Need A Check Up?

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

2 Corinthians 13
^5-9Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won't show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we'd rather the test showed our failure than yours. We're rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn't possibly do otherwise.

One way you can give yourself a spiritual check up is to use one of the many assessment tools that one can find on line. I found two that are pretty nice. I'm not saying that assessments are the be all to end all in determining where you are on your spiritual journey but they can help you see areas that might need some work. The verse we have today from 2 Corinthians 13 say to test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. That is a good idea, much in the same way you go to the doctor for a check up to make sure you are taking care of your physical body. It is also a good idea to check your spiritual pulse from time to time to make sure you are moving in the right direction. It can help you to determine where you might want to work or make changes. You then can decide what you want to work on and how fast you want to make those changes. There are probably plenty of other assessments out there. These are just a few that I found that I thought you might find helpful in doing a Spiritual Check Up.  We all have areas in our life where we could be more like Jesus. It is a journey that we each take step by step with Jesus. The important thing is walking with Him and being led by the Holy Spirit day by day.  If you decide to do any of these assessments or others like them. Pick one area or thing that you want to work on and pray and ask Jesus to help you with that area.  In your prayer time spend sometime brainstorming some things you might do to work on that area. Pick one and try it out. If it works great, if not theres no harm no foul. Think about where you might want to adjust or change things to make it work better. The good news is you are doing something and you are not just drifting and taking things for granted.  If you decide you need someone to help you through the process, check out my coaching site (click on this link or there is a Mosaic Coaching tab at the top of the page)  Lets schedule a time talk about your results and to work on what you want to work on.

Prayer: 
Dear Lord,
Help me to test myself according to the standards of your word. Show me the areas where I could use a tune up or a major overhaul. Help me to not view my results with condemnation because I know you love me right where I am today. I also know you want me to grow to be more and more like you. Help me to look at myself objectively and with eyes of faith. Help me to see where you are already working and where I need to surrender more to you. Help me pick one thing to work on with you this week or this month. I want to brainstorm with you and begin to experiment to find a plan of action that will work for me. I know you know and I know you want to help me figgure it out. So I look to you with expectaion and trust and know that you will lead me by your Holy Spirit.  ~ Thank you for helping me and loving me on my journey.

Assessments Tools:

Are You on Target? (This is a nice on-line assessment that gives you a target at the end showing you where you are in your journey in various areas. When you click on the "x" indicating your present growth location it takes you to a page that gives you relevant books that would be helpful. This one was my speed - on line - with no forms needing my information. Fast and the results were visual.


http://www.assess-yourself.org/  This one has assessment for Love of God, Christian Character, Obstacles to growth, and your world view.  They ask for some info for their larger study but no names or address or e-mail is needed. (I would be inclined to do this one when I have more time. Liked the idea of the different tests they offered.)

Growth Planner PDF  This is a long assessment that is set up for you to take the test and also have a friend who knows you well take the test giving their answers for how you are doing. (I liked the suggestions they gave for you to make changes at a crawl, walk or a run. You choose the pace. There were plenty of good ideas in that section even if you don't use this assessment tool. )


PS. I am not endorcing any of the ministries where these assessments are found. I really don't know much more than these tests showed up when I searched and they seemed to be geared for Christians who want to grow. I am not affiliated with these ministries in anyway.

When My Faith Seems Small

Click Here To Buy This Card

When My Faith Seems Small

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio
 

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see. 

 

I have faith in chairs, that when I sit in them they will hold me up. I have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow. I have faith that Mt.Rainier is still there on cloudy days when I can't see it looming over the Western Washington landscape.

Do I have faith to believe that God's promises in His word are true? Beyond that do I have faith to believe the things He has spoken to me in my quiet time with Him? Do I really trust him like Abraham even when every circumstance seems to shout the very opposite of what God has said?   I do - I'm not saying I don't have days when doubts creep in and my faith seems very small - I do. We all have those days.  I want to share some of the things that I do on days when my faith seems small. 

 

I Spend Time With Jesus: The first place you will find me is at the feet of Jesus. I lay it all out before the Lord. He already knows the condition of my heart and I ask like the father in Mark 9:24b
 “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

 

I Remember: I remember the mercies and the goodness of the Lord. I make a point to tell others on those days about some time that the Lord has helped me in the past. In Revelation 12:11 "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." The word of your testimony is a powerful weapon by which we overcome the enemy. 

 

I Use My Weapons: I  remember 2 Corinthians 10:4 -5 "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." We have already been given powerful weapons for demolishing the strongholds in our lives and in the lives of others. If I know the Word then I will know when an argument is setting itself up against the knowledge of God. The more of the Word I have in me the less likely I am to sin against God. Psalm 119:11 is a good case for Bible memory. It say's "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you". Now I have some friends who really work at Bible memory, they practice in their spare time and they have many passages memorized word for word. I am not very good at memorizing. I may not be able to quote word for word, or give you chapter and verse but the Word is in me. For example just in writing this devotional post I am able to remember key words and concepts so that when I can quickly find the verses that I want to use. I have may not have spent time consciously memorizing, but I have spent lots and lots of time reading the Word. I have spent lots of time singing the Word. God wired me in such a way that allows me to remember things that have been set to music. We all have little tricks that help us remember the things we want to remember. My point is that knowing the Word is a powerful weapon against the enemy. 

