Month: February 2016

Have you  tried to help someone, but felt you were the one doing the work?

I’ve been there. I am capable of trying to cure someone of anything that I  think I can help with.

Often I need to step back and examine my motives. Am I helping or wanting to heal something within myself?

I need to pray.

I need to know if the person even wants my help.

If those questions are answered , the person being helped must put in the work.

Jesus required faith. Jesus asks questions. Jesus had pure motives. Jesus didn’t enable.

Jesus  healed a man who had been sick for 38 years. Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be well. He asked and didn’t rush in to save. The man would no longer be a beggar and would be able to work. His life would change, Jesus asked, if he even wanted to be well.  Jesus then commanded the man to pick up his mat and walk.  (John 5:1-8)

The sense of entitlement  is prevalent . Entitlement hurts people, it enables someone to stay stuck.

Jesus never gave someone the sense of entitlement. He required faith. He sometimes required faith with action.

Living as a Christian is a balancing act between loving someone and helping or enabling someone and hurting.

Prayer for today:

Please Lord let me help those that want the help. Let me get out of your way, guide me in the ways you want me to help others. Please give me the patience to allow others to do the work. I don’t want to enable. I want to love. In Jesus name, Amen.

I was convicted this week. I was pursuing a relationship instead of being pursued. I am a take charge, planner, let’s get this done type of gal. I needed to stop, pause, and just think.

I have been dating, each date has led to prayer. God, is this the mate you want me to be with? If not make it clear and if so make that clear. I  would and do pray for the other person, their families, and some of the problems that they were facing. I have met some amazing men along this journey.

The thought came to me this week. I want so badly to be in a Godly union, has that become my idol? If God did give me a husband would he be before God? I didn’t like the feeling. I never want my kids, my life, or a future spouse to take precedence over God.

God is first.

I am a servant.

I know this weekend might be tough for some. I have been single and I have been married over the holidays. Last year I was married watching my husband slowly die, Valentines was tough to say the least. I know he is in the arms of God and is so much  better this holiday than last year. I can’t imagine the magnitude of being in Heaven.

I know my true Valentine is my God who has his always comforting arms around me. I am his and he is mine. I can’t think of a better gift than that. So if you are single you are never alone. If you are with someone and your partner gives you a great gift or the gift brings disappointment, know that your true Valentine will never let you down. You are God’s.

If you haven’t accepted Christ as your savior, it is easy to do. Ask, for Jesus to come into your heart, believe he died for your sins, and admit you need a savior. It is that simple.

I serve a God who  knows the number of my hairs on my head, who knit me in mother’s womb, who planned me before creation, who made me in his image, who loves me…

God loves you.

If you are frustrated with a worldly relationship, stop to pause, remember who you belong to.  Happy Valentines day.

Read:

Psalm 139 and Matthew 10

Might not be the most appropriate title. I have procrastinated until 10pm to write and post my blog due today,  I guess I still have two hours that I could have procrastinated on. Truth be told, I had know idea what to say.

My friend and I were talking about an atheist that I know, rather nice person who I enjoy very much. We were discussing how others who don’t believe view Christians and how we fall short. Which makes sense but if we are examples of Christ we should reflect some of his attributes.

Then the thought came how many Christians go to church and are spoon fed. I know ministers are suppose to emulate Christ but they are human as well. I often question things and don’t take much at face value. I can be a real pain to deal with, but I learn. I have been in churches well to be blunt the minister was way off base. I understand interpreting the scripture differently and I am wrong too, but when someone is quoting scripture that isn’t even in the bible that’s wrong. Most of the people followed because they viewed the minister as the end all  and be all of knowledge. We all have bibles and we all are called to run our own race.

Why take a sermon at face value? We can all go home and learn.

Why do we just assume because our parents or family are a Christian that we know God too? Shouldn’t we know and have a relationship with Christ on our own terms?

I guess  what I am trying to say, is yes we have a responsibility to show Christ’s love to others for they can know Christ but if we sit around and try to be spoon fed, or live through someone else’s race, our relationship with Christ is shallow. Go deep, read the scriptures there are so many on running a race for God. Here is the catch you will never be a master on the Bible it is a living breathing word of God, BUT if you stay with it and run with substance the race will change you, and then it is much easier to witness through actions to nonbelievers, to know when something is a crock of nonsense, and when something is truth.

Just random thoughts for the day. Keep on running.

Those words use to haunt me, sin no more. I had heard them quoted from John chapter 8.  The story is about a woman who commits adultery, and Jesus saves her from being stoned for her sin. I thought when Jesus said to the  woman go and sin no more he meant live perfectly. Or at least don’t be as bad as the woman caught in adultery, don’t sin as bad as that.

Sin no more. How I sin each day? Maybe I don’t cheat on a spouse or cause another spouse to falter but sin is sin, right?

So how am I not suppose to sin?

Read the whole chapter, Jesus talks about walking in light not darkness.

I now think stop it.

Stop woman, I am enough.

I made you, I knew you before the earth was formed. I knitted you in your mother’s womb. Stop giving yourself away. I love you. You are more than fragments that any affair could ever give you, stop, sin no more.

Stop woman, I will take care of you.

I clothe the wild flowers in the field and feed the birds in the air. You are more valuable than those. Stop running to earthly men to fulfill your needs. I will take care of you.

Stop woman, you have purpose.

Stop running after approval from man, I made you for a reason. Look to me to fulfill you with approval. Run your race for me.

Stop and sin no more.  Live in the Light and not the Darkness

Jesus never commanded us to be perfect. He did want us to abide in him. When we live in the light, the darkness seems to fade more and more. We know who we are. We are valuable beautiful children of God. We have the blood of Christ setting us free which breaks all of the trying to not sin mentality and sets us free into the light to go and sin no  more. If I am living for Christ, then Christ will change my heart. I belong to him.

Live  in the light, go and sin no more.