The Faith Life

The Weight of the Calling: A Reflection on James 3:1

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Every time I read James 3:1, I pause and examine my heart and motives.

I’ve never claimed to be a teacher; I’m not one. I’m merely someone who shares what she learns as she learns it – what God shows me as He helps me understand it.

James 3:1 is a strong warning:

“My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” (KJV)

Most modern translations use the word “teacher” instead of “master,” which is another reason I don’t claim to be a teacher. I’ve certainly not mastered Scripture well enough to teach it!

This verse hits me harder now than it ever has. Reading Rick Renner’s Renner Interpretive Version: James & Jude has given me a deeper understanding of this verse than I anticipated.

The one verse warrants two whole pages in his book. He has a lot to say and it’s all important. For brevity’s sake, I’m limiting myself to sharing just two points here. They’re things we should already know, but still…

There is no room for ego and pride in ministry.
At any level.
Period.

Whether one is a Christian or not, ego and pride are the most common culprits when it comes to desiring labels, titles, and recognition. Actually, let’s get real; they are the culprits. Whether we admit it or not.

Renner writes, “Humility serves as an unmistakable hallmark of any great teacher, and all genuine ‘masters’ have first been mastered by their own submission to truth.”

I saw this humility in action once when a guest minister arrived early and saw us setting up tables in the foyer. He didn’t miss a beat but immediately jumped in to help in spite of our efforts to stop him. He was our special guest! That didn’t matter to him. I wish I could remember exactly what he said as he picked up his end of a table. All I can tell you is that it made a huge impact on us.

Like Jesus did when He washed the disciples’ feet, this man demonstrated true servant leadership. He wasn’t chasing acclaim – he was living his calling with humility. Even those who rarely see him could tell it, and you know God noticed! Because…

God is always watching.

If someone sets themselves up and declares, “I’m a Christian teacher,” they really need to consider the magnitude of their decision. God, who cannot be deceived, sees every word, every motive, everything we hide in our hearts. We may fool man, but we can’t put anything over on God.

James doesn’t pull punches. In the NET this verse reads:

“…because you know that we will be judged more strictly.”

That’s heavy! Imagine James – the brother of Jesus – saying, “If I mess this up God is going to come down on me – HARD.”

But James didn’t write this to scare his readers. He wrote it because he cared. He wanted to protect them from false prophets and teachers; he also wanted to protect them from the self-deception of pride. He was trying to help them count the cost of leadership.

Renner’s notes unpack what it meant, in that culture, to be a teacher, master, or revelator. It required a level of preparation and knowledge that few were willing to pursue – study that took years, even decades. It still requires such effort today.

Do you feel called to the ministry?

Then prepare your heart. Study like never before. Live close to Jesus. And check your pride at the door.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

If you haven’t read it already, you may want to check out my review of the Renner Interpretive Version: James & Jude.

Message Cards: A Simple Way to Witness

Tammy M Cardwell2 Comments

Sunday’s post on tipping and my latest project come together for this one.

As Christians, we have Good News worth sharing, but the thought of stepping out and speaking up can feel overwhelming. Trust me; I get it. I’m a serious introvert (if you’ve never picked up on that) and sharing Jesus used to intimidate me in a big way. But I discovered that it didn’t have to.

A Missed Opportunity and a New Idea
Many years ago, I realized I was missing a golden opportunity. I ate out frequently and wanted to share Jesus with the servers I met but was too shy to speak up. I am a good tipper and I soon decided I needed something I could leave with my tip.

Note:
If you don’t tip well,
you might want to check out my recent post,
Don’t Let a Bad Tip Ruin a Good Witness.

I settled on what I call message cards; I designed and ordered them fairly inexpensively from VistaPrint. My message was simple: “God loves you so much He asked Jesus to die for you. Jesus loves you so much that He did. John 3:16” After some thought, I decided to include my URL so people would have somewhere to go if they had questions. These little cards became a quiet way for me to witness without feeling awkward or pushy.

I prayed that each card would reach at least one person, then I left them with tips, used them as business cards by jotting my number or email on the back, and at one point even stapled dollar bills to a bunch of them and hid them in products in stores – coat pockets, wallets, etc. (I’m not necessarily advising this, but it was fun!)

These little cards were affordable and easy to hand out, but potentially powerful.

