God gives us our identity before we are even born. We are sons and daughter of him. Because of Jesus sacrifice he made us co-heirs with him.
But when we face problems in life. It’s often easier to run away from our problems. And to believe what others says about us. Instead of staying and fighting for what is ours.
Like in The Lion King. Simba lets Scar take his birth right of ruling Pride Rock. Because he believe the lies Scar says abut him. Simba runs away. He doesn’t fulfill his true purpose until he claims his birth right and stops believing the lies.
We are the same. We can try to find our identity in our work, our friends, our family. But we will never really be fulfilled until we find our identity in Jesus.
If we let fear control us we would never do anything. We would always be afraid of something going wrong, even if its the smallest detail. But when we put our faith into something it changes things.
We do it every day, we have faith that a bridge will stay up when we drive over it. We have faith that there will be water when we turn on the faucet. We do things everyday that require faith.
Faith is simply complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
So when we put our trust or our faith in God its because we are confident in him. We know him and know we can trust him.
God has never let me down and I know he never will. That’s why I put my faith in Him. So when we feel fear creeping in. We need to remember who’s with us and in us, the creator of the universe and He’s got this.
When we are in any leadership role at work, at home, volunteer or any other capacity we need to be mindful of how we lead. Jesus lead by example as a servant, he never asked his disciples to do what he was not already doing, he never saw anything or anyone as above him.
He knelt in the dirt for an adulteress. He dined with a tax collector and saw greatness in fisherman.
He saw each person as valuable and worth eveything and he treated them as priceless.
Jesus lead with humility, patience and kindness. Shouldn’t we do the same?
In lives we seek out love. We pursuit it. We desire it from our friends, family, and others but somehow it is never enough.
No matter who it’s from or how much we love someone. Their love for us will never be enough. This is because we are meant to only be truly 100% fulfilled by God’s love. He created us and made us with a God shaped hole that can only be fulfilled by Him.
My whole life I pursued unconditional love from friends, family and others, hoping that I would find that person that filled the void.
But I never found that fulfillment from a person. And even though I have an amazing husband. What bonds us together the most is that we both came into our marriage knowing that only God fulfill us. That’s why I call my husband the cherry on top of my sundae. He’s the bonus, the blessing above the fulfillment I get from the love of God.
God’s love is the only love that has ever made me feel complete and wanting nothing. In His presence, He is all I want and all I need.
We can’t earn His love because He gives it freely.
God loves you! What could you lose by giving Him a chance to share His love for you, with you?
How do you know God? Who is he to you? What comes to you when he’s mentioned? Is it joy? Is it peace? Is it love?
Do you know him or do you know what others have said about him? What has shaped your image of him?
Knowing about others perception of God and actually knowing him are two very different things. Think of it this way. If someone asked you to describe someone famous that you admire but have never met in person how would you describe them? It would be from what you’ve read or watched or learned about them from various sources of those that have met them in person. But then if I asked you to describe the person you are closest to (your spouse or best friend) you would describe them differently because you have physically been around them, you’ve spent time in their presence. You’ve been with them for your best and worst moments in life and you could probably finish each others sentences. The later is the type of relationship God desires with us. He wants us to know him, so intimately that we know how he would react.
So what if you don’t have that type of relationship with God. Well you can. Start by spending time with him not to study or learn but just to be with him. To learn his character, his speech, his mannerisms, his presence. So that we know him instantly.
Struggling to hear his voice. I highly recommend you check out Voice Of God
Jeremiah 29:13- And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
We teach our children that they have nothing to fear, there is no monster under the bed or in the closet. Because God is always with them. But do we use the same reasoning with ourselves?
God is always with us and that should make us fearless. But often we let our imaginations get the best of us.
In the those moment we need to change our focus to the reality of our situation instead of our fear of the possibilities.
The reality is that God is with us. That he does and will provide everything we need in every situation if we just look to him first.
Our lives must become a fitting response to His love. ~Heidi Baker
You can never have enough of God. We need to make him part of everything, everyday. He created the universe. He can plan our day or show us the best way to handle life’s curveballs. He can fill us with all that we need and overflow us, so that when the hard times in life come all that pours out is Him.
