The great thing about this side of heaven is we all have weaknesses. We all have things we stink at, say wrong, do wrong, and just can’t do right. Just hear me out friends.
Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 that his weaknesses laid the ground work for God’s power to be seen in his life. In his humanness he begged the Lord to remove them though…just like I would to be completely honest. Who the heck wants weaknesses anyway? But this is what the Lord said…
“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT
For us today, it’s hard to wrap our minds around the idea of weakness being a good thing. We’re suppose to have great grades, not get speeding tickets, not have a temper, and show all the fruits of the spirit all the time right? Psh, even the Lord knows that’s not possible.
It’s time we realize our weaknesses are an opportunity for us to grow closer to Jesus. They’re an open door to understanding God’s word better and applying it to our lives. If we really stop and think about it, it was our weaknesses that brought us to Jesus in the first place. It was what we could not accomplish on our own that brought us to the one who could conquer all things.
No, I’m not saying you get a gold sticker for the things you aren’t good at. It doesn’t work that way. But I hope and pray you allow your weaknesses to set the stage for God’s mighty power in your life.
Control has always been something I crave. When it comes to the sequence of events in my life, I need to know exactly how it’s going down…like every little detail. I get filled with anxiety when things don’t turn out exactly how I planned in my head and try my very best to get back on track before I have an actual meltdown. Even with all of my best efforts, there are some circumstances and situations that I just can’t change. There is a greater power who does have the control and strength needed to deal with any and every circumstance. His name is Jesus. I’m thankful this pressure to control doesn’t rest on my shoulders.
We can find peace in learning to surrender to God’s timeline. No matter who you are and what you have done, God loves you and has a unique plan for your life. That plan is perfect in his eyes; even if it does not line up with what you had in mind. What if everyone around you seems to be thriving while you keep getting handed one bad situation after another? God remains faithful and cares for you. He knows the bigger picture and sees it clearly. As we know, this life is unpredictable and that can be unsettling at times. God may be using your current situation to prepare your heart for something greater. Today, you can choose to let go of control and cling to God, He’s got you.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Lamentations 3:22-25
Lately I have been trying to dig deep and root out some lingering strongholds of I guess… as hard as it is to admit….bitterness or unforgiveness.
As I was studying and praying I came to Proverbs 13:10 NKJV By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well advised is wisdom.
More studying and more praying 😳. It’s hard. So hard to admit things are possibly my fault 🤷🏼♀️.
I mean by worldly standards I’m 💯 justified in harboring resentment or anger or whatever I want to harbor.
It’s my party and I’ll be mad if I want to.
But……by God’s standards if there is strife it’s a pride issue. If I’m following Christ I’m supposed to esteem the other person higher than myself (Phil 2:3). It’s hard to keep that flesh crucified and even harder if I’ve just been coasting along unchecked for a little while.
But………Christ is worth it. Not because of what He can do, but because of who He is. He is the light of the world, He is the beginning and the end, He is Lord and Savior. How can I not try to do what He asks?
I can start the “get back on track process” with Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.
Pride happens when we lose that fear or awe of God. I forget who I am in relation to Him and basically I get too big for my britches. My flesh justifies my position and I go about my way. The problem is I’m dimming my light. Facebook posts are great, but it’s my daily interactions with the person in front of me that really counts.
The verse goes farther to say some things He hates. Since He is God and I am confessing Him as master I need to also hate those things. Pride, arrogance, the evil way, a perverted mouth…..easy to say……hard to navigate in real time with real people. Pride is sneaky.
The key is to replace those things with what He says is good.
Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
He didn’t say this walk would be easy. He knows I fall short daily, but He loves me anyway and that is what I need to do for others. Love them even when they fall short.
Let’s all try it today. Let’s seek Him first and see if all these things will fall into place.
Did you know as Christians we are to live on earth as citizens of Heaven? God expects us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy to spread the gospel of Christ His Son. We are to stand together in the faith, encouraging one another, agreeing wholeheartedly with one mind and one purpose. It is a privilege to trust in Christ and to have the ability to spread His word. It is even a privilege to suffer for Him! In order to carry this out we must always have the attitude of Christ.
What does it mean to have the attitude of Christ? First of all, we must walk in humility. Humility is an attitude of spiritual modesty that comes from understanding our place; freedom from pride or arrogance. It means that our hearts should always be tender and compassionate with no selfish ambition, free from trying to impress others. We should always think of others as better than ourselves. Jesus was the perfect example of humility.
“Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8
As human beings our nature struggles with pride. We tend to feel like it is weak to be humble especially in situations or circumstances when people attack our beliefs and motives. We may really be trying to do the right thing and when someone questions that we go straight to wanting to defend ourselves. That is PRIDE!! Jesus was attacked in every way that we are and more. He still chose to die an embarrassing and painful death on the cross. He was beaten and ridiculed for us, knowing that we would continually sin against Him, but so we can be forgiven. That is HUMILITY!!!! We struggle with forgiving people who just simply hurt our feelings 10 years ago. Pride hinders our spiritual growth and causes strife, but humility helps us grow in the truth and grace of Christ, who saves our souls.
