What would Jesus do?

I have noticed that many a mother - including myself - are constantly concerned about the affect that either they or their kids have on people around them...at the store, at church, while visiting friends and family, anywhere really. There seems to be a constant pressure to cater to those around us and make adjustments to ensure that they are comfortable or are just unaffected...unaffected by that tantrum being thrown, by that poopie diaper that needs to be changed, by the discipline we just dished out, by the diaper bag that just nearly clocked them in the head. yea.

A few weeks ago I went to Starbucks with my sister. I had both my kids with me. My son is 7 months old and I happen to nurse him, and although I am pretty much used to the whole nursing in public thing (thank you nursing cover!), it still can be a little uncomfortable in certain places. (Don't worry, I'm going somewhere with this!) As I sat in the parking lot waiting for my sister to get there I started to worry about nursing my son in Starbucks and hoping no one would be uncomfortable if I had to feed him while we were sitting in there. As those thoughts began to fill my head, I felt that small whisper of the Holy Spirit, "Many Christians have become like that."

I began to think about that. When is the last time I walked into a grocery store, a friends house, a Starbucks and expected God to move? Was I too worried about not stepping on anyone's toes, making sure they feel comfortable or that they weren't offended? Maybe I am just waiting for the right time or the right opportunity...whenever/whatever that may be.

And as cliche as this blog title might be, I really thought to myself, "What would Jesus do?" Jesus was who He IS all the time. He was and is and will always be an atmosphere changer. He didn't wait for the "right" opportunity...He just did what He saw His Father do, and said what His Father said. And of course maybe He wasn't so focused on getting a pumpkin spice latte but you can be sure if He walked into Starbucks and saw the barista's pain through her smile as she took order after order, or saw the man who is struggling with an addiction hiding away at the back table...he wouldn't walk in and walk out as if it were nothing. As followers of Christ, as representation of Christ to this world, we should be more than passers-by, we should shift the atmosphere by the authority of Christ and do as we have seen our Father do.

John 14:6-14 (The Message) ~ Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You've even seen him!"

Philip said, "Master, show us the Father; then we'll be content."

"You've been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don't understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, 'Where is the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren't mere words. I don't just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act. "Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see — these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it."

I have just been reflecting on this scripture and what I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me that day, and I desperately want to grab ahold of Jesus and do those even greater things that He has spoken of. I have seen the Father and I want others to see Him too. I don't want to be an "adjusted" Christian trying to make others feel comfortable around me...trying not to stir up anything or not step on anyone's toes. We don't need to wait for opportunities to live and breathe and be who Christ has called us to be...we need to be the opportunity that others are waiting for.

National Evangelistic Day is coming up this Saturday, January 29th. Go out and spread the love and truth of Christ and continue to radically walk out in the glory of the Lord EVERY DAY!

Eyes on Him.

2 Peter 1:3-11 says, "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Recently my pastor shared this scripture and it has been weighing on my heart. I had been toiling over various things that I wanted to accomplish and wondering how I could ever fulfill goals I envisioned for the future. I found myself frustrated because I want to increase my time in prayer and in the word, as well as dedicate time to writing and growing in other creative areas but with little time to spare. My cry to the Lord (more like whining) sounding a lot like, "How can I do all of these things? From the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed I barely have 10 minutes to spare. Whether it be anything involving taking care of the kids, making meals, cleaning up the house, grocery shopping...the list seems endless. Even if the baby naps, Leilani doesn't and it just seems like I barely have a minute to myself! What if I can't do all that You want me to do, what if I am just not good at it!?"

I got all that out and felt the Lord reply, "Stop focusing on how you are going to do anything, stop focusing even on what you want to do and start focusing on Me. You cannot give to anyone what you do not receive yourself."

Um. Whoa. The scripture from 2 Peter is pretty deep but there is one main thing that has stood out to me. It is telling us to add all of these things to our faith---virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. There is a reason why we need to add these things to our faith...because we need to grow in our own understanding of the Lord, His ways and His truth so that we can then be effective and productive by extending what we have received to others from a place of utter and complete love that comes from being transformed by Him. But it isn't about toiling over the "how-to's" or striving to do more of anything other than coming face to face with Jesus and allowing Him to consume you.

Press in with a steadfast heart and don't give up! Grab ahold of Him today. Grab ahold of the heart of your Father who burns with love for you. Ask Him to show you more of who He is for you, so that you can show who He is to someone else.

Psalm 46:10-11 "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."