Commitment: the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.

Dedicated: devoted to a task or purpose; having single minded loyalty or integrity.

I like where it says single minded loyalty. Is our focus on God and expanding His Kingdom, or are other things of this world taking precedence over Him and the mission that we were called to do?

Think about it. Are we truly devoted to God? Have we placed Him before everything else:

Our spouse

Our children

Our jobs

Our hobbies

Our to-do list

When we truly put God first everything else will fall into place; that’s a good thing. Worry about God, and let God worry about you.

Jonah 2:8 “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.”

Scandals

Murders

Shootings

Abductions

Drownings

Affairs

Robberies

The headlines are overwhelming and pretty terrifying lately. It makes me not want to venture out. But we have to remember that God did not give us a spirit of fear; He did, however, give us eyes to assess our surroundings. He did give us a spirit to discern when things don’t feel quite right.
When the news is only showcasing the bad, we have to remember that there is still good in this world. Don’t give up hope in the human race – just pray.

Pray with each step that you take.

Pray for each person that you make eye contact with.

Pray with all your heart and without ceasing.

There is power in prayer to change things.

“For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of love, and of wise discretion.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4

He didn’t mean He would give you a new car.
He didn’t mean He would give you a vacation in Fiji.
He didn’t mean He would give you a new MK purse.

The thing is – when you become Kingdom-focused, then your desires become Kingdom-focused. When you are solely living for God, then you will crave what He craves. Your old ambitions will become a thing of the past, and doing His work will become your soul’s passion. So, yes, delight yourself in the Lord, and watch His blessings pour down.

We may fall down, but God can pick us back up.

We may make a huge mess, but God can wipe it all clean.
We may be lost, but God can find us.
We may be hurting, but God can heal us.
We may see a huge mistake, but God sees a testimony.
We may feel shame, but God extends forgiveness.

There are two definitions for the word REDEEMED, and they both describe what Jesus has done for us perfectly:

1. compensate for the faults or bad aspects of (something).
2. gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment.

The interesting thing about an anchor is that it steadies and secures something that is unmoored – something that is adrift. It can take an object that is aimlessly floating through a vast expanse of water and control the distance that it is able to stray. An anchor is strong, sturdy, and unwavering. An anchor will hold fast to an object no matter what storms are thrown its way. You can’t see the anchor, but the anchor is there.

I am thankful for the strong and secure hand of Jesus present in our lives.

I am thankful that Jesus is unwavering.

I am thankful that Jesus holds us steady when life’s storms try to tear us apart.

I am thankful that God controls our future.

I am thankful that God holds us close.

I am thankful that we do not have to float aimlessly any longer.

I am thankful that God is my anchor. My ever-present hope.

“This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:19

Today there is someone out there that is carrying a burden of unforgiveness so heavy that they can barely put one foot in front of the other. It is growing day by day into a malignant force within you that will soon strangle all of the happiness within your soul. It will make you stop shining. Don’t let it. Don’t stop shining! In the book of Philippians Paul and Silas were stripped of their clothes and beaten with rods all whilst the townspeople taunted them relentlessly. When an earthquake hit in the middle of the night these two disciples could have made an easy break for it. They could have escaped. But they stayed. They stayed and forgave the man that stripped them. The man that beat them and publicly humiliated them. The man that relentlessly taunted them. They stayed because God’s work was more important. They were that Kingdom focused. Their act of forgiveness painted a beautiful portrait of God’s love to a man in need of hearing the gospel, which in turn led him and his entire family to Christ. Whatever has hold of your thoughts and emotions today – let it go. Don’t let it win. Forgiveness will release the pain that has festered inside of you for so long. Forgiveness will allow Christ to work within you in ways that you could have never imagined. It may be your opportunity to share an amazing testimony that leads someone to Christ. God wants you to shine for him. He wants you to shine BIG. 

