All in the Family

If there’s one thing that I can count on, it is my family. I know that they will be there for me when I need them. I can’t ever think of a moment when they weren’t there.

As I look at my family and the relationships that I have with each individual; I can’t imagine how some families could go years without speaking to one another. Besides life and breath, the first thing that God gives us is family. Family is important. Even God calls his church, his family.  In Ephesians 1:5 it tells us that he decided in advance to adopt us into his family by bringing us to himself through Jesus. We are his children and He is our heavenly Father. 

Our family is something that we all grow to know. They are our first friends; our first view of the world and how we should be treated. Though everyone doesn’t have the perfect example of the views of this world, but it’s what has been given to us so that we may grow from it.

No one’s world is the same. Everyone was born into a different situation for a reason. Because, like the previous post, we all have a purpose, our own definition of success. Nothing is the same. We aren’t cookie cutter people. But what I will tell you is this: Without God, no family can be truly complete. If you look at those families that are of the world and not of God, you will notice how they fall apart at the seams. But those that are in the light of the Lord, hold each other up when times are tough. Pray for each other, take care of one another, love unconditionally. It’s like the Bible says in Proverbs 12:7, “The wicked die and disappear, but the family of the godly stands firm”. 

Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing me with a family. Though we may have own differences, I know that they love me and want the best for me. I thank you for adopting me to be you child, and for sending Jesus so that I may come to you for myself. I pray for each of the members in my family. Those that know you and those that are still lost in this world. Lord, I pray that you will help me bring those who have lost their way closer to you Lord, so that my family can continue to be together when we go onto glory. Protect us, cover every inch, from the sole to the tip of our heads. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.

Defining Your Success : Part Two

As we find ourselves looking at others and what they have, remember that the Lord tells us in the Ten Commandments not covet covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor (Exodus 20:17). This word “covet” means to yearn to possess or have something, which is what we do every time we scroll and compare our lives and our worldly possessions to the photos we see on Instagram. Though we are human, and we aren’t expected to be perfect as God is, it is our duty to try and not spend our time looking at other lives, but look at our own. Look through us, and define our own definition of success. I myself am still struggling with this very thing today, but I tell you, I have learned to take it one day at a time.

The success that you crave for will come. It may not come the way that you expect it, or look the way you want it to, but it will come. Because I’ve been taught that the Lord has our lives planned for us before the day we were even thought of. He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans that He has for us; plans to prosper us and not to harm us, to give you a future and a hope. So anything that is not of a hopeful nature, that doesn’t allow you to flourish, is not of God. It is Satan, turning within us, distracting us with what others are doing. The partying, the drugs, the alcohol; are not of God, they don’t make you into a better person, it creates confusion and havoc. So envying, or coveting, shall I say, those that do those things isn’t of God. We shouldn’t do it. We should focus on what our definition of success will be; what God’s plan, or destiny, is. 

He tells us in the next verse, that when we call on Him and come before him and pray to Him that he will listen to us. If we seek him we will find him if we look with all our heart. But even though, we are focusing on God and his plan for us, we also should not worry ourselves with when and how it will happen. In Matthew 6 it tells us not to worry. That there is no need for running around worrying about what will we have, the things we will eat or drink. God knows what we need in order to survive. And if we seek his kingdom and his righteousness, he will give us the things that we need and more. So, we shouldn’t worry about what will happen tomorrow or the months to come, because those days will worry about themselves. We need to focus upward and everything we need will “rain” down upon us.

Now, all of this will only happen if we truly believe that God sent his only Son to sacrifice himself for our sins. If we believe that and allow God to come into our lives, a change will occur within us that we never could expect. Then and only then could we expect that God will take care of our daily needs and worries. Only then can we expect that our definition of success could come to fulfillment. 

Don’t allow others to define what your success or failures are. Only God can do that. So when you find yourself bored and scrolling through Instagram or Facebook, don’t find yourself coveting what others have. Send a prayer their way, that they can find true happiness, not through material things, but through the Lord God. It’s not going to be easy. It doesn’t happen overnight. But one day, if you continue to pray and be obedient to God’s Word, without you noticing it will happen before your very eyes. Watch. Just watch! 

Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, thank you for this Word that you have given us today. This struggle that we have dealt with even before we knew we were struggling with it. Help us not to look at what others have and covet. Help us to instead look to you and to seek what you have for us. Lord, I pray that those that are dealing with unhappiness and depression, I pray that you whisper to them that with you everything will be all right. Lord I pray that this message as touched the right person, if it only be one, as it has touched me. Allow them to see that only you can define their success and no one else. Thank you Lord, again for your wisdom and your guidance on this post. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.

Defining Your Success: Part One

As children, we are groomed to want success. By looking at performers, athletes, actors, and other celebrities, we measure ourselves by what they have. If they have what we don’t, we strive to find a way to achieve that and more. Though the act of striving for this success is healthy, many find unhealthy ways to achieve it. Women throw themselves at men who are financially successful, hoping to land a meal ticket for the moment. Trying to have children with them so they can be taken care of financially. Men sell their souls by doing whatever they can to compete with another man. What if we lived in a world where we didn’t compete? What if we simply lived our lives according to the way we wanted and not based on what everyone else was doing? How would life be then?

Amazingly enough, through this world, there are groups of people who don’t look out into the world for their happiness! They look up and within instead! If you are one of those people you already understand what I mean; this is not for you then. 

This is for those that can’t help but flip through Instagram and Facebook, looking at what other people are flaunting, wondering how they can be like the person before them. I’m here to tell you that no one person is the same. No one person has the same journey, the same success. Though we are groomed from birth with one definition of success, we have to grow to learn that everyone will have a different type of success.

