Category: FemmeFuel by Bindu Adai-Mathew

Treasures in Heaven

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, November 2011 (Thankfulness)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20

 As AbbyA reminded us yesterday, God has made each of us rich in many ways. Perhaps not financially…but He has given each of gifts of Life that are priceless. Things that money cannot buy, not even if we were Oprah or Bill Gates.

Peace.

Love.

Health.

Liberty.

Religious Freedom.

Eternal Life.

 He has made us rich indeed, has he not, my sisters?  When we are inclined towards throwing ourselves a pity party, remember that despite our struggles, we are SO blessed indeed.

Thank you, Lord, for your blessings and mercies, for they are new each day. Thank you, Lord, for treasures that no one can steal from us. For your gifts are truly eternal.

Through Thick and Thin

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, November 2011 (Thankfulness)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

As I read AbbyA’s blog yesterday about her mother and her tremendous amount of loss, I was reminded of Job. Like AbbyA’s mom, Job lost his family, his fortune, and his health. I was recently surprised by a pastor saying that many experts believe that time of testing in Job’s life to be a period of nine months! I was surprised by that as I expected it to be a period of several years. But nine months is a short time to lose so much, as I’m sure AbbyA’s mom knows too well.

But when I think of Job’s story, I also think of Job’s “friends.”  Friends who rather than comforting him and supporting him through his loss, only pointed fingers at him, asking him continually what he had done to incur God’s wrath. Sadly, often these things still happen today, even in the church. Rather than ministering to those around us, we judge, gossip. At the end of the book of Job, God judged Job’s friends, admonishing them for their response to Job’s predicament.

Often it is during the most difficult times in our lives that we realize who are true friends are. The fair weather friends quickly disperse when the clouds of a storm loom over our heads. They are nowhere to be found. But true friends stick with you, through thick and thin…for better and for worse.

I think of my life and how often already difficult situations would have truly been unbearable without the support and encouragement of my friends. What a blessing it is to be surrounded by people who truly care and support you!

So for today, I am thankful for the blessings of friends. Friends who’ve held my hand when I was scared and some who’ve even carried me when I could not walk. Friends who’ve stuck with me through the years. I am thankful for the blessings of my fellow blog sisters, AbbyA and JMathis, who have encouraged my writing aspirations and encouraged my walk with their writings. I am thankful for the friendship that has arisen out of our shared blog and shared passion.

Lord, thank you, for You truly do make all things beautiful.

Thanking God for Our Problems

On By femmefuelIn FemmeFeatures by Bindu Adai-Mathew, November 2011 (Thankfulness)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

Thankfulness. This Thanksgiving we will each gather around our family dining room table and give thanks for God’s blessing. We will thank Him for our family. We will thank Him for our health. We will thank Him for blessings. We will thank Him for our problems.

Say whaaat? Nope, that was not a typo. Thank him for our problems? Aren’t we supposed to detest our problems and issues? Typically that is our reaction, isn’t it?  It definitely is mine. As soon as I face an issue, I shift to the “woe is me” mentality. The victim. The persecuted.

Often I get discouraged with life because after one problem seems to be over or overcome, another problem seems to take its place. When will I get a break, Lord? Is there something wrong with me? Is life ever going to get easier?

But what if we saw our problems as not just the enemy, the very thing we rally against?  But what if we see our problems in life as the means by which we develop a closer walk with God?

Like Paul with his thorn in his flesh, we, too, have thorns in our flesh. Thorns that keep us humble. Thorns that keep us on our knees. Thorns that keep us continually in the throne room, in His presence.

Often when we see our problems in a different light…in a positive light…they often lose their power over us.  We are no longer as overwhelmed, exhausted, defeated by our problems…or their continual presence in our lives.

Instead, we have to see them as necessary. Like muscle is built with the resistance of weight, so is our faith built with the presence of our problems. Each life issue we face exercises different muscles. Sometimes it’s our patience that gets built. Sometimes it’s our forgiveness. Often times it’s our trust muscles.

Challenge: Think of a problem you are struggling with today. How is it helping you exercise your spiritual muscles? How can you view your struggle differently so that you no longer see it solely in a negative light? What “good” can you see coming out of this problem?  How has it strengthened your character and your resolve?

Remember that God promises not to test us beyond what we can endure. And He promises us that everything in our lives can be used for our good…even our problems.

 

Getting from “Me Vs. Him” to “Us”

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, October 2011 (Devotions)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

If you had asked me years ago the primary ingredients for a successful relationship/marriage, I would have immediately replied love and chemistry.

Fastforward a few months after I got married, and my response would have been forgiveness, kindness, and compromise.