I was saved in 4th grade when a terrible train crash rocked our small community. It scared me. A lot. I remember not being able to sleep and just praying for hours. Praying that if
something happened to me that I would go to Heaven. Luckily, a teacher at my school kept a bible on her desk, and she helped me pray that Jesus would enter my heart. That was that. I was saved. I always made it a priority to be in church when the doors were open. Yes, I sinned; however, I said my prayers every single night. I talked about Christ often, and I truly believed for years {decades} that doing those things were enough. It wasn’t until my husband attended a bible study at our church (kind of against his will) that my eyes started opening up to the truth. Before this bible study I was the reason Frank went to church. If he didn’t go I would be cranky, and he knew it. He went to make me happy. If I was sick and couldn’t attend, or if I was out of town, then he didn’t go. That bible study changed him, which inexplicably changed me.

Before that bible study I had a schedule. My kids had to get into bed; therefore, Wednesday night church was totally out of the question. It would mess everything up. Plus, I went to church on Sunday, and I am a really nice person. Surely that was enough. Also, serving or doing anything was kind of out of the question because I was a busy, working mom in a fast-paced society. I had a lot to do, and my kids were number one on my list. I needed to cater to them. I needed to make sure that they had the best of the best, plenty of rest, and all of my attention. The process of what began to happen to me next is what I call “Unbecoming a Professional Christian”. That’s what I was. A professional Christian. You see us all the time. We are in the church on Sunday mornings. We are out to eat with friends bowing our heads in prayer. We post bible verses all over Facebook proclaiming God’s goodness. But are we Christlike? Are we in church on Sunday mornings expecting to be served by our pastors- or are we there to gain more information in learning  how to serve others?  Are we there with a passion so strong, as Tammy Whitehurst stated, “ To Make Heaven Bigger,” that we can’t sit still any longer. Are we expecting our pastor to do all the work, or are we willing to roll our sleeves up, get tired, get dirty, and truly put others’ needs before our own? Because that is what Christ did. That is what being a Christian is.

Jesus washed people’s feet. Are we too good? Jesus spoke and ministered to the lady at the well. What would people think about us? Jesus was bold. Strong faith. He was happy. Jesus is the King of all Kings, yet He is the epitome of what a true servant should be. I hope that through studying what it means to truly serve others with an open and loving heart that I can somehow be a little more like Jesus. That is my mission. To be like Jesus, and Jesus served.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32

When I think of Jesus serving us there are two acts that immediately come to my mind. The first act of Jesus’ servanthood would absolutely be his ultimate sacrifice of dying on the cross to save us. The second act that I am reminded of would be His constant forgiveness of our endless sins. Every. Single. Day. He forgives us even though He knows we are going to mess up again. He forgives us even though we promise we “won’t do that again”. He forgives us. So we should forgive, too. Revenge. Justice. An eye for an eye. These are very real emotions that take over our mind and heart when we feel we have been wronged. People hurt us. They cut us deep. Life throws curve balls that we never even see coming. Showing God’s love and compassion to someone that has done something so incomprehensible to you lifts a burden off your shoulders, as well as theirs. It is a testament to the person that hurt you that portrays God’s love in the most powerful way. It is a true reflection of God’s character shining through your heart. Forgiveness. It is an act of surrender that shows God that you trust Him and know that He can heal all of your wounds. Living in a state of unforgiveness stifles our walk with God because we are not moving away from the hurt of the past. We are dwelling in a pool of lost dreams and pointed fingers that will eventually rise up and strangle us. Unforgiveness cultivates bitterness. Jesus could have easily been bitter, but He knew that bitterness was not going to help expand God’s Kingdom. Why would any sane person want to serve a God whose people are bitter, unhappy, and just downright sad? As humans, forgiveness seems unattainable, unmanageable, and often times insurmountable. As Christians, forgiveness will still not be a natural emotion that swells within us; however, with God we know, and can stand on the truth, that all things are possible. By praying and seeking to truly forgive the person that has hurt us, then God will provide us with the tools we need to start healing.

God, thank you for forgiving me. Every single day. Please give me the strength that I need to forgive others and move beyond any past hurts. Amen.