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Christina Cook Lee

Media Producer - Author - Blogger - Songwriter

Becoming What God Wants

Willing to be shaped

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Topic: Becoming what God wants

Focus: Willing to be shaped

Jeremiah 18:3-4 (NIV) So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

In the process of becoming what God wants, there is a lot of work involved. The preparation stage usually takes longer than we think it should…because His efforts are painstaking. To help us understand, God uses the example of the potter and the clay as a symbol of our relationship to Him.

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to observe a master potter at work—you will agree the sight is amazing. As you watch, you might think you know what he is doing—but then, changes can occur.

Sometimes, after a lot of work–the clay collapses and the potter has to start over. His experienced hands are patient and he is willing to keep working until his efforts bring about exactly what he is looking for.

As we consider the relationship of the potter to the clay, we need to have a good look at everything he does as he gets ready to work.

A true master potter likes to select his own clay and prepare it personally, ‘from scratch’. He travels to a place where the kind of clay he wants can be dug out of the earth. After he has reached his destination, he searches for the exact spot that has the particular raw material he is looking for to make the type of vessel he wants to make.

When the potter finds the clay, he digs out the amount he will need. Upon pulling the clay from the ground, he is fully aware that there is much more work he will have to do before it will be refined and ready to use.

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The first step of preparation is to spread the newly extracted clay out in the sun and let it dry completely. Then, he breaks the dry clay into a fine powder using a hammer. If he sees any rocks—he picks them out. The rocks can’t be left in the clay and just smashed–they have to be removed.

The next step is sifting. This has to be done though a fine sieve. As the powder falls through, he discards pebbles and any other material that would contaminate the fine, pure clay he wants to create. After sifting, he puts the powder in a container and covers it with water. He stirs it all together with his hands. It is a messy process.

The mixture has to ‘sit’ for a while before the potter pours the soaked clay through another screen and into a clean container, making sure there are no lumps. Typically–he waits through the night until the clay has all settled to the bottom.

In the morning, the potter pours off the clear water that has come to the top, being careful not to stir the clay at this point. He pours or scoops the thick material called ‘slip’ into large plaster bowls, or bowls lined with cloth. He allows just the right amount of moisture to be drawn off and then places the clay into other containers for several days.

The potter is always aware that waiting is worthwhile.

When the potter and the clay are both ready, he slices off the amount of clay he wants. He throws it on a table several times and applies a lot of pressure to it–to remove hidden air pockets. He tests his own efforts by slicing through the clay with a wire. Once he is satisfied with what he sees inside it, he can go to work on making a pot.

It’s easy to see the parallels of the preparation of clay by a potter to the life of a person recovering from depression and dependency. If the clay could talk, it would probably say, “Stop with all the hammering, picking, sifting, and slicing!” At times you feel like you are ‘under water’ and ‘in the dark’.

You get sick of the waiting, but all of this is important in the process of getting us ready to be shaped and molded into something useful and beautiful. If the clay isn’t properly prepared, the shaping process is difficult and delayed. Each step is critical and nothing can be skipped for the results to be right.

Declaration: I will find new strength by realizing that my skilled, Master Potter is interested in making me into something that may be different from what I had in mind. The whole thing is going to take time. I will stop trying to be the potter and work harder at being the clay.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

Glorifying and enjoying God

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Topic: Becoming what God wants

Focus: Glorifying and enjoying God

Romans 5:1-2 (NCV) Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who through our faith has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory.

From early childhood, many of us were already thinking about what we wanted to be when we grew up. We might have observed a friend or family member who we looked up to and thought it would be great to be like them someday. Other inspiration might have come from a story that someone read to us or a video we saw that made us favor thoughts about a certain type of career.

A lot of what might have intrigued us about the idea of becoming any kind of a professional, was the fact that it seemed like it might be ‘fun’ to do what those professionals do. It looked to us as though being able to do the kind of work that impressed us would be very enjoyable.

Whether we actually grew up and became what we thought we’d like to become when we were children, or not, we probably learned that although some work can be enjoyable—it’s rare that anyone has nothing but pure ‘fun’, no matter what occupation they end up following.

According to the Westminster catechism, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Isn’t it strange that in spite of how much thought was put into the conclusion of ‘man’s chief end’ that very few of us had such a concept introduced to us from an early age? Even if it was presented, did we really understand what it meant?

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In attempts to teach young children that their true purpose in life is glorifying and enjoying God—the concept of having a relationship with God doesn’t always come across as one that is necessarily ‘enjoyable’.

