Tag: God

A Better Way

Evidence of Him

When you are attempting to do something and you try several different ways yet still unsuccessful, do you conclude that there must be a better way? As I continue to grow and mature, I realize that, for me, Jesus is the better way. This life journey is not easy. It has many twists and turns. After I accepted Jesus, I was still initially challenged. However, I decided_with full transparency_my way wasn’t working for me. I know that each of us have the choice of free will. God doesn’t force us to choose Jesus. He asks us to.

The choice is whether to surrender or not. Surrender. your will for His will. God does know that this is a challenge for us. His mercy and grace is there to help us make this choice. The last several years have definitely been a challenge for us all. They have been stressful. I have not been overly stressed, but blessed. I have been concerned, having no anxiety because I knew that God was in control. That is a freedom I keep.

This freedom of not trying to fix everything in my life and trusting God is truly liberating. He has everything in His hands. In concluding, I will note that I understand it is hard to believe in the deity that you cannot physically see. However, you see evidence of Him everywhere. The sun, moon, stars, nature are all a part of Him. The other note is that it takes faith to believe in God and believe God’s Word for your life.

Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

As we close on 2022, evaluate where you are. If you need love, purpose, friendship, provision, protection, etc. choose Jesus Christ. God sent His only Son that we might have eternal life as well as life more abundantly here on earth. Everything may not seem differently immediately. However, God is true to His Word. His promises are real and true. Faithfulness is part of His character.

I pray that God will bless you all continually as we venture into the next year, 2023. Prayerfully, I hope that you choose Him for a better you and a better life. We were created to serve and glorify Him.

John 14:6 – “Jesus said to Him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

Expectations

In my 30’s, I was told to let go of expectations from others. I remember feeling confused. Really? How could you be in relationship with someone without having any expectations; be it friend, romantic, family, or business? I pondered this for days. I will say this had me for a loop.

Fast forward to more maturity. I understand. To let go of the expectations from others not only put me in a place to focus on meeting my own needs but also changed my perspective of others. As we age, we should come to understand that life happens. When you are expecting something from another person and it doesn’t happen, it leads to disappointment, frustration, anger, etc.

As I thought about this, anything could have happened to that person before their obligation to you could be met. While the initial conversation seemed like reality, now that particular reality cannot be met by the the other person due to grief, loss, medical issues, mental illness and so on. Anything could have transpired that you know nothing about and caused the other person to be unable to meet those expectations.

What am I saying? The only One to truly meet our expectations is God and that is on His terms, not ours. “My thoughts are not your thoughts and My ways are not your ways.” What I see, and truly my perspective, is that we live in an entitled culture whether the expectations are of God or others. I see a need to evaluate ourselves and look at how feasible those expectations are from others. When I look at the magnitude of disappointment, anger and frustration of many, it lets me know we need to change our perspective.

In any given moment, an unmet expectation can cause extreme emotional stress. Hence, the manifestation of mental and emotional anguish. As well, increased stress that can lead to chronic issues. What are you looking for from others that you cannot give yourself? Love? Attention? Validation? God gives us all of these, freely! When you stop trusting in man to meet the needs many are not equipped to provide, and receive the free gift from God, things will change for you.

Love – John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Attention – 1 Samuel 2:30 – “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel declares: “I promised that your house and the house of your Father should go in and out before me forever, but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.”

Validation – Psalm 139:13-14 – 13) “For you formed my inward parts; you knittted me together in my mother’s womb. 14) I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

My expectations are in God and He keeps His promises. – Psalm 18:30 – This God-His way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.”

Acceptance

Serenity

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” The Serenity Prayer

This part of the Serenity Prayer speaks directly to me. Accepting what I cannot change puts me in a place to see what I can change. We cannot change others. We inspire them to change themselves (allowing the transformative power of God to move) as we model what that looks like. It is a part of growth that is necessary because it clears our perspective and allows us to move forward. I truly believe that transformative change comes from God because it begins with humility.

1 Peter 5:6 – “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you,”

God’s Hand

Surrendering to God that He is the omnipotent power is the beginning; accepting that we cannot change anyone but ourselves. Yet, we need His mercy and grace even for that part.

Once you have a clear perspective, you can then ask Him for the courage or power to change the things you can. What does that look like in your life? We all have areas in which we move for change. I only know what that looks like in my life. You know what that looks like in yours. God knows what that looks like for everyone. The Word of God tells us do not fear but be of good courage. He was clear in speaking to Joshua, telling him not to fear but be of good courage.

Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The Word tells us that He has given us a spirit of love, power, and a sound mind. We can move for change because God is faithful to His Word.

