prayer

Just Pray

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Sometimes every day feels the same as the one before….we fulfill our “responsibilities” of each day and before we know it the day is over and we need to get to bed so we can get up and start all over….

We fill our lives full of routines and distractions

The alarm goes off

Where are my keys

The car needs gas

Traffic is not moving

I’m so tired

My deadline for a project is tomorrow

Where should we eat lunch

My computer just locked up

What’s for dinner

Stop at the grocery store

I haven’t seen that person for a long time

What time is it

I don’t have any clean clothes for tomorrow

I’m so tired

Did you hear that story on the news

Did we win the game

I am going to bed…. 

Then it starts over again…and different things get added to the list and some fall off depending on the day…no wonder we feel tired, worn out and exhausted.  The thing is we really do have free will to choose to live life differently.  It is up to us to decide that we are really going to pursue the life that God has intended for us.  The hard part is that means we have to let go of some things and start spending time with God every day…not just on Sunday for an hour.

If you feel like there is something more or you feel like there is something missing in your life or if you are realizing you haven’t even stopped long enough to think about it…now is the time.

STOP everything that is routine and distracting and pray to God for wisdom, guidance and courage to pursue the things he has planned for you…just pray, once a day, every day or all day long about everything and anything.

God loves you, he is with you and he would like nothing more than to hear from you.  To show you just how much he wants to be with you he sent his one and only Son into to the world to be sacrificed for you, so that you could turn to him anytime…don’t fill your time with everything except God.  Start each day with God and everything else will be ok.

Peace.

An Attitude of Gratitude

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Today is considered the day of giving Thanks.  Everyone has some sort of tradition for this holiday.  Whether it is the place you gather with family and friends, the food you eat or things you do on this day…or all of the above.  Some people will just have “another” day they will go to work…no matter how this day or your weekend is planned try to start a new tradition or continue with this if you already do it…give thanks to God…

Too often we spend hours focusing time and energy on what we don’t have or can’t do and don’t like…make a commitment today…be thankful to God for all he has done for you and your family or friends every day.  Have an attitude of gratitude today and continue it tomorrow and the next day and the next day…too make it easier think of 2-3 things you are thankful for every morning, write it down to help you remember, maybe even pray a prayer of thankfulness and praise.  God loves you and to show you his love he sent his Son into this world…he forgives you for all the sins you have done and he wants an opportunity to show you a new way to live…you just have to choose to believe in him…a great way to start is to look around you in your world where you are and find those things you are thankful for and tell him.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

                                                                                                                Colossians 3:17

Peace to you and Happy Thanksgiving.

“Come, Follow Me”

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It is written, Jesus said “Come, Follow Me”…and Levi got up and followed him.  Just like that…nothing further is written about this encounter specifically.  The message that can come out of such a simple interaction is strong.  Another interaction written in the bible…A rich young man ran up to Jesus and asked “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus instructed him to “sell all of your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.”  There it is again…

It is simply three words; come, follow me.  As they say, that is easier said than done!  Everything around us in the world is telling us to do this and get here and do that…very few times do we get the opportunity to sit and think about what it would mean to follow him.  Here is what I have learned…the bible has all the instructions.  It is clear about how God wants us to choose to live.  Both of the above interactions are written about in the Gospel of Mark.  The Levi encounter is in Mark 2 and the rich young man encounter is in Mark 10.  Then in Mark 12 there is writing about The Greatest Commandment…

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no greater commandment than these.”

                                                                                                                Mark 12:30-31

Thus we have the instructions…Love God and Love your neighbor.  Do not do things just to serve you.  Pray daily to grow in your relationship with God.  Be humble and try to live with an attitude of gratitude.  Next week is the Thanksgiving holiday…start thinking now how you can show the important people in your life how much you appreciate them, maybe give food or clothing or whatever you can to the needy…whatever that looks like is up to you and God.

If you are not sure where to start sit down for a quiet moment and ask him…he is waiting to hear from you.  Then watch carefully for his guidance.

Peace to you and yours.

Spiritual Growth

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Often times people put little value on the things that they can do to help another, yet others believe it is the simplest gesture that can make the biggest difference in their day.  This is something I was reminded of earlier this year while on a mission trip with senior high youth…

Do whatever you can

For whoever can

Whenever you can

Wherever you are

Because whatever you can do it will be something that someone else needs and never forget your actions DO make a difference in this world. 

“Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

                                                                                                                                Ephesians 5:15-17

Even those who lived during the time of Jesus’s life on earth had doubts about Faith in life…one of his disciples was walking on water towards Jesus and once the wind kicked up he doubted he could really do it so he began to sink and Jesus was standing right there.  We all will have moments of doubt and that is Ok, just don’t quit trying.

Even the easiest thing like holding a door open for someone can contribute to the spiritual growth of you and the other person.  But do not do things expecting the “proper” reaction from another…we must remember we can’t control what another person thinks, says or does.  Our spiritual growth will come from doing what God is asking us to do, not from what the world thinks we should do or how the world reacts to the things we do.

In short, we are blessed to be a blessing…we all have been given something to share…don’t immediately think about money.  There are far greater things in life than financial riches…ask God to help you find what you can share with others and…

Do whatever you can

For whoever can

Whenever you can

Wherever you are…

Peace.

Life by the Spirit…Self-Control

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It does not surprise me that this is the last thing listed in the Galatians 5:22-23 writing about the Fruit of the Spirit…why?  Because as with all aspects of faith it all comes back to us…our attitude, our perspective and most of all our choices.  We are blessed with free will, free to choose how we will act in this world.

Free to choose Love or hate

Free to choose Joy or sadness

Free to choose Peace or fighting

Free to choose Patience or hurriedness

Free to choose Kindness or be mean

Free to choose Goodness or cruelty

Free to choose Faithfulness or distraction

Free to choose Gentleness or be unbalanced

Free to choose to use the Fruits of the Spirit using Self-Control

Our guide for all of this is Jesus.  God sent him so that reconciliation with God is always available.  He loves us and wants us to choose to love him.  Self-Control is not easy, I know from experience and I struggle with it as much as anyone.

Getting better at Self-Control is a choice in itself…it is choosing to live a healthy life style.  Start by doing devotions in the morning and/or at night every day.  Make those 5-10 minutes a priority and be quiet and calm with the Word every day.  Given time it will help…then look at how you are physically caring for yourself…be sure you are eating regularly, getting rest and sleep and take a walk for exercise.  When you feel things are out of control stop and pray.  All of this is possible for anyone; it does not take a large financial investment just commitment.  I know how the world we live in will try to distract and dissuade you from continuing…don’t quit.  Even when you fall down and feel like you are failing, God is still right there saying “I understand, my own Son experienced frustration and temptation in the world.  You are forgiven.”

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

                                                                                                                Galatians 5:22-26

I pray we all we seek to live using the Fruits of the Spirit in all we do every day.

Take a look at the picture above one more time…choose to see what is on the other side through that opening…

May God’s Peace be with you

Life by the Spirit…Gentleness

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Having Gentleness in life is all about finding a balance.  Most of the world is about being tough, determined and pushing your way through this or that.  You must be strong to achieve…while all of these traits have value and can definitely be beneficial there are also times in life when tenderness and Gentleness are needed and very helpful.  They are typically more difficult times and these traits are not as common for some people.  The goal should be to have a balance of all of these traits…most of us are stronger in one type of trait or another and we feel more comfortable expressing and using that dominant trait, however, this does not mean we are incapable of learning and growing into the ability to possess a less dominant trait.

Learning and growing are hard and we need help often to recognize when to be Gentle and when to be tough.  The amazing part of a relationship with Jesus is that he can help us with whatever we need…if we let him!

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love”.

                                                                                                                                Ephesians 4:1-2

This message is much different than the one we receive from our world.  In order to find the balance we strive for we need to have the messages in the Bible to offset the powerful messages we receive in everyday life.

Don’t go it alone today…seek out a relationship with Jesus…you can start by finding a quiet moment in your day and let him know you want to accept him into your heart today and pray for strength to speak to him again tomorrow and when you don’t know what to say to him…let him know you are listening for him to speak to you.

Tomorrow I will discuss the last of the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23…Self-Control.

Peace.

Life by the Spirit…Faithfulness

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So what does this look like or how can we practice Faithfulness?  If you were to look up the definition one of the choices to define it would be “complete trust” and another would be “loyalty”.  For me Faithfulness has two elements.  First is stating or committing to the fact that you Faithfully follow or believe in something.  The second element of Faithfulness is the actions that you perform that show your Faithfulness.

I think there is a popular phrase to describe this…”that is easier said, than done”.  It is always easier to say I am a Faithful to this or that than to do things that show your Faithfulness.  Because of this many of us are very particular in stating what we are Faithful too.  Look at relationships in life… Who would you say is Faithful to you?  Who would you say you are Faithful to? 