Although I learned memory verses about how ‘God so loved the world’, and so on, I had more of a fearsome impression of God when I was younger, based on Bible stories we were told about how He caused fire to come down from heaven and consume a sacrifice and how He brought plagues on the Egyptians, that included sickness and death, because of the disobedience of Egypt’s pharaoh.

Aside from all of that, your mind might be wondering, “So, what does it really mean to glorify God?”

The wise King Solomon wrote in the last verse of the Book of Ecclesiastes (Amplified Version), “All has been heard, the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of His creation, the object of God’s providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man.”

One interpretation of the word, ‘glorify’, is to make someone or something appear better than the truth. With respect to God, there is nothing we can do to make Him bigger or better than He already is. Worshipping Him doesn’t prove anything about Him or make Him any greater—He is, and always has been self-existent. But as we contemplate His love and faithfulness—and talk about it, we are reminded of His power and strength in all of the areas that come to our minds—and our impression of Him becomes bigger and better. He becomes glorified in our minds and our lives—or bigger and better—as we constantly recognize Him for His greatness. In other words, for us to actively glorify God, would be  to live in a continual state of maximum acknowledgment of His abilities.

My understanding of ‘enjoying God’, is that we would be filled with the knowledge of His love and goodness, and that we would go through our daily life taking pleasure in His presence and in the abundance of everything He created for us. It is God’s will that we would live our lives rejoicing at all times for all things…through good times and bad times. God wants us to be thankful for everything that comes our way. He desires for us to go through our days recognizing His will as being ultimately good.

My concept of God has changed drastically throughout my lifetime. I still honor Him as the One Who is fearsome and holds the universe in His hands–but truthfully–these days I probably talk to Him more than any person I know. I enjoy knowing that He is the Friend Who is closer than a brother, who loves me unconditionally and never leaves me.

Declaration: I will find new strength as I glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

The transforming power of the presence of God

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Topic: Becoming what God wants

Focus: The transforming power of the presence of God

Romans 8:11 (NIV) And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.

The Spirit of the Lord in your life is what will get you through anything. Whether you face sickness, trials, rejection, pain, loss, persecution, discouragement, depression, loneliness, hardship, fear, anger, confusion, weakness…anything. The Spirit of the Lord is able to neutralize the influence those things have had over you.

When you praise the Lord by acknowledging His qualities and abilities, He comes closer to you. The more you praise Him—the closer He gets.

The presence of the Lord changes everything.

God is love.

The love of God is the solution to every problem you have.

Having the presence of God in your life is worth more than anything else you could ever achieve.

You may have learned many important facts and you may be filled with knowledge about a wide variety of topics, but without the presence of God, it’s all meaningless.

The thing you think you’re good at, means nothing compared to having the presence of God in your life.

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Even if you gave away everything you owned, you would gain nothing if you didn’t have the presence of God.

With the presence of God, you can be patient and kind.

In the presence of God you would have no reason to be jealous, boastful, or proud.

The presence of God in your life will help you not to be rude or selfish or upset with others.

The presence of God will keep you from counting up and remembering the wrong things others have done.

In the presence of God there can be no pleasure in pursuing evil.

The presence of God will cause you to rejoice over the truth.

The presence of God in your life will help you to accept whatever comes your way with gratitude.

The presence of God will help you to trust, hope, and never give up.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

God is everlasting.

The presence of God brings complete joy. There is no reason you can’t enjoy the presence of God forever.

A grateful heart attracts God.

Call to mind the good things God has done for you in the past.

Speak to God with a grateful heart. Spend time verbalizing your thanks for what you have, your abilities, your gifts, and everything you can think of.

Live a life focused on gratitude for the goodness of God.

Learn to recognize and praise God in all things.

Declaration: I will find new strength by deliberately cultivating the presence of God in my life—knowing that the presence of His Spirit in me will transform my circumstances.

Listening to good teachers

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Topic: Building your faith

Focus: Listening to good teachers

Luke 6:40 (NKJV) A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

If the promise of Luke 6:40 is that you will become like your teacher when you are perfectly trained, then you’d better be sure that whoever you’ve chosen to be your teacher is someone you want to be like. Of course we all want to become more like Jesus, but in the Word of God we are instructed to be teachable and accountable to others who are able to teach well.

In Ephesians chapter four, the apostle Paul is writing a letter to the church at Ephesus. Paul uses the occasion of his letter to speak some truth into the Ephesian’s lives. In verses eleven and twelve (NKJV), Paul is describing some of the spiritual gifts that Jesus imparted to His disciples before He ascended back to heaven. “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

It’s clear that Jesus appointed some people to be teachers, and that He expected there would be those who would need to be taught. None of us should consider ourselves to be above learning from another brother or sister in Christ who has studied the scriptures and has the gift of teaching and an honest and humble spirit—no matter how much experience we may have. We should always be willing to learn and be taught the truth.

