Rayni Risher

When Peace Invades the Atmosphere

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It was a race to finish line. I had been out of the country for a number of weeks and was on my last leg, mentally and physically exhausted. I had a connecting flight to catch for the 12 hour flight home…and my first flight was very late arriving. That caused my husband and me to do a full-on 20 minute sprint through a very large airport, baggage in hand, in order to maybe be able to catch our flight home.

Running through crowds, up and down escalators, completely winded, muscles burning, we made it onto the plane just before they closed the doors.

By this point I was frustrated, exhausted and annoyed at the airline.

As I found my seat, I told the sweet, 80 year old man sitting next to me that I had just sprinted for 20 minutes to make this flight.

And do you know what happened?

I was met with the most gentle and peaceful response from my seat partner. He was so calm and so filled with peace that it felt like I had walked into an invisible wall of peace.

The presence of peace felt tangible.

Have you ever experienced this? You walk into someone’s home, or start talking with someone and instantly it’s as if peace is surrounding you. It’s undeniably hanging in the atmosphere.

I have experienced it many times. And I’ve also experienced the opposite.

Have you ever been around someone who is so full of worry, fear or anxiety that it’s difficult for you to not start feeling worried, anxious or fearful? It’s as if their anxiety fills the atmosphere, closing in all around you so that you have to make a concerted effort to not become anxious, too, even when you have nothing to be anxious about!

We can be atmosphere-changers for the good or for the bad.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). So, when the Holy Spirit is living inside of us, just walking into a room changes the atmosphere because we are carrying Peace Himself within us.

Yet, if we allow unchecked negative emotions to rule us, we choke out the peace that is available to us. And as a result we can throw our anxiety onto others without even realizing it.

We have to be careful about the emotions we choose to wear and the attitude we choose to have.

I’m not talking about pretending you are full of peace when you’re not. Being fake doesn’t equal a peaceful atmosphere. And while feeling negative emotions isn’t always a bad thing, I don’t believe that God intends for us to remain in that negativity.

We have the choice to wear negativity like a garment. Or to wear peace.

So…How do you keep your peace when your mind wants to rebel into fear?

Isaiah 26:3 tells us that “You (God) will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

When you are beginning to feel those negative, nagging fears rise up, make a faith-filled decision to hand them over to Jesus and to trust Him. Peace will be restored. You may have to do that a hundred times, but fight for your peace if you need to.

Remember, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, has told us:

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

His Peace is peace that often passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

This week let’s be cognizant of which emotions we’re letting rule us. Keeping our peace is a choice. Let’s choose peace no matter the circumstance.

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God Gave Me Joy!

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For many weeks I hadn’t been feeling well as I continued to navigate through what doctors have diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. I had gone through a cycle of severe fatigue and was slowly recovering energy.

A friend had asked if I could join her and some others for a time of worshiping God and praying over a friend with cancer. I wanted to be able to go but in the hours before it I was feeling so tired and downcast. I texted my friend saying I didn’t want to come to the prayer time, but I also felt like it was important to go to, so I changed my mind. Honestly, I was thinking that maybe *I* could be encouraged. I sure didn’t feel like I had anything to give that morning.

So, before I left my house I spent some time reading Isaiah 40 & 41. And God strengthened me through His words. And then I spent time praying and worshiping God on my own.

And do you know what happened? God gave me JOY! Not just a drop of joy, I mean He gave me JOY.

As a result I was able to go to the prayer time for my friend and minister to her. I actually went there filled up with something to give to someone else who was hurting, rather than canceling or going there and feeling empty and discouraged.

No matter what you are experiencing today, God is here to set you free. Take Him up on the offer! Maybe that means that your negative circumstances change immediately or maybe it means that God changes your attitude in the midst of the circumstances. But either way He can give you joy and peace that passes all rational understanding no matter what you are experiencing.

God is here to meet you too, in every need, great or small. Run to Him!

*Artwork by Donna Downey

 

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God Doesn’t Delight in Destruction

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Over the last six months I’ve been reading through the Bible in chronological order and it has been very insightful to read it in the order it was written.

As I read through the book of Ezekiel, a few verses stopped me in my tracks. God is speaking and He says:

“Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women? Isn’t it my pleasure that they turn around, no longer living wrong but living right—really living?…The upshot is this, Israel: I’ll judge each of you according to the way you live. So turn around! Turn your backs on your rebellious living so that sin won’t drag you down. Clean house. No more rebellions, please. Get a new heart! Get a new spirit! Why would you choose to die, Israel? I take no pleasure in anyone’s death. (Ezekiel 18: 23; 30-32)

Verse 32 clearly says that God does not take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women.

How can this be? Because, if we’re honest, the majority of people are happy when a truly wicked person who has done horrific things dies. Or at the least we feel justice has been served.

But God is not like us. And I’m glad about that.

His thoughts and actions are often beyond our understanding. (Isaiah 55)

Make no mistake that God is just and His justice will be served. Romans 12:9 says,
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

But God doesn’t wish that anyone would perish and spend eternity away from Him. Rather He desires that the wicked would repent—change their life and receive a renewed heart.

This extreme grace that God shows to people who we think don’t “deserve” grace can feel offensive at times, can’t it?

And yet, the Bible says that God is love. (1 John 4:8) He is literally love. He lovingly created each person with good purpose. Doesn’t it make sense, then, if His people go down the wrong path that He would want them to turn around and be healed and saved? Rather than destroyed?

“God is all mercy and grace—not quick to anger, is rich in love. God is good to one and all; everything He does is suffused with grace.” Psalm 145:8-9

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4

 “For God does not show favoritism.” Romans 2:11

When I really think about it I’m glad that I serve a God who is so kind and so gracious and merciful that He so desires every person to be well and to be redeemed. No matter who that person is. No matter what they have done.

