"All you have to do is decide what to do with the time given to you" Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings)
What will you do with your time?
"As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15
Showing posts with label Life Application. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life Application. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Moving On
MOVING ON!
“2008 will be the year of the “best of times and the worst of times.” For those who do not take the past with them it will become the best of times. For those who live in the past, and take it with them it could be the worst of times. Give the Lord your future, you could be a Gideon.” (John Paul Jackson)
This year it is time to break off the shackles of your past and step into the future and plans that God has for you. God has too much planned for you to let you waste your time on your past. Your yesterday does not have to be your tomorrow!
“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’ “ (Jeremiah 29:11)
MONUMENTS TO MISTAKES
Too often we make monuments to the disappointments and mistakes in our lives. We continually visit them and meditate on the what ifs, the could have beens and the whys. If we let it, our past will derail our future. We can intentionally or unintentionally let our hurt, disappointments or injustices, sabotage the plans and purposes that God has for us today. Don’t let the wonderful things that God has for you pass you by because you are too focused on yesterday. Looking back is saying “tomorrow will be like today, because today is like yesterday.”
CROSSROADS
We have a choice, we can either spend our time reacting to the past or responding to the vision that God has placed in front of us. George Orwell once said “Who controls the past controls the future, who controls the present controls the past”. When we live under yesterday’s mistakes and condemnation we keep the focus on ourselves and not on God. When we make our lives about our past, we put ourselves in control. When it is about our future – God is in control. Perhaps you asked someone out and they said no – don’t interpret that into the next time you ask someone out the answer will be the same. Maybe you were turned down for a job – don’t let that impact your confidence. Or perhaps someone said you wouldn’t amount to anything – don’t let that stop you. Sure, there are some things that need working on – but we need to anchor our faith in God and not in the facts from our past.
“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)
LETTING GO
Gardeners understand the process of “de-heading”. To encourage new buds to come forth, old and dead blooms are cut off. We need to treat our past in the same way. There are things in our lives that we need to let go of. That old relationship that springs to mind every time you meet someone new, the criticism that perhaps you received from a parent or teacher that echoes in your mind, or the failure that occurred when you tried something new that holds you back when other opportunities come up. We need to remove them from our minds so that we can let the new things come forth.
We can also hold onto the past through unforgiveness. It was once said that “forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” Forgiving someone of a past hurt enables us to move more freely into the future. Holding on to the resentment or unforgiveness keeps us tied to our past and restricts God being able to move on our behalf in that area. Letting go means God can respond with justice on our behalf.
THE OVERCOMERS
God does not consult your past to determine your future. Proof of this is in His Word. Look at Paul – as Saul he persecuted and oversaw the death of many Christians, yet he did not look back and instead became a passionate evangelist and teacher. Yes he had a past, but he knew he was acceptable to God through Christ and that is where he put his confidence.
“Brothers I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for what God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
Sarah, Abraham’s wife, laughed at God over His promise that she would have a baby. In other words she mocked God! Yet in Hebrews she is remembered as a woman of great faith. The wonderful thing about God is that He looks at us in our finished state!
“By faith Abraham, even though he was past age – and Sarah herself was barren – was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise.” (Hebrews 11:11)
Your past is not your future. We need to continually realign ourselves with God and what His Word says about us and His thoughts towards us. God is always moving - He always looking forward.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)
Remember - no matter your past - God’s mercies are new every morning! “Whatever your past has been, you have a spotless future.” (Anon)
As Thomas Jefferson once said “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Don’t let 2008, the year of New Beginnings be cluttered by yesterday. Your past, no matter how good or bad is over – it is no longer in existence! Press on into what God has for you today and tomorrow!!!
“2008 will be the year of the “best of times and the worst of times.” For those who do not take the past with them it will become the best of times. For those who live in the past, and take it with them it could be the worst of times. Give the Lord your future, you could be a Gideon.” (John Paul Jackson)
This year it is time to break off the shackles of your past and step into the future and plans that God has for you. God has too much planned for you to let you waste your time on your past. Your yesterday does not have to be your tomorrow!
