Dealing with our Enemies Through ARCM and Intercessory Prayer

There are many reasons for engaging in Active relational Christian mentoring. The reasons cover thousands of different topics and millions of personal situations. ARCM can help us with our spiritual needs, physical needs, and emotional needs, as well as with the acquisition of skills and information. ARCM can also help with needs that arise from situations within our family life, our personal life and our work life. Whatever our mentoring need, though, ARCM first and foremost promotes reliance upon Christ and an understanding of who we are as children of God. If a mentee can develop or better understand her relationship to God and His Son, then she has a better chance of understanding and dealing with her earthly situations and relationships in a godly, moral and ethical manner.

Often a problem or situation can affect several areas of the mentee’s life at once. This is especially true with emotional traumas that stem from broken relationships. For, what starts as an emotional or relational trauma can eventually cause physical problems or even financial problems as well; like in cases where the woman’s spouse dies or leaves her. Along with her grief she now finds herself in a financial bind. She may need both grief and financial mentoring. The emotional trauma of a broken work-related relationship can also affect several areas of a woman’s life, especially if the broken relationship produces an enemy. In such cases, she may need mentoring on how to deal with the broken relationship, how to protect her family life from the frustration, hurt and despair she brings home, and perhaps even the mentoring of a new skill, if a job change is needed.

Enemies can come from all walks of life. Sometimes a woman's enemy is an unhappy extended family member or fellow acquaintance who suddenly decides to make it their life goal to disagree with everything the woman says or does; delighting in making her life miserable. For another woman, it could be a fellow employee who delights in ruining her day. But whoever the enemy is, both Christians and non-Christians can suddenly find that someone has decided to discredit or hurt them emotionally for no apparent reason.

Although enemies can come from all walks of life, many enemies arise from work-related situations. In fact, most workers will not get through their entire working career without developing an enemy on at least one job. Some enemies are just irritating; while others will do everything they can do to put road-blocks in front of goals, or they will try to hinder outcomes. But, some women can tell horror stories of emotional mistreatment at the hands of a fellow employee. To make matters worse, they may never know why the woman or man decided to become their enemy.

No matter when it starts, though, the constant strain of dealing every day with an enemy at work can take its toll on the human psyche. So, it is important to try and understand or at least cope with the situation in a healing and positive way. Certainly, if not dealt with, this type of emotional hurt can cause many problems including possible physical problems. So, we cannot allow these enemy situations to control our lives, which is what the devil wants. Instead, we are to lean on God. We are to go to God in prayer asking for direction and help.

God often provides emotional support and help in the person of a Christian mentor. A Christian mentor can help a woman view the situation from different angles as she encourages her to not only rely on God for her insight, discernment and answers, but to use godly ways to deal with the situation. The woman may also need an active relational Christian mentor to help her cry out to God; someone to intercede on her behalf. For,

“Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their work.

If one falls down,

his friend can help him up.

But pity the man who falls

and has no one to help him up!”

– (Ecclesiastes 4: 9. NIV).

As mentioned, we may not know how or why someone decided to be our enemy. Most of the time, we have not done anything to hurt them or to cause them to be upset with us. Yes, we know that certain countries can be our enemies. Their reasons for hating us are not limited to, but may include: wanting what our country has; wanting us to have the same ideology that they profess; not liking the way we do things; or just not liking our ideology and beliefs.

Christians, too, can develop an enemy because of their personal beliefs or just from acting a certain way. There may be nothing wrong with the way a woman acts and nothing wrong with her beliefs, but it’s just that her beliefs or actions are not the same as the other person’s. Why should that be a problem? Well, unfortunately, the devil messes with people’s minds and can create an enemy for us through the other person’s jealousy, envy, and greed or through any other reason that seems to fit, including just plain meanness. You see, the devil lives to mess with the lives of people, planting negative or hateful thoughts and ideas that can be latched onto. If we are not careful, even Christians can fall for the thoughts that the devil throws out. But God is there to protect us. He also gives us His full armor to wear and His Word to live by, if we will just wear it and read and meditate on the Word.

We usually don’t think about having enemies, even though most of us have felt the barbs of a potential enemy at one time or another. But if we think back, we may remember someone within our lifetime who has acted like our enemy. From the prima donna bully encountered in elementary school to the woman who has undercut us at work, most of us have faced an enemy. Still, as adults and as Christians who care about others, we are usually blind-sided when we realize that we have an enemy.

Enemies, however, come from many different directions and shapes; from the little old lady across the street that just hates the color of your house, to the seemingly confident fellow employee who appears sweet and kind, but behind your back makes derogatory statements to others about you. Most of the time we do not know why someone has decided to be our enemy. Although jealousy, greed and envy may be some of the reasons, sometimes work-related enemies just feel threatened, because you seem to be on the fast track or always appear to have the right answers for the boss. At other times an enemy is made when someone feels slighted; they were accidentally overlooked for an invitation, or they felt ignored at some event. But, unless a woman has gone out of her way to deliberately snub someone, she often does not know that she has an enemy until the enemy makes herself known.

I experienced the devastation and emotional trauma of discovering that I had an enemy about a year after I started teaching in a particular school district. My enemy was another elementary teacher that I came in contact with about twice a week when she dropped her students off at the library media center. Her room was at the other end of the building, and most days we had little reason to interact with each other. But, by the end of the first year at this school, I realized that she was saying derogatory things about me and was trying to get other teachers to dislike me as well. I searched my mind and could not come up with anything that I had ever done to hurt her. I could not think of anything that I said that she could have even misconstrued. Unfortunately, she had just decided to dislike me, and she made it her mission to turn the other teachers against me too. Fortunately, I had friends there who watched my back. Still it hurt terribly. Toward the end of my ten years there, I was finally worn out from her constant meanness and sly verbal abuse. However, I never retaliated. For we are told to:

“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will Repay,’ says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

– (Romans 12: 17- 21. NASV).