Time for an Upgrade
I recently realized my supply was getting low, and also that it was time for a new look. I had an idea of what I wanted them to say, but no design skills, so I turned to someone I trust implicitly: my son Terry, the owner of PixelDripStudio. He’s working on my website redesign, so he knows my branding (which he also created) and my heart.

I scribbled two lines on the back of one of my old cards and told him, “This is what I want to say.” After asking several questions to help refine the idea, he got to work… and he gave me more than I was expecting.

Watching him work was a joy (If you’re a mom, you know), and I’m proud to be able to share what he created. As silly as it sounds, I’m particularly delighted with the gloss accents! You’ll see them better in these two smaller pictures.

My message is two-fold.

1. John 3:16 is Personal
Yes, God sent Jesus “for the world” but, specifically, He sent Jesus for you. He was thinking of you when He asked His Son to become one of us, to live without sin, to show us how to live, then to give His life – knowing exactly who He was dying for.

…and…

2. Jesus Chose the Cross
Sometimes we gloss over Gethsemane, choosing to pass by the pain, but we shouldn’t. Read Luke 22:41-44 and you’ll see that Jesus was under so much torment in the garden that He sweated drops of blood. (Yes, it’s a real condition! Look up Hematidrosis.) Our Savior knew what was coming, what He would endure. He had every right to back out, but He didn’t. 

“Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.”

He chose the cross. He chose you.

This is the foundation of every piece of encouragement and advice I offer here and in my newsletter. Jesus’ love for us, for you and me, is beyond comprehension. The more I think about what it cost both God and our Lord to free us from bondage to sin the more in awe I am.

The Takeaway
These new cards carry my heart, and my contact information for those who have questions. They present a message that matters and they let me share Jesus without saying a word. 

Evangelism doesn’t have to be scary and hard. It can be as simple as handing someone a card.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Don’t Let a Bad Tip Ruin a Good Witness

Tammy M Cardwell2 Comments

More and more lately, I come across social media reels from non-Americans asking why we do certain things. One common question is, “Why do Americans tip their servers?”

It’s a fair question, especially since it seems we’re the only nation, or one of the few, that does it.

The answer may surprise you.

Here in the U.S., the federal government classifies servers as “tipped employees.” Depending on the state, this means restaurants can pay their servers as little as $2.13 an hour on the assumption that tips will make up the rest of their pay. Yes, really. Tips are the bulk of their income.

That young person who brings out your steak and refills your tea? They literally depend on your tip to help them pay rent.

This is where I pull out my soapbox; as a Christian, this is an issue I feel strongly about.

A Conversation I’ll Never Forget

Several years ago, a devoted Christian friend, one who was also a server at a popular local restaurant, shared something that’s stuck with me ever since.

She told me no one ever wanted to work the Wednesday night closing shift.

Why?

Because every week a large group from a local church would come in minutes before closing. They’d order big meals, linger over their food, make demands long after closing, and then leave without tipping.

Like I said, this wasn’t a one-time thing. It happened week after week.

Everyone at the restaurant knew exactly which church these people came from, and that church’s reputation took a serious hit. Even worse, their bad behavior hurt the reputation of Christians in general.

That was when my friend taught me a phrase I’ve never forgotten: “Church People”

It’s what the servers she worked with called “Christians” who showed up with entitled attitudes and left no tips. Some even “preached” to their servers about Jesus, but they didn’t act much like Him.

A Higher Standard

The world will do what the world is going to do. I get it.

But Christians are called to a higher standard.

When I hear someone who claims to follow Jesus say, “I only tip if I get exceptional service,” it makes my stomach turn. It’s a good thing God doesn’t hand out grace using that standard!

If we want others to see Jesus in us, we must walk like Him. We should be the kindest, most generous, most appreciative customers in the building.

Yes, even if the service is slow.

Even if the food isn’t great.

Even if we’re hangry.

It is possible to deal with issues in love rather than entitlement.

Because our witness isn’t just about the right religious words coming out of our mouths. It’s about how we treat people, all people.

So… Please…

If you’re going to be rude and demanding…

If you’re going to skip the tip…

Don’t tell your server you’re a Christian.

Don’t write a Bible verse on the receipt.

Don’t wear your Christian t-shirt to the restaurant.

Don’t ruin your witness over a few dollars.