The beauty of Jesus sacrifice is that we get a fresh start. We die to ourselves. Our past is dead, our mistakes are forgiven and we can start fresh and new. Its not in our own strength but in His strength. His wisdom. His words. His everything. The beauty of being made new in Jesus is that its not on us. Lets face it we screwed it up the first time, so why would we think we’d be the solution to our redo.
When we feel our past or our old selves creeping back in, our answer should be to say ‘No in Jesus name, that is not who I am anymore’ then fix our eyes back on Jesus. He is the solution to everything. I don’t have all the answers and neither do you, but he does.
Where we draw our strength, is what lets us stand in the storm.
Our faith is built on Jesus and when we know that he is our roots. We can weather the storm. When we draw our nourishment from Jesus, we grow stronger in him and we can withstand more then we can imagine.
When the storm is over we may see damage to branches and leaves. But its what we can’t see deep down the root of Jesus that give us the strength to grow back bigger and stronger that matter.
Let Jesus be your roots.
So when the storm comes it’s his words, his love, his strength and his character that we depend on to weather the storm and come out stronger.
I’m not afraid of the world. I’m not afraid to travel or to move. I’m not afraid to follow God.
Every time I follow God’s leading, his direction, his plan. He has been all I needed. He has provided more then I needed.
When I follow him he give me all I need. The strength to follow his direction. The confidence to walk through the storm and the love to do all that he has asked.
When God calls us to do something, to be something. He gives us all that we need and more. To not just accomplish what he has for us. He give us boldness and confidence to thrive in what he’s called us to.
What has God called you to? Fear not, for he will be all you need and more.
The Holy Spirit works the same way. He sparks a fire and a passion in us to share God’s love with people. But we have to fan the flame. Nurture it and help it grow. If we snuff it out. Then we have to keep restarting that spark.
God gave me the verse Jeremiah 20:9 a long time ago to remind me that even though I turned my back on him once. That I won’t do it again. But I need to fan the flame each day, I need to fuel the fire he put in me.
Is chasing your dream worth the sacrifices you have to make to achieve your goal? What compromises will you make to get there? Who will you be when you achieve your goal? Will your goal make you who you want to be? Or will chasing your goal change who you are?
When we chase our own goals, we often make compromises or sacrifice our integrity to take shortcuts to achieve it. Many times when we achieve that goal we may lose who we wanted to be by achieving that very goal.
When we let go of our goals and trust God. He surprises us with something beyond what we thought possible.
Every time I have tried to make my own goals or success it has not turned out as I have planned. The result of my goal has been less satisfactory then I had hoped for or I compromised who I was to achieve that goal. Nevertheless it has never left me feeling satisfied.
But when I follow God’s leading and look to the interest of others, I have never been disappointed.
It’s easy to get caught up in ourselves. But so much more rewarding to serve and achieve the goals that God has laid on our hearts. Seek Jesus and what he has laid on your heart. But follow his plan, method and timing. If He places something in you He will provide all you need.
How would you like 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 later. 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, loving and gentle.
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.
Sounds exhausting right, and it is. If we try to do and be these things on our own. But that’s not what God intends.
He wants to be these thing in us and through us.
When we give our lives to him he lives in us. That’s why we die to ourselves (not literally, spiritually) We let Jesus live through us.
But we have to nurture that relationship and feed it. By reading his word, talking with him (prayer) and surrounding ourselves with what draw us closer to God, not further away.
The more time we spend with God, the more we know him the more he pours out of us.
Jesus rescues us. He rescued me and he can rescue you.
So many people think Christians are “perfect.” But we wouldn’t be Christians if we were perfect. The very reason we need Jesus is because we are not perfect.
We need Jesus. We need his grace, his sacrifice, his love, his forgiveness.
We have all messed up in our lives, and that’s why we need him.
We don’t need to try to clean up before we come to Jesus, or fix our mistakes first. We need to come to him at our worst, so that he can makes us our best.
Jesus wants us to come to him when we are at our worst because that’s when we have broken down our barriers and he can come in and make us new. He already knows all the junk and he wants to make us clean and a new creation. He wants to take away the harm of our past mistakes and give us love, joy and confidence because we know that no matter what he will always love us.
I will never claim to perfect because I know that I have a past. A past full of mistakes that I regret. But it’s because of his love and forgiveness that my life has changed. And that’s what I focus on, Jesus and his love and forgiveness.
