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The GT Weekend! ~ Relentless Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Sometimes reading the Bible is hard, Amen?! All those stories in the Old Testament can leave a picture of a ruthless God full of anger and spite if we read the stories through our own lenses of our own culture and time. In what ways do you wrestle with how the Bible depicts God? At what points would you agree or disagree that the Bible is written about humanity rather than written to you as an individual? How does that belief color the way you read and understand both the Bible and God? If God is relentless in His pursuit of you just as He was for Israel, what rises up inside you to push against that? Why?

2)  What does it take for you to trust the Lord’s instruction and obey with a whole heart? Some obediences are easier than others, right? Take a minute to journal briefly about those things you’ve learned to obey quickly and habitually in. Can you identify some sore spots where you struggle in following? Where do you pull back from following through and why do you think you do? Consider whether this willingness to go forward in following is tied to how you view God or how much you’re willing to trust Him. Be honest before the Lord of your hear; He is always present to hear you!

3) Take a few minutes to journal through how you view the relationship between love and discipline. What qualities do you see as being necessary components of a relationship for discipline to be effective? Do you see those same qualities in your relationship with the Lord? When has the Lord lovingly disciplined you to bring you deeper into a relationship with Him? What has He strategically removed from your life in order for you to more clearly see Him and His love for you? Is there something currently receiving more love, affection, and focus than the Lord?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 46:7-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah
Come, see the works of the Lord…

Prayer Journal
You are the With Us God. The ever-present Help. The always-able Almighty. Ever listening to our cries, You love us without end, pursuing our hearts to know You in more beautiful ways. Lord, God, hold my face, tip it up to You, and let me see Your radiant glory. Just a glimpse of Your majesty transforms and renews!
And as You do, make my heart overflow with urgency to invite all, “Come! See the works of the Lord my great and mighty God who loves to love!” Declare Your goodness through me, Lord, as You keep drawing me close. Tell Your story as you fight for me!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

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Worship Through Music

Focus Day 3 Wisdom’s Way

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalms 119:140-145
Proverbs 21:19-23
Isaiah 32:17-20
Ephesians 6:10-17
James 1:19-27

Focus, Day 3

“Stop shouting at each other RIGHT this MINUTE!”
The words forced their way across my lips, piercing the air over our dining room table before I even realized I was shouting. Three sets of wide eyes stared at me, and one toddler mouth hung open in surprise.

I expelled the mouthful of air I didn’t realize I’d been holding in one great whoosh.
Perfect, I thought. I did it, AGAIN. Shouting at your children to stop them from shouting at each other…way to effectively parent. Lord, HELP. My spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak.

Have you been there, Love?
You try to juggle all the balls, and somehow you are almost completely unaware of how stressed you feel until the very moment your angry outburst bubbles up and over to scald the nearest person. Adding insult to injury? The person (or in my case, little persons) you scald, has absolutely nothing to do with whatever is your breaking point.
Oh, how the instant regret cuts deep.
And often, Regret is accompanied by her hovering little sister, Shame.

There’s an old saying, “There’s nothing new under the sun”, which is entirely true for the history of humans who struggle to refrain from angry outbursts. We can trace all the way back to the first set of brothers, Cain and Abel, and find the bitter, dangerous fruit that grows from unchecked anger.

In the New Testament, James provides sound advice for believers, gently admonishing us to both hear the Word (Scripture) and obey it. Isn’t it fascinating that as he expounds on this topic, his first instruction is:

“This you know, my brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” James 1:19b-20 NASB

Everyone who has ever lashed out in the heat of the moment knows that when anger begins rising, quelling it is incredibly difficult. Here’s where James’ divinely dictated instruction truly shines. We are challenged to do two things before we even reach his instruction to be slow to anger.

First, we are to be quick to hear.
James doesn’t mean merely listening to spoken words. He means listening with understanding of another’s heart behind their words, but James is also calling us to keep an ear tuned to Holy Spirit’s voice. What is God speaking to us in that very moment when what is happening in the natural, as well as what is happening in the spiritual, verges on angry explosions.

