Listening to O Holy Night, always helps me stop and focus on Jesus to feel the peace and calm that he brings to the atmosphere. To remember that Christmas is about him and bringing glory to our savior.
He changed everything that night when he choose to come down to earth not as a king, but as a baby, to humble himself and live a life of service to his people.
Jesus didn’t come down to be served but to serve. He came to restore relationship between us and Father God.
To show us love.
The Christmas Shoes song and movie inspire putting others before yourself. Just as Jesus did when he came here to save us. He put others before his needs and desires.
In this season of gift exchange, look for opportunities to bless others. Pray and ask God what each person needs. He knows each one of us and the desires of our hearts. Trust him to provide for what he asks you to give, even if you don’t know how. Or give to a stranger or someone you barely know, it could make all the difference in the world to them.
Like the Christmas shoes. Even if we don’t understand why. Simple bless others because Jesus blessed others.
What do we keep locked away in a cupboard? What is the one thing that we are holding back from God? Saying you can have everything, but this. This hurt or this pain I’m keeping it because it hurts too much to give it to you.
Because we are afraid of where it came from, why its there or what we’ll have to do to let it go.
Pain can control us if we let it.
But some pain is good, if we control it. Working out can be painful but it helps build muscle and burn fat. It makes us healthier and removes toxins from our bodies through sweat.
But if we say it hurts too much then we allow those same toxins in our bodies to sit and stay and pollute our bodies.
When we let old hurts and pains stay locked away we allow them to have control. But when we surrender them over to God and say we don’t want to live with that pain anymore we find freedom.
Isn’t freedom from pain better then keeping it locked inside us.
The pain of letting go is worth it if we truly want to be free.
Thankfulness is about about perspective.
Today is a great day to put that into practice. As you go about your plans today look at your surroundings, at the people you are with and find new things to be thankful for.
You may find that you appreciate things or others more then you have in the past. Ask God to reveal to you how he see your friends and family, or if your alone ask him to show you what he would like you to do today.
Thankfulness is about perspective so change your perspective and let the joy of Jesus fill you.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
—Psalm 118:24
Thankfulness builds joy. Just saying the word brings a smile to my face. There is always something to be thankful for, the sun on your face, the song of a bird near by, the beauty of the trees turning.
Somewhere in some way in your life God is always looking to bless you, to share his love for you, with you.
Thankfulness is about perspective. We can choose to be miserable and focus on what we don’t have or we can choose to find joy regardless of our circumstances.
We all have had times of need and times of abundance, but its how we react that make the difference. We should be thankful in all things big or small blessings. Each day we wake up we can be thankful we have life. Each day is an opportunity to change our perspective.
As believers in Jesus its easy to look to heaven as the solution; to think that we just have to suffer till we get to heaven. But Jesus never intended for us to live this life alone.
Heaven can be here on earth now if we look for it. If we focus on Jesus. One of my favorite questions to ask God, that I first heard from Graham Cooke is “What do you want to be for me now?”
Heaven is free of pain and hurt yes, but its also full of worship. So we worship while we wait, we worship while we wait for the healing, we worship while we wait for the provision or the answer. Worship brings heaven to us and worship opens us up to letting God lead. Its in worship that we surrender all our worries and concerns.
So no matter what we are going through, worship through it. Give God the glory and ask him ‘what he wants to be for you now?’
A good marriage has to be worked at and fought for, it’s easy to take your spouse for granted because of the natural ease that brought you together in the first place.
Just because something is easy and comfortable, doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be cared for. The movie Fireproof is a great example of how going though the motions and taking advantage of a comfortable situation can result in collapse.
Marriage is a bond that makes the two, one. Your spouse is your other half and when you neglect them, it’s like not taking care of yourself.
I have to be honest, I don’t have a perfect marriage, and I don’t always put my husband first. But when I do, I never regret it. I have, regretted not putting him first and neglecting him.
A strong marriage has to be built and maintained. But it also has to have something that binds you together. God is that binder. Putting God at the center of your marriage draws you closer to Him and each other.
On my drive to work I see lots of people walking on the side of the street to go to the bus stop or kids going to school. I get cut off by people and stuck behind buses. I could and have let this is get to me and frustrate me.
Until I started doing drive by blessings. Every time when I see a pedestrian instead of being upset that I have to stop for them to use the cross walk. I pray for them.
And when I get cut off or have to stop because the person in front of me is turning into one of the many business driveways that I pass. I pray for them.
