Reflecting on Truths from 2007

By Charlotte K. Lowrie

Oh, the joy in knowing that Jesus is with us, as near as our breath, wise beyond comprehension, loving us without reservation, guiding, teaching, consoling, encouraging us in every single thing that we do. He is the perfect teacher, the perfect friend, the perfect Savior, the Holy Lamb of God.

Thinking toward a New Year and reflecting back on the past year, I take stock of my daily walk with Christ. Of the many, many truths that He has taught me during 2007, one truth in particular resonates with me, and that is to stop worrying. During the past months of writing two books, I learned much more about trusting the words of the Lord in Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV), excerpted here.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store way in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

It seems that no matter how much I’ve learned in the past about not worrying, there is always more to learn. I’ve learned that because worrying is one of those “human things,” it’s also one of those things that I have to give to the Lord over and over again. Despite my knowing for certain that He will provide for all of my needs, I still periodically fall back into my old habit of worrying about people, projects, and plans.

Most recently, I learned that when I worry, I lose focus on Jesus. When I fill up my mind with concern about a project or a task, there is no room for Him. And, predictably, I go my way instead of His way. And it’s at the end of “my” road that I need Him to step in and fix my mess. I’ve learned that if I stay on-focus with Jesus, all that I would otherwise worry about never becomes an issue of concern.

I’m reminded that it’s my job, my life’s work, to follow Jesus. The more I follow, the more my heart becomes like His heart. That change of heart represents true change, not simply a rote reminder to follow Him, but rather a change in who I am and how I respond to all of life’s experiences.

I’ve also been reminded that it’s not the approval of others that I work for, but rather I work for His approval—and that changes everything. The Lord reminded me that, “I didn’t call you to follow the crowd. I called you to follow Me.” Enough said. Human approval—whether it’s from the editor reviewing my latest book, or approval from my friends—means nothing in the Kingdom of God. What means everything is doing all work as unto Him.

I’m reminded that when I let go of my worries and minor obsessions and give them to the Lord, that He will give those situations back to me with His victory. Every time I give Him my worries, I can watch in awe as His perfect purpose is accomplished.

And most of all, I’ve learned again that on other side of worry is His perfect peace—now and always. Could I ask for more?

Wishing you a closer walk with Jesus Christ in 2008.

Merry Christmas!

The Perfect Christmas Gift

The day of Christmas dawns.
We celebrate the gift of the Father,
His only Son, Jesus Christ,
Come to earth to live among us;
Mighty in strength,
Full of love,
Full of righteousness.

He came to bear our burdens,
To lift us up
From our trouble.
He came that we may have life;
The life the Father intended
From the beginning,
The life that leads from
Glory to glory.

It is the Father’s heart that
None would be lost,
But that all would come to Him,
Reconciled and redeemed,
Worthy of sharing His great glory.

He gave the gift in love,
A love greater than we can imagine,
A love that stretches through eternity.
The only requirement is that we believe.
And in believing, we have life,
Life that springs from the Father,
Life that is ever-lasting.

As Christmas dawns,
Think on that gift.
Think on the Holy Son of the Father.
He came freely,
And at no cost to you or to me.
He came that you might have life.
Think on it.
Rejoice in it.
Share it with others.

So great a gift.
So great a love.
Can we do less
Than praise and honor Him
Now and forever?

Can we step outside ourselves
And celebrate this great gift?
For only if we step outside of ourselves,
Will we see the true gift of Christmas
That was brought to all of mankind.
And having seen it,
We see that we must
Live this gift of love in our lives.

We did nothing to deserve such a gift,
Nor can we earn it.
Rather it is ours to receive,
To live, and to share.

A transforming gift of love;
A gift that never wears out,
A gift that grows more beautiful
With use year after year.

Celebrate with JOY
This matchless gift from God.
Dance and sing with abandon
For you will never receive
Anything of greater value
Than the gift of that first Christmas—
Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

There is only one God,
And He reigns eternal.

What Makes an Eternal Difference?

By Charlotte Lowrie

Last week, I was getting estimates on having the exterior of the house painted. The first estimator came into the house to review the estimate with me. As we walked in, I was immediately aware of how messy the living area looked.

My living area looks like a writer and photographer’s work area—stacks of books, ranging from photography books to Bibles and concordances cover most free surfaces, while camera gear fills the remaining surfaces. And a good chuck of floor space is devoted to my desk, two computers, and two large monitors. Why do I notice the messiness only when I see it through the eyes of a guest? But I noticed, and I was unsettled by it.

As the estimator and I talked, I tried to concentrate on the painting estimate, but in the back of my mind, I wondered why I hadn’t cleared the table so we could spread out the papers.

What Makes an Eternal Difference?

I didn’t think about the incident again until one morning in prayer and meditation. Gently, the Lord pointed out that I have a strong sense of responsibility for maintaining the house and yard. While that sense of responsibility is good, it isn’t the most important concern.

