Revelation to Inspiration

It’s funny how unexpected life can be.  The choices people make affect those around them.  Paths never foreseen are under our feet and we meet people on the sojourn.  Think about it.  If those choices were not made then those influences would never have been instilled into your life.  Can you imagine never having known certain people once they’ve imparted themselves into your life?  Whether good or bad the folks we meet in this life journey impact us for better or for worse.  We however have the choice to take the bad with the good, to learn and grow or let it bury us in the ground of despair and thus become stagnant people.  Personally, I choose growth.

It’s ok to make mistakes and to learn from them.  Isn’t it better to look into the mirror of truth and improve oneself than to feed off the lies and become embittered in self-pity?  Yet, it seems we live in an age of “self”-awareness in the negative context.  Meaning, it’s all about “me, me, me” and what can “I get” and what can you “do for me”?  Altruism is considered a prehistoric ideology and criticized by the mainstream.  Yet, the revelation is that goodness is worth standing for.  We meet people along the way who encourage us to be better than the “norm” of today.  There are people who inspire us to dream and to go after those dreams.  Those who lend out a hand to pull us up when we’ve been knocked down, and walk with us a little longer to make sure we are strong enough to continue on.  People who believe in us when we don’t believe in ourselves and encourage us to step into all we can be and we're meant to be. 

God, I thank You for using the confusing and unexpected choices of others to get me on the path you planned for my life, and for all of those people you put along that path. I don’t know if those were detours or original routes but I know I can trust that no choice any of us makes surprises You, and that You have a way of working everything out for our good and Your glory.   

Thank You for those who are so gritty that you use them like sandpaper to smooth my own rough edges.  For those who inspire and encourage and motivate me to move forward towards the destiny you have for my life.  I pray for the strength and courage to stand against the “norm” of today’s society and to keep compromise far away from my heart so that I can encourage and strengthen others who desire to do the same.  Let my life be an inspiration and a light to others as those who have been a light and inspiration were for me. Link each one of us together to become like a great chain connected to one another until we wrap the world completely in Your love and goodness!

Onward Christian Soldier!

Believe in God because He's bigger than our circumstances. Do not allow your mind to entertain the negative and dark thoughts that try to enter in and destroy the peace of God! Take them captive to the obedience of Christ and think on things that are good, noble, admirable, praiseworthy, righteous, lovely, pure or excellent - think on these instead!

Remember, our battle is NOT against flesh and blood! We do not wrestle against the captives, but against their captors - those evil soldiers we cannot see in the natural, except by their evil influence on humanity.

You are NOT defeated! We are MORE than conquerors in Christ Jesus! We are already the victors, seated with Christ next to the Father in Heaven! Here we are advancing the Kingdom of Heaven! Our time, your time is right now! Where God resides it is already finished! So find hope that you will be able to stand against your enemies!

God directs the steps of His faithful ones! Find confidence in His faithfulness, not in your ability or lack of ability. He is able to do above and beyond all we can see or even comprehend. He set time in place and see's the beginning through to the end.

He has chosen you to run this race and He is waiting to give you your crown! Do not be afraid and trust God to keep His promises to be your guard and strength, your help in times of trouble and that He will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus!

Be thankful in all things and the God of all glory will guard your heart and mind with the peace that surpasses all understanding in Christ.

Now take up your shield; stand fully armored holding up your sword and on His command be ready, and advance the Kingdom!

Onward Christian Soldier!!  

Judging is not loving

There is a division among mankind.  We are divided by a line of judgment.  What is it we judge?  Better yet would be to ask what is it we don’t judge?  Ethnicity, color, size, shape, ability, political affiliation, familial status, religion, beliefs, etc., etc., etc.  And the list extends too far for eye to see.  Generations of children are trained to continue the traditions of isolation and contentment, adding greater layers of brick to a dividing wall of great magnitude. 

Throughout history many have come along and lead a parade of followers who attempted to tear down those walls and yet they were destroyed by those clothed in masks of judgment.  One greatest among them all was Jesus….Son of Man, Son of God…God made mere man to show us how to live to our fullest potential.  What was His message?  Love! 