“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’ “ (Jeremiah 29:11)
MONUMENTS TO MISTAKES
Too often we make monuments to the disappointments and mistakes in our lives. We continually visit them and meditate on the what ifs, the could have beens and the whys. If we let it, our past will derail our future. We can intentionally or unintentionally let our hurt, disappointments or injustices, sabotage the plans and purposes that God has for us today. Don’t let the wonderful things that God has for you pass you by because you are too focused on yesterday. Looking back is saying “tomorrow will be like today, because today is like yesterday.”
CROSSROADS
We have a choice, we can either spend our time reacting to the past or responding to the vision that God has placed in front of us. George Orwell once said “Who controls the past controls the future, who controls the present controls the past”. When we live under yesterday’s mistakes and condemnation we keep the focus on ourselves and not on God. When we make our lives about our past, we put ourselves in control. When it is about our future – God is in control. Perhaps you asked someone out and they said no – don’t interpret that into the next time you ask someone out the answer will be the same. Maybe you were turned down for a job – don’t let that impact your confidence. Or perhaps someone said you wouldn’t amount to anything – don’t let that stop you. Sure, there are some things that need working on – but we need to anchor our faith in God and not in the facts from our past.
“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)
LETTING GO
Gardeners understand the process of “de-heading”. To encourage new buds to come forth, old and dead blooms are cut off. We need to treat our past in the same way. There are things in our lives that we need to let go of. That old relationship that springs to mind every time you meet someone new, the criticism that perhaps you received from a parent or teacher that echoes in your mind, or the failure that occurred when you tried something new that holds you back when other opportunities come up. We need to remove them from our minds so that we can let the new things come forth.
We can also hold onto the past through unforgiveness. It was once said that “forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” Forgiving someone of a past hurt enables us to move more freely into the future. Holding on to the resentment or unforgiveness keeps us tied to our past and restricts God being able to move on our behalf in that area. Letting go means God can respond with justice on our behalf.
THE OVERCOMERS
God does not consult your past to determine your future. Proof of this is in His Word. Look at Paul – as Saul he persecuted and oversaw the death of many Christians, yet he did not look back and instead became a passionate evangelist and teacher. Yes he had a past, but he knew he was acceptable to God through Christ and that is where he put his confidence.
“Brothers I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for what God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
Sarah, Abraham’s wife, laughed at God over His promise that she would have a baby. In other words she mocked God! Yet in Hebrews she is remembered as a woman of great faith. The wonderful thing about God is that He looks at us in our finished state!
“By faith Abraham, even though he was past age – and Sarah herself was barren – was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise.” (Hebrews 11:11)
Your past is not your future. We need to continually realign ourselves with God and what His Word says about us and His thoughts towards us. God is always moving - He always looking forward.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)
Remember - no matter your past - God’s mercies are new every morning! “Whatever your past has been, you have a spotless future.” (Anon)
As Thomas Jefferson once said “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Don’t let 2008, the year of New Beginnings be cluttered by yesterday. Your past, no matter how good or bad is over – it is no longer in existence! Press on into what God has for you today and tomorrow!!!
Cultivating Joy in Life
Over the Christmas period we hear a lot about it being the season of joy. But surely joy is not just restricted to Christmas! What does it mean to have joy in life? Does it mean we should always have a Cheshire cat like grin on our faces, even in the midst of trials?
Joy is defined as a “triumph, cheerful and a calm delight, a deep feeling of contentment.” Some have described it as “the feeling of grinning inside.” It is something that should reside beneath the surface. Joy is not happiness which is a feeling and comes and goes. It is also not based on our circumstances. As Richard Wagner once said “joy is not in things, it is in us.” As Christians we have access to a joy that exists regardless of what our circumstances are like. Jesus said “I have come that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10) Furthermore, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and therefore it should be one of our characteristics and evident in our lives.
So how do we cultivate joy in our lives?
1. Live in an atmosphere of thankfulness
§ Rejoicing and thankfulness is an act of will and is hard in times of difficulty. But it draws our focus to Heaven so we can agree with what is true, no matter what we feel or perceive with our physical senses or emotions. Thanksgiving always brings us into God’s presence and connects us with what He is doing and saying in the midst of our circumstances. It helps shifts our focus from an earthly to a heavenly perspective and helps us acknowledge that God is more real than our difficulties.