I think of David who was a murderer and adulterer but he repented and God called him a man after His own heart. I think of Paul, who wrote the majority of the New Testament. Paul, who terrorized and killed Christians before God literally knocked him off of his high horse and changed his life.

God’s mercy and grace extends even to the worst person. Because for it to be true mercy and for it to be true grace it has to.

Thank You, God, that You are love. Thank You that You are so full of mercy and grace that You don’t want anyone to be destroyed, but desire everyone to repent and to be redeemed. (2 Peter 3:9)

That is good news!

 

 

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Follow Me

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Do you ever feel like God is doing amazing things in the lives of others while your life seems so plain? It can be easy to get distracted and even feel envious of what God is doing in someone else’s life, especially when we’re waiting for God to open up a new opportunity or bring a prophetic word to pass.

While other people seem to be living out their calling with such boldness and opportunity we feel while we’re stuck in the “in-between”.

Interestingly, at one point the apostle Peter, who ended up to be a major builder of the Church, found himself to be a bit distracted, too.

After Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead He appeared to the disciples and interacted with them a number of times. In John 21 we see a sweet exchange between Jesus and Peter as Jesus calls Peter back into ministry, after Peter had famously denied Him three times.

If Jesus appeared to you right now and was talking with you, even giving you direction in the ministry He has for you, you would probably be completely enthralled with what He was saying and you wouldn’t even notice anything or anyone else around you. Right?

And yet, in this passage, even in the moment of Peter interacting one-on-one with Jesus, and Jesus giving Peter direction and prophetic words about his life, Peter is distracted by one of the other disciples—John. Peter wants to know what God will do in John’s life.

“Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved (John)—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”

Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple (John) wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” John 21:20-23

You can read the entire chapter of John 21 for the full context but the point of what Jesus is saying is that Peter needs to focus on Jesus and His calling and direction for his life, and not get distracted by what God is doing or may do in another person’s life.

Jesus tells Peter not to worry about what He has for John. “As for you, follow Me.”

Especially today with the internet and social media it can be very easy to compare our lives to others and to get discouraged and distracted; feeling “less than”. But there really is no room for comparing ourselves.

“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.” Romans 12:4-6

“That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.” Galatians 5:26

This week let us be reminded that God has created each of us as an original. Let’s focus on Jesus and our assignment from Him, not get over-focused on what everyone else is doing! That distracts us from what God has for us to do. And we don’t have time to be distracted right now. We need to be loving people and sharing the good news with them. The enemy would want us to be distracted to get us side-lined and out of the race.

God has given each one of us unique personalities, gifts, talents and desires. Let’s make sure that we are focused on Jesus, following Him. And if we look to the right or the left let it be to cheer on our fellow believers as they follow Christ, too.

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The Importance of Learning to Receive

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We often hear the adage, “It’s better to give than to receive.” It’s true that it is great to give! Not only does giving, or serving, help other people in need but it helps to get our eyes off of ourselves and do something kind for someone else. It also helps to make us more like Jesus as we copy His example, and obey His command to serve others.

Jesus was the epitome of a good servant. But what if all of those people with various needs that He came in contact with had refused to let Jesus help them?

What if all of the people whom Jesus came to save, heal, set free, and give hope and joy to said to Him, No thanks…I just have a hard time receiving anything from anyone so I don’t want to accept anything from You.

What if in John 13 the disciples had refused to let Jesus wash their feet?

Think of what those people would have missed out on—God in the flesh! But I also think this refusal to accept help from someone else—to be open to receiving—would have been a huge disappointment to Jesus. After all, He came to serve.

In order to serve you need someone to receive! If there are no “receivers” there can be no servants.

We all have needs. And from time to time we all need help; like when we’re sick, feeling overwhelmed, have too many commitments on our plate, or have little kids to look after. And yet many have a difficult time asking for help or even receiving help when it’s freely offered.

Why are we so bad at receiving help?

I think it’s easy for us to feel like we should have it all together and that we shouldn’t need help from others. Needing help can make you feel weak, dependent, guilty for putting others out. But is this really how God wants us to feel about it?

When Jesus first sent out his twelve disciples to minister He said to them, “This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice.” (Matthew 10:40-42, The Message)

Why would Jesus want you to be a good receiver?

When you don’t receive well it’s easy to isolate yourself and stay stuck.

When you don’t receive well you not only miss out on a blessing, you cause the person who wants to serve to miss out on the blessing of service.

If you can’t receive from another human being, how on earth are you going to allow yourself to receive anything from God?

When you don’t receive well you’re not being like Jesus.

Wait a minute, what? What did Jesus receive?

Jesus was a servant at heart and He is our standard for serving others. And yet He also let others serve Him. He received the hospitality of staying at other people’s homes, letting others host him for dinner, cook for him, help him financially, wash His feet, and care for other needs.

Sure, being a receiver can be taken overboard, always expecting people to do everything for you. Just as serving without any healthy boundaries can burn you out quickly, causing you to neglect your own needs.

But we can find a good balance in both.

So…

-Do you receive well from others? If not, why not?

-Do you receive well from God? If not, why not?

-On the other hand, are you unable to say “no” to every request that comes your way, making you overcommitted and exhausted?

How Do You Learn to Receive?

If you have trouble receiving help from others, first repent. The Greek word for repent is metanoia. It means to change one’s mind, to have a transformative change of heart. Simply make a decision that you are going to start being more receptive. Then ask someone for help. Or say yes when someone offers to  help you. It may be uncomfortable at first but it will become easier as you do it more. The same goes for learning to say “no” to too many commitments.

It is in giving that you receive and in receiving that you give.

 

 

 

 

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