We all want to be loved without conditions or expectations. So why would we assume God would want anything else?
Yes, we love God because of what he’s done for us, but we should love him for who he is.
When you are with the one you love you don’t need anything else, but just to be with them. Our love for God should be the same, because his love is the same for us.
He wants nothing more than to spend all eternity with us or he wouldn’t have given everything to make it possible.
Seek him for him and appreciate the joy of just his presence.
Often when we don’t feel ready to do what God calls us to. It’s then that we are ready, because it’s that insecurity in ourselves that makes us dependent on God. So it’s God working through us, not our own abilities, so we cannot boast in ourselves but in him alone.
One of my teachers when I first started preaching, reminded me that nerves are good when preaching, because it keeps us conscious of God, his will, his words, his power and his direction. If we were completely confident in ourselves. We would have no need for him. But it’s because we know our own imperfection and instead find our confidence in him, that we can shine him best.
Don’t let nerves hold you back from what you know God has called you to, instead use those nerves to depend on him and REFLECT God to others, not ourselves.
When the Israelites left Egypt they didn’t know where they were going. It can seem the hardest to trust God when we don’t now where He’s leading us, but even in the times of uncertainty he will give us rest.
To have good rest we need to have peace, but its hard to have peace when we’re uncertain. But that’s the beauty of God’s peace it surpasses understanding. We don’t have to know all the answers and he can still give us peace.
My husband and I have moved more times then the number of years we have been married, and we didn’t always know all the details but each time we knew it was God’s timing and that he had a plan and purpose for our move, even if we didn’t know what that plan was. Each time he gave us a peace about it.
Rest is part of that peace, when we trust God’s plan and his timing we can rest in knowing he’s got this. And that rest might be what we need in order to take care of what he’s got ahead for us.
If someone asked you, who you are? What would you say? Would it be your job title? Who you are in relationship to others? Or would it be something else? What if all of it was striped away; your job, your friends, your family, everything. Who would you be? What would define you? Would it be characteristics or attributes? Or would you not know?
If it was just you on an island by yourself alone with nothing to go back to, no home, no friends, no family, just you. What would you cling to? What would make you, you?
For me it’s God. I am his, no matter what. He’s where my identity comes from. I’m his kid and that where I draw strength, confidence, comfort and identity from. Because like Job in the Bible even if everything was stripped away from me. I’m still his, and no one and nothing can take that from me.
As believers in Jesus that’s what we get, an undeniable sense of identity and assurance of who we are, God’s children.
If we read Ephesians chapters 1 and 2; we can see who we are because of our identity in Jesus.
We are chosen, blessed, belonging, forgiven, loved, adopted, wanted, favored, showered with grace, a gift to God, delighted in, saved, lifted up, given new life, a member of God’s family, a citizen of God’s country.
And if you are not yet a believer you can be. You can have that same assurance in your identity by just believing in Jesus love and sacrifice and allowing him into your heart.
Tychicus is mentioned only five times in the bible. He’s not credited with any huge miracles or massive outreaches. He simple mentioned as a faithful minister.
Like Paul lifting up Tychicus, we should celebrate and encourage each other to minister to others as God leads them. Whether they are ministering to thousands, hundreds or just one. They matter, we all matter. God has given each of us a gift and a unique way to reach people.
Billy Graham gave his life to Jesus because a shoe sales man told him about Jesus. We never know what our impact will be unless we try.
God gave each of us a new life, a new beginning and we need to share that with others. We never know who we’re talking to; it could be the next Billy Graham or we could be the next Billy Graham but regardless the only way anyone will know God and let him change their lives is if we share what he’s done for us.
God is endless in his pursuit of us, each and everyone of us has our own special place in his heart. We matter to him.
Even when we feel like no one sees us, hears us or knows us. He does.
He loves us and will pursue us to our last breathe. He will always seek to show us how much he cares, how much he loves and how much he gave to be with us.
But he is never forceful.
The gift he gave us was choice. We can choose to let him show us his love for us. We can choose to only let him into certain parts of our life. Or we can choose to believe he doesn’t exist or doesn’t care. Regardless of our choice he will always be there waiting for us to allow him to love us.
What could be more loving then the right to choose?
