Casandra Martin

“Rejoice always.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Exploring the basics of God’s will for our lives finds us starting with one simple word – rejoice. It is an odd starting place. We usually reserve joy for the end. We see it as a benefit we can look forward to at the conclusion, rather than an investment we are called to make at the beginning. The truth is that rejoicing is a catalyst for everything God wants to do in our lives.

Rejoice is a verb. That means that it is an action word. That is important for me to remember because it reminds me that within every action I have a decision to make. When I believe that joy comes at the end, I let my circumstances filter my vision. A “good” day means I have joy. A “bad” day means no joy. This essential command to rejoice turns the tables. Joy becomes the starting point, the lens through which we meet every circumstance, walk through every struggle, pick up every piece, and answer every challenge.

The root of this word gives us the clue we need to make rejoicing a reality in our days. Rejoicing finds its foundation in the decision to “enjoy the possession of.” Every day, I get to catalog the treasures that are mine because of Jesus – grace, hope, peace, protection, power, forgiveness, guidance, love, value, and wonder. These possessions don’t mean that I skip through my day oblivious to the heartache and struggle that comes my way. Rather, rejoicing gives me a way to live in God’s will and walk in His love through those difficulties. No matter the wreckage, the brokenness, the tears, the pain, the ordinariness, or the weariness of my day, no one can take away what God has given to me. And the most important possession He has given me is Himself.

My Jesus Resolution today is to rejoice. I will face hard things today. A decision to rejoice is a choice to invest myself in His presence no matter where I stand or what I face. It sets my heart in the realities of eternity, allowing me to see the moment for what it truly is. It reminds me to begin by securing my soul in what is mine because of Jesus, to enjoy Him, and hold onto Him. Today, I am not going to wait for joy to show up. I am going to begin by rejoicing and let His joy take hold of me.

My son is turning into a man. Upset, with tears rolling down my cheeks, my son saw me and came over to hug me, asking me what was wrong. I began to tell him the story of my day when he interrupted me. “Just tell me the wrong part.” He didn’t want to hear the whole tale, just the wrong part. Cut to the chase. Get to the bottom line.

I smiled in spite of my horrible day (a) because it was such a ‘guy’ thing to do, and (b) because I can appreciate that sometimes we need to get down to the essentials. What are the basics? Sometimes I make it more complicated than it needs to be.

I think that is why God has been working so hard to impress 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 deeply into my heart. These ten words, three essentials, sum up “the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” In the midst of all my drama and crazy busyness, God gives us the basics that will propel us into His will and align us with His deep purpose for our hearts.

Rejoice always.

Pray without ceasing.

Give thanks in all circumstances.

Wow. Ten life-changing, perspective-altering, heart-shaping, peace-enhancing, purpose-pursuing, worship-drenched, surrender-required words. The essentials. The basics. The will of God for me.

My Jesus Resolution today is to write these ten words on my heart. I am going to commit them to memory. I am going to repeat them through my day. I want them to soak down deeply and touch the core of who I am. As we walk together through the next several blogs, I would like to explore the power, purpose, and promises contained in these essential words, and watch wide-eyed as God reveals Himself to us. Ready to get down to basics?

Words are a powerful gift. They resonate in our minds, echo in our hearts, and have the power to shape our souls. Nowhere do our words have more power than when we wrap them around our children. Our words can be cords that strengthen them, anchor them, and give them the confidence to walk into tomorrow or they can strangle, choke, and poison their ability to embrace their possibilities.

Here are ten things that your children (no matter their age) need to hear you say…often.

1. I love you.
2. God has a purpose for you.
3. I’m sorry.
4. I’m proud of you.
5. I’m on your side.
6. I’m listening.
7. Sure, I have time to play, laugh, run, swing…
8. I forgive you.
9. Let’s pray about that together.
10. I see Jesus in you.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be deliberate about speaking the best words into my children’s hearts. I want the things that I say to them to be God-directed, Christ-centered, and Spirit-empowered. I want to recognize the impact my words have on the way they see themselves, their opportunities, and their place in my heart. The little things I say today can have a big influence on tomorrow. I am praying that God will help me measure my words so that I can pour only the best words, the most Christ-saturated words, into the lives of my kids.

She chased me down the aisle at the grocery store. She got close, took a breath, and whispered, “Can I tell you how God has been blessing me?” In wonder, she described the way that God had been working in her family. Provision had been made, joy had been poured out, answered prayers were abundant, and God’s presence was very real and very close. She looked at me and said, “I am in this aisle stocking the shelves, but really, I am, I am…” Overwhelmed, she stopped. I filled in the blanks as we stood together next to the pretzels. “You are praising God,” I said. “Yes!” she exclaimed, a huge smile overwhelming her face.

Back up a few minutes. Picture me with my grocery cart searching the shelves for just the right thing. A store clerk is surrounded by boxes as she fills in the empty spaces on the shelves. She notices what I am buying, points out a coupon I didn’t see, and returns to her job. I thank her, pushing my basket away. I turn around and tell her that I am praying she will have a blessed day. Next thing I know, she is chasing me down the aisle and we have this amazing conversation about God’s power and timing.

