Tag: good

Posted on

Seeing Victory

Living on this earth can be so hard. It is in those hard times we either fall or rise above. The situations of life are usually out of our hands, but how we react to them is fully in our control.

My Aunt Carol drew the short straw. She was born to a mother who didn’t want her so her grandparents adopted her. Yes, she is biologically my cousin however, she is legally my aunt. Her parents loved her deeply and she lived a life knowing she was loved.

In grade school – Carol not only was diagnosed with a severe case of juvenile diabetes but also it was discovered her mind wasn’t going to grow passed a 3rd or 4th grader. She would never be able to be hired for even the simplest jobs because her severe diabetes and spent her life on government aid. When she finally got her own home, it was the greatest thing to ever happen to her.

Carol made some mistakes in trusting the wrong people in her youth. As she grew & matured, she started to understand some people are not for her. Thankfully, there were some folks who took her under their wing. It was through those folks when she really found Jesus.

When she was diagnosed with diabetes, the doctors told my grandparents that she wouldn’t live passed 30 years old. It would have probably been true if she didn’t find God. It was her faith in God that sustained her and kept her even when her body started to fail her.

When I would talk to her, she would tell me that God still had a plan for her and that is why he kept her here. Her faith helped her grow and thrive for years. Even when she could no longer walk or leave home, she had a positive outlook on life because she understood that life was a gift.

Carol stepped into Heaven this past Friday (October 25, 2019) just a few months from her 50th birthday, proving the doctors wrong. It’s sad she no longer is here, but I know that her faith in Jesus led her to Heaven.

Her body and mind are healed and whole…something she didn’t have on Earth. What a joyful thought to know she is finally able to know what it is like to have a body that works and a mind that understands. Even though I’m going to miss her, I am so happy she finally is whole.

Living life for Jesus means we will live again. Living for Jesus means that Heaven is our home. All the pain of this world will fall away as we step into God’s presence.

If my Aunt’s life taught me anything…it is that Jesus is a sustainer and a redeemer. Carol would tell you that Jesus will help you through anything. If you don’t know Jesus, consider changing that. Consider accepting Him as your Lord & savior. Doing that will not guarantee that this life will be easy, but it will guarantee that you can overcome even the hardest obstacle.

Carol won. She was victorious. Her life was not in vain and she got her reward. Now, on the other side of Heaven, she is more alive right now than she ever was here on earth. What a promise God has for us who call him Savior, Redeemer and Friend.

“So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 NLT

Posted on

Peace of Life

To live a life of peace is to live a life of forgiveness. Letting go of what others have done to you or those you love and moving on with your life. Can you imagine what this world would be like if folks would live a life of forgiving others and moving on? No war, no hate, no confusion. But we live in a sinful, fallen world filled with pain and unforgiveness.

If forgiving people and moving on was easy, more people would do it. If it were easy to not hold a grudge and love people inspite of what they did to you, more people would be doing it. But it isn’t easy. In fact I’d say it is very difficult to let go of the things that deeply wound us.

Dare I say that it takes the help of the Holy Spirit to fully forgive and let go. I don’t think I can do that by myself in my own understanding. It is almost impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible.

Imagine the forgiveness Paul needed from his fellow believers. When he was Saul, he killed many Christians believing it was the right thing to do. When Jesus appeared and opened his eyes to his offense, Saul became Paul thus becoming a person who he once would have killed.

The gift of forgiveness was something Paul knew all too well. He needed it in order to fulfill his God-given calling. Because believers did offer it to him, his calling was fulfilled and they continued to grow in Christ.

Understanding that, he was able to write about forgiveness in some of his letters.

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

Colossians 3:13 NLT

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT

I challenge you, dear reader, to step out of the easy and try forgiving those that hurt you. Give up your ability to hold a grudge and let go of that offense. Lean on the Holy Spirit to help you.

Free yourself and let it go. That burden is not something you were ever meant to bear. Imagine what could be ahead of you if you leave that offense behind you? Only great things!

Posted on

Have No Fear

Fear. How many times have you dealt with that? Probably too many times…

Life is full of things to be afraid of – tragedies, loss, betrayal and pain. It seems we face bad things all too often in this place we are just passing through, don’t we? It’s hard and sometimes unbearable.

If we don’t keep our eyes on Jesus, this life will eat us alive. We will be so overwhelmed, we wouldn’t know what to do. But thankfully, we know the one who spoke this world into existence!

1 Peter 5:7 says “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” Think about that for a moment – what would it look like if you casted ALL your cares on God? How much better would your life be without the worry, anxiety or depression? Who would you become if you stopped being afraid?

1 John 4:18 says that if we fear, we have not fully experienced God’s love because we fear God’s wrath more than understanding His love for us (this scripture is paraphrased into my own words and in its pure form at the end of the blog). Not fully understanding God’s love for us can really hinder our lives.

Imagine if you gave someone a gift that you knew would alter their life forever and they didn’t fully believe you had good motives in giving them that gift so they put it aside, waiting to see if it all was phony? How would you feel?

That is how God feels when we (as believers) follow Him, but don’t fully trust that He has our best interest at the root of it all.

