by Shauna Millar | Jun 28, 2023 | encouragement, General, hope
One moment can change our entire lives. It can change the direction we were heading in and put us on a fresh path. It can turn our lives upside down. Sometimes those moments are significant – such as accepting Christ into our lives. Sometimes those moments are horrifying ones, like the death of a loved one. Or beautiful, like the birth of a child. However, what all these moments have in common are the “after” effects. What comes after a life-changing moment? The breath of “what’s next” or “now what?” The path we find ourselves on also comes with decisions that we will have to make.
How do I choose to raise my child? How can I move forward after losing someone I love? How will I become a person worthy of Christ dying on the cross for me? What can I do to make the world a better place in the next moment? We live moment to moment, decision to decision, breath to breath. What we make of our world is based on our choices. They are a gift freely given. Yet, everything comes with a cross. Jesus paid a price for our sins. There is always a “price” for everything that is “free”. Even though Christ chose to die for us [Titus 2:14], to give us a clean slate, He paid the price. His life was the cost for our sins to be washed away. His life was what it took for us to have a “clean slate” in God’s eyes. Jesus had a choice.
We want to be worthy. We want to do our best. We want to follow the path that is set before us. It is HARD. We will not always make the right decisions; we will fail, and make mistakes, and yet still we can move forward. We can learn from our mistakes. Doing better than we did before. Every time you fail doesn’t mean you should give up. It simply means there was a lesson to be learned so we don’t fall into the same pattern of behavior again. Yet, we are also our deepest critics. We judge ourselves harshly, beat ourselves over the head, throw down, and pound the ground. We want to use it as an excuse to give up, not move forward, as the reason “nothing good ever happens” and “why it can’t be done”.
It does not mean our mistakes and failures happen for this purpose. They are there to allow us to see what we did wrong and how we can improve. God gave us the gift of forgiveness. He gave us the gift of making us “whiter than snow” [Isaiah 1:18] not so we can roll around in the dirt, but so we can move forward with boldness. We can choose to cling to the past or we can step forward in faith and strength. The decision is ours. Though, it is often easier to wallow in misery than to lift our heads and move forward.
Why isn’t our faith enough? For some reason, there is a mistaken belief that once you accept Christ into your life, everything will be easier. It is not easy to choose to follow Christ. The path is narrow for a reason. Human nature dictates that we take a wide path. The one that’s trampled and paved for what seems like an easier, smoother journey. The question is, who paved that path? Why is it easier? We can look throughout history to see the persecution of Christians. No one likes to be persecuted. No one wants to deal with hardships and difficulties. You would think after 2,000 years that Christians would have it easier. Yet, throughout the world, we continue to see Christians being oppressed or blamed for the ills of the world. For standing up for the truth against the masses.
In today’s society, it is even less popular to be a Christian. Or to be any person who has a moral compass, especially in the U.S., where the world has been turning into everything the Bible warns about. No one aspires to be harassed, attacked, or “canceled out” based on their belief system. Yet, the world says it is okay to do that to followers of Christ, but not to those who would prey on our children. The world says it is better to make children a victim than to allow Christians to stand firm in their faith. Most religions in the world don’t face the same type of persecution that Jews and Christians do. Why? Perhaps this is something to think about.
We cannot afford to not stand firm. We need to speak the truth and pray for people to receive what is being said. Just because you speak out against sex in schools or force children to attend pride celebrations in schools doesn’t mean that you are incorrect. Remember, some of us will prepare the ground, while others will plant, water, and still others will harvest. God called us to be a light set upon a hill. He called us to follow His word and His will. He called us to meditate on the Word day and night [Joshua 1:8] so that we may show ourselves approved [2 Timothy 2:15]. He has told us to hide the word in our hearts. [Psalms 119:11]
One moment, standing in front of the school board and speaking the truth, could be the thing that changes the direction. Remember, it started with one woman who took prayer out of school. One woman started the abortion movement and got Roe v Wade instilled. Last year, (2022) in a historical moment the Supreme Court gave the power back to the states.
Things can and will change. We must do our parts. We need to remember that every moment matters and what we do with each one of them. You may be the one person who starts the next movement of positive change.
by Shauna Millar | Jun 14, 2023 | encouragement, hope, strength
I suppose you have heard or read the story of David vs Goliath. [1Samuel 17] The important part here is not that Goliath was a giant, and was undefeatable. In 1 Samuel 17:49-51, David defeats him.
49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
Now, while I have jumped to the “end of the story”, there was a lot in the beginning. First, we recognize David was still a shepherd. He was also the youngest of his brothers. The three eldest had already joined the army and were following the king. The Philistines issued a challenge. Send one out to fight our champion and if you win, we will be your servants, but if we win, then you will be ours. Even Saul didn’t want to go out and fight him.
