As it says elsewhere in I Corinthians,” The Holy Spirit bestows certain gifts to certain people, not the same to all.” The gifts that the Lord gives us are meant to mesh and complement our individual personalities and bents. God uses what we have…not what we wish we had. You might wish that you could sing God’s praise before thousands…but if you don’t have much of a singing voice, I doubt whether the Lord will place you on stage. Our gifts from Him are as individualized as we are.
Tag: spirituality
I Thessalonians 3:12 ” May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”
Christian love…brotherly love…love for each other. In this fast pace, hectic world we sure could use more of it. In our daily grind, we too often forget that the person behind the checkout, or assisting us with a purchase is also a fellow brother in Christ, and deserving of our love and respect. Practicing brotherly love takes just that…practice. And it takes practicing it in mundane places that makes the most impact for the Lord.
Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Our words should be tempered with the love of Christ…our actions showing His character and love. We should be ever grateful and continually honoring our Lord in everything we do and say… everyday…and to everyone we come in contact with.
Acts 17: 28 ” For in Him we live and move and have our being.”
I think Job 12:10 said it best, ” In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” The Lord holds our very life in His hand…for without Him we are nothing. We can go without oxygen for about 3 minutes, without water for about 3 days, and without food for about 3 weeks…but we can’t go even 3 seconds without God giving us life.
Romans 1:25 ” They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”
Today we are seduced and awed by technology and the dramatic leaps the world has made in the last 50 years…things that were stuff of futuristic movies not too long ago, are now commonplace in every household today. But have we moved so far away that we are forgetting who brought everything into existence in the first place? Are we now trusting in man-made things rather than the God who created man? “Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!” (Jer. 16:20) False gods, worthless idols are just objects of mockery, and will do us no good when we try to serve them rather than the God who created everything.
Proverbs 6: 9-11 ” How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like a armed man.”
There are several places in Proverbs that talk about lazy people who become poor through their lack of ambition and slothfulness…” Do not love sleep or you will grow poor.” When we don’t have motivation and drive, we become apathetic,and uncaring of ourselves and others around us… and this in turn affects all aspects of our personal and financial lives. This rather lyrical Proverb wants us to rise up, get moving, and persevere.
Joshua 1:8 ” Do not let this book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Reading the Bible daily…why do we make every excuse known to man about why we can’t? The Lord not only wants us to read His Word daily, but He wants us to sit and think about how it relates to our life after we’re done reading. God wants us to reflect and contemplate what the scriptures are saying to us personally…and in doing so, the His plan for our life will be revealed with clarity and certainty.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 ” Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
What is your trust and confidence in today? Is it in the great education you received, is it in the prestigious and high power job you finally landed, is it in your family name that demands attention and respect… or maybe is it in your proud pronouncement of being a self-made man? When we rely on our own intelligence, rather than the Lord’s, we’re setting ourselves up for failure. God wants us to find our safety and security in Him…not in ourselves. If we commit our lives, our plans, our dreams, and aspirations to Him, He will make the way even and level under our feet.
Philippians 4:8 ” Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
What we think about, what we listen to, and watch on TV or on the computer will impact our thought pattern greatly…the saying, garbage in-garbage out, holds true to our brain cells. If you are continually putting ungodly or questionable material into your mind, why be surprised what comes out of your mouth, or how farfetched and bizarre your day dreams will become. The Lord wants us to occupy our mind with thoughts that are right, pleasing, and virtuous in His eyes.
Luke 9: 1-2 ” When Jesus had called them together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
The Lord gathered the disciples together, laying out a game plan of what He wanted them to accomplish. He sent them out as ambassadors to proclaim the Gospel to others…But Jesus specifically gave them power to cast out demons and heal the sick. When God commissions you to go out into the world on His behalf, it will be with specific goals He wants you to attain, but He will never send you out without first endowing you with the power, physical capacity, and authority to carry it out. Each of His callings are unique, although there is one overlying mission for all…that is to proclaim the Good News where ever you go.
Safetypinlove 