New Hope for When You’re Weary & Discouraged

Photo by Cole Keister on Unsplash

The guys were taking a night to try to find normal again. 

A crazy rollercoaster of experiences and emotions in the last couple weeks had shattered their world – and now they still felt unsure of which way was up. More importantly, they were unsure of what they should do next.

So they went fishing – something they knew well, something routine and ordinary.

But things still seemed askew and off – because no matter their efforts and expertise, after working all night there were only dripping empty nets, growling stomachs, and bleary, red-rimmed eyes in the grey, early morning light.

Then, a stranger walking in the early morning mist on the nearby shore called out in a friendly, fatherly way, “Hey guys, catch anything?” 

Ruefully they called back, “Nope, nothing – not even after being out all night!”

Probably with a smile in his voice, the stranger called back, “Try the right side of the boat.”

Maybe they rolled their eyes at this advice, maybe they were too tired and hopeless to argue. Maybe they figured it was just so inane it was worth a shot, so they did as he said…

And immediately their net almost slipped from their hands with the weight of the heavy catch of fish that filled it to nearly bursting. 

Then – after recognizing the stranger as Jesus, their newly-risen Savior and Teacher – the suddenly rejoicing, energized men were welcomed from the coldness of the morning sea to a brightly flickering fire on the beach. 

Then Jesus himself, the Lord of life and Creator of the Universe, served them a hot breakfast of grilled fish and bread. (John 21:1-13) 

He who should have been served instead tenderly served the same men who had recently abandoned him, denied him, and hid from being recognized as his followers. He who could have sharply reproached instead showed heart-breaking kindness.

This gracious, humble, and loving Savior is the one who cares for you and me in all our weakness and brokenness and strugglings today. When we work wearily without success, when we feel hopeless and uncertain and discouraged – He is the one who asks us to tell the truth of our lack (“Nope, we got nothing!”), and then to try again – with him. 

Any outcome of our efforts is his gift. “For without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

And then he welcomes us to sit with him and be warmed and fed – and he himself serves us.

This is our Lord – and in his kindness he is lovely beyond words. 

I pray that you are comforted and fed today in the rich satisfaction of knowing the kindness of our King – and find in his kindness the hope to go on.

-Wear your crown. Carry your sword.

Maria

Sign up so these little notes drop easily in your inbox – and please share! Thanks, you’re the best.

How to Be the Story of the Glorious Kingdom, Part 3

… We are citizens of heaven, and are called to live in a manner worthy of our King and his Kingdom (Philippians 1:27).

So how do we do this?

The simple answer is far from easy: We become the People of his Book.

To consider the Holy Bible as the highest treasure of our hearts and the strongest connection to our King and our homeland is the simplest, most straight-forward way to live out our calling as Ambassadors.

The Spirit-inspired Scriptures are to be in our thoughts, words and actions – every day. We need to carefully, sincerely, and reverently read them, ponder them and pray them. We are to sing them, teach them, write them and live them.

But most of all, we are to love the Scriptures – because if we do, the rest will follow.

"And now, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good." (Deuteronomy 10:12-13) 

Ambassadors appointed on behalf of their nation do not lose their distinctive language, traditions, customs, philosophies or citizenship merely because they are stationed in a foreign country. On the contrary – it is because they are constantly representing their homeland and government that they remain unmistakably different from the local culture around them.

We are called to live unmistakably different lives as citizens of Heaven.

We have been given the “Protocol Guidebook” of our nation’s customs, language, history, beliefs and laws – it deserves our daily, intentional, devoted study and thought. How else will we understand our own King’s laws? Speak our country’s language? How else can we explain to others why they should want to immigrate there, or how our King vastly surpasses any other ruler in excellence? How else can we accurately disciple and mentor other younger citizens (our children or any given to us to teach) so that they can one day fill their own appointments in their own embassies?

This should be our passionate desire – to be so deeply steeped in the Book of our King that if he should come on a visit of State, we would not be ashamed by how we have been representing him, but delighted to introduce the One we have so faithfully served to those around us.

And what joy to have those people say – “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42)

  • Wear your crown. Carry your sword. – Maria

*To get these stories dropped easily in your inbox where you can find them fast, simply sign up! And please share – Thanks a million!

