Choosing the Lowest Place

Over two decades ago, I was in my upper twenties and working at a conference center. I had been reading in Luke 14 about choosing the lowest place. 

“Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, “Give your place to this person,” and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher.” Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’ He said also to the man who had invited him, ‘When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.’” (Luke 14:7-14, ESV)

Here is what I journaled at the end of this ordinary Monday…

Today, I was scheduled to attend a lunch welcoming collegiate student summer staff. I would be introduced, get a free lunch, and get to know some of the students. But, God had another plan in mind!

Just as I was preparing to leave my desk - my phone rang and it was a frantic co-worker asking me to please jump in and be the tour guide for the tour of the property which was to have started a few minutes before.

I quickly explained about the meeting, but knew in the back of my mind that the right thing would be to just stay and do the tour. I asked other co-workers, and even felt permission to hand the problem off to someone else. So, I did. And, went off to the meeting.

Before they got ready for our group to be introduced, they discovered the tour was still not taken care of...and they came up with no other option than for me to go back and do the tour.

On my drive back I was crabby, grumbling, complaining and just unpleasant in general. I knew I would be faced with a group of people who were waiting and wondering and maybe even upset. Their tour was to have started almost 30 minutes ago and while they did watch a short video, they still had to wait.

I was also quick to point out to myself that this was one reason I hadn't wanted to be trained to do these tours. And all the way over, I just laid my yucky attitude before God and said, "Lord, I don't want to give this tour and I have a rotten attitude about it."

But, I knew in my heart these people deserved a great tour - the best I could give. I quoted to myself, "Whatever you do - do it all for the glory of God." (Colossians 3:23) And, when I was nearly there - the phrase was like a lightning bolt..."Choose the lowest place." A powerful reminder of a passage God had really placed on my heart just a few days ago.

I got to the tour, the people were spectacular and so friendly - we had a delightful time together seeing the beauty of the place I loved working at. I was indeed blessed by being in their presence. What a God-thing!

But then as I thought more about the passage in Luke - I realized I had few things backwards.

I knew it would be the right thing to go ahead and choose the lowest place and do the tour. In my mind, I set the honorable place on what would bring me glory - being introduced and recognized. But, since I chose the place of "higher" honor - God allowed me to be humbled by having to be told to go back and to the tour instead of choosing it.

Imagine how much more I would have glorified Him if I had just chosen the lower place first.

Later in the day, thoughts would creep in of wondering if anyone realized what I'd felt like I had sacrificed. If they'd realized I missed lunch and hadn't brought anything because I was planning something different.

But the still small Voice kept saying, "Take the lowest place". And I knew, again, that it was a discipline of the mind that needed to rule over these thoughts.

So, today while many ate pizza, and others saw God's beauty at this amazing place for the first time - I was on the Potter's Wheel being shaped and re-shaped into the woman God wants me to be! Hallelujah. What a kindness of God.

Over two decades later, this lesson still resonates with me and I still fail to choose the lowest place more times than I care to admit. As the Lord has reminded me of this, I would love to take a moment to consider some practical ways we can choose the lowest place remembering that, in God’s economy, the way up is down. 

• In moments of frustration or needing to clear your mind and focus, rather than picking up your phone and opening social media to see what others are up to or what you are missing, turn on worship music or recite a favorite passage of Scripture. It doesn’t matter what others are doing, it matters that we worship the Lord.

• When you have a few moments of free time, use them to invest in your relationship with the Lord: open His Word, pray, memorize a passage of Scripture, quietly meditate on what you have been studying lately, or praise God for who He is!

• Remember that even if no human ever sees or notices your service, gifts, or talents - God does. Our work is an offering to Him, done to honor and glorify Him, and it is more than enough for Him to see that. The way we serve the Lord in the secret and hidden place shows what kind of integrity and motivation we are working from. When no one is watching, will I still do my best to honor the Lord - I will when I’m choosing the best place!

• Examine my motives - when opportunities arise to serve or participate in things, it is a good time to pause and pray. What are our motives for saying yes or no? Will this enable us to choose the lowest place and honor the Lord? Or will we be thinking about how we will look to others?

• A good ministry leader will be interested in choosing the lowest place. Leadership does require a certain amount of outward facing skill and personality, but when we invite others in to serve with us, giving away everything you can to others to share the reward, and give God all the glory - we are choosing the lowest place. 

