The world today bombards us with all the newest things we should have. Media tells us we need this new product that has just come out in order for us to be stronger, thinner, more beautiful, more successful, etc. We are always on the lookout for the newest things instead of being content with what we have.
This is a problem that is not just with our things. It can be with our work, our home, our looks; you name it. Each one of us can be discontent with things at some point or another.
We often want to change things and be better at things, the do more, be more kind of attitude. But that is not always the best thing for us.
Sometimes we have to learn to be content with where we are. Sometimes we need to stop trying so hard to get where we think we want to be, and focus on being happy right where we are. God can't bless us in the way that He would if we are constantly searching for something else to fill the void, that empty spot inside us, instead of letting Him take it over.
We have to learn to be content in God's love, and trust in the plan that He has for us. We will never find contentment until we let God into our heart and let Him take over all our wants and desires. We need to lay down our wants and our desires for earthly things; our discontent with our earthly position in life, and learn to let God fill that discontent.
The one thing we can be discontent in is our relationship with Him. We need to always want to be learning, growing, studying, and disciplining ourselves to grow in Him, and have a fire to learn about Him.
Let's become more content with our position here on earth, and more discontent in our relationship with God.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Love?
Since I am getting to the age when I am starting to think about marriage, I started reading a book about preparing for marriage. And one of the things I am challenging myself to do as I read through this book, as part of my devotional time, is to look in the Bible and begin to understand what love really is.
Love is so misunderstood by our society. Honestly, I have found that I have fallen into this trap of love is a feeling, when it really is about a state of mind. We are told that love will fulfill all our needs, or that love is useless and stupid. But the reality is that love is a decision, it is not based on feeling. Granted, feelings can be part of what love is. But love should not be based solely on feelings.
According to 1 Corinthians 13, love is patient and kind. Love is never jealous, proud, boastful, rude, demanding of its way, irritable, etc. (To learn more, just read the passage. ;)
This type of love applies to all of our relationships... family relationships, friendships, and romantic relationships. Love is a decision to be patient and kind, not jealous, proud, rude, etc.
We as Christians have been given a high calling to live in love, all the time, with everyone we meet. (John 15:12) We are to be a living example; we are to live in love, showing love to others, just as Christ has showed love to us. Here is a question to reflect on... if we really loved others, genuinely, in real and perfect love, how many problems of our world would disappear?
ACTION
Love is so misunderstood by our society. Honestly, I have found that I have fallen into this trap of love is a feeling, when it really is about a state of mind. We are told that love will fulfill all our needs, or that love is useless and stupid. But the reality is that love is a decision, it is not based on feeling. Granted, feelings can be part of what love is. But love should not be based solely on feelings.
According to 1 Corinthians 13, love is patient and kind. Love is never jealous, proud, boastful, rude, demanding of its way, irritable, etc. (To learn more, just read the passage. ;)
This type of love applies to all of our relationships... family relationships, friendships, and romantic relationships. Love is a decision to be patient and kind, not jealous, proud, rude, etc.
We as Christians have been given a high calling to live in love, all the time, with everyone we meet. (John 15:12) We are to be a living example; we are to live in love, showing love to others, just as Christ has showed love to us. Here is a question to reflect on... if we really loved others, genuinely, in real and perfect love, how many problems of our world would disappear?
ACTION
- Be an example of love to those you meet.
- Reflect on your understanding of love. Then think about what love really is, and study it.
- Look up passages of Scripture that talk about love, and its real meaning.
Monday, June 12, 2017
Making the Most of EVERY Opportunity
Ephesians 5:16 "Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days." (NLT)
Ephesians is an awesome book of the Bible. I have to say, most anything Paul writes in the Bible is super powerful. But that is because it was inspired by our Almighty, Great and Powerful God. However, I am getting off track.
This verse tells us to make the most of EVERY opportunity. Not just some opportunities. EVERY opportunity.
What on earth does that even mean?
Looking at the context of the chapter, Paul is addressing how a Christian is to live in this world that is overcome by darkness, sin, and just plain ol' evil. Paul is warning Christians to not participate in evil deeds, but expose them. (vs 11) He warns Christians to be careful in how they are living. (vs 15) In verse 17, we are also told to not act thoughtlessly, but know what the Lord wants us to do.