When I get stuck behind the bus, I pray for the passengers getting on or off.
It’s not about being holier then thou. It’s about a perspective change.
Instead of seeing people as an annoyance we can see them as God sees them. As his kids. He loves each and every person on the planet, so we should too.
You were dead in sins, and your sinful desires were not yet cut away. Then he gave you a share in the very life of Christ, for he forgave all your sins, and blotted out the charges proved against you, the list of his commandments which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross. In this way God took away Satan’s power to accuse you of sin, and God openly displayed to the whole world Christ’s triumph at the cross where your sins were all taken away. –Colossians 2:13-15
Freedom from guilt and shame is amazing. We have all done something we regret in our lives or the word ‘sorry’ wouldn’t exist. We all have days where it feels like the world is ending either by choices we have made or choices others have made that affect us. But its when we dwell on those and let them consume us that we give it power over us.
Forgiveness is powerful; God’s forgiveness gives us freedom from the guilt and shame of all our mistakes and forgiving others takes away their power over us.
When you are forgiven its like a ton of bricks is lifted off your back, forgiving others gives us that same freedom.
Don’t let a simple choice keep you from lifting the load of unforgiveness from your back.
Written by: Rebecca Darga
The deep intimacy we experience when surrounded by God’s presence can only be called holy. Holy by Jesus Culture perfectly describes how his presence can engulf us, how intoxicating it can be, to the point of never wanting to leave it.
I call it the ‘jello effect’
When his presence is so thick in the room you feel as if you suspended in jello.
Don’t you want to experience that? Don’t you want to know and be with a God that can melt all your cares away, who can give you such peace and joy that it feels as if it will never end.
That’s the God that I worship.
Yes, he is Holy!
And he invites us into his presence, to the place where our whole world changes because he is Holy.
All you have to do is open the door and let him into your life, and believe in Him.
Take a moment to listen to this song and open yourself up to God, take down all the barriers and just focus on him.
When we walk around with unforgiveness that anger and bitterness spills onto everyone else in our lives. Because we haven’t dealt with it, it just builds and builds until, it explodes on some unsuspecting person that may have done the tiniest thing.
Acknowledging God’s existence is the first step toward forgiveness. Acknowledging that he does love us and it’s because he loves us that he gave us the free will to choose him or not. And it’s that free will that causes us to hurt each other.
Even those that choose him are not faultless. We all still make mistakes and no one is perfect except God.
Many people’s distrust of God is because others have misrepresented him. None of us are faultless. Only through knowing God ourselves can we really know who he his.
Don’t let others misrepresentation of him keep you from knowing a loving and trustworthy God that sacrificed his very life for you.
Seek to know God for yourself and let him show you who is he and the freedom that comes from his forgiveness.
Why do people want God to be dead? Because they don’t like him, they don’t agree with him, they think he doesn’t care about them or the people in their lives. It’s much easier to say someone is dead then to deal with the hurt they may have caused us. People say it all the time ‘your dead to me’ but saying it doesn’t make them any more dead then you or I.
Avoiding or ignoring someone does not make them not exist, but that avoidance can cause bitterness to grow in us that will affect those around us.
That’s why forgiveness is so powerful. forgiveness isn’t about saying what the other did was right, but about freeing ourselves from allowing that hurt to control us.
If we walk through life always mad and angry about what others have done to us. What kind of a life is that?
That’s why Jesus died AND rose back to life. So that he could pay the price for our mistakes so that we could be forgiven and we could forgive others.
In a previous devotion I shared about Serving without Complaining in
Philippians 2:14-18. These verses also mentions rejoicing for others.
It’s easy to get distracted by other peoples ministry. To say my ministry isn’t as big as theirs or I wish I could do that. But you don’t know where they started.
Every ministry starts small. No one immediately has a mega church or crusades to millions, no they started out small. Even Jesus started out small. He saw each person as valuable and stopped crowds, just to focus on one person. Like Zacchaeus, or the cripple lowered though the roof or the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus focus was always on the individual.
Ministry is about reaching people. So whether it be big or small if you have reached a person you have ministered.
So rejoice for others in their blessing to reach the multitude and know that they started just like you, by reaching one person at a time.
And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” –Colossians4:17
It’s easy to be envious of other’s ministries or success, but we are each called to our own ministry.
