A Time to Heal
Through my own experiences and just looking around at life, I’ve noticed that there are a lot of hurting people out there. In this community in which we live, that is. People walk around every day with hidden pain; some are more successful at masking their hurt than others. What I’m talking about is emotional pain. Events and situations that have scarred us over the years, but to which we chose (willingly or unwillingly) to hold on.
Get Up and Eat
A couple of years ago, my bishop taught a bible study lesson titled, ‘Get Up and Eat.’ It focused on depression, reasons for it and how to overcome it. In our unresolved emotional hurt and pain, we blindly give the adversary a direct path to attack us. Depression is a vehicle, a sometimes immediate response to a traumatic situation or circumstance we’ve suffered. They key is to recognize the hurt for what it is and begin to peel back the layers of pain to uncover the truth: God’s love. Psalm 143 verse 4 says: “I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear.”
Remember and Rebuild
Psalm 143 verse 5 goes on to say: “I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works. I think about what you have done.” God is a constant. And no matter how painful the scar or the memory may be, He was, is and will always be with you. Living with unresolved hurt severely hinders us from being who God has ordained us to be, and from creatively contributing to the Kingdom. Releasing the hurt and living within the constructs of what God has ordained for us is a blessing to ourselves as well as the Kingdom.
Freedom
“…for he is the one who called you to freedom.” Galatians 5:8.
One of the main things God wants for us is to live in the freedom He has ordained for us. And we do this when we release the chains and self-condemnation that so often accompanies past hurt. With the dispersing of hurt, we expel fear, depression and any other feelings the adversary uses to come against us. We all must take the time to truly examine ourselves. In our private moments with God, we will begin to heal.
Seize the Moment
Current Mood:
Blessed & 
Happy
Life is so precious. Every day that we wake up is a gift from God. The air that we breathe signifies God’s promise of life to us. This is the reason that our lives should not be wasted. Every day presents a new opportunity to fulfill God’s purpose and plan for our lives.
How many times have we heard someone say, “I wish I would have done that…” or “If only I had pursued that…” We must live our lives with no regret. And in order to really be successful, we must take risks. Taking risks involve truly listening and taking action on what God tells us to do. We must be attentive to God’s voice.
In order to even begin to live the promises of God and live our lives to the fullest, we must have faith. Faith is the foundation of everything; it is the reason that God created us and the origin of life lessons. I guess we do have to be a little crazy to really follow through on God’s orders. But we must also recognize that the Lord’s ways are certainly not ours, and God does not want us to live with regret. He wants us to have the promises of heaven right here on earth. To live this life requires diligence and work, as referenced in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”
Our lives are filled with purpose, that’s simply how God created them. So we must live each day with that mentality. Nothing should be taken for granted. Sometimes living our lives to the fullest requires us to completely change and leave behind everything we know and are familiar with. Don’t discourage over God’s orders because He is always looking out for our good. Please know that it is the Lord’s desire for us to enjoy life, why else would He have blessed us with such an awesome gift?
In Mark 10: 28 – 30, Jesus very plainly explains the reward of our faith in seizing the moment, “Then Peter began to mention all that he and the other disciples had left behind. ‘We’ve given up everything to follow you,’ he said. And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return, a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and property – with persecutions. And in the world to come they will have eternal life.’”
So there you have it. Any way you look at it, study it, examine the Word, God wants us to live fully, prosperously and joyfully. BUT this can only be done by listening to His voice and studying His Word. So what are you waiting for? Seize the moment!
Relationship with the One leads to the one
Current Mood: Blessed
When will it be my turn? I find that many women begin asking this question as they witness their peers getting married and starting families. I must also include the men, as there are many men who have a desire to get married and start a family. Though, it seems women bear the brunt of this pressure. As Christians, it is our job to set the example on starting a family…the right way.
Through my personal experiences, I found that building a solid relationship with Christ opens the door for all other opportunities. Right relationships included. When we build a solid foundation in our relationship with the Lord, we give Him the opportunity to work on us and develop us.
“I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and obeys me. It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built.” – Luke 6:47-48.
The times when we become desperate are the times when we must diligently seek the Lord. Seek His Wisdom, His Power and His Holiness. So many times we make the mistake of falling in love with the idea of being married that we choose the wrong one. Therefore, it is imperative that we step back and allow God to choose for us.
Being of the mentality of wanting to get married, rather than desiring authenticity in our relationships, opens the door for disappointment. And when relationships fail to prosper we fall into this abyss of confusion, second guessing ourselves and questioning what went wrong. But who is more authentic than God! From these broken relationships God has a chance to heal us and build us. God can point out our miscues and through his Word, give us pointed advice on how to empower and ameliorate ourselves.
