Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Beliza Kocev, Iron Rose Sister Ministries Brazil Coordinator

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Mt 22:36-40 NIV)

Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:36-37 show us which of the commandments is the most important of all: Love God, without reservation, totally, with everything we are and everything we have. But what is this love like? How do we demonstrate this love?

When we love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind we make Him more important than anything else in our life. More important than our spouse, our kids, our parents, our social position, career, reputation, dreams, desires, emotions, and even more important than our life itself. Pleasing Him becomes our prime objective and purpose. And even though it may hurt, we renounce everything that distances us from that purpose.

Love seems difficult to define. And if we look it up, we will find various meanings and descriptions, as well as differing opinions.

Unfortunately, we live in a time in which the word “love” has become simply a feeling. To love someone is often confused with “feeling good with them”. But “feeling good” with someone doesn’t constitute love in biblical terms. In biblical terms, love is intimately linked to doing, and specifically, loving God and doing what He wants— that is, obeying His commandments, His will. Jesus made this very clear when He said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (Jn 14:15).

To love God is to obey Him. The greatest command is to love God and the way we do that is by obeying what He tells us to do. To love God and to keep His commands, the Word of God, are inseparable from each other. First John 5:3 says, “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.”

Loving God with all our hearts is the greatest command. But loving God is not a state of mind where we “feel good” about God. Loving God is the same as doing His will. We cannot say that we love God and at the same time be disobedient to Him. Faith is not a state of mind. Faith in God and His Word is the same as being obedient. Let us not believe in the lies that try to separate one from the other. Also, the love of God and His favor comes back to those who love Him— that is, those who please Him and do His will. Furthermore, we also see that it is better to go ahead and do God's will even when we don't feel like doing it, than to disobey Him. This does not make us robots without feelings. We can (should) always talk to the Lord, express how we feel, and share how difficult the situation is for us. If there is another way, He will provide it for us. He is the most wonderful Master and Father of all, gracious and good to all His children. Jesus did this:

…My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death… My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will… My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done. (Mt 26:38-42)

May we have courage, faith, and especially love for God to obey Him every day of our lives. And when it is difficult, may we ask God for the strength to do His will.

Written by Anessa Westbrook, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

When we read about heroes in the Old Testament, their example seems so unattainable: Abraham, Moses, David, Ruth, Esther, and Deborah. David. His relationship with God was enviable. In 1 Samuel God rejects Israel’s first king, Saul. Because Saul had not followed God’s commands, his kingdom would not endure. In 1 Samuel 13:14 it says that “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people” (NIV). I always assumed that being someone labeled “after God’s own heart” was only attainable for the biblical heroes of old. It wasn’t something that we could, or perhaps even should, consider. While it was obvious that a person after God’s own heart kept His commands, I felt that was not enough to really know what was meant by that statement. The Bible is filled with people who had followed His commands, but only David was given this label. I still remember the day that I bumped into Acts 13:22. This passage seemed to give definition to what I was struggling to understand. David was a man after God’s own heart because “he will do everything I want him to do.” While this was still a high task, and perhaps impossible, was there a chance for a regular person to have God think about them in the same way?

The New Testament shows examples of people living their everyday lives in a faithful way, and God using them in a special way at a specific time. Stephen, for example, was one of the seven men selected to help with the distribution of food to the widows. In Acts 6:5, he is described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” He worked day-by-day to support and encourage the early church, but God was also using him evangelistically (Ac 6:8). Stephen was someone whose character was shaped daily, and who God used to share the Good News and glorify Him in the difficult position of becoming the first martyr. Another example is that of Tabitha who Acts 9:36 says was “always doing good and helping the poor.” When she died, the widows mourned and showed Peter all she had done for them. Peter raised her from the dead and this act became a spiritual testimony to the people of Joppa (Ac 9:41-42).