So I encourage you – the one who struggles with fear, depression, anxiety and/or mistrust in God – lean into Jesus’ love and let it wash over you like a wave. Give Him your fears, doubts and worries. Let God fight your battles and go to sleep!

Rest, my dear friends- God has already won the victory and there is nothing He can not help us with. Surrender and let Him lead.

“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

1 John 4:17-18 NLT

Posted on

Less is More

In our world today, to get ahead, you must talk yourself up & make a name for yourself. You have “people” who work for you & your endeavors. This seems very real to us here & understandable. It’s his things work. But the Kingdom of God is paradoxical – almost self-contradictory. With the God’s Kingdom, you must become less to be more.

““But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Matthew 23:8-12 NIV

If you want to work for God – you must serve. Humility is the currency of God’s Kingdom. Be careful about making it about you – because God will always outshine you.

Serve God & serve others. The more we do that, the greater God’s Kingdom becomes.

I ask you to join with me to commit to being more humble & genuine in your walk. I know this is an area I always need work & I would love for you to join me.

Let’s build God’s Kingdom & bring glory to His name!!

Posted on

No Matter What

It seems the older I get, the more I realize how trust in God is our lifeline.

So many bad things can happen to us – it doesn’t matter how “holy” you are. But knowing that, no matter what we face, God has our back & will work everything out for our good. That knowledge brings a peace that knows no understanding.

Whatever you are going through, give it over to God & trust His ways. Lean into Him and find rest.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Posted on

Shelter

I am in a rather long season of singleness. Being alone can make you lonely sometimes, but it is in this time of “aloneness” that I’ve found a special relationship with God.

He is my shelter & my foundation. My lack of person, in the wee hours of the night, has lead me to late night talks with the Holy Spirit. I can lean into Him and find my hiding place – my safe place, where I can share those things that no one else know.

Psalm 91:3-6 says “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stocks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.”

This is the promise for me & for you. In the darkness, he will cover you…when the arrow flies, he will cover you…when the person talks behind your back, when you are overlooked, when you feel defeated, broken or misunderstood, he will cover you.

In those “wee hours of the night” talks, remember to tell the Holy Spirit all that is on your heart & let him wrap you up in himself. You have shelter in him.

Posted on

Accepted

When I was a child, I was afraid of God.  I am not speaking about a healthy fear of God, but a feeling of distress about the idea of God.  It was rooted in the idea that God was very legalistic – you do wrong and it’s over for you.  There was no grace in my idea of God.

Unfortunately, too many in the world see God as a legalistic, smoting, I will abandon you if you do wrong type of God.  It makes my heart hurt that so many believe God to be so cruel.

If we get down to it, yes, God deals with right or wrong actions/thoughts/etc. in black and white terms.  There are no blurred lines when classifying something a sin versus not a sin.  And, yes, Hell really exists.  But God is truly a loving, caring Father.  He does not classify the person based on their sin because we are all sinners. 

God’s love is eternal.  It existed long before we did. His love isn’t given to some and not given to others.  Thankfully, all we need to do to experience his grace is accept Jesus as our Savior.  Easy, simple, done.  

My favorite part of who God is that God loves you even before you accept him. He cares for you even before you accepted him.  He wanted you long before you wanted him.  That is grace and that is love.

Even if you are reading this and you have been a believer a long time – remember this!  Remember that you were known by God long before you knew him.  His grace was there before you needed it.  Accept it and move on.  He wants you to live your life in peace!

“He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:10-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:2-10‬ ‭NLT‬

Posted on

Choices, Choices

Choices…they are what life is made up of.  We choose to get out of bed, we choose what we eat, we choose who we spend time with.  We choose…that is what we get to do. We are not robots.  God has given us the ability to decern the best path for our lives.

I know that our world is not simple and choices are at times very complex.  For instance, there are those living in oppression, either in a relationship or under a form of tyrannical government – that are basically given two choices – do this and live or do that and die/suffer.  Most of us do not have to live in that type of world, but we still may have hard decisions to make.

Our ability to make these choices center around how our lives turn out.  Everyone has a chance to change their destiny. We can choose a good path or a bad path.  The bad path leads us to failure. The good, success.  

As adults, we have to hold the responsibility for how our lives turn out.  You choose to spend a life of drugs, anger, alcohol, bitterness – your life will be filled with pain.  You choose to spend your life in joy, peace, and love in spite of what you have endured, your life will be filled with greatness.  

I am speaking to anyone out there who believe that your life is out of your hands and you are going down a wrong path – you can change this!  You can turn it around!  How?  Choose life!  Choose God – press into Him.  Ask Him to help you find joy, love, and forgiveness.  Let Him lead you into  new destiny!

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:4-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Be blessed everyone!  Live fearlessly!  

Posted on

Don’t Grow Weary

I used to have a desire to be seen in doing good.  I wanted a chance to “be something” and would not always treat people like I should.  I am not saying I was ruthless or even malicious.  I am saying I was prideful and impatient.  I wanted my reward now.  I was also insecure – I wanted to know I was needed by people.  Man, it was a stressful season for me…because I never got what I wanted.  I did good, but grew weary.

