How Do You Love?

Some might say it is so easy to love, while others would say it presents great challenges. If being a Christian is an easy task, why do people often fail to live out their faith? God's love will always supersede any love that we could ever imagine! While our flesh is warring against God's Spirit, His Spirit is at war against our flesh!

In scripture we find the greatest commandment: Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." ~Matthew 26:37-40 The Msg

It is easy to love people at a distance and to show them Christ's love when they are not walking in our every day path, but when God places people in paths often crossed, it can at times present challenges. We begin to see people for who they really are, not the persona that is presented the first time you meet. The more you are with someone, you begin to learn their strengths, as well as their weaknesses. You learn what makes them laugh and what makes them cry. You also learn the behaviors or habits, good or bad that can often test the best of the best! Despite being good or bad, these things should not determine our love for others.. It is in these moments that we must find the Love of Christ that supersedes all! Not to tolerate, but to genuinely love as Christ loves! I love how The Message says it:

Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." Matthew 5:43-48

The evidence of our relationship with God can be found in how we express love toward others.. Love is not merely a simple word, rather it is actions based on the truth of God's word.. God help us to learn to truly love as you love! I heard it said, instead of asking God to teach us to love as He loves, pray that He will fill you with himself and that He would love in and through you.. God infiltrate us with your spirit, that we might be more like you; That we might love without condition, without expectation, seeking nothing in return, while crucifying our flesh and dying to self so that we might be more like you!

As Christians, they should know us by our love! Do those who you pass daily, weekly, monthly know you by your love, the love of Christ?

I liked this quote a lot: "Human love ends when personal sacrifice with no hope of gain begins."

A true place of rest and release

The Seasons of life are incredible... I lay here tonight pondering all the great things God has done in my life and how in the tonight

times of my greatest pain, He was there.... Words evade me to express my thanks to Him. There is no friend who is closer than Him. No human can ever take the place of His presence.

So often we crawl through life, merely existing. Life can sometimes deal us great pains and hurts. Hearts are often broken by people who say they love us and often we are left with questions of "why?"

BUT GOD... God has always picked up every piece. I lay here and inside I feel myself screaming to be free. To be free from all the things that have held me back over the years. To be free in His presence. To be free to see myself as He sees me. I ask God to break this mold, get rid of it and allow the person He created me to be to break forth.

Why do we allow the circumstances of life to bury us? To cause us to build walls and seek a place of hiding?

I think to the metamorphosis of a caterpillar and I see myself. For so long I have been held back by the outer layers. God has brought me into a season of rest over the past year. I admit I don't really know how to rest, I'm so used to being busy, but God has been doing things that I can't explain. I feel He has had me in a chrysalis stage. And in this stage, one longs to be free... It's almost as if you can see freedom, yet you can not grasp it. You want to scream for help, but realize that there is no one that can help you, no one that can completely understand every single thing that keeps you in this place. As you begin to truly find rest here, you realize that through all the struggling, God has been bringing you to a place that only He can free you. Layer by layer He peels back the hurts, the pains, the things that hold you back, the lies that have been spoken over you, the negative images that you portray of yourself, and the list goes on. In this place, He is the only one who truly knows where you are. He is the only one who can hear your screams for help. There is no one that can free you, except God and God alone. This is the time that He begins to shape and form us, a time when we find identity in Him and not in ourselves, a time when we release all that has been for what can be. We rest in this stage with Him alone, because it is here that we find our strength. It is not in that of another human, but in Him. If we depend on people to always free us, we will always need people. At what point do we realize that HE alone is all we really need.

When we quit fighting and rest quietly in His presence, we begin to hear it. There is His voice calling ever so softly... "I am here, I've always been here, but you... you wouldn't stop fighting and looking for answers long enough to hear me. Now I have your attention, let me do this work. Give me all your burdens. Give me your pains and the heartaches of your soul. Ask me your questions, I have all the answers. I am not going anywhere, I will stand with you and together we are going break free and burst forth. I have great things ahead, and in this place, I will become your strength, I will become the one that you run to, I will be the one who dries every tear and I...I will be the one who will love you unconditionally with an everlasting love. This shell will no longer hold you, because what I am about to do is going to set you free. I am the ONLY restorer of your soul and in me, You will soar free..."

While this stage has been difficult, I wouldn't trade anything for it, because it has been here that I have truly learned and am learning to hear His voice. I refuse to let my past be a negative, but instead I see it as the stones that have built a solid foundation. A foundation that has become stronger with every struggle, test, and trial.

Not once has God ever given up on us. God, you have always fought for us, you have loved us and you have extended grace to us that was and is undeserved. You have embraced us and loved us unconditionally. Help us to give that same gift to others. Let us love as you love and forgive as you forgive - without expectation and without condition. Soon we will break forth from these things that have held us back for so many years. Continue your work in us and just as the caterpillar breaks forth from its cocoon, break us free from the chains that bind us. Don't leave us here God, keep changing us and molding us until we become what you would have us to be...