Back up a few months. Studying through Acts, I noticed that one single word kept rising to my attention – bold. The early Christians were bold. They didn’t hope people would notice Jesus in them – they spoke His name, extended His grace, and poured out His love. No one left Peter or Paul’s presence without hearing the name of Jesus. God was poking at my heart. I am not bold by nature, but I could be bold by grace. A surrendered decision to be bold is why I spoke a blessing to a woman in the aisle at the grocery store, which God used to open a door of conversation and open my eyes to His glory.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be bold. I walked out of that aisle of the grocery store completely humbled and amazed. God poured His goodness out in abundance in aisle nine. Going bold allowed me to see it, participate in it, and soak it up. Too often fear keeps me from going bold, but imagine what might happen if every Christian determined to walk away from every encounter leaving a little bit of Jesus behind. In Acts 17:6, Luke records that their boldness “turned the world upside down.” Maybe that is God’s bold plan for us as well.

“O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to You for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for You are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of Your wings.” – Psalm 61:1-4

These words speak to me in a special way today. They echo the cry of a heart that is struggling, fighting for hope, pressed hard by circumstances, and overwhelmed. Been there? There now? Too many times overwhelmed is the address of my heart. Stressed, exhausted, empty, and fearful become the markers of my soul.

David’s advice? Hunker down and pray.

Hunker down is a phrase that means “to settle in or dig in for a good long wait.” It is a good phrase and good advice. When our hearts are overwhelmed, David reminds us that the best place to be is settled in God’s presence. He is our refuge. He is our towering rock of safety. He calls us into the fortress of His faithfulness and invites us to take up residence there, to make ourselves at home, to dig in and dig deeply into grace.

From within the towering rock of safety, our perspective changes. His power, His timing, His goodness, and His glory give my heart new eyes. When we hunker down in His fortress, our position changes. Settled into His presence, our enemies cannot reach us. The enemies of worry, doubt, anxiety, fear, and disquiet are forced to stay outside the boundaries of His love. When we hide ourselves in Him, our priorities change. When we are overwhelmed our eyes are everywhere but on Him. Surrounded by His presence, our first, best choice is to let ourselves be loved.

My Jesus Resolution today is to follow David’s advice. When the storm rages, when the struggles press in, when the disappointments knock, when the rug is being pulled out from under me, God calls me to imagine myself safe in the shelter of His wings. No need to be frantic. No need to panic. Just rest in His presence. Breathe. Trust. Wait. Hunker down and pray.

Sometimes I need to readjust. I don’t mean to move off center, be distracted, or let my focus waver, but it happens. I drift. I end up slightly off base, or sometimes, way off base. You can see it in my reactions, my stress level, my worry, and my wishes. I end up being out of balance, looking in the mirror, and wondering “how did I get here?”

Here is not where I want to be. Here is where old doubts resurface, old habits try to reattach themselves, old feelings reignite, and old anxieties squeeze my heart in familiar ways. Shame creeps in, reestablishing its grip. That little voice inside my head starts singing an old tune – I knew you couldn’t do it. See, no way out for you.

When I find myself “here,” there is no need to sink into a ditch of despair or dangle the flag of defeat. “Here” is an opportunity to recalibrate. Recalibration is a mechanical term, but speaks clearly to our hearts. It means “to correct a measuring process by checking or adjusting again in comparison with a standard.” Do you see it? When I find myself “here,” struggling with whatever in my life is out of kilter, I need to go back to the Standard. I need to go back to Jesus, and let Him adjust what needs to be adjusted.

My Jesus Resolution today is to recalibrate. There are just times when I need to hit the “reset” button. There are days when I need to go back to square one and start over. There are moments when I need to recognize that it’s okay to readjust, retune, and refocus. God gives us that grace. He allows fresh starts, encourages new beginnings, and celebrates recalibrations. When I find myself “here,” rather than the “there” where I want to be, I am not going to give up. I am going to give it to God and let Him recalibrate.

“I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” ~Abraham Lincoln

Our prayers have the power to outlive us. We tend to think of prayer as being time-bound, but when we lift them into heaven, God begins to work those prayers out in the hearts of the people covered in those prayers. Sometimes the answers come in the moment. Other times, however, God plants seeds, introduces relationships, releases blessings, uncovers talents, and whispers invitations that take a lifetime to fully bloom.

The prayers you pray today are sticky. They will help to shape your children and your grandchildren for decades to come. Pray big things for your loved ones. Dream big dreams. Ask God to ignite passion and purpose in their hearts. Pray for the things that they are not yet able to pray for themselves. Pray that they value holiness, cherish wisdom, follow faithfulness, ache for awe, and hunger for His presence. Those kinds of prayers will cling to them as they walk through life.

If you have a mother or grandmother who prayed for you, be thankful. Stand back and catalog the ways that their prayers are still bearing fruit in your life. If you are a mother or a grandmother, pray now. Pray big. Pray hard. Pray long. Pray sticky prayers. If you don’t have children, pick a child and pray for them. There are too many children who walk uncovered by prayer. Yours can make a difference.

My Jesus Resolution today is to pray. A mother’s love funneled into prayer is a powerful thing. I am blessed to walk in the shadow of my mother’s and grandmothers’ prayers. My prayers have the power to pave the way for my children, open doors into His presence, spark surrender, and provide a platform for His purpose to take shape in their lives. God listens to our prayers, and He acts on them. When we pray, those prayers stick to our children as God works out His good and perfect plan in their lives.