Hard Times Sharpen Viewpoint of Value

Yesterday my phone rang and again someone was asking for crisis prayer. "My husband's boss suggested he leave early today because several of his fellow workers will be laid off today. One fellow laid off has small children and his wife just came through a horrific fight for breast cancer. Pray ...please pray," was the plea of the second caller in one morning.

This blog is here to encourage Christians to embrace the abundant life promised in the Bible to believers. I love an upbeat fun heel kicking high post, but that's not what comes out many days.


I prayed today before beginning this post, "Lord, I'm not happy Kay today. I'm feeling pain from many camps. I know You have us all in Your wonderful Love. Help me write today with a sincere heart and may I speak with true and clear words that match our times with what You desire us to see and do. Your Kingdom come is my prayer to those I'm praying for and I ask You to touch each one who stops by Thrive Christians blog with Your grace, mercy and life giving presence. Help me speak truth clearly. AMEN


I've turned the news off in my house. I read the headlines on the Internet locally and globally to stay informed. My spirit was being eroded with toxic banter on the major news channels. These times are serious, but as a saint saved by Jesus Christ I know God will make a way. To thrive I must be careful what I read, listen to and watch. Yesterday I spoke on value. The good thing about hard times is that what we value becomes crystal clear in crisis.


Yesterday's comments to the question: What do you value? were great.

Dorothy Champagne said...
This is such a good reminder that we need to constantly check ourselves to see what we're placing our value on. I don't know that doing it by my checkbook would work, simply because with four kids - it's usually all food!


Dorothy: You sound like a virtuous wife/mother with a checkbook full of grocery items. As the manager of your home, feeding that small army is no simple task. Unfortunately, some children are hungry because moms do not share your value priorities.


Chatty Kelly said...
The world puts value on material things. My truest and biggest value is that I am a child of God. And that is something that can NEVER be taken from me. Stock market may lose $$, jobs may be lost, even as a mother I could lose my children...but I will never lose the value of Child of God.(and of course I pray I don't lose my children more than anything.)we explored what do we value most.


Yes, Kelly, when all is boiled down to the core: a Christian's truest, dearest value is our salvation and that we are grafted into the Kingdom of God: We are Father God's sons and daughters.


Recently I was disappointed in someone who let me down on a promise. Head hung down low I poured my heart out to God. I don't know what I truly expected out of that conversation, but what came to me was a truth: people many times disappoint or leave you holding the bag. It was as though God was admonishing me on putting so much trust in people. That didn't suit me at all.


Frustrated....I ranted on,.... what do You want? You clearly call me to community and to work with others in all You call me to do; and this is what I get? When I quieted down I finally got it. God will never let me down; He even tells me over and over in the Bible that He will NEVER forsake me. In that confidence, I can easily work with others and love them good days and crummy days. Mercy and forgiveness flow from me because I know what it is to be the one who disappoints and fails. My hope is not in others; no, my hope is in God. If I had to depend on people totally I would not have this gift of mercy, forgiveness and conflict resolution.


Value: when the job dies, the friend betrays, the spouse walks out, the children rebel, the government can't deliver, and the dryer fries my favorite sweater, and the car blows up....yet will I rejoice in the Lord with my all ....my life....my now....my future....my everything. I value my relationship with God above all.


This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24


Hebrew word translation: we will rejoice : giyl (gheel)to spin round (under the influence of any violent emotion), i.e. usually rejoice, or (as cringing) fear -- be glad, joy, be joyful, rejoice.

and be glad: samach (saw-makh')probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome

REJOICE AND BE GLAD!!!