Coffee Talk Chapter 5

Coffee talk this past week was great. We covered two chapters and today we will talk about Chapter 5 “What Keeps Us from Saying Yes to God”. Lysa encourages her readers to think about the things that keep us from doing what God wants us to do. The fear, doubt, naysayers (Christians and non-Christian’s both), and two big challenges that I have, which are dealing with acceptance and rejection. It was a very get down to the meat of it and look at the real reasons, not just “I don’t have time, money, resources, or the education, etc. to do what God wants me to do.” All excuses I have used over and over again.

God doesn’t want to hear why we cannot do something, because the second we say we can’t, we are not trusting in Him.

One of the nuggets of truth, okay, I get a lot of those nuggets, it’s like I have a party pack from McDonald’s, was a quote Lysa shared,

“Never let others compliments go to your head or their criticisms go to your heart.”

When we are placed in leadership at work, in our church, or just on the kid’s soccer team, that position can quickly go to our heads. I am just as guilty as the next person of “believing my own press” sometimes, but I am even quicker at believing the negative because I’ve told it to myself so long. “I’m not good enough to do this…if “they (who are they anyway?) only knew the real me they wouldn’t believe me, I’m too emotional, too sensitive, too ______ (just fill in the blank with what your own battle).

Well friends, as I have said before, it’s time to stop it.

The best way to battle each of the blockades that satan puts in our path, and it is satan, is to go to God’s word and writing His promises on our hearts.

Isaiah 26:3 says “You (God) will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”

God will keep us, (never let go, never leave, never throw us away) in perfect (perfect, without flaw, without error) peace (without doubt, fear, or worry) him whose mind is steadfast (firm in purpose, unwavering, established, fixed into place and direction), because he (me, you, each one of us, not just the pastors, and the leaders of the Christian world, not just the ones who you think have it all figured out, every one of us) trusts in You (leans into, believes, relies on, knows that God’s wants the best for His children).

So here are some application steps for this chapter. Read Galatians 5:17 and John 8:32. Write them down and put them somewhere that you can study and memorize them. Come back and leave a comment about what those verses meant to you.

I challenge you my friend to become a woman who says yes to God in all things no matter what. In order to do that we need to keep our focus on our Heavenly Father (Psalm 141:8).

In closing chapter 5 of “What Happens When Women Say Yes To God” Lysa shares a prayer that Saint Patrick from Ireland wrote:

Christ shield me this day:

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

 Christ in me,

       Christ beneath me,

        Christ above me,

      Christ on my right,

         Christ on my left,

         Christ when I lie down,

     Christ when I arise,

    Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,

            Christ in every eye that sees me,

              Christ in the ear that hears me

                                                                                       

                                                                                                   This was from St. Patrick’s breastplate.

As we step out of the comfort zone, out of the boat, into the unknown and face our fears, our doubts, worry in all it shape and form, cling to the words of God and rely on Him for all of it. He is our shield and I know I am striving every day to just say yes.