Isn’t it coming to me from God? But this response to the song’s command would make the mistake of confusing the concept of blessing with happiness.

Happiness is a particularly modern invention. If you were to go back even two generations to your grandparents’ day (assuming you’re 40+ reading this), you might even get a strange look for an answer if you asked about happiness.

It is easy to fall into the trap of equating happiness with things, especially in the consumer-driven world in which we Americans live. But then, we have done the exact opposite to what Christ admonished us to do, for wealth of things on this earth is treasure stored that perishes, rather than the treasures of heaven which we really should be seeking.

More than one good sermon I’ve heard in recent years hinges on the spiritual truth that God is not concerned with our happiness. Instead, God has His priorities set upon our claiming of His blessings.

In order to wrap my mind around the difference between happiness and blessings, I began by pulling out my Nave’s Topical Bible. In it, I found more than 700 verses that relate to God’s blessings, under such categories as:

Responsive blessings of the Law
Divine, contingent upon obedience
Spiritual, from God
Temporal, from God
Temporal, from God exemplified

As I began reading through these verses early this morning, I was immediately struck by a pattern to them that basically boils down to this:

For those who follow the commands of our loving God, whatever we have will always be enough, whether we be overflowing with goods or sick and destitute. For those who ignore the invitation of that same loving God, even the greatest wealth of the land will never be enough.

What does enough look like when we are believers in Christ? I believe it looks like “the peace that surpasses understanding” (Philippians 4:7), like the mother who has lost her only child but can find the strength to praise God for the years with which He blessed her with a soul that was always God’s to begin with, like the messenger of the Word who can be spat upon, beaten, abused and turn the other cheek for His name’s sake, like the person suffering from the chemical imbalance of depression who makes herself get up on Sunday morning and worship a God whose purpose is beyond her understanding but to be believed.

So, since designer handbags only lead us down the yellow brick road to a wrinkled old man behind a curtain, the ultimate illusion, it makes sense to seek God’s blessings instead of the commercialized message of happiness.

I heard a sermon this week by Rick Atchley of the Hills Church of Christ in which he encouraged his listeners to repeat the phrase: God is “awe-full.” Worried? Tired? Sick? Think about God’s awe-fullness, and you will begin to feel better. Christ promised us, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).

Blessing means being in a place where whatever you have is enough because you have the promise of God. The peace that comes with putting God first by loving Jesus and doing what Jesus told us to do is so filling that whatever we have on this earth is enough.

On the flip side, without God and His peace, you can be the richest person on the planet and still it won’t be enough.

Blessing equals FULLNESS. And Christ wants us to live life to the full (John 10:10).

Christian Living, Faith

The Hero, Re-defined

Posted on April 27, 2014 by Ramona Levacy Billingslea

Believe it or not, I’m walking on air. I never thought I could feel so free. Flying away on a wing and a prayer. Who could it be? Believe it or not, it’s just me. —The Greatest American Hero theme song

If you are old enough, you remember the short-lived series starring William Katt and Connie Selleca from the early 80s, about a kind-hearted high school teacher who reluctantly becomes a super hero who gets sucked into helping out the government catch bad guys. “Ralph” is a sweet guy who discovers an alien suit that gives him super powers he can barely understand. When he is matched up with special agent Maxwell, played by Robert Culp, Ralph faces a series of bad guys.

Ralph wasn’t born to beating bad guys. In fact, he is known to even apologize for having to knock a few of them out! He cares about his students, struggles to juggle his new duties with the time he needs to do his day job and maintain his relationship with his lovely girlfriend, played by the beautiful Connie Selleca, and gets into philosophical arguments with his foil, Maxwell.

We Americans tend to like more forceful heroes. We want the Marvel Avengers, flawed characters who nonetheless wind up beating all the bad guys, even if they get a little banged up in the process. We like our heroes to be the strong, silent type, like the archetypal image of John Wayne as he stands outside the house framed within the doorway, alone, at the end of The Searchers.

I was reading the book of Acts this week, and I was struck by a particular incident with Paul where he seemed to me to be more like our American version of the tough, ultimately triumphant hero who “takes out” his enemies before they know what has hit them. Paul is in Jerusalem, and the crowd he gathers gets stirred up, especially when he says that he has been called to witness to Gentiles.

The crowd becomes so stirred up, that the Roman contingent actually takes Paul into custody, assuming that he is beginning a riot:

As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” (Acts 22:23-25)

Immediately, the centurion pulls back and calls his commander, who is horrified to discover he has come so close to punishing a Roman citizen without first giving him the proper hearing according to Roman law. As I read this passage, I was struck by the kind of “cool customer” Paul was. He didn’t start yelling about his citizenship as soon as the soldiers laid hands on him. Instead, he waited until he was fully stretched out, and then he calmly asks them about flogging a Roman citizen!