When we begin living and responding from a position of listening first to Holy Spirit’s truth, we will naturally follow the second instruction from James and find ourselves slow to speak. As we slow, we process what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears, as well as listen attentively to what Holy Spirit is showing us. As we test everything we think against Scripture, this slowing down practice will result in new pathways as our thought patterns shift to become more like the Lord’s.

As we continue through James’s instructions, a constant theme begins emerging:
we are called to more than knowledge; we are called to obedience.

For the people in the back, I’ll say it again.

Sister, we are called to more than knowledge.
Every one of us is called to obey.

We are called to hear what the Bible says, and then called to action.
We are called to humbly receive the Word, and then allow transformation to happen.
We are called to gaze at the perfect law of freedom, and then called to persevere in it.
We are called to stay in living relationship with the Lord, and remain unstained by sin.
We are called to recognize position, and then called to honor all.

So, how do we go about doing these actions which are counter-culture, stretching, and one hundred percent opposite of what we might naturally strive to attain. Further, we are talking about a shift in heart posture here.
This is not something we are capable of manufacturing on our own.

Proverbs 2 gives us rock-solid wise counsel that goes hand in hand with James’ words. When we accept and study Scripture, meditate on the Lord’s instructions and allow them to sink deep into our souls, the Lord responds with favor.
When we ask the Lord to speak; He will reveal Himself through the Bible.
Then, we listen.
We press in and place value on the wisdom He freely gives.
As we turn our hearts toward Him, Scripture says He draws near to us, protecting us and blessing us with wisdom, knowledge, discretion, and understanding.
He will guard us from paths leading to destruction and danger by setting our feet on Wisdom’s Way.

You might be thinking, “This all sounds great in theory…but if I were honest, the truth is I simply do not desire to study Scripture. I try. I read it. I want to know what it’s like to long to soak in it, to hear directly from Him. But He’s just not speaking to me.”

Sweet sister-friend. I’ve felt the same.
Can I encourage you to do something different today?
Something that might feel outside your comfort zone?
First, carve out a few moments and find a quiet space.
Talk to the Lord. Have a real conversation with Him.
Tell Him where you are and ask Him to help you, then trust He is faithful and will respond to His beloved daughter!

Lord, thank You for Your Word that brings life and light. Thank you for giving us a way we can hear directly from You. Forgive me for the times when I have not valued Your instruction. Father, I want to hunger for your Word; I want to be the kind of daughter who is transformed when I hear You speak. Show me any areas of my heart and life that aren’t in alignment with Your heart. I yield every part of my life, time, and schedule to You.
Teach me to be more like You.
In Jesus’s Name, amen.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Focus Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Focus!

The GT Weekend! ~ Kaleidoscope Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Not only is the Lord’s love individually set upon us, uniquely drawing us towards His good, Father heart, God’s love is also patient, waiting for us to come to Him. As you consider the Lord’s patience towards you in your faith journey, where would you place yourself? Are you exploring the faith as He waits for you to accept His invitation into real life? Is He waiting for you to trust Him in deeper ways? Perhaps you waiver between leaning on your understanding while knowing you should trust His ways. His love allows Him to patiently keep on waiting for you, wherever you are. Think through areas in your life the Lord has waited or is waiting for you. Praise Him for never being exasperated, but lovingly extending patience!

2) Kindness is one definition of love that we rather lose in the shuffle of seemingly brighter and bolder definitions, but when we search Scripture, we see God’s loving kindness over and over, never playing second fiddle. How often do you consider the Lord as genuinely kind towards you? Angry at you? That isn’t kind. Annoyed with you? That isn’t kind. Seeking your good? Loving you intentionally? Giving you good gifts? This is the kindness of the Lord! Reflect on even just the last few days and write down the ways the Lord has shown His loving kindness to you and praise Him for that! Want to go a little deeper? Look up a few of the verses describing God as kindhearted in the book of Psalms and let truth wash over you. (follow this link and click “Psalms” under “NAS”)