The importance of this is that Saul was king. He should have been the one to stand up and lead by example. However, we see that he and his men “shook” from fear when Goliath issued his challenge. Which he did for 40 days before David came into the picture.
David was young. He was filled with faith and belief in the Lord. He knew the Philistines were nothing that God couldn’t handle, yet everyone around him was afraid. David stepped forward in faith. He volunteered to stand up against an almost 10-foot giant. He knew God was on His side and would help him prevail.
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
We all have giants in our lives. We all have something that seems overwhelming, and while history shows a lot of wars that were fought that also had the victors overwhelmed by the invading armies’ numbers, they too prevailed. We need to remember that what God has done for others (David) He will do for us. He is the SAME God today that he was yesterday, and He will be forevermore. This means that we can trust that He will rescue us no matter the situation.
God CAN change the direction we are heading. We can overcome this overwhelming evil that is so prevalent in our society today. How? The Bible tells us we have to first seek God. Are you in a situation where you don’t see a way out? Are our children’s lives important enough to fight for? Should we be standing up for our rights? Do we seek God first? When was the last time you looked into His word to see what it says?
2 Chronicles 7:14 – which I am sure you have read or heard – states:
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
What can one man do? Well, let’s look at David. He loved God. He believed in Him. David was also flawed and failed. Yet, he didn’t allow his failures to guide his life. What he did was constantly seek God. He would ask for forgiveness. The book of Psalms is filled with the praise and failures that David felt. Yet, God saw fit to take a shepherd boy and make him a King. One of the most influential and well-known kings in history. We still talk about him today.
I am not saying that God is going to raise you up to be a king. After all, God knows the plans He has for us and each of us follows a unique path. Sometimes our paths will cross, sometimes we will journey together, yet no matter where God is leading us; He is in charge and will direct our feet.
It is time we get back into the Word. We need to remember what God says. The Bible has all the answers we will ever need or want. From how we are to act, to how we are to protect our homes and families, to who we are to serve. You may face a giant in your life. Just remember, nothing is bigger than God. What He did for the Israelites against the Philistines, He can do for you. Trust Him. Follow Him. Read His Word. Pray. Let Him help you slay the giant. You don’t have to do it alone.
by Shauna Millar | Jun 8, 2023 | encouragement, General, strength
There are a lot of pressures in our world right now. None is more clear than the willingness of Christians to stand up and be counted. There has been a lot of silence with what has been happening. The pressure facing Christians is more and more prominent in public education and, in particular, our children. With CRT (Critical Race Theory or whatever name it currently goes by) and explicit sex education beginning in Kindergarten, we need to make sure we are not only praying but getting involved.
Matthew 18:5-7 states:
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
Recently, in our town, there was a reading and showing of one of the more explicit books at our local library. People showed up to pray for those children. Sadly, parents brought their children to learn and listen to what was being taught. Five- and Six-year-olds have no business learning about sex. They should be out playing and being children instead of being groomed. We should protect their innocence. Letting them learn to play. Directing them along a path that will allow them to not become involved in what the current world agenda offers. When a baby is born, for a parent to automatically dismiss its gender based on pressure from the world is wrong. Telling a child that they are a different gender is wrong. Yet, we are seeing these types of things more and more.
It is an agenda that continues to grow and transform into new and more evil forms of “reality”. There are those who say that we all have our “truths”. No, there is one truth. The rest is how we lie to ourselves to make it okay to accept what is going on. The Bible tells us everything we need to know; how to handle what is going on. What we should do, say, and how we act or react to situations. There is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
We know that throughout history, children have been taken advantage of and exploited. While a few years ago there were the “rights of the child”, we no longer see anything like that. Once again, an agenda is being imposed on our children. It’s an agenda that starts early and continues as they get older. The rise of transgenderism in our youth has become prevalent. It has reached a critical point, where they are being given chemical castration drugs and unnecessary surgeries in their formative years. How many individuals have had this type of surgery and have now, in their early 20s, admitted it was a mistake? Children, no matter their age, need to be allowed to explore who they are and what they want without a permanent solution being forced on them as if it was their idea.
While I was very much a “tomboy” growing up. I have an older brother who I looked up to and wanted to be like. I wanted the things he had because I adored him so much. However, later in life, while I still enjoyed some of those things, I discovered who I was independent of him. I became my own person, wearing dresses and heels, and discovering my own unique beauty. Those of us who are older have had that opportunity, yet we say that this new generation doesn’t get to do that. They must make a life-altering decision without discovery.
The children are our future. Without them, there is no future. The freedoms we have known and enjoyed, this next generation may never know, if we don’t shine the light on truth and share it with them. They are being told which direction to go and how to get there. Without the influence of Christians in their lives, to be a light for Christ, what type of future will they really have? What does this mean? We need to be involved at every level. Not just as parents, but as grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, teachers, and more. We need to step up and offer a different solution. We need to not judge, for judgment belongs to the Lord, but we need to offer a helping hand and be there.
