Christian Platitudes – FAKE NEWS!

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Rob

Ah January. The time of year when everyone has resolutions and words and motivation to live their lives differently and be the people they always wanted to be. Sadly, according to a report by U.S. News, some 80% of the resolutions are gone by mid-February.

You know what else January brings…silly Christian platitudes. We hear them all year long, but I think they get worse in January. We are bombarded by false promises of God that have no basis in Scripture.

Here’s one that really bugs me…The Bible says Do Not Fear 365 times, that’s a daily reminder from God to live every day fearless” or its younger brother “The Bible says Do Not Be Afraid 365 time, yada, yada, yada.”

Let me put this into terms that everyone can understand…

The Bible says Do Not Fear 365 times is FAKE NEWS! Click To Tweet

Recently I commented on a pastor’s wall, who had shared this unbiblical platitude. I wrote, “Sadly, this not true”, and instead of checking his facts…he deleted my post. So I decided to check the facts myself.

I did two word searches. The first was the word fear and the second, obviously, was afraid. What I found was pretty interesting and here are the results.

The word fear appears in 385 verses with 400 times the word is used.

The word afraid appears in 189 verse with 193 times the word is used.

A total usage of 574 verse and 593 times the two words are used, certainly enough to cover the 365 days of the year. But here’s the bad news. In those 574 verse and 593 times, only 161 times does it say that we should not be afraid.

The amazing part is that the Bible says that we are to be afraid of or in fear of God 251 times. That’s right…the Bible says that we are supposed to have a healthy fear of God many more times than it says we shouldn’t fear.

So here’s why this is important.

If you have to make up promises from God to make people feel good…then you are probably more in love with what you think God can do for you than who He is. Click To Tweet

Maybe instead of claiming some Fake News promise from God, it would be wiser to pull out the Bible, blow off the dust and learn who He really is…which I’m pretty sure will lead to some healthy fear.

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The Icebergs that are Destroying Missional Churches

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Rob

April 15, 1912. Early that morning an event happened that caused the loss of over 1,500 lives and hundreds who survived were left to live with haunting memories. We’ve all heard the story and a lot of us have even seen the movie. The Titanic was an incredible ship, but never reached its destination and potential because of what was hidden beneath the water.

Icebergs are unique and there is no way to tell with the naked eye what lies beneath the water. What you see of an iceberg usually only represents about 10% of its total size because 90% of an iceberg is under water and isn’t seen. There is no way to know how wide or deep the iceberg is when looking at it, unless you get beneath the surface and find out what is really there. That’s where we get the term “tip of the iceberg” from, which is used to describe a problem or difficulty that is only a small portion of a larger problem.

So how are icebergs destroying missional churches?

I was recently talking with a pastor who told me that they were working towards their church being more missionally focused. This was a well-established large church that was beginning to see a need to become active outside the walls of their building. They had created a committee and were establishing goals, plans and reviewing programs that could be used to serve the hurting in their community.

While I applaud this effort, the goals, plans and programs are just the tip of the iceberg. They are what we see. Being a missional church is not something that is figured out on paper, but a natural result of who we are as followers of Christ. Click To Tweet There is so much more to a church effectively engaging their community than what is written in a plan. It’s these larger things that lie beneath the surface that will destroy this effort.

There are 4 things that are hidden beneath the water that can kill your churches vision to become a missionally focused church.  The Great Commandment tells us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength…and love your neighbor as yourself.” The heart, soul, mind, and strength; they are the 90% that are hidden beneath the water.

  1. Heart – This isn’t speaking of the muscle in your chest that pumps blood and keeps you alive. It means your center. It’s how you feel and think; it’s your values and worldview.
  2. Soul – The very breath of your being. The soul is the driving force of who you are. It’s your passion.
  3. Mind – The way of understanding, feeling and your desires. It’s the lens through which we process information.
  4. Strength – This is what you hold. The force in your body. Your specific abilities, your might, and your power.

These four parts of our being are overlapping, but each holds a unique depth to their meaning that, although they overlap, make them different. These are the things that are beneath the surface.

To effectively live on mission, we must first change the core of who we are as Christians. Click To TweetMost of us want our church to be a reflection of what we see in the mirror. Contrary to what we say and convince ourselves to believe, we want to worship with people who look like us, think like us and dress like us. If you really wanted that to change, you would be experiencing it already.

