Jesus

Being Grounded in Gratitude.

Morgan Jager1 Comment

We are all in a season of loss. There are lot of things around us we are losing amidst “shelter-in-place” orders, sickness, and uncertainties of the future. Some of us may be experiencing more loss than others, but we know the feeling of loss well, especially right now.

Maybe the loss you are experiencing is present…loss of connecting with community, loss of physical touch if you live by yourself, loss of sanity if you are now both mom and teacher, or loss of a job. Maybe the loss you are experiencing is future oriented…no future securities, postponed weddings, or canceled vacations. But whatever the losses you are experiencing are, they are significant and the Lord sees those things that you have had to give up or have been taken from you over the last few weeks.

I was listening to a study on anxiety the other day and they were talking about how the brain works… which, side note, I think the brain is fascinating and if you have any good books that are not super technical, I would love to read those!! Anyways, they were saying that the pathways used in our brains that indicate anxiety, worry, and stress are the same ones used for gratitude and thanksgiving! So it’s actually impossible to be anxious and grateful at the same time.

I started to think about that, and was curious, “Is that really true? Can I experience a feeling of anxiety while I’m also experiencing gratitude?” And as I thought I about this, I came to the conclusion that this is true!

Now I know that there are a LOT of types of anxiety and that anxiety can also be a clinical diagnosis which requires medication and professional help. I think medication and professional help are both good and right places to go in the midst of anxiety. And I encourage my friends who experience this deep, clinical level of anxiety to use those good graces given to us for help. This is good and right.

I also think that there is something behind the science of our brains and that gratitude is a really helpful thing to consider. We can be grounded in gratitude because it reorients our minds to focus on the things that are truly important. We are forced, in gratitude, to look beyond our present situation or circumstance. We are required to shift our emotions to be grateful, even if it’s just for a moment.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

So in this season of uncertainty and loss, I encourage you to be grateful. Begin and end each day with writing down something you are grateful for. Try to be specific. Instead of being thankful for “another day” be specific about what you are thankful for. Maybe it’s that the sunshine feels warm on your skin. Or maybe you are thankful for the time you have today to watch a movie with your roommates and relax with them. Maybe you are thankful for the trees that are blossoming outside your window because they remind you that God is still at work and continues to care for even the trees and flowers.

Be grateful. And let your mind, emotions, and experiences in this world be grounded in gratitude. Spending time in thanksgiving does something to your brain, and through I don’t know all the specific scientific terms and chemistry dynamics, I know that change happens because I experience a changed mindset and renewed perspective in the midst of gratitude.

So if you feel anxious today about another day doing the same things again in your home, or you feel that deep sense of loss as you cancel yet another plan you were looking forward to, stop and take a moment to be grateful. Let gratitude ground you in what is true as the Lord of heaven and earth refocuses your mind on His eternal Kingdom and forever reign!

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

You are Much More Valuable.

Morgan Jager1 Comment

25 “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 than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look 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? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If 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—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

I think a lot of us need to take a moment and read through those verses slowly right now. And hey, we have the time… am I right?! So do that right now. Go back and read those verses slowly.

COVID-19 has been a disorienting and incredibly intense situation to watch unfold over the last few weeks. And yet, I just have a deeper and greater hope in the reality that God is with us, He sees us, and He cares for us.

Matthew 6:25-34 give us some really great truths to hold on to. Obviously, the main idea in this passage is “Do not worry.” Jesus is guiding his hearers to truth by pointing them to trust that God is the one who is in control and who cares for His world. He is asking His hearers to have a new perspective and understanding by reminding them that there is One True King who is Lord over all!

Jesus supports the idea of “do not worry” by talking about two examples: the birds and the flowers. These are both things that are pretty common and we see them often. Jesus says that the birds do not store up food or worry about tomorrow. They live day-by-day, trusting that they will be provided for. And God provides for them day after day after day. If God cares for the birds, who fly around everywhere, sometimes are very annoying to us, and who are not made in the image of God, how much more does He care for YOU!?

“Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Matthew 6:26b

Then Jesus tells us about the flowers, or lilies of the field. These are actually wildflowers… just simple flowers that grow in a field that no one cares for or tends to. Many of these flowers that pop up will not even be seen by the human eye! And yet, God cares for them. He sees them and calls them beautiful and valuable. How much more, friend, does God care for you…who are made in His image and lasts far longer than the flowers which wither quickly and fade away? You are so much more valuable.

“…will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”

Matthew 6:30b

I love that in each of these examples, Jesus points our attention to our value being “much more” than the birds and the flowers. Both of these things seem so delicate and dependent. Jesus reminds us that we are of so much more value than these, helping us gain a perspective on life where God is the true King. If we understand our right position as image bearers and children, and trust God to be in charge, then we have no need of worry because we serve a good King who knows each of our needs!