3) Jealousy tends to sneak up on us in small ways, but before long, it snowballs and consumes us in ways we never considered. In David’s story, he had several opportunities to step away from the pull of jealousy, but he tragically didn’t. The end result was death of relationships, and even people. How much better it would have been for David to walk away from the sin of jealousy and choose to love generously and confidently instead. David’s story is recorded for all of us. Take a hard look at when and why jealousy surges in your life. Take these to the Lord and ask Him to renew your heart, giving you love in place of blinding jealousy.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Romans 12:21 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Prayer Journal
How grateful I am for your conquering love, Lord! By Your gift of righteousness to me, You broke my chains to sin and freed me to walk safe and free in love. Though I’m free to love because of You, I don’t always choose it, still I grab for those ugly weapons of anger, impatience, discontentment, pride, and jealousy. Clearly show me, Spirit, when I am tempted to choose these over love. Remind me how You have freed and equipped me to walk in love with every choice. Take off the blinders I have over my own sin, and fill my hands with Your love!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

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Worship Through Music

Dwell Day 8 Come Away

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 46  
Isaiah 6:1-8 
Exodus 34:29-35 

Dwell, Day 8

The chaos screamed louder with every shrill screech of my 3-year-old.  
He flung his body violently backwards despite my attempts to hold him.  
My water cup flew as his foot knocked it from the counter, its crash adding to the epic disaster of my kitchen.  
I was exhausted, frustrated, and knew I was quickly losing it.  
I was too far behind, in too many things, the hurricane wave-like pressure to be more than I was, crashed down on me fast.  
 
“Come away with me.” 
The whisper in my heart offered an oasis, cool water in the tornadic fury of my hot emotions.  
No, it wasn’t an audible voice, but it was one I had been learning ever more steadily to listen to. It was the voice of One who loved me, who delighted over me, and in that moment of supreme chaos that bordered on insanity, He called me away.  
 
Not to more stuff.  
Not to remind me of the important things I hadn’t done yet.  
Not to chastise me for being angry.  
He called me to come away.  
With Him.  
 
With water dripping from the counter, the dog eating scraps on the floor, a dirty dish tower threatening to topple, smelly laundry spilling from the washer, crackers crunching under my feet, and 4 other children continuing to play in their shocking oblivion,  
I obeyed the voice of my Savior.  
 
Gathering my still shrieking preschooler, I turned a blind eye to it all, and with laser focus on the face of my Jesus, I ran upstairs, not caring in the slightest who called out after me for more snacks. I knew exactly where I was going.  
 
As I hurried through my still messy bedroom, I grabbed my “pretty candle”, the one no one is supposed to touch, and a hidden matchbox. By the time I shoved my closet door closed behind me and the darkness quickly enveloped us, my little boy was still mad, but intrigued.  
I struck the match, breathing in the acrid scent, my soul already quieting. 
I knew Who was waiting for me and Whose presence I was entering.  
 
“Look! Look!” I whispered to my dry-sobbing boy.  
His eyes wide, tears gone, I held him as I began praying simple phrases.  
I had learned that here, in the silence and solitude of this meeting place, short phrases packed with truth kept my heart and soul in the moment rather than wandering.  
Truth anchored me in His presence.  
 
“You are good. You are good. You are good.” 
“You are for me. You are for me. You are for me.” 
“You are glorious, Yahweh. You are glorious. Glorious.”  
“Oh Majesty, Majesty, how breathtaking You are.” 
“Majesty. Beauty. Grace.”  
“Grace. Grace. Grace.” 
“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” 
“Lord Jesus. My Lord Jesus.” 
 
Sometimes my words whispered, sometimes they flowed quickly as the Spirit moved, sometimes my tongue was still as I drank in the exquisite beauty of His presence.  
Silent and still, holding my son, watching the light,  
my soul was swept away by the Supreme Lover of my heart. 
 
There was no magic in the candle, no extra-ordinary spiritual experience of my closet location, there was simply an invitation to sit in silence and behold Majesty.  
 
Time seemed to stand still for both me and my son.  
Eventually, like every mama-story, a knock beckoned from the other side of my closet door.  
But my spirit didn’t sag in response, peace pervaded. Joy swept in.  
Truth anchored my soul as my eyes had re-focused on the Glorious One.  
 
