“Passion isn’t taught. It’s caught.” That was the exclamation point on our pastor’s sermon last Sunday. And I can’t stop thinking about it.

I mean, I’d say that my deepest desire is to be passionate for my God. I can get pretty fired up in a worship service standing next to other believers, hands raised high, telling God to take us wherever He wants us to go. Add a smoke machine and flashing lights and watch the heck out. But put me in my everyday life with my everyday struggles and the everyday frustrations and y’all, I have to wrestle my heart. Constantly.

It’s like my passion for a clean home or obedient kids or quiet or…coffee…can trample my passion for Jesus in 2.8 seconds flat if I’m not on guard. External remedies for the thirst within can tempt my focus. And they’re convincing.

I know there’s “regular” life to live and we can’t always be on that “mountaintop” with Jesus. But I’m certain that my pastor is right about passion. People in our sphere of influence will more quickly do what we do, rather than do what we say. So if we’re going to create a “culture of passion” in our homes for the Lord, then it has to begin in us. Passion for Him isn’t manipulated or faked. It can’t be demanded or bought. It’s the natural overflow of His Spirit not only sealing us, but filling us full.

So what stops His Spirit from filling us full? Well. To put it blunt. Sin. Sin hinders His fullness in our lives. Which is why, if we want to live a passionate-for-Jesus life out of the overflow of Him in us, we have to be willing to bow low — to repent when self rises up — moment by moment.

It’s asking for eyes to see and ears to hear and tenderness to know when unlove or fear or resentment or anger or bitterness or gossip (or a million other expressions of self) rears its ugly head. The flesh trying to stomp out the Spirit’s reign in us. The second we finally see the messy sin that’s being pressed out of our hearts through our circumstance, by His absolute grace, we stop. We repent. We let the blood of Jesus cleanse us from that flesh rebellion. Then we move forward in His mercy, welcoming the fullness of His Spirit.

Then we do it all over again the next time our sin rises up.

Then the next.

By His power, we have to actively war against the sin in our souls. Or else, I promise, the sin will eat us — our joy, our peace, and our hope — alive. And passion for Jesus will become something we only look at from afar.

To me, passion for Jesus in the midst of everyday, looks like a war against my own heart. It looks like outward repentance that affects my emotions and my choices. It looks like choosing to praise and dance even when I feel despair. It looks like taking my thoughts captive to what’s true by verbally remembering what He says in His Word. It looks like a race — running hard and with endurance, eyes set on the finish line.

We’re going to fail. And thankfully the salvation, and even the passion, of others doesn’t actually rest in our hands — God alone raises the dead soul. But everyday, in Him, we get some choices. By His grace, we can choose to commune with our Father. In His strength, we can choose to fight the fight of faith. Because of Jesus, we can create a culture of passion in our homes as we press into Him, one moment then the next.

 
Fill me, Lord…

How would you describe “passion for Jesus” in the everyday of life?
 

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So I looked into the “couch to 5k” program, because I could run about as far as the length of a couch. And slowly but surely, I became a runner. Some days I thought I would die. Literally. But I did it. I ran. I run.

I’m now a runner.

So much in life is like that. We seek God first and continually, He speaks and guides, and then, through His empowering, we put whatever it is into action.

On Monday I wrote about two important choices we get to make everyday (our response to life and how we spend our time). And that post lingered in my spirit. “I get to choose my response. I get to choose my response.”

To be honest, I haven’t liked my heart-response in the last couple of weeks. Life has happened — like it does — and instead of focusing on all the ways God’s blessed or all the things He promises, I’ve focused on what isn’t going like I had hoped. And if there’s ever something to steal the joy of The Lord, it’s a critical, unthankful spirit. So just like my deciding to be a runner, I decided it’s time for a perspective change.

I decided. God decided. We all know Who really instigated that freedom-thought.

True. Sometimes life does sucketh. And we want people to acknowledge that life suckeths. We want to feel validated so we focus on the yuck parts. And talk about the messy. And analyze the injustices until we’ve analyzed the analysis of the injustices. And then we wonder why we feel grumpy and run-down and heavy with burden.

That’s not how I want to do life. And here’s the awesome part. In Christ I get to decide. I get to choose what I think about. I get to choose my perspective. I can choose to think about everything that’s wrong or I can choose to think about all the millions of ways and things that reveal God’s grace and love and beauty.