• In times of feeling misunderstood or unheard by a spouse, child, or friend - we can ask the Lord to keep our hearts soft. Perhaps there is a reason that the other one has not asked about what we hoped or did not respond in understanding. Have they had a hard day? Are they really trying to be difficult? Choosing the lowest place can look like believing the best in another until we have more facts to base our reaction on. Asking the Lord to keep our hearts soft is a humble posture that demonstrates surrender and service.

• Saying “I’m sorry” first is a great way to model choosing the lowest place. Pride gets defensive and demands being right and justified in our feelings and opinions. Proverbs 15:1 reminds us that, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” It might feel good in moment to retort with the zinger on your tongue, but even more beautiful when we hold our tongues and remain quiet instead. 

If you still need a little help - read through this passage from Philippians 2:1-11 and pray it to the Lord crying out and asking for His help in choosing the lowest place. Give thanks to Jesus for the way He chose the lowest place on our behalf so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to Him. Choosing the lowest place is not always easy to do, but it is fruitful and such a sweet place to walk in fellowship with the Lord.

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Open Tabs

Because I'm notorious for having lots of tabs open on my browser, this is a fun series to share what some of those tabs are! This will be a random assortment of things!

+ My girls and I thoroughly enjoyed watching The Other Bennet Sister! And just this weekend I watched Seeking Persephone for free on my library app!

+ I received a couple of Emily Lex watercolor books and her watercolor set for my birthday and have had fun trying out watercolors!

+ Enjoying this new song: Narrow Way

+ For our 4th of July breakfast, I made this Coffee Cake with berries and freshly whipped cream - delish!

+ This study has been great for this season of transition with solid reminders of God's faithfulness! Now & Not Yet Bible Study

+ For when you are chilly in the summer A/C but don't need a heavy sweatshirt: Aerie Hooded Fleece Cape

+ I love these once in a while for a special treat! Crisp Apple Olipop

+ My girls have reminded me how much fun browsing Pinterest is! 

+ This dumpling recipe turned out delicious!

Your turn! Tell me about a fun find, creative inspiration, or open tab on your browser!

Even There

 

Psalm 139

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,' even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"

There is a laminated copy of Psalm 139 hanging in my shower. It's been there for about a year as I was meditating on this passage in preparation for our women's retreat at church last October. The two words that I've repeated to myself many times over the past months are ... even there.

In this Psalm, we see David remind his own heart that he is fully seen and known by God. David acknowledges he can't go higher than God, lower than God, further east or west than God - even there. 

By declaring this truth, David preaches to his soul that he can't get away from God's omniscience (the fact that God is all knowing), omnipresence (the fact that God is everywhere), and omnipotence (the fact that God is all powerful). And we do need to remind our souls of this from time to time - or all the time perhaps. 

When we think that we can hide something from God ... even there.

When we feel invisible and forgotten by God ... even there.

When we forget God in our comfort and ease ... even there.

When we don't know what God is up to ... even there.

When we experience deep feelings of sorrow or doubt ... even there.

You can create your own sentence with a joy or burden that is on your heart and the answer will still be even there. 

Let this truth settle deep into your soul - He is with you even there.

Corrie ten Boom said it well when she said, 

"There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still."

Choosing a Bible Study

 

We are blessed to live in a time of access to many wonderful resources! With this can also come some overwhelm as we try to sift through the many choices. In addition, it can be confusing to know what we can trust and what studies are worth our time and energy.

The very best thing you can do when you want to study your Bible is study your Bible! It can be tempting to want the newest study book or to jump into something a favorite author or influencer has published. But resources are great tools and can be helpful in our study of the Word. 

Here are some thoughts to help you in choosing a Bible Study:

* A great Bible Study book helps you in learning to study the Bible and keeps the Word as the central focus of the study. This may seem obvious, but sometimes you can spend more time reading someone else's opinion than actually studying the Bible. Keep an eye out for resources that send you to the Word, disciple you in how to read the Word, and ground commentary in the Word.

* Pray and ask for wisdom and discernment from the Lord! You can also ask someone on staff at your church or a trusted sister in Christ for recommendations. Will this study edify your walk with the Lord? Is it a book study or a Bible study? This may seem like a nuanced difference - but a book may serve a very different purpose than a Bible study.