The idea of Silence and Solitude as an actual discipline of the Christian walk had never ever occurred to me.  
Quiet time where you sit and read Scripture, yes.  
Journaling your prayers and thoughts during quiet time, yes.  
But no one had ever taught me to practice Silence & Solitude.  
 
The discovery literally revolutionized my entire walk with Jesus, taking me from the playful shores of Christianity into the deep-sea dive of intimacy with the Love of my Soul.  
Practicing regular silence and solitude changed the entire trajectory of my life.  
I can absolutely guarantee you that where I am today, how I see people, the ministries I’m involved in, and the way I commune with Jesus is a direct result of silence and solitude.  
Yes, it’s that critical!  
 
After reading selections from Ruth Barton’s book, “Invitation to Solitude & Silence”, I was flabbergasted that I had never heard of this aspect of Christianity and began adopting it immediately.  
It wasn’t always my closet, it wasn’t always using a candle, but those became my favorites.  
I’ve shared intentional silence with the Savior, glorying in His presence, in my car before driving to “next”, in my “God Time Chair” as my pen has stilled and all else fades as I simply sit with Him, listening and responding to His Spirit, or in bed before I fall asleep. This isn’t just being quiet and restful, it’s intentional prayer-focused intimacy as we are drawn in to deep worship! 
 
In words on paper, it’s utterly indescribable.  
Astoundingly, the invitation comes again and again as He invites me to know Him deeper, delight in Him more intimately, to call Him Abba Father, to sit with tears streaming at His all-surpassing glory, and to live in light of that glorious encounter. 
 
Here’s the sweetest thing, Jesus longs for all of this with each of us!  
It doesn’t matter what your doubts are, how long or how short you’ve believed in Him as Savior, or whether you’ve ever crossed the line of faith in the first place, His invitation beckons right now, right here, in the middle of your crazy, busy, messy everyday life.  

Will you go to Him?! 

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Dwell Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
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Roads Day 15 The Road Home

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 14:1-7
Matthew 7:13-14
Jeremiah 14:14-16
2 Timothy 4:3-4 

Roads, Day 15

“God, HELP me! Why can’t I HEAR You?!” 
Angry tears filled my eyes and I swallowed hard, slamming towels into the washing machine so quickly they tangled into a big wad. Shrieks reached my ears as I wrestled with the laundry, and in my frustration, I slammed my little toe into the dryer as I turned to shush my two oldest so they wouldn’t wake their sleeping little brother. 

I’d be lying if I said an unpleasant word didn’t hiss across my lips. (Sorry, but it’s truth…and I’ll bet if you are being honest, you might be able to relate.) 

“You aren’t listening, Love. Your attention is divided.” 
His gentle nudge in my spirit sparked fresh tears. He was right. 

It had been a long day week year. The temperature outside was frigid, and with three little ones under four, I could count on one hand the number of days when every person in our little tribe had been healthy… in over two months.
I loved being a wife and mama, but between those two most important roles, the demands of my growing business, various ministry commitments, a part time job, and maintaining family relationships, I found myself incapable of focusing on a single task (or person) for even a few minutes. I couldn’t give 100% to anyone or anything.

I was tapped out. Emotionally. Mentally. Spiritually.  

And truth? I was pretty angry with myself…and maybe at God a little, too.
I couldn’t understand why He seemed so silent through everything.
I was reading my Bible.
I spent time in prayer and worship.
But, for a while now, He had seemed… uncharacteristically quiet.

Having experienced the loss of our first daughter and His supernatural peace and comfort through that time a few years prior, I was frustrated that such seemingly trivial issues affected me like this. …and that He wasn’t showing up as I expected. 

His soft correction was on point.
I had been so busy juggling ALL OF THE THINGS,
that nothing and no one was getting the best, or even most, of me.  

Have you been there, Sister? Are you there? 
So overwhelmed that you just… can’t?  

And here’s the million dollar question, Love.
Looking past all of that, are you still 100% committed to following Christ?
Through the mundane as well as the mountains?  