The Story of the Glorious Kingdom, Part Two

Photo by Luis Fernando Felipe Alves on Unsplash

If you, like me, claim Jesus to be your Savior and King, the Story of the Glorious Kingdom (click on it to read if you missed it!) is not just a fairy tale. 

It’s OUR story.  

WE have been set free from the dark kingdom and are now commissioned as Ambassadors of the Glorious Kingdom. This is OUR King’s book, written in the language of the Kingdom, carrying His instructions and teaching us all we need to carry out our calling as His representatives. 

The definition of “Ambassador” is: a person of high-rank appointed by their ruler to represent them and their country for a special and temporary assignment in a foreign country. (I checked Wikipedia)

This is the perfect description for who we are called to be as followers of Christ: 

  • Adopted into his family as sons and daughters of the Most High God (Ephesians 1:4-5) – we’re nobility personified! We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, Peter says (1 Peter 2:9) – those called to mediate between God and the people who don’t yet know him as King.
  • We’ve been appointed to represent our ruler and his kingdom: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 says God has given us this task of reconciling people to him, emphatically stating: “We are Christ’s ambassadors.” 
  • It’s a unique assignment to each of us, because we each are unique creations, specially placed in the circumstances, locations, and in the communities we are because we each have a unique work to do: 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 compares us as a group of believers as a body with many varied parts, all working to accomplish a unified goal. Ephesians 2:10 declares we each have been created in Christ Jesus to do the good works that God himself prepared before time for us each to do!
  • It’s a temporary assignment because we each don’t know how long we have or when we will be either placed somewhere else, or called back to our homeland. Our lives are not our own, and tomorrow is not promised. Therefore we work each day we’ve been given as best we can, knowing we might be called home tomorrow! Psalm 90:12 prays that we might know the brevity of our lives and live wisely because of it.
  • We’re to consider ourselves as foreigners and outsiders because this world is not our home and we are not to hold onto it too tightly – we are citizens of heaven, and are called to live in a manner worthy of our King and his Kingdom (Philippians 1:27). 1 Peter 2:11 exhorts, “Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from the worldly desires that wage war against your souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors… [so that] they will give honor to God when he judges the world.”

And the question likely burning in your mind now is… “HOW? How do we do this?” (Stay tuned…)

Wear your crown. Carry your sword. – Maria

*To get these stories dropped easily in your inbox where you can find them fast, simply sign up! And do please share – Thanks a million!

The Story of the Glorious Kingdom: Part One

Photo by Gary Ellis on Unsplash

Let me tell you a story…

Once upon a time, there was a glorious kingdom ruled by a monarch of unsurpassed excellence, wisdom, and might. This king had two adopted children, and daily he met with them in the palace gardens to teach them about the kingdom. They had wonderful times together, and they loved each other dearly.

There was, however, an insidious and evil High Chancellor who plotted to take the throne! He had planted his traitorous spies and assassins throughout the kingdom. 

One dark night, war broke out.  Though the King and his armies were victorious, as the enemy retreated, the royal children were kidnapped and taken as prisoners. 

Gagged, bound, beaten, thrown into a filthy cart, they could only weep in terror and sorrow as they watched their beloved home shrink in the distance. 
The dark shadowy mist of the wild territory of their enemy became all they knew in the months ahead.  They were forced to work as slaves deep in the mines of the enemy’s fortress, chained in the cold darkness and treated with brutality. 

The children tried to recall the things their King-Father would talk about with them in the gardens back in the wonderful, dreamlike days before their imprisonment, but it was hard to remember clearly. Hope was thin and threadbare.

Then, one day, an unusual Messenger rode into the dark territory – an Ambassador sent by the King of the glorious Kingdom! He had come to reclaim not only his children, but all the slaves, and had brought an unimaginably large amount of treasure as ransom. 

Their foul enemy mockingly laughed as he greedily counted the treasure, for he planned to keep the ransom and the slaves and kill the Ambassador. 

Suddenly his laughter strangled in his throat, and he cowered like a dog, as the Ambassador threw off his outer robes and was revealed to be – the King himself, with a blazing sword in hand and fire in his eyes!

The King contemptuously and furiously beat him with the flat of his sword, sending him yelping in pain and humiliation and scurrying like a rat out the nearest door. 

Then the King searched the dungeons till he found his children. He struck off their chains and brought them out to a light-filled open square. He wept with joy as he held their bruised, filthy bodies close to his heart. 

