My Pearl Necklace

Do you have a pearl necklace hanging around in your jewelry box? If you do, I want you to get it out and try it on again. If you don’t, your imagination will do just fine. Now I would like to challenge you to look at the pearls hanging there in a new way. Let me explain.

After years of challenges, thoughts of disappointment in myself and moments of despair about the way my life had gone, I began to cry out to the Lord. I felt so defeated. I asked God if I would ever get to the place where I could really be use by Him again. I wondered because of the appearance of failure all around. I guess I had to learn these valuable lessons the hard way.

The Lord responded to my cry that day with the picture of a pearl necklace in my mind’s eye and began to speak gently to my spirit.

“You are troubled by the circumstances you have gone through in your life. Some of those circumstances were caused by your own unwise decisions and others were assignments of the enemy. But I have been with you through each and every one of them. And now I am working with you to help you see each of those lessons in a new way.

I designed this necklace especially for you. The pearls represent each situation you have experienced and overcome by My guidance and power. Just like the oyster suffers pain in growth, you have suffered pain in growth. The oyster covered his pain with something priceless. You have learned to cover your pain with something priceless as well…My Wisdom and Glory. Now I am lining up those pearls with a knot of grace between each one so that they will never fall in your lap again. As you learn to wear this necklace humble, I will use you greatly. At any given moment, I may ask you to give witness to one of the pearls. I will prompt you to explain how it came about and how I helped you through. This necklace, my child, is the key to your witness for the future.”

Over the years, I have felt like I have wasted time meditating on ‘what if’ I had made better decisions back then. Life would have been so different. Yet, I realized even if I had made wiser decisions, I would have eventually done something else that would have brought on a teachable moment for God.

I was going to go through training no matter what. If not with that decision, then there would have been another down the road shortly. We can’t avoid trouble forever. God designs our lives to be filled with instructional moments from a variety of sources because wisdom is gain in those precious times of distress.

Having this spiritual necklace reminds me that all is not lost and that God intends to use everything I go through for His glory. Even when I get off track, God makes the journey useful for me and for Him. Nothing is wasted and that brings me joy.

How about your pearls that came at a great price? Will you allow God to line them up and show you off? God is so proud of you and your accomplishments for Him, and your tenacity until the victory was won. You may feel at times that nothing ever goes right and that you have nothing to offer. Don’t despair! God is still planning on using you and your 'unseemly parts' to minister to many in the years to come. Wait and see.

Christlikeness: The Real Witness

Every Christian is supposed to be a witness. So…how DO we proclaim Christ?

I am learning that witnessing has more to do with how we present Christ through our attitudes and our lifestyle choices instead of our spoken words. We have been lead to believe our words to others is the most important element in witnessing when actually it is our actions and how we deal with our daily situations. When people are able to see Christlikeness in us, the Bible says, they will be draw to Him or Him in us. Then, when we have a natural opportunity to invite those around us into the Kingdom, they will have already seen the ups and downs of how God works through a believer and be able to make a lasting decision. Life with Christ is not always easy but it is well worth the struggle. Character, blessings and joy come as we persevere all the way through. And that is what we want to world to know through the way we live.

How do we develop Christlikeness in our lives? 

First, place yourself where you can learn wisdom from Christians older in the faith then you. 

Second, regularly study the scriptures especially the life of Christ and the Apostle Paul. 

Third, discipline yourself to use what you are learning for the decision-making you do everyday. 

Last, begin by using your faith for God to supply small things. As your trust strengthens in Biblical principles, God will help your witness to increase by giving you more opportunities to trust Him in bigger situations. In this way, trust in God can grow for you personally as well as your witness to God’s faithfulness. The promises of God are true but we have to experience each truth before it becomes real to us, before it becomes ours and before we can proclaim that truth to others. I wish there was a quicker or even easier way to learn but in the end it comes down to an act of your will to grow in the things of God to better your witness for Christ.

Are there issues in your own life, which keep you from proclaiming Christ with your whole heart? What is keeping you from being intentional about learning and demonstrating more Christlikeness in all that you do? Whatever the hindrances may be, you can overcome them with God’s love, wisdom and a resolve to listen and learn more about Him.