That’s what he has done for me and he can do that for you too.
All any of us ever want is to be loved. To have a safe place where we know we can be open and vulnerable about our troubles, hurts and wounds.
Jesus is that safe place.
We can always go to Him about anything, anytime. He is always there for us. He always wants to talk to us, to love us and to heal us.
People often fear going to God in the hard times because they think they have to clean themselves up first.
But that’s not true. If it were Jesus sacrificed himself for nothing. He paid the price for us to have relationship with Him, Father God and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus wants us just a we are. So He can make us new. What would be the point of going to Him for help if we thought we had to fix everything first. Go to Him with your mess. Surrender it to Him and let Him fix it.
He already knows everything, you won’t catch Him off guard.
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.
Therefore from now on we recognize no one by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. –2 Corinthians 5:14-20
The movie War Room is about the power of prayer. But what is prayer? And how do you do it? There are so many that think it has to be perfectly worded, like it was a magic spell or something.
But prayer is simply a conversation between you and God. It doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating, just a simple conversation.
So what is that conversation about or for? Prayer is to develop our relationship with God, as any conversation does. We can talk to Him about anything and everything. Prayer helps us to know God better so that we can see things through His perspective.
Prayer should be a constant in our lives just as we stay in communication with our closest loved ones. God wants to stay in constant communication with us.
We can pray in the line at the grocery store or at work or even while changing your kids diaper. The point is, you can have a conversation anywhere, anytime, while doing anything. He is always there, always wanting to talk. All we have to do is allow Him in. And listen for His answer!
We take for granted what Jesus provided. We complicate it with ‘Christianize.’ Saying phrases at salvation calls that someone raised outside of the faith would not know. And we wonder why more people don’t give their life to God. Sometimes we don’t explain enough or we use words you only learn in church.
The freedom that Jesus provides is simply this. Jesus paid the price for our mistakes. If we believe that he is the son of God and that he died to pay our debt for us. We can say that it’s paid for when we die. Jesus paid my debt. More than that when an old memories comes up we can say that’s paid for. I’m not the person anymore. Because when we accept Jesus sacrifice for us. The old us dies. Jesus makes us a new creation.
Accepting Jesus sacrifice for us is not for a get out of hell free card. God doesn’t want you to live out of fear. Because things done out of fear are not real commitments. Jesus paid the price for our mistakes because he loves us and he wants us to have a relationship with him, Father God and the Holy Spirit.
Before Jesus. We had to sacrifice an animal to pay for our mistakes. God only spoke through a few people mostly priests and prophets.
But now when we accept Jesus sacrifice in our stead. He provides freedom from guilt and shame. Freedom to have a relationship with God. Freedom to talk to God all day any time. Freedom to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Freedom from the pressures of this world. Because God is our provider in every way possible if we put our trust in him. He provides freedom from it all.
I spent years seeking the approval of others. Trying and striving to do everything on my own. “If I just work hard enough, I can do it.” But that is not God’s kingdom. His economy is backwards. The more we surrender our lives to him, the more we stop striving and trying. The more we trust him. Th more he provides.
When we surrender to God. He provides peace that surpasses understanding, joy in the storm and a love that no human can provide. True surrender is about growing closer to God. Not so he will do this or that. But so we can know him to the very depth of our souls. We don’t seek him for what he can do, but just for who he is.
Think of the person you love the most. Isn’t it just enough to be near them. You don’t even have to do anything just being in each others presence is enough. That is what God wants with us. He wans to be the one we love the most. He’ll take care of the rest. If we just seek him.
When we hear of new believers there is an excitement and a joy that comes with knowing that others have found the same love and peace that we did when we surrendered our lives Jesus. Knowing that more people have found Jesus and are in turn sharing Him with others is something that over joys all believers.
Often we divide ourselves by what church we go to or what denomination. But God never intended for us to be divided. We are all believers in Jesus and His grace and that is what brings us together.
Something I’ve been thinking about lately is how when we meet other believers our first responses is usually. ‘What church do you go to?’ And then we immediately begin to either bond or judge each other based on the answer to that question.
But what if our first question to other believer when we find out we share faith in Jesus is.
“What has God been doing in your life or teaching you recently?”
