the 3 most important things...EVER!

Have you ever been told bad news about someone so tragic and shocking that you get super sick to your stomach and stay that way for a few days, or until the shock wears off? Maybe like someone's completely unexpected and untimely death? Or some news about someone that has done something absolutely unthinkable?

I feel like recently we just keep getting news about people who have made really, really, REALLY awful choices about life. About a week or 2 ago we found out about some horrific things that have taken place in the families of some of our dear friends at church. Details spared, a couple of people we love dearly have made some really stupid and selfish choices; choices to to bring utter destruction to their families. In all honesty, it's been such a really tough situation for our friends and for the entire church body. More personally, Matt and I have been thoroughly shaken and saddened by everything.

I've spent quite a bit of time crying, feeling sick and asking the LORD how things like this happen. How does someone (who you thought loved the LORD) get to a point where they want to completely walk away from HIM and throw everything away? Everything. And more over, why do I act like I'm exempt from making the exact same stupid choices? Honestly, sometimes I have the attitude that because we're in ministry, we're safeguarded against all the deceptions and traps that the world so easily falls into. But if anything, we're far more susceptible to the flaming arrows of the enemy.

So what is it that saves people? The obvious answer is JESUS, right? But let me share more specifically what the LORD put on my heart in response to the overflow of my heart.

1. We absolutely must stay grateful. The moment we allow our hearts to wish that the circumstances of life were different, is the moment we allow ungratefulness to creep in and soon it will overwhelm us. No, not everything is always perfect and we can certainly still have hope that life can be better. But it's so important that we remain thankful in ALL circumstances.

2. We have to surround ourselves with people (or at least someone) that we trust and can be completely honest with. Someone who loves us enough to call us on our stupidity and who knows us enough to recognize when we've begun to change because of our stupid choices. Accountability is key to a healthy walk with the LORD.

3. I think the most important thing in ALL the world that we can do to save us from stupid things is to always, always, always...no matter what...spend time with the LORD. Without a devotional or prayer life, we fling the doors of our hearts wide open to let in all sorts of evil. Know what the WORD of GOD says, make time to be quiet and hear HIS voice...every single day. Every day that goes by that we don't spend time with HIM is another day that we have chosen the things of this world and not the things of GOD. And before we know it, it's been 7 months of not walking with the LORD and we're smack-dab in the middle of an ungrateful, selfish, stupid life...making stupid choice after stupid choice, ruining our own lives and the lives of those around us.

Oh, LORD, you really are our only hope of a beautiful life. There is absolutely nothing I can do on my own to keep myself safe from these awful tragedies of life, but you have given me ways to stand firm in YOU. Thank you, LORD that you are the Rock upon which I stand; YOU only are my firm foundation.