Tag: follow Jesus

Obedience

Do Not Fear Man

meghanewhite

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Hello, my name is Meghan, and I am a recovered people pleaser.

The disease to please is deceptive. It looks really nice on the outside. But it hides an awful, sinful truth. Pride. Wait a minute, people pleasers are so nice. They only want what’s best for others. No, not really. 

As a former people pleaser I can tell you the ugly truth. You please people to make them happy and like you. I thought I was doing good. I was motivated by my own needs. It’s all about me. I did not see that at first, and yes, that sounds really harsh. Sure, the facade is niceness. But, it’s actually selfish. The motive to people please is fear of man. That is wrong.

I was not aware of my people pleasing ways until I was a teenager, maybe late teens. Once Jesus opened my eyes to my problem, He then showed me how dangerous it was. We are to fear God, not man. 

The motive to please people is fear and insecurity. That is not from the Lord. I could jump through a million hoops and still disappoint many people, and I have. When Jesus began to unravel me, and reveal all of my ugly prideful ways, He set me free. There is freedom in fearing God and only God.

I am to please my Heavenly Father. He never shames me, guilts me, or turns me away. When you put God first and pleasing Him first, there are times you will offend people. It was hard for me to disappoint others, initially. Now, I’m pretty good at it. Hahaha!

People pleaser me: What will they think?

New creation in Christ me: What does God think?

Everything changed for me. My motivation used to be what would others think of “fill in the blank decision”. My motivation now is pleasing Father God.

The Bible is quite clear on this topic. We are to fear God and not man. 

The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6, NASB 

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25, NIV 

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31, NKJV 

Now I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed someone, has the power to throw that person into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Luke 12:4-5, NASB 

If you are struggling in this area I feel your pain. I was in that same place. There is hope in Jesus for total freedom from pleasing people. You can start today. Ask God to reveal areas where you are fearing man and not fearing God. It will be difficult at first. 

No is a powerful word. Begin with saying NO to things that you know are wrong. Pray about your decisions. Read the Bible and stay grounded in the truth of the Word. Ask God to give you strength and courage to say NO to the fear of man stuff in your life. The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say when you have to tell someone NO. 

Fearing God does not mean we are rude, heartless robots. God fearing people love, forgive, show grace, and mercy. We just aren’t motivated by fearing man. We do what’s right and sometimes that means we are going to tick some people off. That’s OK. If we are obeying God and following His Word He will help us. 

God first, always. 

Love you all,

Meghan

Father God,

Thank you for your patience, grace, and love. Help all of us to stop fearing man. Forgive us for the times we have put other’s desires above Your desires. Help us to stay focused on You and pleasing You. Stop us from the disease to please people. Set us free. Help us to love others and honor You in our lives. We praise You, the One true God. You are Holy!

In Jesus name,

Amen 

God, Trials

Where Are You God?

meghanewhite

A number of years ago I was at the end of my rope. I was frustrated, discouraged, and looking for answers. I had prayed all the right prayers and read all the right Bible verses, yet things were not going the way I wanted.

Where are you, God?

In an instant, I saw large red fingerprints on everything. My family, my home, my children, my problems, and concerns all had fingerprints. They were God’s fingerprints. He showed me that He was in fact at work in my life. From the smallest detail to the largest concern, God’s hands were holding it all together. I just hadn’t seen it.

I was so busy looking at my problems that I took my eyes off of God. He graciously reminded me that He was there the whole time. He was always there. My problems did not disappear that day. Something bigger happened. I was encouraged. My hope was restored. Peace came back in my heart because I knew God was handling it all.

God did not shake His head at me, and tell me, “How dare you!”. He lovingly showed me His presence in my life. God’s patience and kindness is overwhelming.

There are times when I know in my head that God is omnipresent, but I don’t always feel that in my heart. I am not always going to feel it, and that’s O.K. I have learned when I don’t feel God, I can trust the truth of His word, the Bible.

“For I, the LORD, do not change” Malachi 3:6, NASB

God never changes, ever. We can trust God fully and completely knowing He is constant.

