Definition

I was reading a blog the other day and it was from a former pastor. He was stating how he got lost in the way of life, he allowed his job to define him, he was a pastor of a church and that made him a Godly man, but then he realized that his job couldn't define him, but God our heavenly father that must be the definition of our lives.

How true that is, when we focus on our jobs, we see that yes it puts food on table, it gives us money to do things, but really who gave us the job? God gave us the job, we need to change our focus from horizontal and focus on God. He is the one and only one that can define who we are. He gives us gifts and He will give us the wisdom to use those gifts when we focus on Him.

I took a gift test the other day with my girlfriend, it is much like a personality trait test, but it is a test to see what spiritual gifts that you have. I started thinking about that, because what the test doesn't show is what God has done in our lives. Where is He calling you to? I don't know, but God is the answer to the question, it is where He calls us to, it is in Him that we find the definition of ourselves. Not through a test, not through the job, not through the church we attend, but in God.

Seek God first in all we do and He will direct our paths.

God is our definition, He is the one to define us, if we don't focus on Him, where does our definition come from? Is it time to focus on God and not ourselves? Hard questions, but God will and does provide.

Change it up, start today doing it God's way and allow Him to order your steps.

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Thoughts for today. It is easy to try and do it all myself, my way, my thoughts, my plans, but the truth is that we can't do it on our own, our ways will fall apart. The arm of flesh will fail, but when we lean on the everlasting arms of God, He has promised to walk with us, to carry us through. He is teaching us each and every day what love is and how to love, He is teaching us how to live, how to walk, how to trust, but we have to be willing to learn, willing to change for change to happen.

Change starts with a choice, Lord I want to change, I am willing to change, please help me to change. You would think that is enough, but it isn't because God will bring things in that He wants to make changes in us and it is our choices that we can either allow Him to teach us, or we close the door. Isn't it time that we allow Him to continue the good work in our lives that He has started? It isn't easy, but nothing worth doing is easy. To climb the biggest mountains takes work, but the view from the top is worth the climb. Yes there will be pitfalls and valleys, but do you want to stay stagnate or do you want to grow and learn? Isn't it time to lean on God? Isn't it time to allow God to continue the work He has started in you?

It is a personal walk with Jesus Christ, He is our savior and Lord, He has gone before us and He is with us, why don't we allow Him to continue to shape us, to polish us and to allow us to grow in Him. Not my will, but your will be done Lord.

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

What a fellowship, what a joy divine, 
leaning on the everlasting arms; 
what a blessedness, what a peace is mine, 
leaning on the everlasting arms.
(Refrain:)

Leaning, leaning,
safe and secure from all alarms;
leaning, leaning,
leaning on the everlasting arms. 


O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
leaning on the everlasting arms.
(Refrain)

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
leaning on the everlasting arms.(Refrain)



What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms; I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms. 

Elisha Hoffman

It is not my will, but Lord it is your will. It is not my way, but your way Lord. It is not my timing, but your timing Lord. It has to be God changing you, not someone else. Pray that God will change you and then your willingness to allow Him to make you and shape you. He is the potter we are the clay. He is the only one to make you who you need to be, not your wife, not your husband, it is God. He will show you area's that need change, be willing to except it and don't give up, for yes it is an uphill climb, but He is worth it and He is making you into something new. I go through this change daily and daily I am reminded of changes He wants to make. He shows me things in which I need to change. His will not mine, His changes not mine. His leading not mine.

Standing

The easiest thing to do is fall, it is easy to look around and see how people around us fall every single day. If we compare ourselves to others, what is the reason to stand?

God calls us to complete surrender to Him, to His way, to His love and yet we want to do it our own way, we want to look and see that we are so much better then other people, but again the bar that is set has not been set by others, it has been set by Jesus Christ, who came to die on the cross for our sins. He came, not because He had to, but because that was the only way to bring us grace and victory. We will not find victory in ourselves, we will only find victory in Him. He is the only way to true life, true joy.

Today I call you to stand, to stop comparing where you are with others and look to Jesus for He is the only way. Our victory from our minds is found in Him. When you feel the anger welling up in us about someone or something that is happening, change your perspective and bless the person. When we focus on the problem, the only thing that happens is the problem grows. Focus on the blessing, in the blessing is life and hope, for we are then focusing on God. He is the only answer.

The old ways must pass away, for God is the only way to stand. It is never to late, for He has come to save us from ourselves. He knows our struggles, our pain and He is here to take them away. Focus on Him, for the love for others will change, the love you have for the one you are with will change, because no longer is it about our own, but about God. Isn't it time to stand.

Stand up and be counted, for God has gone before you and is with you.

Thoughts for Today

Today is a brand new day. The trials, the struggles and everything else from the past, can be either discarded or I can use them to help me, to help others. There are no two cases the same, but we all have struggles. I have a choice, either to allow someone to help, or say it is my problem and I will do it on my own.

I have learned that if someone is willing to help me, even though it is hard, to take the help. We are all prideful and don't want to admit our mistakes, our struggles. In Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Also in Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."

There are many more verses about pride and what holds us back from asking for help? Why do we think we need to do things on our own? Isn't time to allow God to work on our pride and so that in that we can grow, we can learn and we can walk in God's wisdom, not our own.

God is with us, He brings people into our lives to teach us, to help us and to walk with us. I am thankful I continue to learn and I continue to see God teaching me.

Keep a Journal to help you remember the struggles, the answers to prayer and to help you to see what God is doing in your life.