When we choose to do the right thing...

The other day I was looking for a place to check out at WalMart and oblivious to me, a lady nearby was trying very hard to get in front of me…when I realized it, I just backed up and let her in line in front of me.  I wasn’t in a hurry…I guess she was!   J But what happened next is what I SO love about God!!  Only moments after she took her place in line in front of me, another cashier came over and said, “Ma’am, I can help you here on register 7?”  All I could think was, “Thank You, Lord…You are so good to me!” (Of course the number 7 thrilled me seeing how 7 biblically means “perfection, completeness and spiritual.” Nothing is a coincidence!)

When we choose to do the right thing, whether in public or in private, because we want to please our Heavenly Father, He never fails to reward us…not always this quickly, but He does reward us.  I want to please Him no matter where I am and no matter what I’m doing because I know my God loves me.  I don’t do it to get a reward, but rather because I want to be obedient to Him.  I want to make choices that are pleasing to my Heavenly Father…then the rewards come!

In this situation, I didn’t have to let the lady in front of me.  I was clearly in the line when I realized that she had been racing me to the line.  Allowing her in front of me made her feel better and probably got her out of the store and onto her next task more quickly.  

At one time or another we all experience moments like this.  I challenge you to let that person in front of you the next time this happens to you.  In one way or another, I know you’ll be as blessed as I was!

When We Put Our Trust In...

Jesus is the One (thing) we can ask for more and more of without being considered greedy…and receive to overflowing.

In our society, we don’t have to look very far to be enticed into thinking that we need more of whatever it is that we see at that very moment.  TV commercials, billboards, internet, radio…we’re surrounded by the idea that we’re not complete or fulfilled unless we have what’s being pushed at that moment. 

Now, don’t get me wrong…although I’m not much of a shopper, I’m not saying that those things aren’t helpful or things that aren’t needed.  It’s when our lives are out of balance and the need for material things around us is the goal in life.  A healthy balance or happy medium is what is needed.  I’ll say it again…Jesus is the One (thing) we can ask for more and more of without being considered greedy…and receive to overflowing.

When we put our trust in money, material things or situations, we may find that our world is whirling out of control.  We need a Center…something…or rather some One to keep us centered and balanced.  That One is Jesus…the Center of all things.  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  John 1:1-5

We were created for God. We were created to need Him.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10   If we don’t put the Savior of all mankind as our center, our lives will not be on the course that we were created to be on.  I find it necessary to continually ask God to take things out of me that are not needed and to fill me with Himself.  This brings me peace…true peace…no matter what my circumstances are.  My personal prayer is; I want more of you Jesus…more of You and less of me.  Fill me with Yourself that I might have rivers of living water flowing out of me to all I see and come in contact with.  I pray Your light will shine through me like a beacon of Light to a world of darkness and when anyone else sees Your Light, let them know that it’s You in me and not anything of myself.

Remember to always look to Jesus, not just in the moments when we feel lacking or insecure…look to the One who is and always was intended to be our Center.  He knows everything that we will ever need.  He is always there for us.  He will never fail us.    
     

...Look With A Different Perspective...

Today I accidentally knocked off the back of one of my earrings at the gym.  I must have spent 10 minutes or more crawling around on the floor looking for it and couldn’t find it.  First thing, I prayed that the Lord would open my eyes to see it.  I didn’t have my reading glasses to help me.  I pulled out my phone and used it as a flash light and still I couldn’t find it.  Finally, I just made the decision that I would go on with the task at hand and put fresh eyes on it a few minutes later.  So I stood up and all the sudden…BAM… my eyes were drawn directly to the back of my earring.  It had been right in front of me the entire time…I just didn’t see it.  Of course I wasn’t surprised!  Trust me, this isn’t the first time I’ve trusted the Lord to show me where I’ve lost something…He’s always faithful to help me find whatever I’ve lost. But what I found interesting is that I had to change my perspective or the angle to find what I was looking for.  It was there the entire time but I wasn’t in the right place to be able to see it. 

I think that’s how it is a lot of times when we’re looking for different things in life.  We can be looking high and low…searching very intently and still cannot find what it is we’re looking for.  Just like me looking for the earring back…I had asked God to help me, but my perspective or my angle was all wrong.  I wasn’t lined up properly.  God had full intentions of showing me where it was…and He waited patiently until I was finished doing it my way to show me exactly where it was.  Actually…His way was much easier than the way I was crawling around on the floor! 

If you find yourself in a situation where you seem to be getting nowhere, which we all do from time to time, look with a different perspective or at a different angle.  If you’ve asked God to help you, you can be sure He is there waiting patiently with you.  Sometimes I believe He’s just waiting for us to get lined up perfectly…waiting for us to get to the end of ourselves…so that He can do what needs to be done in our lives.  Also, there’s nothing too small to ask God for help with…even looking for the back of an earring is not too small for God!  He truly cares about every aspect of our lives.  J      

His Grace Is Sufficient!

I have to tell you, I had been a Christian for quite some time before I fully understood what God’s grace was.  We sing and talk about it all the time, but until the Lord removes the veil, it’s difficult to understand just “what” it is.

I remember being a part of leadership in a group that was headed out to a function.  Man, I Did. Not. Want. to be a part of it!  But I knew that it was something that the Lord wanted me to do.  I remember that day.  I dragged my feet all day long putting off preparation for it.  I even thought…maybe I can get out of it at the last moment.  You know, maybe, just maybe I had been wrong in thinking that the Lord wanted me there.  Well, I prayed early in the day, ‘Lord, if you want me to be a part of this, I pray that You will give me the grace to get through it.’  So, as the time drew near and I made my move to prepare for the evening…suddenly my outlook began to change.  Long story short, I found myself in the middle of the evening, not only having a great time, but being one of the "instigators of funness!”  It was then that I realized how amazing God’s grace is. 