I never repaid her with hateful comments or retaliation. I was kind and caring. But, this teacher did not respond to kindness. Instead, it seemed to make her worse. Leaving her alone was the best. Still, some nights I would come home frustrated, hurt and close to tears. Fortunately, my husband was my Christian mentor. He constantly helped me deal with the situation through family prayers, and by telling me that she was the one who had the problem, and we just needed to rely on God and pray for help. Had it not been for my husband and God using him to mitigate the emotional abuse that I faced each day, I don’t know that I could have made it the ten years there.

Finally, we went to the book of Psalms and prayed some of David’s prayers that he had prayed against his enemies. I cried out to the Lord for help! At the end of the tenth year, God sent help in His way by having me need to retire for health reasons. I did not want to retire, but the physical pain in my hip from a previous accident would not allow me to work anymore. My husband was the first to point out that God had indeed answered my prayer to protect me from this enemy. It may not have been the way that I would have answered the prayer, but God always has our best interest at heart. Remember God said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.” – (Isaiah 55: 8). I wasn’t a quitter, but God knew that I needed to get out of that school. For, this teacher had gotten so belligerent against me that I had actually told friends that if anything untoward happened to me, to tell the police to look at her first. I was becoming very afraid of her. God knew she was getting out of hand, so He got me out of that situation by getting me to retire. 

  

Using David’s prayers, I had prayed against my enemy. Yes, we can pray against our enemies?  Just look to the book of Psalm to see prayers that King David prayed before God for protection against his enemies. Certainly, we can also pray for our enemies, which is what I did at first. Not only can we pray for the enemies’ enlightenment, but we can pray for their understanding too. However, if the situation is desperate, we can also pray that the enemies’ assault upon us or upon your mentee and the Kingdom of God is destroyed. Indeed, it is through prayer and the Word of God that we can fight the destructive forces of our enemy.

King David wrote many of the Psalms, which are prayers that are sung or set to music. Many of the Psalms are prayers of praise to the Lord. I other times, the prayers of the Psalms were used to glorify God through the recounting of His protection, provision and strength in the lives of the Jewish people. But, David knew that there were also times when he needed to pray against his enemies. He needed God to protect him from people who were trying to destroy him. So, David prayed and sang to God:

“O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising against me. … But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory and the One who lifts my head. … Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord…” 

-- (Psalm 3: 1, 3, 7-8. NASV).

David even had some very specific requests for his enemies. The following is just one of the many prayers David prayed against his enemies.

“Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;

Fight against those who fight against me.

Take hold of the shield and buckler,

and stand up for my help.

Draw out also the spear and javelin

and close up the way of those who pursue and persecute me.

Say to me, ‘I am your deliverance.’

Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek and require my life;

let them be turned back and confounded who plan my hurt.

Let them be as chaff before the wind,

with the Angel of the Lord driving them on.

Let their way be through dark and slippery places,

with the Angel of the Lord pursuing and afflicting them.

For without cause they hid for me their net;

a pit of destruction without cause they dug for my life.

Let destruction befall [my foe] unawares;

let the net he hid for me catch him;

let him fall into that very destruction.

Then I shall be joyful in the Lord;

I shall rejoice in His deliverance. …”

-- (Psalm 35: 1- 9. Amplified).

David prayed to the Lord to intercede on his behalf. God knew what David was going through, but through David’s requests, God knew that David was putting his trust and faith in God to care for him and keep him safe from his enemies. At times, too, the entire group of Israelites found themselves in situations where they were outnumbered when they had to go to battle against their enemies. They needed God’s help! So they prayed and relied on God for help. They knew that God could intercede for them, so they would pray to God for direction in the battle as well as for protection from the enemy. Their battles only succeeded when they truly relied on God’s direction, followed and obeyed His commandments, and acknowledged God’s love and benevolence in their lives.

We, too, have to obey God and follow His commandments. The one commandment that covers all our earthly relationships is the one that Christ continually emphasized, which is to “Love our neighbors as ourselves.” Christ even told us to, “… love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. … Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” – (Luke 6: 27-28, 31. NASV). Through Christ our Savior, we can pray for our enemies to find the hope of Salvation through Jesus Christ. We can also pray that they may never hurt us. Getting a Christian mentor to pray and cry out to the Lord with you is even more powerful!

We and the Israelites still have global enemies today just as the Israelites had long ago. But, God is still there for all His children today, and He hears our prayers. So, besides always praying for ourselves, we can intercede in prayer for Israel and for our own nation. In fact, throughout Christian history there have been situations that looked dire and impossible. Yet, when a group of Christians, who were spiritually burdened, got together in true Intercessory prayer, the tides turned in their favor. Even during WWI and WWII there were groups of Christians who interceded in prayer for protection and for the events to turn in the war. Indeed, there are marvelous stories of how God answered their prayers in ways that were truly miraculous.

God is the same yesterday, today and forever! So, if God has answered the dedicated prayers of interceding Christians during the World Wars, why do you think that we are not seeing our jihadist enemies stopped today? Could it be that we are not praying believing that God will rescue us from our enemies? Could it be that we are not praying for God’s will to be done in our lives, but are instead always making requests that sound like we are asking Santa Claus for a gift. Could it be that we are not going to God in true Intercessory prayer; passionate fervent prayer? Or could it be that we are still in terrible disobedience to God throughout our nation? Do we really want our nation to become godly again and are we truly praying for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in Heaven?

Although God answers prayers, He answers in His own way, but we can be assured of one thing: God loves us and He will answer. Indeed, He loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so that we can be cleansed of our sins and rid of our guilt. Christ arose from the grave and conquered death so that we can have eternal life. So, whatever God does is in our best interest and in the best interest of His Kingdom. Are you part of the Kingdom of God?  I hope so. If not, please stop right now and pray for Christ to come into your heart and cleanse you of all sin.

