Living in Light of the Resurrection: How the Risen Christ Transforms Your Daily Life

Music. Welcome to the Thankful Homemaker podcast, a podcast to be an encouragement and blessing to each other in the role God has called us to as women.

I'm so thankful you've stopped by, so grab yourself a coffee or tea and sit with me a bit as we talk about how God's Word impacts every area of our lives as Christian women. Hello, friend. I'm Marci Farrell from Thankful Homemaker, and I'm so glad to be with you today.

Easter is just around the corner as I'm recording this episode, and I do have some previous Easter podcasts and some posts along with some other posts with favorite books and resources over at the blog, and all of that's there to help keep our eyes on Jesus this season. I just added a new Easter resource to the free library, and it's a Christ-centered Easter PDF planning guide. That's like a mouthful to say, and I will link to all those things in the show notes for you to take a peek at.

But as I've been preparing my own heart for Easter, one question has been pressing on me. Why isn't the resurrection something we celebrate every day of our lives as believers? I mean, how should the resurrection shape our everyday moments, not just during Easter, but all throughout the year? Again, this isn't meant to be an exhaustive episode, just a few reflections from my own time in God's Word and prayer.

And my hope is that it's going to encourage you to think more deeply about how the resurrection of Christ transforms your daily life as a Christian woman. 1 Corinthians 15, 17 tells us, And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. You are still in your sins. Paul is telling us here that if Jesus wasn't raised from the dead, our faith is basically worthless. And this fact is the cornerstone of our faith because without it, we have no hope.

I'm not going to go into all the historical facts, but I will just state that there is enough solid evidence out there to support it. I'll link to a couple of resources in the show notes for you. But I hold fast to this truth. And if you're here listening to me, I'm going to assume that you already do too. So I know the resurrection secures my eternity, and I am so grateful for that truth. But if I only reflect on it during the Easter season, I'm missing out.

The resurrection isn't just about my future. It's meant to shape how I live every single day.

So we're going to chat today about how meditating on the truth that Jesus is alive changes how we approach our work at home, and how we love, and how we care for our family, and really how we go about life in this fallen world. So my first one to talk about is how the resurrection strengthens my faith. And how does it impact it? How does it do that? Because when I think about trusting Jesus and walking with Him and facing life's hardships, this truth always grounds me.

I don't have to live in fear anymore. Nothing can take away the security that I have in Christ. Not suffering, not trials, not uncertainty.

I know that i serve a living savior who's always with me and he will never leave me or forsake me and i love the reminder that he's always interceding for me if you are in christ jesus he is praying for you romans 8 34 says who was to condemn christ jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised who was at the right hand of god who indeed is interceding for us. Jesus' death is where my faith rests, but it doesn't stop there.

We have a great high priest in heaven who's interceding for us, and he wasn't just our sacrifice. He's also our priest and intercessor. So when you're feeling anxious or uncertain, maybe about the future, bring your heart and mind back to the resurrection. Jesus is alive. He's in control. Nothing takes him by surprise. We don't serve some kind of distant historical figure. we serve a risen Savior who is present in every moment of our lives. And because He lives, we can trust Him completely.

So what about when you feel weak in prayer and you don't even know how to put your struggles into words? Those are the moments to remember that Jesus isn't just someone we pray to. He's praying for us. He's lifting you up before the Father, and you're never alone no matter what you face. So one of the most comforting reminders for me is that Jesus knows exactly what I need even better than I do.

And that truth, that really has changed for me as I've grown in my walk with Him, how I walk through trials because it gives me hope. I no longer have to walk in fear. I can walk in light of the empty tomb, knowing that Jesus has already won. I've shared many times how coming to understand the doctrine of God's sovereignty changed so much for me, knowing that He's in control of all things and that His providence is always at work.

It's It's weaving every detail together for my good and His glory has been such a comfort to me. Nothing enters my life apart from the loving hand of my Father in heaven. I love that truth, and I remind myself often of that. When I've walked through challenging seasons, this truth wasn't always the first thing on my mind, but I so wish that it had been. I continue to ask the Lord to draw me to His presence in those moments before I fall into worry or fear.

But when my heart finally gets there, when I remember that Jesus is praying for me, even when I'm weak and I don't know how to pray, it brings peace to my heart and clarity to the situation. So what about my work at home? How does the resurrection transform it? Because it's so easy to look at the daily tasks of homemaking as just chores to get through. And I know I talk about this all the time, but I love being able to bring this into the aspect of the resurrection, how we see this.

When we remember that Jesus is alive, it should change how we see our work. Colossians 3.23 reminds us, whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men. Because Jesus lives, our work at home has eternal value. It's not just about keeping things clean or feeding hungry mouths, but it's about serving the Lord through faithfulness in the little things.

When we begin to feel weary in our work at home, we need to remind ourselves that we're not just working for our family, we're working for Christ. And this truth gives purpose to everything we do because it doesn't matter if no one thanks us or sees what we do, we do it because we love the Lord. So whether you're folding another load of laundry or you're trying to figure out what's for dinner again, Remember who you are really serving.

Amid those mundane, ordinary days, our risen Lord sees us, and he delights in our faithfulness.