To become a missional church, we must first bring our heart, soul, mind, and strength under the Lordship of Christ. Until this happens, our goals, plans and programs will fail to come through and millions will be lost.

The church is an incredible ship with so much potential and an eternal destination, but until we figure out the first commandment, we cannot truly love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

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Everybody Needs A Pastor

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Rob

Most churches do a pretty good job of meeting the needs of their congregations. We have Lead Pastors who provide the teaching of the Word. We have Children’s Pastors who have the same responsibility for our kids. Many churches also have Pastors, or at least dedicated staff members, to provide leadership to several other people in the body: Community Care, Worship, Discipleship, Jr. High, Sr. High, Adults, Small Groups, Executive…the list could go on and on.

We have Pastors for the things that we believe to be important to the Kingdom and Pastors play a very important role in our Christian development. They do so much more than teach on Sunday mornings. They often meet the emotional needs of our families. They help us walk through crisis and celebrate victories. The pray, counsel and even weep for their flock. If you attend a church, there will more than likely be someone who is responsible for helping you become an engaged, healthy member of the body…because everybody needs a pastor.

The key phrase in that last sentence was “if you attend a church.” What about those who don’t attend our churches? They might get a committee that decides who or what the church will support, but don’t they need a Pastor too? The truth is we have all these people to work with those inside the walls, but do we have a dedicated Pastor whose entire responsibility is loving our neighbors outside the church?

It is impossible to have a Biblical model of discipleship without “making disciples” as a key component Click To Tweet

Sadly, the person responsible for outreach or missions usually has another title that is internally focused. Many churches add outreach to the job description of the discipleship or small groups pastor. And while I agree that it is impossible to have a Biblical model of discipleship without “making disciples” as a key component, they are often fighting an uphill battle just trying to work with the hundreds of people inside the four walls of our buildings.

But what about the thousands of people who live within 5 miles of our churches…how well do churches reach the lost in their own communities?

We send missionaries all over the world, but most churches don’t do much to reach those in their own neighborhoods. What about the family across the street? What about the people who work at the company down the road? What about the single mother who lives in public housing or the kid who plays in the park until mom gets home from work? Do we care enough about these people to invest time and money into their lives?

The Great Commission begins with the word “GO.” We focus so much of our time and energy making disciples inside our churches, but maybe it’s time to start investing in those who drive by our buildings and need to know our Jesus. Maybe a “GO Pastor” should be a higher priority, because everybody needs a pastor.

 

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Don’t Chase the Crowd

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Rob

“You can have exponential growth and take your church to the next level!”

 

Over the years I’ve heard all kinds of great ideas about how to get new people in the doors and what can be done to help your church become relevant, grow exponentially, plant more churches and satellite locations, but is church growth and multiplication really the goal?

Is church growth and multiplication really the goal? Click To Tweet

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for introducing more and more people to Christ and making disciples who reach the lost; I even work with churches to develop ministries that meet the specific needs of their community, but aren’t growth and multiplication the result of our work and not the focus or goal?

When church growth and multiplication become the metric by which we judge the success of a pastor or church, leaders can be tempted to focus on making church attractive, making people feel comfortable and having fun. While an attractive building, comfort and fun can all be good things, I’ve heard many leaders actually suggest watering down the message of Christ, although most wouldn’t term it that way.

Barna Research recently released a study that found only 17% of Christians hold a biblical worldview. This shouldn’t really surprise us, but as we look at the current state of Christianity and churches in America, maybe it would be a good idea for us to review how Jesus felt about watering down the message and chasing the crowd.

I’m not going to include all 71 verses of John 6, but you can click here if you want to read the actual chapter. Here is the overview from the RKV (Rob Kendall Version)

Verses 1 – 25

  • Jesus feeds the 5,000
  • Leaves the crowd and heads up into the mountains by Himself
  • The disciples head to the other side of the lake in a boat
  • Jesus freaks out the disciples by walking on water
  • The crowd that remained climb in boats and leave looking for Jesus
  • They find Him on the other side

This is where we see Jesus’ thoughts on making people comfortable, happy and/or watering down His message.

Continuing with highlights from the RKV:

  • You aren’t looking for me because you believe
  • You’re here because I filled your belly’s
  • Don’t work for perishable food, work for eternal food

Jesus and the crowd go back and forth and Jesus ratchets up the truth with every exchange. This is where He really unloads on them. Here is where Jesus doubles up His fist and punches them right in the mouth with the hard truth.

