Category: Scripture

It’s been a weird, but helpful season for me. Two months before I got married, I was laid-off from my job due to Covid-19. I was really upset because not only did I loved my job, but I would be entering our marriage unemployed. Luckily the months following the lay-off were extremely busy – planning a wedding, moving, home renovations, actual wedding, honeymoon, and holidays. 

But then came January 2, 2021 and everything was over. My to-do list dwindled, my errands became one errand (weekly grocery shopping), and sinking thoughts of “What do I do today?” filled my mind daily.

I became a full-time housewife, which for many women, that’s a dream! And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but for me, I have always loved being out in the community and working with people. Plus I assumed I’d be a stay-at-home mom for a while once we started having kids, but staying home now? 

As I began to pray more fervently and share my thoughts with my husband and gal pals, I kept thinking about a few verses:

Matthew 25:23 – His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Luke 16:10 – “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

Proverbs 28:25 – The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.

I decided to start ministering to women online. I figured since I am home caring for my husband and looking for a job, I could also devote time to pursuing my dream of starting a ministry. And well, I don’t know if you know anything about producing and growing online content, but it is HARD and EXHAUSTING!!! I watched YouTube videos and read articles about “growing your platform” and I just wanted to curl up into a hole.

Friends, there are SO MANY tricks and techniques and you basically have to live online. I quickly realized, I am not made for dedicating my life to growing an online ministry and that it would have to be a miracle from God to have a large following online to minister to. And then I thought, “Why do I need a large following?” Yes, more followers, would mean more people hearing the truths of the Gospel, but what about being faithful over little?

Culture emphasized more, more, more. But as Christians, we are set apart. We are not like the culture and God often does incredible things in the little. Look at Christianity. It started with Jesus teaching 12 below-average guys. And yet, here we are 2,000 years later, still reading about those little, but significant lives that God used to bring the Gospel to the world. Do you know what we often don’t read about? The little everyday teachers, mentors, moms, dads, siblings that live a life unto the Lord and teach His truths to others. Most are often not written about or publicly recognized, but their faithfulness over little will be rewarded with the much of Heaven. So whether three women or 30,000 women, I know the Lord would want me to be faithful with whomever He sends and trust Him with that.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). And what a good gift it would be to work at advancing His Kingdom, while being given means to live. For the believer, there is no good thing that He withholds (Psalm 84:11). Being a housewife, having a small ministry following, and a work-from-home job with a lower salary are the good things that He has for my life right now – regardless of my feelings or my thoughts or my perspective. He is ALWAYS right. He is ALWAYS faithful. And He is ALWAYS loving. And because I know His character and what He’s sacrificially already done for me on the cross 2,000 years ago, I can trust Him in the little and in the big. He is faithful because I’m often not. May God be the glory. Amen.

One of my favorite attributes of God is his sovereignty. It has brought not only a deep sense of comfort in hard moments, but provided a lens to see all of life through. I think back to conversations I had with my unbelieving dad about what God was doing in my mind and heart when I first became a Christian at age 24. He would listen and often say, “Well, that’s great to hear, Pumpkin” (he rarely called me by my real name). As time went on, he began to ask questions about eternity, salvation, morality, science, etc. He was being drawn to the things of heaven. His 58th birthday was coming up in September 2015. I decided to be a little bold and purchased a large-printed (he liked anything large-print) bible. I went through this Bible and highlighted answers to many of the questions and conversations we had. I put tabs that said topics like heaven, suffering, hope, salvation, science, and miracles. One of my favorite scriptures I had highlighted under the tab of peace was John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” My dad had fairly severe neuropathy, diabetes, and other health conditions that made his everyday life very difficult. I reminded him quite often of the hope and comfort in the life to come if he put his trust in Jesus. He liked John 16:33 because it affirmed the hardship of his life, but spoke of a peace from another world that seemed possible to have right now. I remember picking apart this verse with him over the phone. I said, something along the lines of, “Dad look what it’s saying…”

I have said these things to you – Jesus first reminded the disciples of who He was. For Jesus to have been able to tell them everything we read in chapter 16 and before, they would have to recognize He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and fully sovereign over all things. Literally in verse 28 He said He came from the Father into the world, and was about to go back to the Father. He’s the Kingdom on earth.

…that in me you may have peace – He reminded them of what they have in their relationship with Him – something that nothing this world could offer – true peace. He is their unbreakable rock, their strength, their hope, their salvation – they would soon know, he was the Savior of the world.

In the world you will have tribulation – Jesus doesn’t say they might have hard times, he says they will. He’s preparing them for the days to come in which he would be crucified, but also the reality for life here in the fallen world.

But take heart – Don’t lose hope; be encouraged because…

…I have overcome the world – He shared the hope and saving grace that was about to come – Jesus conquered it all. Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not live, He died the death we deserve to die, and just when things looked horrible and impossible, He raised himself from the dead to give us new life with Him. He won.

I remember shortly after my dad received this Bible, something in his heart began to soften. That December, he sent me a birthday card with words that were different than anything he’d written before. He said, “You have done so much in a short amount of time. But I’m most proud of you getting saved by God. -I’m so thankful-“  My eyes filled with tears. Was God answering my prayer for my dad’s salvation? A few months later, I got a call from my aunt letting me know my father was admitted into the hospital. I flew to Indiana to receive the news he had Stage4 cancer and his body was shutting down. I sat in his hospice room for six days reading scripture to him, praying, and laughing. One night he looked at me and said, “Pumpkin, you were right this whole time. Jesus is real and I’m going to see him soon. I wasted so much time here, but not anymore.” Three days later, on May 26, 2015 my dad looked up smiling and said “I can see it, I see it,” and closed his eyes to pass into glory a few hours later. That night, John 16:33 became a reality for my dad. He experienced what Jesus conquered for him, for you, and for me.  “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13