His grace “fills in,” so to speak, for us when there is nothing that we can do to make situations better for ourselves.  The Holy Spirit fills the “gap” from where we are to where we need to be.  It’s totally and completely supernatural…something that we are completely incapable of doing for ourselves…just like Salvation! 

You see, when Jesus gave up His life on the cross, took our sin, shame, sickness, disease, etc, He bridged the gap between God and all mankind.  He is grace.  Bridging that gap is something that no man can or ever will be able to do.  Jesus did it…once and for all!  He then sent the Person of the Spirit of God to be our Helper after His resurrection. The Holy Spirit supernaturally “helps us”…or “fills in the gap” when  we are incapable of doing something on our own.  A! MAZ! ING!!

Remember to call on the Lord always when help is needed.  He is always here for us and will never fail us.  His grace IS sufficient!!   

There's No Need To Feel...

There’s no need to feel insecure or intimidated by someone else’s God given gift.  You have your place within the Body of Christ and they have theirs.  Be secure in who God has created you to be.

Really…it’s a matter of being secure in who you are in Christ.  If you aren’t secure in who you are, you will, no doubt, be insecure, causing you to be intimidated of others…which is totally not needed.

God created each of us with a specific gift in mind.  It’s up to us to get with God, search our hearts and be led by the Spirit to determine what that gifting is and then live it out.  It’s a matter of drawing near to God, knowing who he is and allowing Him to work in us and through us to bring our purpose to fruition.  

The beauty of this is that we will naturally be totally satisfied with what it is that He’s called us to do, simply because that’s how He created us.  It really is that simple.

So, there’s no need to look at “so-and-so” and be jealous because they’re doing something that you wish you could do.  Or…when you’re doing something and someone else comes along who can do your job better and faster than you, there’s no need to be intimidated.  The question is:  Are you doing what God has asked you to do?  If the answer is “yes”…then don’t worry about it…keep doing what you’re doing.  But, if the answer is “no”…then take steps to find your gifting.  The Lord will show you.  All you have to do is ask, trust and believe.

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.  Proverbs 16:9

There’s absolutely no room in the Kingdom of God for jealously, intimidation or insecurity…that’s not His way.  He’s made a way for each and every one of us.  It’s up to us to tap into what He has already provided.  Remember…if He did it for ________, He’ll do it for you.  And if that’s not His will for you, then He definitely has something better planned.  He’s just that amazing!! 

Do As I Say and Not As I Do?

So…I’m definitely not a fan of the “Do as I say and not as I do doctrine.” If someone in authority asks me to do something, I will do it as long as it doesn’t cause me to sin or compromise my integrity.  I don’t find it necessary to be rebellious simply because someone is asking me to do something, there’s no reason for that.  I do, however, have a problem with folks who like to make their own rules, but then don’t find it necessary to follow the rules that they’ve made.  I actually find that maddening!  I will do what they say, but it actually makes it very difficult for me to have respect for the person(s) who are making these rules and take this form of leadership on a regular basis…and I do mean on a regular basis or a lifestyle of this type of leadership.  I’m not speaking of the occasional random mistakes that we all make! 

This behavior reminds me of the Pharisees in the Bible.  They were constantly trying to catch or even trap Jesus in “wrong doing” according to their rules.  But, what I love about Jesus is that He was always honest and onto their trickery.  Even with the rules that they made, Jesus would serve people by helping or healing them and not in rebellion…He did it with great poise and self control.  Jesus never had an attitude about what He was doing.  He was confident in who He was...the Son of God, the Son of Man…the Savior of the World.

What a great example Jesus is for us.  He is the ultimate example for us.  I don’t want to be someone who makes rules and then doesn’t follow them.  Whenever I experience something like this in my life, I like to take what I see in others that bothers me and examine myself to see if I’m acting in the same manner anywhere in my life.  And, it could be anything that I see, not just this subject in particular.  When…not if…I do see things that need to be corrected, I take it to God and repent.  I ask Him to take whatever it is out of me and ask Him to fill me with more of His Spirit…essentially, more of Him and less of me.

Oh how wonderful it is that we have a loving God that will help us to see our flaws, correct us, heal us and restore us…and all we need to do is ask!  Even when we see these things in ourselves that we don’t like, it doesn’t change His love for us.  He loves us the same yesterday, today and forever because He is love.               

 

Making bad choices can...

Making bad choices can cause a ripple effect that not only affects you, but others for today, tomorrow and many more tomorrows to come.

Wisdom is choosing to do now what we will be satisfied with later. ~ Joyce Meyer

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach.  James 1:5

We have everything we need to make good choices.  God’s Word is infallible.  He has said that if we need wisdom, we only need ask for it.  His words, not mine!  However, we have the freedom to make whatever choices that we want…good or bad.  Just as good choices can cause good ripple effects for us well into our future and the future of those close to us, so bad choices can cause troubling ripple effects for us and those around us for a time and times to come.

All too often, we tend to let our flesh get in the way and make a bad choice simply because we want what we want when we want it instead of being patient and waiting for God’s timing in it.  Unfortunately, the popular saying, “if it feels good, do it” is not a good or healthy way to live our lives.  What if what we choose never was God’s will in the first place?  God is not obligated to honor us in choices that never were His will for us.  Until we understand that and move forward purposefully putting God first, asking for His wisdom in all things, the ripple effect can and will continue to plague us.

Let’s use wisdom in making good choices for our lives.  It’s as easy as simply asking God for wisdom, trusting and believing that He will supply the wisdom for what we need when we need it.  God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent.  Has He said, and will He not do?  Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19