Jesus doubles up His fist and punches them right in the mouth with the hard truth Click To Tweet

Here are a few of the words from Jesus:

  • “Believe in the one He has sent”
  • “I am the bread of life”
  • “You have seen me and still don’t believe”
  • “Don’t grumble”
  • “I am the living bread that came down from heaven”
  • “Eat this bread and never die”
  • “The bread that gives life to the world is my flesh”
  • “Unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood you will not have eternal life”
  • “I live because of the Father, and whoever feeds on me will live because of me”
  • “Some of you don’t believe”
  • “No one can come to me unless the Father gives it to him”

Verse 66 says “Many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.” Scripture doesn’t record Jesus’ exact response, but it shows that He went on about the business of the Father.

Church leaders, let’s take a few leadership lessons from Jesus.

  1. Jesus never watered down the truth
  2. Jesus never worried about making people comfortable
  3. Jesus never succumbed to what people wanted

Jesus spent His entire ministry loving people, teaching the truth and reaching the lost, but Jesus never chased the crowd.

Jesus never chased the crowd Click To Tweet
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Good Riddance 2016

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Rob

“2016 can’t end fast enough!”

“Enough already…2016 needs to go away.”

“I hate you 2016!”

There have been a lot of posts about how horrible 2016 has been and how ready everyone is for this year to end. There is no denying that 2016 brought a lot of pain to a lot of people. There were lost jobs, tragedies, injustice, sickness, pain, and death.

“2017 is going to be my year!”

“Things are going to change for me in 2017.”

“I’m turning over a new leaf and 2017 will be great!”

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but 2017 will not create some cosmic reset that will suddenly turn the realities of a fallen world into daisies and daffodils. The upcoming year will be full of lost jobs, tragedies, injustice, sickness, pain, and death…we will probably even lose some people who provided us entertainment.

The only thing that you can change in 2017 is YOU. #Choices #Change Click To Tweet

Do you want a better 2017? Here are a few ideas to help you along.

  1. Change your focus
    • You will face hard times in 2017. Accept that…it is a reality, but you have a choice. You can focus on the negative or you can focus on the good things in your life. If you wake up in the morning with electricity, you are better off than 1.2 billion people in the world.
  2. Change your attitude
    • You will face hard times in 2017. Accept that…you can allow things to ruin your day, week, month, and year or you can CHOOSE to face them and overcome. If you have a family, you are better off than 141,000,000 orphans in the world.
  3. Change your response
    • You will face hard times in 2017. Accept that…the question is, how will you respond? Will you pout and vent and complain about your personal struggles on social media (which only adds to your frustration) or will you grow and become a stronger person. If you have access to clean water, you are better off than nearly 1 BILLION people in the world.
  4. Find your purpose
    • You can have a better 2017. Accept that…the question is, why are you here? You are unique…you are the only you in the world. Spend some time and figure out what you can offer the world that no one else can and the do it with everything you have.
  5. Find your passion
    • You can have a better 2017. Accept that…spend some time figuring out what you really care about in this world and then devote your resources to helping others.
  6. Find your place
    • You can have a better 2017. Accept that…but you don’t need to face it alone. Social media is not a replacement for healthy friends in your life. Find people who will encourage you, hold you accountable to living life to its fullest.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, you can have a better 2017, but it’s up to you. You hold the keys. You have the power to choose from this day forward.

Choose to let go of offenses. Choose to forgive others. Quit being a victim. Don’t allow the pain from your childhood, your family’s legacy or the slow driver in front of you ruin your future. Choose to see the good. Choose to be the change you want to see in this world. Choose to live for something bigger than your own selfish comfort and security.

There are few things that I know for certain, but this is one of them. If you don’t change and choose to live differently…2017 will suck too. #Truth #Choices Click To Tweet

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Our “iffy” Faith

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Rob

if“If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Many people have found hope and encouragement from this question in Romans 8. People who are often in the midst of chaos; they are surrounded by pain, stress or anxiety, but this question brings to light an important truth. If God is for us, who can be against us? God is on your side and, no matter what you are facing, He is for you.

There’s just one small matter that we have to contend with. How do you know if God is for you? The peace of mind that comes with this passage is conditional.

“If” is a conditional word. It means that a result will occur “if”, and only “IF“, you qualify for it. The word “if” is a very powerful word which means there are requirements that must be met for the outcome to be fulfilled.

