I came to work last week and gave a packet of work instructions to all my employees, on the top was in big bold letters, Work Instructions. In the lower center of it, it read: "This is a manual to help each employee do their job better and more efficiently." Inside I took the time to put the rules, the instructions and the wisdom I had gleaned over the years of doing that job. I gave them instructions on things to avoid and why to avoid them. I expressed why these instructions need to be followed. My desire and reason for writing it was because many companies had failed in the past, I really thought that this would make a difference.
When I returned the following week to work I found that the employees were conducting themselves in the same manner as they were before I gave them the manual. I immediately called a meeting to ask them if they had read the manual. They all answered yes they had read it. A few of them said and they have memorized certain portions of it and they could quote it back to me. They told me about the rules and instructions to do there job better. They told me how well it was worded and told me how it could make a difference. I asked them why they were not following it. They all looked at each other with this look on there face of confusion.
This is just a story to get a point across. Do you know that God has given us a book of instructions, rules and commands to follow. Do you know that it isn't just words on a page, those words are alive in our lives, but we have a choice to act upon them or to just know them or read it. He has given us great wisdom to follow and when we don't do what He has told us to do, that is a sin. We are not to conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, it says that in Romans 12:2. Are we just going through the motions, are our lives different then that of the world, our are marriages different? God has given us instructions are we following them?
James 1:19-27 says "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
God just didn't give us the Bible for something to read, it is for us to follow. Not just when we feel like it, but all the time. Isn't it time to do it all God's way and not our own way. Do you truly believe what is written in the Bible is really real? By not walking it, you are saying I only trust you so far, the rest I will do myself and that is not completely surrendering to God's way. What is God calling you to? Are you doing it your way or His?
Friday, October 14, 2016
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Intentionality
Intentionality the fact of being deliberate or purposive, done with intention or on purpose; intended: of or relating to intention or purpose.
My wife and I are taking a class about Marriage and Families. In class we were discussing what happens when a husband and wife come into counseling and they say they have fallen out of love, but they want to make the marriage work. The advice that is given is to chose to love your spouse, because know what, love is a choice. When we start to do the things that we once did, our feelings start to change. We have to be intentional and it takes work, but in order to change our thoughts we need to put effort into it. We seem to do what is easiest, because it is easiest, but sometimes in order to continue to fight for that choice, we have to make that choice. Just saying I love you isn't enough, not show it daily, moment by moment. Love is just a word, but it can be so much more than that, it can be a action that changes not only yourself, but the person you say you love.
The Christian walk is just the same we have to chose to walk in the word, to chose to put God first, it just doesn't happen, but the more we do it, the more it becomes what we want to do. If we do not try it will not happen. Yes, we will be saved, but Jesus wants us to desire a deeper walk with Him and if I am just going to church on Sunday that will only leave me filled for a moment, but now what about the next 6 days.
Now during the next 6 days if I am just reading the word, but not putting it into practice, I am not following what Jesus is talking about, I must be willing not to just hear, but also to do. In James 1:19-27 he writes about this very thing he says "19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear,slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word,which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." He says in verse 22, but be doers of the word, not just hearers. We must intentionally do what God is calling us to, not just hear it and say well that isn't for me or I don't feel like it. We may not feel like it, but when we put it into action otherwise it is just words.
Maybe you haven't seen it, but being intentional will change us, it will change our perspective on thing, it will change our feelings. When we do what is right, it may not be easy, but in the end it is so good, because that is what God is calling us to.
Gods ways are higher than our ways, isn't it time to do it His way?
My wife and I are taking a class about Marriage and Families. In class we were discussing what happens when a husband and wife come into counseling and they say they have fallen out of love, but they want to make the marriage work. The advice that is given is to chose to love your spouse, because know what, love is a choice. When we start to do the things that we once did, our feelings start to change. We have to be intentional and it takes work, but in order to change our thoughts we need to put effort into it. We seem to do what is easiest, because it is easiest, but sometimes in order to continue to fight for that choice, we have to make that choice. Just saying I love you isn't enough, not show it daily, moment by moment. Love is just a word, but it can be so much more than that, it can be a action that changes not only yourself, but the person you say you love.
The Christian walk is just the same we have to chose to walk in the word, to chose to put God first, it just doesn't happen, but the more we do it, the more it becomes what we want to do. If we do not try it will not happen. Yes, we will be saved, but Jesus wants us to desire a deeper walk with Him and if I am just going to church on Sunday that will only leave me filled for a moment, but now what about the next 6 days.
Now during the next 6 days if I am just reading the word, but not putting it into practice, I am not following what Jesus is talking about, I must be willing not to just hear, but also to do. In James 1:19-27 he writes about this very thing he says "19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear,slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word,which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." He says in verse 22, but be doers of the word, not just hearers. We must intentionally do what God is calling us to, not just hear it and say well that isn't for me or I don't feel like it. We may not feel like it, but when we put it into action otherwise it is just words.
Maybe you haven't seen it, but being intentional will change us, it will change our perspective on thing, it will change our feelings. When we do what is right, it may not be easy, but in the end it is so good, because that is what God is calling us to.
Gods ways are higher than our ways, isn't it time to do it His way?