“and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30, NASB

We cannot be taken out of God’s hand. Jesus and the Father are one. Those of us in Christ cannot be taken out of His mighty hand.

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5b, NIV

God will never leave us, ever. God will never abandon us or give up on us.

These are the verses that come to mind when I don’t necessarily feel God. The Holy Spirit reminds me through His word, the truth. God is omnipresent. God loves us. God will never abandon us. God is always working in our lives, even when we can’t see it.

I have also learned to press in to God when I can’t see Him. I know He is my source for everything. I know when I ask Him to help me, He will. God is faithful. God’s love and care does not change based on my feelings. I’ve heard it said that if you do not see God that He did not move, you did.

When we feel far from God it is an opportunity for our faith to grow. Every time I go looking for Him when I can’t see Him clearly, He shows up.

God is as close as your next prayer.

Love you all,

Meghan

Heavenly Father,

You are perfect, awesome God. Thank you for your love and grace. I lift up all those who feel far from you today. May they experience your amazing presence and peace. Touch their hearts and lives. Give them eyes to see You.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Authors

Q & A with Author Leah Meahl

meghanewhite

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Please welcome my friend, and fellow author, Leah Meahl to the blog. Leah and I met last year through blogging, and connected immediately because of our shared faith. She has been very kind and supportive of my writing, and even invited me to contribute as a guest on her blog. 

Leah is a talented, accomplished writer with two books to her name. Her first book, The Threshold, debuted last year. Students at North Greenville University turned Leah’s book, The Threshold, into a film. How cool is that! It’s a powerful story. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/VW1rRDSF9gk  Leah makes a cameo in the opening scene. 

Her new book, Pebbles: 31 days of faith-enriching parables, releases September 25th on Amazon. Please go to her website to find out more about her books and blog. I’m going to stop talking, and let Leah tell you about her new book. Without further ado, the talented, kind, lovely, Jesus loving author, Leah Meahl! It’s a pleasure to have you on my blog. Thanks for sharing with us. Take it away, Leah.

Thank you, Meghan for having me on your wonderful blog! I’m so thrilled to share a little bit about me and the process of writing my latest book Pebbles: 31 days of faith-enriching parables.

  1. What made you write Pebbles?

I originally wanted to write a comprehensive guide to everyday faith. I guess it’s no surprise that it was more complicated than I thought. I happened to write a parable for my blog one day and the thrill of it eventually sparked the idea to write a series of parables. Parables are a fun and creative way to get to the heart of a matter rather than just spelling it all out. Writing about certain aspects of faith became easier for me because I could layer them with relatable events, characters, and qualities. 

  1. What do you hope to accomplish with Pebbles?

I want readers to have a fresh devotional that they can connect with emotionally and spiritually. I want the illustrations to grab their attention and rest in their minds long after they read them. Most importantly, I want this devotional to give readers a chance to examine the faith they already have and challenge it to a new level in their lives. 

  1. What do you like about writing parables?

I enjoy the process of crafting a concise and poetic story. They don’t take long to write and yet they still pack a punch. I love it! I will definitely be doing more in the future!

  1. What was the most challenging part about writing the parables?

31 individual stories ended up being a lot more than I thought and sometimes I lacked inspiration. I had to learn to let the ideas come organically and not rush myself. Some parables took a couple hours to write, others took a couple weeks. No matter how long they took me to figure out, I’m really pleased with how they turned out. 

  1. Which one of Jesus’s parables do you connect with the most?

I really love the parable of the pearl. The merchant finds a pearl and sells everything to get it. The parable is one or two lines, yet it has always struck a chord with me because of how outrageous it is. To give up everything for a pearl that on the outside doesn’t really do much for you, really reveals how precious the kingdom of God is, even if it doesn’t look like it on earth. 

I’ve had an awesome time writing these parables as well as commissioning the original artwork to go along with them. I can’t wait for readers to sink their teeth into them September 25th! 