This passage is not unique. Every promise of God comes with conditions.

The very first time the word “if” is used in the Bible is in Gen. 4:7.

Gen 4:6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Cain’s ability to bring an offering that was acceptable to God was conditional on whether Cain “did well” or “did not do well.”

The Levitical Law and all of God’s promises to the Children of Israel were conditional, and you can’t make the case that this isn’t an Old Testament, out of date theology.

Jesus liked the word “if” too. He put conditions on how we treat our enemies (Matt 5:39-47), to the extreme we should go to remove sin from our lives (Matt 5:29-30), and He put conditions on our forgiveness (Matt 6:14-15).

But there are a couple of other times that Jesus used “if”.

Joh 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

So what is the condition? We love Christ “if” we keep His commandments.

Joh 15:10  If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.

Condition? To remain in Christ’s love we must keep His commandments.

We all like to sing “I am a friend of God” but do you know that’s a conditional position that only He can make?

Joh 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

The point is, You can't claim the promises of God without meeting the conditions of God. Click To Tweet.

Going to church doesn’t do it, reposting a status isn’t good enough and calling yourself a Christian doesn’t even come close. You must submit your life to Christ and put in the work. It’s not a legalistic requirement, but an irresistible response to what Christ has done for us.

If you want to claim His promises, here are a few conditions that come with the deal.

To stand on the truth that God is for you, you are going to have to meet the conditions. Click To Tweet
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Name Droppers

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Rob

Havname-droppere you ever known a person who is continually dropping names? Regardless of the topic, they have had an encounter with a famous person or they have a friend that has a story that allows them to drop the name. It doesn’t even matter if the story has any relevant connection to the topic of conversation, they have a name to drop and they want to get it out there.

Name droppers have been called narcissistic. They don’t really feel too good about themselves and they want others to know how important they are, so they grab onto the coattails of someone famous to increase their own importance. It’s kind of sad really.

Have you ever known Christians who do this? I have. We’re sitting in church and suddenly we all burst out “I am a friend of God. I am a friend of God. I am a friend of God…He calls me friend.” Now before you get to defensive let me explain. There are a few Scriptures that refer to specific people as friends of God.

  • Abraham is called God’s friend in 2 Chronicles 20:7 and James 2:23.
  • God says Abraham is His friend in Isaiah 41:8.
  • Proverbs 18:24 doesn’t specifically name God, but says “there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” and it is safe to say that Solomon was referring to God.
  • Jesus referred to Judas as a friend in Matt. 26:50.
  • Jesus says His disciples are His friends in John 15.

The good news is, if these people were considered friends of God, then becoming a friend of God is an attainable status, but one thing I don’t ever see in Scripture is someone claiming that status for themselves. Abraham didn’t call himself God’s friend. The disciples didn’t call themselves Jesus’ friends. Paul certainly didn’t think of himself as a friend of God.

So how did our heroes of the faith view themselves concerning God? Abraham fell on his face. Peter refers to himself as an unworthy sinner and Paul calls himself a wretched man and a slave of Christ.

The truth is…You'll never be a friend of God if you're not willing to be a slave of God. Click To Tweet

How big is our Christian ego to claim a status that can only be given by God? It’s the ultimate in Christian narcissism.

As I said earlier, becoming a friend of God is an attainable status, but the only way we can be considered friends of God is by understanding how unworthy we really are and then doing everything within our power to live our lives for His glory. You don’t become a friend of God by showing up on Sunday mornings and showing out the rest of the week. God’s friends obey His commands.

As Jesus told His disciples, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”

 

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You Never Know What Someone Else Is Going Through

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Rob

I heard a story of a man who was on a flight and his children were completely out of control. They were loud, kicking the seats in front of them and throwing things. The other passengers they-couldt-keep-them-inwere understandably upset and began talking about how horrible of a father this man was. Their disdain got louder and louder, but the man was completely oblivious to what was going on until one of the passengers had taken all they were willing to take and confronted the man.

“What kind of father are you? Do you not see that your children are completely out of control and making this flight a living hell for the rest of us? Settle your kids down! What is wrong with you?” The man, shocked back into reality, was completely embarrassed and apologized. “I am so sorry. I’ll settle them down. We are heading home from our dream vacation, but two days ago my wife was pulled under in the ocean and drowned. We are flying home to make arrangements and lay her to rest.”