Let’s do better.

Let’s not be known as “church people,” but as people who show the love of Jesus one generous tip at a time.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Tip Challenge:
The next time you eat out, leave your server an extra generous tip just because you can,
and say a prayer for them as you lay it on the table.

Wake up, Church! The Alarm Has Already Sounded

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Imagine you’re the boss of a large company and one day while walking around the jobsite you discover some of your employees asleep. Perhaps you’re a merciful person and, after waking them up and warning them not to repeat the offense, you move on.

But they don’t stop taking naps while they’re supposed to be working.

Someone else catches them at it again, sleeping right out in the open as if it were perfectly acceptable and they had no reason to be concerned about anything. But once more they get off with a warning.

Then a day comes when something goes wrong in their area and a raging fire breaks out. Perhaps it happens because of their inattention, perhaps not. Regardless, they’re so sound asleep they never hear any alarms, never have a clue until it’s too late, and they perish.

Because they were asleep.

Does it sound like something from a movie script? Maybe, but I’m sure similar things have occurred. Probably more than once. If, like me, you happen to live surrounded by chemical plants, you know what I mean. I’ve heard stories all my life.

I was thinking about one such story this morning and, as He often does, the Holy Spirit led me in a spiritual direction. Consider the same scenario…not in a company, but in the Church.

I thought about those sleeping employees and how they had been lulled into complacency. I mean, if you’re obviously sleeping on the job and not trying to hide it, you must feel like such behavior is ok. Why? Who did you see doing the same thing? Have you convinced yourself you’re above the rules? Or have you just stopped paying attention?

The truth is, we see the very same thing happening in the Church today. I’m not talking about sleeping in the pews; yes, this happens but is nowhere near as dangerous as what I’m referring to. I’m talking about the large percentage of the Church that has been lulled into complacency and is asleep on the job.

How many think they’ve “got it covered” just because they showed up? They fill their pews on Sunday morning and believe that’s good enough. But it’s not!

Romans 13:11 (NKJV) warns us,

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

In Revelation 3:1-3, to the church at Sardis Jesus says,

“…I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead… Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain…”

And in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 we see the clear warning,

“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

Complacency is from the devil. I mean that literally. God leads us in peace. The devil can’t copy peace. The closest he can get is complacency, and he uses it skillfully. He distracts the Christian from what he needs to be doing, encourages him to get comfortable, and drapes a shroud of complacency over him to lull him to sleep.

When I had that thought this morning, alarm bells went off: The Ten Virgins!

In sharing this parable in Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus made it clear that we can’t be complacent. In verse 13, He says,

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Unlike the five foolish virgins, we must be prepared so that we’re ready to move the instant we hear the alarm. The consequences of failure in the parable were huge to those women.

And they can be huge to us.

The parable of the ten virgins has long been thought to be a reference to the Rapture of the Church, a warning that we must stay prepared if we don’t want to miss that call. Those who study End Time prophecy are well aware that Jesus’ return is unimaginably close, especially given the most recent events in the Middle East.

Don’t let the devil drape you in complacency. Put on the cloak of a warrior and stand up. Keep your eyes on our Lord and go where He leads.

Stay in the Word, stay in prayer, and keep sharing Jesus with everyone you can. Pray for the salvation of those around you. Yes, even pray for your enemies. God doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell, and neither should we.

2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise… but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

1 Timothy 2:3-4

“…God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Don’t let complacency be your downfall.
Stay awake. Stay prepared. Stay in step with the Spirit.
The time is short – and Eternity doesn’t wait.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Hard-Fought Hallelujah: Choosing Praise in Pain

Tammy M Cardwell4 Comments

The first time I heard these words…

I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt been-through-hell hallelujah
And I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail story-to-tell hallelujah, oh, oh
‘Cause God, You’ve been patient 
God, You’ve been gracious, faithful, whatever I’m feeling or facing
So, I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt it-is-well hallelujah

I knew I was hearing a song that spoke to my life, perhaps more deeply than any other. Brandon Lake’s Hard Fought Hallelujah has touched countless hearts, but in that first listening I felt heard – in a way I’m not sure I ever had before.

If you know me, you know I’ve been there!
During some of the darkest days of our marriage – when I knew that, as soon as we got home from church, he would head out to meet the other woman – choosing to worship God with the congregation gave me strength to breathe, to keep standing, to keep showing up.