How would you want someone to approach you about anything in life? With a stick ready to beat you into submission or with love and gentleness. I think we would all choose the latter. No one wants to be beaten up. So why do we see gentleness and love as a weakness?
Its easy to let our emotions run away, but it takes self control to choose to be kind, to choose to be loving and gentle; to be vulnerable.
Some of the strongest people I know are the ones that are the most willing to open up and share their mistakes and failures along with their victories.
Gentleness is being humble enough to focus on the needs of others instead of trying to boast or promote yourself; it takes strength to choose others above yourself.
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:15-16
The intimacy of calling God “Father” is the privilege we get when we come into the family of God. Unfortunately sometimes people see God as this big dictator in the sky ready to strike us down when we do something wrong. But nothing could be further from the truth.
We are invited in and adopted into God’s family. He seeks a deep intimate relationship with each of us to the point of calling him Daddy!
The God I know is loving and kind, sweet and generous. He doesn’t look down at us like slaves to be bossed around, living in fear of our master. But as his beautiful children. He is our Abba, Daddy and he wants to nurture and help us grow in a safe loving environment, just as any father does.
We get to call him Daddy, so seek him out as a child and look for that loving embrace of our heavenly Father.
In Prince Caspian, from The Chronicles of Narnia, Lucy gives a perfect example of how we as believers in Jesus should feel when we feel outnumbered and surrounded. Confident and unafraid.
Because it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when we focus on what is around us or even just in front of us. But when we remember God is always with us it changes our perspective.
We become like Lucy, a child facing an army with just a dagger, oh and of course the God of the universe to fight for us. We can have complete confidence because God loves us, he fights for us and if we trust him, he will take care of everything. Nothing should phase us, because God is with US!
Have you ever noticed how lights seem brighter in the dark. Like Christmas lights they shine brighter and more beautiful in the dark.
Gods light is like this, he shines in and through us as we grow in relationship with him and choose to let him shine instead of us. When we are in a dark situation he can be the light that leads us out of the darkness. Or he can shine through us to others, showing them the way out of the darkness.
We should not fear the darkness, but look at it as an opportunity to shine Jesus brighter.
Why do we keep trying the same temporary fixes to fill the holes inside us and expect different results?
We all have times when we want to escape, from work, school, home, kids spouse. Everyone needs a break sometimes.
But is what we run to really helping? Or is it just a temporary fix, like putting tape on a busted pipe it may work for a moment but eventually the pipe is going to burst again, and if we keep using tape it’s never going to solve the issue.
The lyrics of the song Chain Breaker by Zach Williams describes the cycle we go through in life so often searching for the solution but never finding the answer in the same process.
But there is a better way, a better life.
God is a chain breaker he made a way for us to be free. To not feel tied down but to find joy and peace in our homes, in our work and in our families.
He is the way.
When we go to him, when we need rest, he lifts us up, he takes our fears our worries and our frustrations when we give them over to him.
If we grip onto the chains that our strangling us he can’t remove them. We have to surrender them over to him so he can remove them.
I’ve mentioned dieing to self, having an intimate personal relationship with Jesus, and being a willing vessel. All of which are essential to our lives as Christians. But what does that entail? What does it mean? It means that we let God lead. We look to him to tell us what to do and say, when to do and say it and to provide all that we need to do what he asks us to do.
Sounds scary right. And it would be if God is distant to us. If we don’t really know him. Then of course trusting him sounds scary. But he is the one person in the universe who we can trust for everything. Because he is love and his loves is patient and kind. It does not envy, or boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. His love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.
Want to know more about finding your identity is Jesus. Watch or listen to this video.
When trees are in a storm the branches bend and weather the storm. If they are healthy the tree will come out safe and stronger because of the storm. It’s when they are weak and malnourished that the branches break.
We recently had a storm and I watched as all the branches of the trees around our home blow in the wind and it reminded me of how it is their deep roots that help them weather the storm.
Its the same for us.
When our foundation is rooted and nourished by Jesus we can endure storms in our lives. Its when we have shallow roots and are spiritually malnourished that we crack under the pressure of the storm.
What are your roots grounded in? What feeds your soul?