Kissing their faces and looking into their tear-filled eyes, he told them that though they were now free, it was not yet time to return home. 

In the meantime, they were to tell as many slaves as possible that their time of enslavement was over!  Because their freedom was purchased by the King, they now had citizenship and a future home in the glorious Kingdom. They and any slave who claimed the King as their own would be given full rights and citizenship as his royal children.

The King had the children bathed and fed, and gave them clean, lovely robes and bright crowns of gold to wear as proof that they were his Royal Ambassadors. 

Then he pulled from his bag a large leather book, carefully copied by his own hand. Written in the language of the glorious kingdom, it contained all that the Ambassador-Children would need to know to complete their task before the King returned. 

As he handed them each a copy of his Book, it transformed into swords exactly like His – swords that glowed with a warm white light, strong enough to kill a dragon, sharp enough to split a hair, yet light enough that a child could carry it. 

The children solemnly and with fierce joy strapped on their weapons. Then after one last long embrace and promise of His swift return, the King rode off.

The children, watching, saw his strong, upright form slowly grow faint in the mist. Then they turned, bright faced, back to the dark territory to start the task of declaring to the other slaves the same truth and promise they had been given, and to wait with fierce joy for their King-Father’s victorious return. 

(Part Two coming soon – stay tuned!)

Wear your crown. Carry your sword. – Maria

Like this story? Please share it! (Thanks!) Remember to drop your name in the sign-up so that you can get these stories and articles dropped easily in your inbox!

True Confessions of an Epic New Miller Misadventure

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash

Spring Break hit hard this year. 

The house we had giddily reserved for almost a week for our large young family was on a small island accessible by ferry. It had sufficient beds, a wood-burning fireplace, and a hot tub in the yard. We were anticipating a week of restful quiet, beach-combing, game nights, cuddling up with books, and soaking in the hot tub while hearing the wind sigh in the towering pines overhead. 

Alas.

Upon arrival on a gray and windy afternoon, we discovered that the narrow, steeply downhill driveway was covered with thick pine needles and did not allow us to turn or park our large van in the garage – firstly because we had no space on either side from the bare scratchy shrubs and row of thick evergreen trees on either side, and secondly because we would never have fit in the low, small garage anyway. No matter. We parked with the van pointed down on the slope, and unloaded our bins and bags of belongings, running in and out multiple times. 

The initial smell of the house was mildew. The smell only strengthened as we began to explore. Downstairs was worst – where the two rooms I was going to put six of my eight kids were. The two rooms each had a double bed and a trundle, and were connected by a bathroom in the middle. The bathroom doors in the bedrooms on either side were glass, but had been thoughtfully covered by curtains of fabric – allowing modesty but not stopping any light. And the light switches for the bathroom were in each bedroom – allowing anyone on either side to turn on or off the light at any moment, regardless of what the person actually using the bathroom expected or needed.

As my husband and I made up the trundle beds, we noticed that the floors were rather dusty and the mattresses were covered with hair. Human hair, and not just from the head. A small pill was also found in one of the beds – not one I could readily identify – and my husband quickly threw it away with disgust. Trying to erase these things from my thoughts, we headed upstairs to continue unpacking and settling in.

The main floor bathroom where each of my children were told to wash their hands had another glass door with another semi-private cloth curtain. The soap dispenser shot soap directly outward rather than down, so some of my kids came out with soap sprayed on their chests or arms.  

The dishwasher wasn’t actually attached to the cupboards or counter, so when my husband tried to help me open the door (because I was unable to wrench it open despite trying several times), the entire dishwasher tipped forward so his thumb was caught and wedged between the metal casing of the dishwasher and the top of the counter – still without the door open. Maybe I didn’t need to think about dishes yet.

Upstairs, I was surprised to note that the master bedroom was actually a loft, complete with two little nooks with twin mattresses for two more children and a full prospect of the living room, and no door at the top of the stairs. The master bathroom kept the loft theme, with an open space above the bathroom door (again, fully glass, covered with a thin see-through gauzy cloth curtain) that continued all the way through to the toilet and shower – allowing any sounds or activity therein to be discernible by anyone on the upper and main floor at any time. But then, privacy is highly overrated. 