2. Take a Heavenly perspective on life
Don’t focus on the bad, the lack in your lives, but focus on what God is doing or has done in your life.
Meditate on God’s blessings. This helps us to connect with God and strengthens our faith. By pondering His benefits we feel encouraged that God will look after us.
Remember that Heaven can invade your earthly situation and change it. We should be praying for God to breakthrough any difficult situations that we face, for healing, for our needs. We are not alone!
3. Feed your spirit so that it is bigger and stronger than your soul.
Magnify the good, the godly and God in your life.
Be discerning over what you watch. Try to minimize watching a lot of programmes about death, as well as being careful with what news items you watch. Counter them with comedy.
If a problem starts to become bigger than your awareness of God you need to retreat to God and spend time worshipping Him until He becomes the focus and is magnified in your life over your difficulties once again.
4. Forgive and forget
Unforgiveness in our hearts nurtures bitterness. It blocks our relationship with the Lord as well as with the people who have hurt us. God doesn’t remember our sins – “He remembers them no more.” We also need to forget the offenses against us. It is tandem to forgiving – we need to do both. Without forgetting we can’t forgive.
Forgive yourself and let go of your past. You know that you are holding onto the past when you think frequently about past events, criticize yourself for your actions and obsess over the why.
5. Be content
Just as Paul learned to be content, we also need to learn to be content. We need to be content no matter what our circumstances. Being dissatisfied and frustrated with our lot in life will cause us tension and stress.
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11)
Our current situation is not necessarily our future or permanent condition. We need to find the joy and contentment in our current position, while at the same time placing hope and trust in God that things will change. Yes, there are things we can and should action immediately that will resolve some of the discontentment, but other aspects will be part of the season in life that we are in. We need to be confident that God gives us the grace and strength for our particular situation.
Don’t compare yourself to others. All this does is make us discontent with our lives and robs us of our joy. It makes us strive after things we don’t need or may not even want.
6. TRUST GOD
§ The validity of God’s promises rest on His character and His resources, which are revealed to us in the Bible. It tells of His faithfulness, His resources and His mighty works.
§ God is into timing. He is about seasons and everything happens in His time. When we get tired of waiting for Him and try to force our goals and ambitions, or whatever else we are wanting, to happen ourselves we end up operating out of the flesh where there is anxiety and worry. When we wait for God’s timing and then are in God’s will it is a lot easier. Don’t try to bring it to pass yourself.
To put in boxes (if room)
“Be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
“May the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ (Romans 15:13)
Joy is defined as a “triumph, cheerful and a calm delight, a deep feeling of contentment.” Some have described it as “the feeling of grinning inside.” It is something that should reside beneath the surface. Joy is not happiness which is a feeling and comes and goes. It is also not based on our circumstances. As Richard Wagner once said “joy is not in things, it is in us.” As Christians we have access to a joy that exists regardless of what our circumstances are like. Jesus said “I have come that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10) Furthermore, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and therefore it should be one of our characteristics and evident in our lives.
So how do we cultivate joy in our lives?
1. Live in an atmosphere of thankfulness
§ Rejoicing and thankfulness is an act of will and is hard in times of difficulty. But it draws our focus to Heaven so we can agree with what is true, no matter what we feel or perceive with our physical senses or emotions. Thanksgiving always brings us into God’s presence and connects us with what He is doing and saying in the midst of our circumstances. It helps shifts our focus from an earthly to a heavenly perspective and helps us acknowledge that God is more real than our difficulties.
2. Take a Heavenly perspective on life
Don’t focus on the bad, the lack in your lives, but focus on what God is doing or has done in your life.
Meditate on God’s blessings. This helps us to connect with God and strengthens our faith. By pondering His benefits we feel encouraged that God will look after us.
Remember that Heaven can invade your earthly situation and change it. We should be praying for God to breakthrough any difficult situations that we face, for healing, for our needs. We are not alone!