* Look at who the author of the study follows, who follows them, what authors the publisher is choosing, and statements of belief. This is not always foolproof but can be a good way to find out more especially when it is a new-to-you author. 

* Some simple questions that can help you narrow down your search might also include: how long of a study are you looking for? Do you want it to have video sessions included? Are you interested in studying a book of the Bible or a topic? What format would help you?

* Remember that a study guide as a resource is to serve you in your walk with the Lord. You do not serve the study book! There is freedom to use it in a way that works for you or not use it in a way that doesn't work for you. And like many things - even if you don't finish every bit of homework, what you do finish will still be a benefit. Be open to how the Lord might lead you during the study - you might depart from the homework to dig into something that you are curious about in the Word! What a gift!

Here are some specific recommendations - there is a complete list of resources here that I compiled over several years of women's ministry newsletters at our church. 

The Gospel Coalition Women's Initiatives - articles, podcast, newsletter, and book recommendations; a wealth of information and a great resource for women! Key note speakers in cohorts and conferences are a great resource for further content including Jen Wilkin, Melissa Kruger, Ruth Chou Simons, Nancy Guthrie, and more.

Meet Me in the Bible series - introduces the Observe, Interpret, Apply method of study and disciples in how to study your own Bible!

Well-Watered Women - most of their studies have been retired or are pdf only, but their content is still beautiful and great quality!

She Reads Truth - this has been my most trusted source over the years in women's ministry. I like it because it is accessible to women in many levels of growth, includes daily reflections on their website as well as weekly podcasts. I will give a little caution that sometimes the podcast is not my favorite and they were recently acquired by Penguin Random House. I hope this does not change their focus or content but will be keeping an eye out to see. 

Revive Our Hearts - another wealth of resources for women! Everything that I've seen from Revive our Hearts is very well done and beautifully focused on worshipping the Lord! 

I've also enjoyed Bible studies from Hosanna Revival, Daily Grace Co and Lifeway.

Do you have a favorite Bible study you've done? I would love to hear about it!

A Fresh Beginning

Hi friend, it's been awhile! And does anyone even read blogs anymore? The last time I posted was almost three years ago and even then it was very sporadic. Life has been full and I don't really know a way to catch up on all that time other than to hit some top highlights in a bullet point format - so here goes, in no particular order - along with pix from my camera roll this spring:

* We still live in the same house!

* As of May, all three of our kids have completed High School - the end of an era.

* David is still serving in law enforcement.

* I've spent the past nearly six years serving on our church staff and developing a women's ministry - what a gift and privilege. I've recently stepped away from that and am eager to see what the Lord has in mind next for me.

* I have a heart for writing, teaching women, and studying God's Word as well as encouraging women who are serving in women's ministry.

* Right now, I sense the Lord drawing me into a quiet and hidden space with Him for a season - pursuing family time, spending time in the Word and prayer, and being more private.

* I have an updated writing, teaching, content page with lots of new links!

* Cozy is still my favorite vibe.

* A few books I've enjoyed this year: The Bible is For You, Gospel Mom and Becoming a Gospel Mom, Biblical Femininity, Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, and The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood.

* This Spring, I completed the GO certificate for Ministry to Women with SEBTS.

* Books I'm currently reading: Way of the Wildflower, The Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary, Yet: a study in Habakkuk from Hosanna Revival. 

* Last week, I went to The Gospel Coalition Women's conference - it was fantastic! You can view the recordings here!

* A new song I'm enjoying: Narrow Way.

* All of my people are home for the summer and I am trying to soak up every minute of it!

* I have a mixed relationship with Instagram - should I post, should I not? Right now I'm very back and forth.

* Most of my creative efforts in the past few years have been in writing and content creating for our local church women! I've loved it and am looking forward to doing a few creative things at home this summer. I need to remind myself how to have fun!

So what will this be going forward? Well, I'm not really sure - my standard answer to just about everything in my life right now! 

It won't be about our family, this is a season where that will be reserved for off-line in-real-life community. But it will be a place for me to write and share, which I need an outlet for. I would love to come alongside other women's ministry leaders in encouragement and support, and to speak at women's events and retreats if that is what God has for me. 

I would love to hear from you! Tell me one or more of the following:

* What is a favorite book you've read this year?

* What is God doing in your life?

* Is there a way that I can serve or encourage you? 

Thanks for stopping by - a few more photos to wrap up!

Rachel's Last First Day of School