A while back, a friend and I were somewhat casually discussing faith and eternity.
As our discourse turned to another religious perspective that was outside biblical salvation by grace through faith, my friend asserted,
“Well, whatever makes them happy. 
As long as it isn’t hurting anyone, what’s the harm, right?”  

Stunned, I said nothing, and as she changed topics, the moment was lost. 

What’s the harm, right? 
Her words still echo in my mind.
How I wish I had spoken truth in love to her at that moment. 

I wish I’d told her the harm has eternal ramifications.
I wish I’d  told her the harm is that, as Christ followers, we know there is only one road which assures salvation for eternity.
There is only one road holding the hope of a future which far outshines our sin-stained past. There is only one road offering us healing and forgiveness, righteousness, and adoption into God’s family. 

One narrow road, and His name is Jesus. 

Not our own righteousness,
nor how we think we should act or be,
nor any other thing, but JESUS. 

Are we willing to receive some challenge today, Loves? 

This is not a popular truth to tell in this day and age. 
We live in a world where “live and let live,” and “do whatever makes you happy” rules.
Comfort is king.
While we are encouraged to “speak our truth,” those who shout this mantra the loudest,
are often the first to hush us when THE Truth is what we speak.  

Just like my own failure to speak truth in the moment Holy Spirit provided with my friend, many of us fail to give 100% to the people He has placed in our circles.  

Look, I get it.
Living our beliefs out there for the world to see in real life is HARD.
It’s much, much easier to stay in our little Sunday bubble and post faith-influenced social media status updates once or twice a week and never actually get in the dirt to love the people He has tasked us to love. 

But…what about that mimics the Christ we profess to believe in, love and follow? 

As followers of Christ and daughters of God…
We know we are heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven.
We know this world is not our home.
But we also know we are tasked to bring His Kingdom here… which includes sharing the truth in love with whomever God places in our path.
These opportunities to share are the most important part 
of our journey as we travel the road Home. (read: Heaven) 

No, not preaching on every corner or issuing condemnation and judgement.
It isn’t a “one and done” kind of deal.
Rather, we are challenged to actively love others, continually and invitationally.   

Invite them into our lives and homes and hearts. 
Invite them into our community and demonstrate Christ’s love in word, action and deed. 
Build real relationships so when Holy Spirit prompts us to speak the truth in love,
we can do it with grace. 

When we commit to giving our whole attention and focus to whatever He hands us, we free ourselves to be obedient and experience His fullness.
Even in the mountains and the mundane.
THIS is our purpose, our calling, and our joy!
To live out this Gospel as we travel the road Home! 

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Roads Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
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The GT Weekend! Character Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) James 1:19-21 shows what our human anger brings to our lives. Read through this passage and reflect on its words. Mark the places that show the results of our anger. Look for what James’ solution to our mess looks like. See the reality of Scripture come alive as you see we are not destined to hopelessness and despair. The Lord has provided a means to reconciliation!

2) It is an amazing privilege and Biblical invitation, to worship together corporately with other believers. It’s equally amazing to choose to worship in the ordinary parts of our lives. Where could you be intentional with choosing to give back praise for God’s faithfulness? Set aside specific time in your calendar to sing/write/draw in praise to the Lord. Share with us your day-to-day means of praise on Instagram #GTpraise.

3) God knew His created people would walk away from Him and choose substitutes for His glory. He gave the Old Testament law to show His children the extent of their brokenness. He sent Jesus to fulfill the need of a blood sacrifice to speak to God directly. God orchestrated every piece so He could redeem you, dear sister, back to Himself. He’s calling you, drawing you; are you ready to answer? What’s holding you back?

Journaling your prayers is simply another way to talk to the Lord. Slow down, pull out pen and paper, read the following Scripture passage and prayer, then let your own words flow to the Almighty One who loves you so deeply!

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us.
– 1 John 4:7-12

Lord when I get bogged down by the law and spending so much energy on not being ruled by it but following in obedience, my heart still misses the point. I still miss Your desire; relationship with me, for Your glory. Forgive me for the times I make it about me and what I can do for You.

