Donna Jones Blog

What if Jesus looked you right in the eye and said “Satan has asked to sift you like wheat”? 

What would you say? What would you do?  How would you feel?

Doesn’t sound very encouraging does it?  I can’t think of a single person who would want Jesus to say these words to them.  And yet, this is exactly what Jesus said to Peter. (Luke 22:31)

It was Jesus’ last Passover supper.  The night before his betrayal, trial and ultimate crucifiction.  And Peter, the disciple who professed unwavering faith in Jesus, was about to encounter a situation that would rock his world.  Though Jesus had been preparing Peter and the other disciples all along for his departure, they just didn’t get it.  Not until their world caved in, that is. 

Have you ever felt like perhaps you were being sifted like wheat?  Maybe you are being sifted right now.  Maybe Satan has asked if he can sift YOU like wheat.

Being sifted – tried and tested – isn’t much fun.  But it has a purpose. Once we’ve been sifted we see ourselves a bit more clearly.  Pride no longer reigns in our lives.  Humility marks us. 

Before Peter’s sifting he was confident and even a bit cocky.  “Even if they all fall away, I never will”, he proclaimed.  Just a few hours later Peter ate his words.  He denied even knowing Jesus - his friend, his mentor, his savior, his Lord – not once but 3 times.  Yes, Satan sifted Peter and sadly he failed.

Failure.

Does anything leave you feeling worse? 

But, here’s the cool part.  It’s what Jesus said to Peter after he told him Satan had asked to sift him like wheat.  It’s the part “b” of Jesus’s sentence.

“Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you….”

Can you imagine Jesus saying that to you?  “Yes, sweet girl, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you”.  

What Jesus did for Peter he does for you and me.  The Bible makes it clear that right now Jesus stands before the Father interceding – praying – for us.  Romans 8 tells us that when we don’t even know how to pray the Holy Spirit prays for us “with groans too deep for words.”   Now, that’s being prayed for!

And it gets even better….

Jesus continued, ” I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.  And when you turn back, strengthen your brothers.”

What did Jesus pray for?  That Peter’s faith would not fail.  What is Jesus praying for you today?  That, even when sifted, your faith would not fail. 

But wait, Peter’s faith did fail, didn’t it?

Well, yes.

But not for long.

“And when you turn back”, Jesus said.  Not if.  When.  Peter was the real deal.  Though he had moments of failure they were just that – moments.  His failure refined him.  Humbled him.  Made him even more committed to follow Christ with all his heart. 

In short, he turned back.

And then he strengthened his brothers.

Are you being sifted right now?  Are circumstances heavy on your heart?  Do you feel like just giving up or giving in? 

Listen to Jesus.  He is praying for you.  He is praying for your faith not to fail.  But if it already has, turn back.  He’s waiting.  He has a job for people who have been sifted and turned back.

Strengthen your brothers.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32)

What were the first 3 minutes like with your kids this morning?  How about the first 3 minutes after school? What about the first 3 minutes when your husband came home?  Or the first 3 minutes when you walked through the door at the end of the day?

Odds are that if your first 3 minutes were filled with warm, encouraging and posititve words the next 3 minutes were filled with the same.  And if not?  Well, let’s just say the minutes that followed were probably not moments of you or your family at their finest.

Studies show that the first 3 minutes of any human interaction determine the course of the interaction for hours afterwards.  That means those first 180 seconds are pretty darn powerful.

I should know. 

Yesterday my daughter and I scurried straight from church to a cheerleading competition 45 minutes away.  We skipped breakfast but stopped to grab a quick (and very small!) bite to eat on the road, then spent the next 5 straight hours inside a gym filled with screaming fans and blaring music.  And because the entrance and parking fees cost almost as much as giving birth to my first child, we had no money left over for snacks or drinks of any kind.  The words “Cash Only” loomed everywhere.

We got back in the car exhausted and HUNGRY.  And low blood sugar does not a patient woman make.

So I called my husband.