“For the wages of sin is death,

But the free gift of God is eternal life

through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

– (Romans 6: 23. NLT).

Intercessory Prayer can be an Important Aspect of ARCM

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble;

I shall rescue you,

And you will honor Me.”

– (Psalm 50: 3. NASV)

“Hear my cry, O God;

Give heed to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call to You

when my heart is faint;

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

– (Psalm 61: 1-2. NASV)

God has given us a valuable tool for communicating with Him. It is called prayer. Prayer is a way for us to make requests, praise Him and receive comfort from our LORD when we need comfort and strength. We can pray in groups, we can pray in our closet or quietly pray while sitting on a beach. In other words, we can pray anywhere and at anytime. 

Among the many types of prayers we can pray, is that of Intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is when we “press in” and diligently intercede for a particular person or situation before the LORD. We cray out for the Lord's help! Many times the Holy Spirit puts a spiritual burden on our heart for our mentee, for someone else that we know or for a particular situation that needs God's direction and help.Through Intercessory prayer we can take our spiritual prayer burden before the Lord; crying out for help and answers. 

Intercessory prayer has more depth and devotion than our regular prayers to God. It is a fervent diligent prayer in which we passionately pray "pressing in" to receive God’s answer to a problem or situation. Whether we are burdened for our mentee’s physical or emotional needs, or we are simply burdened about a negative situation in the life of someone we know, we can take our own spiritual burden or the person’s needs (even including the needs of our nation) before God; fervently, diligently and passionately praying for God's answer. But, we must set aside the time to pray and be willing to pray until we are prayed out!

Although we can say a quick prayer anytime, and God will hear it, Intercessory prayer is not usually quick. In fact, Intercessory prayer by its very name means we are devoting time to intercede on the behalf of another for a particular situation or need. Intercessory prayer, then, requires a greater amount of time to be set aside for this type of prayer. It is also usually not a prayer prayed in public, but instead is prayed in a quiet place where one can hear from God, as we prostrate ourselves before God interceding for another. It is through Intercessory Prayer that we cry out for the needs of others. God delights in showing His strength, compassion and love to anyone who is in trouble or who is facing a difficult situation. But sometimes the person in need cannot cry out to God, or the situation requiring prayer needs the dedicated fervent prayers of more than one person. This is when other Christians must step forward to cry out for that person or their needs through Intercessory prayer. 

We can see an example of the difference between regular prayers and what Intercessory prayers entail when we read how Nehemiah prayed passionately throughout an extended amount of time and with devotion, as recorded in the writings of the prophet Nehemiah. Nehemiah used Intercessory prayer when he discovered that the walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed along with the Temple. Nehemiah was given a spiritual burden to pray for the problems surrounding the city of Jerusalem.

In chapter one of the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah says:

“I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. ‘I beseech You O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night.’”

 -- (Nehemiah 1: 4-6. NASV).

Notice that Nehemiah prayed day and night beseeching God to hear his heartfelt prayer about the restoration of Jerusalem. How many of us have ever prayed day and night about something that God has lain on our heart? Whether it is a problem or situation within your own family or the fact that your heart is burdened for a need or a problem of someone else's, we can certainly can do more than just pray for five minutes here and there. Moreover, Intercessory prayer should be something that we are willing to pursue when we are actively and relationally mentoring another woman. In other words, we should be willing to include Intercessory Prayer as part of our mentoring process. This means that we must be willing to take the time to go before God interceding on the behalf of our mentee. However, even if the person is not your mentee, God may place a spiritual burden on your heart for another Christian. So, whether you are burdened for someone close to you, your mentee, or someone you have not personally met, you can still intercede on the behalf of that person.

We are told in Galatians 6: 2 that we are to “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” Part of bearing another’s burdens is to commit yourself to Intercessory prayer when your heart is heavy for the needs of another. You should also thank God and praise Him for His actions and answers in regard to the needs of the other person. Moreover, you may find that God may work through you to answer the mentee’s problem. That is, you actually become part of the answer to the spiritual burden you feel for your mentee. First you are burdened for prayer, but then in the process God shows you how you can help the mentee. But whether you are part of the answer or God steps in to answer as only God could, you are not to be anxious, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” – (Philippians 4: 6).

We must remember, though, that it is Christ who takes our prayer requests before the Father, and it is Christ to whom we are to address all our prayers. For, Jesus Christ is our Intercessor before God!  Moreover, Christ is always ready to receive our prayers. We just need to remember that we can go before God anytime through Christ, our Lord and Savior. In fact, there isn’t a time or place where we cannot pray to our Father in Heaven through His Son, Jesus Christ. Even knowing this, unfortunately, many Christians fail to understand the depth for which they can pray and the importance of their prayers for others.

Even though the Holy Spirit often prompts us to pray and gives us a spiritual burden for another or for a particular situation, we often take only a few minutes to pray, or we promise ourselves to pray at a later time; only to forget to pray. We are always in a hurry to get things taken care of and that includes praying. However, with ARCM, the mentor must not only be willing to pray at a moment’s notice but also be willing to pray for an extended time, if needed, to intercede on the behalf of her mentee. In other words, the ministry of active relational Christian mentoring requires commitment to the mentoring process and to the needs of the mentee, which also includes Intercessory prayer needs as well.

There are so many different things for which we can pray. We can pray for strength, health, happiness, protection, financial help and so much more. In fact, there isn’t subject about which we should be afraid to come before our Father in prayer, as we go through Jesus Christ, the Son. God is waiting for your prayers. For God is delighted when we acknowledge His strength and power after we have acknowledged to Him that we cannot make it in our own strength. We glorify God when we acknowledge that we need Him! We glorify Him when we come before Him through His Son, our Savior and Intercessor, Jesus Christ. 