Of course, why am I surprised that Paul would act this way? He was, after all, a man with enough courage to admit his mistakes in persecuting the Way in the first place, with the courage to go to Peter and ask for permission to preach the Word, a man who began each visit to a new city by preaching in the synagogue, the one place he would least likely be accepted.

In these respects, Paul is the kind of hero any American audience can sink its teeth into. But in so many other ways, he exhibits the kind of attributes that Christ wants from all of us, and that we don’t often see in our heroes of the big screen:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)

The same Paul who holds his Roman citizenship close to the vest, only using it when necessary, is the same Paul who thanks God for his afflictions because they bring him closer to the Almighty, the same Paul who uses the years he spends waiting for a proper trial in jail continuing to write letters to the churches he has begun on his mission trips, the same letters we use today in our churches to help us better understand the narrow way that is the walk with Christ.

Christ Himself was not the kind of hero we like to see in the movies, even when He walked the earth. Even John the Baptist, who heralded His coming, wondered why Christ, the Messiah, did not come wielding a great sword and freeing the Jews from the oppression of their Roman overlords:

When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'” (Luke 7:20)

In His answer, Jesus offers an insight into the kind of hero He was always meant to be:

So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.(Luke 7:22)

Love instead of hate, forgiveness instead of revenge, these are the qualities that Christ showed us and that Paul encourages us to cling to if we are to truly live by the Spirit through our belief in Christ.

Our heroes are mostly tough guys and gals who use their muscles and weapons and brains to make villains pay for their bad deeds. But God uses heroes whose weakness shows His strength. Those who wake every day submitting to His will are the meek who shall inherit the earth–the greatest heroes of all.

Christian Living, Christianity

The Art of Grace

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Ramona Levacy Billingslea

In an attempt to find an exercise that will help loosen up my always-tight shoulders, I have recently taken up “swimming.” I put the word in quote marks because I don’t want to offend the true athletes out there who would not call my freestyle flapping in the water actual swimming. I keep meaning to google for tips on how-to or to download Swimming for Dummies, but I’m usually lucky to find time to swim in the first place.

Still, I wasn’t the only one to notice my need for a few pointers. One of the other ladies at the all-female gym where my exercise pool is located obviously also took note because she offered me some unsolicited advice. Because she managed to present that advice in what I thought of at the time as a Southern-lady approach, I was very glad to get it. I put it into practice during my next swim, and I feel like it is helping me do better.

Only later did it occur to me that what I first defined as Southern-lady style might be better described as a truly Christian approach. Because the woman assumed nothing, approached me with gentleness, and offered advice that could only make me better if I were smart enough to use it, I think she taught me more than just a few swimming tips. If I can remember her approach the next time I see an opportunity to share a Biblical truth, I will do much better than just improve my breathing strokes.

Before I dig into what are really just a few, simple steps for approaching a person with a lesson of any sort, but especially on Biblical truth, let’s look at what the Bible says about such instruction:

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted, Paul implores the Galatians (6:1).

Peter writes:

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:15, emphasis added).

Timothy adds:

. . . with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. . .(2 Timothy 2:25).

Christ, the ultimate Teacher, reminds us:

“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3).

In other words, when we are sure that what we wish to approach a person about is a subject that comes from our love for that person and that we are likewise clear on exactly where we stand in relation to that same subject, then we may attempt to approach that person in love with gentleness.

It may go without saying, but I will say it anyway: No process like this should be attempted without prayer and without the support of the Holy Spirit. God is powerful. He can hear our words even before we utter them, and He can answer our prayers before our next heartbeat.

So, here is the promised, practical approach to a Southern-lady style, a Christian style of offering advice or wise words that may or may not have been requested in the first place:

Approach the other person by assuming the very best about that person:
- “You are so much younger than me, I’m sure you got to have lessons for swimming”–was the kind lady’s opening line to me.
Ask for permission to give advice:
- “I had to ask my daughter for advice on how to do the strokes and breathe because all I knew how to do was stay afloat. Would you like me to tell you what she told me?”
Find something good/great to say about the other person as part of your conversation:
- “You have such a nice swimsuit. Where did you get it?”
Close the conversation with the possibility for future communication:
- “It was so nice talking to you. I’m sure I’ll see you here again.”

When you talk to somebody from the heart in this way, with no ulterior motive except a true leading from the Holy Spirit, how can you fail?