Having the attitude of Christ is also having love for one another. God is love and sent His only Son to die so we can have eternal life. There is no love greater than this. God commands us to love each other to show others that this is the characteristic of a Christian. It is how the world can and should be able to identify us. To love like Christ we must experience a true heart change. This does not come naturally but as a result of the Holy Spirit coming to dwell in us. We are to have a love that is unconditional, sacrificial, and forgiving and it should be for everyone, even those that may not love or like us back. The more we surrender to loving others the more God lives in us and our love becomes more perfect.
“If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And He has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.”
1 John 4:20-21
So remember to walk in humility and encourage and love each other in the faith! Have a tender heart and compassion and a little extra grace for each other, knowing just how much grace we receive from the Heavenly Father everyday!!! Let’s have the attitude of Christ!!
Then he (Moses) said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”
Lord, I’ll just stay right here, unless You’re going with me. What if I kept that desire for His companionship burning daily in my life? It would be life changing!
I see Moses’s relationship with God as amazing and one to be desired, but that can only happen if I make God the center of my life. I know Moses may not have actually seen the face of God, but he experienced a level of intimacy with Him that can only come from 2 people having each other’s full attention.
This is the kind of relationship that God desires to have with each one of us.
Exodus 33:11 says the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. That my friend, had to be an unforgettable moment in time! Moses and God were so deeply involved that he could not imagine proceeding without His Presence.
And although God had promised him success, Moses didn’t want just good results, He wanted God. Once we become so involved with Him and experience His Presence in our lives, we begin to realize that we cannot ever be satisfied with a life outside of His Presence.
Jer. 29:13 “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart”
I believe that if we take the time to search Him out, get to know Him so well and feel like He can talk to us like a friend, sharing His heart with us as we share ours with Him, ‘we would trade in everything just to be In His Presence.’
That’s huge, and it’s certainly something to celebrate. I never really write about marriage on here – some things I do keep to myself. But today – 20 years later – let me give you some good ol’ fashion marriage advice:
Your spouse wasn’t placed on this earth to serve you – to worship you. Get that idea out of your head before you ever say “I do”.
They were placed here to serve God – to worship God. Now, if they are truly living in that realm then you won’t have to worry about how you are being treated. If they truly love Jesus, then they will truly love you.
A question to ask yourself each day: Am I helping my spouse serve God or am I hindering them?
Pray for your spouse, and love them like Jesus does.
And some advice from Frank:
Marriage is such a beautiful gift from God and should be treated with reverence. If I was to give any advice I would say these things: 1) Love your spouse for who they are, not for who you think they can or should be like. 2) Embrace your differences, you’re going to need different perspectives and balance when navigating through parenthood and life. 3) Be respectful to your spouse, with your spouse and more importantly when you are away from your spouse.
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3
The word “ministry” has sort of been “boxed in” to be a word that requires a professional title. We think of pastors, small group leaders, and other leaders of the church body to be the people doing “ministry”. However, ministry requires no title at all. Instead, it requires a call, and the good news is we’ve ALL been called to ministry.
In The Great Commission, Jesus tells his disciples “go and make disciples,” (Matthew 28:19-20). If we are going to call ourselves disciples of Christ, then we can’t just ignore this call to ministry. Let’s break this verse down a little more to see how we can apply this daily. The first word Jesus says here is “go”. This doesn’t have to be across the world, to a foreign country, or leaving your job to become a pastor. “Go” can be to Motiva, or being a truck driver, a mail man, a CEO of a tech company, a stay at home mom, a teacher, anything! You can reach people and spread the good news of the Gospel wherever you are planted.
The next thing we are called to do is to “make”. Now, we can’t be effective at making disciples if we’re harsh and act like we know best. Instead, we are supposed to love them where they are at in that very moment as Jesus would. Be the one who goes the extra mile for someone. Smile at a stranger. Leave a large tip at the restaurant. Hold a door for someone. Share your faith publicly. Be unashamed of the Gospel. Ask someone you see struggling if you can pray with them.
Through these actions, people will want to know why you’re living this way and how you’re so full of joy doing it. You’ll lead people to Jesus best when you’re acting like Him and walking with the Holy Spirit.
This is ministry.
All of those acts that I mentioned above and so many more can be ministry. Don’t put the work that Jesus has called us to do in a box. We were created for more than that!
Motherhood. My favorite job in the world. April. My favorite month of the year. The month I became a mother. Yesterday was my son’s 5th birthday! Wow. How could 5 years have already come and gone by so fast?
I look back on these last 5 years of motherhood and the growth I have experienced mentally and spiritually. It has been so life changing for the better. Thank you, Lord! So, what exactly does God want from me as the mother of His children?
Proverbs 22:6 tells us “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”.
I was blessed with parents who brought me to church all through my childhood. I was blessed with amazing grandparents who shared the word of God with me. I remember the day I was saved. My sister and I were spending the day with our Granny. There was nothing different about this day, until we started talking about our relationships with our Lord. Right then and there the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. I gave my life to God with my little sister doing the same with me. What a special memory I will always cherish.