However, the Bible does not just provide positive examples for us to learn from. David’s story becomes complicated because of some major spiritual missteps. Instead of accompanying his troops off at war, he was at home in his palace and became interested in a young woman who was bathing on the rooftop. After she became pregnant, he tried to hide the sin ultimately resorting to the murder of her husband (2Sa 11). Someone who both cheated on their spouse and then had their lover’s spouse killed would likely make the news today. How could God use such a person? The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 adds an interesting twist to this story because it has three women whose stories would likely raise eyebrows even today: Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba. Why would the storyline of the Savior contain such imperfect people? Perhaps we are seeing a side of God that we have seen since the very beginning of the Old Testament: God as Creator.

One of God’s specialties is taking something that is messy and making something beautiful out of it. The inclusion of these people in the line of Jesus raises another important question: what if they had said “no” to God? What if they had felt too imperfect to be included in His plan or had not tried to make the changes needed to become faithful? In Psalm 51 we see David’s heart after he was confronted by Nathan. He did not justify his actions but recognized his sin. He begged God to cleanse him. David made the changes necessary in his life to become Israel’s most respected king and the father of the line that would lead to the Savior. The examples of those who strove to live a daily life that pleased God, as well as those who made the changes necessary to live a faithful life, invite us to reflect on being a woman after God’s own heart.

What is it that is keeping us from saying “yes” to God’s invitation to partner with Him in the kingdom?

Written by Vivian Arcila, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Canada

Listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! (Ne 1:6 NLT)

The book of Nehemiah not only sequentially details the biblical way to resolve conflicts and crises but also highlights the importance of confessing sin as an essential part of restoring our relationship with God.

It is interesting that when Nehemiah learns of the situation in Jerusalem and its captives, the first thing he mentions in his prayer is confession, not only of his personal sin but also of his family and his nation. He knew that the disobedience of the people of Israel had resulted in their destruction, and he felt responsible as well. Since ancient times, we have noticed that sin that is not corrected and is practiced deliberately can affect not only the person who commits it but also their family and even an entire nation.

Psalm 14:3 says, "But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!" As a God-fearing man, Nehemiah was aware that, although his works were pleasing to God, the human being is a sinner by nature. Nehemiah may have felt that he could have done more for his people before things got worse, but the truth is that confession is an essential part of our Christian lives.

Our walk in Christ begins with acknowledging that we have sinned before Him, repenting of our sins, and confessing Jesus as our Lord and Savior, which is confirmed with baptism and perseverance. Romans 10:9 says, "If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." The doors of spiritual blessings begin to open with confession.

However, confession does not get stuck at the moment when we give our lives to Jesus. It should be a daily act to recognize Christ's lordship and discover our faults. In the face of every difficult situation, we must examine ourselves and confess our offenses to our Creator. In that moment of reflection, think about how much our personal sin has affected the family and, in some way, the community or society, and confess before God our participation in it, either directly or indirectly. It is not only sin to do evil to our fellow men, but also to fail to do good as James 4:17 says, "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it."

Am I studying the Bible, praying, examining myself, and confessing my sins frequently? That helps me connect to God and cultivate a meek character that my family, church brothers and sisters, neighbors, drivers, people at the grocery store, and coworkers will notice. Not having good communion with God affects us personally because we lose peace, which is reflected in the treatment of our relatives and neighbors, causing a domino effect on the individual, family, church, society, and the whole world.

Let's try to make an effort daily in our relationship with God because it impacts, in one way or another, the life of our family and the lives of the people around us. Before we met Jesus, we were like a city with walls destroyed by sin. Now, we are being built on the rock that is Christ.

Written by Elesa Mason, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Texas

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; Do not be afraid for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will also help you. I will also uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Is 41:10 NASB20)

Fear. It’s probably the loudest voice inside my head: Will I ever be enough? Will I always walk with a cane? Will I ever be able to do the things I used to? These thoughts and so many more flood my mind, especially when I am still.

On November 12, 2020, I told my husband I didn’t feel well. Praise God he recognized I was in trouble and called 911. I woke up several days later in the ICU having just been removed from life support. Those days were frightful as my prognosis was uncertain due to numerous blood clots. Our family endured gut-wrenching conversations to say goodbye; conversations I couldn’t reply to or remember.