The wiring was suitable for the age of the house – which is to say, it was outdated and quirky, with switches for various rooms or areas in mysterious, non-intuitive locations, sometimes on other floors altogether – one switch for the light in the master shower on the top floor was actually downstairs on the main floor, near the kitchen. The fairy lights strung fancifully in the little nooks upstairs were adorable – except that one set’s wiring had been disconnected from the plug altogether, and the end of the wire was stuffed under the mattress. Nothing like a fire to keep one warm at night.

Trying to get supper ready, I headed down to the kitchen to begin preparations. After setting a stack of fresh napkins on the table, I heated the oven and made the salad. When I returned to the table to start setting it, I was surprised to see a clear black handprint on the top of the stack of napkins. All the children denied it – but the culprit was easily found, since their entire hand was coated in a greasy film of black soot. What had they been touching?! I shrieked in alarm – and discovered that it had been the table itself. Apparently the chimney had just been serviced – there was an invoice and a report on the counter – and we found that the entire main living area and kitchen were coated with a thin layer of soot. The yellow cloth we found to use to clean came up with a black streak with every swipe. Running a palm over the kitchen counter, the palm turned grey-black almost instantly. 

When I then inspected the other kids’ hands and socks, a layer of grey-black grime was evident. All our kids were immediately advised to stop touching things (because apparently I was hallucinating about their ability to actually obey this order) and to replace their shoes, which they had removed. 

I was horrified and grossed out. I began texting the owner – only to be interrupted by a piercing scream of pain. My daughter stood in the doorway of the bathroom, bent double and shrieking in agony – she had been shot in the eye by a stream of soap. Since she was unable to see or move, my husband and I ran to her and dragged her over to the kitchen sink. We began an attempt at emergency eye-washing with cool water – while she continued to scream and writhe and fight us, unable to process or listen to anything we said, swollen eye shut tight and face contorted. Her eye remained swollen, pink, and weepy the remainder of our stay.

It was my breaking point. At this juncture this property was beyond redemption for me. 

I communicated to the owner that we were too uncomfortable with the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of the house and would not able to stay – we would be leaving in the morning. She was apologetic and understanding, and quickly reimbursed us, but now we had to start repacking up everything we had just unpacked – which was a lot, since I had apparently excelled at efficiency, to my chagrin. 

My husband, searching online, found another large home nearby – the only other option we had seen that would accommodate us – and made reservations as it was, miraculously, still available for the dates we needed.

In the morning, we ate hurriedly and then, despite our children’s best efforts to sabotage our departure, managed to get everything reassembled and shuffled back into the bins we had come with, only breaking one glass bottle in the process.

Then my husband received news: The second reservation he had made was actually not available. At all. It had been listed by mistake, and the property was being used for storage for all the furniture from another property that had flooded the year before. So sorry for the inconvenience! 

Stunned, sick at heart, we quickly searched again online for any other available place that would work for our immediate housing needs and numbers – and came up empty. I began to weep as I continued packing up, facing the inevitable – we would be returning home after this disappointing and negative experience. Spring Break was a bust. The children who did not cry were pale and silent with disappointment – and that hurt my heart worse.

Then my resourceful husband located a possible option at a town we had visited a couple years before – but it was about four hours’ drive away. If we were willing to make it, it was available immediately and was spacious enough for us and had a hot tub to boot. Eyes wide with sudden galvanized hope, our packing went into fifth gear. Flinging the last coat and bag into the van and shuffling the last child in, we climbed into the van to make our way back to the ferry line – perhaps we could make the one leaving in about ten minutes! 

In the meantime, the gray and sullen sky had begun to rain. 

Engine revving, we lurched forward – then in trying to reverse up that steep driveway covered with (now wet and slippery) pine needles, the tires spun out and we couldn’t move backwards up the final stretch of the driveway. Three times, four, five – each time we tried, we spun out, tires whirling and smoking, engine roaring, never reaching the top of the driveway and the freedom of the lane beyond. Panicky thoughts of being trapped at this house began to rise in my mind.

I leapt out of the van, running back to the house for a broom – coming back to try to make a dent in the thick spongy layer of decomposing pine needles, eventually frantically scraping at them with the dustpan, since the broom was ineffective. My husband, now worried about the transmission and thinking we would need to call a tow truck to get out, called out the window for me to get off the driveway – he would try one more time and didn’t want to run me over!  Using only the back-up camera, he gunned it into reverse one more time – and lurched and spun, and despite more skidding and roaring, made it up to the top and backed into the lane! Flinging the broom back inside the house, I leapt into the van and we took off. Adrenaline pumping, we drove quickly and carefully down the winding narrow island roads to the ferry dock – only to see the cars from the most recent ferry driving past – the ferry back to the mainland was about to leave! 

