Casandra Martin

“Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved.” – Augustine of Hippo

I read this statement by Augustine years ago and it has stuck with me. One short sentence that sums up how one is to walk in faith. “Love God and do whatever you please.” I know. I am pausing so that you can go back and read it again. At first glance, it doesn’t seem quite right. But is it?

The two parts of the sentence don’t seem to go together. The first focuses on God, loving Him, serving Him, and centering our hearts on Him. The second phrase seems to run in the opposite direction. I know myself. If I do only as I please, too often I will choose a path that takes me away from God, rather than towards Him.

Psalm 37:4 puts it this way. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

The key to understanding both Augustine and Psalm 37:4 is to see how they are interconnected. When I love God, what pleases me is what pleases Him. When I delight myself in the Lord, He shapes the desires of my heart and fills me with Himself. The way that we love God, focus on Him, delight in His presence, worship before His throne, and come to know His character must transform our actions, attitudes, thoughts, and direction. Loving God means that we will desire to do what pleases Him.

My Jesus Resolution today is to love God and to let that love transform every part of me. Loving God is the constant in the equation. As I love Him, His love begins to shape and change my heart to reflect His own. My selfish desires give way to His will. My pride is shattered by His glory. My self-reliance is transformed into dependence on His grace. What I love, what I crave, and what I desire become reflections of the One whom I love, crave, and desire.

It is over one hundred years old, but the words of this hymn give melody to the prayer of my heart. Written in 1897 by T.O. Chisholm, this song speaks of a deep longing to be like Jesus and a willingness to completely surrender to the Lord. Sing with me?

Oh, to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer:

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee!

Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

This song echoes the essence of The Jesus Resolution. It gives wings to our desire to be transformed to look more like Jesus. It challenges me to refuse to settle for lesser longings and shallower yearnings and fix my heart completely on being Christlike. It calls me to set down the distractions that pull at my soul, and open up every piece of my life to God’s purpose for my life.

My Jesus Resolution today is to sing, pray, and live in the depth of five simple words – Oh, to be like Thee! I really do want those five words to be my constant longing and prayer. Today when I feel stuck, I am going to sing this song. When I face a tough choice, I am going to pray these words. As I walk through my day, I am going to live these words. As I do, I long for His image to be impressed deeply on my heart.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” – 2 Corinthians 12:9a

These words are speaking loudly to my heart today. Paul received them during a season of pain. Pleading with God to remove the thorn that tormented him, God responded not with freedom from pain, but grace sufficient for the moment.

Can you name your pain? We all carry a burden of pain. It may be physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, or relational. Sometimes it is easy for others to see our pain. Other times, it burrows in deep and invisible. It doesn’t matter what your ache is. Pain rubs our hearts raw. It attacks our confidence, our ability to live out our dreams, and even our faith.

God answers our pain with grace. Whatever we are going through, no matter how dark the night, how oppressive the agony, our God is with us and He pours out His grace in order to help us hold onto His hand and live out His purpose. He gives us sufficient grace. Grace that is enough to meet our needs. Grace big enough to help us take the next step. Grace strong enough to empower us to face a new day. No matter what your day holds, God’s grace will be sufficient, more than enough for your heart.

My Jesus Resolution today is to live in His grace. I tend to pray for release from pain more than eyes open to see the sufficient grace He has already provided for my situation. I want to be so surrendered that God can use even my pain as a frame for His glory and a tool for His purpose. I don’t serve a skimpy, tight-fisted God. Whatever I face today, I will be bathed in a grace so abundant, so lavish, and so rich that it will be able to transform me, even if God doesn’t change my circumstances.

Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt? Scavenger hunts are a lot of fun. You are given a list of items to find. The idea is to keep your eyes open as you move around so that you discover what the maker of the list wants you to see. Sometimes you have to bring the items back to the starting line. Other times, you have to take a picture to document your find. Either way, a scavenger hunt challenges to find things that might otherwise escape your notice.

Today I want to invite you to take part in a different kind of scavenger hunt – a thanksgiving scavenger hunt. Use the following list to find things in your day for which you can be thankful. It isn’t a race because everyone who tries gets to experience a little bit more of God’s presence, and that makes us all winners.