Last, but certainly not least, we need to move in wisdom. God’s Word tells us that:

James 1:5 – “If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

True wisdom comes from God. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, present everywhere God. This prayer speaks truly to who God is on this journey. I would say that speaking this prayer out loud everyday moves us out of the way for Him to do what only He can do. Change us for His glory.

He died for me.

Affirmations and Change

I was thinking about the previous post on November 27th, Change, and wanted to expound on that a little. Affirmations help us change; however, only if you believe what you are saying to yourself. Sure, repetition is key as we move forward in growth. It is important to understand that faith is a critical key to changing.

I use Bible promises for my affirmations. I will tell you though that I didn’t begin to see the transformation until I believed what God said about me and His promises to me. Psalm 18:30 – “This God-His way is perfect, the word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.”

It truly was the supplement I needed to continue truly growing. The repetition of the affirmations is like reinforcing the glue. Belief is what makes it stick. It is the glue. Even if we fall down (miss a day), we get back up and continue moving forward on our journey.

Believing what you speak to yourself determines what you believe. What are you believing that is impacting your ability to change? Something to ponder regarding your growth, your goals and your life.

Cry…Build…Get Over

A little over a week ago, I was reading and came across this saying. “Cry a river, build a bridge and then get over it.” The simplicity of this statement struck a cord with me. In that vein, I would like to share my thoughts about it. I do not remember who wrote this. I take no credit for the wording.

Life happens…pain, loss, betrayal, disappointment, etc., etc.., etc. We cry out to God during these challenging times or at least we need to. He understands. We do not need to bear these challenges alone. Isolation is not the key. He is with us. He did say He would never leave us nor forsake us.

Hebrews 13:5 – “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

We don’t need to bury our emotions. He gave them to us as a gauge for our lives. Anger and fear tell us when danger is near. These emotions compel us to make the right move at the right moment in time. Emotions are not to have control over us. We are to have control over them. Okay, so we have cried our river. Let’s now build the bridge.

Building that bridge means we make the plans necessary to move forward. This also requires us to go to God. He knows the plans that He has for us and they are for good and not for evil.

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Once the plans are drawn up, you begin building. God has all the tools needed to move forward in building this bridge. Seek His face for all the extra tools along the way. You see, surprises still come up along the way. We have God’s compassion, mercy, provision and protection though; so, we are ready for those surprises..

Then, last but certainly not least, get it over it. Time to move on. Move forward on the journey to help others. Yes, we do help others by sharing the Gospel. We walk it out. It seems that I have made this very simplistic. The steps truly are simple. It is just very hard to go through the pain. Even now, though, you don’t have to go it alone. He will never leave us nor forsake us. We do have brothers and sisters in Christ who also help us along the way.

Somehow we seem to have gotten away from the simplicity of this journey. It is hard, yes, but simple nonetheless.

Cry your river…build your bridge…and get over it.

Be blessed.

Draw Near to God

God’s Hand

2nd Chronicles 7:14

“If my people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their their sin and heal their land.”

This Scripture is one of my favorites. There are four steps in this Scripture. The first step is humility. Humbling yourself is accepting that you need God and He is God.

The second step is prayer. Prayer is our communication with God. When we open our hearts to God, acknowledging that He is God and we need Him, He will answer. He leads and guides us with grace, mercy, compassion and love.

The third step is seeking His face. We must seek the face of God for our lives, our family and our future. When we diligently seek God, His word says that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It is a choice you make every day.

Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (NIV)

The fourth step is turning from our wicked ways. Doing things that do not glorify God but our flesh, the world or the devil is not glorifying God. Only you know where these areas are in your life.

Something I would like to note is that God is not a microwave God. Be patient with God like He is with us. He works in us and through us. Just thought I’d share.

Be blessed!

Don’t Become Weary in Well-Doing

I want to encourage all my readers today with Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap eternal life.” This Scripture is very important for a believer because we have hope. Our souls are eternal and we must keep our eyes on doing well. God knows that we sometimes get tired. That is when you ask for His strength to keep going, His courage. The Scripture does say not by power, nor by might but by His Spirit.

The Journey – Stay in the Faith Lane

This journey is not easy. However, nothing is impossible with God. 1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain.”

As we help others out of a pure heart, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. God says He will never leave us nor forsake us. No matter what you are going through, He is with us. We will face trials and tribulations. We are overcomers. We have the victory through Christ Jesus our Lord.

As we walk in victory, we share our journey of faith and encourage others. I just wanted to speak into your spirit today with the truth of God’s word. No matter what it looks like, God is still in control.

bible.com/bible/116/1jn.4.18.NLT

No fear. As a believer, we have access to an all powerful, all knowing, present everywhere God. We were given peace and the Holy Spirit to navigate this life. What do we really have to fear, giving away the power that is a gift to us? Are you living in the power of God’s love or are you living in fear?