3. Feed your spirit so that it is bigger and stronger than your soul.
Magnify the good, the godly and God in your life.
Be discerning over what you watch. Try to minimize watching a lot of programmes about death, as well as being careful with what news items you watch. Counter them with comedy.
If a problem starts to become bigger than your awareness of God you need to retreat to God and spend time worshipping Him until He becomes the focus and is magnified in your life over your difficulties once again.
4. Forgive and forget
Unforgiveness in our hearts nurtures bitterness. It blocks our relationship with the Lord as well as with the people who have hurt us. God doesn’t remember our sins – “He remembers them no more.” We also need to forget the offenses against us. It is tandem to forgiving – we need to do both. Without forgetting we can’t forgive.
Forgive yourself and let go of your past. You know that you are holding onto the past when you think frequently about past events, criticize yourself for your actions and obsess over the why.
5. Be content
Just as Paul learned to be content, we also need to learn to be content. We need to be content no matter what our circumstances. Being dissatisfied and frustrated with our lot in life will cause us tension and stress.
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11)
Our current situation is not necessarily our future or permanent condition. We need to find the joy and contentment in our current position, while at the same time placing hope and trust in God that things will change. Yes, there are things we can and should action immediately that will resolve some of the discontentment, but other aspects will be part of the season in life that we are in. We need to be confident that God gives us the grace and strength for our particular situation.
Don’t compare yourself to others. All this does is make us discontent with our lives and robs us of our joy. It makes us strive after things we don’t need or may not even want.
6. TRUST GOD
§ The validity of God’s promises rest on His character and His resources, which are revealed to us in the Bible. It tells of His faithfulness, His resources and His mighty works.
§ God is into timing. He is about seasons and everything happens in His time. When we get tired of waiting for Him and try to force our goals and ambitions, or whatever else we are wanting, to happen ourselves we end up operating out of the flesh where there is anxiety and worry. When we wait for God’s timing and then are in God’s will it is a lot easier. Don’t try to bring it to pass yourself.
To put in boxes (if room)
“Be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
“May the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ (Romans 15:13)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
My Life is But a Weaving
My life is but a weavingbetween my Lord and me;I cannot choose the colors,He worketh steadily.Oft times He weaveth sorrow,And I, in foolish pride,Forget He sees the upper,And I the under side.
Not 'til the loom is silentand the shuttles cease to fly,Shall God unroll the canvasand explain the reason why.The dark threads are as needfulin the Weaver's skillful hand,As the threads of gold and silverin the pattern He has planned.He knows, He loves, He cares,nothing this truth can dim.He gives His very best to thosewho leave the choice with Him.
~Author Unknown
Not 'til the loom is silentand the shuttles cease to fly,Shall God unroll the canvasand explain the reason why.The dark threads are as needfulin the Weaver's skillful hand,As the threads of gold and silverin the pattern He has planned.He knows, He loves, He cares,nothing this truth can dim.He gives His very best to thosewho leave the choice with Him.
~Author Unknown
Saturday, June 27, 2009
A Worthy Walk; A Worthy Life
"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." —Ephesians 4:1
We are called to live a worthy life. A life that is worthy of the Lord, worthy of the call and worthy of the Gospel. But what exactly does that entail? And is it achievable?
Living the worthy life is living a life that brings honour to Jesus. It is about giving Him all the glory. It is Him that is worthy, not us. To "walk worthy of the Lord" means to walk in a way that is of value and esteeming to Him. It is what the Lord deserves from us, not what we deserve from Him. It means living in a way that befits the glorious nature of God, the Gospel and the call of God on each of our lives.
In Colossians Paul expounds a little more as to what a worthy walk means. To walk worthy of the Lord, is to please Him. “That you might live in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way” (Colossians 1:10)
Continuing on this trail then, we are now faced with the question of how can we please the Lord? Once again, the answer lies in Scripture. In Hebrews 11:6 it says, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." So the call to walk "worthy of the Lord" begins as a call to walk by faith. Faith takes the focus off ourselves, our abilities and own strength and places it on Jesus. Faith agrees with the premise that it is God who is of infinite worth and honour and it is to Him that we must look for our help and our satisfaction. In other words, it is to Him that we put all our trust, hope and confidence.