We are all sinners saved by God’s grace. We need to remember that, and be an example of what Christ can do when we let Him. There has been a spotlight that is shining on revival in our lands. We need that revival now, more than ever before. We need to remember the truth. We need to get in – and stay in – the word of God. We need to pray and remain firmly rooted in Him. This is the only way we can reach out honestly, with strength, encouragement, and love. The battle is the Lord’s. We are His army and we need to trust in Him. Pray for God to show you the direction that He wants you to go. Pray that He will give you strength and not let fear of being “canceled” out stop you from stepping out. Move forward in His word and in His will.
Isaiah 6:8
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Be willing to say, “Here am I Lord, use me” – and mean it.
by Shauna Millar | Jun 25, 2021 | encouragement, Fruits of the spirit, Praise & Worship
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Ps 34:8
What an exciting time when we accept Christ in our lives. When we put away the old things and become a new creation in Him. When we accept Christ, when we are baptized and allow ourselves to listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When we allow ourselves to follow His word and His will in our lives. When everything is fresh and new!
Then we begin to share with the people around us. Those who ‘know’ us from ‘before’ can be a challenge to our new spiritual growth. We want them to SEE the new us! However, all they can see is the old us. Especially the ones we hung out with and know all the secrets from our past. They want to use it against us. They want to bring us down. Its not even that they WANT to do it, it’s like they are compelled to do it. The devil wants to steal our joy and he will do it using those closest to us if he can.
We have to have time to build up who we are in Christ. We need time to learn His word, to saturate ourselves in His presence with prayer and praise. We need to move away from ‘the old’ and into the new. This can be a very difficult transition. Sometimes this means that we have to leave our old friends and find new ones – to surround ourselves with a body of believers – in order for us to be built up so that we can stand firm.
We need to remember that not all of our old family and friends will welcome us with open arms. John 4:44 tells us ‘a prophet is not welcome in his own home town.’ He gave us a warning that we might face people turning away from us when we proclaim the Good News. Yet, this doesn’t mean we can’t witness or shouldn’t witness to those people. It doesn’t mean we can’t plant a seed – through our actions – that show we truly have changed.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
This can be a very difficult journey. We have to remember we weren’t promised that WE would be the ones to lead our family to salvation – in some cases those family members may be saved and have been praying for us for a very long time. We are told that ‘unless the Lord builds the House then the laborers labor in vain’. We need to seek God’s will and direction. We need to produce the fruits of the spirit and let them manifest in our lives. We need to be a light set upon a hill. We need to be willing to be a servant and humble ourselves. We need to remember that God is always with us.
Isaiah 41:10-13 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
No matter where you are in your walk with God. No matter where you find yourselves. No matter how high the mountain or how low the valley – Always remember that God will not leave you nor forsake you.
All we have to do is seek Him and we will find Him.
It is such a small thing, to seek, yet there are times when we choose not to. We don’t want to humble ourselves, we don’t want to pray or ask, we don’t want Him to find us. We don’t want to recognize that even after we accept Christ we will stumble and fall. We need to recognize that everything in life takes time and work. Every relationship we have requires that we put something in – and only by
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
working are we able to build up something that will last.
One great thing about our relationship with Christ is that the work we put helps us. It helps us become strong in the spirit and the knowledge of God’s word. We know what He has done for others He will do for us – but if we don’t know WHAT He has done for others then we haven’t even begun to understand what He can do for us.
He reached into the darkness and found me. He pulled me out of the fire and nestled me safely under His wings. He protected me when no one else was there to protect me – not just from others but from myself. He holds me constantly in His love and care. He has bore witness to my comings and goings. He has picked me up when I fell down. He has heard my voice when I called upon Him. What a loving, wonderful God we serve.
You know what He has done for you – you may have shared your testimony with someone. You have probably heard the testimony of others. My friend, this is only the tip of the iceberg to what God is capable of and wants for our lives. We need to continually submit to His will. Our nature will have us stumbling and falling; without the grace of God we would not have come as far as we have.
Even after salvation, you will stumble and fall. You may unintentionally cause your brother to trip as well. We need to remember that this is not something God holds against us – as a matter of fact, He has given us a way to move forward – forgiveness; asking for it and giving it.
Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
What a wonderful God we serve!
by Shauna Millar | Jun 18, 2021 | encouragement, forgiveness
The dictionary defines forgiveness as “The action or process of forgiving or being forgiven.” The term “forgive” is defined as “stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw or mistake.”
“To cease to feel resentment against an offender: pardon (forgive) one’s enemies. To give up resentment of or claim to requital; to forgive an insult; to grant relief from a payment or debt.”
When we talk about forgiveness, we should also look at the reasons why we need to forgive.
Matthew 6:14–15 for if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your father will not forgive your sins.