O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.
Psalm 116:16-17

Some days it will feel like we’re only running uphill and can’t catch our breath. Those are the days we need to grab someone’s hand and say, “Please! Pull me up this mountain. Speak some hope to me!” But even in the parts that sucketh and seem to be only uphill, we still get choice as to our heart’s meditations.

So I’m counting (as dear Ann talks about <-- loved this post, by the way!). I'm choosing today to count the blessings, one by one. Because this side of Jesus coming back, life will always always always happen. And God will always always always be grace and good.   Fill me, Lord…

Count with me. Look at the most challenging situation in your life and ask God to show you at least 3 hopeful thoughts around/in/regarding to that situation or relationship.
 

The post for when we need our day completely transformed appeared first on Lara Howard.

I was actually sitting in church yesterday thinking about life, because it’s a good place to contemplate. And a reality hit me about choices.

I can’t choose a lot of things. I can’t choose the day I die (well, unless…sadly…you know.) I can’t choose whether or not I get some disease. I can’t choose how people will treat me. I can’t choose…the weather. There’s a lot I can’t choose in this life.

But I can choose two really important things.

I can choose how I respond to people and circumstance. In Christ I can choose to live hopeful or hopeless as I remember who God is and what He’s promised. I can choose to forgive when I’m wronged and love when I’m betrayed. I can choose to give grace or pound the law. I can choose my response.

And I can choose how I spend my time. I can choose to sit or run. I can choose to watch or participate. I can choose to write or read. I can choose to think on Truth or think on lies. I can choose to complain or count blessings. Every minute of every day I have choices to make.

This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

That was my Sunday contemplation, followed by lots of afternoon choices of how I responded to my kids and my husband.

I fail a lot. But that’s why God’s grace is so amazingly scandalous. Every time I come to Him and say, “Lord! I responded really crapily (not a word).” Or “I just wasted thirty minutes surfing the internet for…why was I on there?” He responds with grace. He gives wisdom when I ask. And He empowers me to press on.

So it’s Monday. And though we won’t choose much of what happens today, we can choose two things. In Christ, through the power of His Spirit, we can choose our response to life and we can choose how to spend our time. I’m praying for wisdom with both of those this morning.

Now to go heat up my coffee.

Oh and speaking of how to spend our time. TODAY BEGINS THE REGISTRATION FOR THE NEXT HELLOMORNINGS CHALLENGE! (I promise I’m not yelling.) Registration is only open for 9 days. 9 days. So click here to find out more and/or to register.

Also, Katie and I are excited to offer the first HelloMornings Bible study in print! Yay! A book you can touch and feel and write in. (Old school.) You can click here to pre-order your copy of our newest study, Glorious Grace so that you will have the study in time for the start of the challenge. And no, you don’t have to do the challenge to order the study.

 
Fill me, Lord…

What other choices do we have today (and everyday)?
 

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But He’s been so tender. He’s proven again and again that He remembers my humanity. He doesn’t push His children around demanding we “straighten up and smile.” He knows we can’t see past today. And He’s kind.

Maybe you’ve been there. Or are there. Wanting, but not wanting, what God has for you today. My biggest piece of advice to us in the midst of that heart struggle? One by one, take the feelings to Him.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8

Feelings aren’t wrong, but they aren’t always reliable. They’re a gauge, not necessarily a map for our tomorrow. So when we struggle to want what God has for us, take those feelings to Him. And then wash them with truths of His character.

He hasn’t forgotten you or me. He has a plan. And His plans are for our good…and for His great glory. They often include the beautiful painful. But His loving kindness never ever runs dry.

 
Fill me, Lord…

Have you ever been there? Wanting but not wanting what God has?
How do you move forward through the difficult?
 

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flickr photo credit

As I approached the part of my route where I always consider giving up and crawling home, “How Great Thou Art” came blasting through my ear buds. (Just after Lecrae, which makes it oh-so-right.)

Anyway, as it reached that third verse I could barely contain myself. Thinking on the greatness of my God sent my legs into a whole new gear. I took off up that dreaded hill with endurance — panting and singing and panting and singing. (Sorta singing. You wouldn’t have actually wanted to hear it.)

Discouraged to Encouraged

Because the truth is, the difference between running this life race discouraged versus encouraged is vision.

If I keep looking at and analyzing the mountain in front of me, nearly every time I end up discouraged. Because some things seem absolutely impossible to overcome or redeem.

But when I turn my eyes to Him and think on what He says, new strength rises up. New courage empowers my legs to run faster and further. The difference is vision. The difference is faith.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Psalm 121:1-3

So who is this God?