The Lord brought to mind the story of Mary and Martha. When Jesus came to visit, Martha was the one who fretted over the household concerns. I’m sure that Martha had many of the same concerns that we have today. What would they eat? Was the house clean? Who would go to the market for food and cook it? And when Jesus arrived, Martha was probably in a hot kitchen cooking.

Mary, on the other hand, was enthralled with the Lord. Unlike Martha, Mary likely didn’t care if Jesus or anyone else ate. She cared that she could sit at Jesus’ feet to absorb His presence and His words.

Martha fretted about earthly cares. Mary focused on Jesus. Martha complained to Jesus.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 NIV.

Like Martha, I fretted, although silently, that the house wasn’t picture perfect.

As the Lord showed me, the priority is to bring His presence to the others—in this case, to bring His presence to the my guest. No one cares what the house looks like. As a follower of Christ, it is all about Jesus—about bringing Him to the table.

The Lord asked, “Did your guest see you silently fretting about the house, or did He see Me?”

The answer was clear. I was preoccupied not only with the way the house looked, but also about the estimate, the contract, and the schedule. To my way of thinking, I was being responsible for the blessings that the Lord has given me. But, like Martha, I missed the point entirely. We are to focus on Jesus, not on earthly cares. Earthly cares will pass away. Jesus will never pass away.

I pondered this for many long minutes. Bringing His presence is a simple matter of asking Him to be present in all encounters. Nothing we do draws people to Jesus. Just as it has been for more than 2,000 years, people are not drawn to us, they are drawn to Jesus—to His presence.

A clean house makes no difference. Bringing Jesus to the table makes an eternal difference. That is what it means to do His will on earth, here and now, as it is in heaven.

If we don’t bring Jesus to the table, to the office, to the grocery store, to every encounter, who will?

Lesson Learned?

With this profound lesson in mind, I prayed with extra fervor that the Lord would be with me throughout the day. Then I left to run some hurried errands. As I stopped at various stores, I reverted to my usual strategy with sales people—keep conversations short and avoid unwanted sales pressure at all costs.

When I got home, I prayed again. Clearly, the Lord had seen many needs in the people we encountered that I had not seen. Instantly, I realized that it had been all about me again, all about my schedule. I had overlooked the need to bring His presence to all the people—even to eager salespeople.

I wish that I could say that I learned this vital lesson, and then immediately put it into practice, but I can’t. I trust that over time I will pray His presence in every encounter.

I know now that nothing will make a bigger difference both now and for eternity.

Conversations with the Lord

This, and many other articles to come, arise from spending time with the Lord in prayer and conversation. The messages are, of course, too rich not to be shared.

· You cannot pacify people and be effective. You must electrify people to be effective.

· Do you think that any one of the Saints would have chosen the lives they had? They followed the Lord and became what He needed for the Kingdom’s work. That is the highest calling—to be what the Lord calls you to be; to serve the Lord, no matter what.

· Under the old covenant, God’s people lived under God’s law. Under the new covenant, we live free of the law, but we live with responsibility to take an active role in the Kingdom. Greater is our responsibility than theirs, and greater is the grace.

· It’s the Lord’s way, not our way. It’s the Lord’s timing, not our timing. He leads. We follow. We have the power to do what he has gives us to do without strain or worry. He opens doors. We walk through those doors by faith.

· Earnestly seek the pure love of the Holy Father. That is the love that led the Lord to the cross. That is the love that allowed Him to bear the sin of the world. That is the love that gives us the strength to endure all things.

· Love is what changes people. Love is what draws others to Christ. Love is what heals us and others. We are to bring His love to others.

· There is nothing that is untouched by God. There is nothing outside of His domain. Everything that we do merits God’s attention—e v e r y t h i n g.

· People are not drawn to religion.
People are not drawn to church.
People are drawn to the Lord.

· In the Scriptures, nothing is left undone. Every word, every message is meaningful in multiple ways on multiple levels. To discern the meaning, we must have eyes to see and a heart to understand.

· Contrary to popular opinion, we cannot live and let live. We live for the Lord. It's our job to step on toes.

· Don't preach to the choir, preach to the lost. Few unbelievers find their way to church. We must go to them with the Lord's message wherever they are. Sunday isn't the only day to save souls. Any day is a good day to bring the lost home.

· The Father doesn't want to lose any who are called. Our responsibility is to call them in the Lord's name, through His cross, and bring them home.

Take a Look Across the Room

By Charlotte K. Lowrie

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he left a single, all-important charge to those who would follow Him.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 38:18-20 NIV.)

I read this passage, known as the Great Commission, as applying to all followers of Christ, whether they have the spiritual gift of evangelism or not. And even if you disagree with my view, I have to wonder how we, after receiving such great grace and love, cannot let these divine gifts spill over onto everyone in our lives?

Asking the Hard Questions

The ordinary and extraordinary events of everyday life recently prompted me to ask myself some hard questions about sharing my faith in Christ. Every time I look across the room, or I visualize my far-away friends who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior, I get cold chills. What if they never heard about the forgiveness, joy, and peace that Christ offers just because I am too fearful, too lazy, or too preoccupied with work to share it with them? Would I regret not sharing the gift of Jesus? Yes! Would I be able to stand before Christ knowing that I had not taken His Great Commission personally? No!