Now as a mother, it is my job and responsibility to bring my children to know God as well. If you are a mother, just know that even on the hardest of days, YOU are the one God trusted with that precious soul. It is YOUR most important job you’ll ever have to raise your child up to know God as their personal Lord and Savior.
We need to teach our children how to walk spiritually with God. We do this daily in our daily routine. We should talk how we want our child to talk. We should act how we want our child to act. We should treat others how we want our child to learn to treat others. This is the most important role you’ll ever have. Most importantly, get those babies to church and let them see you worship and grow in the word!
Galatians 5:22 tells us “But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”. This is the perfect example of what we should be showing our children. Throughout the trials of life, our children should be able to depend on us, just as we can depend on our Father. We are His children who need love, guidance and patience. He is always there for you.
Thank you Lord for this journey of motherhood. I couldn’t do it without You! Mother’s Day is approaching, so remind yourself how blessed you are. Those babies need you. God called YOU to love His children.
Growing up in Sunday school, I remember the importance of being taught the power of our tongue. I can recall my children’s pastor telling us that our tongue is the most powerful weapon we can wield. As an 8 year old the weight of that meaning had very little impact on me. I did not fully grasp the concept of what that truly meant until my adulthood, and quite truthfully I feel like I have learned the most within the past few months.
At the beginning of this year I became a second grade teacher! I was (and still am) ecstatic to get into the classroom and take part in raising the next generation to be the best they can be. However, after being around so many students and helping them deal with their challenges, the power of our tongue has never been presented to me in a more “aha” way before. As a teacher, we always remind our classes to use the acronym THINK when deciding if they should say something. (Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it kind?) These pose as such simple questions and though they are on an elementary level, I feel like we can relate to these questions from a Christian standpoint.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
We can see here in Ephesians the power the tongue yields and what we say actually has meaning and power. As Henry Ford (The founder of The Ford Motor Company) famously said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t – You’re right.” When we have thoughts in our head, and we then in turn speak them, we give the thoughts meaning and power. Whether we use our words for good or evil is up to us, but regardless, it is so important to remember the power we hold with our tongues.
In James 3:1-11 we see how small but important and powerful the tongue is:
3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things.
The words we speak have an impact whether we like it or not. God has given us the gift of the tongue and speech and while we generally take it for granted, we need to remember that we have been blessed with this gift and we can either use it for building up or for tearing down. It is such a small thing that can make a large impact as we see all throughout the scripture and in our day to day lives. I challenge you today to speak life and to use your tongue and words to build up and edify, and not to tear down!
Justification- the action of showing something to be right or reasonable
Sanctification- the action of making or declaring something holy
Holy- dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred
Scripture tells us that we are justified because of what Jesus did on the cross and His resurrection, so we are all justified once we enter into a relationship with Him. However, too many of us stop there and call it good. We are satisfied with our “get out of hell free” card and fail to open the door to the greatness we have been called to. One of the most common things I hear Christians say is, “It’s ok, God understands…”
And while it is true that God understands everything we are walking through in our lives, why do we allow those things to inhibit us from becoming everything our Creator intended? He invited us to come as we are, but it was never His intention for us to remain that way.
We’ve been invited to a Holy covenant designed to mold us into mirror images of Christ. I’m not talking about chasing a list of deigned do’s and don’ts, but rather chasing after the heart of the Father. When my husband and I got married, I didn’t declare my contribution to our relationship complete. Everyday, I still make intentional choices to become the wife he needs and the wife he wants. I don’t have to walk in fear that I might “mess up” and “fall into” adultery, because I gave him my heart almost 20 years ago. I wasn’t looking for a wedding, I was looking for a marriage.
While I cannot wait for the day that Jesus returns, making the rapture is not my goal…Jesus is. I can justify my behavior all day long and still “make Heaven,” but at the end of the day I don’t want to have just entered the race, I want to win the prize…His heart.
I once read that being justified will set you free from the penalty of sin, but being sanctified (holy) sets you free from the power of sin. I don’t just want to be free from my chains, I want to be able to set others free, too, and I cannot do that if I have no power over those chains. I don’t just want to make it to Heaven, I want to bring Heaven to earth.
Another common statement I hear from Christians is, “I’m only human,” and I have to disagree. You gave up being “only human” when you were born again. We weren’t meant for mediocre, comfortable lifestyles. We were called to take up our cross. 1 Peter refers to Leviticus where God commanded us to BE HOLY, because He is holy. No where does the Bible tell us that our journey is over once we say a little prayer to ask Jesus into our hearts…Far from it.
Did you know that James says that if we know what is right, and we don’t do it that it is a sin? What has God asked of you that have yet to obey? Delayed obedience is still a form of disobedience. In what way or ways is He asking you to set yourself apart, and you have yet to step into it because of the sacrifices it will require of you? We’re supposed to become more like Him, so why do we still look like ourselves? Why do our lives still appear to be our own?
When people are around us, do they feel justified and content to remain as they are or do they feel His Holy Presence and convicted to be more like Jesus? May we be so saturated by His presence that we will not be satisfied with anything that cannot be deemed Holy. Less of me, more of You, Jesus.
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