His Spirit Living in Us

As a little girl, I felt fearful and insecure.

Having no answers at such a young age, I constantly put my mom and brother on a pedestal. I spent many days watching them and figuring out how to please them. They seemed to have it all—good looks, brains, athleticism, a good sense of humor. But most of all, they possessed great conviction in themselves. They seemed to know who they were and were confident in their identity.

As I grew, my profound uncertainty drove me to emulate others. I spent many days seeking to be someone I wasn’t. I wanted to be a popular, smart, award-winning athlete with all the attention like some kids at school.

Then, providentially, God moved and gave me what I thought I wanted. Although still not a believer, God allowed me to be part of the “in crowd” in college. I rushed a very popular sorority and was accepted. I thought I had it made. Although I became more confident, I soon learned an invaluable lesson.

The sorority I joined was all about partying, acting silly, and doing immoral things. Uncomfortable with this behavior, I soon realized this was not who I wanted to be. Consequently, after two years of membership, I quit the sorority. God was at work, showing me that all this worldliness was vanity of vanities—a chasing after the wind.

A year after graduating from college, while still seeking my identity, I heard the good news of Jesus Christ and became a believer. I now had a true and meaningful identity. God’s Word was full of accurate declarations of who I was as a child of God. This is just what I had been looking for. Now, it is Jesus Christ I seek to emulate as I live out whom God designed me to be.

Make sure your quest for identity involves who you are in Christ. 

My family received a phone call while my father was in recovery from open heart surgery. I woke up to my mother screaming. My nephew had been in a car accident and lost his life at eighteen.

My first reaction led me to question God. But while praying, a peace came over me, and I felt God's love wrapped around me. 

That night, I had to call my brother and tell him that his only son had died. The following morning, we had to tell my father that his first grandson had died. I can still hear their screams and cries. 

Through this tragedy, we discovered that my nephew had been saved. We miss him dearly, but we will see him again. 

Sometimes, in life, we face difficult situations. They can make us feel as if the whole world is crashing down upon us.  

Jesus said we will face difficult times. We will have struggles, and this life will not be easy. But one thing is sure: if we place our trust in Him, we can have peace. He said to be of good cheer—not to worry or fear—for He has overcome the world. 

No matter what life throws our way, we can know God is in control even when we are out of control. And if God's hands are as big and strong as they are, it does not matter what happens. When the situation is out of our hands, we can place it in His hands, and He will give us victory over our adversity. Even in our worst moments, God will never leave us. He is right there in our situation. 

Call upon God. Give Him your worries, fears, and situations. He will take you out of the valley and the pit. He will conquer your enemies. Be still and know that He is God.  

When my boys were little, I loved every single minute of being their mom. I celebrated each major milestone and the marvelous mundane beauty of daily life with them in our sunshine-sweet home.

But my boys grew up. Then I lost that memory-drenched home in a furious fire. In mourning, I was tempted to curl up in the ashes of all I had lost. But God whispered, “Consider Lot’s wife.”

When God determined to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He also saved Lot for the sake of his faithful uncle Abraham. God was merciful to Lot and his family. Lot’s wife, however, looked back as the embers flew while fleeing the doomed city.

At times I’ve had a righteous tendency to criticize her for that bit of disobedience. After all, God told them not to look back. But in context, that woman was suddenly pulled away from her home. Marching behind her husband with two daughters, she left behind married daughters and possibly grandchildren. Amid a corrupt and vile society, she had raised a family and lived a life she did not want to leave. It was all she had known. She did not understand there was something better ahead.

Lot’s wife was longing. She was worrying—preoccupied with what she was losing but not seeing what God was giving her: protection and a future. She focused on the wrong direction. God had a good plan for her, but she looked back.

In His great mercy, the Lord allowed me to see His beautiful provision even in the fire that destroyed my home. He has taught me to trust Him with everything, even when it looks as if I have nothing at all. He taught me where to look. We are not traveling toward the past. Standing in the ashes with my memories, He gave me a future.

Consider your focus. Don’t long for something that is gone. Lean toward what is to come. It is not over yet. God’s plans are good. Keep marching toward home.

When I started college, I thought the most difficult parts would entail making friends, managing my busy schedule, and being away from home. I didn’t expect to find doing laundry on that list of major challenges. From sorting the dirty clothes to loading the washer and dryer to folding and putting away the clean clothes, doing laundry can take several hours. Although this is a lengthy process, I’m always pleased when I am finished—especially when I have neat, clean clothes to wear throughout the week.

The process of doing laundry reminds me of the Christian life, which is also a process. However, being transformed into Christ’s image is a process that takes an entire lifetime and won’t be over until we reach heaven. Christ didn’t die for our sins so we would remain the same; He died for our sins so that He could transform us.

I would love to avoid some aspects of laundry, such as transferring the wet clothes to the dryer after they’ve been washed or folding the huge pile of clothes after they’ve been dried. But if I skip one of the particularly tedious steps in the process, the result won’t be as rewarding. Instead, I’ll end up with clothes that are still dirty or wet.

Likewise, we can’t rush becoming like Christ. Some aspects of it may seem especially dull or challenging—such as reading God’s Word, submitting to authority, or confessing our sins. But our transformation will be incomplete without them. All biblical instructions—even the wearisome ones—have significance in our lives.

When you doubt God is transforming you into the image of Christ—or when the transformation process becomes difficult—ask God to give you the motivation and patience to pursue Him faithfully. Trust that He works in your heart, even when you feel discouraged or defeated.

In our diversity class while in graduate school, we were challenged to explore a new way of thinking. We brainstormed all the ways people are diverse, starting with the obvious race, religion, and sex areas. Then, it surprised us all when stories unfolded about learning styles, interests, and lifestyles.

An idea for my project unfolded as I thought about a student in my class who was a rodeo girl. I was struck with the notion that while my class at the time lacked diversity in typical terms, I knew nothing of her life outside my class. It would prove to be a worthwhile adventure.

At the rodeo, my student was in her element. She wore a large cowboy hat and ran to greet me. She took me by the hand and gave me a backstage tour. I met her mentors called “rodeo moms.” I shook hands with a rodeo clown and got close and personal with the animals.

She encouraged me to sit back and enjoy the show while she explained what was happening. I became a student that day. She was typically shy, so this was the most I had ever heard her talk. She explained the role of the rodeo clown. His job was dangerous and entailed distracting and protecting the man thrown from the bull. She explained what she would be doing when her time was up.

I watched my fellow student rope and tie a goat in record time and stand confidently on the rodeo floor. Her attire and everything about her shone with what was a newfound success for me. I immediately thought, "I need rodeo reading materials in my classroom."

After that experience and my class report to my fellow graduate students, I looked at my peers and bookcase differently. A lightbulb had gone off. We serve a God who created the earth but also people in all their creative glory. We have much to learn and celebrate.

Think of someone in your life who deserves a second glance. Then, think of ways you can meet them where they are.