We drove down to the waiting queue and were the last in line – and already mourning, I saw that the ferry was mostly full. Surely there would be no more space for our large van – and the next ferry was another hour and a half later. In shock, my mind couldn’t process what this meant.

But then – astonishingly, the people loading the ferry were waving brusquely at us to move forward! There was one last rectangle of space on board – and our van filled it exactly. Beaming broadly, I pumped my fist victoriously at the wonderful woman who had motioned us aboard, wishing I could leap out and hug her in gratitude. She merely smiled, clearly humbly unaware of how magnificent she was.

It was a glorious departure.

And when we finally arrived at the third reservation, the simple discoveries that the house smelled clean, there wasn’t a smear of soot in sight, the master bedroom and bathroom were private, the dishwasher opened in a most unexciting way, and that there were clean and plentiful hair-free beds for each and every child were causes for rejoicing and gratitude. 

Nothing like an incredible dose of perspective to create a heart of thanksgiving.

And create the firm resolve to just stay home next Spring Break.

Have you had any kooky misadventures these past few weeks? Sign up for my emails and keep in touch to let me know how you’re doing! And please share this post! Thanks a bunch.

Wear your crown. Carry your sword. – Maria Miller

Relief = Happy? Maybe Not – What You REALLY Need Instead

Photo by Matteo Vistocco on Unsplash

We humans can be so short-sighted. 

In a challenging situation or a season of suffering or hardship, all we care about is obtaining relief – and we think that if the challenge were to be removed, suddenly everything would be great. We would be so happy! 

But is that true? 

Exodus 17:1-7, written by Moses, tells about a time when the people of Israel camp in the wilderness at a location called Rephidim. “At the Lord’s command,” the text declares emphatically.

So what’s the problem? 

There was no water at Rephidim. 

For a large community of people, children, and animals, that’s a big problem.

Please note that these are the exact same people who saw the terrors of the ten plagues in Egypt and then the parting of the Red Sea only a few weeks prior. These folks saw the hand of God move mightily on their behalf, and have been following the moving pillars of cloud and fire – physical manifestations of God’s guidance – through the wilderness.

So with this new challenge, what do they do? They quickly turn in angry complaints to Moses, demanding for him to give them water.

Moses warns them to be quiet – clearly wanting them to respectfully ask and patiently wait to see the provision of God (as he had done so powerfully before), and reminds them not to test God.

But when they continue to feel the torment of strong thirst – they not only continue to argue but they attribute Moses (and therefore God, who is directing him) with harmful, hateful intent, saying “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children and our livestock with thirst?” (Exodus 17: 3)

Their discomfort and suffering completely overwhelmed them – all they could focus on was their current misery and how it would vanish with what they craved – water. 

The beleaguered Moses cries out to God asking what to do – and God tells him. “Walk out in front of the people. They accused me publicly, they will be answered publicly. Take the same staff that struck the Nile and turned water to blood – and bring some of the elders to join you. I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and the water will come gushing out – and then the people will be able to drink.” (Exodus 17: 5-6, my paraphrase)

Did you see that? 

God himself would stand on the rock that would gush out water. 

Why? 

Because what the people needed more than water was the Presence of God.

In our own ongoing struggles, the challenges and sufferings of life in a sin-darkened world, it is so very easy to be forgetful of what we know to be true.

God is always and has always been faithful, AND it is by his direct guidance that we are exactly where we are in this place of lack or suffering or hardship.

Therefore it means we are to stop blaming other people, stop accusing God of harmful intent or careless indifference, and smash our idols of perceived comfort and relief.

Because what we need most, no matter how much we crave other things, is not relief from the suffering – it is HIMSELF.

David wrote Psalm 63 during his own time in the wilderness – I encourage you to pull out a Bible and pray this Psalm for yourself, asking the Spirit to make it genuinely true for your heart: 

“Oh God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water…  Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!” (Psalm 63:1,3)

May we be a people who can sing this up to him in truth – even in a wilderness of no water and with suffering – that we find our God and his love better than life itself.

Wear your crown, carry your sword. – Maria

*(This post was inspired by John Piper’s excellent sermon “Water from the Rock for Undeserving People” from August 11, 2022, found here.)

