for the days I feel incompetent...

As a child of God, we are qualified and we are competent to be used to spread His grace and His truth. So why don’t we believe it? Why do we live in timidity and self-doubt? Why do we still listen to the voice that tells us we’re not enough, we don’t have anything to offer, we aren’t the type of person God uses to do His kingdom work…

I think this is a battle more of us are fighting than we realize. This is why I love 2 Corinthians 3- because it’s a pep talk for the likes of us! Paul reminds fellow believers that God is writing a letter to the world through their lives… reminds them that their stories matter, that THEY matter… And to put the exclamation point on his rant, erasing any and all self-doubt they might be struggling with, he makes this statement:

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“Not that we are competent (fit, qualified, sufficient in ability) in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence (power, ability, sufficiency) comes from God. (It is He who has qualified us) He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant…”

~2 Corinthians 3:5-6a (niv & amp)

I don’t know about you, but I need to be reminded of this. In my life, especially my life in ministry, I’ve been surrounded by amazing people… super dynamic, ridiculously gifted, dreamers unafraid to pursue big things for God. And then there’s me. I’m more of a background role usually, the supporter and cheerleader but not really the ring leader. I’m not the passionate speaker, but more of a listener… I am way too practical and methodical to dream audaciously… I’m becoming more introverted and awkward the older I get (really, I am!)… and I’m more of a connecter than an influencer.

Usually, I’m fine with the behind the scenes help- I don’t get jealous of the amazing people around me because we’re all working towards the same purpose of connecting this world around us to the living God. But something will happen… an opportunity arises, I find myself in a conversation, a need is presented… and I start to doubt… not necessarily what God is capable of, but what I am capable of for God. Doesn’t He know that I’m not the right girl for the job?

That’s when I so desperately need to be reminded of these words:

“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant…”

What new covenant? Grace… God has made me qualified and competent to extend His grace to others. Period. His power is at work in me and through me and no matter how much I doubt myself… He can use me. It might look differently than the way He uses other people to be ministers of His grace, but the fruit is the same.

That’s just incredible to me.

not your typical post...

A little encouragement goes a long way… and words truly do have the power to bring life…

Yesterday, I was on the receiving end of such grace, and it came at a perfect time! It’s been a week… you know, one of THOSE weeks… and every morning I woke up with the same prayer- “Lord, can you just send a little affirmation or encouragement my way today… please.”

And then I got a comment… from a dear fellow blogger… which directed me to her blog…

I was honored, humbled, blessed, surprised, delighted, {insert own adjective here} to have received a Liebster Award from Stephanie! Once I realized what a Liebster Award was… not your expert blogger here… I found myself so giddy! (You are an answer to prayer Steph!)

The Liebster Award is a grassroots blogging movement to encourage fellow small time bloggers and give kudos to undiscovered blog goodness. As Stephanie explained on her blog, it’s an award “given to bloggers who inspire you and have less than 200 followers. The Liebster Award takes its name from the German word meaning ‘Beloved, Dearest or Favorite.’”

*Side note: I love the name of this award

for its obvious connection to my last name- Lieberknecht.

I’m thinking Liebster is a nickname in the making for our theoretical first born? :)

So to keep this love train rolling… I’m going to carry on the tradition and give out 5 Liebster Awards of my own… and I must say it’s true- it is better to give than to receive….

 

• Shelly @ “Is That You, Lord?”-

  I just started to follow this blog this week, but I can already tell

that I’m going to love what Shelly has to share.

• Elizabeth @ Lark & Bloom-

Elizabeth mixes humor and passion

perfectly in her posts about life and faith…

I always love what she has to say!

 

• Loraine @ Loraine Erickson-

As a fellow youth pastor’s wife, I knew I’d love

Loraine’s blog when she first started it… and I do!

 

• Denise @ Denise J Hughes-

  Other than a fabulous first name (*wink wink*), Denise has such a genuine heart for God’s Word and what it takes to live it out. She might actually have more than 200 followers, I wouldn’t be surprised… but I’m including her anyways.

 

• Steph @ Everyday Awe-

I feel a little rebellious putting Stephanie since she’s technically

the one who awarded a Liebster to me…

but I didn’t see anywhere in the rules that said I couldn’t!

And honestly, she’s one of my faves that I follow because

her wisdom and insight into scripture is incredible!

 

 

So there ya go… the challenge has been duly noted-

spread a little encouragement where you can today my loves…

 

 

God's ways are not our ways...

Although circumstantial faith is not a healthy thing, I think it’s ok to acknowledge that God definitely uses our circumstances to get our attention, and to grow & shape our understanding of who He is…

I see this in two ways in Exodus 7- where we see God intersect history to simultaneously teach the Egyptians and the Israelites, two groups at two very different places in their knowledge of the divine…

First we read about God’s plans for revealing Himself to the Egyptians. God explains His purpose in what He’s about to do- “The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country.”

The signs God performed may have shook them up and gained their attention {giant flying grasshoppers will do that, ya know!}, but it was only in removing the entire population of Israeli slaves that would really show them the omnipotence of God. Why? Because removing the slaves meant removing their comfort, their status, their illusion of power… and it is only in being stripped of these things that they would realize there was something bigger than themselves at work.

They “will realize that I am God”… not just a nice addition to their lives along with the other gods- He alone is God and He alone is what gives us our very existence and value and purpose. Sometimes we, like the Egyptians, need to be stripped of things to show us our need for God as Lord and not just an accessory or option.