After seven weeks of recovery, I came home, weak and unable to walk alone. That tremendous loss of freedom meant I couldn’t do anything; things I believed to be my gifts in service to the Lord. And my life lessons didn’t end there; my body was so riddled with arthritis that the following year I endured three joint replacements just to walk. More recovery, therapy, doing nothing, and worst of all, more fears.

I am a half-glass-full gal. I was so grateful for my improvement as I no longer needed a walker! But why was I still unhappy? Why was I angry about walking with a cane? Bottom line: why did God let me stay if He was going to take away my freedom and ability to do what I wanted: things for Him? I prayed fervently, but for so long there was silence. Silence, until I began to listen.

Music has always been the lifter of my soul. Listening stabilizes my mood and centers my mind away from me and on to happier things. Steven Curtis Chapman touched my heart when he sang, “My Redeemer is faithful and true. Everything He has said He will do. And every morning His mercies are new.”

I came to realize that God let me stay here because He is faithful and true. He answered the prayers of many who loved me. He loved me so much that He needed me to stay here longer, not because He still had much for me to do, but because I still had much to learn about myself and my place in His Kingdom that I could still do with a cane.

But before any of that, I had to deal with my faith.

Faith is the antithesis of fear. Fear made me question everything about the unknown. Faith is belief that God has my unknowns in His hands because He says He does. The prophet and musician Asaph sang “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart” (Ps 73:26). After years of stillness, I realized I was not connecting to God through his Word other than snippets that blessed me. Paul teaches “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Ro 10:17).

God wants me to rely on Him without reservation. It took God out of the equation when I felt responsible for all the good things I had done. I believe that rain came into my life for a reason; I needed to appreciate the Son. So, I try each day to recognize and praise God for everything in my life by going into his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. God gives me protection and strength but praising Him must come first.

By taking small opportunities to show the love of Christ, conversing with God on a more intimate level, and daily consuming His Word, I am emerging from a me-centered world to one full of possibilities. I still slide back into jealousy when I see pictures of friends skiing or taking walks along the beach. The old Elesa emerges with questions of “why me?”.

God loves me dearly and chose my specific path with all its hills and valleys. His “still small voice” in my quiet moments keeps me centered and focused on the truth. His truth. I continue to do what I can to strengthen my body. But as His precious creation, His truth is I am enough, whether I walk with a cane or not.

My fears are gradually giving way to faith. He has always been faithful and always will be. I look forward to the future God has for me. If I keep Him in my heart and mind, He will never leave me or forsake me, and I believe Him! And so, I use music to fill my soul and remain Christ-centered. What about you?

Written by Alina Stout, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Oklahoma

We chose to commit our hearts to God. Good! Now, are we guarding our hearts from whatever might try to take it from God?

Let us think about Solomon, a man who was faithful in his earlier years of life but who turned his heart away from God as he grew older.

Solomon was born because of God’s mercy. His father was David, and his mother was Bathsheba. David had Bathsheba’s husband killed after having an affair with her. As a consequence, God did not allow their first child to live (2Sa 11-12). However, once David repented (2Sa 12:13, Ps 51), God allowed them to have a second child named Solomon (2Sa 12:24).

God loved Solomon, and Solomon loved God (2Sa 12, 1 Ki 3:3). God appeared to Solomon one night in a dream to encourage him to ask for a gift. Solomon, out of humility, asked for a wise and discerning heart. God granted him this and much more, including wealth and honor (1 Ki 3:5-15).

God gave Solomon one condition: “If you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life” (1Ki 3:14, NIV).

Solomon built the temple of God (1Ki 5-6). Out of humility, he prayed that God would let His Name dwell there. God answered and rested His Name on the temple. (1Ki 9, 2Ch 7).

God reiterates to Solomon His one condition: “If you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart…I will establish your royal throne over Israel…But if you…serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them” (1Ki 9:4-7).

We expect Solomon to be thankful for God’s blessings and to glorify God. But something changed. Solomon, despite having a discerning heart, made a mistake that would turn his heart away from God.