In 2 Timothy 2:1-2 (NKJV), the apostle Paul was writing to his disciple, Timothy. Paul refers to Timothy as his son in the faith. “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

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As Paul was writing, he was explaining to Timothy that he was responsible as a student, for what he had been taught. He was letting Timothy know that his knowledge was not intended for his own exclusive benefit. Timothy was being instructed and exhorted by Paul to share what he had learned with other faithful believers who would be able to continue passing down what they had learned from person to person, and in essence, from generation to generation.

Something we all need to be careful of is that we are not being taught by the wrong teachers. Not all of the false prophets and teachers in the world today realize that what they are prophesying and teaching is false. They may be passionately convinced that what they are prophesying and teaching is the truth. Passion is not to be mistaken as, or confused with the truth.

2 Peter 2:1-3 (ESV) says, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring destructive heresies, even denying the Master who brought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false word. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

2 Peter 3:18 (NKJV) says, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Just before Peter said to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” he warned the people he was writing to, to be careful who they listened to. Peter said that some scriptures are hard to understand and people who haven’t been properly taught—and who were also unstable—would intentionally or unintentionally twist the scriptures to their own destruction. As we grow in the Lord and apply ourselves to the truth, God is able to lead us and guide us in the building of our faith, but He wants us to be willing to learn to discern the truth from lies.

2 Timothy 4:3 (ESV) warns, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions…” In other words, Paul was saying that people who found the truth of the Word of God to be unpalatable in some areas, would twist it for their own convenience.

So, how can we find a good teacher and how do we know if who we are listening to is teaching the right things? Matthew 7:7-11 (NKJV) has the answer. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” We can be sure if we ask God to help us, He will.

Declaration: I will find new strength by asking my Heavenly Father to lead me to the teachers He has chosen for me to learn from.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

Expressing love

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Topic: Becoming what God wants

Focus: Expressing love

Romans 12:9-10 (NIV) Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Love is expressed in many different ways. Some people have no trouble at all demonstrating love and affection—yet others are baffled when it comes to showing or saying how they feel. Still others feel completely intimidated, by the act of revealing their innermost feelings to another human being, no matter how deeply they care for them.

At times, difficulties in making expressions of love can be related to a history of past failure or rejection. In a relationship that has been painful, feelings of resentment can get in the way.

Some people have the opinion that love is ‘complicated’…and sometimes it is, but failure to express love in sincere ways, can cause any love relationship to be complicated.

I’m not sure what the writer of the Book of Romans was referring to when he said, “hate what is evil, cling to what is good,” but for my own purposes, I’m going to ask you to think of ‘evil’ in this case, as not expressing love—and ‘good’ as expressing love in sincere ways.

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Every person on the planet was born with a need for love. People who were not ‘loved well’, may have never learned to ‘love well’. As much as they might wish they could—they have a hard time letting down their guard, as a result of their own emotional needs not being met and developed early on.

‘Being devoted to one another in love’, is a statement that could be easy, when both parties are mutually interested in meeting the other’s emotional needs—but when one person isn’t doing their part—the situation can be difficult.

Someone who missed out on the love they should have been shown when they were younger, might give the impression of being ‘distant’ or ‘uncaring’—when truthfully, there are areas in their heart that are still wounded, and need healing. These people might be ‘tough to love’ because of their seeming ‘hard shell’, but practically everyone will eventually respond to consistent and sincere expressions of love. Romans 12:9-10 doesn’t allow for excuses. Sure, it takes patience and perseverance to continue reaching out and offering sincere expressions of love, if the other person can’t or won’t reciprocate—but in a situation like that, we need to draw our hope and encouragement from the Word of God.

The exhortation in Romans, to ‘make sincere expressions of love’ isn’t necessarily referring exclusively to romantic love. The command can be applied to any friendship or acquaintance.

Mary Kay Ash, the founder of a cosmetics business that grew to 800,000 representatives in 37 countries, with annual sales of 2.2 billion dollars, often encouraged her staff to act as if each person they met was wearing a sign around his or her neck that read, “Make me feel important.”

The Golden Rule comes to mind, once again, as we are told to “Honor one another above yourselves,” in Romans 12:10. In other words, whether our own needs are being met, or not, we still need to be willing to make sincere expressions of love out of obedience to God and His Word.