 

I Stand on the Word: As I am praying and seeking the Lord often I will come across a verse that jumps out and speaks deeply to me in some way. That becomes a Word that I begin to stand on. It is like it jumped out just for me. We are promised that the Holy Spirit will teach us in John 14:26  "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Those words I often put on 3x5 cards and carry in my pocket or I post it places where I will see them and be reminded. 

 

I Ponder: There are things that I don't know how or when God will work out - I just know that He will. I remember that He is able.  They are for me like money in the bank. I know it will be there when I need it in the future. I am making faith deposits for the future in the little steps of faith I take today.   I don't generally tell anyone those private things that God has spoken to me. Like Mary I take those things and treasure them or ponder them. Luke 2:19 says "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." I often journal those things so that when they do happen - I have created yet another testimony that will help me with things in the future. 

 

I hope that these little tips are helpful. This is certainly not an exhaustive list but these are some of the ways that I build myself up. 

Oh one last thing...

 

I pray in the Spirit - I don't always know how to pray but I trust that the Holy Spirit knows the mind of the Father and is able to pray through me. I love how the message explains this in Romans 8:26-28 "Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." I have to quote something my friend Mark Kenney posted today "Someone asked if I believed in tongues. I said I'm pretty sure that most everyone I know has one..so I'll say yes." I try not to make that subject a divisive issue. For me praying in the Spirit for me has been a huge blessing. It has added a deeper dimension my prayer life, particularly when I don't know how to pray. Its a gift - not a badge of spirituality.

 

I have found that I have faith for a given trial when I have been spending time at the feet of Jesus. It is a bad idea to wait for a trial and then to beginning cramming trying to work up faith. One must consistently be using faith and practicing faith in small things. Then when bigger things come our way we are able to look to the many small things that helped us to practice and grow in faith. David had practiced on lions and bears before he stood before the giant Goliath. Use what is going on now to build some spiritual muscle.

 

Prayer:  Dear Lord, Help me build some spiritual muscle in this trial I am facing. Help me to remember and to try some of the ideas in this devotional. Help me grow in faith so that I honor you in the situations that I face as I walk through day to day life. I invite you to be present with me as I go through this day.

Gentleness

Click Here to Buy - Inside can be edited for any occasion

Gentleness  
A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Philippians 4:5
Let your gentleness be evident to all. 
The Lord is near.

Gentleness is one of the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galations five. It is something that must grow in our life. It is not automatically in our life just because we are a believer. All of the fruit listed there have to be exercised and cultivated by faith and practice in order to grow and be evident in our life.
In Colossians 3:12 it is one of the things as God’s chosen people we are to clothe ourselves. Which tells me we have a choice to put it on or not. In 1 Peter 3:4 Women are instructed to be more concerned with their inner beauty. It says “the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in Gods sight.” And not to let you guys off the hook. Paul appeals to the people he is writing in 2 Corinthians 10:1 by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Here in the selected verse above we are to let our gentleness be evident to all. In the list of fruit of the Spirit I think gentleness gets over shadowed by patience and some of the others. I admit its not one that I consciously think about very often. Gentleness comes from knowing the power in which you walk as a believer. It is not the position of door mat to be walked on. It is power under control. It is demonstrated in not being to good or to high and mighty to do a humble task.

I read somewhere that In the mind of Aristotle gentleness was half way between excessive anger and indifference. I know for some the struggle is to take off anger and choose to put on gentleness. I think for me it is more a battle with indifference which I have too often wrapped myself to avoid being hurt. Wherever you happen to be on that scale of extremes it is pretty clear from this and others that when we have a choice we should pick gentleness. According to 1 Peter 3:4 It is of great worth to God.

Gentleness reminds me of the Lion Aslan in the stories by C.S. Lewis. He was powerful and wild yet he was gentle and in control of his mighty power. Back again to 2 Corinthians 10: 4 we are told, “The weapons we fight with are not of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. Perhaps gentleness in the hand of a warrior is what stays his sword and allows for mercy. In our own case we deserve death and punishment for our sins. It is Christ who stands up for us and takes that which we deserve.  He gives those who choose to accept his great gift, in the place of wrath and judgement, he gives us gentleness, and kindness that lead us to repentance and so much more.

Things to Ponder:
What will you clothe yourself in today? Anger, Gentleness or Indifference?

What are some ways you can express gentleness in your daily life?
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Everyday I am faced with choices of what I will allow to grow in my life. Today I choose gentleness over anger or indifference. Please help me and give me opportunities that allow this fruit to grow and become more evident in my life.  You, who are all powerful treat me with gentleness daily. I want to be more like you as I walk in your power, strenght and authoirty. Help me to exercise gentleness.
By faith I now put on the garment of gentleness.