I’ve been thinking a lot about the word “perfect” lately. It’s a word I tend to run from, or exhaust myself trying to achieve (and ultimately, failing every time).
I, Rachel Williams, am so ridiculously imperfect. So much so, that when I TRY to be perfect, I feel like such a hypocrite and my mind freaks out knowing that I’ll eventually fail and have to admit my imperfect nature yet again.

“Perseverance over perfection.” “Perfect is an illusion.” “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” And on on and we go. Circling social media we find tons of motivational quotes reminding us to give up the idea of perfection because it doesn’t exist. Comforting thoughts to someone like me who tends to live in the vicious cycle of strive–fail–stop.  So if we are looking at “perfection” through the lens of the world, I agree! It is an unattainable illusion we must be careful not to portray…we will FOREVER be imperfect without the hand of our Perfector.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is my life’s goal to learn from Him, surrender to Him, and glorify Him in every situation I find myself.  You know what He tells me? “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

Why would He command something that’s so unattainable? Unless, of course, God’s definition of perfection is completely different than anything the world puts out there. (Much like His definitions of Love, Grace, and Peace…)

Keep in mind, this is the last verse in Matthew 5–the chapter of the Bible that holds Christ’s first sermon that turned the religious world on its head. This monumental sermon continues on after this verse, but He set the stage for His expectation of His followers.

Am I to use “that’s not my personality” as an excuse for disobedience?
Am I to shrug off His commands because it takes more effort than I’m willing to put in?
Am I to respond to others and behave in a way that puts myself first?
Is that attitude one of perfection and holiness?

Hang with me! I know I may be making your blood pressure rise and anxiety creep in. (You may be thinking… “HOW is this possible!? I do everything I can for everyone else and my life is still a mess! I can’t be perfect! I mess up every single day!”) Friend, let’s change our definition of perfect.

Christ doesn’t want you to look perfect, He commands us to be perfect. That isn’t going to happen by anything we strive for out of our own strength! It’s not our perfection He needs; it’s our surrender to HIS perfection, it’s taking His Holiness as our own, it’s being made NEW in Christ. It’s GROWING in faith, handling EVERY SINGLE MOMENT after that personal crucifixion in His strength, with His grace, for His glory.
(Romans 6, Colossians 2, Galatians 2)

^{James 1:2} Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 

^{1 Thessalonians 3:11} Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, ¹² and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, ¹³ so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

^{1 Peter 1:3} Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹ obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

“Rejoice and be glad” Jesus tells us. (Matthew 5:10-12) Paul reminds us to rejoice in our suffering (Col. 1:24) and to “rejoice always” (1 Thess. 5:16)! Endurance my friends. Endurance through trials will bring us to perfection in Christ. Lacking in NOTHING.

You guys, why wouldn’t we count it all joy when we face trials? Every single trial we face in faith, brings us closer to the image of our Savior. It brings us closer to perfection with Him! Isn’t that WONDERFUL? Isn’t that the GOAL of a Christian?

Perfection ISN’T a life without mistakes.
Perfection ISN’T a rockin’ hard body or beautiful features.
Perfection ISN’T a mom who nails her Pinterest projects and pictures on Instagram.
Perfection ISN’T a life without physical, financial, or relational struggle.

From what I read, perfection is a life clothed in the image of Christ.
Perfection is being seen blameless before the Father.
Perfection is a soul choosing daily surrender to its Creator.
Perfection IS continual struggle, fighting the flesh and walking by the Spirit.
Perfection isn’t something we attain, but something we receive when we are obedient to Him.

If we define perfection the way God does in scripture, we WILL rejoice–no matter the circumstance! Because we know that with every trial we face, through our faithful endurance, we are being made perfect.

PS– I would love to study the scriptures with you personally–online or face to face. If you have any questions about what you read here at Radiant Mission, please reach out. Let’s go to God’s Word together. (My opinion doesn’t ever matter, His always does!)