It would mean so much if you shared this! Thanks! Sign up for these articles to be delivered straight to your inbox – you’ll be glad you did. (I don’t spam, cross my heart.)

Friend or Foe? 2 Hidden Secrets for Your Parenting Success

Photo by Sai De Silva on Unsplash

Let’s talk about parenting. Because parents can be enormously damaging. Or enormously life-giving (but those can be more rare – just stating the facts, ma’am).

I think that the general purpose of parents has been greatly lost in recent years, so here’s my take on 2 secrets about parenting that will bring clarity to your overall perspective and hopefully remind you of the truth while giving you some hope!

On the parent’s part:

Parenting is about being parented. That’s it.

It’s not actually supposed to be about the child/ren much at all, especially as an end. It’s really about coming to terms with one’s own relationship with the Ultimate Father – God – and being found in a situation where one is constantly forced to face their own inadequacies, sinful selfishness, and humiliating lack of understanding and control. (Ask me how I know this.)

It’s about coming to a point of reliance on the great and merciful supply of daily wisdom and strength that God alone can give. It’s about surrendering pride and appearances and being willing to endure pain and possible rejection for another’s highest good. 

On the child’s part:
Parenting is really about being stewarded, discipled, and trained toward an understanding and belief in this same Ultimate Father as their true parent – because any sort of replacement of the human parent for reliance on their Father God is going to be a letdown. 

Human parents are going to disappoint their children, fail them, and hurt them – probably often, hopefully mostly unintentionally.

(If you are feeling reactive to that last statement, check your pride – those of us who are being honest with ourselves are nodding in rueful agreement.) 

In spite of their inherent imperfection, the parent’s true role is to provide loving care and physical, mental, and emotional nourishment in such a way that the child has no impediment to seeing their heavenly Father’s love and care reflected by the parent.

By doing so, parents are creating the opportunity for children to begin their own relationship with him, with the hope that they love Him far more than they love their parents. 

This is the ultimate goal of parenting. 

(And yes, teaching them to say please, brush their teeth, and wear deodorant is also helpful – but not the ultimate goal.)

Why we fail is because we keep forgetting who we are and our true role: stewards, managers, and tutors serving an all-powerful and all-knowing King. We are in charge of raising HIS children with their eternal souls to become valuable, purposeful and reverent royal citizens in the King’s eternal Kingdom – not ours. And each person who parents another will be held accountable for our stewardship to the Father-King. 

We were created to find our deepest joy and richest purpose in our Ultimate Father, not in flawed human parents. 

And that’s why so many well-intentioned, loving parents get it wrong. 

Because it’s not about us or our children – it’s about our King. If that clarity of focus is lost – no matter how loving or “religious” or protecting – that parent has become an impediment to the child’s greatest good.

The overwhelming love and protection we feel for our children is only a microbial drop compared to the deep sea of love our Father has for us – allowing us to get a glimpse of his heart and love, enabling us to persevere in our work of parenting while rejoicing and comforted in our own relationship with him.

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children...

- Deuteronomy 6:6-7a

Wear Your Crown, Carry Your Sword. – Maria Miller

Please share this article? You rock. Thanks a million!

And please sign up today to have these posts sent to your inbox where you can read them easily and at your leisure. (I promise to not spam you.)

Because A Simple “So What” Gives More Powerful Purpose

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

1 Peter 3:15

I once attended a book-writing conference in another state. I had a rough manuscript of substantial length, words that I had written with deep emotion and intention – but when one of the guest speakers happened to sit at my table and ask, “So, what’s your book about?”, I completely froze. Then I stammered some muddled phrases that left him (and frankly, me) confused.

I was mortified. I had even tried to prepare for this question beforehand – but I realized too late the problem: the stated purpose of my book was not clear or short enough to remember well. Under stress it became incoherent.

The valuable lesson I learned that day: Be ready to clearly state the ‘so what’. And make it snappy, sister. Because if no one gets what you’re trying to offer – if it’s not clear and easily shareable – you’re not going to make a lot of impact. 

So what’s YOUR “So what”? If someone who didn’t know you very well asked you “So what’s your story?” Or “So what do you do?” (or a similar question – and answering with your job description seems so trivial), do you know what you would say in a sentence or two? Does this question make you squirm with sudden discomfort? (I feel you.)  

Good news! You get to make a “So what” statement for yourself! I can help.