Once, when one of my sons was heading in a completely wrong direction and I was alone in the house with the pain, I cranked up the worship and poured my heart out to God.
That was my, “storm-tossed, torn-sail story to tell hallelujah.”
And it got me through.

Here’s the thing.
Thanksgiving, praise, and worship aren’t just for the good times. Anyone can offer up a “thank God” when something goes their way. Unbelievers do it all the time. But when you offer up a hallelujah while walking through hell barefoot in the dark? That’s different.

That kind of worship releases something powerful.
Choosing to worship God not because of what we see, but because of Who He is transforms us.
It alters how we see Him.
It alters how we see the storm.
It deepens our relationship with The One who is always there.

Does the storm leave? Maybe. Maybe not. But we rise above it regardless.

I encourage you:
Bring it!
No matter where you are, no matter what you’re walking through today – bring God your hallelujah!
Let your worship be more than a song. Make it your lifestyle.

If you’ve not heard the song for yourself, you can watch Brandon Lake sing it with Jelly Roll on YouTube.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

PS: Here is an eye-opening video of Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll being interviewed by KLove.

The Breath of Heaven: Lessons From the Deep

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Image Copyright Clarissa Pardue

Ever think about how a creature that lives its entire life in water can drown…or suffocate?

Like us, whales and dolphins must breathe air, which of course requires rising to the surface. Unlike us, they have a voluntary respiratory system. Some part of their brain must always be on the alert to prepare for and trigger each breath. It’s fascinating, really. I did a “quick” web search that turned into a deep dive into what it means to be a marine mammal and how, even when they’re sleeping, part of the brain is always alert to what’s going on around them. These amazing creatures are constantly aware of any potential dangers as well as the state of their own bodies.

Studies have shown that when a bottlenose dolphin sleeps, half of its brain sleeps while the eye on that side is “awake.” You’ve heard the expression “sleeping with one eye open”? This is it, literally. I tell you, the more you think about it, the more you study, the more fascinating it gets; and as usual my reading opened my spiritual eyes. I came here to post, because I’ve realized something: Marine mammals live their whole lives in water but, in a sense, they are not of the water.

Did that sentence trigger a memory? How many times have I heard it said that we are “in this world, but not of it”? Too many to count, for sure. John 17:14-16 makes it clear that this is not our home; we do not belong to this world. With that in mind, the more I think about whales and dolphins the more I see those of us who believe reflected in the way God designed them. They paint a beautiful picture of what it means to not just live but thrive in a place you’re not ultimately made for.

We were created to spend eternity with Him; this life is merely a training ground, our opportunity to get a taste of, and prepare for, what’s to come.

We are so much like these animals. Spiritual speaking, we too must be conscious about our very breath. It takes intentional effort to get into God’s presence, to receive the breath of the Holy Spirit. We must live ever aware of our spiritual condition, where we are in our walk with God. If we dive too deeply into the world, drawing further away from Him, we can be like a dolphin that gets disoriented and fails to surface. That way leads to death for the dolphin and spiritual death for us.

While we live here, hopefully thriving and reproducing – drawing others to Christ, we must remember that we were created for a different life, one where we dwell constantly in His presence. In the here and now, sensitivity to what is going on around us, the company we keep, the examples we set, and where we are in our relationship with God… These are necessities we cannot ignore.

May we live like these glorious creatures – with our spiritual eyes wide open and regularly rising into His presence where we can inhale the breath of Heaven.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

The Bondservant’s Choice: A Deeper Look at Commitment to Christ

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Many years ago, when it first became fashionable for men to get ear piercings, I was told it was an ungodly practice because, “In the Bible, only slaves got their ears pierced.” I don’t remember having had an opinion one way or the other at that point, but once the Bible had been brought into the conversation so definitely, I decided to check it out for myself. What I found was truly fascinating.

This person was correct about the piercing of the ear marking someone as a slave, but their surface level interpretation was lacking. In Exodus 21:2-6 we learn what it meant to become a permanent slave or bondservant. One who had worked his full six years as a slave would be set free in the seventh year. However, if this man loved his master and wanted to continue serving him permanently, he could choose to do so. When he did, he was taken before the judges to testify to his wish and then his ear was pierced as a permanent mark of his freewill choice.