This question can direct our conversation to encourage and uplift each other by focusing instead on what draws us together, instead of what separates us.
God fights for us. He gave up the life of his son just to have relationship with us.
Jesus gave everything. He didn’t come down as a grown man and demand what was owned to him. He came in the humblest of circumstances as a baby born to regular people of no great social standing or of any wealth. He lived a humble life. He served his parents, he served his friends and surrendered every moment of his life even dying the death of a criminal without a single justifiable cause. He gave up everything to pay the price for us, so that we could have a relationship with him and the father.
That’s love. To give up everything owed to him, for us to know his love. Thank him for his love and sacrifice. Cherish the gift we have been given.
I gave my life to Jesus because I tried doing life without him. I tried being happy without Him and it didn’t work. There was always something missing something I was striving for that I couldn’t grasp.
But life with Jesus is simpler, peaceful, and filled with joy.
Don’t think I don’t have bad moments. I do, but those moments are the ones where I don’t have Him in mind.
But it never fails that when I turn to Jesus. He shows me the sunshine through the rain. He shines bright and shows me where He is in that moment and He changes my perspective to find the joy in whatever I’m facing.
No matter what your going through God will make it better. He will comfort you, care for you, cry with you and show you the light through the storm.
When we wish to be like someone else we dismiss who God made us to be. All that he planned us to be and do. When we try to follow someone else’s calling we miss who God made us to be and what he called us to do.
Like Lucy in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, wanting to be like Susan she wished herself away and all that resulted from her existence. Lucy wished to be just like her older sister Susan. But if she was Susan then the curious young girl that was Lucy who found Narnia would not have existed. Lucy and her siblings would not have found Narnia.
We are each unique none of us are exactly like the other. God made us that way and that’s what makes each of us special. We are all beautiful and valuable to him. He gave his very life for each one of us.
Next time you get discouraged. Seek God and let him show you the unique reasons he loves you.
For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
People can choose how they react. We choose either to be ruled by emotions or choose to be in charge of our emotions. We have the power to choose how we will react to others and whether we will allow their choice to affect us or not.
We may feel a certain way but that doesn’t mean it has to be how we make our decision. We can make our choice despite our feelings. Emotions are not bad. But if we allow our lives to be ruled by our emotions we would never forgive each other.
It hurt when someone wrongs us and we may never feel like you want to forgive them. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t forgive people. We are all human and we all make mistakes.
Jesus forgave us for all the wrong we have done. So in turn he asks that we forgive others.
Choosing to forgive does not make what the person did right. But it does build a bridge for restoration in the relationship. Forgiveness is a powerful thing and to not forgive is to give your emotions the right to rule you. Instead of you ruling your emotions. The forgiveness we extend is God’s forgiveness and he forgives us all. Who are we to deny someone God’s forgiveness.
The Lord’s Prayer. Some say it everyday. But we have to do more than just say it. We need to know it, understand it and mean it. God’s word is not a magic formula that you say the words to and they work. We have to believe what these words say. They need to be lived through us.
Below is the Lord’s Prayer with links to a few versions. I want to encourage you to read it slowly. Read it multiple times and let the words affect you. Seek to know their meaning. Click the links and read the whole chapter. Whatever you do don’t receipt them from memory until the words have a personal meaning to you. Jesus was teaching us how to pray. Not to repeat words but how to posture our hearts before our Heavenly Father.
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Before these verses God talks about giving to the needy but in secret. So we get store up treasures in heaven not on earth. And after he talks about fasting and not being anxious. Both of which are accomplished by submission to God.
When I pray the Lord’s Prayer I often don’t even get through it. I just focus on the first two verses. In short “Glorify God and Build His Kingdom.” In our world it’s easy to focus on ourselves. But he calls us to focus on him. The rest of the verses are about him caring for us. But he only cares for us if we focus and depend on him.
Here is a free download for a screensaver. To help us all focus on our King.
God is all around us. He created everything and if we take the time to slow down, look and listen he speaks to us through his creation. Sometimes it’s through nature and sometimes through people.
No I’m not crazy. I’ve just found that if I take the time to ask God to teach me something. He often does it through his creation.
When I first made the decision give my life back to God. I became an intern at my church. At the start of the internship we went on a retreat to a beautiful lodge in the woods. Once we got settled we each took some time to be alone with God.