Amazing Grace, the classic song that most people know, is one of my favorites because of what it means. God’s amazing grace that saved, a wretch like me. Every time I hear this song, I want to sing it.
Everyone who has ever lived, except Jesus has done something wrong at some point in their life and needs forgiveness for something. God’s grace does just that. He forgives us for everything we have ever done wrong. He wipes our slate clean and makes us white as snow before God.
I know I’ve done plenty of things wrong in my life, but he forgave me and made me new in him. Because of His forgiveness I get a do over, a fresh start, I get to be new in him.
Often I find memories of my past that try to come back to haunt me. But I know that, that person died on the cross with Jesus. I am no longer that person, because Jesus makes me new and clean with His grace and forgiveness.
Next time you find yourself caught up in your past mistakes, surrender them over to Jesus and let him remind you that, that person died on the cross with him and that Jesus lives through you.
When we’re hurt by the people that are supposed to love us or ashamed of the scares they left, it leaves us afraid to be loved by anyone else. Because to us, love hurts. But that’s not love.
Just because people in our lives who were supposed to love us, didn’t, doesn’t mean that is what love is.
Love is patience and kind, its not rude or self seeking, its not easily angered and does not keep a record of wrongs.
God is love.
And He would never hurt us, neglect us, abandon us or stop loving us.
He is always there, always wanting and waiting to be with us, to love us and take care of us, if we let Him in.
Give God a chance to show you His love, I promise you won’t regret it.
If you already know God’s love share it with a kid who needs it. Check out Royal Family Kids
Feeling like we are dry spiritually or not hearing God is often because we are not making time for him or listening for the answer. We may be too busy or overwhelmed with all our obligations and responsibilities.
But if we take the time to give God time he makes those obligations and responsibilities easier and even joyful.
Spending time with God and letting him fill us with his presence gives us joy, peace, love and perspective. When we look to him moment by moment he changes things.
The change he brings may not be a change of location, job or responsibilities, but a change of perspective, of how we view and react to those same situations.
The thing I love about worshipping God is that it’s an exchange. As we surrender ourselves to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit envelope us; as we pour our lives out as an offering he fills us up to overflowing more than we gave.
We can’t out give God. So stop worrying about what your giving up and starting focusing on what he’s doing in and through you.
We can’t change other people. But we can choose how we treat and react to other people.
I recently watched a great movie on Pureflix called ‘How to train your puppy husband‘ I thought it would be funny as we have two dogs I am training and I would never train my husband. But it reminded me of an important lesson.
We can’t change other people, but we can choose how we treat and react to other people. When you’re training a puppy you are actually modifying how you treat and react to what your puppy does.
You should never try to train or change your spouse. But you can change how you treat them and react to them. We are to love God and love others as ourselves. So think about how you would like to treated and treat your spouse that way. If you want to be loved and respected, love and respect them. You can’t get what you don’t give. When has demanding, berating and manipulating ever really resulted in exactly what you wanted.
Forced behavior is never really what we want, what we want is for others to do things for us because they want to, so we must do that for them. If we want others to care for our needs and wants, we need to put the other person first and care for their needs and desires.
If we as infants need love, care, guidance and protection to learn the basic of just walking and talking. Why do we expect those that are new in their faith should automatically know how to walk, talk and act in their new found faith in God.
We should teach them to read the Word of God, to go to him in prayer and show them how God has guided us in our own lives. The majority of the New Testament is instruction for the new believers. If it took such lengthy instruction to help guide them. How can we expect someone who just surrendered their life to God to know everything.
We need to love and encourage them to learn about God and develop their own relationship with him. So that he can father them to be who he made them to be. Teach someone to walk and talk as Jesus. Just like Jesus taught you!
It’s easy to define ourselves by our mistakes and failures. But that’s the beauty of finding our identity in Jesus. He gives us new life, a new beginning each and everyday. We don’t have to be who we were yesterday or even a moment ago. We can choose each moment to be who we used to be or be who God says we are.
We can’t earn God’s forgiveness, He gives it freely and it doesn’t matter how much we fail. He is always there to pick us back up and give us a fresh start.
But we have to make the choice to die to ourselves and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Finding our identity in Jesus is a daily choice. We can choose to be who we used to be or we can choose to let Jesus live through us.