But unlike the butterfly that stops growing after it is free, please don't ever let us stop growing... Help us to continually grow in you more every single day....

True freedom can only be found in you and it is here that we place all of our hopes, and all of our dreams...

If it's freedom you are looking for, look to Him and to no other and release all of your cares.. Give them all to Jesus and He will turn every sorrow into joy.... Life is too short to stay tucked away in a cocoon...

What Becomes Of The Broken Pieces?

There is a deep inner struggle inside each of us that looks for resolve to the every day issues of life. This need to know what lies ahead, can wear on our minds and bodies to the point of mental and emotional exhaustion. Life is full of unanswered questions, shattered dreams, and broken promises, and somehow in the midst of all the disarray, we are to find peace.

Have you ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle? Hundreds of pieces, yet not one beautiful in and of itself. When the pieces are laid out, and one by one they begin coming together, anticipation begins to evolve as the many pieces begin forming a picture. If you're like me, the more the picture begins to form, the more you are inclined to finish it. Once the puzzle is complete, the picture is whole and beautiful.

Life is much like a jigsaw puzzle, often comprised with shattered and broken pieces, sometimes so many that the aspiration to envision anything beautiful is obstructed. Often the pain of past hurts is so great that no matter how hard we try, we are blinded to see even a glimmer of hope and often unable to break past the barriers of our point of pain in order to find rest. At times, we may only see broken pieces, none beautiful in and of themselves.

Where do we go from here? Do we continue to be overwhelmed by the myriad of pieces that lay before us, abolishing all hope of anything beautiful or do we begin picking up the pieces and willingly surrender them to the One who saw the beautiful masterpiece we were created to be?

If we continue to live in our place of pain, we will live a life of defeat. God never intended us to remain in our place of pain. It is from those places that we grow, and we learn how to live. It is there that our foundation is built. It is in the deepest parts of our pain, that we learn who HE is and it is there that we find rest and an unfathomable Love that is more than enough. He is truly all we need!

You are a beautiful masterpiece, created by God and in His image, don't ever let anyone tell you differently!

Only ONE can hold the pieces, will it be you or will you release them into the hands of your Creator?

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Maryanne Williamson

What a great quote! It was far too long to post as a status and far too good to pass up!

So often we try and adapt ourselves to those around us for many of the reasons listed in this quote! Maybe we should just be who we are... God has definitely placed great things inside each of us and it takes every intricate detail to bring together His perfect plan!

Just imagine if we truly tried adapting our personalities as to who we are around, life would become very complicated....VERY QUICKLY! I have to admit, I'm guilty! Sometimes it's because I do feel inadequate, other times it's because I don't want to create an offense for someone... It's time to just be me! If people like me, great....If they don't, I say take it up with my Father.. :) Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect and I'm sure there are plenty of times, I don't respond as He would have me to, but rest assured....When He corrects, I listen. :)

We spend so much time thinking about what others are thinking about us, when in reality...We are all thinking the same thing....... Let's just live! Live life to the fullest and learn to embrace what comes our way! There may be difficult challenges that lie ahead of us, but with God on our side, nothing is too difficult!

2010 offers a world of possibilities and new adventures!!! If you don't like who you are, ask God to show you who He created you to be!!! It lies within you... We are all created in His image, but do we reflect Him? Throw out the garbage! Throw out those things that have been holding you back! Get rid of the negative thoughts that fill your mind every day! You are a child of God and you were created to do great things! While you lay around and wallow in your sorrows, feeling sorry for yourself, there is a world that is lost and souls that are headed for an eternal life without Jesus!

God has great things in store! Trust Him, you'll never be disappointed!

Here they come....New possibilities, New adventures...Embrace them!