Wow. By forgiving others, I can receive forgiveness.
Often, we are fighting our flesh when it comes to forgiveness. Someone has hurt us, but they are either unaware or they don’t feel as if they have done anything wrong. Therefore, they feel under no obligation to apologize or even ask for forgiveness. When someone does us wrong, we need to learn to forgive them WITHOUT trying to force them to ask us for it. We need to learn to forgive without requiring an admission of guilt; for our own benefit.
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
– Matthew 18:15
It is nice for someone to realize they have hurt or offended us. It doesn’t mean that they always will. We are encouraged to approach the person who we feel has offended us in order to seek reconciliation and give forgiveness. Yet, it isn’t a requirement of forgiveness. Even in my own life experience, I have made mention to family members when they have hurt me; yet they didn’t see it as an offense. They were “doing the best they could”. I had to forgive them for my OWN benefit.
There may be times when we are, without realizing it, the offender. Learning to forgive the offender doesn’t mean forgetting the offense. However, we can grow from these experiences.
If you touch a hot stove, the chances are you won’t touch it again.
When you get burnt – the initial feeling is of shock. Burns take time to heal, and you can feel the pain long after the initial contact has been made. Even after the pain fades, there is often a remnant that remains; sometimes a scar that will brand you for the rest of your life. What you take away from the experience is what matters.
Do you avoid teaching others what happens when you touch something hot? Do you teach others how to avoid being burned? Can you help someone live with the pain and learn to accept living with the scars? Can you learn from the experiences of others who have experienced it?
Life events can change who we are at a fundamental level. They can also change how we deal with not only things, but people. Whether we reach out or withdraw. If we are willing to open up or if we shut down. There are so many factors that can affect the way we react. Yet, even when those things are self-inflicted; like touching an open flame – we need to learn how to forgive and move forward.
Forgiving ourselves can be much harder than forgiving others.
We are our biggest critics. Even those people you think have it “all together” don’t. Every person seems to have the innate ability to find their tiniest flaw and criticize themselves for it. Just some people may be able to not only hide it better but find self-acceptance easier. The fact is that we all are flawed. We get down on ourselves for bad choices we make, for physical attributes, for something that we “could have done better”, for missed opportunities, for failed relationships. There are so many ways we can “fail”.
However, by learning to forgive ourselves we can learn to truly forgive others. By accepting ourselves, we can learn to really accept others.
“Love they neighbor as thyself” – while it seems like a simple quote, the truth is that the complexity of genuinely loving ourselves can be one of the most difficult things to do. How can you love others if you can’t even love yourself? In today’s society, there has been an ongoing bullying phenomenon, especially targeting our youth. Children taunting other children to the point of kids thinking they are SO flawed they end their own lives.
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.
– Proverbs 17:9
We need to teach our children self-acceptance and self-worth. This is a practice that begins at home. We need to teach our children they are important. That they matter. That no matter what the situation is that they can speak to us. As Christians we need to do more to help save our children and our families. We need to recognize the enemy is ‘on the job’ – stealing, killing, and destroying.
The fact is that most bullies have been bullied by someone else. Whether it was another child, a sibling, a parent, a teacher, or someone else in a position of authority over their lives. Rather than being taught and learning how to deal with it, they turn these actions against others. It is an ineffective way of making themselves feel better. What they are really doing is making themselves, so they are not alone in their pain. That their self-worth is equal to someone else’s. If that person they bully commits suicide, they feel that they were just stronger. That the person should have been stronger too. Or they could see it as an example of a way out.
We need to forgive ourselves for not being an example.
It is easy to make excuses. It is easy to find a reason for allowing all this to happen. The reasons we give ourselves can be endless. It doesn’t stop us from looking for the opportunity to make sure we are open to helping. That if we see a someone in need we can intervene. Not only with children. There is no age range that stops us from doing what we need to do. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit and be guided in the direction that God wants us to go. We need to be willing vessels for change. We need to be willing to hear and follow. We may not be the right person for the job; however, we may be part of the process. We may be the one to till the ground or plant the seed. We may be the one to water with a bit of kindness and compassion.
You may never know how you touched someone else’s life. The ripple effect may go on for a long while. When you throw a rock into the lake, and it splashes falling beneath the surface, the ripples it makes come not only to the shore you are standing on, but they go out across the lake. They touch other ripples. They can end up as part of huge waves on the other shore. Touching places and things you will never see. Just know that your life touches others’ lives.
One simple change: forgiving yourself for your mistakes. Whether they are in the past or in the moment. Asking God to forgive you and help you forgive yourself; simple things that are difficult to do. We don’t want to humble ourselves and acknowledge that we are flawed. Yet, we are all sinners and have fallen short. It is why it is so very important to have Christ in our lives.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
– Colossians 3:12-13
Forgiveness is not a weakness; it’s a strength.
