Browse published articles attributed to Frances Lucas, with full-archive search.
There are times we need to get something done and we aren’t quite sure how we are going to do it. We may not have the knowledge and skills. We may not have the time or talents. There are situations when we are so busy doing things we may not see there is someone who can help who is really close to us. We need to stay aware of not only what we have to do but who is willing and able to assist us.
When we get upset about how someone acts or how they treat us, we tend to be resentful toward them. We believe, in our minds, they should act one way; however, they continue to act another. It may be their actions are not wrong. It may just be we want them to be different so we resent them because they aren’t doing what we feel they should be doing.
Ever tried to focus on something but no matter how hard you tried your mind continued to drift off to something else? The distractions and thoughts in our minds alone can keep us from getting things done without any other influences such as other people, noises or other interruptions. Focusing on something or someone is not an easy thing to do but we can discipline ourselves to be better at focusing so our minds don’t wander off to something else.
As we go through our daily lives, we may not always see the blessings we have around us. We are too busy; we are deep in thought or just carrying on with our regular routines. However, we all have many blessings every day and if we aren’t careful, the day could pass and we could miss them. Ezekiel 34:26 “I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper seaso I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing.”
We have all heard or even played the opposite game where if we mean one thing, we say or do the opposite until the person guesses what we are doing. It was a fun game to play as children to say no when we meant yes and to say off when we mean on, etc. It just made things a little more exciting and different to us to sometimes beat the boredom we faced as children at times.
There are times in life when we really can’t pinpoint what is wrong but we have a feeling that things just aren’t right. During these times we may feel uneasy. During these times we may feel a little stressed. During these times we may get angry quick. During these times we may not be able to know exactly why but we like we are a little out of control.
It’s all about how we say things. Ever notice how two people can say the same thing but get different results? One person may say it in a kind and loving way. Another may say it in a loud demanding voice. When we want to make a difference in the lives of others, we need to be aware of how we say things. People are more apt to listen and do things for those who speak kindly. Colossians 4:5-6 “Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.”
It is so easy to get distracted in our daily routines. Some distractions are from others but we also have distractions in our minds where we are reminded, for whatever reason, how we have failed someone in the past. We may get distracted by how we have failed ourselves or how we have failed God. We all have those reminders, or triggers, in our head which can distract us from doing God’s will.
There are many opportunities in life where we need to take action quickly in order not to miss out on a particular experience. There are certain situations where if we don’t move in an allotted amount of time, we will lose out. There are instances where we have chances to take to make a difference and we if waste too much time, the chance will pass us by.
When others disagree with something we said or did, we usually begin a conversation with them about what we did and why. Most times, the conversation turns into an argument. Most times, we always want to win the argument. Most times, no one really wins in an argument because both parties want to be right.
We can’t depend on others to make us happy. Others will say and do things which will disappoint us. They will say things out of fear, jealous and pride. People are unkind and wicked at times. They will not do things we believe they should do. How we react to what others do is really all we can control. We need to remember their actions are not of God and we should set the example.
When we sacrifice we may feel as if we are giving up part of ourselves to help someone else. We often tell other people how we sacrificed for our children to have the things they have. We may say we had to sacrifice in our marriage or in our work. We all have to make sacrifices but God tells us He wants submission and obedience rather than sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22 "But Samuel replied, ‘What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.’"r
It is always toughest to do the things that should be done when we don’t want to do them. We may have other things on our mind to do. We may not feel like doing what we should. We may wonder why we have to do things when others don’t have to do them. We may try to put them off to do later.
Most mornings many people all over the world wake up to worry. They wake up and begin to think about all the things they have to do. They wake up and begin to worry about how the bills are going to get paid. They wake up worrying about their health or their family. We really need to make a decision to wake up without worry, without wishing we could go back to bed and without weariness.
We all have, at one time or another, been so tired we felt like we just couldn’t go on. We have had days where we knew we would fall right asleep once our head hit the pillow. We have worked on some things so hard that we were so tired we couldn’t think straight until we found some time to rest. When we are weary, when we are weak, that is when we have to be strong. Matthew 11:28 “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’”
We may believe we are good people and we tend to get along with everyone; however, we need to examine our thoughts and judgments we have about others more closely. We need to recognize that our first impression of someone may be based on something we heard they did or something they said we believed was inappropriate. John 7:24 “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”
Sometimes God slows us down. He creates quiet time for us when we think we should be doing something else. Just as he stopped other people in the Bible in their daily lives, He stops us in the middle of our routines. When He does this, He is turning us away from worthless things in the world, and wanting us to read His word. Psalm 119:37 “Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.”