Christ is part of the Great I Am. He is the Great Intercessor! He is our Savior and Lord!  Do you know Him? If not, NOW is a good time to get to know Christ!  Just call upon His Name and repent of your sins. Then believing that Christ is the risen Son of God who can cleanse you of all unrighteousness, ask Him to cleanse you and come into your Heart. You Can Do it! Then go and tell someone that Christ has “Saved” you! Be sure to also make time to pray to God, praising Him and glorifying Him even as you communicate your needs.  He will hear you and answer you!

Receiving Blessings through Active Relational Christian Mentoring

“How blessed is he who considers the helpless;

The Lord will protect him and keep him alive,

And he shall be called blessed upon the earth, …

The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed;

In his illness You restore him to health.” 

– (Psalm 41: 1-3. NASV).

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in Truth.

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He will also hear their cry and save them.

The Lord keeps all who love Him,

But all the wicked He will destroy.

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,

And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.”

– (Psalm 145: 18-21. NASV).

It has been about four weeks since I last wrote. This is because; I had a total knee replacement and have been recuperating and doing therapy. Early on after the initial surgery, there were times when my trust in the Lord was what actually got me through a night of pain. You see, God is always there for us, and we can call out to Him when we need help. We can call upon the Lord even when we are sick or in physical pain. In fact, the Psalmist tells us that the ‘Lord is near to all who call upon Him’. – (Psalm 145: 18). In my particular case, I called upon God for His help in handling the pain. But we can call upon Him no matter what the problem or concern is. Whatever our need, through Jesus Christ the Son, we can speak to our Heavenly Father. He will bless His children.

Psalm 41 speaks specifically to Christians who reach out to those that are helpless or to those who can’t do for themselves. It is in this particular Psalm that we are told that those who reach out to the helpless in the world will be blessed. Indeed, “He shall be called blessed upon the earth.” We are told that the Lord will help us and bless us even when we have troubles of our own or when we are on our sickbed, if we have blessed others. I can certainly vouch for the fact that the Lord helps the Christian who serves Him and others and that He blesses us even when we are sick.

Obviously, Christians can always do more to help the helpless, but if we love others the way that we love ourselves then we will actually look for and find many ways to help others; sometimes without realizing that is what we are doing. Many times those that we have helped will have knowingly or unknowingly blessed us through their empowerment from ARCM or by the giving of their time to help us or others.

We can always find ways to help another woman if we really want to do God’s work. Moreover, we are to “… not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”  -- (Hebrews 13: 16. NIV). But, one act of kindness should not be our last. Even though I have helped several women over the years, I know I can always find even more ways to help others, if I truly want to be of service to God’s Kingdom. In fact, all of us can always find one more minute in the day to share our life with a mentee. Whether we are very healthy or even if we have a physical handicap, we can always find ways to bless others with our kindness and help or find ways to bless someone through the sharing of the Gospel message. This pleases God.

Over the years, I have had to deal with many surgeries and great deal of pain. My health situation could have made it harder for me to be there for others when they needed help. However, I have found that if you desire to be a servant for God and if you truly want to help others that God will find ways for you to serve Him and other women. Some of the ways that I have been able to serve God is through both Active Relational Christian Mentoring (ARCM) and the Bible Studies that I have held in my home; trying to  help women grow closer to God. Whether it was an individual that needed mentoring or a group of women that I could teach and then mentor individually when needed, I have been able to live for God and help others at the same time. Invariably, when I least expected it, God would place someone He thought I could help within my path. At other times God would put me in a particular situation wherein my knowledge of the Bible could be of help. Certainly, though, I had to be open to those situations, which I encountered, and be willing to listen to and then mentor the individuals God placed in my life, or I could have missed blessing others or missed receiving the blessings that come from helping others.

Our blessings can come in many different forms. For example, we can be blessed by the friendships that are made through ARCM, or we can be blessed by not having to worry about money. Certainly, too, we can be blessed by the women we have helped, who turn around and help us when we are in need. Among the many ways that God can bless us for serving Him and others, is the reciprocal help that we can receive from someone whom we have previously helped. Indeed, I have often been blessed by the people that I have come to know or by those whom I have served through ARCM and Bible studies that I have held. In fact, in looking back at my life, I can see many different types of blessings all along the way. Most recently, though, I have been blessed by the ladies that attend my current Bible study.

The recuperation from a knee replacement can take from six to twelve weeks depending on the type of replacement, the health of the individual, and the ability of the individual to do the therapies needed to get the knee to work at full capacity. The first three weeks are the most painful, and you really have to rely on others to get things for you and help you in so many small and large ways. 

My husband took two weeks off from work to be with me and help me. He isn’t a cook nor does he know much about food preparation or even grocery shopping. He is a quick study, though, if someone shows him how to do something. Even so, that first week or two we both needed help. The ladies in my Bible study brought food in and even helped prepare some meals. Seeing their kindness and desire to help us did much for my recovery. They cared and they showed that they cared. We were truly blessed during our time of need.

After the first two weeks, my husband had to go back to work. He shortened his work day so that I would not be alone for a long period of time, but still I was going to be alone in the house for six to seven hours a day. So, the Bible study ladies got together and decided that they would take turns coming in to fix my lunch and sit with me a couple of hours each day. Although, I have thanked each one of them personally, they will really never know what a blessing that they were and still are to me. Their presence and conversation helped me to focus on what is important in life, i.e. God! Although we talked about many things, which kept my mind off the pain, we always ended up talking about God. When God is at the forefront of your mind, you do not have time to feel sorry for yourself or time to focus on the pain. Also, when God is at the center of your recuperation, you will get well much quicker. “For the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. … In his illness You restore him to health.”  -- (Psalm 41: 1, 3. NASV).

As Christian women, we need to focus on God and Christ often throughout the day. Whether we are recuperating, playing, working, or helping another woman through ARCM, we need to think about ways that we can serve God and others. You may not think that a simple conversation with another woman can be mentoring, but if the words that you speak touch the woman’s heart or give her knowledge or information that can empower her to be better than she was before, then you have blessed her and in turn you will receive blessings from God. The Bible says: “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” – (Proverbs 25: 11. NIV).

