In summary of 2 Timothy 1:7 it says, "God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid or timid (being shy with his gifts), but that of power, love, self-discipline and self-control (being bold, loving and sensible.)"
Bottom Line:
God did not give us a spirit of timidity (being a coward or shy), but one of power and of love, a calm, well-balanced mind, disciplined and self-controlled.
What this means to me:
God provides me with a spirit of power and of love, not one of being timid or a door stop. He has provided me with a well-balanced mind and self-control in which to conduct myself. With this spirit from him, I can be bold, but at the same time loving and sensible. Christians are meek, however this meekness does not translate to weakness. Meekness means to have a strength that is under control, a power that is now ready for the master’s use. God does not expect me to cave in just because someone wants to manipulate me. It is ok to say “no” at times when it doesn’t make sense to say “yes”, (especially as it relates to immoral issues.) God wants me to deal with those who try to manipulate with a power (confidence), in love (focusing on their needs), and in self-control. Typically I tend to be a people pleaser, but I must always realize that I can’t please everyone. Instead, I need to remember to hold my ground, then pray for those who want to persecute me. After that I can just leave the rest to God. I just need to remind myself that God’s spirit isn’t intended to make me timid or to be a weakling, instead I’m a power (strength) under control for his use.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Remember Always, I’m Unique
In summary of Psalm 139:13-14 it says, "You made my whole being; shaped me first inside then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I praise and thank you for making me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful, how well I know it."
Bottom Line:
You completely shaped me starting inside, then out while I was in my mother's womb. I praise and give you thanks for making me in such an amazing and wonderful way. I well know that what you have done is awesome.
What this means to me:
God has uniquely made me starting from the inside and working his way out; and all of this while still in my mother’s womb as you had prescribed and defined me before my birth. You know what I would be like. You chose me and my particular characteristics for your purposes. This makes me unique, there is only one me. So what this teaches me is that if I don’t be me, who will be what he made me to be. I should be glad always for who I am. I don’t need to try to be someone else. I need to keep from comparing myself with others and look to God to define what I should be. God you deserve all the praise and thanks I can give for the amazing way you have made me. God, daily I will look to understand more about you and what you defined for me to be each day.
Bottom Line:
You completely shaped me starting inside, then out while I was in my mother's womb. I praise and give you thanks for making me in such an amazing and wonderful way. I well know that what you have done is awesome.
What this means to me:
God has uniquely made me starting from the inside and working his way out; and all of this while still in my mother’s womb as you had prescribed and defined me before my birth. You know what I would be like. You chose me and my particular characteristics for your purposes. This makes me unique, there is only one me. So what this teaches me is that if I don’t be me, who will be what he made me to be. I should be glad always for who I am. I don’t need to try to be someone else. I need to keep from comparing myself with others and look to God to define what I should be. God you deserve all the praise and thanks I can give for the amazing way you have made me. God, daily I will look to understand more about you and what you defined for me to be each day.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Truth Will Guide My Steps
In summary of John 16:13, it says "But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself or speak his own words; but instead will speak only what he hears. He will help you make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said."
Bottom Line:
When the Spirit of truth comes into your life, he will guide you into all the truth there is. He will not speak his own words, instead he will speak only what he hears from the father. He will help you make sense of it, and what is about to happen. He will also help you understand all that I have said and done.
What this means to me:
At the time of my confession and commitment to him, God has provided his Spirit of truth. It is his Spirit within me that guides me into all the truth that exists. The Spirit is humble, he won’t draw attention to himself or speak his own words; instead he speaks only what the Father has shared with him. He is present to help me make sense out of what is about to happen and to all the things that Jesus taught and spoke of. This is truly a gift from God, present within me to guide me deeper and provide direction in his Truth. He encourages me to take each step of faith in the places where I will face my fears. When I do face my fears I do so with God’s strength. God has been revealing to me more about who he is and how he works each day that I study and get his word into my life. The past few days he has taught me that I don’t need approval from others or need to please them and that he is the only one I should turn to for approval. He has also reminded me of getting priorities in life straight, not getting caught up in busy work that would make me tired or feed my own desires, but rather take on the things he says are important for me to follow. He also has warned me to guard what is getting into my heart. I need to protect what is occupying my time. What gets in should be the things that are good and peaceful, things I can use to benefit others and not those things that are selfishly for myself.