So yes, his ear was pierced to mark him as a slave or bondservant, but it was by choice and a decision made out of love for someone he wanted to devote his life to. This all reminded me of New Testament authors referring to themselves as slaves or bondservants of Jesus Christ. Thinking back to the person’s statement, I had to laugh because, by their reasoning, every man who has genuinely committed to serve Jesus should be required to get his ear pierced.

No, I did not seek them out to correct their wrong assumption. It seemed pointless.

So fast forward to today, or recently when I began reading from Rick Renner’s new offering, the Renner Interpretive Version: James & Jude. If you’re unfamiliar with Renner and this first step towards a complete Renner Interpretive Version of the New Testament, know that this man has a firm grasp not only on the Koine Greek, but on the cultural significance and application of the original language. Where I could technically look up the Greek word and its literal meaning, Rick Renner’s knowledge goes deeper, into how the original reader would have received the words.

So let’s look at the first part of James 1:1.
In the King James, it reads, “James, a servant of God…” But in the RIV we get…

I am James, first, foremost, and forever a completely committed, lifelong servant of God. As is the case with all such servants, this means my life is dedicated exclusively to doing His will and to faithfully carrying out any assignment He will ever entrust to me.

I only thought I understood what it meant to be a bondservant when I read Exodus 21 all those years ago. I mean, I did understand it in a sense. Everything James says here is included in what I had learned intellectually. I knew it was the servant’s choice. I knew it was a lifelong commitment. I also knew such a servant had one primary purpose in life, and that was to fulfill the will of his master. Seeing it expressed in such a new way, however, and from James, who didn’t believe his brother’s claims until after the Resurrection, hit me firmly in the heart. Can I say the same? Could I honestly speak the words James penned?

I’ve maintained for years that for a man to call himself a Christian while living a life that is not truly dedicated to Christ is a violation of the commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” Looking at Christianity in light of the way this version presents this verse makes my conviction even stronger. Let’s break it down.

first, foremost, and forever

Is my commitment to God, to Jesus, the first thing I think about? Is it always foremost in my mind, and what inspires all my actions? Is it unconditionally forever? Absolutely yes to the last question; I’m in this for eternity! However, I must really examine myself when it comes to “first and foremost.” I say God is my #1 and He is, but I would be lying if I implied that my flesh doesn’t rise up on occasion, that self never demands to be first in line. Unfortunately, I’m not perfect and I battle self on an ongoing basis. When I lose the battle what do I do? Repent, and determine to do better next time.

a completely committed, lifelong servant of God

I am committed. I am completely committed to squash self and the flesh. I sometimes fail, but the commitment is there, and it is eternal. As we’ve already established, my heart is set to serve God throughout this life and forever.

Next he goes deeper. “As is the case with all such servants,” he says, “this means…”

my life is dedicated exclusively to doing His will

Here we go. All bondservants choose in advance to dedicate their lives to doing the will of their master and only the will of their master. There is no picking and choosing. I can’t say, “God, that other thing you told me to do? I am all in on that, but please don’t expect me to do this!” Well, I can say it. In fact, I have said it during some of our honest and occasionally gut-wrenching conversations. It’s at times like this that I truly appreciate the fatherhood of God, because He has an ability to be loving and merciful while also being decisive and firm that earthly fathers could really learn from. Generally, He sets me right and, when I obey, I see joy in that obedience. When I don’t obey, that’s when He calls me to repentance and, occasionally, gives me an opportunity to make things right. (At other times, I have to face the natural consequences of my disobedience, but that’s a topic for another day.)

and to faithfully carrying out any assignment He will ever entrust to me

I really appreciate the way this is phrased, because it reiterates the fact that I made the decision in advance when I chose to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. As my Lord, He has the right to give me any assignment, to tell me to do anything. As one who has, of my own free will, accepted His lordship, I have the responsibility to do anything He ever asks of me at any point today or in the future. In thinking about this, I’m reminded of Abraham’s reaction when God told him to go to the mountain and offer Isaac up as a sacrifice. Talk about a stomach-churning command! But Abraham had already established his relationship with God and wasn’t about to disobey. God, of course, provided the substitute sacrifice once Abraham demonstrated his commitment – and this proved to be a foreshadowing of what would transpire later at Calvary. What would have happened if Abraham had refused?