Do you know a woman who is intimidating to you?

You know… the women who seem to have it all together. Well groomed, well educated, solid income, confidence from head to toe (or so it seems), independent, etc.

I look at those women and think, “What can I possibly add to her life? What value would my friendship provide? She doesn’t need me or anything I have to offer.”

Friends. Hear me now. That thought process is NOT Godly! That is me ALLOWING Satan to thwart my thinking, and squash powerful relationships that could make the Kingdom of God expand exponentially!!

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt 

Can I confess something to you? I often feel inferior. I look at women I respect and the word I use to describe them in my own mind is “intimidating.” That is, until I read Phylicia Masonheimer ‘s thoughts on the word via her Instagram post (go give her a follow if you haven’t already).

Now, every time my heart wants to be intimidated by a worthy woman I’m going to be INSPIRED. 

Because the beautiful reality is that in Christ Jesus, washed in His blood and full of God’s Spirit, we are all on level ground with each other. We are EQUALS. 

Let’s walk as Princess Warriors worthy of His calling as we go into the new week (and every day we wake up)! 

Let’s change our vocabulary from intimidating ➡️ inspiring! 

Let’s pursue those relationships with inspiring women and dig into the Word of God WITH them.

Let’s learn from each other as we are motivated and united in LOVE. Love for our Father through His Son, and love for each other!

Let’s link arms with our sisters in Christ, and run this race together—no one inferior or superior, but as equals. 

Buckle up y’all… let’s go somewhere together. 

I recently heard someone say something they’re working on (and hoping to conquer) in 2019 is procrastinating what needs to be done. 

His words have been circling through my head along with this section of Scripture mentioned briefly on Sunday morning. 

Before we go any further, let me tell you this: I am a procrastinator. I’ve ALWAYS put things off to the last minute. 

That college paper? Wrote it the night before (or morning of) the due date. 

The lines to memorize? I tend to keep my scripts backstage so I can sneak a glance before I hit the spotlight. 

That kind message I keep meaning to send? Often gets forgotten. 

Taking a look at our budget to see how we can give more? Haven’t done it yet. 

That Bible Study I’ve been meaning to ask about having? Haven’t asked. 

The soul searching and quiet time with God to ask Him to point out my flaws, and cleanse my heart however He can so He can make me more like His Son? I can do that tomorrow, right? 

James 4: “13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

I used to isolate verse 17. Take it out and, if I’m being honest, use it to judge others who weren’t doing what I thought they should be doing. 

Friends, it’s not a verse to be taken in isolation (is any of the Bible?? Context is so important!). 

Procrastinating what I KNOW needs to be done, is sin. 

Woah. 

I just opened up an entire area of sin in my life I had no clue about yesterday. 

So putting off that assignment, not cleaning my room, etc. are they sins in and of themselves? I don’t believe so, no. But they ARE a symptom of a sinful disease: boasting in the arrogance of tomorrow when tomorrow isn’t promised.

I am so grateful for the grace of God which, in and through Christ Jesus, cleanses me of my sins.

I’m also grateful that He gave me today, now, to right this wrong.  And I pray that IF He gives me tomorrow, I steward those 24 hrs WELL >> not putting off what needs to be done for another day, but doing what I can to use every hour I’m given the way He would have me use it. 

So friends, let’s do what we can TODAY, if the Lord wills. 💗

You know what I’ve been thinking a lot about lately? Stewardship.

Time. Money. Health. Relationships. Am I being a good steward?
God has gifted me with one life. One. I don’t know how many days I have left, but am I using the present day to its potential? Or am I letting it slip by “buried in the ground” by inactivity?

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus talks about how we are to steward God’s blessings to us. We are to use them.

“My” time, money, health, etc… in Christ, those things aren’t mine, but His! I am merely taking care until He returns.

So what about my health? Regardless of its current state, what am I doing to improve it? At the end of my life (whenever that may be), will He look at me and say “well done good and faithful servant.” Or will He say “you wicked and slothful servant!”

