We put smoke, carbon monoxide, water, alarm systems and other devices in your home to protect you. We buy car insurance for our cars, car alarms, etched glass, special locks, all to protect our cars. Your computers has software to protect them from viruses our outside influence of other people trying to hack in. Look at all the protections that are put in place around you to protect the property that you may have.
Now look at the protection you are giving to your marriage, to your family, is it the same kind of protection that you have given the things around you?
I have talked a lot about the "Love Dare" book and talked how it can save a marriage, but it isn't just about saving a marriage, it is about building blocks to fire proof a marriage and family. Just because it may be a Christian marriage, does not mean that fire will never come, but being prepared for when it does, is so much more worth it. Invest into your marriage and family, take time to grow together. A marriage is a gift from God, two souls unite as one and when God is at the middle, 3 strands are stronger and not easily broken, but it takes work, it takes communication and all of this is so worth it, not because I say so, but it is written in the Bible, it talks about how marriages can work and should work, but it takes surrendering and being prepared.
What are you going to do to protect your car, your house, computer? Those are all replaceable, but is your marriage, your family? Take time to think about what is more important in your life, don't just answer that, think about it. Where you put your time and money into, that is where your heart will be. What are you investing your time and money into?
Friday, June 19, 2015
Our Choices
I started this blog a few years back and I have had some weeks were I write daily and then others I go for many weeks. It is a hit and miss, it really depends on where I am at in that season of my life and what I am learning. Some lessons I am learning are hard to write about, because I want to take into account who might read this, but I also think that it is good to express that we all struggle, we all have difficulties and hiding them doesn't help others. What is God's call on our lives?
I look at myself, I have to ask God what is your call on my life? Is He calling me to reach people by writing this blog, is anyone really reading it to see the truth that God is showing me, or is it just about me? I want to be what God calls me to be and not just do things for myself. God wants us to rely on Him, to trust in Him, to give all our attention to Him.
I was thinking last night and this morning how our life is full of distractions and how when we come before the Lord in prayer are we allowing the distractions to come between our time with Him. When I come before the Lord, reading devotions, praying where is my mind going, is it resting at His feet or am I thinking of all I have to do today.
God calls us to rest in Him, to throw all our cares on Him, but He is the last one we go to when times are hard. How many times do you find yourself struggling through the day and the last thing you think about is how can God help me or you think you (your problems) are insignificant to God? I have been there and done that, but when we completely trust in Him, then He is able to take our task that the day holds and make it more enjoyable, because no longer is it about how I feel, but it is about serving God.
It is so easy to find the dislike for our jobs, people we deal with, the daily task, life, but when we stop making it about "ME" and start making it about God it changes. The joy that God promises is right there, the peace and so much more.
See when life is about me, I wallow in self pity, woo is me and all I can see is myself, but when I rise above and look at the lives that I can be touching just from a smile. God calls us to serve Him, to give Him our attention, to focus on Him and when we do that, what is life about?
I leave you with this thought: If you have a need today, make God your first choice. He is a Father who loves to meet His children’s needs—if they will just ask.
Most Christians expect little from God, ask little and therefore receive little and are content with little.
A. W. Pink
I look at myself, I have to ask God what is your call on my life? Is He calling me to reach people by writing this blog, is anyone really reading it to see the truth that God is showing me, or is it just about me? I want to be what God calls me to be and not just do things for myself. God wants us to rely on Him, to trust in Him, to give all our attention to Him.
I was thinking last night and this morning how our life is full of distractions and how when we come before the Lord in prayer are we allowing the distractions to come between our time with Him. When I come before the Lord, reading devotions, praying where is my mind going, is it resting at His feet or am I thinking of all I have to do today.
God calls us to rest in Him, to throw all our cares on Him, but He is the last one we go to when times are hard. How many times do you find yourself struggling through the day and the last thing you think about is how can God help me or you think you (your problems) are insignificant to God? I have been there and done that, but when we completely trust in Him, then He is able to take our task that the day holds and make it more enjoyable, because no longer is it about how I feel, but it is about serving God.
It is so easy to find the dislike for our jobs, people we deal with, the daily task, life, but when we stop making it about "ME" and start making it about God it changes. The joy that God promises is right there, the peace and so much more.
See when life is about me, I wallow in self pity, woo is me and all I can see is myself, but when I rise above and look at the lives that I can be touching just from a smile. God calls us to serve Him, to give Him our attention, to focus on Him and when we do that, what is life about?
I leave you with this thought: If you have a need today, make God your first choice. He is a Father who loves to meet His children’s needs—if they will just ask.
Most Christians expect little from God, ask little and therefore receive little and are content with little.
A. W. Pink
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
What Defiles a Man?
Our reactions are our own. I was reading my devotional today, the Bible verse is:
Mark 7:15 "There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man."