There is a balance to this. Wives are to submit to their husband and husband are to love their wives. This is because men and women are different and we each need different things to feel loved. Women feel loved when they are protected, supported and encouraged. Men feel loved when they are respected, affirmed and appreciated
Marriage is about serving each other and putting the needs of the other above your own. God gave it to us as a model for his relationship with us. Jesus came to serve, not be served. He was not looking for what we could do for him, but what he could do for us. When we focus on fulfilling the needs of the other then our needs are then met by our spouse.
This song always makes me feel calm and at peace. It’s like when you see a sleeping baby, they are so peaceful and calm, it brings joy to your face.
When I hear this song I think of Jesus as an infant. He wasn’t born in grandeur but in humble beginning, yet his birth was celebrated by angels, shepherds, wise men, the rich, the poor and the heavenly hosts. What a joyous celebration for such a humble beginning.
It goes to show that it doesn’t matter where you start from but how you live. Even if you were born in the poorest of circumstances that doesn’t mean you can’t do great things.
The Holy Spirit works in and through us just as he did in Jesus and anyone can have the Holy Spirt we just have to humble ourselves and allow him to work through us and he will do great things.
So adore him this Christmas and let his peace reign in you.
The trust that Mary had in God to say ‘let it be done to me as you have said’ speaks volumes in her faith in God. To agree to carry and raise the son of God. The faith that took, is inspiring. She had to know that there would be questions from her parents and Joseph that her community would most likely stone her. But she trusted God anyway.
So why don’t we trust God when he asks us to do something for him? Do we think that he’s going to hurt us or harm us? He won’t. But that doesn’t mean we won’t face doubt or hardship. But god will provide through it just as he did for Mary.
Trust God to guide your every step and take a leap of faith like Mary did. You never know what might happen.
‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ heralds what Jesus came to do, to set us free!
How often we forget or even take for-granted the freedom Jesus has given us. The freedom to be free of guilt and shame. To know his peace, his joy, his grace and his love without bounds. Jesus came to set us FREE!
So let’s rejoice! Jump, dance, sing, declare who Jesus is and what he’s done for us all!
There’s something about Christmas that brings a sense of joy to our hearts all you have to say is the word and people get a little smirk on their face remembering fond memories of there childhood or times with family. It’s a time of joy.
When we all gather together with friends or with family and celebrate. Some celebrate with gifts, some with song, some with big meals, but always with joy.
But what if you are having a hard time being joyful this season whether it be distance or change or loss.
Jesus is our joy even in the bleakest of circumstances.
He has always given me joy when I seek it from him no matter what. It could be the worst day of my life but when I turn to him I know that I can find peace and rest and joy.
Find JOY in Jesus this Christmas. He is the reason for the season.
When I think about Jesus birth I’m humbled. He could of been born in a palace or to the leader of the temple. But he choose based on people hearts, not their status or wealth.
Jesus could of had thousands of people worship him from the moment of his birth. Instead he choose to be born in humble surroundings with the very animals he created and honored by those who sought him.
Jesus doesn’t demand our worship. He accepts it freely when its given freely. So this season choose to worship him because he choose to save you.
When we get down about ourselves or our circumstances we have to remember to count our blessing instead. There is always something we can be grateful for. Even if it’s the simple things. Do you have somewhere to sleep? Be grateful. Do you have food to eat? Be grateful. We often take the simplest things for granted but there are many in this world that have an empty stomach and no where to sleep. If we allow ourselves to get lost in our sorrows we only make things worse and solve nothing.
But when we fix our eyes on Jesus he changes our perspective.
I’ve know two people that had the struggle of hunger and a safe place to sleep on a regular basis and they both had the sweetest disposition, were more focused on others well being then their own and they exuded the presence of Jesus. Our happiness isn’t dependent on our circumstances. Its dependent on whether we are focused on Jesus.
God loves to change our stories from what we think would be likely for us; to blessings beyond our belief.
Mary was an ordinary girl and we would probably know nothing about her in history, if it had not been for her birthing and raising Jesus. God loves to take everyday people and make them extra-ordinary. It wasn’t Mary’s own achievements that gave her the blessing of bearing Jesus but her humility and willingness to serve.