“What are your thoughts about dinner?”

“I don’t know.  Are you hungry?”

“Starving!  And we are 45 minutes away from home.  We have chicken breasts in the freezer.  There’s a really easy recipe we could have – just pour a jar of vodka pasta sauce over the chicken breast and bake them for about 45 minutes.  You don’t even need to defrost the chicken.”

“Well, Taylor and I were just going for a walk.”

“That sounds like fun.  If the temperature is lower the chicken can bake for an hour.”

Ah…..Ashton and I could hardly wait to come home to a home cooked meal all ready to eat. 

Only when we opened our front door no yummy smell greated us from the kitchen.  Somehow my husband misunderstood that I wanted HIM to start the dinner. (More about how to communicate with the male species on a later blog).  He, in fact, thought it was rather odd that I gave him cooking instructions when he was clearly headed out for a walk.  The thought of putting the chicken in the oven to cook never even entered his mind.

So, let’s just say the first 3 minutes were less than ideal.

Which meant the next 3 minutes were also less than ideal.

Fortunately we have been married long enough to know that you can’t let these kinds of situations go on for hours.  In fact, after all was said and done (and I had food in my stomach) we laughed about it.

But…..

I couldn’t help wonder what our interaction might have been like if the first 3 minutes had been different.  What if I hadn’t taken out my frustration on my husband?  What if I found out the details first?  What if I had greeted him with a warm hello?  I can’t say for sure, but I would be willing to bet we would have laughed a lot sooner.

You know what causes most arguments in a marriage?  The little stuff of life.  The daily frustrrations, misunderstanding and unmet expectations.  This stuff is going to happen in a family.  It just is.

But the first 3 minutes set the tone for how these things are handled.  It sets the tone for how big or small these issues become and how fast they get resolved.

So today give your first 3 minutes with your loved ones some thought.  I know I will.

Are you happy?

Ok. Ok.  I can just hear some of you rolling your eyes, thinking “are you kidding me?” 

I don’t know what’s going on in your life but I know what’s going on in the world.  And odds are there is a thing (or two or three)  in your life that is robbing you of happiness. And even if you aren’t in the middle of a crisis, the mere monotomy of life can rob you of joy.

I came across an interesting verse today about happiness - one I had never quite seen in this light. 

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!‘  (Mathew 25:21)

You know what struck me about this verse?  That when I am faithful in the little things in my life it makes God happy.  The little things.  The everyday things.  Not the stuff the rich and famous are entrusted with, but the stuff regular people like me are entrusted with. And because God is happy with my faithfulness in the ”few things”  he invites me to share in the joy!

What does this mean for me, a regular run-of-the-mill wife and mom? 

Well, for starters it means God is pleased when I…

make sure my family has food to eat in the fridge.

pick up my husband’s underwear off the floor (without complaining!)

plant flowers in our yard to make our house a home.

wash, dry and fold my family’s clothes…over and over and over again.

take a friend out to lunch.

help a friend in need.

meet deadlines at work.

pay our bills on time.

wipe a runny nose or messy bottom.

wash the dishes.

feed the dog (well, God would like this if we had a dog!)

pray for my husband.

discipline a child.

praise a child.

In other words, we don’t have to be super stars to please God.  We just have to be faithful in what he has given us to do. 

Do you have a husband?  Be faithful in loving and respecting him.  Do you have kids?  Be faithful in teaching and training them.  Do you have a place to live? Be faithful in caring for it.  Do you have friends?  Be faithful to encourage them.  Do you have a job?  Be faithful in whatever it is you do for a living.

Be faithful in the little things.  They matter.  God notices.  

Then when you lay your head down on your pillow at the end of the day, smile. You have pleased God.  He looks at you and says “Well done!”  And He invites you to share in his happiness.

Who doesn’t want a life filled with great relationships with those around us – our husbands, our kids, our co-workers, our parents, our friends?  But what does it take to make the desire a reality?