If someone asked us to sell everything we had and give them to the poor, would we be willing? Are the things we think we can’t live without really worth living for? We easily get upset when something in the house breaks like the dishwasher or the Internet is down. When we run out of our favorite snack or beverage, we quickly run to the store to replace it so we aren’t doing without. However, are the things we feel we need all the time really the things God wants us to have?
If we were honest with ourselves, we could say there are times when we feel inadequate and worthless. There are times when we feel we aren’t good enough to do something or be who we feel we need to be. We feel worthless at times because we fail or have struggles and we think no one else has to go through what we have to and no one else will understand.
There are times when we feel like others are getting the best things in life. They get the promotions. They get the bigger house. They drive the nicer cars. Their children make good grades and appear to do the right things. We may wonder why we don’t have the nicer things in life especially since we are living like God wants us to.
When we try to hang on to our lives, we are trying to control the things and people in it. We need to realize that we have no real control over anything or anyone but ourselves. We have instructions how to live the best life in the Bible. We are instructed turn away from our self, take what we have and follow Jesus. We are to give up our life and the control we want to have over it and allow God to handle everything and to work through us.
We have a book of instructions from God. The Bible gives us instruction on what to do in hard times. It gives us instruction on how to live. The Bible teaches us from history about men and women who faced problems we face now and how they handled them. We can use the Bible to help us or we can let it sit all week and just use it for church. The choice is up to us.
Our minds are always busy thinking about things. We sometimes think about what all we have to do. We may think about what someone else has done. We may form opinions about others in our heads or talk back to someone in our minds. We tend to think things we really wouldn’t say out loud.
We have all waited in line for something. It is neither always easy nor fun to wait in line but, we believe, it is usually worth the wait. While we are in line waiting we probably grow weary. While we are in line waiting we possibly get bored. While we are in line waiting we may get anxious or even give up. However, if we desire what is at the head of the line, we wait in line until we get what we want or need.
As we go through life we will find there will be times when others are upset with us about what we have decided to do. We will find others have opinions about what we should be in life. We will find there will be others who want us to do what they believe we should do. When this happens, there is tension between us and the other person. We may give in and do as they wish but the right direction to go isn’t always to do what they want us to do.
There are times in our lives we get tired of things. We get physically wore out or mentally drained. Sometimes we just get bored and want to move on to something else. It’s just natural for things to get boring or monotonous and we feel the need to do something different. We may want to take a detour in life going somewhere else we feel may be more interesting and exciting.
Exodus 6:9-10 “So Moses told the people what the Lord had said, but they wouldn’t listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the increase burden of their slavery. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go back to Pharaoh, and tell him to let the people of Israel leave Egypt.’”
We are creating problems in our relationships, with ourselves and with God when we choose to hide something. We are hurting relationships because we are not building trust and honesty. We are hurting ourselves because we are more than likely going to live in a world of guilt and distraction trying not to get caught. We are creating problems with God because we are not living as He requires us to.
Acts 20:22-24 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
Before we even realize we need to clean, we have to recognize something is dirty. We see or feel the dirt and grime and we know we have put off cleaning long enough. We can look and know, in just a glance, what we need to clean. When we put off cleaning these things, dirt and grime begins to build up and we aren’t as comfortable in them as we once were.
When God gives us something to do, why do we need to wait for man's permission to do it? God can give us all the supplies we need. But we tend to go to man and say, look at this for me and let me know what you think. While we are waiting, we are doing nothing. If it takes a while to hear back we just assume the other person thinks it's a bad idea or not worth the effort.
We often see others who get so wrapped up in what they are doing they forget about everything else and everyone else around them. We can get wrapped up in our thoughts. We can get wrapped up in our work. We can get wrapped up in our health issues. We can get wrapped up in our money situation. There are many daily distractions which can cause us to temporarily forget others and God because of what we are dealing with in the moment.
There are times when others come to us with something they are trying to do and sometimes we tell them we just don’t know or we don’t have time. However, we should stop and try to help them any way we can. It will benefit them and us if we take an extra step to try and help. We need to help them find out the answer.
We often times struggle with what we do. We wonder if we should do or say certain things in order to help others, or to better ourselves or to even get ahead in life. We need to know the difference between what we want to do, what we feel like doing and what we ought to do. We need to be sure we do and say everything for the right reasons. We need to demonstrate God’s law is written in our hearts.
A gentleman who is a new neighbor came over yesterday and introduced himself to me. He saw me working out on the garage and wanted to let me know he and his wife would be moving next door soon. He told me a little about himself and his family. He told me he had some experience in home repair and offered his assistance if I needed it. If just five minutes, I got to know someone who cared.