Creating a “So what” statement (commonly known as a personal mission statement) for yourself does two things:

  1. Tells others what your main purpose – and why it matters
  2. Leads you to do what matters most

A “So What” statement helps you chisel down to the core of what you’re about for others. It also gives you a guideline to help you make the best decisions for where you want to spend your valuable time and energy – and ultimately your precious God-given life. 

This can also be a source of freedom in liberating you to say no to things that don’t fall inside the lines of your main purpose.

As an Ambassador of Christ, the ‘so what’ should be something we all work to define for our lives – whether we herd goats, lay carpet, raise little humans, or do brain surgery.

While ultimately our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever (Westminster Catechism, answer to “What is the chief purpose of man?”), we must work this out on a personal level to understand what and where our greatest impact is in this season.

(If you are unable to agree truthfully with the big picture purpose of glorifying and enjoying God, perhaps you should start with “Why don’t I?”. I recommend John Piper’s “Desiring God”, “When I Don’t Desire God”, “A Hunger for God”, or “The Pleasures of God” as great resources.)

So how do we come up with that juicy yet clear “So what” answer? One simple format to follow is to fill in the blanks in this sentence:

“I [action] by [ability/skill] for [people you reach] to [desired result].”

And rearrange the sentence as you need. For example: a fiction author might say: “I create stories that inform, entertain, and inspire people around the world.”

Or a homeschool mom: “I train and educate my children to become compassionate, godly and hard-working members of society and disciples of Christ.”

Is there a lot more to this? Yes! But this is a great starting place. 

Why does it matter whether or not you articulate a personal “So What” statement?
Because a simple, clear description of your “So what” gives your purpose power. 

It helps you simplify what is most important to you – and what you can let go of to prioritize your precious time. This gives you clarity to live purposefully the precious life God has given you.

Go strongly, friend. 

Wear Your Crown, Carry Your Sword. – Maria Miller

If you want a free cheat sheet with more help and tips on how to create your own purpose statement, you can get access to my exclusive free printable page by signing up to receive my articles in your inbox - the password is immediately sent to you! 
(If you’ve already signed up, you’ll be getting an email with the password.)  

I’d love to hear what YOUR “So What” statement is – please email me to share it with me!

(If this article was encouraging, inspiring or helpful to you – would you please share it? Thanks!)

Overcome Fear – Live Life with Strong Courage

A Story of a Young Queen & Her Triumph Over Fear of Death
Photo by Houcine Ncib on Unsplash

Once there was a beautiful little girl who was raised in exile by her older cousin because her parents were dead and their homeland was far away. She was given a new name, spoke the language of her new country, and was taught to never share her ethnic background. 

One day, as a lovely young woman, she was unexpectedly forced into a mandatory national beauty contest for all young women in the land. Despite the fierce competition, she won! She suddenly gained a crown, a palace, a position as Queen of all the land – and a king for a husband, notorious for his temper and tyranny.

Soon afterwards, an evil nobleman favored by the king rose in authority and used his influence to schedule a massive genocide of a certain people group he hated – little realizing it was the people of the new queen.

Urged by her cousin to use her royal position to plead for mercy from the king, the young queen was shaken and afraid. The king had not asked to see her for over a month, already seemingly indifferent to his new bride. To enter his court without being summoned was punishable by death for the reckless disrespect it showed. 

Once again the cousin repeated his urging – if not her, who? If not now, when? Be certain, he warned, that if she remained silent and did nothing to stop this evil, God would indeed save their people by other means, while she would surely be destroyed for her inaction in this crisis – along with all her family.

Taking a deep breath, the queen accepted her role as advocate for her doomed people, asking only that they first fervently pray for her for three days. Then she would approach the king in his court, illegal though it might be, and risk the outcome – even her own death.

Today is the first day of Purim, the feast of Queen Esther, the courageous queen who acted with wisdom and discernment in interceding for the very lives of her people in the face of what seemed certain death. God – who had made an unbreakable promise to Abraham that the entire world would be blessed through his family – brought salvation to his chosen people, and eventually to the entire world through the birth of the Jewish Messiah Jesus years later. 

While her predicament might seem unrelatable in some ways – not many of us will ever experience pleading for the lives of our people from a despotic king at the risk of our own – if we look at the heart of her fear we can suddenly relate quite well.

What was she so afraid of?