1. Three things that are red.
2. Something that is soft.
3. The first thing you see when you look out of a window.
4. The first thing you notice when you look in the mirror.
5. Something in your kitchen sink.
6. Something on your to-do list.
7. Something in a hard or difficult situation you are facing right now.
8. Someone who made you smile today.
9. Something in your closet.
10. Your favorite words of Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to keep my eyes open. I want to be deliberate about things for which I can be thankful. It isn’t that I am not thankful, but my gratitude often becomes a little stale. I repeat the same list over and over, missing the multitude of small moments through which God reveals Himself in my day. Doing a thanksgiving scavenger hunt helps me to be alert to His presence, sensitive to His power, and humbled by His provision. Ready? Set. Go find God.

Two sentences. That’s all it was. A two sentence note from a former student. Facing a difficult deadline, she remembered something she had learned in class and took a moment to say thanks. She told me what she remembered, and how it made a difference in her day. What impacted me most is how her thank you made a difference in my day.

A thank you changes your perspective. It reminds you that your actions and words have power. Telling someone that they have made a difference lets them see themselves in a new light.

A thank you is a source of encouragement and hope. The things that we do for each other can make a difference even years later. Never underestimate a smile, hug, or gentle word.

Saying thank you expands your world. It helps you look at others with different eyes. It helps you see where God is moving. It lets you notice blessings amidst the burdens.

A thank you tells someone that you notice them. So many people walk through this life feeling invisible. Appreciation is like sunlight for the soul.

My Jesus Resolution today is to say thank you. God tells us that a gratitude-shaped soul is key to looking like Jesus. Thankfulness changes my eyes, my mouth, my hands, and my heart. Gratitude humbles me and allows me to honor those who touch my life, even in simple ways. I want to be generous with my gratitude, knowing that every time I say thank you I am recognizing His hand on my life and His presence in the world around me.

“I want to know one thing: the way to heaven. God himself has condescended to teach me the way. He has written it down in a book. Oh, give me that book! At any price give me the book of God. Let me be a man of one book.” — John Wesley

Perhaps more than at any other time in history, the Bible is easily accessible and available to anyone who wants to read it. In our society, it is as simple as downloading an app or using a search engine or going to a bookstore. While I realize that there are places in this world that do not have the luxury of readily available scriptures, we do. Sometimes I wonder if its easy accessibility has caused us to lose our hunger for the words written in its pages.

The Bible is not a quick snack to be gulped down, but a rich feast to be savored and enjoyed. It is a blueprint for a life built on Christ. It is a compass, map, and guidebook for the journey we all must make. It draws us into the presence of God and invites us to make our home with Him. It is a book that requires attention, time, diligence, courage, and stillness of heart and mind. In the hurry, busyness, and stress of our time, it is difficult to develop a heart that aligns itself with the rhythm of eternity.

My Jesus Resolution today is invest myself in one book. I want John Wesley’s words to be my prayer – Let me be a person of one book. I want the Word of God to define the boundaries of my thoughts, shape the contours of my heart, and transform the brokenness in my soul. I want to be so saturated with His Word that it spills over into my speech, actions, attitudes, and interactions with others. It will require an investment of time and focus. The result will be knowing the only thing that really matters – Jesus.

I don’t even know what they are called. Driving down the street, I noticed little orange flowers brightening up the sides of the road. Calling them little orange flowers really does not do them justice. They are deep, dark orange in the center. The petals then move from being rich orange to bright yellow on the tips as they spread out under the sun. Stunning. Each flower is a masterpiece, having been painted by an Artist intent on revealing His glory.

I know I didn’t see those flowers last week as I drove this same route. Next week they will probably be a memory. Today they fulfilled their purpose. Today they pointed to a Creator who delights in beauty. He extravagantly poured splendor onto the side of the road hoping I would notice. Today they revealed a Savior’s interest in the most ordinary part of my day. He graced my drive with glory just to remind me that I am loved. Today He spoke through flowers as He reminded me of His wisdom and His Word.

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” – Matthew 6:30

The care God showered on the little orange flowers by the side of road is just a glimpse into the beauty, power, wisdom, transformation, and glory that He longs to shower on me.

My Jesus Resolution today is to live in the truth revealed by the little orange flowers. God is at work in this world. He moves in nations, controls the winds and the tides, and reveals Himself in little orange flowers. The words that follow in Matthew 6 remind me that I don’t need to be anxious, worried, or troubled. The little orange flowers tell a story about the One who made them. God is in control. He takes care of the smallest details on this earth. His eye is on me. He knows what I need, and He cares enough to plant little orange flowers along the way to remind me.