The Lord was so kind to have me teach our middle school students on the verses above at our last gathering as a group for the foreseeable future. How kind is the Lord to leave those students and leaders with the message of “Do not worry” and “You are much more valuable than the birds and flowers!” Incredibly kind.

So today, I hope you hear the truths of these verses: Do not worry, for you are much more valuable than they! In the midst of constant change and alarming news, may you find security, safety, and stability in the words of Jesus, proclaimed 2,000 years ago on a mountainside across the world. Be encouraged, and set your perspective in the right place… on the One True King who is still ruling and reigning amidst it all. Then find someone else to encourage today! You are dearly loved, so do not worry.

The Disorienting Nature of COVID-19.

Morgan Jager2 Comments

Right now, I was supposed to be on the West Coast feeling the cool ocean breeze and hugging giant trees. But I’m not. The reality is, we all have things we were looking forward to over the next few days or weeks that have now been suspended, postponed, or canceled. COVID-19 is disorienting.

It’s easy to watch the news and hear about disasters and hardship in other places and not really feel it for yourself. Sure, maybe you can relate to some of the reports but you likely can’t relate to them all, nor can you actually know and experience what those people are experiencing at that very moment.

The coronavirus is different. With the first case reported on December 31, 2019 in China, it was easy to see that event and not believe it would effect that many people. And then it spread… quickly. This virus seemed to make the news almost overnight as it reached country after country, eventually landing in the United States.

Now we begin to feel it because now it affects us…in fact, it affects every single person on the planet. It’s affecting our friends and family living in other countries. It’s affecting our loved ones living in the U.S. in different states. And it’s affecting us… our plans, our hopes, and our day-to-day lives.

And for me, this is disorienting.

We don’t really seem to have a category to put our current lifestyle into. We walk around with caution, buy things in haste to stay prepared, and obsessively check the news. Some are responding with extreme caution while others are not missing a beat and continuing with their lives. But everyone is slowly becoming more and more aware to the reality and seriousness of this pandemic.

The feeling of disorientation is strange and seems to cause panic, frustration, and fear. No one likes this feeling because it feels out of control, with no stability. And let’s be honest, we all really like being in control.

Yet, in the midst of this disorienting time, there is a place we can go to find certainty, hope, and peace. That place is the Word of God, the Bible.

Taking time to sit in the presence of the Lord reorients us to what is true. The Bible tells us over and over again about how God is a safe refuge, a good Father, a shield, a rock, a fortress, a healer, and most importantly, He is God with us! Therefore, we can listen and respond to the most common command that God gives His people: “Do not fear.”

God tells His people to not fear because He is with them, He is in control, and He is a trustworthy and good God. He tells us not to worry because He cares for us and sees our needs. God reminds us that when we put our hope in the things of this world, they always leave us feeling empty, yet hope in God is certain and true.

I pray that today you would find time to take your cares, concerns, worries, and fears to the Lord, the God of heaven and earth. He is aware of what is going on, has not abandoned us, and deeply desires for His name to be glorified, even amidst the chaos of today. I pray that you would put your hope in Jesus, looking into God’s Word to see the beauty and grace of all that He is and all that He has done. Even through these are disorienting times, God is calling people to Himself and opening the door for people to put their full trust and hope in Him! And He is more than able to save!

Friends, we can have a certain, unswaying, and strong hope that goes beyond the cure of a virus or containment of the chaos. We can have a hope that reorients us to what is true. And that hope is in JESUS. Full, flourishing life is found only by trusting in His name. Run to Him today and let Him reorient you to truth. (And read the verse below. It’s my favorite verse and a great one to cling to in the days to come!)

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV)

P.S. Here are some other verses that may give you hope, peace, and rest, helping you to be reoriented to the truth today. Feel free to comment below with some of your favorite verses as well!

The Kingdom of the Son.

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What does it mean to be part of the Kingdom of the Son? Well it means a whole lot of things, and it also means being called into a whole lot of things.

“God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:13-14‬ ‭(MSG‬‬)

Being called into the Kingdom of the Son means being pulled out of the pit. It means being rescued from an eternal doom by the loved Son of God. It means being set free from frantic failures and patterns of sin. It means living into the identity God has given you. It means truly bearing the image of God in all you do and with all you are.

Being part of the Kingdom is about belonging. It’s about purpose.

My word for 2020 is purpose. I want to learn to live into my purpose here and now, and help others see their purpose in life too. Purpose, for the follower of Jesus, is to belong to the Kingdom of the Son and to live in light of that eternal reality.

As a believer in the one true God, I belong to a greater location than Texas or the United States. I am an ambassador of Jesus Christ and I belong to His Kingdom…and He is the Eternal King! My purpose then is to bring others close to God, that they may also see the beauty, grace, forgiveness, and love of the Father.

Purpose also includes living in light of a reality that is eternal. The chaos of this world, the disappointments, the failures, the flaws, the pain… these are all side effects of a broken world. But my reality is that there will come a day when the Kingdom of the Son will break through, redeeming all that was lost and bringing new life and eternal belonging to those who belong to the Son.