God made each of us unique and has called each of us to our own ministry. I can’t reach someone the same way you can and in the same respect; you can’t reach someone like I can. We are all special, all chosen by him and he has a calling for each of us. For some it’s to minister to thousands, for others it’s to reach the person no one notices. The point is we are each special and unique and we all met God in different ways. We are to be those different ways for other people.
We need to stop comparing ourselves to others and start seeking what God has special just for us.
What has he called you to? Who has he set on your heart? Seek him for how he wants you to reach the people he has given you a heart for and enjoy your unique calling.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.–Colossians 3:2
Focusing on God and heaven may seem like your taking a break from reality. In some ways you are. Being in the presence of God can make you forget about everything else and just focus on him.
But it also helps us to change our perspective.
When we allow ourselves to get caught up in all the things in the world we can lose sight of God and what he has for us.
Focusing your mind on things above isn’t about being disconnected from reality its about changing reality.
Way maker, miracle worker
Promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God, that is who You are -Way Maker by Leeland
God keeps his promises and takes care of his people. His promises may not be fulfilled when and how we think they should. But he keeps his promises. He cares for our needs and the desires he has put in us. But in his timing and his way.
We are not meant to take care of and provide for ourselves. We are meant to trust God and follow his leading. So he can provide for us.
God shows us this is how Jesus lived his life and sacrificed it for us. Jesus put others before himself. And trusted his heavenly father to provide all he needed.
If even Jesus did not plan and provide for himself. Than why do we? We need to seek God in all things and everything and follow his plan. He will lead us to reach people we would have missed otherwise. He will daily show us how much he loves us by providing for our needs. And he will bless us with the things that bring joy to our life, if we just look for his blessings.
God has brought me through so many trails that I have lost count. The only times I have truly struggled was when I was trying to do it on my own. But when I stopped trying and started trusting, his provision came. God doesn’t want our hard work. He wants our hearts.
Imagine the world before Jesus was born.
I can’t imagine a world with out the ability to have a personal relationship with him.
As the celebration of his birth approaches there are a million things running through my mind, a million uncertainties so many unknowns that should worry and scare me. But the one constant is Jesus and my trust in him.
I am beyond grateful that no matter what happens in life the he is always there for me. No matter what I know that he has me. He will take care of my every need, worry and concern.
How do I know this? Because he’s done it before countless times. And I know he will again.
So no matter your thoughts. Thank Jesus for who is he.
Because we can always find hope in him. Just like when its hard to see because the skies are grey and cloudy and the outlook looks bleak. But when the sun comes out and sheds light on things. We can see the beauty where we may have missed it before.
Jesus is the light of the world, look for him to change your perspective.
When it rains the clouds come first and the sky turns grey. The plants are shaded from the sun while they get much needed nourishment. The grey clouds stay even after it rains to shield the plants from being burned by the sun while the water is still on their leaves.
Tears are like this for us. They mostly come during the dark gloomy times. But they give us a much needed release of all the emotions that are pent up inside. As the tears flow out our emotion release with them and bring some much needed healing.
Tears are healing. Tears help us to acknowledge the hurt or pain we’ve gone through, they cleanse us and wash away what we’ve held inside. They are a release of fear, sadness, anger, worry and frustration. But if they are kept bottled up they turn into paranoya, anxiety, depression, rage and bitterness. Even Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. He knew he would raise him back to life, yet he still felt the loss. It’s the same with us when we lose someone it’s good to cry, to mourn their lose in this world but we must remember that we will see them in heaven. Or if we won’t we mourn that loss and let it be motivation to bring everyone else to heaven with us.
So cry, let it all out. But remember to not let it overcome you. The sun will come out and there are still people to reach.
Pain is something we all have in our lives. We have all been hurt and we all try to escape it. But avoiding, ignoring, overcompensating, deflecting and straight out running in the other direction regardless of what that is doesn’t remove the pain. It only distracts or numbs.
But what if instead of holding onto that pain we could be free from it.
Forgiveness is powerful and it frees us from pain.
Many see forgiveness as excusing the one who hurt us or saying it’s ok. But it’s not. Forgiving someone does that make what they did right. But it does free us from letting that pain control us.
Holding on to the pain of the past gives that pain power over us. We give it the power to influence our decisions. We let pain control our actions. Keeping us from things because we are afraid to face the pain.
Holding onto our pain instead of forgiving really controls us, not the other person.
But we can make the decision to stop letting that pain rule us and surrender it over to Jesus. He came to free us from our pain and free us from allowing unforgiveness to control us.