Faithfulness is critical in having a close relationship with others.  It means they can depend on you no matter what the circumstances.  You are available to spend time with them, you can be trusted and you are consistent in your interactions and when you have a close relationship with another person they give you the same Faithfulness.  This type of close relationship opens us up and makes us vulnerable, so if we are ever betrayed by someone it makes it even more difficult to be Faithful again.  There is only one relationship that you can rely on to be consistently Faithful and never let you down…that is your relationship with Jesus Christ.

You can trust him, you can believe he will do what is best for you and he will never ever leave you.  The key is learning to be Faithful to him.  Start with prayer…pray Faithfully…be consistent.  Do it everyday, give him thanks, praise him, ask him for help and sit quietly and listen.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality”.

                                                                                                                                Romans 12:12-13

Start and end each day Faithfully talking to God and practice turning to him first for challenges and problems or thanking him first for joyful moments.

Tomorrow we will discuss Gentleness.

Peace.

Life by the Spirit…Goodness

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So in striving to live a Life by the Spirit what does Goodness do for us?  That is what we are typically interested in…what will it do for “us or me”.  For starters, that perspective usually leads us away from Goodness because of the self-focus.  As with all the Fruits of the Spirit, we need to focus on our interactions with others and our relationship with God.  Some would argue that Goodness and Kindness are the same thing…for me the difference is Kindness usually involves some sort of self-sacrifice, giving up something of value for another and Goodness is choosing between doing Good versus doing bad things or doing nothing at all.

Choosing to do Good in this world can begin to feel frustrating as you are striving to contribute in a positive way and it seems others keep pushing you back or pushing you down.  Do not quit, often times when we do something Good we may not get to see the impact it had on someone and we need to be Ok with that…we need to have faith that whether we see the results or not it is better to do Good for others and for God.  The apostle Paul writes in the Book of Galatians…

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

                                                                                                                Galatians 6:7-10

Choose to sow some Goodness to your part of the world today and it will grow.

Tomorrow I will be back to discuss Faithfulness.

Peace.

Life by the Spirit…Kindness

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This is something we are sure we know it when we see it…Kindness.  It feels like the right thing to do, expressing it may not give the result or ending to something we expected or were planning.  Often in this world it shows up as something unique and different because it happens so rarely.  In fact, when acts of kindness randomly happen they end up going ‘viral’ as they say.  It gives me joy to know that Kindness is still something people recognize and they just have to be confident when they make the choice to be Kind it will be worth it.

A recent example is a high school runner who had performed well in an earlier race and was expected to do well in a longer race at an important state meet…nearing the end, as she ran, she passed a younger less experienced runner who had just collapsed and instead of continuing to run past her she stopped to help the competitor to her feet and carried her to the finish line even ensuring the competitor finished ahead of her…Kindness.  Helping others get to the finish line with us.

God wants us to do just that…help others to get to know him.  Share what we have learned about faith and a relationship with God.  Show others the light that shines within us before the Day of Judgment because we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

The day of the coming of the Lord will happen and right now God in his Kindness is patiently waiting for everyone to turn to him before that time…

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:  With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

                                                                                                                2 Peter 3:8-9

Share some Kindness with someone today, it may be the only light that shines in their life this day.

Tomorrow I will discuss Goodness.

Peace.

Life by the Spirit…Patience

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What does it mean to be Patient?  Often this word makes people roll their eyes and give a sigh…we all struggle to find Patience in this world.  As I have stated, the world keeps telling us to hurry up, get here, get there, buy this…save time by doing this or buying that…enough!  I think it’s time to get out of the rat race that encourages us always to look for more or something better…time to find contentment with what we have received and where we are in the world.  Am I saying give up?  Absolutely not…my point is more about surrendering your life to Christ instead of surrendering your life to this world.

Patience is all about slowing down the pace of life.  Those who trust in God know who is in control of their life…everyone still makes decisions and lives life each day, there is just a greater sense of calm because they start and/or end everyday committing all they do to God.  They strive to be more positive and look for the good in what has happened…does that mean everything is happy, happy, joy, joy?  No not at all…no matter what you choose to believe in this world we all have to face the same negative forces and evil that affects everyone because the human race has free will.  In the Bible Psalm 27 is a great resource for Patience and waiting for the Lord…

“I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord”

                                                                                                                     Psalm 27:13-14

May we all find Patience starting this new week and change our perspective on facing our daily challenges.

Tomorrow I will discuss Kindness.

Peace.