Katy

Kauffman

Author

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, an editor of Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies. Her Bible studies for women focus on winning life’s spiritual battles, and she has the privilege of editing compilations written by Christian authors from around the United States.

Her Bible studies include 2 Timothy: Winning the Victory, and Faith, Courage, and Victory. Lighthouse Bible Studies’ newest compilation, Feed Your Soul with the Word of God, is a 2020 Selah Awards finalist in the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

Katy contributes regularly to three blogs on writing, including Edie Melson’s "The Write Conversation" which was named Writer’s Digest 101 Top Websites for Writers. Katy’s poetry can be found at thoughts-about-God.com, and her devotions, articles, and poetry can be found in online magazines.

Katy graduated from Luther Rice College & Seminary with a BA in Religion (2004), and she has taught the Bible to women and teens. Her other treasured ministry experiences include seven international mission trips and seven years of teaching ESL.

She loves to spend time with family and friends, paint landscapes and skylines, and do yard work in the morning sun. Connect with Katy at her blog, Winning the Victory: Strategies for Everyday Christian Living, and on Facebook and Twitter.

More from Katy Kauffman

Is It Me? Or Is It Christ in Me?

The Sound of God's Voice

Disarming Prejudice

Silence the Haunting Melody of Guilt

Don’t Waste a Season of Waiting

A Pow in the Gut

I stood at the three-point line on the basketball court. Our team was playing defense under the other team’s goal. One of their players shot the ball, but it didn’t go in. Instantly I started running. As point guard, I needed to get to our side of the court in case one of our girls caught the rebound.

Tiffany was built for sports. She could throw the ball with amazing power. When she caught the rebound, she launched the basketball in my direction. When it reached me, it had such power it went through my hands and landed in my gut. “Pow!” The noise reverberated through the whole gym, and as if on cue, the crowd said in unison, “Oooh!”

I couldn’t think for a minute. I noticed that the referee was just standing there. The other team wasn’t charging me. I turned to look at the clock. It was still going. Something clicked in my head, and I knew what to do. I pivoted toward the goal, dribbled a couple of feet, and shot. Much to my surprise, it went in! The crowd cheered in amazement.

Later I heard that the parents of both church youth teams expected me to fall to my knees. The sheer energy of the ball could have ended our team’s offensive efforts, but it didn’t. That pow in the gut turned into a goal for the team.

As we go through life, we may get a pow in the gut from time to time. Some things happen that catch us off guard, hurt us, or cause us to wonder if we can keep going. But that’s when God reassures us that this is not the end of the “play.” He can turn difficult things into good (Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together* for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). He can turn them into a goal for us, and for the team.

In2 Timothy 1:8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , Paul urged Timothy not to back down from the fight when persecution came. He helped him to be prepared for any “pows” that would come his way.

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.” (2 Timothy 1:8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NKJV)

Don’t be ashamed. The fear of rejection can make us afraid to take a stand. Criticism and gossip can embarrass us to the point that we hesitate to say anything about Jesus in public.

Paul knew how severe the persecution against Timothy would be. Paul himself had been “beaten with rods … stoned; three times … shipwrecked; a night and a day … in the deep” (2 Corinthians 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NKJV) and much more. Yet his advice to his beloved son in the faith was this—don’t let suffering stop you. Share in it. The result of your hard work is worth the trouble it brings. But don’t try to endure suffering in your own strength. Endure it in God’s.

We can endure suffering by drawing on God’s power which includes a new mindset.¹ As we take in God’s Word, our minds are transformed (Romans 12:2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). We begin to see things from God’s viewpoint. A changed perspective empowers us to rise above the pain of suffering so that it doesn’t overwhelm us. When we understand that we’re being mistreated for something that will help people’s eternal well-being, suffering loses some of its sting.

God is working to redeem the world to Himself, and we have a role in that redemptive work. So don’t let life’s “pows” stop your forward progress. Endure them in the power of God.

¹Larry Pierce, The Online Bible, CD-ROM (Winterbourne, Ontario: Larry Pierce, 2007),2 Timothy 1:8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) .

A Clever Trap

He knew what he was doing. That sneaky spider.

I pulled back the curtains early one morning and looked out the window at the flower garden as I always do. I gasped as I leaned forward to get a better look. Overnight, a mid-sized spider had spun a web in my beloved butterfly bush. Any unsuspecting butterfly or moth drawn to the flowers, would become his breakfast. Clever, very clever.

Then I noticed his prize. He had caught himself a lightning bug, which looked to still be alive. I ran to the closet to get my shoes, rushed out of the garage with a broom, and hurried to the bush. A quick swipe of the broom freed the bush of the web, and a firm “splat” of my shoe freed the world of the spider.

Clever—that’s what Satan is. Our spiritual enemy likes to weave his own trap in the weekly workings of God’s family. In the church, we find joy and satisfaction in building relationships with other believers in Christ. We are drawn to the fellowship and often to the opportunity to serve others. But Satan doesn’t want us to get along. He can build a web of conflict that’s waiting for us to walk—or fly—into it. Unrest, division, grudges—these temptations lie in wait.

