Bringing Holy Back: Pressing on to Share His Hope

A movement like Bringing Holy Back needs accountability! It is great to have an idea and be inspired to live it out, but it is entirely possible to never actually move forward and do what one intended.

It is like sitting in your quiet time corner, peacefully reading Scripture, sincerely petitioning the Lord, patiently awaiting His response...and then BLAST...the phone rings, the dog barks, the washing machine rocks and rolls unbalanced, the little ones shuffle down the stairs and slip into your lap...all before you had a second to even say "Amen," you're completely thrown off course! What is a woman to do?

This is real life, gals! The quiet moments are treasures, like when God offers an unexpected lesson from an oak tree. The chaotic moments are the norm, especially during the Christmas season. So how exactly should we ditch the chaos? How can we share the light of Christ with others and not have that very light snuffed out by the impending details of life?

I have to admit, it has been especially hard for me this week. After having a house full for the Thanksgiving holiday, which was great fun with little rest, I'm even more overwhelmed by all the needs to be met: nativity costume distribution, printing of the Tea program, dozens of cranberries needing sugaring for the said Tea, a dessert for Sunday, on top of regular life of speech appointments, doctors visit, grocery shopping, vacuuming, basketball practice, and...and...and...and when will we get the tree? It would be so easy to melt down in a heap and sob the ugly cry. I'm sure most of you feel the same way! While I'm tempted to throw in the towel and quit life until after Christmas, I'm still hoping that God has another way for us to do life. As Paul writes, we must set our eyes on the goal...

Philippians 3:13-15 (The Message)

Focused on the Goal

^12-14I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

^15-16So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.

Ahh, so we don't need to have it all together, friends. We need to focus on Christ in the middle of our mess. That, my sisters, is the essence of Bringing Holy Back to the Holiday. The reality is that while we're in the middle of all our commitments, we must press forward. We can't exactly back out of them now (there are exceptions, of course!), but we can change our focus by taking captive our thoughts and making them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

In this mission of Bringing Holy Back, I find my first few steps are subtle, yet the potential quite powerful:

Pray. I am sincerely asking God for wisdom in how to use my time and how to change life dramatically, starting with Him changing my heart, so that normal life leaves enough room in the schedule for celebrations, holidays, visitors, and rest!

Remember. It isn't all about me and what I accomplish. My passion, my life, is about remembering the God to whom I belong and the Savior for whom I want to declare praise (1 Peter 2:9).

Share His Hope. For the next few days, my focus is on HOPE -- one of those great holiday words and country-kitch decorations, which deserves a whole lot more attention in terms of our soul-thinking and sharing with others. As God's holy children, our hope in the Lord should be an obvious mark to others and foundational to how we live our lives. Not in the sense, of "We hope God will bring us a BMW convertible (although I'm more a Jeep kind of gal)!" But rather that we put our HOPE in the Lord, knowing His plans will be accomplished in us and through us.

1 Peter 3:15

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect.

If our purpose is to share our Savior with others, then we can do a little HOPE check-up this week...

• Is Christ Lord of my heart and source of my hope?
• Is it obvious in my countenance? Do I seem different, because of my hope in the Lord?
• Do I share this truth with others with gentleness and respect?
• How can I share God's hope at the checkout counter, with a neighbor, in the uniqueness of a gift to a family member or friend?

How's your Bringing Holy Back movement going? How's your hope in the Lord today? Take a minute to talk with the Lord and share with us about how you are doing. If you haven't already linked up with the Bringing Holy Back movement, be sure to click here and sroll to the end of this post.

By God's Grace and Mighty Power,