Thousands of books have been written on marriage, parenting, friendship, dating and every other relationship you could imagine.  But is there one thing that must be present in order for relationships to work?

I think so.

Years ago my husband J.P. and I were having one of those “relationship” talks common in the early days of marriage.  It was kind of a funny time and place to be discussing such a serious topic – we were getting dressed, walking from the closet, to the bathroom, to the bedroom and back.  But anyone who has been married more than 2 1/2 nano-seconds knows that sometimes the best conversations take place at the most unconvential times.

“What do you think it takes to have a really good marriage?” I asked him.

Perched on the edge of our bed, he had just bent down to tie his shoe.  He stopped, looked up and answered.

“Well, what I think now is different from what I thought a couple of years ago” he responded.

I was intrigued.

He continued.  “I used to think that love or passion or common goals or good communication were the things it took to have a great relationship.  But not anymore.  Don’t get me wrong, those things are important.  They’re just not the most important.” 

“Well, what is?  What does it take to make a marriage work?”

“Humility.” 

The minute he said it I thought he was right.  Nearly 25 years and 3 kids later, I know he was right.

A humble wife, mom or friend says  things  like…

“What do you think?”

“How do you see the situation?”

“I’m sorry for my part in this conflict.”

A humble woman thinks things like…

“What is he feeling right now?”

“I think I am right, but I could possibly be wrong.”

“The other person’s needs, desires and thoughts are just as important as mine.”

Think about it for a minute.  If two people are humble is there anything they couldn’t work through? 

So, how are you on the humility scale?  Could a teensy bit of selfishness, pride, anger or bitterness be clouding the potential you have of having a really great relationship?

Just think about it…..

“God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble”

James 4:6

So.

Do you ever have one of “those” weeks?  You know – the kind where you wonder where you left your brain the day you scheduled way more than a sane human could possibly accomplish?

Two weeks ago I actually felt bored and didn’t like it.  Stupid me.

This has been one of “those” weeks.  I’ve spent my days furiously crossing off my “to do” list and have fallen into bed each night exhausted.  Honestly though, it wasn’t all my fault.  It has just been one of those “when it rains it pours” weeks where everything happened at once.  Track tournament. Minumum day. Deadlines. Doctor’s appointments.  Birthdays.  Surgery.  Wedding.  Special event at church.  Child home from college. Open house at school. Soccer tournament. 

You get the picture. 

Once upon a time the extra stress of extra “stuff” would have had the potential to make this realitively sane woman go from zero to Def Con four in a matter of moments.  But (yea God!) not this week. 

Not even when I sped 50 miles per hour into an oncoming swarm of 1000 insects a mere 30 minutes after having my car washed.

Or when I had to go to 5 different stores to get a wedding gift.

Or when my husband forgot his tie for above said wedding. 

And he’s the pastor.

What made the difference?  Living one moment at a time.  Doing one thing at a time.  Finally realizing that no matter how much I stress – or don’t stress – the important things all get done in the end.

I have heard it said that when you don’t know what to do, just do the next right thing. 

So that’s what I have done.  Slowly, systematically, I have chosen to do the next right thing.  And let me tell you girlfriend to girlfriend – it has made all the difference.  A difference in my outlook.  A difference in my accomplishments.  A difference in my attitude.  A difference in me.

But really I have done nothing more than what the Jesus tells me to do:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Maathew 6:34)

And why shouldn’t I worry and fret about tomorrow?  Well, because God promises to take care of me today – and tomorrow – if I’ll seek Him first. 

Is God practical, or what?  He knows that much of our lives involves eating and dressing and working and the rest.  But he doesn’t want all our “to do’s” to diminish our living.  And he certainly doesn’t want it to dimish our loving. In fact, he wants all the “stuff’ of life to increase our love for Him. 

How?  By seeking and depending on Him in the midst of it all.

How about it?  Can you see God in the stuff of your life?  Even in those crazy moments when you are overbooked and overworked?  You can if you’ll just seek Him, depend on Him and do the next right thing.