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 14:26

Christian Living, Faith

Salvaging the Sacred

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Ramona Levacy Billingslea

Find Your Daily Sacred Space

Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.
― Mother Teresa

Prayer is a sacred act we have a tendency to take for granted in a multitude of ways. Many of us have a bad habit of not turning to prayer unless we are in some kind of trouble. Others of us fail to appreciate the great gift it is to approach the Maker of Heaven and Earth in conversation just as we might speak to a respected friend. Because Christ serves as our High Priest, we always have access to the inner sanctuary of the temple, so to speak. All we have to do is believe, ask, and, as Mother Teresa so eloquently reminds us, to listen.

Unfortunately, our ability to listen is daily challenged by a bombardment of messages and information that is greater than at any other time in human history. From television and internet to cell phones and radios, we are almost never in silence. Unless, we make a concerted effort to find time to be quiet.

The first step to silence is to pick a time in each day when you plan to spend time with just yourself and God. Enter a room or your closet, close the door, turn off the cell. Begin by finding a comfortable position. Take three deep, breaths. Spend the first few moments with God concentrating on clearing your mind. Don’t let thoughts about your To-Do list or the confrontation at work that day get in the way of this moment when you are preparing to speak to the Most Holy of Holies.

The ability to clear one’s mind and be comfortable in our own silence takes practice. Don’t expect to get it right at first. But having with you your two strongest weapons–your faith and your Bible–will certainly help you focus your mind on the things of God and not the things of this world. Ask Him to help you listen. Admit your fears and your hope to Him.

Eventually, you will be able to expand the time you spend in your sacred space. In fact, you will grow to covet the quiet time. You will find there is always something or someone to pray about. You will also find that even just sitting and concentrating on your own breath once you have invited God in can be a holy experience.

But, be ready to check the answers you think you hear from God against what you know He says in His word. Ask your spiritual advisors for confirmation of what you think you have heard. Remember that our human hearts are known as “the great deceivers” for a reason. Often, the truth God needs us to see is initially painful, but it always leads to a better us, to the healing that is the promise of Christ’s love for us.

The power of prayer is meant to be shared

Finally, remember that, as your ability to find the sacred places in your own heart and day increase, you are duty-bound to share what you have learned with others. Sacred spaces are even more sacred when we learn together to be still and listen for God:

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them, Christ tells us in Matthew 18:20.

The family that prays together stays together, isn’t just an old wives’ tale. It is the profound truth of the power of God when we truly let Him into our lives.

So, the next time you prepare to pray, take a moment or two to remember the value of the privilege it is that we Christians can speak, speak, to the One and Only in full knowledge that He is listening to us and that the One who died for us is sitting at His right hand to intervene on our behalf. Now, that is a sacred truth worth feeling from the top of our heads to the tips of our toes.

Be on the lookout for the sacred this week. Make time in your day for it. All you need do is ask.

Christian Fiction, Christian Living

A Name In Lights or In the Light?

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Ramona Levacy Billingslea

Broadway — Only by losing the self do we truly see our “names in lights.”

I don’t mind if you have something nice to say about me . . . . I want to leave a legacy.

Nichole Nordeman’s song, “Legacy,” explores the concept that God’s idea of success is not the world’s idea of success. Being a fan and knowing the depth of her writing, I can well imagine that this piece is as much a warning to Nichole herself as it is to the listener, for in it, she expresses her great desire to shine the Light of God instead of her own light:

I won’t lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an ‘Atta boy’ or ‘Atta girl’
But in the end I’d like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world.

The legacy Nichole defines in the remainder of the song is very specific: choosing love, pointing to God so that His mark is left on the good she does, leaving offerings out of her abundance, living mercy and grace, and praising God without worrying about what others might think about her. In other words, Nichole defines legacy as a true life lived in Christ, being so committed to shining His light, that our ego or pride gets pushed aside so that God always comes first.

At first, living this way may seem like we have placed our ego on a chair, waiting for an outing that will never happen again. Our egos feel deflated and cast aside. But, at the same time, when we see our egos laid out in this way, we see them for the pathetic things they are. For, what is more lonely than a ball gown and an empty pair of slippers, lying like the promise of something that will never really be as wonderful as one might have imagined?

When we empty ourselves of ourselves, we make room for Love, for the Holy Spirit to fill us and shine for others in a world of darkness. We are calm, strong, patient, merciful, and we always know peace.

This putting aside of the ego is a hard, life-long practice, however. It takes discipline to face each day knowing you plan to pay attention to your inner thoughts, your words, your actions. What motivates you? What does your self-talk revolve around? Are you concerned about being right because it makes you feel better, or are you looking out for what is the rightness of God’s truth, which begins with love and compassion?