Will He be pleased with the work done through this vessel, or will I bring to Him my “I’m too tired, too weak, too sick..” excuses?

One life. I pray I steward it wisely. 💗

Our words are important. They are valuable. With our words we praise our Father and confess Him before humanity. 

But my point is this: we are CREATED to be lights in this dark world. How? With GOOD WORKS. (Matthew 5:16, Eph. 2:10) 

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

Being a light has little to do with ME and everything to do with my Father. It’s HIS LIGHT. I am simply a willing vessel. 

Being a light has little to do with me, and everything to do with OTHERS. I am simply the hands and feet of Jesus. 

So “let your light so SHINE before men, THAT THEY MAY SEE your good works AND GLORIFY your Father in heaven.” 

“you are HIS WORKMANSHIP created FOR GOOD WORKS…”

How do I shine? By getting up and DOING GOOD for someone who can’t (or WON’T) do good back to me. 

That’s discipleship. That’s shining. And then when they ask why, I “give an answer for the hope that is within” me. (1 Peter 3:15) 

Jesus. 

Ask God to provide opportunities for you to do good.

Ask Him to open doors so that HE can be glorified and KNOWN by those still in darkness.

Ask for humility, bravery, and an abundance of love to pour out on those you encounter as a result of those prayers.

He will provide, and He will bless. #toGodbetheglory #greatthingsHehathdone 

This year I’ve been reading through the Bible with the She Works His Way  plan, and today God smacked me right upside the head.

Often I get lost in Old Testament wording. I get lost in the rules and rituals. I wonder “whyyyy is this important?”

Today, I asked God to show me what I need to know; show me why it’s important. (Because ALL scripture is important!)

“I am Holy, so you be holy.”

That’s the takeaway.

Do I believe that? “Do you not know, that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?”

The Old Testament teaches me what it means to BE His temple.
I don’t get to eat what I want, do what I want, worship how/when I want, surround myself with who I want, dress how I want, fill my mind with what I want….

No ma’am. I am not my own. I am bought and paid for. I am OWNED by my God. I am His.

Do I take that seriously? Thank God for grace when I don’t. Thank God for Jesus who makes this possible. But may I never forget the weight of His holiness within me.

Are you a New Years Resolution person, or a Word of the Year person? I’ve become more of a goal-setter/Word of the Year gal, myself. For the past 2-3 years I’ve thought of a word that I could apply to multiple areas of my life. A word that would motivate me and get me back on track when it pops in my head. A couple of years ago it was HYDRATE (reminding me the Jesus is my true source of life…the well that never dries up.. also reminding me to drink more water!), and last year was Deliver/Follow-through (helping me focus on being true to my word and finishing what I start).
When trying to settle in on a word for 2018 I circled around a few, but kept coming back to one: PURPOSE.  More specifically, Purpose before Passion.

There are so many things I’m passionate about in this life. (Music! Theater! Healthy living and being a good steward of the life I’ve been blessed with! … to name a few… ;)) Things that bring me joy, that I could talk about for hours, that I would gladly choose before any obligation.
But following my passions first and foremost is NEVER in God’s best for me. Often it leads to a life of selfish desire/ambition and forgetting what is most important in my life–what He has put me on this earth to do. (Namely WORSHIP & serve Him by serving others; at the top of that list–my husband and my beautiful daughters.)
Don’t get me wrong, I believe that God places within us the ability to dream and imagine. He gives us drive and discipline, and He often allows hard work to be rewarded with worldly success. However, if passion comes first–if my “want to” is put before my Purpose, then I’m in for a dangerous fall. And sadly, I may never see it coming.

“Don’t let Satan hijack and use for evil, what God intended for your good.”

Satan, the enemy of my soul, has a way of hijacking what God meant for good in my life, and he will absolutely do that if I’m not ACTIVELY walking in the Spirit each and every day. I must be intentional about pursuing my purpose and seeking God’s will with gratitude.