As I fold the laundry, wash countless dishes, and interact with every crazy driver on the road, let me choose praise. Because of Jesus, I have the access to sing Your praise every moment of the day. And yet I so often grumble, or even ignore Your work in my life while I mindlessly scroll Facebook. Help me “take every thought captive to obey Christ” this week!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Character Day 5 Righteous Anger

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Read His Words Before Ours!

James 1:19-21
Ephesians 4:26
Galatians 5:16-24
Psalm 37:7-8

Character, Day 5

I stood there holding the severed kitchen faucet handle, adrenaline still pumping. My then five-year-old son had been helping me rinse dishes. Our stubborn hearts were at odds. He was ignoring my instruction. I was being controlling. In anger, I slammed my hand down on the faucet breaking it beyond repair. Shame, sadness, and despair rushed over me.

I never considered myself an angry person, but suddenly, in the trench years of very small children, flares came easily. Anything from obnoxious noises, toothpaste on towels, and spilled milk (I know, I know…), to sibling spats, sassing, and willful disobedience were moments I could erupt.

I knew that fits of anger were a work of my flesh (Galatians 5:19-20), and I began crying out for God to help me. I knew I needed the Word of God to save me from myself (James 1:21). The Spirit began showing me the connection between my anger and whose kingdom I’m bowing to – mine or God’s.

The question isn’t simply, ‘Is anger sinful?’.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:26 that to be angry and not sin is possible.
Yet a few verses later he also admonishes the church to
“let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away..”.
Psalm 145:8 explains, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love”.
Yet, Psalm 78:49-51 paints a picture of God’s unleashed anger.
So how are we to discern this visceral emotion?

Unrighteous Anger of Man
In their book The Cry of the Soul, Dan Allender and Tremper Longmann bring clarity stating, “the core of unrighteous anger is a hatred of vulnerability and a love of control”.

When we feel pain, offense or exposure, unrighteous anger attempts to secure for ourselves satisfaction right now. It might be triggered by a legitimate wrong, but the defining point is how that anger is directed.

James 1:20 says, “For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

This pricked my heart early on in my battle with anger. In my attempt to correct and discipline my children, I had allowed my own satisfaction to be a driving force. Instead of submitting to the Spirit’s control, I was tossed around by my natural reactions to things that jarred my comfort, peace, and control. My own desires were the things I was seeking to satisfy my heart.
Unrighteous anger is a hungry search for satisfaction in our own timing,
and with our own methods.
Ultimately, it is a display of discontent with God. 

Righteous Anger of God
Is righteous anger, then, shoving our desire under a rug or ignoring injustice?
Is it playing nice and downplaying an offense?
Not at all.
It is critical for our souls to acknowledge that all is not right in this world. The Psalms are full of laments and questions directed toward God. A re-orienting of the direction of our anger, however, is needed. To be righteous in our anger is to reflect God, whose anger is always directed at sin and darkness.

Looking to God in our anger, we also wait on His timing to show His character.
Psalm 37:7-8 begs, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.”

We must acknowledge our anger honestly before God, acknowledging our inability to make things right. Psalm 4:4 tells us to “Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.”
This is counterintuitive and uncomfortable.
It can also feel incapacitating.
Yet this is exactly where God wants us:
running to Him in our anger and crying out for His action.

Allender and Longmann explain,
“Righteous anger warns, invites, and wounds for the greater work of redemption.
It is full of strength that is neither defensive nor vindictive, and it is
permeated by a sadness that is rich in desire and hope…..
righteous anger allows the offense to be seen as an issue between the offender and God.” 

Is your anger permeated by sadness over sin and rich in desire for God’s holiness?
Or is it a short fuse connected to the hope of your own desires?

When I slammed my hand down in exasperation on my kitchen faucet, I wasn’t thinking about the greater redemption of my son, nor was I full of hope. I was mad and wanted to end the struggle.
But God has more for our anger.
He desires to use us to bring about His greater work of redemption.
As we submit to His Spirit, He will do this through us!