Stop letting your past determine your future and let go of the pain.
“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.'” Luke 23:34
God is faithful, he will never leave us, stop loving us or abandon us. We are the ones who leave him, ignore him or deny his existence.
He always wants to love us and be with us.
We are the ones who put him in a box or give him limits by saying he doesn’t care, he’s too busy, or he can’t do that.
For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
This verse is Elizabeth who became pregnant in her old age. She was talking to, Mary the mother of Jesus, about her miraculous conception of Jesus.
This verse gives me strength because we have been trying to get pregnant since we got married in 2015. And even though we have not been blessed with a baby yet. I still trust God, I still love him and I still worship him. Because he is a good, loving God and I know that he has given me the dream to have children and he will bless me with them. But that doesn’t mean that I abandon him or just curl up in a ball and become bitter and angry because I don’t have what I want when I want it.
Instead I ask him ‘What he has for me right now?’ What do you want to teach me through this?’ ‘What do you want me to do in this time?’
In the six years from surrendering my life to Jesus and when I meet my husband. I wanted a husband but God used that time. He taught me to change, to become the woman I needed to be to be a good loving wife. He used me to invest in the lives of others. I could no have done all that I did and learned in those years if I was married. If I had we would of had a lot of issues, we would of fought a lot, hurt each other and I would not of had the time to invest in the others like I did during that time. God knew what he was doing.
Trust his timing. What constraints have you put on God? Are you holding yourself back because you think God can’t do it through you? What does God have for you right now in this moment? Ask him.
When we face times of stress or trials in life it’s easy to give up and give in to temptation for quick fixes that scratch an itch or satisfy for a moment but leave us feeling guilty and full of regret in the long term.
But because we know God loves us and he has a plan for us and that plan is way better then what might be right in front of us. We don’t take those quick fixes.
We trust that his plan is better. Because God is good and he provides. It seems counter cultural, but it’s the way he designed us. He has given each of us passions and skills. But they are meant to be used to share his love with others not for selfish gain or ambition. What has God blessed you with? Are you using it for his kingdom?
In the Desolation of Smog, Tauriel asks Legolas “When did we let evil become stronger than us?
We should be asking ourselves this when we let fear or worry hold us back from doing what God has asked us to do.
We get to choose what we let have power over us. If we choose to trust God we can do amazing things for him. We can reach people we never imaged and find strength, peace and joy that we didn’t know that we had.
In 2014 my small group leader was taking a team to Uganda for a missions trip and he asked the group if any of us wanted to go.
I had been on several mission trips to others countries before but honestly Africa was the only place that I never wanted to go.
As the night continued I felt an overwhelming sense that God wanted me to go on this trip. I kept ignoring it but after our group ended as I was talking with my co-worker James who had been to Uganda before. I couldn’t ignore the promoting I felt from God any longer. I decided to go.
The trip changed my life and perspective on so many things more than any other mission trip I had been on.
By allowing God to direct my steps he grew our relationship in leaps and bounds on that trip and I haven’t been the same since.
What fear are you letting keep you from doing what God has asked you to do?
Take a step of faith and don’t let fear rule your decisions.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.–Matthew 6:25-34
Who adds a day to their life by worrying.
Worry accomplishes nothing but wasting time, aging you and ruining your day. When has worry ever stopped a crisis or improved your perspective?
If God can cloth and feed and take care of his creation then. Why do we think he won’t take care of us? He created us didn’t he. So aren’t we his creation too?
I have never regretted trusting God, but I have regretted worrying about something. It never solves anything and makes me edgy and irritable to others. So why worry.
We need to give our concerns over to God and let him take care of them. And trust that he will provide all we need and more.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. –Philippians 4:8-9
Your surroundings affect you.
If you surround yourself with negativity, anger, hate, and immorality, it will be hard to be happy and positive.
But if you surround yourself with good, positive, pure encouraging things being optimistic will be almost natural.
God is love, and if we want to follow him and live a life for him then we must put ourselves in an environment where we can focus on him.
We all have a choice in what we listen to, read and watch; and in our current society of constant media we are continuously being influenced.
Direct your thoughts by making choices that foster what you want.
We often underestimate the impact of resting in Gods presence. When it’s what we need most.
When we are at our most desperate, when we feel lost or unsure. That’s when we need God most.
We don’t need to fix our problems before we go to him. Going to him is how we fix our problems.