We must control our desire to rush things. Patience is a virtue and no one better demonstrates this than Ruth. Ruth lost the only life she knew, though her patience caused God to move on her behalf and grant her a new husband. Ruth completely humbles herself, works in the field among the other workers and collects scraps. Through her patience and humble spirit, she is granted the right one. The one God has for her.
Says Boaz: “…I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown.” – Ruth 4:10
It is so important to remember that only God knows who our true “soulmate” is. He knows us better than we know ourselves and only has our best interests in His heart. This is precisely the reason why we must build a strong relationship with Him, because to know God is to know ourselves.
“Now seek the Lord your God with all your heart.” – 1Chronicles 22:19
God’s Love Permeates All
Filed under: Biblical Teachings, Inspirational Articles, Words of Encouragement
Current Mood:
Faith-filled
Have you ever done something or said something and immediately thought, ‘Man, I wish I could take that back’? Maybe you cut someone off on the road while driving. Or maybe you were in the midst of an argument and dug down to the core because you were really trying to hurt the other person. Regardless of our faults, it is important to remember that God still loves us.
God’s love for us is absolutely unconditional. Though it is important that we strive to live as Christ, we are not perfect. And the Lord accepts us and loves us regardless of our situation and circumstance. We are all sinners and our purpose on this earth is to learn the lessons that God’s Word teaches while ameliorating ourselves to live in His image. Still, God loves us in spite of our rights and wrongs, our goods and not-so-goods. John 3:16-17 explains the fullness of God’s love for the world,
“For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.”
Remember the story of Moses? Before Moses became a great leader for the people of Israel, he was just a regular man. And at one point he actually decided to take justice into his own hands. Moses saw an act of injustice and killed an Egyptian. Despite his actions, God loved him just the same; and even raised Moses up to new heights. It is imperative to understand that though we must live to do good, God loves us in spite of our faults.
Let’s look at God’s unconditional love from another angle. No one said life would be easy. As Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, “…The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle…” but through the journey of life we develop endurance. And endurance is God-given, a product of His Love.
We go through financial hardships. We lose loved ones. We lose relationships. These are all a part of life and through these trials, God is building our endurance. We think that because we are suffering that God has abandoned us and that He no longer loves us. It is quite the opposite; God is working even harder in these situations to show us how much He loves us. As Abraham believed, so should we,
“…because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn’t exist before,” Romans 4:17.
When we rise from these tests, we are stronger and much wiser. God still loves us and desires to teach us to be more like Him, the reason for life’s challenges. But He will never give us more than we can bear.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One,” says the Lord in Revelation 1:8. As the Lord is everlasting, so is His love. Always remember that.
Beware! The Effects of Unseen Strongholds
Current Mood:
Cool
It’s Wednesday night bible study. The Pastor gets up to speak and says to the congregation, “Everyone turn in your bibles to 2 Corinthians 4:19.” And about three-fourths of the people turn. Pages begin to turn, fingers flip back and forth between the fourth and fifth chapter pages – to no avail. But the twenty-five percent simply sit and wait. They know there is a lesson to be taught. Very soon, that seventy-five percent realize that there is no 19th verse in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4.
So how does that make you feel? Fearful? Lost?
We must understand that there are many unseen attacks in life and the sheer magnitude of those obstacles, which can quickly become strongholds. God’s Word teaches us that we must arm ourselves with the full armor of God, “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil,” Ephesians 6:10.
ALL strategies and tricks of the devil. That includes those unseen. Sometimes in life we become so wrapped up in our own personal goals that we lose sight of what exactly it is God is planning for us. Essentially, it is God’s plan that we must follow, not our own. When we deviate from God’s plan, knowing or unknowingly, we open the door for attacks to come full force into our lives. Unseen attacks operate on a mental level. Because we cannot actually “see” them, as they come in the form of thoughts.
For instance, I moved to San Diego from Virginia just under 9 months ago. Completely alone. New city. New atmosphere. But I moved because I was instructed by God to do so. Since moving here, things have not gone as I planned. At all. And during those tough times I suffered feelings of self-doubt and extreme worry. These thoughts caused unnecessary stress and subtracted my focus from God and His plan.
When we worry, we are actually removing our focus from God. And that causes us to scramble and try to figure things out on our own. If God wanted it this way, He would not have provided a road map for our lives, aka the Bible. He is very clear on His stance towards worrying,
“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:6-7.