• He’s the One who does impossible things. (Luke 1:37)
• He’s the One who speaks worlds into existence. (Genesis 1:3)
• He’s the One who gives sight to the blind. (John 9:25)
• He’s the One who turns hearts where He wills. (Proverbs 21:1)
• He’s the One who loves beyond all reason and dies to redeem His children. (Romans 6:23)
• He’s the One who reigns secure and rules supreme. (Isaiah 40:25-26)
• He’s my Daddy-God — faithful and fighting on my behalf. (Galatians 4:6)

It’s our vision. This day let’s choose to set our eyes on Him rather than on that seemingly impossible thing ahead. Because He’s God. And He’s able.

 
Fill me, Lord…

What aspects of your God do you need to remember to “look upon” today?

 

The post how to move from discouraged to encouraged appeared first on Lara Howard.

flickr photo credit: meredith farmer

We need each other. We’re not meant to run this race alone. He designed us for community. We need accountability and intercession and those imaginary fist bumps from fellow runners in this faith-race.

Which is why it frustrates me when certain lies creep in…

“Everyone else runs…better than me. They’re prettier, smarter, funnier, and more together. They all have neater homes and happier kids. They balance life more gracefully and put the clean laundry away the same day it’s washed. And they don’t raise their voice.

Everyone else brings a camera when their kids win an award. They know what to say and don’t let their emotions get the best of them. And their clothes don’t have stains or holes. Everyone else runs this life-race…better.”

They’re lies whispered to our deceptive hearts.

I know because I’ve entertained them. They hide behind the forefront of our minds, deceiving and tempting with their convincing mockery. And our endurance deflates with each one that we believe.

Here’s the truth. No one does it perfectly. We all have places in which we are desperate for His strength. And we all run a little faster when we have the encouragement from those sharing the road.

The call is to run before an audience of One with eyes set on things eternal, while spurring on our fellow runners…in love.

We can do this thing. We can run this race with all of its mountain and valley…through our Lord who gives us His strength. Press on, friend.

Fill me, Lord…

How have those kinds of lies tempted you?
How can we spur our fellow runners on today?

The post you can do this thing appeared first on Lara Howard.

We got out of the car and headed towards the front doors. I was hoping for a no-drama, forgettable trip to Target. Halfway down the parking lot my daughter reached over and grabbed my son’s hand. He complied and then they all but skipped to the doors.

It did something to my heart.

I guess it was extra-special because of the many, many other moments where clawing and gnashing of teeth define their interactions. They fuss and fight and tattle and complain.

Ugh. It grieves me.

I think God must “feel” a similar way. When He looks at His children and He sees us holding hands, working together, and loving regardless, it pleases Him.

flickr photo credit: meredith farmer

But it also grieves Him when we act…dysfunctional. When we gossip about Suzie or publicly criticize John, we quench the fire of His Spirit.

Instead of lifting the one beside us who falls, we silently rejoice at their setback because, “They had it comin’.” And slowly our witness to a desperate world becomes watered-down with love-less hearts.

Yet He is the God of oneness.

He designed you and me distinct in purpose. He placed a call upon each of us, individually, before we breathed our first breath. He gifted us for the good of His body and the glory due His name. Then He beseeches us to run in that call, side-by-side, holding hands.

We’re in this thing together. We’re family. So as much as depends upon us, let’s hold hands and do some skipping. (Or not on the skipping. That part is optional.)

Fill me, Lord…

How can we promote unity — hold hands — with fellow believers, especially if others may be stirring discord?

The post we. are. family. appeared first on Lara Howard.

But with my youngest nearing four years of age, I recently decided to give it another try. So I turned in my gym membership and hit the pavement.

flickr photo credit: thomas hawk

Something therapeutic takes place when I step outside. I head out just as the sun hints of waking my kids. The neighborhood lays still and quiet with only a few windows lit along my route. My shoes meet with the ground creating a rhythm to match my tunes. And I run.

I think of Him. I talk to Him. I listen to Him. And then mingled in my conversation with Him, I play the mental game reminding my feet, “You can do this. You did it yesterday,” willing them forward. And I run some more, red-faced and sweaty.

But more than the running itself, I’ve pondered the why. Why exercise?

