Tag Archive | dream

Perspective Is Everything

Oct4

Faith_HearingWhat is going on in your life right now? Are your finances dried up? Are you unemployed? Have you lost friends or family members? Have you found yourself battling sickness, depression or loneliness? Do addictions have control over you? What circumstances do you find yourself in?

I bet everyone reading those questions came up with a long list of things that are happening in their lives right now that they would like changed. What’s worse is how quickly those things popped into your head, right?!?! I’m guessing you didn’t have to think too hard on those questions before coming up with the list.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to focus on the problems than on the solutions? Why is that, do you think? Mainly because when we find ourselves battling the “issues” of life, we seem to focus on them non-stop until we figure out how to solve them. But what if I could show you that there was an easier way? Would you be willing to give it a try?

Well the good news is that there is an easier way! God tells us in Romans 10:17 that our faith comes from hearing. That is a very powerful statement if you really stop to think about it! Why should we need to grow our faith? What is faith really?

Let’s say you lost your job and are about to lose your home. What do you do? You are probably sending out your resume and talking with every person you know in trying to land a job that will provide enough funds to keep your home. Right?!?!? Not only that but you are probably under tremendous stress, worry and on the verge of being sick because of the pressure. If you don’t land a job with a high enough salary, you will lose your home. Then it will snowball to where am I going to live, how will I survive, what will I eat and on, and on, and on. Trust me I know…I’ve been there and it’s a terrible, stressful and unhappy situation to be in.

See the thing I learned throughout my difficult situations is to listen to the Word more. Building your faith is the most crucial and most important thing you could ever do when things are up against you. When you build your faith and remain strong in the Word, it won’t matter what the outcome is because you will still have the victory. Your perspective changes.

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

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When we change our perspective, we might start to realize that God is asking us to let go of something. He may be trying to change our circumstances but we have to allow things be released in order to get there. See, God knows exactly what we need, when we need it and how to get it to us. When we focus on His word it will tell us the exact opposite of the difficult situations we’re facing.

It’s all about perception! Think about it this way…

  • If you are broke…the Bible says you are prosperous!
  • If you are sick…the Bible says you are healed by His stripes!
  • If you recently buried a loved one…the Bible says they are asleep and you will be reunited in heaven.

The whole key here is to saturate yourself in the Word and get the right perspective. Listen to what God says, not what you see! You might not see the answer yet, you might not feel your healing yet…BUT whatever “it” is, I can tell you…YOU WIN!!!

And that’s the perspective you must hold onto at all times!

 

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Good Deeds or Distractions?

Sep27

pie-in-the-skyThere’s so much to be said about “destiny”. So many people think it’s “pie in the sky” or just “hopeful thinking”. But in truth…it’s so much more.

God doesn’t call everyone to be a preacher or have a huge congregation. No, God calls some to be a plumber, an electrician, a writer, a singer, a songwriter, a classroom teacher, an accountant, a construction worker and on, and on, and on.

When you truly know what God calls you to do, you quickly realize that even if it’s a small part in the big scheme of things, it brings you so much joy that it’s undeniable that you are where you are meant to be. Now at the time, you might not realize how many people you have impacted by your daily work. However, your love, smiles and joy could be the very thing that impacted them the most. You might not have ever spoken a single “Biblical” word but your impact was far greater than if you did.

I see so many Christians these days running every which direction, being so stressed out, thinking that they are doing good by participating in everything. But in all reality, they are missing their true calling. Now don’t get me wrong, we are all supposed to be loving, helpful and making a difference. But if you have over committed in too many places or in too many activities than your joy will be diminished and not as effective.

What’s worse is seeing Christians compare themselves to others. I’ve seen pastors wonder what in the world is wrong with them when their congregation only has 100 people while someone else has 5,000 each Sunday. First and foremost, never compare. God works in all of us differently and it doesn’t matter if you have one person or 10,000…it’s God who makes the difference and you might have impacted that one person far greater than the other pastor did with the 10,000.

See, when you become stressed because you’re doing “good deeds” every night of the week, how can you possibly be taking time for a deep-committed relationship with Jesus? The answer is…you can’t. You’ll be too busy thinking about all the things that need to be done in order to be here or there. You’ll be wondering how in the world you’ll get it all accomplished. You’ll wonder how you’re going to get your own laundry done or go to the grocery store. At this point, these are no longer “good deeds” but have become “distractions”.