This passage also addresses the issue of guarding our hearts and minds. When we worry, we allow evil forces into our spirits because we have let down our guards to our hearts and minds. Which is precisely what I did when I went through a period of worry and frustration.
All of these attacks are unseen – they damage us emotionally and mentally. Therefore, it is vitally important that we pray without ceasing and develop a real relationship with God. It’s not about religion, it’s about relationship. When we learn God’s heart, He is able to reveal His plans for us. Though, not until we are ready.
I have reached a state of true peace, because I decided to let go of my own ideas and follow God’s. In doing so, I released all of the unseen strongholds that held onto my mind and my emotions.
Live Free, Choose God
Current Mood: Cool
“I could be out here selling drugs, having sex with every tom, dick and harry!” “Everybody who’s living in the world is having a good ‘ol time!”
Yeah, they may be going to Hell, but at least they’re having a good time doing it. Why should I be a Christian? Why should I live holy? It’s not doing me any good. These are valid questions and issues that Christians deal with everyday. It is absolutely unrealistic to think that every Christian is completely removed from issues of the world and that we don’t struggle to live holy lives. No one is perfect, and if we were, we would have absolutely no purpose on this earth. So God gave us life, to learn His Word and to empower ourselves as Christians and bring others to Him. And though life is hard (no one said being a Christian was easy), the end result is so much sweeter when you dedicate your life to the Lord.
Bad Fortune.
Let’s examine the story of Job. Job had everything, or so he thought and in the blink of an eye, the Lord removed it all. Every single thing. His family, friends, home, all of his possessions. Everything Job knew, was no longer. But Job had amazing strength; his faith in God empowered him and in the end, God renewed him. We like to say that God restored Job’s life, but He actually granted him even more than what he had before,
“So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning.” – Job 42:12
When you are utterly hopeless, trust in God. He will never fail you, and time and time again, the Bible gives us examples of how God honors our faithfulness.
Also what Job’s story teaches us, is that when we pray for others, we also empower ourselves. In desperate times and situations, we must dig deep in our faith and remain strong – for that’s part of our purpose. Our life is not our own, but the Lord’s. “When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!” – Job 42:10
God Forgives.
Moses is one of the legendary leaders in God’s Word. But he was far from perfect. In fact, most of God’s chosen ones weren’t. That’s the awesome thing about God, He takes us in our brokenness and uses us for good we can’t even fathom. Moses killed an Egyptian, but God showed that He forgives even the deepest sin. When we commit ourselves to Him, He washes us clean and gives us another opportunity to live a good life and serve Him.
Let’s even look at the Israelites. In reading their story we look back and say ‘Wow, that was an ungrateful group of folks!’ I’d venture to say that’s the pot calling the kettle black. Just as the Israelites took their lives for granted, so do we. God gave them opportunity after opportunity and they still complained. And He still forgave them. Take a moment and reflect on how many times we complain during the course of a day. Too many to count, right? In these moments we must consider God’s goodness as He allows chance after chance to repent and get it right.
Faithfulness.
Now let’s look at the story of Ruth. Ruth’s husband died and she had an opportunity to go back to her native land. Instead, she chose to stay faithful to her mother-in-law, Naomi. In her faithfulness, God honored her and granted her a great husband and provider, Boaz. God honors faithfulness. Sometimes, actually many times, it may be easier to the wrong thing – but God wants to know that He can trust us to make the right decision. Which is exactly what Ruth did.
“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” – Ruth 1:16
Joshua, another great leader in the Bible, fared well because of his faithfulness to God. Sometimes what God tells us to do is not the most popular thing. People will question why and they may not understand. But in the end, God always has the glory.
“Joshua then commanded the leaders of Israel, ‘Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God has given you.’” – Joshua 1:10-11
And they did just that. What Joshua’s story shows is that we need only to do what God tells us and more than likely, it will work out. At least it did for Joshua and his crew.
It even worked out for Rahab, a prostitute. Remember, it doesn’t matter what you do, in God’s eyes, that does not define you. He uses anyone to show His might and His power. Rahab confirmed her allegiance to the spies and the Lord moved on her behalf; protecting herself and her entire family during the raid of the city.
“…For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you.” – Joshua 2:11-12
Again, the Lord followed through on His promise.
One story that moves me every time I read it is when Jesus curses the fig tree. The gospel of Matthew recounts the story of Jesus passing by a fig tree and cursing because it had no figs and He was hungry, “May you never bear fruit again!” (Matthew 21:19)
What this story goes on to teach is that again, if we use the power of our faith that God has given us, we can do anything.