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.(1Ki 11:4)

Solomon married 700 women of royal birth and had 300 concubines. Some of these women were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. He allowed his wives to worship their own gods and began to worship their gods, too (1Ki 11:1-3).

Three gods are mentioned by name: 1-Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, was a god of war who would grant victory in battle to those who sacrificed to him (Jdg 11). 2-Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, was also called the Queen of Heaven. She was a goddess of fertility and was Baal’s wife (Jer 44). 3-Molek, the god of the Ammonites, was worshiped through child sacrifice (Lev 18:21). Solomon’s devotion to his wives became a devotion to success, fertility, and child sacrifice. Once Solomon introduced these gods to Israel, Israel continued to worship them for generations (1Ki 11:33).

Solomon is an example of someone whose heart was committed to God but whose commitment became divided. He did not guard his heart, and both he and Israel would face the consequences of their actions. If only Solomon had listened to his own wisdom in Proverbs: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Pr 4:23).

God was angry with Solomon, and He told him that the kingdom of Israel would be torn in two (1Ki 11:9-11). Unlike his father David, Solomon did not repent. In a sad irony, David’s repentance allowed Solomon to live, but Solomon’s lack of repentance led to the downfall of the entire nation of Israel.

Despite Solomon’s actions, God mercifully promised to save one tribe of Israel and Jerusalem (1Ki 11:12-13). That tribe, Judah, is the tribe that Jesus was from.

There are two lessons that can be learned from Solomon’s life.
     1. Guard your heart for God from anyone or anything else that might try to steal it.
     2. God’s heart is committed to you.

In order to keep our hearts committed to God, we need to frequently evaluate our own lives to see whether we are letting anything else lead our hearts astray. Lean on your Iron Rose Sisters through this process.

What do you need to let go of so that you can let God have your whole heart?

Written by Ilca Medeiros, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Brazil

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Mt 22:36-40 NIV)

When we are called to talk about love for God, we almost automatically begin to talk about His love for us. We can do this excellently because it is a perfect and spotless love. When we become aware of such great love and such an impactful example, we come across a commandment (Mt 22:36-40), which would not make sense to us if it did not come from God: “Love”! It is not a love of only feelings, but of action. The Bible says that we should love Him above all things and this love is a reflection of God's unconditional love for us. First John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” When we feel this love for God, we want to please Him, obey Him, and serve Him with a heart full of gratitude.

The first source of love for God according to Matthew 22:36-40 is the HEART.
A clean heart without bitterness and resentment is a fertile land for cultivating love, which spreads to everyone around us. Whoever loves God with all their heart longs to be with Him, draws closer to Him, and develops intimacy through prayer, communion, and His Word. We like to be around those we love. So it should be with God. He doesn't need anything we have. Not even our love. Now we can imagine our Creator rejoicing in the fact that we love Him with all our hearts! I know that we are capable of feeling such love, of being side by side with Him every day, because He Himself promised in Matthew 28:20 that He would be with us every day. On good days and bad days. Just hold His hand.

God knows how much we love Him by the way we treat our brothers and sisters. How we are connected to each other, how we see each other, how we care for and serve those in need. “...Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister” (1Jn 4:21).

The second source of love for God according to Matthew 22:36-40 is the SOUL.
Our soul is the center of our attitudes. It leads us to practice what comes from the heart. It's feeling in practice! The word soul comes from the Latin animu which means “that which animates”. It reveals our personality; it is the center of our will. Loving God with our soul means leaving behind everything that imprisons us and prevents us from serving. It's denying ourselves when love requires sacrifice and change.

When we love God in our souls, we seek communion with our brothers and sisters even when our bodies are tired and we don't want to go to church. We still strive to offer God the best of ourselves with attitudes that please Him.

What our soul feels reflects in our body and our actions. We cannot forget to feed our souls with good things so that every offering of love to God has a sweet aroma. We become weak in our souls when we leave God out of our battles.

The third source of love for God according to Matthew 22:36-40 is UNDERSTANDING.
When we make the decision to serve God, we are asked if we understand the importance of our decision, and we say yes. We understand that from then on, our lives are linked to God for eternity. Once the initial thrill has passed, it is worth reflecting on: Who is God for us? What difference does He make in our lives? Are our relationships influenced by Him?