Being overly committed is not God’s design. He wants us living balanced lives, not chaotic ones. When you are so committed to all the external works, you will not have time to work on your own “true destiny”. Your true destiny comes in many forms as outlined before. God may ask you to help out in a specific church function or become a choir singer or participate in a charity event. And that’s okay. If God leads you to participate then by all means, walk out in faith and follow God’s guidance. However, the sole purpose of this writing is to say…walk in your destiny not in “good deeds”. There is a huge difference.

If you are overly committed, the real question is why? Are you truly walking out your calling or are you trying to fill a void that only God can fill?

Christian illustrations for the whole family“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever”

(Isaiah 32:17)

Your destiny has a real sense purpose. It’s not just to be busy or being a good person or doing good things. Start questioning the true motives of all your “good deeds”. Take a real hard look at why you are filling your day with so many activities. Begin to listen to your still small voice and then make your decisions. As you start listening to the deep peace within, you’ll begin to declutter your life and things will become more balanced.

God wants you to be successful and walking into your destiny. Let God guide you every step of the way. Learn to say “No” to the distractions and say “YES” to God! For when you do, you will know you’re on His right path and you’ll accomplish much more than you ever dreamed possible.

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Are You Being Pruned?

Sep6

pruning1Have you ever wondered why people, jobs, homes or other things come and go in your life? Maybe at one point you thought you had it all…great life, fantastic friends, wonderful family, more than enough to spare and share only to see it all disintegrate in front of your eyes? Have you ever thought that it might not have been meant to hurt you but to promote you?

God’s wisdom is much higher than ours. He can use our most painful situations as a pruning process. But why?

Well basically, God uses the painful process of difficult situations to prune things from our lives that are no longer useful or to promote us higher than we see ourselves. It’s not because He wants to harm us or have us go through pain, it’s simply because he wants to strengthen us to fulfill the richest, fullest and most fruitful life He has in store for us. See, sometimes we simply hold onto “things or people” too tightly. Maybe because of the “fear of the unknown” or the memories attached; but whatever the reason, we simply won’t let go even when we know we should or even when God is prompting us to let go.

God always has a bigger purpose in mind and the only way we can see our destinies come to fruition is to let go of things or people God wants us to let go of.  It’s like a parent teaching a child to ride a bicycle. As a parent, you know that when you let go of the bike there’s a very good chance that your child is going to fall. You also know that it is a vital part of the learning process and you’ll be there when they do. God is our ultimate parent. He sees things in a much different light than we do and He also knows what’s best for His children. Let’s look at a few reasons why God may start the pruning process in our lives:

  • Sometimes things are hindering our growth. Maybe the very thing we insist holding onto is keeping us from growing further. Have you ever thought that maybe just maybe if you let go, God’s love and grace would fill the void? Is it possible that something you see as a tragedy is actually a blessing in disguise filled with the very opportunities God wishes to shower you with His goodness? If we could see things from God’s wisdom and of eternity, we might interpret these difficulties as a catapult to a higher level since God promises not to withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)
  • Sometimes God can use a difficulty to prune you from a habit, dependency or a thought that is no longer useful. Just as parents allow a child to make their own mistakes while vowing to be there when they fall…Is it possible that God allowed the difficulty to cause you to look upward towards heaven for solutions to your problems?
  • God knows we need to “die to ourselves and desires” in order for Him to use us for His purposes. We need to let go of egos, greed, selfishness, pride and many other issues before He can trust us with His great works. Sometimes difficulties can come into our lives in order for us purge ourselves and to see what we truly need…God and God alone.
  • Jesus knew that persecution and adversity would come against all believers. When you are faced with undeniable difficulties with no solutions, where do you turn? Do you seek the one who knows all? Do you ask Him for endurance to withstand the tests and hardship? Do you seek His answers above all else? Adversity comes and we need to be able to withstand them and that only comes from above. God has to be everything and in first place in your life if you truly want to be used for His purposes.
  • Sometimes hardships happen to see how the Lord will turn our grief into joy…The great Shepherd said, “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” (John 16:20) God hears your cries and feels your sorrows, however He also promises to turn your tears into joy if you will let Him.
  • Sometimes things will get worse before they get better. It’s not because God doesn’t love you. Actually, it’s just the opposite. He loves you so much that He wants you to learn how to assume greater responsibilities. If He can trust you with little then He can trust you with much more. (Luke 16:10)
  • Sometimes difficulties or tragedies might happen in order to accomplish the greater purposes of God. Maybe God wants to “show off” in your life to have others see your situation and wonder how in the world are they making it through all this; and they end up being drawn into God’s presence from your difficult situation. “Neither this blind man sinned nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:4)
  • Misunderstandings, betrayals or difficulties can be used to prune people out of your life. Sometimes God will allow a difficulty to happen so you can determine who your real friends are. People that stick by you through the hardest of times are people you wish to surround yourself with. However on the flip side…individuals who say they would be there but aren’t are certainly people who you need to be grateful for your time together but let go so God can multiply you with better, caring friends.