So, please take a moment to look at your life and look for those times when you have, through kindness and caring, helped another woman or young lady. Perhaps you simply gave her a ride somewhere, or you listened to her problems and prayed with her. For, whatever you do in the love of God for another is service for them and service to the Lord. Even helping a woman see Christ for Who He is and for what He can do for her can be not only a blessing to that woman, but a blessing to you for sharing the Gospel message. If you haven't helped someone recently, step forward and bless another woman with your time, resources, knowledge or skills. Remember, God is watching all of us, and He sees even the smallest acts of kindness that we do for another. ARCM is kindness expressed within a Christian relationship. You can do it!  You can bless another and in the process receive God’s blessings on your life as well.

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who does not lift up his soul to an idol

Or swear by what is false,

He will receive blessings from the Lord

and vindication from God His Savior. 

– (Psalm 24: 4-5. NIV)

Taking the Opportunity to Serve the Lord and others through ARCM

“For you were called to freedom, brethren;

Only do not turn your freedom into opportunity for the flesh (for sinning),

But through love serve one another.” 

 

-- (Galatians 5: 13. NASV).

Although this is a little longer blog than usual, I hope you will take the time to read it even if you need to break it in sections to read it. It is such an important topic. With Salvation we have freedom in Christ, which means we have the freedom to serve one another.

The last couple of weeks we have been talking about opportunities. So far, we have discovered that opportunities are important in our lives and that we are faced with great and small opportunities every day of our lives. But, because we are presented with both good and bad opportunities, we have to be discerning. We know that God gives us good opportunities in order to bless us or so that we can bless someone else. On the other hand, the secular world, along with Satan and his minions, wants us to succumb to worthless or harmful opportunities. So, we have to be careful and discerning with the opportunities we take. For, the Scriptures say: “and do not give the devil an opportunity.” – (Ephesians 4: 27. NASV). 

So, just as there are good opportunities that start early in life, potentially bad or hurtful opportunities also start early in life. For example, we all want to be accepted by our peers, so when another child or peer suggests that we do something that we know is not right or that it is bad for us, we have a choice to make. We have to choose whether to take that opportunity to do something that we know we shouldn’t, or we must choose to not take that particular opportunity and instead look for an opportunity to do good.

The choices we make in the opportunities set before us, no matter how small or large, can be life altering. For example, some young people are given the opportunity to smoke with their friends or peers after school. Some will choose to do so, while others will choose not to smoke. Those who choose to take the opportunity to smoke may later find that it is hard to quit smoking, or they may get cancer or emphysema later in life. Life is all about being discerning and insightful, as we rely on God’s laws and teachings to make the right decisions with the opportunities that are presented to us.

Some opportunities can be joyful or lead to joy and happiness such as the opportunity to attend a church get together or Christian party where you are introduced to your future mate. Opportunities to mentor another woman can also lead to the joy of a wonderful friendship or the joy of knowing that you helped someone. Years ago, I took the opportunity to attend a library conference in Manhattan, Kansas and ended up rooming with another library media specialist from the same school district where I worked.  We discovered that we had a great deal in common, especially our love of the Lord. “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice!”  -- (Philippians 4: 4. NLT). We also discovered that we both loved our careers and teaching library skills and technology to our students. We found that we enjoyed talking and laughing with each other throughout the conference. 

Once we got back to our home town, we kept in touch and even introduced our families to each other. Over the years, I have mentored her and her two daughters. The joy of our friendship is something that would not have happened, if I had not taken the opportunity to go to the library conference that week. Our friendship and future mentoring opportunities would not have happened had we both not taken the opportunity to find out more about each other.

Other opportunities are for servanthood in action. “Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.” – (Philippians 2: 4. NLT). Taking the opportunity to introduce yourself to someone new at church or at some venue can lead to friendship or to finding that you have the resources or knowledge needed by the other woman. But, if we don’t take the opportunities that God places in our path, we will not reap His blessings, nor will we be able to bless someone else. ARCM is a great way to bless another woman, and you could receive a blessings as well just by watching for the opportunities to befriend, say hello, or to listen to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to help another woman.

The Bible is full of true stories and informative parables about opportunities taken or other opportunities that should not have been taken. For example, the story of The Prodigal Son, (See Luke 15: 11-32) is a story full of opportunities; some are taken and others are not. The story starts with a son taking a selfish opportunity to ask for his inheritance before his father died. At first this son thinks that he has grabbed the golden ring and life is going to be good. But, because it was a self-motivated selfish and thoughtless opportunity it did not work out the way the son hoped it would.

But this is also the story of a loving father who took the opportunity to forgive his son and bless him. Although the son had been very wrong and selfish, the father welcomed his son home even after the son had humiliated his father and had lost the entire inheritance given to him by his father. Even so, the father took the opportunity to forgive his son. We, too, can take the opportunity to forgive someone who has hurt us. In fact, Christ gives each of us an opportunity to come to Him in repentance for our sins toward God and to be “Saved.”  But, to receive that Salvation, we have to grab hold of the opportunity Christ has offered us. Christ says: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”  -- (Luke 11: 28-30. NLT). Have you taken the opportunity to invite Christ into your heart?

Even within the story of The Prodigal Son, though, there is another person who could have benefited from taking the opportunity to forgive and restore a lost relationship. The brother of the son who asked for his early inheritance, had stayed at home and had become the dutiful son who worked hard and never gave his father a problem. But when the prodigal son came home and his father not only forgave this thoughtless son, but then prepared a banquet for him with all the trimmings and many guests invited to share in the father’s joy, his brother was jealous. Why was the one who had sinned and wronged his father the one who was now blessed and shown love? Why did his brother get a banquet and all this love lavished upon him? 

