by Kelli Sanders | Feb 1, 2014 | Encouragement, Faith and Family, Help for Moms, Spiritual Growth
OK ladies, whether you are reading this as my mom, my sister, a friend, a co-worker, or someone I don’t even know – LET’S GET REAL! Let’s think about what we have thought about! Let’s talk about comparison and all of the ways it robs from us when we give it any place in our lives. Have you ever thought something like this…
“She sure seems to have it all together.”
“She lost her baby weight faster than I did.” “She lost her baby weight.”
“She’s such a good cook, I can’t even pull off a good plate of spaghetti!”
“Her skin is so perfect.” “Her house is so nicely decorated, why doesn’t mine look like that?”
“Her boobs are bigger” “Her butt is smaller”
“Her hair is nicer”
“Her kids seem to behave better than mine do.”
“Where does she get all of those designer clothes?”
“Where does she find time to do all of that?”
“Her baby is talking sooner, walking sooner, reading sooner, potty trained sooner than mine is.”
“She’s more spiritual than I am.”
“She prays more, serves more, does more for God.” “She’s a better mom.”
“She’s a better wife.” “She lives a better life.”
“She’s more beautiful.”
“She’s more everything!”
STOP!
Stop the madness! Stop comparing yourselves among yourselves – it is not wise! Now, some of us are better at getting rid of those thoughts when they come, but they come to us all. If you say you’ve never had a thought like that, you need to repent and ask for forgiveness because you’re not being honest with yourself.
WHY do we have these kinds of thoughts? The enemy of our souls would love for us to grab hold of them and allow them to defeat us, discourage us, dis-empower us, and dishearten us. He uses lies to get us in a trap, and the comparison trap is one of his go-to weapons with women!
You are unique, beautiful, amazingly talented, and gifted, and strong! You are perfect – a masterpiece in God’s eyes because He already sees you as a finished work! PLEASE get your daughters if you have them, get your girlfriends and listen to this short video below. Listen to it every morning if you need to and BELIEVE that you are AWESOME!
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by Kelli Sanders | Jan 27, 2014 | Encouragement, Faith and Family, Help for Moms, Spirit Food, Spiritual Growth
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
This is one of my favorite pictures from my time in the Philippines. We held 3 days of meetings on the island of Camiguin off the northern coast of Mindanao. We flooded the area inviting people to come and hear the word of God, and to bring the sick because God is still the Healer today! We would preach salvation, pray with the people to receive Jesus, and then teach about healing and invite them to receive healing for their bodies. This woman came forward for prayer with her dear husband, had hands laid on her, and then came to testify of her healing.
Our pastors encouraged her, as an act of faith, to rise up out of her wheelchair, and to do something that she couldn’t do before (like standing on her legs). Her precious husband looked so terribly concerned for her. I’d even say there was some fear there that she would fall, but she chose to be strong and rise up out of that chair. As she took that step of faith and put weight on her legs, God answered that faith and strengthened her legs enough to bear her weight. Someone on our team happened to capture the heart of that moment in this picture! Glory to God!
Over 30 times we are COMMANDED to be strong in the King James Version of the Bible! We are told to be strong, be courageous, to not be afraid, to “act like men” and fight! We are told to be strong and do the work of the Lord because He will not fail us or forsake us! We are told to be strong for the battle because God has the power to help us and save us! We are told to be strong in the Lord, and to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus! Are we getting the message??? BE STRONG!
It took strength for this woman to receive what God was ready to give her. If she had chosen to give way to fear, she may have remained bound by her infirmity forever!
God is calling each and every one of us to complete an assignment for Him. Most likely, to carry out that assignment, we will be required to be strong, to have faith, to resist the devil, to “act like men” and fight (or in my case, “fight like a girl,” and I mean that in a very GOOD way!) Why am I so passionate about this? Because I have been on both sides of the fence. There have been times when I courageously obeyed God, and times that I have given way to fear.
Recently I was giving way to fear as God has been really stretching my faith, but when I got quiet with Him I did not get a “pep talk.” I got corrected – firmly corrected. God commands us to be strong – if we choose to be cowards we are disobeying that command! He expects us to get in the word, to pray, to exercise our authority in Jesus’ name. The devil does not exit our affairs because we politely ask him to leave. We must THROW HIM OUT with great conviction – trusting that God is at our back authorizing us to do just that!