So, this year my intent is to put purpose before passion. In order to do that to the best of my ability, I need to incorporate all these words as well:

~discipline                                            ~seek                                              ~encourage
~intention                                             ~watch & pray
~consistency                                         ~zeal
~confidence                                          ~love
~peace                                                   ~care
~compassion                                        ~serve

Will you pray for me as I aim to create habits that will make my purpose second nature? Will you join me in pursuit of our higher (and most fulfilling) calling? Will you pray BOLDLY for yourself, that God will release you of any desire or passion that would hinder you from putting your purpose in Christ first?
(THAT is the hard part for me, my friends. Honestly asking my Creator to step in on my behalf and take away my selfish desire, take away the dreams in my heart that don’t align with my purpose…because deep down, I want to be a little selfish sometimes. I want to dream big and grasp for more money, more recognition, more, more, more…and THAT is why this word is so important for my growth this year. PURPOSE.)

Dear Lord, help me to see my purpose ever so clearly each day when I open my eyes. Help me to walk forward in YOUR best for me, truly submitting my will to Yours. Help me to be brave and courageous while I live every day with Your purpose for me in mind. Give me wisdom and discernment as I seek your Truth & Word daily. And help me to never grow weary of doing good and never grow weary when putting your will first, before anything my imagination can dream up. And Father, strip away anything in my heart that doesn’t come from You and doesn’t lead me closer to who You created me to be….

When you think of the word “princess” what comes to mind? Bratty? Spoiled? Arrogant and entitled?

Sometimes that’s what people think… but if you fall into that category, I’d love to challenge you to think differently. Think about real royalty. Maybe Princess Diana or Princess Kate? A real royal has responsibilities on her shoulders because of the life she either chose or was born into. And if you are found in Christ and have been added to His Church my sister, you are ROYAL. You are a Princess; called to be…
Noble. Selfless. Trusting. Humble. Kind. Respectful of her Prince.
This is a series we will tackle over the next few weeks based on the Princess Warrior lesson I tackled a while back.

A Princess is noble. What does that mean? Can one be royal and not noble? Absolutely. Is nobility an easy characteristic to gain? Perhaps for some. Is it impossible to achieve? Absolutely not.
A quick internet search landed me on this definition of Noble: Dignified, strong moral character, upright, righteous. Someone who does the right thing, in any situation. Of a higher status; to be admired; dignified.
A quick Biblical concordance search landed me in a few verses as well… First, Proverbs 8:1-21. Wisdom is speaking here and she says “hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, for my mouth will utter truth.” (Prov. 8:6-7a)
Wisdom.
Righteousness.
Justice.
Honor.
Understanding.
Nobility.
Keeping these words in mind, go with me to Isaiah 32:1-8.  In these verses you see a contrast of noble (or righteous) verses foolish. God often speaks of the fool (some translations read “vile person” and I under NO circumstances, want to be labeled a fool in God’s eyes. Reading these verses, especially 5-8, I am reminded of Matthew 25:34-46.

³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ ⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Here, Jesus makes clear the duties of the righteous.  And you know what I found fascinating? They didn’t even REALIZE it! The RIGHTEOUS will ask, “when did we ___ ?” Because, friends, the righteous ones aren’t serving to be noticed. They aren’t seeking to encourage the poor and imprisoned in order to gain ANY earthly recognition or reward. THAT is what makes them righteous! They are fulfilling the needs of people God puts in their path, regardless of who sees it. But the foolish… oh the foolish will have not done any of that. Because their mindset is this “if we had seen YOU, Lord, of COURSE we would have helped you! If it were YOU, Lord, stranded on the side of the road, of COURSE we would have stopped. For YOU we would’ve done anything!” But you see, that’s not the servant God (through Christ) calls us to be.