There is always a way to make the most of every opportunity. When we are faced with temptation of doing some evil deed (let's say party or drink) we can take that opportunity to reach out to Jesus, and maybe even teach those who are around us about Jesus, and not give in to the temptation to sin. We can learn to say no to the temptation, and do the right thing; aka, make the most of the opportunity.
When we are tempted to live and act in a thoughtless way, (talking behind people's backs, being mean to others, etc.) we can think, "Is this something the Lord would want me to do, or approve of me doing?" Answering this question honestly can give you an opportunity to really decide whether you are going to make the most of the opportunity before you, or if you are going to make a poor choice, and live in a thoughtless and careless manner.
Let's bring this closer to home now. You are at work, and everything seems to be going wrong. Nothing is working out the way it should, and everyone is grumpy. YOU have a choice. YOU can decide whether you are going to fall into this grumpy and negative state of mind, or you can do what you can to make things better. Keep a positive attitude. Encourage others. Be kind and helpful. Don't let the grumpiness spread, but try to bring smiles and laughter back.
Maybe this was something only I needed to realize. Maybe this post was just for me. But, I think it is a valuable lesson for all of us to learn...
GO OUT AND MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY! :)
Ephesians is an awesome book of the Bible. I have to say, most anything Paul writes in the Bible is super powerful. But that is because it was inspired by our Almighty, Great and Powerful God. However, I am getting off track.
This verse tells us to make the most of EVERY opportunity. Not just some opportunities. EVERY opportunity.
What on earth does that even mean?
Looking at the context of the chapter, Paul is addressing how a Christian is to live in this world that is overcome by darkness, sin, and just plain ol' evil. Paul is warning Christians to not participate in evil deeds, but expose them. (vs 11) He warns Christians to be careful in how they are living. (vs 15) In verse 17, we are also told to not act thoughtlessly, but know what the Lord wants us to do.
There is always a way to make the most of every opportunity. When we are faced with temptation of doing some evil deed (let's say party or drink) we can take that opportunity to reach out to Jesus, and maybe even teach those who are around us about Jesus, and not give in to the temptation to sin. We can learn to say no to the temptation, and do the right thing; aka, make the most of the opportunity.
When we are tempted to live and act in a thoughtless way, (talking behind people's backs, being mean to others, etc.) we can think, "Is this something the Lord would want me to do, or approve of me doing?" Answering this question honestly can give you an opportunity to really decide whether you are going to make the most of the opportunity before you, or if you are going to make a poor choice, and live in a thoughtless and careless manner.
Let's bring this closer to home now. You are at work, and everything seems to be going wrong. Nothing is working out the way it should, and everyone is grumpy. YOU have a choice. YOU can decide whether you are going to fall into this grumpy and negative state of mind, or you can do what you can to make things better. Keep a positive attitude. Encourage others. Be kind and helpful. Don't let the grumpiness spread, but try to bring smiles and laughter back.
Maybe this was something only I needed to realize. Maybe this post was just for me. But, I think it is a valuable lesson for all of us to learn...
GO OUT AND MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY! :)
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Seek & Find
Sometimes it is hard to remember that God is with us no matter what. It is easy to lose sight of that when we are going through hard times. Sometimes we feel like God doesn't care when we are in those hard times and hard situations, and feel alone and abandoned. However, those are the times when God can be closest to us.
God never leaves us. He never forsakes us. When we feel that there is distance between us and God, it is because we have put it there. We have walked away from God, or just put distance between Him and us. He doesn't give up on us. He loves us always, forever, no matter what. And He is willing to forgive you, if you will only ask.
Ask God to be with you in the midst of the hard times. He will be with you, helping you and guiding you. He will be with you regardless, but asking Him to be with you will help you to feel Him in a different way. Trust Him no matter what is going on, and seek Him with all your heart. You will find Him. He is faithful.
If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He can't deny who He is.
- 2 Timothy 2:13 -
God never leaves us. He never forsakes us. When we feel that there is distance between us and God, it is because we have put it there. We have walked away from God, or just put distance between Him and us. He doesn't give up on us. He loves us always, forever, no matter what. And He is willing to forgive you, if you will only ask.
Ask God to be with you in the midst of the hard times. He will be with you, helping you and guiding you. He will be with you regardless, but asking Him to be with you will help you to feel Him in a different way. Trust Him no matter what is going on, and seek Him with all your heart. You will find Him. He is faithful.
If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He can't deny who He is.