As Christians our lives should honour and please God, just as Jesus’ life on earth did. When Jesus walked the earth amongst us God declared one two notable occasions that He was pleased with His Son – at His Baptism and at the Transfiguration. Jesus lived as fully man, with the same limitations that we have and His life was pleasing to God. He lived in submission to the will of the Father. That is, He put God’s Kingdom and priorities above His own needs.
Colossians 1:10 goes on to add “bearing fruit” as being one of the ways to walk worthy. When the fruits of the Holy Spirit are evident in our lives we reveal God to others and give Him glory. We are called to live a transformed life – one that sets us apart. The demonstration of the love, joy, peace etc when circumstances would suggest otherwise is a transformed life. As it says in Micah we are called to “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.’ (Micah 6:8). What we do and how we respond to life’s situations should reflect our faith and reveal Christ in us.
Living a life of honour means taking a different perspective on life. It means looking at the circumstances in our lives for the bigger picture - what could God be using what is going on in our lives? Is it for our personal growth and development (Spiritual and character)? Or perhaps to enable others to feel and experience God and His love through us.
Furthermore, to bring honour to God we need to accept who He created us to be, and be true to the call He has placed on our lives. For each of us He has a plan, a destiny and a purpose, unique to us. As Elisabeth Elliot once wrote “I have accepted God's idea of me, and my whole life is an offering back to Him of all that I am and all that He wants me to be."
Now that is a worthy life!
We are called to live a worthy life. A life that is worthy of the Lord, worthy of the call and worthy of the Gospel. But what exactly does that entail? And is it achievable?
Living the worthy life is living a life that brings honour to Jesus. It is about giving Him all the glory. It is Him that is worthy, not us. To "walk worthy of the Lord" means to walk in a way that is of value and esteeming to Him. It is what the Lord deserves from us, not what we deserve from Him. It means living in a way that befits the glorious nature of God, the Gospel and the call of God on each of our lives.
In Colossians Paul expounds a little more as to what a worthy walk means. To walk worthy of the Lord, is to please Him. “That you might live in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way” (Colossians 1:10)
Continuing on this trail then, we are now faced with the question of how can we please the Lord? Once again, the answer lies in Scripture. In Hebrews 11:6 it says, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." So the call to walk "worthy of the Lord" begins as a call to walk by faith. Faith takes the focus off ourselves, our abilities and own strength and places it on Jesus. Faith agrees with the premise that it is God who is of infinite worth and honour and it is to Him that we must look for our help and our satisfaction. In other words, it is to Him that we put all our trust, hope and confidence.
As Christians our lives should honour and please God, just as Jesus’ life on earth did. When Jesus walked the earth amongst us God declared one two notable occasions that He was pleased with His Son – at His Baptism and at the Transfiguration. Jesus lived as fully man, with the same limitations that we have and His life was pleasing to God. He lived in submission to the will of the Father. That is, He put God’s Kingdom and priorities above His own needs.
Colossians 1:10 goes on to add “bearing fruit” as being one of the ways to walk worthy. When the fruits of the Holy Spirit are evident in our lives we reveal God to others and give Him glory. We are called to live a transformed life – one that sets us apart. The demonstration of the love, joy, peace etc when circumstances would suggest otherwise is a transformed life. As it says in Micah we are called to “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.’ (Micah 6:8). What we do and how we respond to life’s situations should reflect our faith and reveal Christ in us.
Living a life of honour means taking a different perspective on life. It means looking at the circumstances in our lives for the bigger picture - what could God be using what is going on in our lives? Is it for our personal growth and development (Spiritual and character)? Or perhaps to enable others to feel and experience God and His love through us.
Furthermore, to bring honour to God we need to accept who He created us to be, and be true to the call He has placed on our lives. For each of us He has a plan, a destiny and a purpose, unique to us. As Elisabeth Elliot once wrote “I have accepted God's idea of me, and my whole life is an offering back to Him of all that I am and all that He wants me to be."
Now that is a worthy life!
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