Bio:

Leah Jordan Meahl is a northern girl raised in the south. She has many passions including belting showtunes and drinking too much coffee, but none of them come close to the love she has for God and for writing. She loves fiction and devotional writing, but she also writes a blog for the average growing Christian. Her debut novella, The Threshold, was published in 2019, and she’s gearing up to release Pebbles: 31 days of faith-enriching parables. Feel free to connect with her! 

www.meahltime.com

www.instagram.com/leahjordanmeahl

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Faith, Guest Post, Uncategorized

What’s Your Dream? – Guest Post by Meghan E White — Meahltime

meghanewhite

Happy Wednesday! I hope and pray you are doing well.

Leah Meahl, a fellow writer, graciously invited me to write a guest post on her blog. What an honor! Please go to the link below to read my post about God’s dream for you. While you’re there, check out Leah’s blog. She’s got great, encouraging content.

Love you all,

Meghan

 

Please welcome Middle Grade Author, Meghan E White to the blog!

via What’s Your Dream? – Guest Post by Meghan E White — Meahltime

Faith, God, Jesus, Uncategorized

Live for Today

meghanewhite

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Today you have been given a gift. The gift of time. There are 1440 minutes in your gift. You and I get this precious gift of time, each and every day.

This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.        Psalm 118:24, ESV 

God made our days and He numbered them.

Lord, reveal to me the end of my life
and the number of my days.
Let me know how short-lived I am.
 You, indeed, have made my days short in length,
and my life span as nothing in Your sight.
Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor.Selah    Psalm 39:4-5, HCSB

How much time do we waste each day? I don’t believe the goal is to fill every single minute with non-stop activity. We’ve all got necassary day-to-day duties that are unavoidable. Sleep takes up a certain amount of our hours. Work. Other daily responsibilities like cooking, errands, caring for our families, and a long list of daily tasks fill our routines. And yes, there should be a little down time each day, to recharge your batteries.

    A person’s days are determined;
    you have decreed the number of his months
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.   Job 14:5, NIV

So, if God ordained our days, and He ordained our lives, then He knows we have normal routine stuff that needs to take place. He also has ordained big and small events in our lives every day; that give us opportunities to make a difference for His Kingdom.

This is not the Carpe Diem trendy thinking of our culture. Seize the day is associated with self. Go for it. Take everything you can from each day. This type of thinking says the day is yours. As Christians, each day is a gift from the Lord that He made, and it’s not all ours for the taking.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10, NIV

God has Kingdom work for us to accomplish. And we need Him to do what He’s called us to. Maybe you don’t know your specific calling yet. Start asking God what He has you here for. Each of us has a unique purpose. In the meantime, look for daily small moments to share the love of Jesus. Working hard to provide for your family matters. Cooking a meal for your family is loving. Going to the grocery store and getting food and other essentials is important. We’re human and we need food. Being kind to the checker at the store. Helping an elderly shopper with reaching an item. (Maybe after the covid19 6 feet away craziness is over.)

There are moments each day that we can make a difference. Praying for someone, sharing the Gospel, helping a neighbor. Giving a friend a ride. Listening to your children’s ideas and hopes. Encouraging your spouse. Forgiving that person you’ve been holding a grudge against. Love God. Love your family. Love strangers you cross paths with. Love your annoying neighbor.

These are not easy on our own. They are impossible in our own abilities. We need filled up before we can overflow with the love of Christ.

Yesterday is the past. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have today.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34, NIV

We are all very aware we’ve got enough to deal with today. Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow. We are supposed to live in today. We can still make plans, and pray about future events, and circumstances. But, we are to leave those at Jesus feet and get on with our day. I know, that’s super difficult. At least for me it is.

Give each day the care it deserves. It may not be flashy but it is a gift from the Lord. Every day is not some thrill ride. Many days can be mundane and quite ordinary, but God ordained them. Thank Him for each day.

Thank God on the good days.

Thank God on the awful days.

Thank God every single day. He made it just for you.

Is Jesus Christ your Savior? Today would be a great day to accept His free gift of salvation. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Love you all,

Meghan

 

Go to my contact page and email me if you need prayer.