As the story goes, the passengers changed their anger into compassion and began to help this man with his children.

The point?

You never know what someone else is going through Click To Tweet

We don’t know their background, their experiences in life or if they are having a bad week, month or even year.

In our situation, January 20, 2011 was a day that changed Meredith’s life forever. I hope that the “forever” part is not true, but the repercussions of that day have continued to affect her for the last 5 ½ years and unfortunately I don’t see any end in sight. That was the day that Meredith was attacked. We learned that it was not some random event, she was not in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a planned attack to get us to stop working to get kids out of gangs.

People have heard how that day impacted Meredith, but it has impacted me as well. I am the one who feels an even greater responsibility to protect my wife. I am the one who is always on high alert. I have to make sure that she is safe, not just physically, but emotionally as well. I am the one who has to help bring her down when her P.T.S.D. kicks in; when her blood pressure skyrockets and she can’t breathe, her head begins to pound and she cries uncontrollably. I am the one who has to make her feel safe.

I’ve learned that most people have no idea what P.T.S.D. does to someone or how random things can trigger an attack. I’m sure everyone is unique, but I have learned a few of Meredith’s patterns. It may be an actual confrontation or as simple as the grocery store being rearranged and she can’t find her normal items. She has been triggered by smells, sounds, strangers walking by, a light being turned off when she knows she turned it on or a door unlocked. Heaven forbid I am grabbing a door handle as she is opening it from the other side. Anything that would startle you or cause you to question your safety can send her over the edge.

And it doesn’t end a couple of minutes later when you find out everything is ok and there is no danger. The headache lasts a day or two, she struggles to calm down, has nightmares, and remains emotional and can cry for no reason at all. Two days later she may still be struggling to overcome the stress. And it never helps when someone gets frustrated because she seems irrational and they say “relax, it’s no big deal.” Getting short with her or minimizing her feelings only adds to her struggle.

This is only our story, but others may have their own struggles that we know no nothing about. Maybe it’s a teacher who had a rough day. How about an officer who has seen one to many women beaten by their partners. Maybe it’s a mother who’s exhausted while dealing with a sick child. The point is, we don’t know what other people are going through.

I may not be the oldest and wisest guy in the world but here are a few of pieces of advice.

Desire to understand as much as you want to be understood Click To Tweet
  1. Desire to understand as much as you want to be understood
  2. Learn to hear as much as you want to be heard
  3. Pray for people instead of criticizing them
  4. Ask why their upset instead of being offended
  5. Work through frustrations instead of pulling away from relationships
  6. Give the benefit of the doubt instead of doubting their character
  7. Offer grace instead of judgment

Reality is, I don’t know your struggles and you don’t know mine. Maybe life would be a whole lot easier if we offered others the same understanding we hope to receive.

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But God told me…

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Rob

Bible BlankSeveral years ago Meredith and I went to a Church Planting Assessment. I really believed that God was calling us to start a church and I also believed that the weekend assessment was just going to solidify what “God had told me.” After a long and grueling weekend I was told that I should not plant a church.

I was a little frustrated to say the least and argued with the assessment leader. I told him all the reasons why I was a perfect fit for planting a church. I told him about the support I had already gotten. I told him about the people who had already committed to be a part of the plant. I told him about a very clear “call” I felt on my life.

All of this was to no avail. He stuck to his recommendation, but changed the way he said it. “You’re gifted, but not called.” Taking that man’s advice has been an incredible blessing.

Since then, I always get a little nervous when I hear someone say “God told me to __________,” It makes me really nervous when what God supposedly said, doesn’t seem to ring true. So here are a few ways to know if you are actually hearing from God.

God will not call you to do something that is contrary to His word Click To Tweet
  1. God will never “call you” to live in contradiction to His character
    • If what you think that God is calling you to do is not consistent with who we know God to be…you can bet it is not God you’re hearing from.
  2. God will not “call you” to do something that is contrary to His word.
    • God has already told us a lot of things that He wants us to do and God’s word must line up with what He is “calling” you to do.
  3. God is in control of your circumstances.
    • When everything is falling apart around you, it may be time to reevaluate “God’s call”. To deny our circumstances is to deny that God is in control of them and it may not be a “test” to see if you’re serious…He already knows your commitment level.
  4. God will probably not call you to do things that are fun, exciting, make you wildly famous, and pay a lot of money.
    • Let’s be honest, while He will probably use our natural gifting and passions and He will provide for you…He is more concerned with you being holy than happy.
  5. I just feel God’s comfort and peace.
    • Just because you have a peace about it doesn’t mean it is God’s peace.
  6. God has a still, small voice
    • You will not be able to hear God’s voice if you are the one that is always doing the talking
  7. God’s voice is unique
    • If God’s voice tells you exactly what you want to hear and it sounds a lot like your own voice, maybe it’s the pizza you had the night before and not God.
  8. God is calling me to follow Him even though my Godly accountability people say I should stop.
    • There is wisdom in a multitude of council. I am thankful that I took the advice of the assessor and didn’t force my way into planting a church.