We have all wondered why we can’t just have a normal average life with no issues or conce s. We wonder why things have to happen to us and why we have to struggle so much. We sometimes wish we could have a normal life and not have problems in our relationships or with money or with our health. However, if we went through life, day after day, with no problems and conce s, we wouldn’t grow and learn.
If we were to stop and think how we really feel right now, we would probably use words such as okay, good, been better, or fine. Some of us may even say we are bored, tired, distracted, or aggravated. We can easily turn our feelings from poor or average to above average. To do this, we have to be aware of the moment we are in and think about the blessings and opportunities we have.
There are times when we have our minds made up about something. We have decided we are going to do or not do something and we will not change our minds for anything. There are other times when our minds are filled with negativity and doubt. It seems as if we want to have a pity party and want to feel bad. It is so easy to have our minds fixed on the things of the world because those things are all around us; however, God is all around us as well and we need to fix our thoughts on Him. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
Exodus 3:11-12 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God answered, “I will be with you.” How many times do we protest to God or ignore Him because we don’t believe we are good enough. We think we don’t have what it takes or it is not the right time or we can do it later when we feel better about ourselves. We shouldn’t think that everything has to be just right before we take action.
There are some days when we feel like nothing really significant happened. We go through the motions of the day and go to bed at night thinking how tired we are but not really realizing how great the day has been. We wake up the next day feeling like we wasted a day; however, we need to stop and think about our day and how well we were provided for.
Sometimes we have situations where things are not going our way. We may have someone who isn’t doing the thing they should do. We may have others who are having difficult times and are continuously complaining to us about it. We may have issues at work or things at home which seem like huge problems and we have a hard time thinking about anything else.
There are times when situations happen to others and we don’t really know what to say or do. We feel like we need to something to help them with the hurt they have but our words are just not enough. We want to do something, take some type of action, but nothing we do would really help them. Those are the times we need to just be there for them. Those are the times we need to pray for God’s comfort to ease their pain. Those are the times we need to listen when they are ready to talk. Galatians 6:2 “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”
We all want things to be different in many areas of our lives. We may want others to have a different attitude when they are dealing with difficult situations. We may want to our children or other people to act differently and listen more. We may want our boss to recognize our hard work and give us a promotion or just some token of appreciation. However, in order to make any kind of change in others we need to be willing to make a change first in ourselves.
When we are facing situations we feel seem out of our control and we have tried and tried to figure out how to handle them, we tend to go to an alte ative means to search for a solution. We may feel as if we have lost hope and there is nothing left but drastic measures. We may feel there is no one else to turn to so we have to handle things ourselves. We may feel embarrassed about our situation and afraid to talk with someone else so we look for ways to fix things and cover up the issue at hand.
How quickly our lives change and our thought processes change as we experience situations in our lives. The loss of a loved one or a close call of a dear friend quickly makes us realize how short life is and can be. Also, there are times when we are hit with a rather large blow about our health, finances, family situation or career. We may have a sudden change in our routines in these areas which cause us to think about life and wonder why these things happen.
Why is it we keep going back to places and situations we know are wrong in God’s eyes? We have heard the saying “been there, done that” but sometimes we keep going back and repeating bad mistakes. These mistakes come from our own desire to do wrong. These desires come from our past of what we have done or seen that seem fulfilling to us at the time; however, these desires will cause worse things to happen if we continue to give in to them.
It is so easy to get aggravated with another person who does not do something the way we believe they should. It is so easy to get upset with what someone says or does and want to react in a hurtful way. It is so easy to get annoyed when something happens to us we feel is unfair. However, when we feel others hurt us we really need to look at the bigger picture and think about how it would be if we were in their shoes.
Deuteronomy 31:8 “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” We are so blessed to have God to lean on. When others have left us or let us down, we still have God. When we feel others don’t care, God cares. When we feel we are being treated unfairly, God will always be fair. God does not want us to be afraid or discouraged because He is always with us no matter how we feel others are treating us.
So many times we find ourselves repeating what we have said to someone because they weren’t really listening. Perhaps their minds were wandering while we were talking. Maybe they had something troubling on their minds. It could be there were distractions which kept them from hearing. However, it happens more often than not. Not everyone listens.
Philippians 2:8-9 "And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminals’ death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name" The process of being obedient is not always easy. There are many obstacles and barriers that can get us sidetracked along the way. We have fears. We have temptations. We face things every day that keep us from doing what God wants us to do. Sometimes it is the self talk when we tell ourselves that we are really not able or we don’t really want to.