 “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
    there is none who does good.”
~Psalm 14:1

I’ve heard it preached that the original Hebrew here means not “there is no God,” but rather it means “No, God.” I don’t have sources to cite here (other than my flawed notes from the sermon), but for the sake of what I’m about to say let’s just go with it.
The fool says in her heart, “No, God.”
Wow. We’ve already established out terrible it would be to be called a fool by God. And how often do I tell him “no”? How often do I feel the prick or conviction of the Spirit in my heart to lead me toward Godly change, and turn my back on it–making that conviction diminish and go away entirely? How often do I get a sense that I need to encourage someone right away, but let myself get distracted by other things?
My friends… I believe in these instances we are telling our God no. How foolish.
Because how often have you LISTENED to that prick or nudge telling you to encourage someone right away, and they respond with “I am SO GLAD you wrote/called/came by to see me. You have no idea how badly I needed this” ?
God is working my sisters! As His daughters, Princesses, covered in the blood of Christ (Romans 6, Gal. 3:25-29), we are His hands and feet and must always be ready to act in faithful obedience.

 

So many thing running through my head this morning.
1) um.. southern Texas got SNOW?! 😱❄️☃️ how cool is that?! It didn’t come where we live, but Bel has been praying for snow  so I am confident it’s on its way here this winter!
2) last night my sweet baby was in tears over her chapped hands. We put “working hands” on her and she cried. We put unscented lotion on her. She cried. (I FORGOT about my plexus Body Cream! 🤦‍♀️😭) This morning her hands look a little better, but she’s still complaining about their itchiness. So I did a quick FB search about Plexus and chapped skin, and goodness me y’all!! The testimonies! 🙌
I quickly called for Ali and put some Body Cream on her little hands. No tears!! No fight! She actually said “here too Momma.” Pointing out places I missed. 🙌😱💗 I’m looking forward to seeing how much better her hands are tonight.

3) my hands used to chap just as badly as hers are. (She is my mini-me after all.) I remember having to put Vaseline or Utter Balm on my hands before bed and cover them with socks. 😦 My lips also used to chap and crack like crazy. Have I upped my lip balm? Nope. I’ve cleaned my gut. Gut health and unhealthy skin are related, my friends! So here’s what I attribute my non-chapped/cracked skin to this winter: water, probio5, Slim, and plexus Body Cream.
Ask me how you can get your hands on a free sample! Or click here to get yours! (Free gift from me if you order Slim & Body Cream/Probio5 as a preferred customer!)

4) The last thing on my mind this morning is the sweetness of little hands. What will these little hands grow up to do? Where will they go? Who will they help? What will they make? There’s a whole world of potential wrapped in these little hands. And I pray she uses them for good all the days of her life. ❤️

 

In Bible study last week this hit me like a ton of bricks. 
All too often I find myself drifting toward laziness… I really don’t “do” enough. 
And so in my effort to combat that tendency, I fill my days with activities. 
If I’m “on the go” I can’t be lazy, right?

Wrong. 
The opposite of laziness is DISCIPLINE. Just because I’m busy, doesn’t mean I’m disciplined.

Ya know, the wonderful thing about God is His TRANSFORMATIVE power through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭ESV‬

I am selfish. Jesus is self-less.
I am weak. He is strong.
I am broken. He is the glue.
I am sinful and wretched. He is Holy and perfect.
I am lazy. He is the ultimate disciplined servant.
I am unworthy. He is worthy of ALL praise.

Or maybe I should say “was” in all those things. Without Jesus, yes I am all those—but with Him. Oh the sweet beauty here, with Him those ugly bits can be just a memory.
“He must become greater, I must become less.” (John 3:30)

Sweet sisters, let’s stop striving for busy and run-down to combat our lazy tendencies. Rather, let’s surrender that ugly part of ourselves to Jesus and let Him transform our hearts to be more like His heart: disciplined, purposeful, servant-minded, beautiful, and perfect.
Each and every day.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

1 Peter 5:8-11

Hebrews 12:6-11