So yes, I too am a servant of God, a bondservant of Jesus Christ. An imperfect servant? Oh yeah, but I strive to keep my heart right at all times and I look forward to an eternity of carrying out any assignment He will ever entrust to me.

What about you?

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

You may wish to read my review of the Renner Interpretive Version: James & Jude.

Review: Renner Interpretive Version: James & Jude 

Faith as Precious as Peter’s: Embracing Your Spiritual Value

Tammy M Cardwell2 Comments

Timing is so interesting.

I make the anointing oil we sell in the church coffee shop. I’ve been making it myself because every oil I considered carrying retailed for more than I felt comfortable charging. Also, as I researched, I found myself wondering how most of the oils were made. By that I mean, were they simply another commercial product? Were they even prayed over?

My conclusion was that the only way I would be satisfied was if I took on the project myself. Then I could control the blending, the decanting, and how each bottle would be handled through the whole process. Yes, obviously this includes a lot of prayer, and usually worship.

Recently, someone was looking at our oils and asked me who anointed them, was it the pastor or intercessors or… I took the question to mean, “Who prayed over them?” and I explained what I’ve just told you. She seemed…less than satisfied.

She didn’t know who I was, of course, but apparently someone with an unknown title was questionable. At least that’s what I got from her withdrawal, and her reaction made me sad.

The sadness wasn’t because she doubted me; that’s no big deal. I was disappointed because she apparently believed you have to be “somebody” to qualify to pray over oil that will be used for anointing. That sort of assumption is dangerous. Too often, we fail to understand who we are in Christ Jesus, and that failure can really hold us back.

Which brings me to why I say timing is interesting. Shortly after that brief encounter I read 2 Peter, and in chapter 1, verse 1, Peter addresses his readers as those who “have been granted a faith just as precious as ours.” He’s serious, and he’s right.

Peter walked with Jesus and was one of those closest to Him throughout His ministry. He has worked for decades to help the Church grow and mature; at this point he is in prison and God has already told him he will die soon. Yes, his faith is precious, but in what is apparently his last letter he particularly wants his readers to understand that their faith is every bit as precious as his.

So is the faith of all those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. You don’t have to be “somebody” for your faith to have value. It was the first batch of oil I made that was used to teach me this truth. I had taken it to someone whose faith I know to be great and asked her to pray over it. She agreed to pray but also assured me that I could pray over it myself, that I was every bit as prepared as she was for the task. Until that moment, it had never occurred to me that I was “qualified.”

You don’t have to be “somebody” for your faith to have value. You have value as a child of the Most High God and you are very much somebody in the ways that truly matter. So don’t limit yourself. Do you make your own anointing oil? Pray over it. Do you write worship music? Use it to worship, both alone and with others. Does Holy Spirit teach you as you read the Word? If what you learn excites you, it may excite your friends as well. Share it!

Your faith, dear Christian, is just as precious as that of the Apostle Peter. Never discount what God has done in you.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

True Humility: Casting Your Cares as an Act of Trust

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

I love it when the Word of God catches me off guard, when a single word or phrase causes me to stop and ask, “Wait… What?”

Walk with me through 1 Peter 5:6-7 in the NET, which is the translation I’m reading from today.

And God will exalt you in due time

We see this promise and others like it many times in the Word. Psalm 91 offers another great reminder in verse 15 where God says, “I will rescue them and bring them honor.” We are grateful to know that we will see this happen in due time, but when is our due time? Well, the sentence isn’t finished yet. As is common with God’s promises, there are conditions. In this case…

if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand

Ah. There it is. That little word, “if,” followed by that big phrase, “humble yourselves.” Seriously, we humans have a hard time with humility, which isn’t surprising when you consider that the devil’s sin is pride. If he fell for it, so can we. And we do. I mean, have you ever caught yourself being proud of how humble you were and then abruptly realized, “Um… Well… Maybe I still have some work to do here”? I have. It’s been a while, but I have. 

To continue…

So far so good, right? It’s not news that God demands humility. If I were to start tossing out passages that address this specific issue you’d stop reading before I was done; there are that many. It was the next word that really caught my attention this time, the word that had me reading what follows very carefully. The word is “by.”

by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.

Yes, here we are at a verse fragment we’ve all heard repeatedly. “Listen, dear Christian, cast all your cares on him because he cares for you!”