Working on my writing is also an act of fighting the ego. I must constantly hold myself to a standard that seeks to shine the right kind of Light. If all I want is to see my name in lights, i.e. write the “great American novel,” then I am no better than any other humanist who has attempted to make herself feel better about herself because somehow I have couched my endeavors in the lingo of making the world a better place. But, if I really believe that God has given me a certain ability with words in order to serve Him, then I have to keep praying that my ego doesn’t get in the way of the messages He wants me to send.

I also have to fight the desire to hole myself up in a corner and write all the time instead of doing some of the other things that a life in Christ requires. Love, mercy, patience, and offerings are not exactly accomplished through written words on the internet or in a book. Balancing the talents God gives us to work for His good is a daily act of saying no to the ego so that our choices are based on God’s needs (which is most often the needs of others) instead of our own wants.

Nichole sums it up best:

Just want to hear instead, “well done, good and faithful one;”
No, I don’t mind if you have something nice to say about me.

Christian Fiction, Christian Living, Christianity

Thoughts on Receiving

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Ramona Levacy Billingslea

The old saying, “give as good as you get,” isn’t exactly a Christian one. It implies taking retribution into our own hands, not allowing God to be the one who metes out justice. Secondly, it is the complete opposite of the Golden Rule, totally denying the thing that matters most, which is love.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love,” Paul tells us. “But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

But I was reminded recently not only of the importance of giving love to others, but of being a good receiver of love as well. For some of us, it is harder to be a receiver than a giver. Whether we are like Martha, so caught up in the details of the thing that we forget the main reason we gathered in the first place, or are just so addicted to control that we don’t think anything can be done right unless we are on top of it, we fail to open our arms and release that control long enough to receive the help or encouragement or compliments that other people are trying to give us.

My most recent reminders about the blessing of receiving have come in the form of well wishes from those who know me well and have heard about my recent troubles with my oldest cat. Unfortunately, I had to take her to her last vet visit a week ago. That, if you haven’t already experienced a similar situation, is a rough thing to do.

Fortunately for me, I am surrounded by understanding people who have sympathized with my sorrow. One of my friends even got me a beautiful flower arrangement! Feeling God’s love through the kindness of these people has been a real blessing that makes me want to reach out to others as well.

Another reminder about being open to God’s love and the love of others came in the form of taking the time to actually stick around after my exercise class to talk to the other people who had come to class. Before class, I had had an up and down day. By the time class came around, I was mostly on the down side of things. When class was over, I was my usual tired, sweaty self. But, then the magic began to happen.

First, I saw a person who used to be on the same workout schedule as me but that I had not seen for some time. When she asked how I had been, I decided to share a little more than just the usual, “OK.” Then, another classmate took up the conversation with me and asked me to sit down. I started to listen more than talk as this person filled me in on some of the challenges she had faced throughout her life, recurring dental problems that were really crazy. As I continued to listen more than I talked, I was impressed by her upbeat attitude despite her extraordinary challenges. By the time I left the workout center, I was feeling more upbeat just because I had had the chance to listen to what this woman had had to say and how positive she was about the challenges she was facing.

The only thing I wish I had done was take a moment to thank my workout “friend” for sharing. I hope that she received as much from giving as I did from receiving.

God has so much He is willing to give to us. How often do we fail to receive, even from Him? David is a perfect example of one who understood the importance of being a good receiver. Over and over in his psalms, he implores God to bless him with forgiveness, escape from his enemies, or just peace. He thanks God in advance for the gifts David is sure God will give, even to those who don’t deserve it, especially since none of us deserve it. And David is bountiful in his praise of God, exhalting God’s goodness and power and love for us.

If we could only see ourselves through God’s eyes, the bare truth of all our sin and all the love He has for us anyway, how much better would we be at extending love to everyone else around us? None of us are free of mistakes. We all deserve the same chance to repent, to build our faith, to give and receive love that we give ourselves all the time. Why can’t we just extend it to everyone else?

Maybe it begins with being more open to receiving the love that is offered to us, especially the love that God offers. The better we are at receiving, the better we’re going to get at giving love, not just to God, but especially to those around us. What a wonderful way to shine His light!

And speaking of shining His light, I found out yesterday that the two novels I donated to my local library finally finished the review process and are on the shelves! One of them was even checked out. Since I am trying to write the kind of fiction that helps readers build a stronger relationship with God, I am so excited that I was able to make my books available to people in this way. Now, God can do the work He intends to do with my writing, whether it be a lot or a little, in people’s lives.

Thank YOU so much for taking the time to read my blog and help me in my quest to share God’s love with others. It is so much better to be writing to a live audience than feeling like the tree falling in an empty forest, wondering if it makes a sound.