The way we understand our new life in Christ makes us grateful, happy, and full of hope. We return to God a love that comes from Him. To understand His love, it is necessary for Him to live in us, as there is no other source of understanding this love other than in Him. The same God who loves us in practice, commands us to love Him. We are not obligated, but motivated to love Him by understanding that He is everything in us, knowing that He is our Creator, Father of Love, and Protector.

We love God when we understand the size of the connection we have with Him. We love not only in moments of blessings received but based on His feelings for us. Constant, continuous, and unconditional.

We can make a list of things we still are not doing to demonstrate our love for God. This love must be contagious. May everyone around us know how much we love Him, and may they want to know Him.

Written by Kat Bittner, volunteer and Board member for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colorado

“Love is a great master. It teaches us to be what we never were.”


(Jean-Baptiste Poquelin aka Molière)

I really do appreciate those words. I appreciate them because they exemplify relationship with Jesus. You see, love invokes a sense of action. It calls on us to do things that, albeit good and wonderful, are often out of our nature. Love calls us to do things we may never have done and to be what we may never have been. Personally, I’ve not much patience for folks who are ill-tempered or self-centered. If someone has wounded my family or friends, it can be considerably troublesome for me to be kind. It is nearly impossible for me to forgive the wicked and ungodly who violate children. And I’m not generally eager to abandon my addictive, gluttonous behaviors with food. I do love those carbs and sugar. A lot!

If I am to do anything to be what I’ve never been—to let love be a great master in my life—I have to be like Jesus. Jesus is love, characterized by all the things that love does (1Co 13:4-8). I must be mastered by Him rather than be mastered by my selfish inclinations. And while there can be no perfection in me for whatever I choose, I can certainly aim to do my best and allow Jesus to guide my path.

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” (Pr 16:9, NKJV) 

I have spent most of my life struggling with morbid obesity, an addictive and unhealthy relationship with food, and a latent self-loathing. I was especially good at denying the animus I had with my body. It’s only been in the last several years that I’ve come to realize the former declarations of “I’m happy” or “I’m not insecure” were actually lies that allowed my struggles with food to master my life. I wasn’t happy in my obesity. I wasn’t happy when I binged. And I wasn’t happy or confident in my body despite my proclamations to the contrary. Rather, I was being mastered by my manipulative tendency instead of letting Jesus master me.

Scripture tells us that “the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do what you want” (Gal 5:17, NIV). Doing what I wanted—consuming food to extremes for my emotional pleasure—was contrary to the Spirit. It was the sin of gluttony, too, and for an extraordinarily long time, I denied that as well. I wasn’t being mastered by Jesus. In truth, I was being mastered by sin. I was among those “… whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ … headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite” (Php 3:18b-19a, NLT). Wow! I was convicted after God lovingly but firmly reiterated in His word that I needed profound change. That change could only come through letting Jesus master my life rather than my god of food.

“God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and ‘All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil’” (2Ti 2:19b, NLT).

If I were to emulate Jesus, I needed to give up the sin (evil) in my life to be what I never was before. And once I stopped denying that I was being mastered by food, I could begin to be mastered by Jesus. I needed only to give it fully to Him.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9, NKJV).

Owning my addictive behavior and self-manipulation was a first step. Along with support from friends and family, wise counsel, and a good amount of weight loss which resulted in the resolution of all my co-morbidities, I am a different person. I am better because of a change in my thinking. I am better because of renewed focus. But more than those, the thing that has made me better is Jesus!

Jesus is the great Master! He teaches us to be who we never were before. Who will you be that you have never been before with Jesus as your Master?

Written by Marbella Parra, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Honduras

In my Christian life, I have gone through different stages. There have been times when I have felt that I was doing things for God, but I didn't really feel close to Him. More than once, I have wondered how I can diagnose and evaluate my spiritual life. Have you ever felt the same way or asked yourself the same question? What method can we use to evaluate our spiritual life and our relationship with God? In this blog article, we will analyze the teachings of the apostle Paul in Galatians 5 and Romans 8 to define what spirituality is and learn how to create our own thermometer to analyze our relationship with God.

