Jackie's Journey "Lest We Forget..."

Things to Remember as we face this new year:

The value of time.

The success of perseverance.

The pleasure of working.

The dignity of simplicity.

The worth of character.

The influence of example.

The obligation of duty.

The wisdom of economy.

The virtue of patience.

The improvement of talent.

The joy of originating.

The power of kindness.

 Whether you are a mother with active little ones or a grandmother facing life more simply; maybe you are a graduate student standing on the threshold of life or a seasoned adult facing life’s issues head on;  these resolutions resonate and summon the calling to value and give thanks for where we’ve been, what we learned and where we are headed. 

 Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?  You know, those hopes, dreams and aspirations projected into this future year?   I am reminded of what Tozer said, “Keep your feet on the ground, but let your heart soar as high as it will.  Refuse to be average or to surrender to the chill of your spiritual environment.” 

 What we do on some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline and a habit of making right choices that are in harmony with the will of God.  God has a plan for our lives this year.  “To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge! To do the will of God is the greatest achievement!” G.Christian Weiss

 This year holds the possibilities and opportunities that will define us.  We are stewards of this life entrusted to us. “Life is a stewardship, not an ownership.  It’s a trust, not a gift.  With a gift you can do with whatever you please, but, with a trust…you must give an account!”

Let’s make this year count…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey: The Command Zone!

“Good men (women) are never idle, they are not hurried, worried, or flurried.  They keep the even tenor of their way, walking steadily towards heaven.

The Law of the Lord is not irksome to them, its commands are not grievous and its restrictions are not slavish in their esteem.

They are rather a chart for their daily course, a map of the road for their life’s journey.  The path of obedience has no regret.  The Lord is their testimony.”

 C. Spurgeon

Just the word “command” raises a red flag in our heart of hearts, doesn’t it?

We live in a day and age where we are not subservient and not held responsible or accountable for anything we are asked to do.  We can question and decide if we feel like doing it or if, we even want to do it at all!  Western culture has taken a huge swing into massive confusion and our homes have followed suit.  We make decisions on a whim, usually independent of our authority with no consequence considered. Often our decisions are made without biblical consideration. 

We are easily persuaded by every “wind and doctrine”.   Hence the continual “church hopping”, the high divorce rate among believers, the on-line dating for the increasing singles population, the struggling marriages with unruly children, the media mayhem, the unprecedented division in national, state, local and church leaderships.  We see it all around us…chaos.  

Sound familiar?

There is a day coming when we will all be held accountable for our part of the chaos!  Accountable for every thought, word, deed and motive.  God has a plan that gives us moms a key for ourselves and for our children that will allow them to develop into mature adults that will be equipped to make a change in the next generation.

How can we be assured of success?

It begins with obedience to what He asks of us. 

…What, exactly, does the Lord our God ask of us?

1. to fear Him
2. to walk in all his ways
3. to love him
4. to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul (mind, will and emotions!)
5.  to observe His commands and decrees…”  Deuteronomy 10: 12

Asking too much? 

The truth is, it is our reasonable service in the light of His sacrifice for us!   Instant obedience to the initial promptings of God’s Spirit should be our response with no hesitation, no rationalization and no doubt…just a simple immediate compliance.  Having will power over our actions is empowering!  Self-constraint breeds dignity and strength of character and a sense of self-possession and assurance. 

When God asks us to respond to Him, He expects it to be immediate because He has sent His Spirit ahead to convince us of His truth.  He enables us to hear His voice and He anticipates our instant obedience.  When we fail to respond to Him we face the consequence of our disobedience and miss the joy of His fellowship and the reward.      

Chaos ensues and our peace is disrupted! 

Why do we hesitate to instantly yield? 

While in training for the mission field, a seasoned instructor, who had served years in the jungles of Brazil, told me after sensing my hesitation to respond to a truth in the Word, “The choices you make will blight or bless, Jackie.  If you aren’t a missionary, you are a mission field”.

Procrastination when God gave clear instruction made me a mission field!  The responsibility to live a life of obedience to His Word was solely mine.  I was responsible for me and accountable to God for every decision!  The only way my choices would line up with His would be if I knew what His Word said and did what God asked of me!

What was it, again, that God requires of me?

It is not complicated…

• To fear Him is to fear the consequence of sin.
• To walk in “all His ways” is to maintain a moment-by-moment walk of God- consciousness:
• with no unconfessed sin and no unresolved relationship
• with an acceptance of trials as teachers and opportunity
• with no hypocrisy
• To Love Him is to hate evil (all unrighteousness)
• no double-mindedness
• no disloyalty
• To serve Him is to stay dead to my self-life, so I stay out of His way and He can work through me for the benefit of others
• To observe His commands is to get into His Word and let His truth encourage, admonish and instruct me.

Sound interesting?   

The reward and blessing of responding to God with instant obedience is overwhelmingly inspiring… especially if you are comparing it to the disobedient alternative.                            

Which will you choose?

Acceptance of God’s commands and map for your life’s journey

or

Rebellion, Procrastination and Regret at the end of the line? 