Photo by Matthew Brodeur
I decided to take a walk in the woods. It was fall and most of the ground was covered in dead leaves. I was walking down a slight hill, having to watch where I was stepping because there was no path. But as I walked I noticed all the dead leaves and broken branches. I asked God where he was during the years I had turned away from him. When I had let so many of the dreams he’d given me die.
He explained that even though I had chosen to ignore him. He was there the whole time for every bad decision and wrong choice. But he helped guide me from some major pitfalls. Just like I was avoiding stepping into some deep holes in my walk in the woods.
Photo by Sérgio Rola
On my return walk back up the hill God showed me all the plants that were growing up through the leaves. He explained that even though I had chosen to ignore him for so long. He had planted seeds along the way and that they would grow and produce now that I had turned back to him.
Photo by Andreas Vendelbo
God will use the circumstances around us to teach us if we simple take to the time to acknowledge him and learn. Slow down look at his creation and ask him to teach you something. He will if we just listen.
None of us are beyond saving. We all have the opportunity to feel free and find new life in Jesus. The beauty of His sacrifice is that when He died, we died.
When we try to live without Jesus. We are always striving to feel worthy, valued, loved and wanted.
But Jesus sacrifice already paid our debts and He gives us our worth and our value. Because He sees us as priceless. That’s why He gave His life for us. So that we could stop striving and start living through Him.
No matter what you’ve done or how unworthy you feel. God will always see you as priceless and worthy because of His sacrifice. If we accept it.
God can speak to us in ways we may not expect If we look for him.
While watching a sci-fi TV show he brought this quote to my attention. “To resist the influence of others, knowledge of ones self is important.”~Tealc
It’s easy to be influenced by whatever is around us. If we don’t know who you are. But how do you know who you are?
First we are all God’s children. Each one of us is important, valued and loved by our Heavenly Father. We are his kids and heirs to his throne. Once we know who we are to him. He can begin to show us each how unique and special he has made each one of us.
That knowledge of who he made us to be. Is what we can stand on when our identity is attacked.
Worrying about the future can cause so much unnecessary pain and frustration. But appreciating each moment for what it is can lead to a fuller life.
Enjoy moments of hope and joy to the fullest instead of being distracted by what’s next. If we live our life always looking for the worst to happen, it will happen and we will not find peace.
Being faithful in prayer is simply a reminder to stay in communication with God. Prayer is a two way conversation. By staying in communication with God all the time, he can change our perspective of our circumstances to see the hard times in a new light and to enjoy the times of hope even more.
No matter your current circumstances ask God to show it to you from his perspective. And he will give you HOPE.
We are meant to stand out by our words and by our actions. We are to be known by how we react. We should have peace in times of trouble and pour our lives out for others.
Jesus never complained, he served people without prejudice or regard for himself, and we should do the same. Not out of obligation, but out of love. We are to serve, to demonstrate his love to others, to stick out like stars in the sky because of our compassion.
If you are serving or volunteering out of obligation or because you think it will earn you points with God. Stop. Ask God how he wants you to help others and ask him to show you those you serve the ways he sees them.
I have been on many missions trips and seen destitution and poverty but I have also learned from the people I have served because I saw them as equals. Don’t serve people because you see them as less fortunate, uneducated or less then you. Serve because he asked you to and learn from those you serve.
We are all people and we all have the capacity to share God’s love with each other.
What was it that attracted you to God? For me it was his forgiveness and love. He knew all my mistakes but still I felt his love and forgiveness the moment I surrendered my life to Him.
What keeps me in relationship with God, is his never-ending love, grace and beauty. I feel his love each day, his grace when I make mistakes and he shows me his beauty more each day.
We should never stop falling in love with God. Just as we should never stop falling in love with our spouse. Each day we need to see them both in a new light and a new appreciation.
God wants to reveal himself to us more each day, we just have to let Him.
What if you’re wrong? What if I’m wrong? The question that plagues most of us when it comes to eternity.
If I’m wrong. Then I will have lived a life that is amazing, that has caught me by surprise, a life that I would not trade for anything.
Because life with Jesus has been a grand adventure more then I ever could of dreamed or imaged for myself. Even during the toughest times in my life I find joy and peace in Him; and my happiest moments are beyond my wildest dreams, because of Jesus.