It wasn’t until a faithful mentor in my life explained to me that it doesn’t require me to overwork myself to get things done – in essence – I am not that great.  Ouch!  But oh so true!  I grew weary because my focus was not on what it should be.  I was doing good for the soul reason to further myself when I should be doing good because that is what I am supposed to be doing.

I should do everything unto God and not worry about who sees it…He sees it.  This revelation began to birth in me a peace that allowed me to love people like I never have because I no longer looked to them for my worth.  I looked to be a blessing to them.  I learned that, at the end of the day, God has my back and I don’t need to be noticed, seen, or praised by others.  Don’t get me wrong, those things are great, but they are not necessary to fulfil the calling on my life.

Being faithful unto God, leaning on Him, learning that it takes all of us to get the work done has been an epiphany that set me free.  I no longer allow myself to become weary because my source is Him.  Pride can suffocate you like nothing else.

I know you are asking yourself why I decided to share this with you…here is why – because the way our society is set up, we can get lost in the desire of others’ approval and it become our downfall.  We see it in celebrities all the time.  The church and those of faith cannot follow that pattern.  We must remain humble and under the hand of God.  That way, we do not seek something from a fellow person that they cannot give.  

I know there are going to be days that I will fail at this and fall back to my old ways, but know that I need to find my way back.  Will you join me on this journey?

Live your life free of expecting things from others.  God will ensure that you are taken care of.  He will make sure you get what you need.  Just keep doing good.

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:9-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

  

Posted on

Chosen

We make choices every day.  I made a decision to get out of bed, make breakfast, run errands, and go to the gym.  I had the choice not to do any of those things and just stay in bed.  At first, I am sure it would feel good, but after a while, it would get really old.  Life is full of good and bad choices.

God created us to be able to make our own decisions and face their consequences.  All the way in the front of the Bible, we see this played out with Adam, Eve, and the serpent (see Genesis 3).  As a result, we have the ability to believe or reject just about everything.  As I am typing on this computer, I can believe that I am a billionaire.  I am not (yet), but I can still believe it.  That is my choice that I get to make.  If I spent money like I as a billionaire without being a billionaire, then I would be in very big trouble.

Due to the consequences of our personal choices, God will bring things to us and take things away.  If we decide to live by our wills and not His, then we will not be able to do what we are called to do.  God had a plan for each of us.  He created us with purpose.  This purpose is meant to glorify Him and be a blessing to those around us in some form or fashion.  This could be at our jobs, at our church, or in our families.  Our purpose is unique to us – therefore we are exceedingly important to this world.  Some of us, though, will make a choice not to do what God has called us to do.

Some are waiting to be chosen, some are wanting to do their own thing, some are just too busy with other things to do what they need to do.  I used to be someone who believed that the opportunities would just fall into my lap.  If I go to church and do good, I will get all that God promised me.  Then, I realized that if I am not doing my end of the bargain – if I did not put myself in the right place and learn the things I need to learn, then I will not achieve what I was meant to achieve in the time I was supposed to achieve it.  Will there be other chances?  Yes, I think there will be – because God is good like that.  His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Let’s look at this Parable:

Again Jesus spoke to them in picture-stories. He said,  “The holy nation of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding supper for his son.  He sent his servants to tell the people, who had been asked, to come to the supper. But the people did not want to come.

“He sent other servants, saying to them, ‘Tell those who have been asked to come, “See! My supper is ready. My cows and fat calves are killed. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding supper!”’  But they did not listen and went on working. One went to his farm. Another went to his store.  The others took hold of his servants, and hurt them and killed them.

 “When the king heard this, he was very angry. He sent his soldiers to put those to death who had killed his servants. He burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding supper is ready. Those who were asked to come to the supper were not good enough. Go out into the roads and as many people as you can find, ask them to come to the wedding supper.’

 “The servants went out into the roads and brought all they could find, both bad and good. The wedding supper room was full of people.  The king came in to see those who had come. He saw one man who did not have on wedding supper clothes.  He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding supper clothes?’ The man could not speak!  Then the king said to his servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him out into the darkness. In that place there will be loud crying and grinding of teeth.’ For many are called but few are chosen.”

Matthew 22:1-14

I want to be among those who are chosen!  I want to make sure that whatever I do, I do unto God.  Because just going about doing my own thing, even if it is good, isn’t going to cut it.  I need to do exactly what God wants me to do.  I don’t want to disappoint Him.

What about you?  Do you want to live a life on purpose – that life that God meant you to live?  Are you willing to be bold about it?

Let’s do it together, y’all!  Let’s walk out this life just as God intended us to live it.

Pray this with me:  Father, thank you for making me who I am.  You put me on this earth for a reason and there is something that I can do that no one else will ever be able to do.  Help me learn exactly what you want from me and give me the boldness to walk it out.  Show me who I am in you and where you need me right at this moment and how I can get there, if I am not already there. And, finally, as I walk this life out, let me listen to your voice – only your voice – so that I remain on the road you meant for me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Be blessed everyone!

Choose