As I look across any room and see people who could miss the greatest experience of a lifetime, my perspective changes. It is that change in perspective that led me to write the list of questions that follow. I share these questions with you in the hope that you will find them useful in your daily walk with Christ.
· When was the last time that you spoke of your faith in conversations with non-believers?
· What is the boldest word you’ve spoken or action you’ve taken for Christ in the past month?
· If a non-Christian asked you why you are so into God, can you tell him or her why? And if you can, would you deliver a long monologue, or would you hunker down for a soul-deep dialogue. Can you listen carefully to the other person’s questions and relate your experiences to their questions and problems?
· Can you talk about your faith in everyday language to non-believers? Can you use contemporary words that non-believers can immediately relate to and understand?
· In two minutes or less, can you tell a non-believer how Christ changed your life?
· Do you ask people to come to church because you’re afraid to or uncomfortable in asking them to come to Christ?
· Do you eagerly jump at the opportunity to say a word for God in conversations, or do you shy away for fear of being politically incorrect?
· Do you talk about your faith as an everyday reality and necessity regardless of who’s in the audience?
· If you knew for certain that the Lord would return next week at this time, which non-believer would you want to share your faith with immediately?
· Can people tell that you are “different;” can they feel that an extraordinary love lives within you and that that love is directed toward them?
· And, finally, do you think of God as being there to serve you, or do you think of yourself as you being here to serve Him?

Regardless of which questions resonate with you, one thing is certain: Time is short. Whether it is the short amount of time left in your life or in the lives of others, or the nearness of the Lord’s return, we have this moment in time to make the Great Commission part of our everyday lives.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b NIV)

Two Very Different Approaches to Serving

By Charlotte Lowrie

Serving—some call it one of the essential Christian disciplines. It is a discipline, but, for me, serving is a high privilege. Jesus set the example for serving in virtually everything that He did while on earth. But perhaps the best known and most quoted example is from John 13. In this passage, Jesus and his disciples share their last meal together. During the meal, Jesus quietly leaves the table, fills a basin with water, ties a towel around His waist, and washes and dries the disciples’ feet.

When all of the dusty feet were washed and dried, Jesus asked his disciples, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” Clearly, Peter, who objected to the Lord washing his feet, didn’t understand. For Peter, washing the guests' feet was a job for the servants—far too demeaning a service for the Teacher.

So Jesus explained. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash one another’s feet. I have set for you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:12-15 NIV)

Choose an Approach

Recently I had several opportunities to serve. I was excited. It didn’t matter what the service was, I was anxious to serve, and I jumped in with both feet. But while serving, I realized there are two very different approaches to serving.

One approach to serving is motivated from a natural desire to be helpful and to give to others. Another approach to serving is as if we are serving the Lord Himself.

Obviously, there is a significant difference between the two approaches.

The innate desire to be helpful is instinctive for many people. In this approach, we offer our time, compassion, and help to those who are in need. But this approach falls short of the standard that Jesus set for us. Paul describes this approach in Colossians 3:23-24. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ that you are serving.”

Serving as if we are serving the Lord Himself not only helps others, but, most important, it brings the light of the Lord into the lives of those we serve. Rather than serving in our limited human compassion, we bring the Lord to others via His work through us. And that changes everything.

Lead or Follow?

But the second approach is harder for several reasons. To serve in this way, we have to be in fellowship with the Lord moment by moment, committing the work to Him and seeking His inspiration and revelation.

It’s also more challenging because we have to give up on assuming that we “know how” to do the task. And this is a biggie! Whether our service is a project for the church, bathing a sick family member, or bringing food to a family, we take pride in thinking that we know how to do the work. And because we know how, we can jump in and do the task quickly and efficiently.

But in the process of hunkering down and getting the work done, we crowd out the Lord. In short, we lead rather than follow the Lord. The result of our service is a practical, lackluster exercise in “doing good.”

Sure the work gets done, but the experience is empty of divine richness and rightness.

Last week, I barreled through the service opportunities as if I were trying to prove myself to the Lord, or worse, as if I were adding a few “good works” to some mental score card.

But the Lord already knows what I can do under my own power. He wanted to show me what He could do through me under His power. And there is no score card—there is only minute-by-minute following Him. I also realized that if I don’t bring the Lord with me in the service, how will others see Him? Jesus told us to let our light shine. And dedicating our service to Him allows His light to burn brightly to those we serve.

This point is critically important because time is short. Whether you realize that your life is as brief as a noon-time shadow, or you sense the nearness of His second coming, our work is to bring His light to all of those whom we serve. Paul emphasized this in Colossians 4:5: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”

Jesus concluded His explanation to the disciples by saying, “I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:16-17)

Not only will you be blessed, but those whom you serve will also be blessed.