Are you so afraid of Jesus that you aren’t willing to give Him a chance? What do you have to lose?
He is the most loving, kind, beautiful and gentle being I have ever know. Why not give him a chance, right now.
Take a moment and talk to Him, about anything you want, scream, yell, whisper or just talk to Him in your head.
He’s listening. He wants to talk to you, but you have to listen too.
He speaks in so many different ways, though our thoughts, through others, through dreams and through images.
Be open and willing to let Him in. I bet he’ll surprise you.
In the Lion King, Simba tries to run from his problems. Only to find out later that he didn’t even do what caused him to run. It easy for us to take what someone else says about us and let it influence us. But what if it’s not true? We should always take everything to God. He is our creator and he knows us best.
Simba allowed what Scar told him to dictate years of his life. Sure he had some fun with Timone and Pumba but the result was him abandoning his family, and not living as he was intended to; eating bugs when he was designed to eat meat.
If we believe what everyone tells us then we let them determine who we are. But if we take everything to God and let him tell us what’s true and what’s not; we will find our identity in him not the world.
Everyone represents something. Their friends, family, company, beliefs, theology. We all represent something, whether it be our own thought process or someone else’s. No matter what you do, who you are and what makes you that way, it will shine though eventually, even if you try to hide it.
God is like that in our lives. When we choose to follow him even if we try to hide it, he will shine through in our actions, our smile, the way we treat others.
We have to make a concise effort to hide his light. Even if we put it under a basket, light will shine out through the weaving or a bowl, light will shine out the edge.
There are many reason we hide our faith in God. Worry, fear, anxiety, safety. The first three can be combated by knowing God more, knowing who he made you to be and allowing him to give you the words, the confidence and the wisdom in shining his light.
Those that fear for there safety, literally for their lives, if they share their faith. These people are the ones who shine the brightest, like Brother Yun or David Hogan those that have had their life threatened multiple times and still shine for Jesus. They and others like them shine God’s light because they know who they are and the value, the power and the love of God and that gives them no fear.
Although I do not have to hide my faith daily, I have had moments on a mission trip when our teams life was threatened. And in that moment, not a single one of us wavered, we knew the risk of sharing about Jesus where we were going and God gave us the boldness to shine for him without a moments hesitation.
That’s who God is he shines through us in ways we may never have imagined. Shine bright for him by knowing him.
Can you imagine being born where the livestock are stored? Laying in hay to give birth and being surrounded by animals.
Jesus birth may seem humble to us and in a way it is. But he was surrounded and heralded by his creation, the very animals he spoke into existence and his birth was announced by angels and celebrated by the poor and the rich.
The Bible says that if we do not praise him the very rocks will cry out, and in many ways they do. Have you ever seen the majesty of a mountain. All creation cries out to praise Jesus and we being his creation are to do the same.
He created us, each one of us, he knit each of us together in our mothers womb. We are his creation. As his creation, we should praise him too!
That’s what this Christmas season is about, thinking about and being thankful for Jesus birth. Our relationship with God would be so different if Jesus hadn’t come.But he did and I’m so grateful for the deep intimate personal relationship we each get to have with him.
Christmas heralds us in and reminds us of the humble life Jesus choose to live to give us the opportunity to have that intimate relationship with us.
So celebrate Jesus this season with boisterous applause!
It’s easy this year to get caught up in what we can’t do or can’t give during this Christmas. But are our family traditions or gift giving really the purpose of Christmas? As wonderful as they are.
No. Christmas is the celebration of Jesus birth and it’s his life that we should celebrate. A man who was poor and even had times with no where to sleep, but was forever kind and generous. It’s him that we celebrate. One that loved all humanity so much that he came to serve us, not allowing selfish moments but letting his love for us guide him.
Even if we were have nothing this Christmas season we can always be grateful for our friends and family and for Jesus birth.
So this Christmas no matter how different your celebration may be you can always count your blessings.
The Christmas Candle movie illustrates how God wants to and will bless us. It may not be how or when we want it. But if we put our trust in God and look for him in everything. We can see past our expectations and find what he wants to bless us with.
God’s blessings may not be what we thought it would be or happen how we thought it should. But how, when and with what he does bless us will be better than if we had tried to get it on our own.