And the resurrection, it also shapes how we love others. Because Jesus lives now, I can love others the way he's loved me. His resurrection is proof of his selfless, sacrificial love, a love that I could never earn, but have been freely given in Christ. Philippians 2, 5 through 8 are great verses. I'm going to read a little portion of that. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

When we think about the humility and the love of Christ, it should convict our hearts, because how often do we hold back grace and forgiveness from others when we've been so freely given both by Jesus? What about in our marriages? Are we quick to extend grace and forgiveness to our husbands? Are we patient with our children? Do we serve others joyfully, even when it's inconvenient. Jesus knew that loving others wouldn't be easy, but he never meant for us to do it alone.

And we forget that that same power that raised Jesus from the dead is that work in us. It's shaping us to love like he does. So when we find ourselves struggling with impatience or frustration or selfishness, we need to come back to the cross and the empty tomb. When love feels hard, my friend, look to Christ. He has loved us fully and completely and unconditionally. And because he lives, we can love others the same way.

The resurrection, it shapes how I care for my family and others even.

Because he lives, we can now lead our families with hope, not fear. And I know I'm talking to women and you all are like, Marcy, you said the word lead. I don't mean stepping outside the rules God has given us, but rather the kind of nurturing and discipling and godly influence we're called to as women in our homes. Think Titus 2 and Proverbs 31. We lead hearts toward Christ by how we love and serve and walk faithfully with

him. So our parenting, our discipleship, hospitality, they all take on new meaning when we remember that we serve a risen Savior. Deuteronomy 6, 6-7 says, And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your children. Our role as mothers, it's not just about meeting physical needs. We definitely do that. But it's about pointing our children and grandchildren to Jesus in the everyday moments.

Because as we are correcting and encouraging them amid our normal days, as we sit together at the dinner table and we pray together before bed, these are all moments to remind them that we serve a Savior who is alive and reigning. And hospitality, it's not about having a perfect home. I have a whole podcast on this one, a few back. I don't know the number of it, but if I remember, I'll try to link to it. But it's about creating a space where Christ's love is felt.

Whether it's our children, friends, a neighbor who stops by, our homes should reflect the grace and warmth of the gospel. And because Jesus lives, we don't have to parent out of fear. We don't have to carry the weight of trying to control everything. Instead, we can walk in faith, trusting He's at work in our children's hearts, in our homes, in every opportunity that He gives us to love and serve others.

He's alive, and because of that, we can rest in His goodness, and we can lead our families in love and faithfulness, trusting Him every step by the way.

And the resurrection, it gives me hope in a broken world. Because Jesus lives, we don't have to lose heart. The brokenness of this world, I think of the suffering, the trials, the uncertainties, all of it sometimes can feel overwhelming. But the resurrection reminds me that this world, it's not all there is. 2 Corinthians 4, 16-17, these are some of my favorite verses. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. So the resurrection, it helps me see beyond today's struggles. It gives me endurance in trials, knowing that we are part of a bigger story. Jesus has already won the victory, and no matter what happens in this life, his kingdom, it is unshaken. But what about those we love? What about our family members and our friends and our neighbors who don't know Christ?

And I'll admit, this is where I can lose heart at times. But I need to remember that the resurrection gives us hope for them too. While we long for them to see the truth, we can trust that God is still working. Jesus is alive. And again, that means that no one is beyond his reach. I know how easy it is to get discouraged, especially when we're praying for a loved one to come to know Jesus. But we need to remind our hearts that in those moments, Jesus reigns.

He's alive. He's always at work. We don't know what the future holds, but we do know the one who holds it. So we keep praying and we keep trusting and we keep pointing others to him. So don't lose heart, my friend. I tell myself this again and again. Keep your eyes on Christ and walk faithfully with him, remembering he's at work even when you can't see it.

What does it look like to walk in the power of the resurrection? Because it's not something we just acknowledge at Easter. It's the very foundation of our faith, and it's the reality we live in every day. John 11, 25 reminds us, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. Because Jesus lives, we can live in peace and confidence and joy. His victory over sin and death, it changes everything about how we trust and

work and love and how we endure trials. When we wake up each morning, we can remind ourselves, I serve a risen Savior. Because again, reminding us, I cannot say this enough, right? That same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in me today. And that means, and it's at work in you today if you are in Christ. And that means that we can trust him with our struggles. We can serve our family with purpose and we can walk through challenges without fear.

So before I close, I wanna ask you, what's one way you can keep the resurrection at the forefront of your mind this week? and in the weeks ahead. What does that look like? When you pray in the morning, could you remind yourself of his victory over sin and death? Could you meditate on a passage like Ephesians 1, 19 to 20 that speaks of his power and presence?

It states, And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places? Or maybe it's as simple as holding on to the truth in one of my favorite hymns, I will not sing for you because you would like turn this off immediately, but I'm going to read it to you. Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because he lives, all fear is gone. Because I know he holds the future and life is worth the living just because he lives. So I pray that we're going to walk forward in faith, knowing that Jesus is alive. We're going to live in light of the resurrection, not just on Easter, but every single day, because Jesus truly is enough always. I'm so grateful for your time, my friend.

Again, the full show notes and the links I mentioned, they're all at my home on the web at thankfulhomemaker.com. And again, just a quick note from me to you. If you're not already an email subscriber, I'd love to invite you to join the Thankful Homemaker community. When you subscribe, you get access to my free library of printables.

And again, that Easter one will be there for you. Plus my monthly newsletter where I share a short devotional and encouraging resources, things I'm reading, loving, articles, home things, just little things I love even in homemaking. It's my way of staying in touch and continuing the conversation with you in really a quieter, more personal space. And I love that. So I do pray, my dear friend, that you have a very blessed Easter as it comes

up and a very blessed week. Thank you for being here with me. Music.