What type of love did this infamous Man-God teach us?  What example did He set before us through His own life?  Have His followers destroyed any walls with the mighty hammer of Love He passed on to us? 

Jesus taught us to Love our God and to Love our neighbor as ourselves.  Yet we say we Love God but then curse those made in His image.  We love those who make us feel good or meet our approval.  We are creatures of conditional love and magnificent individual judge and juries.  We condemn without forethought and critique what we do not understand and fear.  This is just “our way”.  “Our sins are not as bad as their sins!”  Yet, where is Jesus in all of this?  In Christianity we use God’s Word like a hammer to crush “sin” out of people, yet in reality we are crushing them with blows of judgment and condemnation.  Isn’t there “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus?” Aren’t we only to judge in the same manner we ourselves wish to be judged?  Let’s rephrase this:  Aren’t we to love in the same manner we ourselves wish to be loved and HAVE been loved?   

Sadly we as followers of “The Way” have lost our way.  We have segregated ourselves in walled towers all the while peering out of little windows and throwing rocks at all who pass by.  If Jesus were to return today would He find us about our Father’s business, or look at our thick walled towers and wonder who lives within such prison walls? 

What is our Father’s business we are to be about?  Well, if we look closely at Jesus’ life we can see it right in front of us.  We’re to be about loving others.  He did not discriminate whom He loved.  He loved the whole world – even those who persecuted Him and killed Him.  He told us to do the same…to love our enemies…to do good to those who persecute us….to show compassion, kindness, gentleness, patience, meekness, grace and mercy towards all.  Aren’t all men made in God’s image?  If we are to love God then aren’t we to love men as well?  Not just those who are kind to us, but even those who aren’t so kind?  Then we can transform the world as Jesus intended us to do.  If the world is to hate us for being like Jesus then that’s on them.  But, if they hate us for being hypocrites than that’s on us. 

Lord, please open our eyes to see our hearts and our behaviors.  Forgive us for being so blind to our judgmental attitudes towards those You have fashioned in Your image.  Soften our hearts with Your love so that we can share that love with others, especially those who are not so easy to love.  Let us remember that we were once just as unlovely and yet You shared Your love with us.  Help us to remember our mission and to step out of our comfort zones…stepping out of those towers of isolation and into the fields of humanity.  May we be a people about our Father’s business…a people of Light, Love and Truth towards all we come in contact with on a daily basis.  Make us courageous lovers just as You were courageous to love us when we were not willing to love You in return.  

Abandonment

Listening to a lonely dog howling this morning and my heart felt sorrow for this poor pup who was abandoned by her owners.  Red tape and laws create more isolation for this throw away friend.  As we approach her she runs away and hides from those who would try to help her.  It doesn’t make sense when she is so lonely.  Yet, it makes perfect sense.  She longs for her family to return for her.  Hopefully they will get here soon she thinks. She is hungry, thirsty and alone.  Too scared to go out to those who approach her with a helping hand of love and kindness. 

How often are we like this poor dog?  Do we not all experience abandonment at different points in our lives?  Abandoned by those who professed to love us, by those we trusted.  Love we had escapes our hearts and we are left feeling empty and alone.   Sometimes our own hearts abandon us.  We lose our confidence, our dreams, our aspirations and hopes, and are left reeling in doubt and discouragement.   Questions plague our minds.  Understanding and reason haunt our thoughts day and night.    

Abandonment puts up walls around our hearts to guard us against others we fear will do the same.  Fear and distrust become close companions but to our own demise.  We don’t always understand the why’s or how’s because most often, life doesn’t share the answers to its tests.