Christian Living, Love

The Challenges of Abundance

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Ramona Levacy Billingslea

When I was still in junior high school, my sister and I asked our grandmother about what it was like when she finally had things like vacuum cleaners and washing machines to use in her household chores. Had the new gadgets made life easier?

Without batting an eye, my grandmother, who had grown up the daughter of a sharecropper in East Texas during the Depression, lived in one-room houses with packed-dirt floors, and raided pack-rat nests for pecans to sell to the grocer for thread, gave us a quick and emphatic, “NO.”

Instead of reducing her workload, the advent of these electric aids to housework only gave my grandmother more to do!

Today, smartphones are supposed to make our lives easier as well. But, if you are like me, you know that a device that allows you to easily take a phone, email, internet connection, banking interface, social network, endless library, and gaming center wherever you go doesn’t simplify anything at all.

I have finally “smartened up” and put a hiatus on my electric devices after a certain point in the evening (unless I am writing my blog or a novel, of course) in an attempt to reduce the constant strain on my neck. With increased access to everywhere, I am also experiencing increased and unceasing stress!

Our consumer-driven society has given us an addiction to abundance that makes us less likely to slow down, be still, and feel the power of God around us. The challenge of balancing work, family-life, friendships, responsibilities and relaxation may just be the major crisis of our century.

But there is another kind of abundance that brings with it a different set of challenges. I’ll tell you right up front that I like these challenges much better.

The abundance I am talking about is the love of God for us, a love so great that Jesus died for us, accepting the punishment for all our sins when He Himself had done nothing to deserve punishment, so that we might have a chance to accept Him as our Savior and thus achieve salvation.

Christ’s love for us is an abundance that we must be willing to accept with the faith of a small child, and that we should desire to share with others. Christ’s love is a way of being when we interact with it on a daily basis.

How do you meet the challenge of the abundance that comes with a God who loves you so much, He comes to earth in the form of man to be humiliated in the end and crucified for you?

If you really accept this abundance, you will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, as Paul describes it to the Galatians:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).

This abundance of love is something that we humans can so easily take for granted, which means we aren’t as patient with others as we ought to be, we gossip just a little, we watch more television than we spend time in the Word, prayer, fellowship.

In other words, we are very good at proving over and over just how fortunate we are that Jesus was willing to die for us. None of us are perfect. But God’s love for us should make us want to be.

How do we take advantage of the abundance of God’s love? All we have to do is ask:

“Ask and it will be given to you;” Christ tells us, “seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

But we can also practice the disciplines of love: studying God’s word, praying, being still to listen for God’s direction, being in fellowship with other believers who can help us be accountable to God’s truth, paying attention to our actions and repenting of our sins to God.

Abundance can be as bad as it is good, but in the case of God’s love for us, the abundance of the gift of salvation is certainly uphill all the way.

Christian Living

Leaning on Prayer

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Ramona Levacy Billingslea

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

One of my biggest problems is that I seem to be always thinking. Even when I pray, I often have undercurrents of the day running through my head behind the words I am saying out loud to God. If my mind is never still, will I ever really know that He is God?
That leaves me looking for the empty spaces in my brain. I know they are in there. God orders moments of rest for us. He tells us to be still. He spoke to the prophets, not in the whirlwind, but in a whisper. In the quiet places of my mind, I’ll find the message of the Holy Spirit.

But where are my empty spaces? I know where they are not. Not in front of a blaring television or a flashing computer screen. Not gossiping on the telephone or shopping in the mall. Not fretting about chores that need done or stories to write.

There are times and places for all of these things (though some of them should have none of my time at all). But there should be a time in each day when I can be still, stop thinking, concentrate on my breathing and wait for God’s whisper. It will take practice, like all things worthwhile, but in a world full of information and distractions, it is necessary.

I know this to be true because in the last two weeks, I have had so many stressful things going on that I haven’t had time to find any quiet places. Let me correct that. I have let my anxiety rule me instead of following the Bible’s advice to thank God and pray to Him unceasingly.

If you get the opportunity to listen to those who have much practice in prayer, do so in gratitude. Those who pray often have a way of pouring their whole selves into what they have to say to God. They may use Bible verses or quote famous people. But what all of them do is speak truthfully from the heart to a holy God whom they love. The results are eloquent and uplifting.

We have the ability to be uplifting in this way every day, for even our mumblings are understood by God:

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. . . . (Romans 8:26).

I hope to do a better job of leaning on prayer in the coming weeks, beginning with asking for God to help me clean out the clutter in my mind and create some empty spaces for His presence. Have you found your empty spaces lately?