Dear Son,

I know that it seems odd to write you a Father’s Day letter. You are still in your teens and a long way from taking on the responsibilities of a family. But the more I thought about it, the wiser it seemed to speak these words into your heart now. We are, after all, doing more than raising a man. We are raising a future husband and father, and we want you to be a great one.

What you do today will have an impact on the father that you will be some day. Today’s choices will be the stories that you tell your children in the future. We want them to be stories of courage, standing up for what’s right, helping someone in need, and being willing to say ‘no’ when necessary. We long for you to be so immersed in service, study, prayer, and surrender that these things will be a part of the regular rhythm of your life for decades to come. These daily habits will be a gift to the family that will take shape as the years pass by. Holding on to your purity and integrity today refines the strength of character that you will need to be an honorable husband and a faithful father. Committing yourself today to living in His purpose, exercising His gifts, and soaking in His grace will shape your soul to reflect Jesus in those precious future moments with your children.

Some dads focus on money, power, possessions, or leaving their stamp on the world. Son, the best mark that you can make in this life is the one you leave on the hearts of your children. In the end, there is only one question that matters – did your children see Jesus in you? What you choose today will help you answer that question tomorrow.

My Jesus Resolution today is to help you become a great dad. I am not going to underestimate the importance that my time with you today will have on the parent you will be some day. Today I get to point you to Jesus. Today I get to help you sing, count blessings, worship, learn, forgive, and pray. I want your stories to be filled with grace. I want your memories to be a road map into joy. I want to teach you that humility, surrender, and dependence are the signs of a true man. I want your childhood to be so filled with the cross that when you are a dad, you will lift it up boldly before your children.

Baggage is an interesting word. It can refer to the suitcases that we carry on a trip or it can paint a picture of the things that weigh us down, hold us back, and keep us from walking with joy.

Reading through 1 Samuel, I came across a baggage story. I had read it before, but in the Bible’s unique way, it spoke to me anew. In 1 Samuel 10, the people of Israel are gathered before Samuel, God’s prophet, in Mizpah. The people have come to Samuel asking for a king so that they can be like the other nations. God tells Samuel to give them what they want, and directs him to anoint Saul as leader of His people. Having drawn lots to reveal God’s will, Saul, the son of Kish, is chosen as the new king. The problem is that they can’t find him. He is hiding in the baggage.

That picture of Saul trying to hide in the baggage looked more like a mirror than I had expected. Saul was chosen, anointed, and empowered by God to fulfill His purpose. In response, Saul hides himself in the baggage. This isn’t a move of humility, but of fear, and it looks very familiar. How many times do I duck away from God’s call on my life and hide among my baggage? How many times do I let my fear, guilt, uncertainty, and doubt stop me from being who God is calling me to be?

Here is the truth. We all have baggage. Baggage comes in different shapes and sizes, but the result is the same. Our baggage keeps us from walking in the freedom of God’s purpose for our hearts.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1

My Jesus Resolution today is to stop hiding in my baggage. God knows my weaknesses and the weights that drag on my soul. He whispers to my heart that He will carry my load. He calls me to trust His power, depend on His grace, and move in His purpose. Baggage can pile on our souls from many different sources, but the solution is always, only found in one place. Jesus is a baggage handler. All I have to do is stop hiding, let go, and discover the freedom that flows from hiding in Him.

Driving down the road, I have to admit to being a little grumpy. One of those days. You know the drill. I was mentally complaining, feeling less than appreciated, and a little thrown by an unexpected circumstance. Looking out the window, the sign by the side of the road held a message that was written just for me – “Your thoughts control your actions.”

The words on the sign hit my heart hard. I didn’t want to be grumpy or filled with grumbling. I wanted to be joyous, content, and able to see God’s fingerprints on my day. I realized that the way I was thinking was impacting the whole direction I was heading. My thoughts were controlling my actions, reactions, perspective, and interactions. If I wanted a different outcome, I needed to start by changing my thinking.

Our thoughts are the ignition for our attitudes and actions. This is the reason that Paul encourages us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5b) When our thoughts are focused on Jesus, it not only changes how we think, it changes the way we move through our days.

My Jesus Resolution today is to change my mind. My mind needs to be transformed. My thoughts are infected by the sin and brokenness of the world. Fear, guilt, shame, and discontent pull my mind into a prison. When I take every thought and bring it to Christ, I allow Him to reshape my mind and reform my perceptions. When my thoughts are held captive by Jesus, my actions, attitudes, and behavior follow and He transforms the whole direction of my life.