God, You said you would never leave us or abandon us.  If we were to go to the highest heavens You would be there.  Should we reach down to the deepest depths, there You would be also.  There is no hiding from Your presence.  In these times of abandonment when we feel alone, heart- broken, confused and lost, may we feel You right beside us.  May we find comfort in knowing that Your eye is always on us, that Your heart is ever loving us, and that there is hope in healing from these wounds that scar us.  Help us to not to be afraid, but to step out in courage and continue to take risks, knowing we could be hurt again.  Let us be so confident in Your faithfulness that we knock down those walls of isolation and distrust and live vulnerable to those around us.  Without faith it is impossible to please You.  Help us wounded warriors live with such faith that we can press into You through the heart ache of abandonment and take that pain and use it to love more passionately, live more fully, and trust more than is reasonable.  Help us to never lose hope in humanity and to see others through eyes of mercy.  May we not lean on our own understanding but trust You in everything.  Remind us that we are never alone.

Invasion of the Peace Snatchers

Some days you can go along and be "minding" your own business and whistling joyfully and you feel no cares at the moment  when suddenly out of nowhere this thought pops into your head that steals your peace, stops your joy and your whistle is no more.  Your peaceful and happy thoughts turn into thoughts of rejection, or maybe fear, or anger, or resentment or whatever.  Your mood turns from happy to crappy in an instant.

Too often we can keep on that path of negativity and it can ruin our entire day, maybe week and in many cases our relationships.  We have those imaginary conversations with those we are directing our thoughts towards.  Sometimes it's ourselves and we become emotionally self-condemning and naturally we will withdraw from those around us.  Where do these thoughts come from?  How do they invade our minds so quickly and change the direction of our days without us even realizing it?  How can we battle these alien hosts that invade our thoughts and steal our peace and stomp on our joy?

I will not give credit to the evil that berates but rather I will focus on how to overcome their dissension and refraction. Think about what you're thinking about!  Notice!  Pay attention!  And FIGHT to keep your peace!  We don't have to receive the garbage.  We can choose to counterattack with good thoughts.  We can rethink with good things.  Peace is worth the battle.  It only takes a moment to lose it but when we labor to keep it our lives will benefit as well as those lives we are linked to.

The battle is not an easy one and Lord I pray for Your strength to help me to press through.  I may get bruised and bloodied in the process but the victory will be mine and I will be stronger from it.  May these mental assaults prepare me to be like a seasoned soldier who can walk out a valiant life here on earth and reflect Your glory to all I meet and come across.  May these experiences enrich and encourage the lives of others and in turn their lives can bless others and so forth.  Let Your dominoes fall but not for the collapse of Your people but to the connection of us all throughout the world.  Help us to take our thoughts captive to the loving obedience of Christ who is our strength!  Let us kick out these peace snatchers and live with renewed minds so our lights will shine and Your love will permeate the world.

Everyone has a story

Whenever I am driving or out and about doing the mundane tasks in life I cross the path's of many people.  So often I get so caught up in my task that I miss them.  How many people do we pass by every day?  And with those how many do we acknowledge?  And for those we acknowledge, how many do we consider?  My point is that every one has a story.  That person who cuts you off may be distracted with some pressing situation or just distracted because of their own daily agenda.  That burnt out cashier who doesn't even acknowledge you in any fashion of real interest may be having a very bad day or maybe has just been feeling just as invisible by their customers.  What about the rude person who cut in front of you in line?  They may have a bad marriage at home, a kid on drugs, a sick parent and are just at their whits end in stress because they are trying to take on the entire load by themselves.  Now I'm not saying these are always the cases, but what I am saying is that EVERYONE has a story.

My prayer is that I take notice of the people I pass by.  May I be sensitive to them as fellow humans and offer them kindness, a warm smile, a sincere greeting and even my place in line.  I hope to be patient and not in a rush to save myself an extra minute when I can and should sometimes give it to someone else.  Let my eyes see others with value rather than seeing myself as more valued than them.  Tug at my heart for those who may need some kind words, a genuine complement or just an aknowledgment that they are not invisible.  Maybe You can let me share a word of encouragement to someone who needs to know You care.  Whatever the situation, I pray I will be available to be Your hands or Your voice to share Your heart to these precious beings You created.  Let me be a vessel to showcase Your beautiful Love as I go about my daily duties.  May the menial tasks become missions of Your goodness.