Have you ever felt that way?  Have you ever felt jealous of someone else’s blessing? Instead of taking the opportunity to be happy for someone, perhaps you took the opportunity to be miffed and upset. In earthly standards, some things just don’t seem fair. But, when someone repents and commits herself to the Lord, there is indeed reason to celebrate. Perhaps instead of looking at things through the eyes of this world and through the eyes of Satan, we should take the opportunity to look at things the way that God would like us to see them. God loves us and wants us to come to His Son, Christ, for Salvation. God rejoices when a lost child finds Salvation.

I don’t have the time to go into all of the opportunities taken and missed that are listed in the Newer Covenant/ Testament. Each one, though, provides a lesson for us to learn. However, I do want to mention two more. One such opportunity was taken by Pricilla and Aquila. If you remember they were a husband and wife team that shared the Gospel with other people they encountered. One day, they heard a Jew named Apollos speaking in the synagogue. He was a learned man who knew the Scriptures, and he was knowledgeable about the Messiah, having been instructed in the way of the Lord. But, Apollos only knew about the teaching and the baptism of John the Baptist. So, when Pricilla and Acquila heard Apollos speaking, they took the opportunity to invite him into their home to teach him about Christ. In their home they explained to Apollos the complete Gospel message and how Jesus Christ fulfilled the Scriptures. Later, Apollos went to Achaia to share the Good News of Christ. There he held debates and was able to refute the Jews, proving to them through the Scriptures that Jesus was indeed the Christ. (See Acts 18: 24-28.).

What if Pricilla and Acquila had heard Apollos, but just left him to continue his teaching with just half the message?  What if they had not invited Apollos into their home, so they could tell him about how Christ fulfilled all the prophecies and that Christ was the One whom John the Baptist had said was coming?  All of the people that Apollos was later able to share the Good News with would never have heard of the Good News of Jesus Christ as their Savior. All the Jews that Apollos refuted would never have heard the Truth of Christ the Messiah. But, Pricilla and Aquila took the opportunity, which was placed in front of them and grabbed it. They used that opportunity to invite Apollos home with them and not only teach him, but actively and relationally mentor him in the Good News. Using discernment and insight, they took the opportunity that the Holy Spirit gave them to share the Good News with one who had the ability to reach even more people for the Lord. Subsequently, Apollos spread the Good News far and wide. It is interesting, too, that although we do not know for sure who wrote the book of Hebrews, that Apollos is included in its list of possible authors.

At other times the opportunities we encounter in life are for Christian service; opportunities to show that we care, or to do something for someone else. Some opportunities are actually thrown at us, or we realize that an opportunity has found us. Such was the case when the Pharisees brought the adulterous woman to Jesus and literally threw her in front of Him. They said that she was caught in the act of adultery and quoted the Mosaic Law to Jesus. They said, “In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?” – (John 8: 5. NIV). The Pharisees were actually trying to trap Jesus into saying or doing something for which they could arrest Him.

Jesus, though, surprised them. For, “… Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, ‘If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.” – (John 8: 6-7. NIV).  We all know the rest of the story. Each man’s conscience condemned him so much so that each man dropped his stone, and the Pharisees and the crowds walked away leaving only Jesus and the woman. Then Jesus told the woman to “go and sin no more”.

Certainly, Jesus could have ignored the woman’s situation or just walked away from the Pharisees after the Pharisees brought the woman and threw her in front of Him. Jesus knew, though, that the Pharisees didn’t care about this woman, but only cared about trapping Him. Their goal was to find something against Jesus for which they could arrest Him. But, Jesus truly cared about this woman. He cared that her life and her soul was in jeopardy. Moreover, Jesus knew that every man there had his own hidden sins that he didn’t want the others to know about. So, Jesus used His knowledge and told all of them that if there was one there who was without sin, he should go ahead and throw his stone. But, none of the men were without sin. Furthermore, they were probably also afraid that Jesus would expose their own private sins to the crowd. So each man left leaving only Jesus and the woman. 

Jesus could have then walked away too. But instead, Jesus took the opportunity to tell the woman to “go and sin no more”. Her soul and her life were precious to Jesus, so He took the opportunity to tell her that she needed to change her ways. Jesus took the opportunity to affect change in the life of a sinner.

The last story I want to share today about an opportunity taken is from the Apostle Paul. Paul took many opportunities to share the Gospel with many people and to make a difference in their lives. In fact, Paul shared the Gospel message with everyone he encountered and he never let an opportunity to do so pass him by. One unique opportunity, however, occurred when the Apostle Paul encountered a runaway slave named Onesimus. This slave became the subject of a short one page letter in the Newer Covenant/ Testament that the Apostle Paul wrote to Philemon, Onesimus’ master.

The letter Paul wrote was about Onesimus’ new life in Christ. Although, we don’t know exactly how Paul met Onesimus, we learn from this letter that Onesimus could have been killed or maimed if caught for running away from his master. But instead of turning him in, Paul took the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with Onesimus. Consequently, Onesimus accepted Christ as His Savior and repented of his sins. He was then ready to go back to his master, Philemon, and accept the consequences. But, the Apostle Paul then took the opportunity to write a letter to Philemon to explain how much Onesimus had changed and that now Onesimus was their brother in Christ.

By taking this opportunity to write a letter, Paul may have literally saved Onesimus’ life. Certainly, Paul was given the opportunity by God to present the Gospel message to Onesimus. But now Paul was taking the opportunity to mentor Philemon too through this letter. The Apostle Paul took the opportunity to actively and relationally mentor both Onesimus and Philemon, only in different ways. Sometimes, we just have to look for a way to grab the opportunity that God has placed in front of us. Sometimes, through prayer and our determination to work for the Lord, we have to make the opportunity to do what the Holy Spirit has encouraged us to do. Certainly, Paul had to pick up a pen and write to Philemon. In that case, he took hold of the opportunity to save Onesimus’ life and to encourage a fairly new Christian, Philemon, to act like Christ would want him to act.