I’m telling you, when you tell fear to take a hike, and tell God you are choosing to STAND on His word until you see His promises come to pass in your life, it won’t be long until you see your faith become sight!
Since YOU are reading this, let me ask you, what are YOU afraid of? What is the greatest fear you have in your life right now? Think about it. Now, BE STRONG, take authority over that fear right now! Choose to trust God, to resist the devil, to fight the good fight of faith. Don’t lay down and cry. Rise up and rejoice! God is looking for faith in the earth because He is so eager to show Himself strong in the lives of His people.
I pray that this word today meets you right where you need it and changes your situation. Be strong my friends. Be courageous. God is with us. He is for us. Don’t be afraid. Get some backbone and fight! Ha! With God, you will win every time!
by Kelli Sanders | Jan 16, 2014 | Faith and Family, Help for Moms, Motherhood, Spiritual Growth, Teaching Tools, Toddler Years
In our home the vacuum has been the dreaded foe of my two year old for as long as I can remember. I don’t know when it happened, but I have a feeling that it was when we were in a public restroom and someone used the hand dryer while I was changing my son’s diaper. I didn’t even realize he was screaming in terror because of the deafening volume of this thing, but the noise must have left a lasting impression on him because every time I would vacuum, the noise would have him running away crying!
Well, even though it was humorous at first we didn’t want him holding on to this fear, so every time we talked about the vacuum we started to teach him to say, “I’m not scared. I’m brave.” Over and over, we would say this every time we talked about the vacuum, but he would still cry and run away or hide in a corner when we got out the beast!
Fast forward to this afternoon, and I am contemplating some things that God has had us step out to do in the last few weeks. There are sometimes temptations to fear when God has you do something that stretches your faith. I happened to be contemplating these things while I was vacuuming! I was lost in thought so I hadn’t noticed that William was standing right there by me with a scrunched up face and a hint of fear still in his eyes, but he was saying out loud as he inched closer, “I’m brave. I’m brave. I’m brave. I’m brave.” He was saying it hard and fast! “I’m not scared. I’m brave. I’m not scared. I’m brave.”
Don’t you love those moments when God teaches you out of the mouth of babes? What great faith was in those words! It may not seem like it on the surface, but this was a deeply spiritual moment! William went with me from room to room and soon he was turning the vacuum on for me (he still high-tailed it out of there when it came on, but then he would return!) Ha!
At the end of our vacuuming hour he was hanging out with the vacuum like it was his old buddy. He even took the attachments and used them like sword and sheath and spent the next 20 minutes relishing in the fact that he had conquered this fear!
William’s new friend!
Moms, don’t ever underestimate the value and importance of your place in your child’s life. What a great privilege and responsibility we have to teach our children to live by faith, and to BE the strong, brave, and bold children God created them to be! You can influence your child’s little spirit even in the daily chores of life!
How about you? Is there something you fear in your life right now? Is it leaving a job? Moving somewhere far away? Making some changes that are going to be hard? Cutting off a relationship? Whatever it might be start saying, “I am not afraid! I’m brave!” If it works for a 2 year old, it will work for you too!
by Kelli Sanders | Jan 10, 2014 | Bible Studies, Faith and Family, Help for Moms, Spirit Food, Spiritual Growth
Have you ever prayed for wisdom? There are many areas of life that require wisdom. You need wisdom in raising your children, making business decisions, knowing what direction to take in life, or who to marry. You need wisdom for many every day decisions, as well as life’s major, destiny altering decisions. The Book of Proverbs is full of wisdom, and one of it’s major pieces of advice is GET WISDOM! Obviously God thinks it is important for us to have the kind of wisdom that He desires to give us.
There are two different kinds of wisdom that the Bible talks ab0ut in James 3:13-18. There is earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. This passage is a great litmus test to see what type of wisdom you are operating in with some of the choices you are making or have yet to make. You can ask yourself a few questions from this passage. Let’s look at how The Message Bible renders it here:
13-16 Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.
17-18 Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.
The word of God is so simple and clear cut isn’t it? We usually only find ourselves confused when we are trying to twist God’s word to justify self-serving or self-preserving choices, but if you read this passage at face value, it will shed light on your situation.