According to that verse, it isn't others that may cause a reaction, it is a choice that we make. If we chose to rise above what others do, we are able to change able to see that God's ways is so much greater. That is so difficult to do, but so much better then walking in the reaction. I think it is our human nature to react, but God teaches us it can't be about what we want, but what He wants. I tend to blame others, if X didn't say that to me in that tone of voice, I wouldn't have responded how I did, but the response was a choice I made. Their tone of voice is there problem, my issue is how I respond to them. It is so easy to blame others for my reactions, much harder to say it is my choice, it is my responsibility and I need to rise above and not stoop to their level. What does God call us to do?
Mark 7:8-16 "8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[a] your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[b] and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[c] 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”"
Mark 7:15 "There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man."
According to that verse, it isn't others that may cause a reaction, it is a choice that we make. If we chose to rise above what others do, we are able to change able to see that God's ways is so much greater. That is so difficult to do, but so much better then walking in the reaction. I think it is our human nature to react, but God teaches us it can't be about what we want, but what He wants. I tend to blame others, if X didn't say that to me in that tone of voice, I wouldn't have responded how I did, but the response was a choice I made. Their tone of voice is there problem, my issue is how I respond to them. It is so easy to blame others for my reactions, much harder to say it is my choice, it is my responsibility and I need to rise above and not stoop to their level. What does God call us to do?
Mark 7:8-16 "8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[a] your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[b] and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[c] 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”"
.
They tried to blame the human laws for there choices and Jesus made it clear that it wasn't about the human laws, but about the internal values of the men. What are we blaming for our reactions to others, is it there fault we react, or is it our choice to react to them? What is God calling us to today, is it to react or to rise above?
Today is a brand new day, allow God to change you, for change starts with you. It is not the things outside that defile me, it is the things which come out of me that defile me.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Flawed
I heard a good saying today... It isn't Christianity that is flawed, it is Christians. God has not given up on us, we tend to give up on Him.
When things get hard, it is easy to look to the problem, to look at the storm. Our focus is taken off of the solution and onto the problem. It is easy to lose sight of the actual solution. When God calls us to thank Him for everything, that even means the storms, because He sure knew that it is easy for us to focus on the storms, but once we are able to thank Him for the storms are focus is no longer on the storm, but on God. It is in the matter of perspective. When we thank God for what is happening, we tend to see His hand in it and no longer about the problem, but God being the solution.
There is no prayer to small for God, we tend to think our problems, our storms are to minor to pray, so we don't end up praying for them, but God says let all our requests to be known to Him, thank Him for everything. If we are choosing what requests to be known are we then playing God? I know for me, I do not make a good god. I am a man, I make mistakes, I stumble and I fall, but God is always right there to pick me up, but I have to be willing to confess my sins and He will always forgive them. There is no sin to great for God to forgive, I just need to humble myself and ask God to meet me right where I am at.
We can look at life many ways, but when we look at life as a struggle, we only see the struggles that are in our life, but if we look at life as a choice and the struggles as lessons we change our perspective. What is God trying to teach you today? Each day there is a blessing and lessons, we just have to be willing to look outside of ourselves to see them. When I am so focused on myself, I miss the very things that He is trying to show me. Life can not be about me, it has to be about God first, in all circumstances, not just the little or big ones, but in ALL.
God knew what struggles we would face, He knows how hard things can be, but when we ground ourselves in Him, we allow Him to fill us with a joy that is undefined, there is so much that happens, but it isn't easy, but it is God. He never said it would be easy, but it is so worth it, the change He is doing is far greater and far more wonderful then we can imagine. He see the big picture, we see a tiny piece of it all.
When things get hard, it is easy to look to the problem, to look at the storm. Our focus is taken off of the solution and onto the problem. It is easy to lose sight of the actual solution. When God calls us to thank Him for everything, that even means the storms, because He sure knew that it is easy for us to focus on the storms, but once we are able to thank Him for the storms are focus is no longer on the storm, but on God. It is in the matter of perspective. When we thank God for what is happening, we tend to see His hand in it and no longer about the problem, but God being the solution.
There is no prayer to small for God, we tend to think our problems, our storms are to minor to pray, so we don't end up praying for them, but God says let all our requests to be known to Him, thank Him for everything. If we are choosing what requests to be known are we then playing God? I know for me, I do not make a good god. I am a man, I make mistakes, I stumble and I fall, but God is always right there to pick me up, but I have to be willing to confess my sins and He will always forgive them. There is no sin to great for God to forgive, I just need to humble myself and ask God to meet me right where I am at.
We can look at life many ways, but when we look at life as a struggle, we only see the struggles that are in our life, but if we look at life as a choice and the struggles as lessons we change our perspective. What is God trying to teach you today? Each day there is a blessing and lessons, we just have to be willing to look outside of ourselves to see them. When I am so focused on myself, I miss the very things that He is trying to show me. Life can not be about me, it has to be about God first, in all circumstances, not just the little or big ones, but in ALL.
God knew what struggles we would face, He knows how hard things can be, but when we ground ourselves in Him, we allow Him to fill us with a joy that is undefined, there is so much that happens, but it isn't easy, but it is God. He never said it would be easy, but it is so worth it, the change He is doing is far greater and far more wonderful then we can imagine. He see the big picture, we see a tiny piece of it all.
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