We will be held accountable!

So will those little princes and princesses following us!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is discipling and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Bowing the Knee

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry”  1 Corinthians 10:14

A couple weeks ago, I got the opportunity to speak into the lives of some amazing women.  The topic was a hard one – but well received.

“What is your idol?”

Of course, we are not talking about American Idol or even a little gold calf.  We are talking about the things in our lives that take the place of the one true God.  Anything that absorbs your thoughts, your mind and your heart may be an idol.  Anything that you give your time, money and resources to, may be an idol.

While not all idols, in and of themselves, are evil, many are.  The Holy Spirit as our guide shows us evil and wants us to turn away. 

Even well meaning things can become idols.  Think of a golden calf.  There is nothing wrong with a golden calf – in fact, in some parts of the world, it might be considered art.  It is when that object is bowed down to and worshipped that it becomes evil.

So with all of these wonderful women, I asked them to pick an idol and find a table to meet other people in the room who struggle with the same god in their life. 

These women were asked to take away their masks and be vulnerable.

How would you answer the question: “What is the one thing in your life that you can’t imagine living without?”

 “What, if lost or removed from your life, would cause you great pain, despair and depression that in turn would remove your passion, drive and sense of self-worth?”

Many idols come to mind . . .

Significance

For some of us, it might be our job outside the home – it gives us extra income, a sense of significance or security.  We like what we do and what we are an expert in.  Some of us enjoy being known for something.  I remember being an event planner and I could not imagine my life without that label.  I admit that it was hard to leave.  Now I am never introduced as the big event planner.  Instead it is now author, which I am able to give God all the glory because that was all His idea.  But the Evil One always wants me to find my significance there, so I feel the struggle.

Materialism/Security

Money. . . we can’t live without it, but it can take the place of our Lord and Savior!  It gives a sense of security. Our husband might be the breadwinner, but we are wrapped up in it – the big houses, the professionally decorated rooms, the expensive clothes, etc.  Would you be lost without it?  Has materialism become your idol?

Food/Alcohol/Drugs

Some of you, like me, have a substance as an idol.  It might be drugs, alcohol or food.  For me it is food, as I am writing this today, I am eating chocolate covered almonds because they help me think (ha, ha) and when I am finished I will have eaten the bag. I have yo-yoed my whole life with food.  I binge and purge.  Even though I eat very healthy (most of you would say), I still wake up in the morning thinking of what I get to eat today . . . when and how often. Food is an idol because it takes over my thoughts.  I can’t imagine living without all this glorious food!  And I have had to because of cancer, so then I just made “health” my idol - now we are back to food.

Relationships

Perhaps it is a relationship, such as a husband, child or emotional attachment to someone else.  Can you imagine living without your spouse or your children?  Would you be in such a state that you could not continue living?  Would you not be able to have a passion for what God is doing in this world and how you can continue it?  Have you wound yourself so tightly around those relationships that you could not see beyond them?  Have they taken God’s place in your life?  Do you put more effort into those relationships than you do your relationship with God?

Health and Beauty

Maybe you are caught up in physical beauty or athletic ability.  Does how you look define you?  It could disguise itself in “healthy living” or “working out”.  I definitely can get caught up in this as I did when I had cancer . . .  even now.  The question to ask is if you were to become injured, disabled or disfigured, would you consider your life over?  If you had cancer, how would you feel?  Do you spend more time on how you look, feel or exercise, than you do seeking a relationship with the Lord? 

Media

For many of you, media is big struggle. Media can be Facebook, movies, books, music or television.  I know for many of you social media is king. When you are stressed, is your first reaction to get on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?  Do we want to scroll and forget, to distract ourselves from whatever is worrying us? Do we try to find relief in our feeds and lose ourselves in the lives of other people for a moment?  I can take my mind off of my own problems there. More often than not, we turn to media for relief rather than turning to God. All media is so instant, so accessible, that it’s easier to turn to rather than talk to a God who’s online profile doesn’t exist. Sometimes it’s hard for us to even put down our phone long enough to read our Bible for a half hour or to spend a minute or two of undistracted time with our kids or husbands. I am hardwired for instant gratification and the instant, easily-heard audience social media offers me. TV, movies, books, music, games, etc. offer us an escape.  Do you turn on “media” when you should be turning to God? Does your media life equal out to the time spent with God and doing God’s work that He has called us to do??? 

There are many other idols I have not described here.  Is there a hobby or habit that has taken over your thoughts and time?  Is there a passion that is not from God that consumes you?  Is your reputation more important to you than God’s reputation?  It could even be your church or your political affiliation.  The ultimate question is:  Who is King in your life?  Look at your schedule, your checkbook and your thought life to see who or what consumes you.

I found this self-reflection to be very difficult, but also very freeing.  Once I sat with other women at the table and heard other confessions, I was able to open up and realize that I am not alone.  Accountability found its way into the conversations.  These beautiful women were the body of Christ coming together to overcome the Baals of today.

What are your “idols”?

Do you have community in your life to share with?