Instead of dwelling and worrying. We should be dwelling in his presence and letting him show us his perspective that melts away the worry and anxiety. For nothing is too big for him to handle.
Speaking the name of Jesus out loud is powerful. It brings an emotional response from us. Some fear, some worry, some peace, some joy, his name invokes something inside us.
We each have a different response when we hear his name.
But we can only truly know him. And learn to love him and be loved by him. If we develop a relationship with him.
I can tell you all day about how amazing he is, that he’s completely changed my life. I can tell you how hearing his name brings so much peace and joy to my heart that it can be overwhelming at times.
But you can never truly know him, until you know him yourself.
“All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us.” -Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
We all have moments and times in our lives that we wish hadn’t happened. But we can’t change the past. However we can choose how we react to it and what we do with what we have.
Its easy to say I’ve always been like this or you don’t know what I’ve been through. You’re right. I don’t but God does. And he’s the one that can heal all our wounds.
When we let our past dictate our future. We let our past have all the power. But when we choose to let God heal us from our past. We choose to no longer let it affect us. Instead we can look to the future that God has planed for us.
“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ -Jeremiah 29:10-14
Just because God doesn’t do what you want, when you and how you want. Does not mean he is not there for you.
God’s timing is better then ours.
If my husband and I had met sooner, before we each learned how to be in a healthy relationship, how to love and that God is the one who fulfills us, not the other person. We would have caused each other so much pain.
In the same respect as much as we have wanted kids over the past decade and have not been blessed with them yet. We know that having kids is God’s plan for them not ours. They will be a blessing for more than just us and his has a reason for his timing.
God’s timing is perfect.
He knows what we need, when we need it and when what we want would hurt us more then help us.
I asked God for a husband for seven years, but I wasn’t ready. My heart may have longed for the relationship of marriage, but it was for selfish reasons. And selfishness is never good for marriage.
It wasn’t until I surrendered my desire for spouse to God and asked him to pick my husband, that my husband came into my life. I never would of picked him on my own, but God knew what I needed and I couldn’t have asked for a better husband.
Trust God in his timing and ask him what he wants for you right now, instead of what you want.
I bet you’ll be surprised at his answer.
Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven.And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. –Philippians 3:17-21
Limiting you perspective to what you know and not being willing to believe or even conceive of something outside your current knowledge, limits your ability to grow.
If we only dealt with what was around us and never looked for a solution outside our current knowledge we would never improve.
By seeking the knowledge and perspective of our creator we allow him to change things that we may have seen as impossible before.
Just because we can’t see the solution doesn’t mean one doesn’t exists.
Trust that God has an eternal view and that his solution is beyond what we could think or imagine.
Just because we don’t have what we asked God for right now. Doesn’t mean God’s not giving it to us.
There is so much to be thankful for in this life. There are the basic needs. Food to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear, bed to sleep in and a home to keep us protected. But God provides so much more than these. He loves to bring joy into our lives even in the little things. Blessing us with our favorite beverage, a smile from a loved one, the warm sun on our face and so much more if we just appreciate him and what he’s already blessed us with.
If we focus on what we don’t have. We will miss all that God has for us each day.
His timing is perfect. He knows what we need and when we need it. Trusting his timing can be hard if we focus on what we don’t have. But if we focus on what he is doing in our life right now. What we are waiting for won’t take as long as we think it will.
It’s so easy to get caught up in our thoughts. To become overwhelmed and insecure when we turn to our own opinion of ourselves or others opinions of us.
But the only opinion that should matter is Jesus. What he says is what matters.
He says we are loved, we matter, we belong.
If we depend on getting our value from others we will always feel like we are not enough. But Jesus says we’re priceless.
He paid everything for us, because he loves us.
It doesn’t matter what anyone else says about us. What matters is what Jesus says and he says we are loved.
Take a moment and refocus your thoughts as you listen to this song. Let the words speak to you and let Jesus remind you of who he made you to be.
Hearing God is something so many of us are looking for in our lives. What is he saying? Am I really hearing him? What does he sound like? How do I know when or if I’m hearing him?
A few pastor friends of mine produced a great documentary with real life testimony on how people hear God, how to know if it is him and if someone else is really hearing him.
We are all capable of hearing God if we listen, but we need to know what we are listing for.
God speaks in so many ways, through images, nature, others, audible, a still small voice within us, through emotions, feelings, impressions and so many other ways.