Although we don’t know positively, it is believed that Onesimus later became a bishop in Ephesus, because there was a bishop by that name from the same time period.  If that is the case, the opportunity that the Apostle Paul took to share Christ with Onesimus, mentor him and then later to write a letter to Onesimus’ master mentoring him, changed the life of not only Onesimus but changed the life of others to whom Onesimus was able to witness. Like Paul, we have to constantly look for opportunities to share Christ, to help others, or to be an advocate for someone who needs a friend. We too, must look for and take opportunities to relationally mentor (ARCM) or be there for someone who has a need. Active Relational Christian Mentoring (ARCM) is a wonderful way to be an advocate, to support, to counsel, to coach or to help another woman. No matter what kind of ARCM you do, through your mentoring you are empowering another woman to be all that she can be for herself, her family, and the Lord.

Whether the opportunities you encounter turn out to be large or small, look for those good opportunities to do something to bless another woman. For, that same opportunity could end up blessing your life as well. There are small opportunities that when recognized could profoundly affect the life of someone we know. Even little things can make a difference in the life of another woman. Is there the opportunity for you to bake a cake or to take supper to a church member?  Is there an opportunity for you to give a Christian a ride to the store or to take her somewhere she can’t get on her own?  Could you sit with a woman who is waiting for some medical results which could be unwanted? Do you have some knowledge or skill that another lady at church could use? Or, is there a woman at church who seems to be alone or shy? What could you do to help her feel more included in the church family or more at home and accepted?

I know that you can step up and actively mentor another woman.  All you have to do is look for God’s opportunities. You can do it! 

Billy Graham said: "Christians ought to carry written in our hearts the solemn truth of how short is our opportunity  to witness for Christ and live for Him."

Please take every opportunity God gives you to witness for Christ and live for Him. You Can Do it!  I know you can!

Opportunities for Serving the Lord: Part I

“Let us not lose heart in doing good,

for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.

So then, while we have opportunity,

let us do good to all men,

and especially to those who are the household of faith.”

– (Galatians 6: 9-10. NASB)

Life is full of opportunities. Opportunities fly around us like fall leaves floating through the air. There are so many different shapes and colors. Sometimes we find that one perfectly beautiful leaf and pick it up, while at other times we ignore the fallen leaves or actually step on them or over them if they obscure our view of what’s underneath. Opportunities, like leaves, can be so numerous that we overlook them or refuse to look closer at them.

When we were children, we recognized the joy that large amounts of fall leaves could bring. As children, we took every opportunity we could find to jump into large piles of leaves with joy in our hearts, while always seeing the possibilities of even more fun. But, just as the bagged leaves were thrown away by the adults, we too often throw away many golden opportunities given to us by God. Moreover, as adults, we have forgotten the joy that came from playing in the leaves as a child. Sadly, we can often forget the joy that can come from engaging in new opportunities. We also forget about the blessings that we can receive through God given opportunities and the blessings that we can give others by taking the opportunity to help or teach someone. Consequently, like the bagged leaves, we disregard or throw away many of our opportunities.

Just like the many different kinds of beautiful leaves that God has given us to enjoy, He has also given us many and varied opportunities to receive blessings, as well as opportunities to bless others. For example, He gives us opportunities to work, opportunities for an education, opportunities to meet other people, opportunities to save money, opportunities to do good, and opportunities to serve Him. God blesses us with varied opportunities throughout our life. Unfortunately, we don’t always recognize the opportunities that God places in our path. Worse yet are the many good opportunities that we do recognize, but we simply turn away from or turn down, because they take an effort that we are not willing to expend. Of the opportunities that we do recognize, we may also feel that we are not ready for that particular opportunity, or we may not want the responsibility that the opportunity brings. Sometimes, we are just afraid of the opportunity and what it could hold.

Along with the skills and talents that God gives to each woman, God also gives us opportunities to use those skills and talents for our enjoyment and enrichment, or to show our gratitude. One way we can show our gratitude is to take the opportunity to be of service in God’s Kingdom. Our service may be to be a godly mother and wife, or it may be to serve the Lord by becoming an Active Relational Christian Mentor to help other women. But whatever our service may be, it starts with a single opportunity.

From grade school on we are given opportunities to do good for others. As we continue to mature, we are given more and more opportunities to do good or to enrich our lives through our service to the Lord and others. In fact, within our lifetime God gives each of us thousands of opportunities to receive blessings or to bless others, whether we accept them or not. Some opportunities are given to us for personal improvement or financial betterment. Others are opportunities to meet the perfect mate, friend, or employer. But, throughout our lives, God also gives us opportunities to help other people through the talents, gifts, and perseverance that He has bestowed upon us. These opportunities can bring a blessing to another person, or can in some way bless our own life.

Besides personal opportunities, as Christian women we are often given an opportunity to help another woman, or we are given an opportunity to use our God-given gifts in some manner for the glory of the Kingdom of God. Active Relational Christian Mentoring often starts out as an opportunity to share our gifting, to teach another, to support someone, or to encourage another woman. ARCM does not require a specialized degree or intensive training in order to be of service to another woman through the mentoring opportunities that God places in our path. All it takes is for us to recognize an opportunity to mentor another and to then be willing to step forward to do so. “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”  -- (Proverbs 25:11.  NIV).

Christian opportunities come to us in various ways and sometimes in unexpected ways. We may hear of woman in church who is sick and so offer to take her Sunday school class for her. We can take the opportunity to smile at a woman whom we may later discover was depressed and lonely. We can stop what we are doing and take an opportunity to pray for someone who needs prayer and help. We can take the opportunity to share our skills with a group of women who are looking to learn something new. We may also find that we have the opportunity to lead a Bible study. Perhaps, we even have the opportunity to visit someone from church who is in the hospital. But whatever the opportunity is that presents itself, we have to first recognize it for what it is and then actually do something about it. If we don’t, it is an opportunity missed. So many times, though, we fail to recognize opportunities and miss the blessings that God has in store for us. How do we miss the blessings? We miss these blessings when we fail to act upon an opportunity that God has given to bless us.