Then, we read God’s purpose in what He’s about to do with the Israelites. God’s order to Pharaoh was to “Release my people [the Israelites] so that they can worship me in the wilderness.”

The Israelites believed, but had grown weary and discouraged in the many years of slavery… they thought that maybe God had forgotten them, maybe He wasn’t going to keep His promises after all. Their knowledge of God hadn’t waivered, but their spirit of worship perhaps had.

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The wilderness in scripture is always a place of testing, waiting, and wandering… God knew that before He could elevate them into a nation, He would have to win their adoration by a transition season in the desert wilderness. It’s in this barren place where He can show His leading, His provision, and His presence- which leads to leaning on Him and worshiping Him. The testing, waiting, and wandering probably weren’t what they would have picked to be rescued into, but God had a holy purpose in it nonetheless.

Sometimes, if we’re honest, we come to a place of questioning God’s means and methods of grabbing our attention. It seems a little cruel and unfair to use loss, suffering, wandering, and waiting to gain our affection. What kind of a God would do that? But it’s in these moments we must remember the very thing we just celebrated- that more than anyone, He Himself knows loss and suffering, being stripped of comforts and glory...

I‘m reminded of Natalie Grant’s song “Alive”… “What kind of king would choose to wear a crown that bleeds and scars to win my heart?”

Whether we identify more with the Egyptians or the Israelites at this point in our journey, we have the comfort of a Savior who relates to where we’re at and understands… and a reason to hope because the power that raised Him back to life is the same power that is at work in us and in our circumstances.

May we rest in our knowledge of Him, come what may…

let's blow the lid off...

For some reason, I always go to John.

The week or so before Easter, I re-read this gospel with a prayer that it would come alive in a fresh way… so that Easter wouldn’t pass by as just another holiday, so that I wouldn’t get consumed with all the activity at church and miss what exactly it is we’re celebrating. John brings me back, centers my thoughts on Jesus. It reminds me of the passion, of the sacrifice, of the hope… and that we all need resurrection in our life.

Yesterday I was reading John 9 and was struck by Jesus’ interaction with a man who had been born blind. It’s interesting to watch this man’s progression of faith as Pharisees and neighbors question him regarding how it was he could suddenly see after a lifetime of darkness. And while this whole story is incredible, it was really the first 3 verses that I couldn’t get away from.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9:1-3

Jesus’ response is a powerful enough statement as is, but if you look at what the word “displayed” means in its original Greek, it’ll paint an even more dynamic picture of Jesus’ intentions for choosing this exact response.

The word phaneroo means to make visible, to show openly. It’s synonymous and often used with another word though, apokalypto, which quite literally means to remove a lid. In relationship with each other, apokalypto must precede phaneroo... all that rambling to say- we have to remove the lid we’re keeping shut on our lives so that God’s incredible power can be put on show for others to see.

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How often do we restrain the power of God- keeping a lid on what He’s able to do in and through us? We keep Him in a safe little box, confined within the parameters and space that we’re comfortable with. We give in to our limitations, circumstances, status quo because we’re so quick to settle for ordinary.

But Jesus is able to radically transform our ordinary into something incredible.

God wants to blow the lid off of things and use US as demonstrations of what He can do… but that’s not going to happen if we hide out in our perfectly comfortable, predictable, controllable worlds {and trust me, I’m mostly saying this to myself… as I am an undeniable control freak for sure!} With the lid gone, there’s no barrier stopping the overflow of God’s grace and power.

I wonder what this once blind but now seeing man would think if he knew that his story would still be echoing two thousand years later, helping others to see what God is capable of?... How’s that for blowing the lid off of what we think is possible!

May we all allow God to strip us of our lids and barriers so that HIS works might be displayed in us too…

living with open hands...

Oh the truth in this statement… although living in the reality of this truth just doesn’t come naturally for most. Losing something we value isn’t easy. We are a people who live with clenched fists, holding tightly to what we deem is ours, protecting what we think should be. We don’t easily let go.

Learning to live with open hands is counter-intuitive… but then again, isn’t most of our spiritual life? Our instincts say make a plan, take control- but Jesus says to be still and trust in the unknown. Everything in us screams to try harder and earn approval- but Jesus says his yoke is easy, his burden is light and his love is complete.

Living with open hands makes us vulnerable to losing things, letting good slip through our fingers… but it’s a heart that trusts in God’s goodness that is able to say, “It’s ok, a better blessing is coming to fill my hands again.” CS Lewis understood this, but I have to say, I have a hard time with this sometimes...

We read that every good and perfect gift is from above… and that the Lord wants to prosper us, not harm us… and that in all things He’s working for our good. Sometimes I fear, though, that claiming these promises for myself means I’m buying into a prosperity gospel that values health, wealth, and happiness above true communion with our Lord. I never want to be in a place of choosing the gift over the Giver of the gift.

I'm learning that in the context of these promises, we need to redefine blessing, favor, prosperity, gifts… shatter what our world has made them to mean, and see them through the lens of how God intends them. Blessings don’t always come easy. Sometimes the blessing is in the struggle, the loss, the season of waiting, the act of surrender. We live in an instant gratification society- we want something so we go get it or we make it happen. But when I look at my life, the most meaningful things that come to mind are the things where there has been tension of some sort, or things that have emerged only when I allowed God to have His way rather than trying to do things my way…

When I’ve chosen to live with open hands and a heart of trust. These are the times I’ve learned that when I lose one blessing, another is just around the corner.