He is the creator of the universe and we cannot box him into just one way of speaking, we each hear him in different ways, but one thing is always the same the heart of his expression to us is always love.
God is love and he can never not be loving.
Test what you hear him saying against the bible. Talk to other believers and be willing to be wrong. But know that no matter what he will always be speaking in love.
*The Voice of God documentary is powerful and there is also an Activation Manuel check them both out here.
God’s peace is not something you earn, but a gift he freely gives.
Jesus is always looking to bless us, to shower His love on us. We are the ones who hold Him back, by trying to keep control of our lives.
His blessings are peace of mind, peace in our heart and peace in our soul. By finding our confidence and identity in Him. He teaches us to be without fear or worry.
When you know who you are in Jesus, nothing can shake that and no one can take it.
I heard a Pastor say once “unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”
When we hold on to unforgiveness it grows into bitterness and resentment. We think we are hurting the other person because they hurt us, but most of the time the other person doesn’t even know they hurt us.
By holding onto it we just hurt ourselves more.
But by choosing to forgive we extend the same gift God gave us to them. It’s His grace not our ours and who are we to withhold His grace from someone.
Forgiveness is freeing.
Remember how you felt when you accepted Gods forgiveness, it’s the same when we forgive others.
So why would you choose to hold yourself back from that freedom?
Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Worship crosses all boundaries, language and cultural. We all have the capacity to worship God.
It doesn’t matter if we know the words to a song, if we like the style of the music, if we’re rich or poor, what we look like or where we grew up. We all can worship.
Worship is about putting God first in our hearts. It’s about surrendering to Him and giving Him the glory.
It doesn’t matter where we are or who we’re with we can worship God anywhere anytime, with anyone anywhere in the world. Because we are all His children and He loves each of us.
We worship Him because of His who He is, not what He’s done for us. Just as He loves us not for what we’ve done but who we are to Him. His beloved creation.
Rehearsing our mistakes over and over again in our head allows guilt and shame to have control over us. Even rehearsing the wrong doings of others against us gives them power over us. When we allow these things to dictate our decisions we give them control over us.
But when we surrender them over to Jesus and accept His forgiveness for us and for them, we find freedom.
When we die to ourselves and allow God to live through us. His love and his grave cover our mistakes so that we can be free of guilt and shame, because we are dead and the dead can’t be offended, guilty or ashamed.
Instead we can rejoice in the freedom, joy and peace of God’s grace.
Surrender over to God whatever is holding you back, whatever stops you from being who God made you to be.
Free and forgiven.
Warnings are there for a reason. They keep us away from danger and help us to go the right direction.
In ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ Aslan warns Mr. Tumnus that he is going the wrong direction by following the orders of The White Witch. Mr. Tumnus had never meet a human before and didn’t know what they were like or if they were safe. But he did know the source of the request to kidnap Lucy.
When we are completely unaware about something we need to look at the source for the answer.
Mr. Tumnus knew the witch was not good and he knew that Aslan was nothing but good, even though he had not meet him yet. Mr. Tumnus knew that Aslan was good.
When we are unsure of things in life, we must look to the source for guidance. The Holy Spirit is that for us. He knows what is good for us and what is not. He keeps us safe from harm and looks to do nothing other than bring us closer to God.
In this world where new things arise everyday. Trust the Holy Spirit’s guidance and he will lead you to the feet of Jesus.
When we have those moments that we don’t want to talk to God. Those are the moments we need him the most.
No matter what we are going though or what we’ve done. We can always surrender it over to God. When we put our trust in him. He will take care of it. We don’t even have to say anything. Just surrender whatever we are dealing with over to him. So we can be a crumbled mess on the floor. His presence is what we need most.
I’ve had those moments where I was such a mess that I couldn’t do anything but cry and I’ve been the crumpled mess on the floor feeling completely unworthy of God. But when I surrendered to him and gave him the mess. He surrounded me with his love and comfort. He will do the same for you.
Take a moment, listen to the song below, surrender whatever it is to Jesus and let him carry your worries away.
For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. –Colossians 3:25
Its easy to skip over verses like these, but its part of the bible and we can’t pick and choose, but we can read in context. The previous verses talk about servants submitting to masters; then it talks about consequences for actions which is all this verse is talking about, it’s a natural progression.
Many would wonder well what if my master/boss/parent is rude or mean or cruel. Most likely they are that way because someone was like that to them and being rude back only perpetuates the cycle. But when we submit to authority in our lives God bless us, regardless of whether that authority deserves it or not. Maybe that person has never experienced the love and grace of God. We can be that to them. By showing honor and respect.