It’s never easy going through a pruning phase in life. It is downright painful, filled with tears and just zaps the joy from you. But does it have to be? If you can allow yourself to see the greater purpose of the pruning process, you just might allow God to “prune away” and praise Him in the process. I know it’s difficult but if you will allow it to happen to the fullest degree, you will walk away with something more amazing and more precious than you could ever have imagined. God has good things in store for you. Embrace the pruning process to see God’s possibilities come to life!

 

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Shakened Confidence?

Aug30

Angry_God's PromiseHave you ever notice that when you choose to follow Jesus…instead of finding life like a bed of roses, you seem to encounter some of the most difficult times in your lives? Is it coincidence or something else?

This year alone, two very special people in my life were called home to heaven. First, my amazing grandbaby. My son had just surprised my mom and I with an unexpected visit. His purpose was to visit mom (aka grams), pray over her and just spend some quality time with us. We had all just started getting ready for bed when his cellphone rang. The next thing I knew, we were rushing him to the airport as my daughter-in-law had been hospitalized. Unfortunately my first grandbaby, Christopher Lamar Tovar was not going to get a chance to live his wonderful life as he was called to be with the Lord instead. Within a few months, my mom was rushed to the hospital on Mother’s Day. To add insult to injury, she too was called to heaven. She had battled cancer for four very long years. She wasn’t going down without a fight. She had a warrior spirit within her that gave her courage, strength and much love through it all. She was the epitome of “fighting the good fight of faith”. But none the less, God chose to call her home.

It’s during times like these, we are reminded how valuable and special life really is. However, it’s also a time when you find yourself battling to remain rooted in faith. It’s the ultimate battle of the mind where you feel your confidence shaken to its very core? It’s about all the “why’s” in life that seem to go unanswered? It’s when doubt creeps in and you can’t seem to find stability or grasp the reasoning.

Life is a very precious commodity and none of us know how long God has us planned on this earth. It is during the unpleasant and heartbreaking situations that we can find our confidence shaken. Not just in ourselves but also in the Lord. You find yourself wondering why God did not miraculously heal them or why He didn’t show up when you expected and in the way you expected.

It’s easy to believe God is a good when everything is going our way. It’s when your faith and confidence is shaken so badly you truly find out what you believe. You will either believe He is truly there no matter what you face, or you will believe that you must being doing something wrong because things aren’t working out, or worse…you will begin to wonder if God really exists.

We will have trials and tribulations in our lives. Good and evil happen to us all. However, our God is a loving and caring God. He wants our lives filled with love, kindness, happiness and wholeness. He wants the absolute best for you; actually more than you can imagine. We might not understand why bad things happen…BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS…when you find yourself in battles that are beyond your comprehension…you have someone who understands it even when you don’t. You have someone that will provide you the strength and perseverance to get through it when you’re struggling to get your head off the bed.

God’s plan is bigger and higher than we can imagine. We don’t have to understand it. We don’t have to go through it alone. Instead, we can tell God exactly how we feel and He will understand. He wants you to enjoy life. Stop trying to figure it all out! Some things we may not understand until we find ourselves in heaven. Our loved ones will be waiting for us. They have been blessed to be called home sooner than we are. They have completed their course no matter how big or small their time was here on Earth. They no longer have the cares of this world. Instead they are with the Creator of the Universe and that’s a pretty amazing thing, isn’t it?

We must choose every day if we are going to believe every word of the Bible or just pick and choose scripture that we like. Will you follow God’s lead and choose to walk it out no matter what you face? Will you be bold against all odds? Will you be like David, Job, Joseph, Paul or Ester who went through difficult times yet found the strength to overcome? Just because things don’t seem to be working out like you thought, it doesn’t mean God has turned His back on you. Don’t fall into the negativity traps of the mind. Your faith is a necessary component to manifesting and healing. Choose your path wisely and choose to stand on the Word of God. You are more powerful than you think! There is always a time to mourn, to dance, to love, to care, and most importantly, a time to fulfill your destiny. Be an overcomer today! You are a child of the Most High!  Your confidence is not in your circumstances but in the Lord Almighty!

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Hebrews 10:35-36 “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.”

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.”

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 “And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Note: Please disregard any advertisement you may encounter under this posting as the author does not endorse them. Thank you.