Monday, October 10, 2016
Change
It is written in James 1:22-27 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
Change is driven by doing. If you know the direction you are suppose to go, but do not go that direction for fear of the unknown you will not go anywhere. That is where faith comes in, faith is believing in the truth without actually ever seeing it, it is trust that it will change and things will change without actually ever knowing for sure.
If I want change, I must make a choice, to actually start the process, if I just wait for things to happen they will not change. If I do nothing to prompt the change and just expect it to happen, then I am a fool. I need to take the steps of faith to actually say I believe that change will come only when I start making a choice to change. See my choice can be to change, but if I do not have actions to back the change, then do I really believe that anything will change.
I believe my christian walk is much the same as change. I can except Jesus Christ into my life and I have done that, but if I do nothing to continue my relationship with Him, then I will grow stagnate and there will be no change. I will be a new Christian for the rest of my time, not experiencing God's joy and so much more. To be a Christian is not just merely excepting Jesus into my life, but actually walking it daily, I need to be willing to put the old ways behind me and walk into the new ways of Jesus, His teachings, His word and I need to keep doing it daily. That is the action, I have made a choice and need to back it up with action and doing.
Our marriages are the same way, see individually I need to be willing to make a choice and take action. Spiritually I need to make a choice and then I need to take action, I need to walk the path that God has layed out for me, if I do not start walking, I will not move anywhere. That is what faith is. In our marriages, nothing will change if we are not willing to take action to have them change. What I am trying to get at is, we have a solution to issues in our lives, in our spiritual walks, in our marriages, but if we are not willing to actually start the journey, the journey will not begin. It will seem as if we are just repeating each day with the same ending.
In your life, what do you want? Do you want to repeat each day or do you want to grow and to change? I don't know about you, but I want to grow and to change, I want to learn, to take the time that God has for me, to walk the path and even the uphill paths are better then staying stuck in the same place for fear of what is next or to lazy to move. Isn't it time to actually move. If you are stuck in personal change, then I am guessing you are stuck in other area's too. It takes faith and believing that the path that God has you on is the right path. God doesn't make mistakes, trust in Him, He knows where He wants you, but until you start taking the step of faith, not much will change. Take the step and watch to see what God does.
As I sat here thinking about what I wrote, I wanted to add an additional thought. If I want to lose weight, if I just state I want to do it, I will not lose weight until I actually take action, just the same as getting in shape, I must do the things necessary to lose weight. This is true in everything in life, if I do not take the action necessary, just saying something does not make it true. They say in order to show someone you love them, just saying the words will not do it, but put action to those words and know what it too will be as you say it. Just saying something isn't enough, you must take action, must put work into it for something to happen. Otherwise it is just words.
Change is driven by doing. If you know the direction you are suppose to go, but do not go that direction for fear of the unknown you will not go anywhere. That is where faith comes in, faith is believing in the truth without actually ever seeing it, it is trust that it will change and things will change without actually ever knowing for sure.
If I want change, I must make a choice, to actually start the process, if I just wait for things to happen they will not change. If I do nothing to prompt the change and just expect it to happen, then I am a fool. I need to take the steps of faith to actually say I believe that change will come only when I start making a choice to change. See my choice can be to change, but if I do not have actions to back the change, then do I really believe that anything will change.
I believe my christian walk is much the same as change. I can except Jesus Christ into my life and I have done that, but if I do nothing to continue my relationship with Him, then I will grow stagnate and there will be no change. I will be a new Christian for the rest of my time, not experiencing God's joy and so much more. To be a Christian is not just merely excepting Jesus into my life, but actually walking it daily, I need to be willing to put the old ways behind me and walk into the new ways of Jesus, His teachings, His word and I need to keep doing it daily. That is the action, I have made a choice and need to back it up with action and doing.
Our marriages are the same way, see individually I need to be willing to make a choice and take action. Spiritually I need to make a choice and then I need to take action, I need to walk the path that God has layed out for me, if I do not start walking, I will not move anywhere. That is what faith is. In our marriages, nothing will change if we are not willing to take action to have them change. What I am trying to get at is, we have a solution to issues in our lives, in our spiritual walks, in our marriages, but if we are not willing to actually start the journey, the journey will not begin. It will seem as if we are just repeating each day with the same ending.
In your life, what do you want? Do you want to repeat each day or do you want to grow and to change? I don't know about you, but I want to grow and to change, I want to learn, to take the time that God has for me, to walk the path and even the uphill paths are better then staying stuck in the same place for fear of what is next or to lazy to move. Isn't it time to actually move. If you are stuck in personal change, then I am guessing you are stuck in other area's too. It takes faith and believing that the path that God has you on is the right path. God doesn't make mistakes, trust in Him, He knows where He wants you, but until you start taking the step of faith, not much will change. Take the step and watch to see what God does.
As I sat here thinking about what I wrote, I wanted to add an additional thought. If I want to lose weight, if I just state I want to do it, I will not lose weight until I actually take action, just the same as getting in shape, I must do the things necessary to lose weight. This is true in everything in life, if I do not take the action necessary, just saying something does not make it true. They say in order to show someone you love them, just saying the words will not do it, but put action to those words and know what it too will be as you say it. Just saying something isn't enough, you must take action, must put work into it for something to happen. Otherwise it is just words.
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