We are not meant to achieve greatness on our own, but to serve God and let him bless us instead. His blessings will always surpass what we could achieve on our own.
No matter what we’re facing in our lives be it internal, external, physical, emotional, mental, spiritual or relational.
Regardless of each of our struggles we can all cling to the same thing, that no matter what our God is good and he loves us and its because of that love that we know that we can depend on him to lift us up and bring us through any and everything.
So no matter how tired or frustrated we may be we can scream EVEN LOUDER that Jesus is our everything.
We are bonded together by our faith in Jesus. It knits us together, creates a common bond that surpasses all else. When we meet strangers and find out they share our faith in Jesus there is an instant connection that bonds us together.
It’s Jesus.
And He should be what brings us together, not pushes us apart. We have divided our faith up, but I can’t honestly think that is what Jesus intended.
He wants us to be one body that fights for each other, not against each other.
So instead of seeking what divides us. Lets seek what unites us.
Leadership can be daunting, overwhelming and a lot of pressure depending on how you do it.
Jesus lead as a servant, counting himself above nothing. He looked to Father God for every step of His path. If even He was humble enough to let God lead, how can we do anything else?
God designed each and everyone of us. He knows what He created us for and how to achieve His plan.
We need to stop trying to figure our how we are going to do everything and let God lead.
People do a lot for acceptance. We are all easily influenced when we are searching for acceptance. It’s easy for us to make choices we normally wouldn’t on our own when surrounded by others, others that want us to be like them just for them to accept us.
We can feel welcomed and accepted by a group initially but as time goes by those people will influence who we are, we can make compromises to maintain or strengthen those relationships.
But we if we change who we are, just to be loved and accepted there will always be something in us that is searching for that unconditional acceptance.
Jesus is that unconditional acceptance. He loves us whether we love him or not. He made us and he knows how to fulfill us.
I know from experience. I tried to fill that need for acceptance with the approval of others and never found peace, fulfillment, contentment or unconditional love.
Only once I gave my life to Jesus did I find what I had been looking for. In the moment that I was at my worst, he was at his best. I didn’t have to try to do or be anything he just surrounded me with his love.
We all have that same opportunity anywhere, any time, at any moment.
Give God a chance to show you his unconditional love.
Even when it feels like the world is crumbling down around us. God is still God and God is still good. He is the one thing that we can count on to always be there for us. To always be all we ever need.
So when you feel like your world is crumbling, retreat into his presence. Seek him and let him be your all and your everything. Let him bear all the burden and find rest and peace in him.
Because he will never disappoint us if we seek him and he will never let us fall when we put our trust in him.
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God every time I remember you.In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joybecause of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
The book of Philippians is a letter written to the believers in Philippi. Paul addresses them as old friends saying how he longs for them and prays for them.
This reminds me of the church community I grew up in. Even though we live far from them now I still feel a connection to them and always will. I still care for them deeply, pray for them and desire for them to grow closer to Jesus. Just as Paul does for the church in Philippi.
This is how we should feel about all believers.
When we meet other believers there is an instant bond, a connection we feel when we meet that binds us together.
There are so many things that divide us as believers, but shouldn’t we all have the same prayer as Paul for all believers.
We as Christians can be very judgmental. We see people living life without God and immediately judge them; we even judge each other.
But we need to remember that we all came to Jesus because we needed him. None of us are perfect. Jesus sacrifice covered all our wrong doings and it covers all theirs too.
Instead of judging people we need to see them as Jesus sees them. That He is greater than all they’ve done, all we’ve done and no challenge is too great for Him.
Jesus is the one who changed us and made us who we are and makes us who we are becoming. Everyone is just in a different place in their relationship with Jesus. Some of us are still learning to trust Him, some are still learning to love Him and some don’t even know Him.
The next time you catch yourself being judgmental of anyone. Remember…
The best part about Jesus is that he is what we are not. So when we say we don’t it feel like, that’s ok, we don’t have to, because he is what we are not. He is our strength, our peace, our joy he is all need.
We have to stop trying to be what we think God wants us to be and let him be in us what he is.
When we surrender our lives over to him we need to fill that up with something but we often make the mistake of filling up on the things that got us to where we were in the first place before Jesus.