MOTIVES
The longer you walk with God and learn His character, you will find that His kingdom is all about the heart. It’s not about pretense. It’s not about looks. It’s not about appearing spiritual or checking a box when you do the right thing. Having the right heart in your decision making is of the utmost importance. So let’s say you need wisdom in making a decision. Maybe you are facing a decision right now and you don’t know what to do. Put your heart to the test. If you look inside, one choice may be the fruit of a self-serving or self-preserving motive, while the other is the fruit of a selfless, merciful and loving motive that desires to bless and honor.
I know. It’s difficult to be honest with yourself sometimes. It’s difficult to do and say the right thing sometimes. It’s much easier to twist the truth a bit to make yourself appear wise than it is to actually just BE wise, but remember what Solomon advises in Proverbs: GET WISDOM. Don’t get earthly wisdom, get godly wisdom, real wisdom, the kind that is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings.
God knows where you are at. He knows what you are facing. He knows walking in His wisdom doesn’t always make sense, and it may require faith and trust. He’s also pretty smart. Smarter than we are! He is giving you wisdom through His people and through His word. When you look in your heart you’ll know the right thing to do. The only thing left after that is to act on that wisdom and leave the rest to God.
For more faith in having wisdom and understanding of God’s word check out our Confessions of Faith Series: Wisdom & Revelation
by Kelli Sanders | Nov 19, 2013 | Encouragement, Faith and Family, Help for Moms, Spirit Food, Spiritual Growth
You are called to be a vital part of something bigger than yourself! You can walk in your destiny & live out the dream God has placed in your heart when you dare to obey Him!
I was sitting on my couch drinking my coffee, and having my normal devotional time this morning when God reminded me of a message I shared at my Bible college in Southern California. In November of 2008 I was on furlough from the mission field, and I was invited to speak to students at the school of ministry where I was trained – what an honor! I distinctly remember this season of my life because there were many trials and tests of faith within the ministry, as well as external, political events that made life at that time quite exciting to say the least!
As I prepared to talk to the students I felt God wanted me to emphasize the importance of obedience, and to especially focus on the great BLESSING that is waiting on the other side of a choice to obey Him! He wants me to do the same today!
First, let’s examine the heart of what He is saying to you today. A great blessing is waiting for YOU! Where is it? On the other side of a decision YOU must make! What’s this decision all about? It is a choice to courageously obey His directives, OR to shrink back in fear and fail to walk in the plan He has for you.
My heart is exploding right now thinking of how BIG, how GREAT, how AWESOME the life is that our God created us to live! He has given each of us gifts, talents, and abilities that are the launching pad for our destiny in Christ! We were created on purpose, for a purpose! Never will you be as deeply, and fully satisfied with life as you are when you are living and walking in the path that God created you to live and walk in! It is a life lived for others, and it is a BLESSED life!
Count the cost…but don’t forget to count the payoff!
One of the primary deceptions of our generation is that rebellion is freedom, and obedience is bondage; that obedience is the “mark of a slave,” as it mentions above, yet the opposite is true! Is there a cost when we obey God? Emphatically, yes, but it also pays to obey!
Here is a case-in-point. When God directed me to move overseas I was at a high point in my career as a public school teacher. I had just purchased my second home, was doing very well financially, had all of my family around me, and I was actively involved in an amazing church! I had reached a very good place in life! When I considered what it would cost to obey God, doubt and fear would tag-team me and attempt to move me away from God’s perfect will for my life.
A few nights before I would board a plane for the Philippines I remember waking up in a panic! I was on a train running full steam ahead and I could not stop what I’d set into motion! I was leaving my family, my career, my church, my friends, my home country – it was as though everything I cherished was being stripped away from me! It felt like a high price to pay at the time!
Fast forward several years and I am speaking to students who are studying to live a life of ministry to God’s people, and daring them to fully obey His call! And you know what? I didn’t once mention any temporary sacrifice, or how hard it was, or how serving God turned out to be a bad deal – NO! Despite the testing and proving of my faith, all I could speak of, all I wanted to convey to them was the great BLESSINGS I had experienced when I chose to obey.
So what about you???
Is God stirring up vision in your heart? Is He gently speaking as you get quiet and listen? What is He telling you to do? Whatever it is, I dare you to obey Him! I may not know all or have all of the answers, but this I do know: God is faithful, and He will not lead you astray. Trust Him and BELIEVE in what He has placed inside of you. You are greater in Him, stronger in Him, smarter in Him than you ever thought or imagined. Walk in His plans for you and you will never regret it!