God is always there for us and he wants to bless us with the desires of our hearts. We may just not understand what he’s doing at the moment.
Christmas is a time of hope and tradition. But it also has discouragement and loss. It’s a time when we hope for the things we desire. Be it a gift, relationship restoration, new relationship formed or traditions that we hold dear to our hearts. But we can become discouraged when things don’t go as planned or we don’t get what we had hoped for.
Jesus didn’t come as the people expected. That’s why we should ask him for his perspective and let him change our view. What may seem like hopelessness may actually be his blessing right around the corner. Jesus is the greatest blessing to mankind that no one saw coming.
Our God is truly amazing. He can change our whole attitude and mindset with a few words. You can go from irritated, rushed, anxious and frustrated to complete peace without a single change of perspective about your circumstances, surroundings or workload.
God gives us peace by dwelling in us. When we bring God into the situation he changes our perspective or view of our circumstances so that we see things in a different light. Sometimes he even tells us a solution we never would of thought of on our own.
Trust in him in all things to bring peace to your heart and soul. Because when you know who he has made you to be and what his promises are, you can stand on those promises.
Like Peter walking on water when Jesus told him to. Peter did the impossible he walked on water and during a storm no less. Something that seems impossible, but he did it because he was focused on Jesus. It wasn’t until he changed his focus to the storm around him that he began to sink.
When you feel overwhelmed and like there is no end in sight. Look to Jesus and let his peace fill you. Trust him to provide and guide you through anything.
During this busy holiday season take the time to enjoy moments. Watch your kids decorate the tree or play in the snow. Have family dinner with no distractions. Or read a verse of the Christmas story each night before bed.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:1-20
Look for moments to enjoy this season. Don’t just rush through to get to the next. Or you’ll miss the moments you can’t get back. What if the shepherds had been to busy. They would have missed Jesus. Slow down and look for the moments that matter.
Listening to the song Last Christmas by Wham reminds me that we as humans are fallible, we all make mistakes and disappointment each other.
But the one that we can always count on is God. He is love, joy, peace, patience, kind, good, faithful and gentle. He knows what we need and when; and he’s always ready to love us when we let him in.
We as humans have misrepresented him because we are not perfect and we make mistakes. So please don’t let people keep you from knowing him. Let him prove who he is to you himself.
Give him your big questions, he can handle it, but make sure you listen for the answers.
This Christmas give him a chance to share his love for you with you.
Watch this movie to help you learn how to hear God’s voice.
It’s easy to know someone and hold their mistakes against them. But what if that’s how God saw us. But he doesn’t.
When we accepted Jesus sacrifice. God wiped our slate clean. He doesn’t see our mistakes. He sees Jesus and who we can be if we let Jesus live through us. We need to look at people like God does.
God can teach us through everything. Like the story of “The Grinch.” Cindy-Lou Who saw potential in the Grinch for good and brought it out. Someone who everyone else had written off. She saw hope for change and growth. That’s how God sees everyone. He sees them as redeemed through Jesus or as having the potential to be redeemed.
God doesn’t look at us and say we are beyond hope. So why would we ever do that to someone else. We need to see people the way God does with the potential for a change of heart.
Nowhere here does it say we have to manufacture our own joy, peace and hope. Because it comes from trusting God. I don’t put my hope in myself because I will fail myself. I don’t find my peace from within. I find peace and hope in God and that gives me joy.
What a relief it is that we don’t have to find joy, hope or peace in ourselves but we can trust in the one that is bigger then us, stronger, kinder, more generous and loves us beyond our understanding. Our Heavenly Father. On our worst day and our best day, he will still always welcome us with a huge hug and a smile and provide all we need.
God always does what he says he will. But rarely is it how we would think he would or in the time that we think is best. Do you think that the people expected their savior to come as a baby. That he would grow up like them and wouldn’t start his ministry till he was thirty years old.
I’m sure most people thought he would come charging in on a cloud bold and strong, pushing all the kings and rulers out of the way and declaring his kingdom with thunder and lighting.
But God’s ways are not our ways.
He had a different plan. To show all of humanity love and compassion. To serve us and give us the opportunity to be made new in him.
What circumstance are you looking for God to move in? Are you only looking for him to do it as you expect, or in the timeline you prefer.