Lastly, consider God’s example.
We deserve His full wrath because of our sin,
but instead received mercy and grace.
God poured out His fury upon His perfect Son, who paid the punishment for you and me.
God’s wrath was satisfied, His holy standard maintained.

Father thank you for your grace.
Use our anger to point us to your holiness, righteous fury, and redemptive work.
Help us embrace utter dependency as we wait on you to make all things new and right.

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Character Day 3 Jealous God

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:1-21
John 3:16
Philippians 2:1-11

Character, Day 3

I see the word jealous and I think bad, wrong, sinful.  The word should never be a word that describes my heart or my mind, much less God!  I think of all the times that my mom told me as a teenager not to be jealous or those times in my own mind I was warned of the green-eyed monster of jealousy rearing its ugly head. There are even children’s song that give admonition against the sin of jealously.

However, in this case, when it comes to God and His character,
jealousy doesn’t hold the same connotation.
There is nothing evil, nothing sinful, about God.
So, having a jealous God must be something righteous.
The jealousy of God is a characteristic of His, just like love or faithfulness, that He cannot deny about Himself.
So, what does it mean that God is jealous?
And why does it matter?

 

What does it mean that God is jealous?
Abba Father who longs so deeply to be deeply rooted in each of our lives fights for us.
He battles our battles,
He weeps when we weep,
and He rejoices when His children rejoice.
This same God desires so deeply that not one of His little sheep be apart from Him.
He covets our time, our hearts, our life, our all.
He wants all of us.

He is jealous of those things that steal our time, our precious God-given time.
When we commit to His ways, it is not something to take lightly.
NO!
He wants us to be who He created us to be which goes against the very culture and fallen world we live in.

Since the Fall, when sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, God has fought to redeem His people so much so that He willingly sent His son to die on the cross to make the wrongs of humanity right (John 3:16, Romans 5:12-21).
He pursues every nook of our heart and speaks redemption over our darkest parts. In that process, He wants nothing to replace Him as being Sovereign of our life. He is jealous of all things that we put before Him.

Our time,
our possessions,
our finances,
our jobs,
our children,
our ministries….the list could go on!
It includes anything in our life that replaces His Lordship.

Don’t be mistaken in thinking God’s characteristic of jealousy falls under the same definition of jealousy like the world.
The world’s jealousy shrivels and eats at the heart and mind.
No, His jealously is a righteous one calling us back to our first love.
Calling us back to our Creator, our Father, our Savior, and our Lord.
Righteous jealously seeks after and pursues even the one lost sheep, the prodigal son, and the wayward woman at the well.
A jealous God seeks to restore relationship,
redeem the time, and
radically transform the lives of those that allow it,
because of His great love for us!

So why does it matter?
It matters because if God didn’t care…He wouldn’t care!
Silly sentence, I know, but our faith apart from God intimately caring about His creation and desiring a relationship with us, with me, is nothing.
Our faith, without a jealous God who cares enough to refuse to leave us in our sin and shame, means I am, we are, lost for all eternity.
God seeks after His Bride, the Church, and desires she not play the harlot anymore.

Just as we read throughout the Old Testament, the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, were told as part of the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20:5, stop messing around with other gods (little g, no power, not the real thing gods) and know that I am jealous for you and I AM the One True God!
This was both a message of love, but also a condemnation of behavior and a warning to return or suffer the consequences of living apart from the Lord.
God wants everything we do to look like Him (Philippians 2:5).
It matters because the God we serve is holy and full of truth.
His jealousy comes when we allow the things in our personal worlds to crowd Him out.
He is jealous for that space!
He wants all of our space and desires for nothing less than things of eternal value that put His glory on display. When our hearts are fully delighting in the love of the God who jealously pursues us, our hearts are unleashed for abundance!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Chase Day 7 Chasing Anger: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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James 1:19-21 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. 21 Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

The Questions

1) How are listening, speaking, and anger related?

2) Is human anger different from God’s anger?

3) What produces the righteousness of God?