Recklessly Abandoned To His Will

This morning I woke with the kids Bible Song ringing through my mind..."Who did (Who did), Who did (Who did), Who did swallow Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo..." I found myself laughing and wondering where in the world these things come from - out of nowhere it seems. In the same thought process, the words Recklessly Abandoned passed through my mind. Those two words stirred me and I could not get them out of my head.
As I began "googling" as I often do, one of the first things I see in my search is a title, "With Reckless Abandon, Jonah and the Big Fish." Now tell me that wouldn't make you take a second glance. Isn't it funny how God works sometimes! The blogger says, "Jonah didn't know how his story was going to end, and we never know either. I love to consider whatever circumstances I am in, no matter how good, bad, or (more often) mediocre, as having the potential to become something that will define me (or someone else) or that will be remembered by many for many years." Jonah was a mere prophet who disobeyed God, as we have all been guilty of at one point in time or another I'm sure, somehow thinking that we know something God doesn't??? Or maybe it's that we like to pretend that it wasn't Him we just heard speak. What I have learned is that if you feel that God is speaking something to your Spirit, don't dismiss it. Search it out, find Him in it and listen. If He is truly speaking, you will know. But when it doesn't appeal to our ears, we are often so quick to dismiss it as a casual thought. There is nothing about God that is "casual" and believe me, those "dismissed thoughts," they will find their way back to us one way or the other. When God speaks, He expects that we will listen!
We all search for purpose and meaning in life and when we accept Christ, we not only search for significance, but we want to know, "God, What is my calling?" I read this devotion from Oswald Chambers this morning and it caught my attention. (This too came up in my google search for "reckless abandon." Read this, I think you will enjoy:
Do You See Your Calling?
. . . separated to the gospel of God. . . —Romans 1:1
"Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the gospel of God. The one all-important thing is that the gospel of God should be recognized as the abiding reality. Reality is not human goodness, or holiness, or heaven, or hell— it is redemption. The need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker today. As workers, we have to get used to the revelation that redemption is the only reality. Personal holiness is an effect of redemption, not the cause of it. If we place our faith in human goodness we will go under when testing comes.
Paul did not say that he separated himself, but "when it pleased God, who separated me . . ." (Galatians 1:15). Paul was not overly interested in his own character. And as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal holiness, we will never even get close to the full reality of redemption. Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God. "Don’t ask me to be confronted with the strong reality of redemption on behalf of the filth of human life surrounding me today; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes." To talk that way is a sign that the reality of the gospel of God has not begun to touch me. There is no reckless abandon to God in that. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul was not conscious of himself. He was recklessly abandoned, totally surrendered, and separated by God for one purpose— to proclaim the gospel of God (see Romans 9:3)."
Are you searching for significance? Only in Him will it be found!
It is NEVER about us, but about Him and Him alone! BY HIS GRACE WE STAND! At what cost will you abandon your dreams and desires to take up His cross? Do you truly desire to give Him your ALL, even if it means abandoning your personal dreams and desires?

God help us to become recklessly abandoned to your will!

When Did Church Become A Catering Service?

I am lying awake this morning with one thing I can not get out of my head. Before I went to bed last night, i saw a commercial on TV for a church I will leave unnamed, located in Chattanooga, TN. The commercial went something like this: "Whether you like a full band and a traditional service, or a more contemporary service with modern worship, we have a place for you."

Since when must we accommodate everyone with exactly what they are looking for? Is it really about the music or the lack thereof? Where is God in this equation? My guess would be that if God is not enough for you to come to church, then there is no orchestra or talented singing that will ever satisfy your desires. If you are looking for great accommodations, check out the Hilton or Four Seasons! Church should not be a place where you long to be accommodated! Must He really "accommodate" your every need to satisfy? Was His son not sufficient? Was His blood at Calvary not enough? Only God can satisfy our deepest longings and desires! Don't get me wrong, I will be the first to admit that I love great worship, but when we build a church as we would a catering service, I feel we have lost perspective.

To truly worship God, requires no music, no full band or the most talented singing; it simply requires a heart that is seeking the very heart of God.

Stop looking to be accommodated. Instead, search after your Father's heart. There and only there will you find true contentment. When you find Him, serve Him! Serve Him with all you can offer up.

God gave His best for us and deserves nothing less than our best in return!!!

Change Begins With One

"Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God. What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be." John Adams

What if instead of a "distant Region," our very own nation would once again, live by these principles?

What if as individuals, we lived by these principles?

We have become so caught up in our daily routines and what's going on in the media, that we have lost sight of the goal that was once before us - To live a life that is acceptable and pleasing unto Him - the most High God.

Have we forgotten who HE is? He is the Lord of Glory, filled with splendor and majesty. All creation was made to bow before Him, to acknowledge His sovereignty. Have we forgotten His holiness? The greatness of his power? Do we live so carelessly that we do not fear Him as we once did? Do we remember how it feels to stand in the awesomeness of His presence or to bow under the weight of His glory?

We may be living under a government that has lost sight of the ONE true God; a government that is daily neglecting its morals and values, but we have a choice. We can spend time complaining and murmuring about all we do not like or we can take that same time and apply it to our own life... Change begins with ONE!

Our world as we know it today was changed by One Man, Jesus Christ. One life changed the destiny of the world. If we truly want to see change in this land that we live in, let it begin with one! He is our hope! He is the One who can bring change to this nation and change to the way we live our every day life!

Lord, if we find favor in your sight, hear our hearts cry! Find us acceptable in your sight. Let the weight of your glory come down. We desperately await your presence. Let your people arise and take a stand in the authority of your name. We are truly nothing without you! We recognize you and behold you as our King! If you have lost sight, look to Him today! If your life is spinning out of control, look to Him. There is none other that can bring change like He can. Change begins with one...Let it start with you today!