My husband’s mother told my husband of a lost financial blessing when his father failed to act upon a financial opportunity back in the 1940’s.  J.C., my husband’s father, was a very thrifty and hard working man. He had lived through the great depression, though, and did not trust many people and especially the banks, so he kept most of his money out of the bank and well-hidden. Although friends and even close acquaintances did not know he had money, there were a few who suspected that he had quite a bit of money.

One day, two men whom J.C. knew came to him and asked him if he would like to go in with them in developing a particular cave for tourism. The two investors really believed that this cave could become a very lucrative business and that once it was developed all they would have to do was to sit back and reap the rewards of all the admissions into the cave. The two men had even picked out a name for the cave. 

The men then told J.C. that they believed that thirty thousand dollars would be enough to not only buy the property, but to develop the entrance to cave and to advertise the cave for tourism. They proposed that if J.C. and the two of them each put in ten thousand dollars, they would have all the money needed for the project. Although, ten thousand dollars was a large sum of money back then, J.C. actually had the money to invest in the project. In fact, at that time J.C. had over ten thousand dollars in a paper sack under the seat of his truck, but instead of taking the opportunity to invest in the project, he told the men that he was not going to invest in a hole in the ground. He turned the two men down. Unfortunately, J.C. did not have a discerning spirit, and he wasn’t able to see the possibilities or recognize the opportunity being placed in front of him. He missed out on a blessing for himself and his family. 

Eventually, the two men were able to find another man who was willing to invest with them, and as they say, “the rest is history.”  Today, that cave is known as Bridal Cave. It is located near Camdenton, Missouri where every year, thousands of people go through “Beautiful and Romantic Bridal Cave”.  One section of the cave looks like a wedding chapel, and hundreds of couples have been married in the cave. Each year more and more couples come just to be married in the cave. So every few years, the owners of the cave will sponsor a wedding week-end and invite all the couples who were married in the cave to come back and renew their vows. Couples from around the world fly into Missouri to come again to renew their vows in Bridal Cave. What J.C. said was “just a hole in the ground” turned out to be a very great tourist attraction that has made millions for the original investors throughout the years.

All of us have heard stories similar to this one. Yes, refusing this opportunity resulted in lost money and potential lost blessings for J.C. and his family. He also lost the opportunity to travel down “the road not taken.” But, what about the relational and spiritual opportunities lost, simply because we refuse to invest in the lives of other people? What about the relational and spiritual blessings lost because we refuse to engage in an opportunity like Active Relational Christian Mentoring? Worse still, is losing the opportunity to share the Gospel message with someone. As Christians, we are supposed to be on the look-out for opportunities to share Christ with others.  But, we are also supposed to look for opportunities to help others as well. When we overlook or fail to recognize an opportunity to help someone else, we have missed a blessing that God had planned for us. We have failed, too, to bless someone else’s life when we give up an opportunity to speak into the life of another woman.

The Bible is full of stories of opportunities taken to share the Good News or to help someone in trouble. Jesus was always looking for opportunities to speak into the life of another person. Sometimes the opportunity just presented itself like on the day when Jesus came into Jericho and found Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who had climbed high up in a tree so that he could see Jesus. Zacchaeus was a short man and could not see over the crowds, and since tax collectors were hated by the general public, he knew that no one was going to make room for him to get close enough to Jesus to see him. So, Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus. When Jesus walked by the tree, He saw Zacchaeus up in the tree. Jesus could have left Zacchaeus there, ignored him, or even just acknowledged him as he passed by the tree. But, instead, “he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today.’”  Zacchaeus came down from the tree and said to the Lord Jesus, “‘Look, Lord! Here and now, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.’”  -- (Luke 19: 5-10. NIV).

Jesus took the opportunity that day to stop and not only speak to Zachaeus, but to tell him he would like to dine with him. Can you imagine the happiness of this societal outcast? Zachaeus could not believe that Jesus loved him enough to come to his house! Moreover, Jesus, by doing this, was telling the crowd that he loved even the obvious sinner. Zacchaeus was changed forever, because Jesus took the opportunity to speak to him. Could you change someone’s life by simply taking the time to speak to another woman?

One of the greatest opportunities that any of us can receive is the opportunity to share the Good News with another person. That opportunity can come in a serendipitous moment. It can come when we least expect it. But, whenever that moment comes, we need to be ready and willing to share Christ. Often, the sharing comes about through a developed relationship. But in order to develop a relationship with another woman, we have to seize the opportunity to get to know her, help her, or befriend her. Active Relational Christian Mentoring is a wonderful way to develop a relationship, whether you are teaching, counseling, supporting, coaching, or holding someone accountable for her actions. But in order to engage in ARCM, we have to take the opportunity that God places in our path to actively be there for the other woman. I know that you can do it! You can mentor for the Lord!

Every day that we live is a gift from God.

God has given us the priceless gift of life so that we can glorify and honor Him.

Even though we have failed God in so many sinful ways,

God loves us so much that He sent His only Son,

 Jesus Christ,

to die on a cruel cross to take away our sins.

Christ’s blood cleanses us from all sin.

The Cross was Christ’s opportunity to Save us and bless us.

All we have to do to receive this cleansing blessing

is to take the opportunity given to each of us to call upon Jesus Christ and ask

 Him to come into our life.

In repentance and belief in Christ as the Son of the Living God,

we can have life eternal!

Have you taken the opportunity to ask Christ 

to come into your heart?

Why wait?

Christ is waiting for you!

– (Vicky Lynn Thomas)