The Findings for Intention

1) How are listening, speaking, and anger related?
Cross references are incredibly helpful tools for students of the Bible. Others have already done all the hard work to connect the same word or same usage of that word to other similar usages/phrases in the Bible. The cross-references for “anger” in verse 21 lead us to several passages; consider this one from Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 or here from Proverbs 4:23-27. Both of these references (and many more) teach that our outward actions, words, and emotions are rooted directly to our hearts. How we listen and how we speak, are barometers for the condition of our hearts. Jesus talks about this in Luke 6:45 saying, “…out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” The book of James as a whole is about training in the disciplines of godly living that honors God with our whole life. One of these is the discipline of the tongue. To safeguard against anger, James teaches us to train our tongue as well as our ears. Slow. Slow. Slow. Slow to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger will do much for our training in godliness.  See also James 3:1-12 for more on this disciplined training!

2) Is human anger different from God’s anger?
So Much Yes! James makes a clear distinction here to help us see the difference. Man’s anger doesn’t bring about the righteousness of God, and the opposite is true as well. God’s anger does bring about His righteousness. When we become angry and let it spew unbridled from our tongue, and when, because of anger, we stop listening, only jumping in to defend ourselves, we will never bring about God’s righteousness in our relationships. Instead, relationships are broken and we recklessly hurt others with our words (Proverbs 12:18). God’s anger is a righteous anger over sin in the lives of His beloved children. His anger is purposeful with a heart of love behind it, a love that is pursuing a relationship of intimacy with us. Our anger? It rarely comes from a heart of love for the other person. Though, sometimes our anger can indeed have pure motives, but Paul warns us, “In your anger, do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26)

3) What produces the righteousness of God?
In verse 21, we see “therefore”, which should be read “in light of” or “because our anger doesn’t produce God’s righteousness, and we are called to holy, righteous living, combat that anger with these”: “put away all filthiness, all rampant wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word.” That “word” is the freeing gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that we were helpless to create righteousness on our own, Jesus became righteousness for us on our behalf! (2 Corinthians 5:21) None of this discipline training is possible without this full-hearted embrace of the freeing gospel! But James is quick to insist, “be doers of the word and not just hearers only.” Embrace the word of the free gospel, but link arms with “Faith” and “Obedience” and follow closely as you train in godliness.

The Everyday Application

1) How are listening, speaking, and anger related?
In our culture, we spend a lot of time disciplining our bodies and training them to excel at the best with food and fitness. Have you ever considered what it would look like to train and discipline our hearts? After all, it’s only our souls that will last into eternity, not our bodies. Consider beginning some heart-training for godliness in the arena of your ears, your tongue, and the anger inside. Ask the Holy Spirit for His help to grow you and to help you reach for grace instead of anger. When we listen, let’s be intentional and slow down to really hear (not distracted hearing). When we choose to speak, let’s choose our words carefully and slowly. When in doubt, give the benefit of the doubt! Don’t think the worst of the other person, instead, extend grace and ask for clarification. It’s hard! Don’t be discouraged, training and discipline is hard work with great reward! When in doubt, give the benefit of the doubt! Don’t think the worst of the other person, instead, extend grace and ask for clarification.

2) Is human anger different from God’s anger?
When we’re speaking with non-believers, we want to share His love. Our words and actions need to be in alignment to do that effectively. The listener will not receive our words well if we are shouting at them about how wrong they are or even how much they annoy us; they will only walk out of our lives. Keeping our anger in check allows for even more conversation with our sisters to transpire. Reflecting on God’s holy anger over our sin can be a source of encouragement to be broken over the sin in our life instead of turning a blind eye to that sin.

3) What produces the righteousness of God?
If we put our faith in the King of Kings, the Mighty One, the Prince of Peace, our lives will be changed forever. The Holy Spirit is in the business of transforming lives by leading us into things that sharpen us and let us reflect the Son even better. After experiencing that initial transformation, we have begun to produce the righteousness of God in our lives. As that takes root and begins to bear fruit, our faith is deepened and God’s righteousness is on display even brighter. It throws us into a beautiful cycle, for His glory on display for the world to see!

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*Written by Michelle Promise and Rebecca Adams

I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Chase Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion. 
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

The Why!

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Chase!