Dying – losing her life and thereby losing everything. Yet her death was inevitable – as is yours and mine. Trying to escape death is futile – it will eventually come (unless the Lord returns first).

What matters is what is done in the time before we die.

What makes the time you have here before your death worthwhile?

What has God called you to and shaped you for? What unique situation and role has been set before you in this season of your life?

What have you been given to do that might scare you? Where have you been called to advocate or shine where you would rather stay silent and hidden?

We will all die. This life is a gift of an hourglass and we all don’t get to know how many grains of sand are left for each of us before we are called home and we fly away (Psalm 90).

What we can do is to be like Queen Esther: Let us first seek our Father-King’s favor and the strength that he gives, pleading with him daily for the wisdom to walk the unique role set before us. Then, let us put on our royal best and, with gracious humility and poise, ACT.

We are not called to live this life safely and silently.

The outcome is not in our hands but the story will not be as satisfying without our courageous actions being part of it. 

Perhaps this is the moment for which YOU have been created.

(Paraphrase of Esther 4:14)

And by “perhaps”, I mean: It is.  You have been placed in this time and this place for a purpose. Fight the fear.

Live courageously. 

We are not promised tomorrow.

Wear Your Crown, Carry Your Sword. – Maria Miller

How to Know if You (Really) Love God

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

Let’s cut to the chase.

The life of a person who is avidly and truly a believer of God and follower of Jesus Christ is not marked by whether they are living perfectly and free from sin, but whether or not that person is fiercely and faithfully fighting against sin.

If marks of that battle are not evident, if there is no war declared, no clear sign of any ongoing fight underway – then that person is not someone who is following Jesus. Period.

When Jesus said in Matthew 5:28-29 that we should be gouging out eyes and whacking off hands and other extremities in our ferocious willingness to cut out (and off!) sin in our lives, we could expect to see the people who claim be Christians largely as a group of amputees, violently handicapped in multiple ways… unless, as John Piper states, Jesus must have had something “even more radical in mind than literal mutilation”. (Future Grace, Multnomah Publishers, 1995. “Faith in Future Grace vs. Lust”, pg. 330)

(Whew! Everyone, it’s safe to come out now. Your hands and eyes can stay put.)

In Piper’s excellent book Future Grace, he explains that while we generally consider global issues and injustice and similar ‘big’ social problems as far more important than ‘minor’ sins like pornography or complaining or lying, Jesus sees things differently than we often do.

The ‘big’ problems are important, but it’s because they all relate to individual people. People, who are made in the image of God with eternal souls, have only two possible endings: forever in the New Heavens and Earth in the presence of God glorifying him, or forever in hell defying him. This is why people – with their eternal ability to honor God regardless of their actual earthly lifespan – are so important.

All the ‘big’ problems can kill the body. But the consequences of sins (like lust) that stalk and easily entangle can eternally condemn our souls – more terrifying than any earthly death.

This is a comfort to me. I am not expected to be perfect, nor am I chided by my Holy Father for stumbling when I do. But I am to consistently grip my sword and fight and to resist my sin with each new day that I am given here on Earth.

That resistance is what marks me as a faithful warrior who claims Christ as King.

“If you live by [your sinful nature’s] dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” – Romans 8:13

Which brings me to the sword.

Ephesians 6:17 calls us to take up the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God.

If we are not faithfully, consistently and prayerfully opening the Bible and reading it with humility and teachable hearts, we are weaponless in the battle.

The Word of God is there to bring light and truth to our thinking so we see clearly. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) The truth of God’s Word helps us recognize the inherent deception of sin to satisfy and bring happiness. It helps us recognize the fully satisfying, delightfulness of God and brings the faith to trust in his promises. “You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.” (Psalm 16:11)

The role of God’s Word, Piper states, is to feed faith’s appetite for God. As we learn to delight in the rich sweetness of him, we begin to lose our taste for the poison-sugar of anything less.

It gives us the honed ferocity in our battle that we need – the daily reminders that give us the strength to endure the (often wearying) fight and to grow in our knowledge and love of God.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that endable to you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” – 1 Peter 1:3-4

“Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Galatians 6:8-9

Makes me want to go grab my Bible right now and get feasting – and fighting.
Come on, fellow warrior!

If you were inspired, helped or encouraged by this post – please share it! Thanks.

Wear your crown. Carry your sword. – Maria E. Miller