I don’t think I can say it any better than Jim Elliot. He wrote a letter home to his mom while he was studying at Wheaton College. In an explanation as to why he went out for the wrestling team he penned these inspiring words:

I wrestle solely for the strength and co-ordination of muscle tone that the body receives while working out, with the ultimate end that of presenting a more useful body as a living sacrifice.
(p. 16, Through Gates of Splendor)

I love that. Ultimately, I run for Him. I exercise for Him. As much as depends upon me, I strengthen this physical body of mine that He might use it for as long as He wills. A living sacrifice.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers (and sisters), by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1

A living sacrifice is exponentially more than the physical. In fact, there have been pillars of the faith that couldn’t run or walk or even move, yet were passionate living sacrifices unto the Lord.

You can be a living sacrifice unto Him regardless of your physical state.

But for those of you who are able and desire to strengthen your physical body, I want to encourage you with a few quick tips from my very unprofessional perspective:

• Determine your why. Why do you (want to) exercise? Create a “mission statement” that will motivate you when your feelings tell you to give up. Write out Jim Elliot’s words and remember the ultimate “why.”




• Set some goals. Determine what suits you and set some goals. If you’re a wannabe runner, consider trying the Couch-to-5k running plan. It worked for me.




• Recruit a friend. We need the encouragement of others. Find a friend to workout with or at least one you can call for encouragement. There are also some excellent places online that you can connect with others for accountability. My newest discovery is DailyMile.com. (I have 3 whole “friends” so far.)

Fill me, Lord…

The post why exercise? appeared first on Lara Howard.

The only difficulty was moving the thing. It has to weigh over 500 lbs — that’s a blind guess. And the plan was to park it in our upstairs guest bedroom. Upstairs.

flickr photo credit: “two more days”

My man meticulously strapped it to a hand truck and pulled it inside the house. Then came the challenge. He was going to be the puller and I the pusher. But this meant that once we were on the fourth-ish step I would be underneath this massive piece of metal. Underneath. 500 lbs. Pushing.

It was about the sixth step when the fear hit me. “You know I would die if you slipped, right, babe?” He joked, mentioning something about the insurance policy. While I started wrestling with this new found terror. I don’t want to be crushed by a treadmill.

After two steps of only partially pushing and partially standing underneath, my husband asked if I was giving it my all. No. I don’t want to be smashed, I thought. But he needed help. So I did the thing I’ve preached. I took my thoughts captive to the true things.

God, you love me. You had my days written before I lived even one of them. Your plans for me and my family are good. You are bigger and stronger than this…treadmill. You can keep my man’s feet from slipping. And if you choose to crush me, then I trust that ultimately, ultimately, it is for my good and your glory.

Then with a deep breath and a little faith, I got all up under that monstrosity and pushed. One. step. at. a. time. And with each heave I repeated in my heart the things I know about my God. He is sovereign and forever motivated by love.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7

Fear debilitates. It prevents us from moving forward and pressing on. Yet he says over and over to “fear not” because he is with us. Standing on his promises and believing him to be whom he’s declared himself to be, causes the fear to flee, even if we are standing underneath the very thing that could end our days on this earth.

Fear not. He is with us.

Fill me, Lord…

Granted this was a trite example compared to the heaviness many of you are under, but what promises of God bring you hope and endurance even if fear currently tempts you?

The post the day I feared being crushed by a treadmill appeared first on Lara Howard.

We were saying how the Christian life is meant to be an action verb. Each day, each hour, we choose how to live it. We choose to either sit passive on the sidelines of faith or we choose to get in the race.

Pressing on. Reaching forward. Believing who he is and what he says.

I’ve recently started running. Yes, physically. Like lace-up-my-shoes-and-hit-the-road running. And I’m not gonna lie. It’s been challenging.

flickr photo credit: kasper

But I’m seeing something begin to happen. Everyday that I choose to get out there, my body grows stronger. Everyday that I choose to press through, I’m able to go further…with less drama to the lungs. And it has become such a metaphor for life.

There is a faith-race happening. People are running and sweating and enduring in Jesus name. And if we are his then we have a number pinned to our shirt. The race is ours. The question is, “Are we in it?”

I’m feeling myself getting all fired up just writing about it.

Today I’m hanging out with sweet Katie over at Do Not Depart, talking more about this faith-race. Click here to come on over and say hi. We have a faith-race to run, friends.

Fill me, Lord…

What weighs you down in this faith-race?
Practically speaking, how can we keep up our pace when the “race” gets rough?

As a reminder, the linky tool is still available for you to link up your own blog posts in response to the thought-life series. I love hearing how God is working in your own life.

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