I’m finding that purpose is something we seek and desire as humans. It’s part of being human because our purpose has been marred by sin. We were made to be with God, to enjoy His creation, and to tend His garden. But that picture has been ruined by sin. So our purpose is now difficult to find, leading us to seek identity in other things and in ungodly ways. We attempt to find purpose in who others tells us we are or should be. We attempt to find purpose in our jobs and families. And all of these attempts leave us without lasting purpose or fulfillment, every single time.

The reason we can’t find true, lasting purpose in anything of this world is because we were made for a different world. God created us to be with Him in the beginning. So our longing for purpose, our desire for belonging, our hope for better days ahead, is all stemming from the fact that we were made to be with God. We were made to be in the Kingdom of the Son. And those who follow Jesus will be in this Kingdom forever!

So today, I pray you will consider what it means to be part of the Kingdom of the Son… to live the way He designed us with a purpose that is focused on Him. He is the only one who can rescue from failed attempts at perfection and misguided desires. And He saves all those who come to Him. His Kingdom is eternal and it begins here and now. Will you allow Him to be your King?

Minimalism, a Daily Habit.

Morgan Jager2 Comments

Minimalism is a thing these days, especially for those in my generation. I think we’ve all started to realize that we don’t need as much stuff as we think we do.

This year, one of my resolutions I made was to donate or throw away one item each day for a year. So far, this has been an easy process because I’ve needed to declutter for a while.

As I have thought about this resolution, I’ve considered: Why not just go through everything and pick out 365 (well 366 since it’s leap year) items to give get rid of? It’s definitely something to consider and then I would be done with that resolution for the year.

Yet, giving away something everyday really causes me to feel it because I have to intentionally find something to get rid of before the day is over. At the end of each day, I put one item either in the trash or in a donation bin, and as I do this, I am reminded that God provides all that I need and has graciously given me all that I have. Reducing my possessions to just those that I will have intentionally chosen to keep, reminds me that all I have belongs to God and I am a steward of His gifts. This is a daily habit I am creating in my life.

This resolution is so much more than just becoming a minimalist, setting a trend, or cleaning my room. This is about a deeper love, gratitude, and understanding for what has been given to me by God.

As a Christian, I believe that everything I have is from God. If God created all and is in charge of all, then He is also the one responsible for giving me all that I have. And yet, I don’t often live like this is true of my life.

When Jesus sent out His disciples, He told them not to take extra things with them for the journey. (See Matthew 10:9-15.)

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.”

Matthew 10:9-10 (NIV)

These men were essentially told to go be homeless as they traveled for a while proclaiming the message of the Kingdom. Often, this is the passage that is quoted in connection with minimalists, saying that clearly Jesus wants us to only have a few things.

We also read about the man who Jesus told to go sell everything and then follow him. (See Matthew 19:16-22.)

Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Matthew 19:21 (ESV)

So it seems like Jesus was really into this whole minimalist trend! I mean, He told His disciples to get rid of extra luggage they wanted to bring along their journey and told a man to sell everything in order to follow Him. It seems, from these verses and others, that Jesus is either a minimalist or else He really wants to promote homelessness! 😉

But I don’t think the lack of possessions is the point in either of these stories. Instead, I think the point is about the space created in their lives to truly live out the gospel. Jesus was helping them create space in their lives to live fully human.

Being human is about dependence on God, because we are dependent on God for absolutely everything! He has given us breath in our lungs, formed our bodies, provided food we can eat that gives us nourishment and keeps us alive, and so much more! We are dependent on God in so many ways!

By giving away things that I have relied on in the past, there’s more space for me to practice active dependence on God. I am dependent on God not only for all the normal human physical things we need each day (air, water, food, sleep, etc.) but also dependent on God for the invisible things like love, acceptance, forgiveness, grace, and joy!

Minimizing my possessions has helped me become more grateful for and generous with the things I have. I truly believe that this is a Christian practice. By simplifying my life, I have more capacity, time, and space for the things that matter the most. It’s not an instant equation of give an item away = get more time with God/living more missionally with God. BUT it is progress…one degree of glory to the next, am I right?! And reducing the things I have creates a unique awareness of God’s presence in my life that I have really enjoyed experiencing.

So yes, minimizing is trending uphill right now in culture. It’s the newest thing to make your space look tidy, modern, and ready for the perfect Insta pic! But it’s so much more than that! Minimizing is about simplifying your life so you can increase space for the most important things in life. And I would argue, that includes the importance of being fully dependent on God.

How can you follow God in faithfulness in light of this? What does this look like in your life? Maybe it’s similar to my New Year’s resolution of reducing the things I have by creating a daily habit, in order to create space for the things that matter more. Maybe it’s something else! Either way, let’s be faithful men and women who seek after God not only with our all but with our very best!