Our women's ministry has been preparing for the Living Proof Simulcast with Beth Moore this weekend. We are very excited and the registration numbers are now over 90 women.
Today I shared these words with the steering team that have been on my mind and heart this week.
I have been reading an e-book by Lisa TerKeurst called Made to Crave. It's an excellent book and I would highly recommend it. Something I read this week has really stuck with me .... Anytime God is up to something good, Satan is right there to try and destroy it. And many times he will use people to accomplish his purpose.
John 15:9-12 says "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now REMAIN (or abide) in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that MY JOY may be in you and that YOUR JOY may be COMPLETE. My command is this: LOVE each other as I have LOVED you."
Ladies, I believe this verse is the key to our success this weekend. In order for us not to let Satan rob us of our the JOY that comes from our FATHER who LOVES us ... we must REMAIN in his love. See he said it 3 times ! That means he wanted to really emphasize the importance of what he is trying to say to us.
Now here is what Lisa had to say about this verse: "We are taught to remain in God's love so that we won't tie our happy (yes, our happy!) to anything but God. So that our joy will be complete. Complete. As in not lacking anything. Complete. As in filled up to the brink with joy no matter if we are wearing our skinny jeans or not. Complete. As in satisfied with a fullness we can't get any other way. ......
Incomplete people are diffcult, demanding, and always in pursuit of that next thing that will surely fill them. Incomplete people think that putting on their skinny jeans will right all their wrongs and fill up all their insecurities. ... Incomplete people are desperate for others to notice them ... The bad news is, we're all incomplete people. The good news is, Jesus loves incomplete people. And he wants us to know we can have complete joy by being secure enough in HIS LOVE to reach out and love other incomplete people."
Incomplete people are complicated and sensitive and messy in their reactions. They have the potential to drain us and make us grumpy. The last thing we went to do when a person throws their incompleteness in our direction is to love them. But what if we dare in that moment to think differently? What if we could be courageous enough to act and react like a COMPLETE person - someone who has HIS JOY in us, sustaining us, and directing us? What if instead of looking at this incomplete person's offense, we cold see the hurt that surely must be behind their messy reaction?
Someone this weekend is going to try and steal your joy and make you feel incomplete as much as they do. Why not ask God to show you right now who needs your words of encouragement? Allow him to reveal that person to you and put them on your heart. Begin even now to pray for that person and to pray for each other as we prepare to minister to the women of Southeast Texas that he leads to us. As they enter the door of our church home, let's put forth our best efforts to help them experience HIS JOY and know what it's like to be COMPLETE in Him. Let's love them as He loves them!