The apostle Paul urged the Philippian church to help two women reconcile. Had they been caught in a “clever” trap? Paul’s solution involved unifying their thinking and their focus.

"I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel." (Philippians 4:2-3 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner,* to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NKJV*)

Jesus is our common ground. To be of the same mind in the Lord means that we adhere to Jesus’ way of thinking and to His purposes. We think like Him, and we focus on what He sets as a priority for His family—loving God and each other (Mark 12:30-31 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.'* The second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as yourself.'* No other commandment is greater than these." OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ), knowing God (John 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ), sharing the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,* baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ), and holding fast to sound words … in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:13 Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

When we’ve walked into a trap of conflict, we can free ourselves by seeking the Lord’s wisdom and by remembering His purposes for us. We can lay aside issues that don’t fit into that purpose and focus on what does. What would Jesus think about the current situation, and how would He handle it? With God’s truth, love, and gentleness.

Paul goes on to talk about the heart attitude we can have as we live among those who are in God’s family and outside of it. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand (Philippians 4:5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). Gentleness helps us to refuse a trap of conflict. Or to react to conflict with Jesus’ strength and forbearance.

Just as Jesus graciously forgave those who mistreated Him, we can depend on His help to put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering (Colossians 3:12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ) and love, which is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). We can seek peace instead of anxiety and unrest. We can each seek the Lord’s way to handle something, so we guard our unity in Christ.

Let’s keep our eyes open for our spiritual enemy’s traps of conflict and handle them with the Lord’s wisdom and love. A firm swipe of the broom may be needed. But hopefully directed at the trap and not a fellow lightning bug.

*All Scripture verses are taken from the NKJV.

Not Easily Yanked

My cat was an only child. Sam came into my life when I was nine years old. No collar, no known owner. My family adopted him, and he was our kitty for 18 years. Since he was the only pet in the house, you might think he was lonely. Not at all. I was there.

I could easily yank his chain. With a feather, string, flashlight, or laser, I could steal Sam’s attention and pull him into a chasing game. His green eyes grew intense, and he couldn’t resist. His gray paws usually claimed their target, and whatever I was holding found its way between his teeth. Satisfied with his victory, Sam then returned to whatever sunbathing or explorative activity he had been doing.

Do You Have a Long "Chain" or a Short One?

Is your chain easily yanked? Not into a cat-and-mouse game of feathers and strings, but into a battle of words and egos? My chain used to be too short, easily yanked. It can be hard to resist a good debate. But I discovered that instead of upholding the truth, I ended up arguing to prove I was right. We have a tendency to put up a fight when our “honor,” rights, or egos are on the line. Maybe that’s why Jesus included meekness in the Beatitudes.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (kjv) KJV

I used to cringe when I remembered Jesus’ blessing on the meek. I resisted giving up a “good” fight. I didn’t understand that the meek don’t give up their power to “win” in order to be godly—they give up using their power to harm. Sometimes that involves saying nothing or returning an insult with calm words. Their chain isn’t easily “yanked by ego or temper into reacting with ungodliness.”¹

Why Is Having a “Long” Chain Worth It?

With God’s help, we can resist being yanked into an ungodly reaction and gain the earth (Matthew 5:5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ) or “the land.”² The Jews’ longed-for promise of old was possessing the promised land. In the New Testament, such a reference can refer to great spiritual blessings.

Meekness keeps us in a right relationship with God. Since “the land” in the Old Testament often represented a relationship in good standing with God, we can reason that meekness reaps a right relationship with Him today, a longed-for inheritance that is worth the self-restraint. When we refuse to get angry and react in ungodliness, we honor the One who has the most patience, grace, and endurance. We please the Father’s heart, and we become more trustworthy in our relationships and God-given assignments. We get our joy and sense of self-worth not in triumphing over others in our words and agendas, but in belonging to the great King whose agenda is always love.

How Do We Become a Master of Resistance?

There was no hope for my cat, Sam. He couldn’t resist a yummy piece of string. But in our daily lives, the more we choose love over self, the more we will be able to resist a “yummy” debate or challenge. We will be able to put off … anger, wrath, malice (Colossians 3:8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NKJV) and put on tender mercies, kindness, humility (Colossians 3:12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NKJV).

Because God loves us, He will help us to know what to say or do in a tense situation, and He will fight on our behalf if need be. God’s love and help are our powerful allies when we choose meekness over ungodliness. Then our chain will be more “locked” into place, not yanked in a negative direction.

1. Beebe Kauffman, A Whole Lot of Wonderful—Application of the New Testament for Today (Buford, Georgia: Lighthouse Bible Studies, 2018), 43.

2. Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ New Testament Commentary, quoted in Phil Linder, Power Bible CD, CD-ROM (Bronson, Mich.: Online Publishing, Inc., 2007),Matthew 5:5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) .