None of us deserved God’s forgiveness, but he gives it freely. We can’t earn it. That’s why Jesus came to a be sacrifice in our place. Because as hard as we try we can’t earn our salvation. So if we are given a gift that we didn’t and can’t earn how can we hold back that gift from others.
We should not be afraid to share our faith in God, we should shout it from the rooftops. There is nothing wrong with it and we should not be afraid to share it. Our faith in Jesus changed our lives and we should share that.
Our fear comes from worry or fear of acceptance, but we are sharing about our God who takes those away from us. He accepts us and that is what defines us and matters most. He came to give us peace, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and joy. Our confidence comes from him and who he is in us and that’s what we should share.
God knows what were going through, he knows ever ache and pain, every anguish and he’s in it with us holding our hand, leading us, guiding us, holding us, because he always knows what we need, when we need it.
He’s with us when were having our worst day and our best day. He will comfort us when we need it and rejoice with us in our triumph’s. God does life with us. Because he is our life.
We pour out to others all day, at work, at home or when we’re out. But what are we poring out? We are meant to pour out Jesus. So when someone tests our patience, it’s his patience that shines though. His love, his mercy. But to pour him out we need to be full of him. And when we pour out. We need to refill. Even Jesus sought time to pray and seek the Father so he was ready to pour out to others. And when he had ministered to people he would go back to his Father for more.
Holy Spirit is our constant companion, our best friend and the one who loves us. We need only to focus our attention on him and let him flow through us.
In the Silver Chair from the Chronicles of Narnia series Prince Rillian in pursuit of trying to heal from the lose of his mother. Allows himself to be seduced by the queen of the underworld. He gets so caught up trying to escape his pain that he lets her twist his perspective on the world and feed him lies about who he is.
We can do the same in our lives, if we look for the quick easy fix to cover up, ignore, or push away our pain instead of dealing with it we can be so caught up in the lies of others or even the lies we tell ourselves. That we can allow our whole environment to change right around us, till we begin to believe the lies are the truth.
We as humans will do almost anything to escape pain. But no matter where we are or what we’ve allowed ourselves to get into. Jesus is always there. We can always call on his name and he will be there for us. He will send others to help guide us out of the darkness and into the light. If you feel like you’ve fallen into something and you don’t know how to get out. Seek God and he will reveal the truth to you and set you free.
Mornings can be hard waking up thinking about all you have to do that day. It makes a lot of us want to go back to bed. What if we let God lead?
What if we let him direct our steps? And give us the energy, stamina, desire and plan for the day. He never intended for us to do life without him. So why do we keep trying?
Ask God his plan for your day? He created the universe. He can plan your day. You may think he doesn’t care about the little things, like brushing my teeth, but I beg to differ. He made you, he made your teeth, he cares about the small stuff too.
So ask him what his plan for your steps are today and let him lead. I think you’ll be surprised at how much more peaceful and productive your day is when you let him lead your steps.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Everyone fills their heart and their head with something.
What we focus on in the morning will be with us all day and what we focus on at night will be with us in our dreams and may even wake us up. Starting our day with God sets the tone for the day. Putting him first gives us the energy, wisdom and stamina to not just get through the day but to thrive.
When we let God fill us up in the morning and ask him to direct our steps through the day, our days go smoother. We have more peace and calm. Because he gives us all we need. He helps us do what we need to better, more effectively and efficiently. And helps us to avoid the pitfalls that can drain us or steer us in the wrong direction.
Let God direct your steps and you’ll be surprised how amazing your day will go.
Unknown territory can be scary. When God asks us to venture where we’ve never been or do something new it can be intimidating.
That’s where faith comes in. When we know God, we know His character, we know who He is, we know that we can trust Him.
Jesus asked Peter to get out of the boat and to walk out on the water to Him. Something that we all would have a hard time doing. But he knew Jesus and he knew that if Jesus told him to take that step of faith that Jesus would provide all he needed to do what Jesus asked of him.
It was only when Peter changed his focus from Jesus to the storm around him that he began to sink. Fixing his eyes back on Jesus brought him back upon the water.
What has Jesus asked you to take a step of faith in? Have you taken it and lost your way. Fix your eyes back on Him, and trust that He will provide what you need to walk on the water with Him.