 ”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

 ²⁸“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 (Mathew 6 25 – 33)

What keeps us from living victoriously?  Ever wonder?

Today I discovered at least one thing that keeps women like you and me from the abundant, full life that Jesus came to give us – secrets.

Do you have any?  And no, I’m not talking about the surprise birthday party you’re planning for your husband or the bridal shower gift you bought for your niece.  I’m talking about the kind of stuff that you know is wrong, would make you want to die if anyone knew, but keep on doing, thinking, saying it anyway, kind of secret.

Maybe it’s lust…

or drinking more than you should…

or overspending..

or debt….

or binging…

or adultery..

or jealousy…

or envy…

or angry, out of control outbursts…

or bitterness and resentment..

or shame…

or a perpetual bad attitude…

But whatever it is, it’s a secret that lies deep within your heart and it’s defeating you.

Achan had this kind of secret.

His story is found in the Old Testament book of Joshua, which I read today.  One line caught my attention above all others:

“ Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.”

God had given the people specific instructions as they entered the promise land:  Don’t take any of the plunder – the booty – for yourself.  But old Achan saw a bar of gold, some silver, a gorgeous robe and he just couldn’t keep his greedy hands from taking them. 

And he knew it was wrong.  You know how I know?  He hid them.  

If he thought taking this stuff was fine and dandy he would have done what we do when we find a great bargain at our favorite store -  we tell everyone who will listen.  Yes sir.  We don’t keep stuff to ourselves.

Unless we know it’s wrong.

Then we hide it. 

But the problem we have when we try to hide stuff is the same problem Achan faced.  You can’t hide things from God.  Which is a good thing, really.  Because secrets keep us in bondage.  They keep us from reaching our full potential personally and spiritually.  “You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you”, God told Joshua.

The implication?  You’ll keep living in defeat if you don’t remove these things from among you.

And the same is true for you and me.  We will never be victorious as long as we harbor secret sins in our lives.  Plain and simple we have to “remove these things from among us.”  Come clean.  Confess. Repent. Remove these things….

And here’s the good news for us as New Testament believers – Jesus forgives us and wipes our slate clean.  1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  What’s our part?  To confess our sins.  To agree with God that our secret sin is wrong, needs to be brought into the light of God’s unfailing grace and needs to be removed from us.

What’s God’s part?  He will forgive our sins.  He will.  Not “he might”.  He will. And he will cleanse us.  He’ll make us as white as snow. Pure.  Clean.  Free. 

The result?  A woman who lives in victory rather than defeat.  A woman who lives in freedom rather than in bondage.  A woman who lives in the light of God’s merciful love rather than the shame of her own self-loathing.

And that, my sweet friends, is nothing to hide.

The longer I walk with God the more convinced I am that the Bible is the most practical book ever written.  The last couple of posts I have been addressing the need to tame our tongues.  Yesterday I got a chance to put my posts into action.

Here’s what happened at our house yesterday morning. 

9 am:  Sitting on bathroom floor putting on my makeup (I have a great full length closet door mirror, thus the floor sitting thing) Kylie walks in.

9:05 Kylie (18 year old daughter home from college) and I have a fun chat, me in my robe, she in her jammies.

9:15 Kylie explores my drawers, looking for something new (to her) to wear to church.

9:16 Kylie finds an old (I’m talking 1980′s old) scarf and thinks it’s totally cool.

9:17 I think “she can’t possibly be serious”.

9:18 She is.

9:20 Kylie returns to her room to shower and dress. 

10:15 Kylie comes downstairs ready for church

10:16 My eyes get wide.  The word “really?” comes to mind.

10:17 Is that what you are wearing to church?  (Minor slip up)

10:18  Mom, trust me.  It’s great.  I’m a fashionista.

10:19 I stop, pause and think before responding. I smile and say, “well then, let’s go.”

10:22 I remember that I have just applied God’s word. 

I smile to myself.  I am happy.  She is happy.   Life is good.  God’s ways work.

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19