We need to fill up on Jesus, to fix our eyes on what draws us closer to him, not further from him. We all have this problem of trying to imitate God instead of letting him be God in us.
We need to get out of the way.
If his intention was to have us fix ourselves, then why did he sacrifice his life for us.
Don’t say well that’s just the way I am. Because when you gave your life over to God you gave up that person, to be the person he created you to be.
That person is loving and peaceful and fearless and joyful.
So stop saying less of me and more of him and say none of me and all of him.
Why don’t we just go straight to heaven the minute we accept Jesus into our hearts?
For this very reason, that we might be there to encourage and uplift each other, but also so that we may take more people to heaven with us.
What better way to reach people then through people. God has a grand intricate design to every bit of creation and we are a major part of that. He wanted to make us part of the process, not just instantaneous zap into heaven.
Think about it, would’t that be scary if every time someone accepted Jesus sacrifice they disappeared. Who would want to follow that person? Not knowing where they went, why, if they were ok.
No, God makes us his witnesses to tell and show others, how he changes our lives, how he heals and restores how he provides and loves us beyond imagination.
We are meant to share him with others, so go out and tell someone!
It is well with my soul, is all any of us want. We want to have peace in us to have freedom from guilt and shame, to stop fighting against everything and everyone and to truly find peace.
Jesus is that peace, because he is peace.
He came to give us his peace in our very souls.
That we would no longer walk in fear or worry, but in confidence and strength, that we would draw that from him. Because no matter how alone we feel when we have him in our lives we are never really alone, he is with us always.
God loved us from the very beginning of creation, that’s why he created us, to love us.
We praise him because we trust him, we know who he is and that there is no one else like him, he is love and deserves all the glory.
That’s why we praise him, because of who he is, not who we are. Giving glory to God has nothing to do with us or whether we feel worthy to praise him, its about giving honor where honor is due.
He is God and he loves us, so if we love him, we should praise him for who he is, our everything.
When your having a rough day, ask yourself did I put God first , did I talk to him this morning, did I start my day out right? Is he part of what I’m doing right now.
And if he isn’t. STOP. put him first above everything else and let him be your peace, your guidance, all you need.
Restart your day the right way, by putting God first.
I want you to know, brothers,[e] that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard[f] and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word[g] without fear.–Philippians 1:12-14
Paul was in prison when he wrote the book of Philippians, but he didn’t let it affect his witness. Instead he used it to witness to the guards and the other prisoners. And his boldness encouraged the believers outside to spread the gospel further and more passionately. God uses our circumstances, no matter how bleak to reach people.
My husband and I recently went through some rough financially patches, but each time God used it to draw us closer together, closer to him, and to help us see what’s really important in life.
God has been working me towards the goal of writing this blog for a long time, but in the process I wrote and trashed half a book, wrote a second book and have two failed ministry launches to get me to the point of realizing what my ministry would be and how he wanted me to do it.
This blog and having a career as a writer has been a dream for a long time, but God had to take me through a process to make me who I am today, to prepare me to do this the right way. Along this long path I’ve picked up skills that we’re much needed to make this a success and (I’m still learning) but I wouldn’t of had the drive, the desire or the knowledge without going on the journey that he took me on.
Just because you may have failed at what you know God has called you to, doesn’t mean that he isn’t going to use that experience to teach you how to succeed in what he’s called you too.
So keep pursuing the dream God has placed in your heart and don’t be discouraged, we all fail, but it’s how we fail that matters.
In our instant gratification society, everyone wants everything immediately, people are rarely willing to wait for anything.
But what compromises have we made for convenience. We eat lower quality food because its cheaper and faster. We spend extra on shipping to get things one day sooner. We get annoyed if an email or download isn’t instant.
What has this done to our relationships? What compromises have we made?
We make snap judgments and quick commitments without giving much thought to it because its easier. But at what cost?
Lust is about ourselves, it’s about instant gratification of hormonal desires, it’s about me and what I can get.
Love is selfless. Love puts others before themselves.
When was the last time you were solely 100% focused on making everything about the other person?
Love waits because it sees the other as valuable. Love sees the best in the other and seeks to encourage them to be who God made them to be. Love keeps you grounded during the hard times and makes the good times better.