- 2 Timothy 2:13 -
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Hard Work
Life is a series of hard things that we have to endure. Almost anything you want in your life requires hard work.
It really bothers me when people say that my generation is so lazy, and is unwilling to work hard. I get bothered because I had parents who taught me the value of hard work, and the importance of working hard, and I do work hard.
Don't get the impression that I am on here to lift myself up. There are times I am lazy and do not want to work, and don't work nearly as hard as I should. Everyone has times like that. But just take a moment to evaluate your life; are you working as hard as you know you should, and quite easily could? That question is as much for me as anyone out there reading this.
If you want to see change, work for it. If you want to make a difference in the world, it requires work, same as anything else. It just matters how dedicated you are, and if you actually care. If you do, you will be willing to work hard to see things through, and desire to see the positive changes happen.
So it is up to you. Are you going to be a hard worker for the Lord, or are you going to accept the title of being lazy and a slacker? Our work and service to the Lord is hard work, and it is important to remember in all we do to work for Him, no matter whether we have a job in a church, as a waitress, a cashier, car salesman, lawyer, judge, doctor, nurse, etc.
Want to change the perceptions on our generation? STEP UP.
BE THE CHANGE. WORK HARD FOR THE LORD!
Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (NIV)
{For more verses on hard work, simply google verses about working for the Lord. You will find tons of verses and motivation to work for Him!}
It really bothers me when people say that my generation is so lazy, and is unwilling to work hard. I get bothered because I had parents who taught me the value of hard work, and the importance of working hard, and I do work hard.
Don't get the impression that I am on here to lift myself up. There are times I am lazy and do not want to work, and don't work nearly as hard as I should. Everyone has times like that. But just take a moment to evaluate your life; are you working as hard as you know you should, and quite easily could? That question is as much for me as anyone out there reading this.
If you want to see change, work for it. If you want to make a difference in the world, it requires work, same as anything else. It just matters how dedicated you are, and if you actually care. If you do, you will be willing to work hard to see things through, and desire to see the positive changes happen.
So it is up to you. Are you going to be a hard worker for the Lord, or are you going to accept the title of being lazy and a slacker? Our work and service to the Lord is hard work, and it is important to remember in all we do to work for Him, no matter whether we have a job in a church, as a waitress, a cashier, car salesman, lawyer, judge, doctor, nurse, etc.
Want to change the perceptions on our generation? STEP UP.
BE THE CHANGE. WORK HARD FOR THE LORD!
Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (NIV)
{For more verses on hard work, simply google verses about working for the Lord. You will find tons of verses and motivation to work for Him!}
Friday, April 14, 2017
It's Easter!
Hey ya'll!
It is Easter weekend! This is a time that Christians reflect on what Christ has done for us. We celebrate His life, His death, and His resurrection. Good Friday is the day that we celebrate His death, and Easter Sunday is when we celebrate His resurrection. Jesus came, lived, and died for us. He loved us enough to do that for us. This weekend is a time that, for Christians, we can reflect on Him, and thank Him for all He has done.
Oftentimes, in my own life, I tend to take what Jesus did for me for granted. This weekend is a time that I am going to try to remember all He has done for me, and really reflect on that and be thankful.
This is not a long post. I wanted it to serve as more of a reminder to reflect on what Christ has done for you, especially on this weekend, and think about all He has done, and think of what you can do for Him, and how you can love Him better.
Suggested readings:
Matthew 26-28
Mark 13-16
Luke 21-24
John 16-21
It is Easter weekend! This is a time that Christians reflect on what Christ has done for us. We celebrate His life, His death, and His resurrection. Good Friday is the day that we celebrate His death, and Easter Sunday is when we celebrate His resurrection. Jesus came, lived, and died for us. He loved us enough to do that for us. This weekend is a time that, for Christians, we can reflect on Him, and thank Him for all He has done.
Oftentimes, in my own life, I tend to take what Jesus did for me for granted. This weekend is a time that I am going to try to remember all He has done for me, and really reflect on that and be thankful.
This is not a long post. I wanted it to serve as more of a reminder to reflect on what Christ has done for you, especially on this weekend, and think about all He has done, and think of what you can do for Him, and how you can love Him better.
Suggested readings:
Matthew 26-28
Mark 13-16
Luke 21-24
John 16-21
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Where is God?