Bottom Line:
When the Spirit of truth comes into your life, he will guide you into all the truth there is. He will not speak his own words, instead he will speak only what he hears from the father. He will help you make sense of it, and what is about to happen. He will also help you understand all that I have said and done.
What this means to me:
At the time of my confession and commitment to him, God has provided his Spirit of truth. It is his Spirit within me that guides me into all the truth that exists. The Spirit is humble, he won’t draw attention to himself or speak his own words; instead he speaks only what the Father has shared with him. He is present to help me make sense out of what is about to happen and to all the things that Jesus taught and spoke of. This is truly a gift from God, present within me to guide me deeper and provide direction in his Truth. He encourages me to take each step of faith in the places where I will face my fears. When I do face my fears I do so with God’s strength. God has been revealing to me more about who he is and how he works each day that I study and get his word into my life. The past few days he has taught me that I don’t need approval from others or need to please them and that he is the only one I should turn to for approval. He has also reminded me of getting priorities in life straight, not getting caught up in busy work that would make me tired or feed my own desires, but rather take on the things he says are important for me to follow. He also has warned me to guard what is getting into my heart. I need to protect what is occupying my time. What gets in should be the things that are good and peaceful, things I can use to benefit others and not those things that are selfishly for myself.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
I Don’t Need To Seek The Approval Of Others Or Please Everyone
In summary of Proverbs 29:25 it says, "It’s dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, it will prove to be a snare or a trap. Human opinion of others can disable you. Instead put your trust in God, he will protect you and provide safety from that."
Bottom Line:
It's dangerous to let what others think of you, control you. It will prove to be a snare or trap from keeping you from moving forward. Instead put all of your trust in God and what he thinks of you. When you do, God provides you with protection and safety from getting caught up in the disabling trap of others opinions.
What this means to me:
God wants me to look to him for approval and not others. Letting what others think can paralyze my thinking and progress toward being what He wants me to be (it will be a trap that will hold me back, keep me from what is best.) God tells me if I only look to him for approval, he will protect and provide safety from the disabling emotional trap of others opinions. In this world, I don’t have to please everyone. This is difficult for me, as I’m traditionally a people pleaser and seek approval of others. However, In reality it would be difficult to please everyone regardless. What I need to realize is that my happiness does not depend on approval from others. Even God can’t please everyone since all typically base their decisions on their own gain or selfishness. So, I don’t need to cave in or squeeze into the worlds mold. If I feel pressured, controlled or manipulated then its because I’m allowing myself to be pressure, controlled and manipulated. Instead, it’s ok to stand up for what’s right. It’s OK to be assertive. God doesn’t expect me to be a doormat. Interestingly I find, that when I’m being what God wants me to be, people are usually amazed at my behavior and wonder how I can be patient and kind with others when they are being selfish or difficult. The key for me will be to not let myself be pressured into being something different from what God intend for me, just to get the approval of someone else.
Bottom Line:
It's dangerous to let what others think of you, control you. It will prove to be a snare or trap from keeping you from moving forward. Instead put all of your trust in God and what he thinks of you. When you do, God provides you with protection and safety from getting caught up in the disabling trap of others opinions.