A good example of this is found in Romans 5:8, which says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for our sins.” When we’re are faced with having to continue reaching out to someone who doesn’t do a great job of returning our sincere expressions of love—we must remember that Jesus died for us, ‘in advance’ of our love for Him being fully developed. He was still willing to go all the way to the cross as proof of His love and desire to have us with Him for all eternity.

According to Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the book, The 5 Love Languages, some people are motivated with words of affirmation, while others may respond most to gifts, acts of service, quality time, or physical touch. Considering Chapman’s discoveries, be careful that your efforts to make sincere expressions of love are performed with the other person’s needs and love language in mind—remembering they may not be the same as yours. The Golden Rule must be ‘bent’ a little in this case, as we seek to love others in the way they would most like to be loved.

Declaration: I will find new strength by being filled more fully with the love of God. As His love flows through me, I will care more deeply about the people around me. I will make others feel important and appreciated, by making the effort to learn what kinds of sincere expression of love would mean most to them—and then showing my love for them in those ways.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

Following the example of Jesus

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Topic: Becoming what God wants

Focus: Following the example of Jesus

Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV) And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

A few years ago, I was looking into the possibility of applying for a grant for a video project I was considering. As I searched the various foundations that offered grants for media production, I had to study the specific guidelines that each foundation expected, in order for an applicant to first be considered—and then to qualify.

During the time I was researching, I attended a seminar on grant writing, where I learned that each foundation offering a grant takes the time to ponder what kind of goodwill efforts they would be willing to fund. With many worthy causes in the world, they have to determine their own objectives and create a rigid set of ‘rules’ for applicants to follow when making application, so they can then consider the proposals that best match their criteria.

Some people write grants for a living and are very successful at it. These people have studied the craft of grant writing and have become familiar with the process of putting together a detailed and often complex proposal that will get the respect of the funders and meet a deadline.

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An experienced grant writer is good at matching potential recipients with the right donors. They also must make sure that someone seeking a grant is ‘ready to receive’, since this is one of the important qualifications for being awarded a grant. In the end, the ones who win the grants are those who have shown the best effort to apply—and those who will hopefully put the funds to the best use. You don’t just ask for money and get it—you compete against other individuals and organizations who have also applied—and in the end—it’s a contest, of sorts. Those who qualify, receive the reward.

Life is not a game or a contest—but you could think of it in those terms, for the purpose of grasping the importance of becoming what God wants. It’s clear that God has a detailed plan for every person’s life. He designed us each with unique qualities and characteristics that would fulfill His specific purpose. Everyone who accepts Christ as their Savior is expected to follow the guidelines spelled out in the Word of God. By doing so, we will receive various rewards when we stand before Him some day.

To learn what God expects, we must study the life of Jesus. We must learn His ways and model our lives by His example. Jesus went about doing good and was always about His Father’s business. His great love caused Him to be intensely interested in the needs of others. He truly understood human nature and He knew that ministering to people’s needs was the best way to get their attention, so He could point them toward the kingdom of God.

Jesus came to earth to compete in a contest for your soul. He came to fulfill a specific purpose so that you wouldn’t have to spend eternity in hell. His efforts were superior. He went the distance and WON! Because of what He accomplished, you can be a winner, too. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9 KJV).

God never meant for us to live our lives in a haphazard manner. Over and over in scripture the example of servitude and reward is portrayed. Are you becoming what God wants you to be? Beyond being ‘saved by grace’, are you ‘growing in grace’?

Living for God and becoming what He wants involves doing what Jesus did and sharing the Good News of salvation. It involves being merciful and filled with love, joy, and peace. It means that we are willing to persevere through the trials of life with patience. We should also be gentle, good, and filled with faith. We must exhibit the qualities of quiet strength and self-control. The Bible says we will one day stand before God and be judged for all of our actions. If we live a life that is no different from any unbeliever—we will be ashamed at the judgment.

Many years ago, Charles M. Sheldon wrote a book called, “In His Steps”. The story involves a homeless man who challenges the Reverend Henry Maxwell to seriously consider the model of Christ. The homeless man questions the actions of common Christians who ignore the needs of those who are lost and underprivileged. The presentation of this man’s point of view leads many of the novel’s characters to ask, “What would Jesus do?”

Declaration: I will find new strength by examining my ways and attempting to imitate the life of Christ. In every situation, I will ask myself, “What would Jesus do?”

Read ‘In His Steps’ free, through the Open Library:http://openlibrary.org/books/OL14014799M/In_His_steps

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.