Seek His Face, Not His Hand

All too often, we can allow our lives to become consumed with society’s views, and rely too heavily upon the “quick fix” options to alleviate the pain today’s world has to offer. We can find ourselves constantly seeking out just one little push of the easy button. Maybe you desperately try to avoid the much needed conversation because we can’t bear the confrontation, or at times, we can even tend to look the other way, because coming face to face with reality means we may need to change who we see in the mirror. What happens when your road takes an unexpected turn, or when you continue to find yourself knee deep in the muck? As Christians, our response to every situation greatly depends on from which perspective we chose to look. The foundation of our very faith relies on where we place the focus of our eyes and of our hearts. God does not promise us a life free from trials, but He does promise all of His love, grace, and mercy as you embark on the unfamiliar journey ahead. (Matthew 11 : 28-30)

In John 16:33, Jesus says to the disciples prior to His arrest, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on this earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” As believers, we should expect nothing less than the continuing tensions placed upon us from a world so out of touch with Christ. However, we can also expect our spiritual relationship with Christ to produce abundant amounts of joy, peace, and comfort because we are able to remain in sync with Him by way of The Holy Spirit.

The Gospels record the constant failings, struggles, and doubts the disciples encountered as they grew alongside Christ. A life lived out in faith often involves hard work, persecution, deprivation and deep suffering, yet remain focused on the Resurrection that follows the Crucifixion. As we decide to walk in faith with our Lord, He will time and time again allow us to be tempted, tried, and challenged far beyond what our own abilities are capable of handling. Do not become discouraged my friends, each trial is designed to be evidence of His work in your life for others to see. Moses encountered God through a burning bush in Exodus 3:4, Peter, in the midst of a raging storm walked on water with Christ in Matthew 14: 28-29, and Joshua parted the Jordan River out of trust and obedience to Him as described in Joshua 3. Each one of these experiences built the faith of these men, and the same holds true for what you and I experience through this life.

Author and speaker Os Hillman writes, “God often times allows pain to ignite destiny in our lives. Without motivation, many of us would never fulfill the purposes for which God created us."

The Holy Spirit transformed the disciples into powerful men of God who turned the world upside down. Just like each and every one of us today, they were ordinary people whom God chose to use in extraordinary ways. The key point here my fellow sisters, is not to focus your eyes on His hand of deliverance, because let’s face it; your circumstances may never change. However, keep in mind there is great victory through the pain. Just like the Apostle Paul, we may have been allowed a thorn in our flesh for reasons we may never understand, but rest upon the words God spoke to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” The sole fact that God’s power is displayed in our weaknesses should give us the hope and courage to proceed. It is truly one of the many signs of spiritual maturity when we can rejoice in the hardships and use them as a means of glorifying God. My prayer for all of you today is that you are able to look past the temporary pain of this world, seek God in all of your circumstances and boldly ask Him to help you adjust your lens if needed. Don’t allow yourself to miss an opportunity to see Him.......you never know who may be watching.

1 Chronicles 16:11 “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always”

Stefanie Calens
Writer

Ugly Duck Swan Song

Katy Perry has a song called “Roar” which is somewhat reminiscent of an old Helen Reddy song from the mid-70s called, “I am Woman Hear me Roar.” To which I say – what’s with all this lady roaring stuff?

Me, I’m not much of a roar-er; barely even qualifying for a modest meow. The very suggestion of roaring implies that one must be willing to be confrontational – which I am not.

My pussycat personality is such a huge part of who I am, I was caught completely off guard recently when I responded to an offensive Facebook post with an uncharacteristic roar. A friend of mine had posted a link to a video lambasting the media for objectifying women in magazine ads and commercials. The video highlighted the practice of airbrushing models and celebrities to make them appear thinner, more smooth-skinned and much more cleavage-endowed than they truly are. The common practice of photo-shopping and air-brushing has caused an alarming increase in bulimia and anorexia in young girls and women of all ages who are desperately trying to measure up to these “perfect” images.

The video pointed out that women feel inferior because they can’t compete with these flawless looking women. It also suggested that men are part of the problem oftentimes struggling with commitment issues because their girlfriends and wives don’t measure up to the women in these ads.

My fury was ignited when a man posted a comment on my friend’s Facebook page after watching the video stating: “Not all women are born to be beautiful. That’s obvious.”

I rarely comment on Facebook posts but this man’s statement stirred a pot of emotions bubbling over with righteous indignation on this very sensitive subject. This is a topic that’s close to my heart. As a young girl being made fun of because of my weight or my looks, I carried around that ugly duckling image of myself for many years. Sadly, I’m not alone in this ugly-duckling-syndrome, as many women have been made to feel less-than-beautiful at one time or another.

It wasn’t until I really let myself fall in love with Jesus and allowed myself to accept His love and healing that I was able to see myself as He has always seen me. My Lord sees my heart and my beauty is reflected through His eyes. The more I love Jesus and the more I grasp how wide and deep His love is for me, the more beautiful I become. Jesus thinks I’m beautiful – and what’s more: He thinks YOU are beautiful as well.

For any woman who wrestles with a poor self-image and finds herself constantly struggling with her looks – STOP IT! God doesn’t want us to compare ourselves with anyone else; in fact, He likely is very saddened by our negative self-talk.

We can be transformed from ugly ducklings into beautiful swans if we will stop comparing ourselves to the images we see on television and in magazines. We must start believing God’s Word that says, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!   Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” (Psalm 139:14 NLT)

If anyone should ever dare to say to any of us that “Not all women are born to be beautiful,” we should point out that we are made in the Heavenly Father’s image and we were all born to be beautiful!

I am beautiful and you’re gonna hear me roarrrrrrrr!

Blessings in Christ,
Kathy Kurlin
Author
www.kathleenkurlin.com