But are we really paying attention to what Peter is saying here, or are we repeating a cliche that has become too familiar to affect us anymore? This verse isn’t merely about us turning all our cares over to God, which sounds easy when we all know it’s usually not. No, this is about much more.

Read 1 Peter 5:6-7 again, slowly.

And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.

We humble ourselves BY giving God all our cares, everything that has us concerned, tied up in knots, or scared half out of our minds. This isn’t merely a pleasant-sounding platitude: It’s a command, and if we want what Peter mentions at the beginning of verse 6 we’d best be on the mark by the end of verse 7.

We must humble ourselves under God’s hand. How do we do it? By giving all our cares over to Him and trusting Him to deal with them. This trust both requires humility and inspires humility. If we insist on hanging onto our cares, not surrendering them to Him, we deny His divinity, His omnipotence, and we demonstrate that we imagine we are more able to handle the things that matter to us than He is.

Don’t get me wrong. If you’ve been around here long at all you know I fight this battle myself. Sometimes I hand my concerns over to Him only to look down and find I’ve somehow drawn them back into my own hands without even realizing it. The key is that I humble myself all over again and throw them back to Him. Yes, I mean throw. That is what “casting” is. It’s sending something away from you with force. It’s crying out, “God, I really don’t want this even if it looks like I do. Please take it back again! I do trust you!” as I chuck it at him and put my figurative hands behind my back.

True trust requires humility, and we prove that we have humbled ourselves (He doesn’t do it for us.) when we entrust all our cares to Him and leave them there. And, when we cast all our cares on Him, we are inevitably humbled by His loving response and faithfulness. It’s a beautiful cycle.

It’s so beautiful that it’s hardly necessary to go back to the first part of verse 6, but of course we will.

And God will exalt you in due time…

Your due time is coming my brother, my sister. I don’t know how or when, but if you do as Peter says you can know God will respond. Just do it. Humble yourself under His hand by trusting Him to handle everything you care about, and your due time will eventually come.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Seeing Beyond the Now: Finding Strength in God’s Promise of Eternity

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

When a baby wants to be fed, he wants it NOW.

When a toddler races for a toy, obstacles that delay him frustrate him.

When a child is put in time out, a moment can feel like a month.

But children grow, and so does their concept of time. While “next year” seems impossibly far away, “tomorrow” eventually becomes acceptable, and then “next week,” “next month,” etc.

As adults, we can excitedly anticipate a vacation six months from now while understanding that we have things to do in the meantime. Depending on what those things are, we may walk through the days so busy that suddenly we look up to see that The Day has arrived. On the other hand, when life is in the process of throwing everything and the kitchen sink at us, we may be back to feeling like the clock has slowed and every moment is a month. Either way, we know that a special day is approaching, and the promise of tomorrow’s vacation empowers us to take each day as it comes.

Second Corinthians 4:17-18 reminds us that this life, even if it’s a life filled with trials and heartache, is nothing compared to eternity. First Peter 1:6 assures us that those “momentary trials” are helping us become the people of faith we are called to be. The more we’re in the Word, meditating on verses like these, and the more we are in fellowship with Him, the greater we understand this truth. Like the growing child who develops an increasingly accurate time sense, so do we who are children of God, as we grow spiritually, develop an increasingly accurate eternal time sense. It is this that makes life bearable even during the bad days (weeks, months, years…).

I explained in my Surviving Narcissism series that this one revelation was what made the difference in my ability to stay with and care for my disabled, narcissistic husband. I realized one day that, when compared to the eternity in which I’ll live, my life here isn’t even ten minutes. While thinking about it like that, I decided I can do anything for ten minutes.

And that’s what I told God. It went something like, “I can do anything for ten minutes, so if You want me here with him until the day I die, I can do it. With You helping me, I can.” If you know my story, you are aware that I outlived him, but with a true revelation of eternity I was able to say those words and mean what I said. Bible teacher TeDese Ross expresses it beautifully:

Hope for the future gives us strength for the present.

So, if you’re living in a world where a moment seems like a month, where hope is hard to come by, I advise you to turn to God and ask Him to give you that same revelation, to help you fully grasp the fact that while your problems and trials seem endless, they – and this life – really are “but for a moment.”

One revelation can change everything!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C