Look to Jesus- the story of Greatness

Have  you ever had one of those days where you feel absolutely exhausted and wonder to yourself, where am I going with this?  What is the purpose?  I believe at certain points in our lives many of us think these thoughts.  Maybe not on a daily basis, but instead when we become tired, overwhelmed, or plain exhausted.  There are even times when we think, "forget it!" And we reflect on our priorities only to gain that second wind and press on toward the "finish line".

Recently I heard about some of the heroes in our history.  Men who, despite obstacles, despite the cost to their own health and welfare, persevered and stood where others might fall.  Eric Metaxis, author of Seven men and the Secret of their Greatness, shared the story of two very famous men in our history.  Two men who sacrificed more than we could ever imagine so that we would be the America that we are today.  The first was George Washington.

Now in recent years we've heard that Washington was a slave owner and the argument that, if he was a slave owner, he could not have possibly been a good or great man.  Now don't get me wrong, I am not, nor have I ever been a proponent of slavery. However, we should never diminish a man's contribution to who we are today based on the culture of the time in which he lived.  What we don't hear though is that his views on slavery leaned toward abolition.  As I listened I found it interesting about George Washington was that he was not only tempted to be America's King, but he refused it. Instead he fought for democracy at any cost. He did much for building the infrastructure of the American Government and was even asked to sit for a third term.  Instead he felt that it was time for him to step down.  "Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

His parting words as President were,

The second man that he talked about was Jackie Robinson.  He spent the majority of his major league career playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.  But the sacrifice to get there was far more than any of us could ever imagine.  He is known as the man who broke the racial barrier in major league baseball.  If you have ever heard or read his story, you know that he sacrificed everything.  Not just for himself, but for all others who would come behind him.

What I found most interesting about these two men, and the other 5 written about by Metaxis was that every single one of them spent time on their knees.  Not in weakness, but in strength.  Their strength was in Christ.  Both men knew that there was something greater than themselves.  And both men contributed to the change of our nation.  We may disagree as to what really made them great.  But I believe the secret to their strength was beyond earthly tenacity.  It was faith.

Both men persevered.  Pastor Joyce writes about the secret to their strength.

Look unto Jesus

That the ‘just shall walk by faith’ is not an issue with those who by ‘faith’ have accepted the sacrifice of the Lamb of God to take away their sins and prepare a place in heaven for us.  We are simply challenged to know how to do that on a consistent basis.

The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews is given to provide examples of men and woman as ordinary as we are that have gone before us and completed their course.  In the first two verses of Hebrews 12 we are given the answer, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside ever weight and sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”Hebrews 12:1

When we set aside those things that carry us off the mark of reaching the plans already written for our life we don’t consider them.  We will stumble, and fall but we will get up again because ‘it’s not over’. God will get the glory as we endure to the end (not in our strength but in His); for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has ordained beforehand that we should walk in them.

When we focus our attention on Jesus who places faith in us and makes it complete in us we do not allow our faults and failures to determine our destiny.  Jesus has already done everything we just look at Him we see what He has accomplished in us and keep on going.  We run with patience and one day we will cross the finish line and lay our crowns at His feet giving Him all the praise and glory.

The Spirit of a Mother's Heart

Today I spent a wonderful day being blessed by my husband and my three children.  They adorned me with their time, gifts from the heart.  Each one gave exactly the perfect gift.  Truth be told, the greatest gift of all is hearing their voices and admiring the men and women they have grown up to be.  It is honestly one of my greatest joys.  And even more-

so, to share that with my husband as we have transitioned into the next season of our lives. 

I remember of the years as my family grew and I branched away from home hearing my mom say the very same thing.  I would ask her often what she wanted for mother's day, her birthday, or Christmas.  She never asked for anything but was always grateful for everything we gave her. One day I asked her again what she wanted and her reply was, "nothing, I have everything I ever wanted in you three girls".  

What she taught us over the years was to truly follow the one commandment that comes with a promise.  " Honor your mother and father that your days may be long on the land the Lord your God has given you" Exodus 20:12.  She also taught us to obey our parents which comes from Ephesians 6:1.  Even to this day as I write this, I didn't have to look up the exact words.  I was simply able to quote them. 

What was so beautiful is that she instilled this in us to such an extent that in all that I did I wanted to honor her.  As a matter of fact, the writing of this very blog is just that.  To honor her by publishing her writings.  Today she writes of the Spirit of a Mother's heart. 

The Spirit of a Mother’s Heart by Joyce Wyrostek May 2012

A number of the attributes of the Holy Spirit are seen in and reflected through the interaction between a mother and her child.  When the Holy Spirit resides in the heart of a woman she will nurture her child to be a seeker and lover of God’s own heart.

Isaiah 49:15 begs the question, “Can a mother forget the child whom she has nursed, or not feel compassion for the one she carried in her womb?”  In the same way the Spirit of God gives us life.  He is the breath of God, and the indwelling presence of Jesus Christ.  Without Him we can do nothing but with Him there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

So it is with a mother who encourages her child to be all that they can be; who never loses her attachment to the seed of her womb.  Jesus said He will never leave us nor forsake us but will be with us to the end of the age.  And it is equally present a mother’s heart, it is impossible for her to sever the ties that she feels for her own. 

The enemy would have us believe otherwise for if our mother would abandon us what hope do we have of the Spirit of God lifting us up.  But the Bible says such a thing is impossible; if at any time a child who felt abandoned by a mother would reach out for the mothers love she would freely give it regardless of the breach that may be present between them.

Truth be told, there is nothing, no matter how bad it may seem that will ever be able to separate the love and longing in a mother’s heart for the life of her children.  The Bible says there is nothing fiercer than a bear robbed of her cubs.  Mother’s do not allow for the mistreatment of their children without a fight.  Today is the day to honor the mother who would lay down their life for you.