Love never fails, lust does.
Lust fulfills our selfish desires. Love fulfills the desire of our love.
The Love Dare is a fantastic book that helps you to put your spouse first before yourself as all good marriages should. But I will be the first to admit that it is easy to put the other first when your feeling good, and things are going well. But it is so much harder when things are hard and your not at your best.
Marriage isn’t about just the good times, it about how you handle the hard times. It’s about sticking together and loving one another even when you don’t feel like it or even want to. Marriage is a commitment for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. That means you don’t bail when things get tough or you don’t care for each other at the moment, because the moment will pass and things will get better.
But that doesn’t happen by accident you have to have God at the center of your marriage. Because if your happiness and well being depends on another person you will never be fulfilled. Only God can do that. Only he can truly make you feel 100% fulfilled.
When you get your identity from God, you draw on him for strength, perseverance and perspective. To see things from the perspective of the other opens the barriers you may have put up as a defense, and when you trust God to guide you, you can drop those barriers to bring reconciliation.
Life today is so much about appearance; we only show what we want others to see, we crop out the reality of life to project what’s expected, we add effects and filters, but often feel no one really knows the true us. .
Deep down all seeking a relationship where we can be ourselves, raw, open, vulnerable and unfiltered.
God is that person, He knows us, the good and the bad, the raw, the ugly. He knows it all, every little moment, every thought, every emotion, He knows us inside and out and He love us still, He held back nothing to know us. He gave His whole life; just to show His love for us.
Because of this love we can be open, honest and vulnerable with Him, He can handle it, in fact He loves the moments when we just surrender to Him. That’s when He can reach us the most, when we have no barriers with Him, He can express His love for us the most.
Go to Him with your problems big or little, go to Him with your worst, most broken moments and let Him be all you need. Let Him put you back together and build you up stronger.
I’m different then I used to be. Growing up I was shy and insecure, but knowing God changed that.
Knowing who is and who he made me to be gives me confidence, boldness and fearlessness, because I know who he is.
No matter where I go, he is with me. I’m never alone because he is with me, comforting me, inspiring me, teaching me, guiding me, protecting me, he is always with me. So I am never alone, and he is where I draw my confidence from, because I know who he is.
He loves each and everyone of us and he wants to do the same for us all. To show us who he is and who he made each of us to be.
We are supposed to be different, so that people can see our witness in our words, our actions and reactions. We are to lay down our lives for Jesus as he did for us.
Sounds impossible, but it isn’t.
I can’t tell you how many times I didn’t want to get out of bed and go to work, like I’m sure many of you have too. But I did it anyway.
But just because I started my day off rough doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.
I’ve found that using my drive to work as a time to fix my eyes on Jesus makes a big difference by the time I get to work. I usually have worship music or sermons from podcasts playing as I get ready in the morning and on my drive to work. I call it Driving with Jesus. I ask Jesus to teach me something and He always does. Sometimes He uses a song or a sermon, and sometimes He uses people walking on the street or the landscape of my drive.
But He always changes my perspective and attitude by the time I get to work, if I let Him give me a perspective change. See many of our problems and issues stem from just seeing the problem from our own earthly perspective. But when we allow Jesus to show us His perspective He changes our view of things.
Photo by Anika Huizinga on Unsplash
When you surrender your life and your day to God he changes your perspective and transforms your mind to see like He sees and think like He thinks. So let Jesus drive and enjoy the passenger seat of life’s road.
Jesus makes me brave. The love and protection I know He has for me, makes me know that I can move mountains and nothing can stand against me because God is for me.
If He has called you to something or someone nothing can stand in your way God will protect and provide for you to do what He has called you to.
No matter what your facing or how impossible it seems or even if you feel surrounded, remember the God of heaven is backing you, He surrounds those that surround you, He is on your side.
David knew he could defeat Goliath because God had anointed him to be king and he wasn’t king yet, he was still just a shepherd boy. We can stand on the promises God has given us.
He calls each one of us to a mission, He has deemed for us, and nothing can stop us as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in the pursuit of that which He has called us too.
No matter how impossible a situation, if God has called you to it, He will make a way.
That’s why He make me brave.
That’s why I stand up for God, because he stands up for me.