“Then Jesus told them, ‘I assure you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and it will happen. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.’” – Matthew 21:21-22
*The important thing to remember here is that what we ask for doesn’t always come to us on our time, but it does always come on God’s time.
Personal Growth.
God teaches us many different principles to live by to make us better human beings. He gives us the blueprint to get through difficult situations. This is how we need to live our lives.
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure.” Romans 5:3
In this same passage, God gives us instructions on how to get through a difficult situation, but also how we become better people for it,
“And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us.” – Romans 5:4-5
So even though you may say to yourself, ‘Man these worldly folk are chillin out here!’ (I’m guilty of it myself), always think of the outcome. I’d rather spend eternity in heavenly peace than the fiery pits of Hell. And that’s real talk.
Striving to be the Best: In God’s eyes or the World’s?
Current Mood: Faith-filled
We must live in the world, but not of the world. As Christians, our purpose is to be change agents and representatives of the Kingdom. But sometimes we can get so wrapped up in things of this world that we begin to seek recognition among people of this earth, rather than the One who rules everything, our Lord.
For example, a woman is working on a job. She is motivated, driven, works long hours. She comes in early and stays long past quitting time to put in extra work. She is trying desperately to please her boss and qualify herself for that promotion. In the meantime, she has begun to neglect God. She has stopped praying as much as much as she used to. Rarely does she get into the Word. And she’s even allowed her work to get in the way of Wednesday night and Sunday morning services.
What this woman failed to remember is that God is the author and finisher of our faith. He has ultimate control over Heaven and Earth and He will determine whether or not she receives that promotion, not her boss. As a result of this woman’s decrease in prayer and reading of the Word, she is not able to receive the Godly advice and direction in getting the promotion or whether or not she should even go after the promotion. She could have simply referred to the scripture, Proverbs 3:6 – “Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” Right there in His Word, God tells us what to do to become successful in His eyes. The woman’s boss took no notice of her hard work. Sadly, this woman did not receive the promotion. When we seek after worldly praise, the end result is not always for our good.
Let’s take a look at a health insurance worker. Health insurance workers typically have a bad reputation, but this one particular worker takes a different approach. He speaks to a cancer patient on the other end of the phone. In order for this cancer patient to receive proper treatment, they must receive several approvals for life-changing surgery. This patient has been passed along to several different workers in the office throughout the day and no one wants to take the extra time to help them get the authorization they need. They are all preoccupied with taking as many calls as they can to impress their boss. But this particular worker gets the patient’s doctor on the line, as well as the authorization department to ensure this patient can receive the treatment they need.
This health care worker was not concerned with impressing their boss. They worked hard, but did what was right in God’s sight. The Word says: “It is a sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it,” – James 4:17. By taking the extra steps to make certain that this patient would receive proper health care, the insurance worker pleased God. Because of the care and compassion the insurance worker took in treating this patient and all patients he worked with, he received a promotion. The insurance worker received praise from his boss, but more importantly, from God.
In both situations we can clearly see what it means to position God first in your life, and what happens when we don’t make room for Him. Seeking the praise of this world is never a good thing because not only does it typically not have the outcome we wish, but we push God (intentionally and unintentionally) out of our lives. Our lives can then become chaotic and without direction. But when we seek God’s praise, when we aim to please Him, He moves. Because God is ruler over absolutely everything, He can move on the heart of a boss to promote you – and give you opportunity to draw even more to the Kingdom. What the woman in the first example could have done differently was fast and pray, and model Kingdom behavior. Maybe then she could have brought her worldly boss to Christ. As Paul teaches in Titus 2:7 – “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good deeds of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.”
As Christians, we must live to bring people to Christ and the only way to do this is to seek God’s praise. When we please God, we are successful Kingdom agents.
About the Author
Name: Kimetha, aka "Kimetha"
Email:
Web Site: http://www.seeds4life.org
Bio: Kimetha is a 2005 graduate of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. She holds her undergraduate degree in Communications with a minor in French. She currently works in the marketing department as the marketing assistant with For Rent Media Solutions, a division of Dominion Enterprises in downtown Norfolk, VA. Kimetha was raised in Herndon, VA where she attended Herndon High School. She is the oldest of four girls and embraces her role as the eldest child and role model. She has a passion for writing, which is displayed in her projects with For Rent in blog, article and search engine writing. Kimetha enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with friends and family. Kimetha currently resides in Portsmouth, VA where she is working towards the next phase in her life. To God be the glory.
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