Stop looking for the answer and look for God instead. He’s there. You just have to look for him and trust him to do what he promises.
As the Christmas season begins. Remember the reason for the season. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed with the shopping, decorating, gift giving and parties.
Instead keep your focus on Jesus. He is the reason for the season. Make him the focus of all you do.
If your shopping for gifts ask him what gift that person really needs and trust him to help you. Ask God to give you opportunities to share about him to the store clerk or the people in line with you. While decorating sing Christmas songs as worship songs.
With all the gift giving this season. Don’t forget the reason for the season, Jesus.
What gift could you give him?
You may think you have nothing to give. But like the little drummer boy you give what you can, you give your gifts, your talents, your time, your life. Everyone has a life to give. And he deserves it because he gave his.
Even if you think you have nothing to give, Jesus says otherwise. He created you, he gave you gifts and talents you may not even know exist.
When you follow God’s plan for your life he uses those gifts and talents for his glory.
God called me to ministry in 2008. And I didn’t start this devotional until 2018. He took me on a journey to teach me and grow and develop me into the woman that I am today. I am a very different person then I was when he first called me to ministry. Because he had to mold me into who he made me to be. And he’s still molding me.
That’s why I started this devotional blog to use the gifts he’s given me to help others see God in their everyday lives.
God can teach us through anything if we let him. I love all the claymation Christmas movies and ‘The Year without a Santa Clause’ (1974) was running through my head the other day. In the story two brothers are quarreling too much to be generous enough to help Mrs. Claus. So she turns to their mother ‘mother nature,’ and the two brothers decide to compromise and help Mrs. Clause.
The Christmas season can easily become about the hustle and bustle of parties and getting gifts for everyone. Worrying if this family member will get along with that family member. Worrying about having the funds to provide gifts for everyone.
But that’s not what this season is truly about. Its about celebrating the King of Kings. So when you start to get caught up in your own stuff. Ask Jesus how he would handle it. How would he promote peace between family. How would he provide to bless people with a gift. I would even suggest you ask him what he would like to gift them with. Jesus knows us all and loves us all. So focus on him and he’ll guide you to get it all done with his peace and his wisdom.
Looking for a gift that shares your faith in Jesus check out Seeing God Designs!
Do you think people knew who Jesus was as he grew up in front of them? Mary and Joseph knew and Mary’s cousin Elizabeth. But when did others notice that something was different about him?
Jesus choose to be born as a baby, to live as we live. He didn’t come to be worshiped and lifted up. He came to be a sacrifice for us.
He lived a normal life, he was born to normal people. He could of had whatever he wanted but he choose to be like the rest of us. He didn’t live an extravagant life or demand anything from anyone.
He came to serve, not be served. To show us love in his every word and action. He came to be an example of love.
Love is not about us but about how we care for and treat others. Jesus was never concerned about whether his needs would be met. His focus was always on the people around him. So why do we think being loved is about us? If we love others by being more concerned about them then ourselves our Heavenly Father will take care of all our needs and shower us with his love. Just as he did for Jesus!
“My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Mary rejoiced in her suffering. Yes she was blessed to carry the son of God but that didn’t come with welcome arms from her family, fiancé or community. Having a baby out of wedlock during her time period was punishable by being stoned to death or at the least being considered an outcast.
Mary knew all this could happen when she said yes to the angel. But she considered it a greater honor to carry Jesus inside her and took the risk of being ridiculed.
Her faith was why she was chosen.
Photo by Arteida MjESHTRI on Unsplash
We are all blessed with the opportunity to carry Jesus inside of us too because of his sacrifice. If Mary was willing to endure ridicule and being outcast and the possibility of being stoned. Why can’t we risk being made fun of for our faith.
God provides for what he call us to. Just like provided for Mary and Jesus. Trust him when he asks you to speak to someone and take a risk for Jesus. I bet you’ll be surprised at the outcome.
The humility of Jesus birth speaks volumes to his character. Jesus is the very creator he is the word that was spoken that created us. And he choose to be born in a glorified cave surrounded by animals, by his creation not by man made structure.
He came to do his fathers work not what we thought he should do. He came to bring peace, joy and gentleness. So that all may know him.
Read about him, really study his words and actions, not what man says about him but he said and did. Learn who he is.
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.