Yes, sometimes everything will fall apart around you, people will tell you to stop and God may be pruning you for the next season in your life, but don’t run ahead of God. Just because it needs to be done, doesn’t mean you are the one that is called to do it. Be patient, be faithful and wait on His lead.

What are some of the ways you know God’s voice and calling?

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Proverbs 31 Woman

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Rob

Provers 31 Woman

No…it’s not my anniversary or Meredith’s birthday, but I was awake at 3:53 this morning because our A/C was out and it was muggy, hot and I couldn’t sleep. So I did what any thankful man does…I started thanking God for my wife…and wanted everyone to know how incredibly blessed I am to have Meredith as my wife.

Meredith was wearing this shirt one day and someone jokingly asked, “Are you trying to say you’re a Proverbs 31 woman? That’s pretty egotistical” 🙂

Meredith responded, “Nope, but I’m trying to be.”

Well let me tell you…this IS a Proverbs 31 Woman…and I have proof.

Pro 31:11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good. 12 She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life.

  • Trust – I trust her and don’t make any major decisions without gaining her feedback and wisdom.
  • Service – She would rather sacrifice to see that I am taken care of, than do things for herself.
  • Good and not evil. – Living with her may not always be easy…but she certainly brings good and not evil into our relationship.

Pro 31:13 She selects wool and flax and works with willing hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from far away. 15 She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and portions for her female servants. 16 She evaluates a field and buys it; she plants a vineyard with her earnings. 17 She draws on her strength and reveals that her arms are strong. 18 She sees that her profits are good, and her lamp never goes out at night. 19 She extends her hands to the spinning staff, and her hands hold the spindle.

  • Business Sense – Anyone who knows my wife, knows that she is an incredible business woman.
  • Hard working – She is an up early, late to bed kind of person and she is constantly working to serve our family and others.
  • Discerning – Check
  • Strength – Check
  • Wisdom – Double Check
  • Hard Working – Ummm…YEAH!!!

Pro 31:20 Her hands reach out to the poor, and she extends her hands to the needy.

  • Do I even need to write anything here? She has an incredible heart for others. She has already been in court this morning for a friend and is currently sewing curtains to cover activity center supplies for a 2nd grade teacher.

Pro 31:21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all in her household are doubly clothed. 22 She makes her own bed coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known at the city gates, where he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes and sells linen garments; she delivers belts to the merchants.

  • Prepared – She is ready and willing to face difficulties
  • Self-Care – She takes care of herself
  • We’ll just leave verse 23 alone
  • Entrepreneurial – No doubt…she has an entrepreneurial spirit

Pro 31:25 Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come.

  • Strength – Yep
  • Honor – Yep
  • Optimistic – Yep

Pro 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom and loving instruction is on her tongue.

  • Wisdom – Double checked that one earlier but worth Checking again
  • Loving Instruction – It may not always feel good, but she’ll tell you the truth that you need to hear and she does it as lovingly as possible

Pro 31:27 She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle.

  • Remember the up early late to bed comment?

Pro 31:28 Her sons rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:

  • Family praise – She doesn’t have any sons, but she has daughters and son-in-law’s and they will tell you that she blesses them. When our youngest went to college her had to write a paper about her hero…of course she chose her mother.
  • Husband praise – Are you reading this post?

Pro 31:29 “Many women are capable, but you surpass them all!”

  • A woman among women – Not going to argue about other women…but she’s the best

Pro 31:30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised.

  • Fear of the Lord – She definitely fears the Lord…but as a bonus she is also full of charm and incredibly B. E. A. Utiful

Pro 31:31 Give her the reward of her labor, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

  • Love you Meredith

Now it’s your turn…What do you love about your spouse?

 

 

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