When we talk about spirituality, we tend to confuse some aspects. Many times, we qualify as spiritual, someone who practices spiritual disciplines, that is, someone who prays, meditates on the Scriptures, and attends services, among other things. However, while spiritual disciplines lead us to spirituality, they are not the definitive sign that we are truly spiritual. As we read Romans 8 and Galatians 5, we note that the apostle Paul describes a spiritual person as one who is led by the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit (e.g. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control in Gal 5:22-23). In this sense, being spiritual is not so much about a set of activities we perform but about a state: a level of connection with God. At this level of relationship with God, the Holy Spirit greatly influences us, enabling us to have attitudes that reflect Christ's character and abandon carnal attitudes.

Unfortunately, many of us have reversed the formula. We believe that through great willpower we must reach a level of perfection that allows us to be worthy of God. However, the good news is that even though we are unworthy, through Jesus' sacrifice, we have the opportunity to be forgiven and receive the Holy Spirit. In the letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul states that we are adopted as children of God and receive the Spirit by which we can call Him "Daddy." What a powerful and consoling message! This means that if we want to develop the character of Christ, the only way to do so is to seek God with a humbled heart and entrust ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The formula is that the more we seek Him and humble ourselves before Him, the closer we are to God, and we are transformed and empowered by His Holy Spirit.

We can then say that a heart that is close to God is one that humbles itself before Him and rests in the grace received through Jesus. The result of this is a person who is in a process of sanctification through the guidance of the Holy Spirit to live in the image of Christ. With this in mind, our actions are a sign of our nearness or distance from God. If a person is close to God, he will reflect Him through the fruit of the Spirit, but also, a person who is far from Him will reflect Him through the fruit of the flesh. In short, my sinful actions are the symptoms of drifting away from God, and my good deeds are the symptoms of becoming close to Him.

From this, we can create a personal spiritual thermometer that helps us identify in ourselves how close or far we are from God. A thermometer needs a positive measurement scale, so for this part, we will use the fruit of the Holy Spirit as a reference. We also need a negative measurement scale for which we will use the fruit of the flesh. Our diagnostic process (which should be daily) involves evaluating our attitudes, thoughts, and words throughout the day and seeing in which direction they move. Are my actions, thoughts, and words a reflection of the fruit of the Holy Spirit? If the answer is no, this is a symptom that our heart is not close to God. At those times, let’s set aside time to seek His presence, repent, and ask for His guidance and the control of His Holy Spirit. If the answer is yes, let us give glory to God because we know that the good that is in us does not come from our effort, but from the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so we must continue to seek Him daily to continue to be perfected in Him.

Would you be willing to use this spiritual thermometer every day? Do you think it would help you grow in your commitment to God?

Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

Be perfect. Be holy. These words ring in my ears over and over… and I hurt, because I know my weak spots. Can you identify? Have you had those feelings?

First Peter 1:15-16 tells us: “…as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (ESV).

The Savior said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

I see these commands as the path our lives should take so we better understand our Heavenly Father's desire for us to follow Him. We sin… none of us are righteous (Ro 3:10), but when we obey Jesus and are baptized for the remission of sins, His righteousness covers us (2Co 5:21; Php 3:9; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:24).

God told Samuel that He looks on the heart (1Sa 16:7).

At Antioch, Paul told those present that David was a man after God’s own heart (Ac 13:22).

When I read this, I think of David as a man who wanted more than anything to do God’s will, despite the battles he sometimes had with Satan… and David, like we do, sometimes lost those battles with Satan.

A verse that is special to me is Psalm 25:7, where David writes: “Remember not the sins of my youth.” All of us understand that as we grow in our relationship with God, we realize we made some poor decisions in our earlier lives that we would not make now simply because of the experience we have in life. We have to learn how to deal with peer pressure, to learn to control desires when something looks good but is wrong, and sometimes by simply learning it is ok, and right, to say “no.”