Where is God in this world? We look around every day, and see more terrible things happening each and every day. Christians are being persecuted for their faith, innocent people are being sexually assaulted, people are dying because of terrorist attacks, people are getting sick and dying because of incurable diseases, people are living in fear because they do not know how long they have to live. They are in the midst of a war zone, and are unsure of what will happen to them. People lack food and clean water. Some people have not even heard about the one called "Jesus" who is our light and Salvation and who gave His life to forgive us of our sins. Some say that the world has gone crazy. Some say we are in the end times. Some believe that this is just the way the world works. But is it how God intends us to all live?
God calls us as Christians to something higher than this world has to offer. The world offers us this; fame, power, love, acceptance, and everything you could ever imagine. Funny thing about the world is that it does not tell you the cost of what you are getting. The world lies to you. They say you will be accepted, but only after you change all of these things. For any young girl reading this, you know what I mean. Just look at Seventeen magazine. They teach you to be skinny, wear certain clothes, do your hair a certain way, do your makeup like this, then you will be pretty and accepted by that boy you like, and even those popular girls. Young guys are told to hit the gym, lift weights, be strong and don't show emotion. They are taught to flirt with girls and treat them like their own personal trophy. They are told so many lies about themselves, taught that they need to be athletic, popular, involved in the party scene, and so on. All of these things are lies that are fed to us.
The cost for believing these lies? You lose yourself. You no longer see who you truly are and what you were made to do. You push aside your passions for something cheaper. You long for acceptance, fame, power, and love, so you do what the world tells you to do, believing you will get all of these things out of it. And so you do all these things the world encourages, only to find yourself empty, and lacking purpose.
How does this relate to my first paragraph? I mean, I went from talking about the madness this world is, to ranting about how the world tries to influence and change us. "Is there any correlation," you may ask. So glad you did.
At least part of the reason that the world is in the state is in today is because of how we have given in to the world and believed the lies it tells us. Christians have even fallen into this trap and have just gone along with what the world is saying, sometimes disagreeing, but not having enough nerve to stand up and try to stop it.
How can we make a difference? Well, we can stand up for our beliefs for one. We can learn to see ourselves in light of who we really are, and who God says we are, and be satisfied with ourselves. We can develop our relationship(s) with God and with others. We can volunteer and give back to others.
We can't change the world. But we can make an impact for the good, just by caring and loving others.
As Dr. Seuss said in "The Lorax"... "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not."
What can you do to make your world a better place? What can you do to make your life a wonderful and meaningful life?
God calls us as Christians to something higher than this world has to offer. The world offers us this; fame, power, love, acceptance, and everything you could ever imagine. Funny thing about the world is that it does not tell you the cost of what you are getting. The world lies to you. They say you will be accepted, but only after you change all of these things. For any young girl reading this, you know what I mean. Just look at Seventeen magazine. They teach you to be skinny, wear certain clothes, do your hair a certain way, do your makeup like this, then you will be pretty and accepted by that boy you like, and even those popular girls. Young guys are told to hit the gym, lift weights, be strong and don't show emotion. They are taught to flirt with girls and treat them like their own personal trophy. They are told so many lies about themselves, taught that they need to be athletic, popular, involved in the party scene, and so on. All of these things are lies that are fed to us.
The cost for believing these lies? You lose yourself. You no longer see who you truly are and what you were made to do. You push aside your passions for something cheaper. You long for acceptance, fame, power, and love, so you do what the world tells you to do, believing you will get all of these things out of it. And so you do all these things the world encourages, only to find yourself empty, and lacking purpose.
How does this relate to my first paragraph? I mean, I went from talking about the madness this world is, to ranting about how the world tries to influence and change us. "Is there any correlation," you may ask. So glad you did.
At least part of the reason that the world is in the state is in today is because of how we have given in to the world and believed the lies it tells us. Christians have even fallen into this trap and have just gone along with what the world is saying, sometimes disagreeing, but not having enough nerve to stand up and try to stop it.
How can we make a difference? Well, we can stand up for our beliefs for one. We can learn to see ourselves in light of who we really are, and who God says we are, and be satisfied with ourselves. We can develop our relationship(s) with God and with others. We can volunteer and give back to others.
We can't change the world. But we can make an impact for the good, just by caring and loving others.
As Dr. Seuss said in "The Lorax"... "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not."
What can you do to make your world a better place? What can you do to make your life a wonderful and meaningful life?
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