What this means to me:
God wants me to look to him for approval and not others. Letting what others think can paralyze my thinking and progress toward being what He wants me to be (it will be a trap that will hold me back, keep me from what is best.) God tells me if I only look to him for approval, he will protect and provide safety from the disabling emotional trap of others opinions. In this world, I don’t have to please everyone. This is difficult for me, as I’m traditionally a people pleaser and seek approval of others. However, In reality it would be difficult to please everyone regardless. What I need to realize is that my happiness does not depend on approval from others. Even God can’t please everyone since all typically base their decisions on their own gain or selfishness. So, I don’t need to cave in or squeeze into the worlds mold. If I feel pressured, controlled or manipulated then its because I’m allowing myself to be pressure, controlled and manipulated. Instead, it’s ok to stand up for what’s right. It’s OK to be assertive. God doesn’t expect me to be a doormat. Interestingly I find, that when I’m being what God wants me to be, people are usually amazed at my behavior and wonder how I can be patient and kind with others when they are being selfish or difficult. The key for me will be to not let myself be pressured into being something different from what God intend for me, just to get the approval of someone else.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Getting Priorities Straight
In summary of Matthew 11:28 it says, "Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads/burdens, get away with me and you’ll recover your life and I will show you how to take a real rest.’"
Bottom line:
Jesus tells those who are tired from carrying heavy loads and burdens to come to him. He will show you how to recover and show you how to take a real rest.
What this means to me:
This scripture tells me that I can find real rest and recovery from day to day life when I come to Jesus and allow him to take control. I have to admit that my schedule can get real busy most of the time going from one meeting to another and the pressure of constant deadlines or many after work activities. The key for me to is understand when I’m doing too much in life I may be out of the will of God. One way of telling is to reflect on how tired I am. Is it constant feeling. If so, I may be off track and will need to spend some time reflecting and re-evaluating what I’m doing. I don’t believe God’s intended for me to be constantly busy with a heavy load. I’ll need to take time to evaluate all the things I’m involved with, perhaps take an inventory. Am I putting unrealistic burdens and expectations on myself? Am I attending too many meetings? Perhaps I need to just block time out in my calendar so that some free time can be obtained. I must remember that to live in the center of God’s will is a lighter will than to live out of his will.
Bottom line:
Jesus tells those who are tired from carrying heavy loads and burdens to come to him. He will show you how to recover and show you how to take a real rest.
What this means to me:
This scripture tells me that I can find real rest and recovery from day to day life when I come to Jesus and allow him to take control. I have to admit that my schedule can get real busy most of the time going from one meeting to another and the pressure of constant deadlines or many after work activities. The key for me to is understand when I’m doing too much in life I may be out of the will of God. One way of telling is to reflect on how tired I am. Is it constant feeling. If so, I may be off track and will need to spend some time reflecting and re-evaluating what I’m doing. I don’t believe God’s intended for me to be constantly busy with a heavy load. I’ll need to take time to evaluate all the things I’m involved with, perhaps take an inventory. Am I putting unrealistic burdens and expectations on myself? Am I attending too many meetings? Perhaps I need to just block time out in my calendar so that some free time can be obtained. I must remember that to live in the center of God’s will is a lighter will than to live out of his will.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Guard What Gets Into Your Heart
In Summary of Proverbs 4:23 it says, “Above all else, guard and keep a vigilant watch over your heart and what you think, for it determines course of everything you do in life, it shapes your thoughts and future actions (it is the starting point.)“
Bottom Line:
You must keep a close guard/watch over your heart and what you think about and take in. Your heart will determine the course of everything you do and think in life.
What this means to me:
This scripture warns me to guard and keep a vigilant watch over what I take in and allow to shape my heart and thoughts. God knows that whatever I dwell and focus on will become part of my life, these things will determine my feelings which in turn end up determining my actions. So given this I need to be careful what I let into my mind/heart including self talk about how I feel about myself (I can be my own worst self critic - putting myself down.) I reminded this morning as I study Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Connection devotional from July 5th that when I put myself down, I’m really in essence pointing to the one who made me, say “God, you blew it with me” which I know is wrong, as God never makes mistakes. So I need to be careful what I’m allowing into my life. Philippians 4:8 reminds me to “fix my thoughts on what is true, good and right.” So when I’m disappointed in myself I should turn those into opportunities to reflect on what I can thank God about and be grateful for it. Next focus my thoughts on what I want to be and on what God wants me to do in this life. Then be sure that I continually get into and absorb God’s word each day. As I do, I need to fully study it, understand what it says to do and then apply it. Ultimately I need to start believing in what God says about me.