In Psalm 51 David cries out for God to “create within [him] a clean heart.” The Hebrew word David used for “create” is the same word in Genesis 1:1… something only God can do.

What do you think God looks for in a heart that seeks Him? I think of the following:

1. God wants my heart to love Him. “…Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Dt 30:6b). ”…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Mt 22:37b).
2. God wants my heart to put Him first. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex 20:3).
3. God wants my heart to serve Him. “…serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Dt 11:13b).
4. God wants my heart to keep His Word. “This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and rules. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul” (Dt 26:16).
5. God wants my heart to seek Him. “And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul” (2Ch 15:12). “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13).
6. God wants my heart to follow Him. “…My servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes” (1Ki 14:8b).
7. God wants my heart to praise Him. “I will glorify your name forever” (Ps 86:12b).
8. God wants my heart to trust Him. "For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name” (Ps 33:21). “In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Ps 56:4).
9. God wants my heart to have unwavering faith in Him. “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (Jn 11:25, 26).

I believe God said of David: “I have found a man who cares about the things I care about.”

I need to ask: What am I doing in my life to make sure the things important to me are the same things that are important to my Heavenly Father?

Written by Jocelynn Goff, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries and mother of Michelle J. Goff

When Jesus was asked what is the greatest command, He replied, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk 12:30 NIV).

If this is the greatest command, how do we keep the commitment to do this day in and day out, moment by moment? For this blog, I’m going to focus on just the strength aspect of this command.

When I’ve taken personality tests, I usually test very high for loyalty. This can make my strength of commitment in some areas easier, as it’s more natural for me. However! There are still people and situations where my loyalty personality trait will never be enough. Then I am challenged to need help to keep my commitment and sometimes quite honestly my sanity as well.

In situations such as this, how do I keep my commitment? Where do I draw my commitment from? My answer should always be that I look to the LORD and His Word because He promises to answer. This promise is found in Psalms 29:11, “The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.”

As a matter of fact, He is looking for those to whom to give His strength. I find this promise in 2 Chronicles 16:9: “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

So, my first thought and action should be to look to my LORD for strength. He promises it to me as His child and I should take advantage of that fact and depend on it, especially, as my own strength is often not enough to meet the challenge of commitment to love my LORD with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. My own heart, soul, mind, and strength will fail. A Biblical example of this is Peter. Jesus warns Peter that his commitment will fail, but gives him hope. This hope is expressed in Luke 22:32 when Jesus says, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Peter was tested and failed but Jesus knew he’d turn back. Then Jesus gave Peter a job to do—to strengthen his brothers.

Also, we can have trusted, Godly friends to help strengthen us. As I become aware of a deficit in my strength, I can ask for help from a trusted prayer warrior friend. However, it’s easy to reach out to that friend first before I reach out in prayer for God’s strength. So recently I’ve been challenging myself to pray first about a situation before I call one of my prayer warrior friends. This puts me in the right frame of mind, directs my focus and perspective, and gives me His wisdom and His perspective. Just as Peter was urged to do, my friends can help strengthen me but I’ve made it a priority to seek The LORD first before reaching out to my friends. After all, it’s His strength and energy that I need. Colossians 1:29 speaks of “…strenuously contend[ing] with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”

The apostle Paul understood where his ability to be content in any and every situation came from when he said, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Php 4:13).

When I receive His strength to fulfill my commitment, then I’m rejoicing. I’m writing it in my journal. I’m telling my God story to others. I’m singing much as 1 Chronicles 16:9 says, “Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” Specific songs that come to mind include the lyrics of The Goodness of God by Jenn Johnson and Bethel Music. “All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able I will sing of the goodness of God.” Another one is Everlasting God written by Chris Tomlin. “Strength will rise as we wait upon The Lord, wait upon the Lord.”

What are the challenges that are weakening your strength of commitment to our LORD? Remember, the promise in Psalms 29:11, “The LORD gives strength to his people.” So, He’s ready, willing, and faithful to provide the strength you need.