I tell you; look through Instagram one more time at the people that you’ve found yourself to envy. Whether it be your best friend or a celebrity that you’ve never met. Now sit and think. Just think about the sacrifices these people are making in order to be where they are now. That friend that is smiling in her photo, showing off the luxury she’s living in; think about this one thing: is she happy? What does she have to go through every day, constantly to get this “happiness” that she shows in her photos? Remembering conversations that you’ve had, you’ll realize that she’s not happy at all! She’s not being appreciated, she being lied to, cheated on, etc. 

Now look at yourself. Tell me…is it worth it? 

Now look at the celebrity that you idolize. The fun that they seem to be having in their photos. They are constantly drinking, partying, doing drugs, because they were told that is what you should do in order to stay relevant and be noticed (just like everyone else). Look further into their life and you’ll find that they are unhappy, that’s why they spend the insane amounts of money they do in order to try to fill the void that is within them. How can someone who has a lifestyle like that truly have any real friends? Having people constantly around them wanting something from them? Always standing there with their hand out. It could make a person unhappy and seem alone.

But there are a group of people that don’t have to worry about being alone, because they never are alone. There are those that have someone around them, watching and protecting them through the good and the bad. That someone, my friends, is God. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 13:5-6 to "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?'"

Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, thank you for this first part of defining our own success. We are learning that it is within you that we find our prosperity and with you that we find our way to our "success". Thank you for being there for us, watching over us and protecting us. Now we pray that you will guide us to the place you want us to go in our lives. You have already mapped out the plan for us, so guide our feet Lord in the direction that we may go. In Jesus's precious name I pray, Amen.

The Grateful Receiver

Laying in bed late at night, having a conversation with two of my closest friends, the subject of receiving came up. When is giving too much? When should one stop receiving? Who deserves to receive and who doesn’t? The conversation quickly turned into the selfishness of people who are receiving from another. How could one continually take from another and never reciprocate the kindness shared? As I laid in bed pondering the question, The Lord brought these profound words to me; in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, Paul writes to the Thessalonians about traditions and procedures. 

“We didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, we worked hard and struggled night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you. It’s not as though we didn’t have a right to receive support. Rather, we wanted to set an example for you to follow. While we were with you, we gave you the order: ‘Whoever doesn’t want to work shouldn’t be allowed to eat.’ …You’re not working, so you go around interfering in other people’s lives. We order and encourage such people by the Lord Jesus Christ to pay attention to their own work so they can support themselves.” (2 Thes 3:8-12)

We can’t allow ourselves to get comfortable allowing someone else to take care of us. As believers, it is our job to get up and work for the things that we are given. If you’re living with your parents, and have no way financially to pay them back; help around the house! Do the dishes, take out the trash, vacuum and mop the floors, do something! Sitting around achieving nothing all day is not the way to go. Show appreciation for the hard work that those giving to you are doing so that you may have something in your pocket. 

Though the person giving to us will be blessed for showering their blessings (Gen 12:3), it is not up to us that we continue to take from those when we have the ability to work to take care of our own needs. My belief is that no adult in their right mind, should feel comfortable taking from another continuously without working for it somehow. If this is you, then get up and do something about it. Ask that person if there is anything you can help them with. Spend quality time with them, and make them understand that you appreciate the gift that they give you. And when you get back on your feet, shower them with a blessing.

Dear Lord Heavenly Father, thank you for the word that you have given us this day. We thank you for blessing us with the people that you have brought into our lives to bless us. Lord as we pray, we ask that you give us the ability to be a blessing unto those who have given to us. And for those that are giving, we pray that your blessings continue to flow for them for selflessly giving of themselves to us. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.

Babies R' We

For some of us, God views us as whiny toddlers. When a young child has something that they want but need opened for them, they whine and cry when you take it to try to open it because they don't understand. When really all you're doing is giving them what they want! That's how God views some of us! We ask Him and plead with him for what we want but when He takes it from us to unwrap for us, we fall out crying because we don't understand. We don't understand that He's unwrapping His blessings for us and we have to be patient and wait for what He has to give. He didn't necessarily remove it from your hands because He doesn't want you to have it. He took it in order to unwrap its greatness so that you may enjoy it fully.  In Isaiah 3:10, we are assured that the righteous will have blessings coming to them. That we will taste the fruit of our labor. We just have to wait and believe that if it's what He wants for us He will open it and allow us to enjoy every bit of it.

Now if it's not for us to have...well that's a whole 'nother story altogether! If what we want is not something we should have, then as you would a child, it is taken away. But instead of taking away, we are given something better or a reason why we should not have what we want. It is then up to us, to be like toddlers and cry and whine for reason, or accept it and continue believing that God has a greater plan and purpose for us.

There are even times we allow small children to do as they please just to see how they would do things, and if they will avoid what you've warned them to avoid numerous times before. God works the same with us. It's what we like to call a "test". Like He did to those who wondered in the desert for 40 years. In Deuteronomy 8:2 it tells us that He does things in order to humble us and to test us, so that He can see whether we will wholeheartedly obey his commands. If we do what we are commanded, like you would a child, you are rewarded. If we do the exact thing we were warned against, then we are reprimanded and pay the consequences for our actions whatever those consequences may be.  

If we continue to pray and seek God He will continue to unwrap the blessings He has for us. If we are obedient to His Word, we will reap the benefits and enjoy them fully. We will be happy and have a sense of fulfillment that no man or thing could ever give us. 

Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, we thank you for blessing us with your wisdom. We thank you for unwrapping your blessings for us to enjoy fully. Lord, and for those things that is not in your will for us to have, we pray that you will give us understanding and acceptance. In Jesus precious name we pray, Amen.