Bottom Line:
You must keep a close guard/watch over your heart and what you think about and take in. Your heart will determine the course of everything you do and think in life.
What this means to me:
This scripture warns me to guard and keep a vigilant watch over what I take in and allow to shape my heart and thoughts. God knows that whatever I dwell and focus on will become part of my life, these things will determine my feelings which in turn end up determining my actions. So given this I need to be careful what I let into my mind/heart including self talk about how I feel about myself (I can be my own worst self critic - putting myself down.) I reminded this morning as I study Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Connection devotional from July 5th that when I put myself down, I’m really in essence pointing to the one who made me, say “God, you blew it with me” which I know is wrong, as God never makes mistakes. So I need to be careful what I’m allowing into my life. Philippians 4:8 reminds me to “fix my thoughts on what is true, good and right.” So when I’m disappointed in myself I should turn those into opportunities to reflect on what I can thank God about and be grateful for it. Next focus my thoughts on what I want to be and on what God wants me to do in this life. Then be sure that I continually get into and absorb God’s word each day. As I do, I need to fully study it, understand what it says to do and then apply it. Ultimately I need to start believing in what God says about me.
Friday, July 6, 2012
The Truth Will Set You Free
In summary of John 8:31-32 it says, “Jesus said to the people who claimed to believe in him, ‘If you stick with and remain faithful to my teachings, living out what I tell you, you will be my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves and know the truth, and this truth will set you free.’”
Bottom Line:
Jesus tells those who claim to believe in him to stick with it, remain faithful to what he is teaching them and living it out. If you do, then you will be his disciples for sure. In doing so you will experience for yourselves and know the truth. It is this truth that will set you free.
What this means to me:
It is the truth that will set me free. For me to fully understand the truth, I need to follow and remain faithful to what Jesus has taught. This is more than just listening, I must put it into practice and experience it. Then I will know first hand the truth. This is a truth that will change my way of life. When I follow steadfastly, the truth then lives in me. When i follow Jesus, I am connected to God through him and his truth enables me to discern and reject the lies of the enemy. One of the most important things to remind myself of is that your Truth says how I’m forgiven, loved by you, your child. Knowing the Truth helps me respond to your direction. It is trustworthy and I know I can follow it wholeheartedly. So I will do everything I can to leave the interpretation of the facts and the determination of the truth of any situation to you. I will let your Truth make the decisions, and then I will obey and leave the consequences in your loving, truth-filled hands. All the decisions are yours to make. Because you are Truth, I can respond in the Truth in all situations; I will no longer need to be a slave to my emotions.
Bottom Line:
Jesus tells those who claim to believe in him to stick with it, remain faithful to what he is teaching them and living it out. If you do, then you will be his disciples for sure. In doing so you will experience for yourselves and know the truth. It is this truth that will set you free.
What this means to me:
It is the truth that will set me free. For me to fully understand the truth, I need to follow and remain faithful to what Jesus has taught. This is more than just listening, I must put it into practice and experience it. Then I will know first hand the truth. This is a truth that will change my way of life. When I follow steadfastly, the truth then lives in me. When i follow Jesus, I am connected to God through him and his truth enables me to discern and reject the lies of the enemy. One of the most important things to remind myself of is that your Truth says how I’m forgiven, loved by you, your child. Knowing the Truth helps me respond to your direction. It is trustworthy and I know I can follow it wholeheartedly. So I will do everything I can to leave the interpretation of the facts and the determination of the truth of any situation to you. I will let your Truth make the decisions, and then I will obey and leave the consequences in your loving, truth-filled hands. All the decisions are yours to make. Because you are Truth, I can respond in the Truth in all situations; I will no longer need to be a slave to my emotions.
-
In review of Hebrews 11:26 it says, “[Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, beca...
-
⚓ God’s Love: The Anchor in Constant Change Jobs shift. Relationships change. Circumstances fluctuate. But in a world where everything moves... -
“Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Philippians 3:8 (NLT) Every day when ...