Yesterday Jmathis challenged us to analyze some of our relationships to see how we responded during times of tension and conflict. My biggest challenge during times of tension is to check my ego and selfishness in at the door. When I’m angry or hurt, it’s all about what he did wrong. What he said to offend me or how he acted so selfishly. It’s all about my needs and how they are unmet.

 Often the way I respond to times of conflict has nothing to do with “us.” Because when I think of us, it’s no longer just about me…it’s about how we both need to change or improve. It’s not about me being right…it’s about what both of us need to do to make this partnership successful and meaningful.

There is a reason why God described marriage as “two becoming one.” But isn’t it ironic that while we vow to uphold that tenant in marriage, it’s often the first one we break when we are hurt or upset?

Challenge yourself to look at your conflict in terms of the partnership that it really is rather than a scene out of a spaghetti Western. Rather than addressing your conflict with guns blazing like you’re at the Okay Corral, look at it terms of the way God intended marriage to be:

“The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman,” for she was taken out of man.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Genesis 2:23-24

 

During Times of Uncertainty

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, October 2011 (Devotions)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

So how many of you are worried about our economy? How many of you are worried about your personal economic situation? Do you worry about retirement?  If you have children, do you worry about how you’ll send them to college? Or how you’ll afford to pay for their wedding?

I’ll admit that those are concerns of mine. Heck, I’m even bothered by the prediction that China is going to overtake the U.S. as the #1 economic power in the coming years. Why? Well, there’s the obvious…we’re the U.S. and haven’t we been #1 since…like…forever? Or for at least for my entire life. And then there’s the question as to how China will choose to wield its power and influence.

 Yes, we are undoubtedly in uncertain economic times.

 In Bible times, they didn’t call it “uncertain economic” times, nor did they call it a “depression.” They called it a famine. If the weather was bad or they had no rain or too much rain, it ruined the crops, which meant they didn’t have food to eat or food to give to their animals. Famine.

 But to them and to us, God reminds us in Jeremiah 17: 7-8 that despite our worries or our current economic climate, He can and will provide for us.

 7“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

8He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Bear fruit in times of famine and drought? Does God not know the unemployment rate right now?  Yes, but God is still promising us that those who trust in Him will continue to be able to provide for their families.  The economy may affect us, but it doesn’t affect God. He is able to bless us despite…and in some cases…because of the economy. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Well, that is the God we serve. Jehovah Jireh. God Our Provider.

 

 

 

The Notebook

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, October 2011 (Devotions)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

One of my favorite love stories is The Notebook. Okay, all you anti-chick flick chicks can now cringe, but even you must admit, rare is it that you read and/or see a book or movie where love is deeper than that initial romantic love/chemistry connection level. Most love stories these days are solely about that initial passion, chemistry, and I, a former fan of romance novels, am all for passion and chemistry…but what about love when the skin ages and age spots set in? What about love when you aren’t so love-able by the world’s standards?

 As I watched The Notebook years ago, I was reminded of what true love is. I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 13.

 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 We’ve all heard this passage recited at weddings. We may have even memorized it for Sunday School or Vacation Bible School. Or maybe it resides on a plaque in your home. But today, as you get annoyed or angry with a family member, a close friend, your spouse or significant other, meditate on that passage.

 Love is patient.

Love does not envy.

Love is not proud.

Love is not rude.

Love is not self-seeking.

Love is not easily angered. (gulp!)

Love keeps no record of wrongs. (double gulp!)

Love rejoices in truth.

Love always protects…always trusts…always perseveres.

 While this standard of love may be hard to live up to, remember that is exactly how God loves us.

Head Knowledge vs. Heart Knowledge

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, October 2011 (Devotions)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

Head knowledge. Heart knowledge.

 Isn’t it funny that we need both in our Christian walk? When we make the decision to believe in not just the existence of a God but in the existence of a God who sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sins so we can have eternal life, that’s heart knowledge. On the surface, it’s hard to believe. God came in the form of man. A virgin gave birth to that same God. He lived a perfect life. A humble life. Died on the cross. But rose again. For us.  Believing that requires heart knowledge. Faith. A huge leap of faith.

And for those of you who took that leap of faith, now what? Where is He? Why is there so much turmoil on this earth? Why do our lives often feel like one continuous, non-stop struggle? Why can’t we always feel His presence? When we can’t see God or feel His presence, especially in the midst of tragedy, that requires head knowledge. Knowledge that whether we feel Him or not, He IS there. When September 11th happened, many asked, “How could God let this happen?” It is during times of tragedy or despair that our feelings betray and we can no longer just follow our heart. We must dig in deeper. We must rely on what we know to be true.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  Hebrews 11:6