The love of God transform us. It gives us boldness, strength and confidence in the toughest moments. God’s love not only cancels fear, it removes it. God’s love is all encompassing.
It gave David the strength to face Goliath. Daniel the stamina to face the lion den. And Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego the confidence to face the fire.
God’s love gives us all we need to face or overcome the trials we face in life. He gives us peace in the storm. If we fix our eyes on Him. Like Peter walking on the water. When his gaze was fixed on Jesus he was able to do what defied logic and understanding. But when Peter took his gaze off of Jesus and focused on the storm around him (his circumstances) he began to sink.
So no matter what your surrounded by, fix your gaze on Jesus and He’ll teach you to walk on the water and find peace that surpasses understanding.
In the movie I Can Only Imagine Bart Millard invites his dad to go to church with him and his dad replies that “he doesn’t belong in church.”
This broke my heart and began to make me think how often this is our reason for not inviting people to church or that we’ve given ourselves.
But this is a misconception. The church is not four walls or an organization. The people are the church. Jesus destroyed the temple and rebuilt it in us. We are the temple. Jesus is inside us.
Saying that we don’t belong in church is true. We don’t deserve to have Jesus live inside us, none of us do. But that is the beauty of his sacrifice we don’t deserve it but he gives us the free gift of having him live inside us. Not by earning it but by accepting nd believing in Jesus sacrifice for us he makes the way for us to be the church.
This means that when we encounter people we are bringing the church to them.
The next time you meet someone and think “I want to bring them to church.” Remember you already have. You’re right there in front of them (you are the church), tell them what Jesus has done for you and ask them if they would like Jesus to do the same for them.
Church is anywhere we are, we don’t have to wait for Sunday or the right service. Jesus is in us all day every day and he wants all his children to know him.
Once you have introduced them to Jesus, then invite them to the gathering of other Christians.
~May all your interactions with others reflect Jesus
When we feel inadequate or less than. We need more of the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself said don’t do anything or go anywhere until you receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t do anything unless the Father did or said so through the Holy Spirit. So how can we expect do anything without the Holy Spirit either.
The Fruit of the Spirit IS…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. (Galatians 5)
That means that when we let the Holy Spirit fill us and work through us we have all of these characteristics. We don’t need more patience or more kindness. We need more Holy Spirit. All of the attributes of the Holy Spirit are exuded through him together.
When God asks us to do something he provides what we need. It’s not our works but his. His faith, His power, His love. He is what makes all the difference. We are just the willing vessel for him to work through.
So stop saying ‘I can’t do it,’ ‘I don’t know how,’ ‘I don’t want to.’ Because God will give you the will, the wisdom and the passion to do what he has called you to do. We must simple do one thing.
Seek Him. Spend time with Him, let Him fill us up. Let Him work in and thru us to accomplish what He has called us to.
I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. –Colossians 4:18
Paul was imprisoned for his faith in Jesus but that never stopped him from sharing his faith with people. He wrote letters to believers from prison, encouraging them to continue in their faith in God. He shared his faith with those he was imprisoned with. He never stopped or allowed his circumstances to change him, who he was or what God had called him to.
It’s easy to allow our circumstances to dictate our mood, our behavior and our decisions. But when we surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit, he can change our attitude, our perspective and lead us to make better decisions.
We can either choose to let life dictate to us or we can be the change that makes a difference.
No one will ever treasure you more then Jesus.
To know the character of God you need only look at the fruit of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Who wouldn’t want to be around someone that exudes all these all the time. God is personal and we get to have a deep intimate relationship with him. He is not far off and distant but close and intimate. My favorite moments with him are listening to songs like the one posted below and just letting his love surround me to feel that deep intimate closeness with him. Neither of us has to say anything its just being in his presence that is enough.
He’s sweet and kind, comforting and peaceful with bouts of joy. He’s everything we need if we just surrender ourselves to him. Many people like to have a prayer closet or close the door to the bedroom. But I love open spaces with him. A walk in the woods or at home I prefer to be in our living room. For me I think its mental I don’t like to limit God or put him in a box so I think the spaces I enjoy with him most don’t have those limits. You can encounter God and have a deep intimate moment with him anywhere (more open areas are just my preference.)
We each need this daily if possible. To have a moment in our day when we forget everything and just be in his presence. No reading requirement, no set time just a moment we steal away and make it all about being in his presence.
Take a moment, listen to the song in the video below and just let the words sink in and open your self up to feel God’s presence.
