Glorify God

1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. 2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.- Proverbs 27:1-2

43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. - John 12:43

As I stated in the previous post (Never Enough), we should not care what other thinks of us, yet it is better for other people to praise us, than ourselves. When I said that I will only care about what God or I think of me, I got it wrong. I should only care what God thinks of me, because I am made of sin as others are and I will judge my actions through justification as opposed to the condition of my heart as God will judge me. This life is not about other people but about glorifying God. At a devotional group I attend every Wednesday, a girl named Brooke stated the most life changing statement I have heard to date:  "does this action, no matter how small, glorify God?" If you happen to see a piece of paper on the floor and don't pick it up, how did that action glorify God? I doesn't, it shows laziness (something attacked heavily in Proverbs) and a lack of care about what God has provide you with in this world. The image we want to possess in regard to those around us, the facade that we want to uphold, is only as strong as our relationship with God. When we want to glorify Him and only Him, people will hate you, get used to it. "You cannot serve two masters" has more than one meaning. It not only means money, but self image, others, work, family, self preservation, or anything else in this world that is not Him. 

Never Enough

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when their right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

For every time I have said that I was never enough for someone else, I have only hindered myself more. I say this because the question is not if you are good enough for people; the question is are you good enough for yourself and God.  


When it comes down to it, you know who you ultimately want to be. You know who you are now, and you know that you are far from what you want to be (or at least most of us have this feeling). I cannot express to you everything that I want to change about myself; however, those things I want to change make me approachable to someone else. They allow me to speak to others when they need it most. They allow me to understand where others are coming from. Do I still not like those things about myself, of course! I still want to change those things for the better because stagnation will get me nowhere! When I am comfortable with where I'm at in life, this is when it needs to change. Only fools and wise men never change and to say that you are wise makes you a fool because a wise man knows he knows nothing. Thus, I must change, I must have a constant change in my life. Because of that change, I will always be enough in that moment for what I am supposed to be. 


I want a closer relationship to God, one that is exponentially growing. I do not want that relationship to sit idle while I continue on a path that will lead to destruction. A path that I think is the right road may lead to death; thus, I must focus on the one, true God and make that, always, the focus of my life. I do not want this relationship to be stagnate as those from my younger years were. Those relationships grew apart, they are no longer friends, significant others, or acquaintances, they are just a distant memory. This cannot be my relationship with God! My relationship with Him should be ever increasing, ever stronger, and eternal. Thus, the only way I am "never enough" is if I let my relationship with God become stagnate by only worrying about the people who can only do so much damage in this life time. If I let the people in my life rule my relationship with God, if I let other things become more important, if I let my anger, pride, inability to let go of stupid competitive characteristics, or having to be right come in between that relationship, then, and only then, am I not good enough. I must remember that individuals that surround me do not help me in the end, only God can help me, yet he will judge not only my actions, but my heart as well. I must focus on God and become good enough for Him, not you.

If I can talk to others everyday, I can talk to God

Hesitation

Where in life do you hesitate? Is it at work before you hand your boss the big project you been working on hoping it is correct? Is it at school as you write the essay or fill in the bubble hoping it is the right answer? Do you hesitate with your family wondering if you should tell them about how you may lose your job? Do you hesitate around your children thinking that you have to be the best example for them and to keep them sheltered so they do not know the evil in the world? Do you hesitate with God?

To hesitate, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is as follows:

Definition of HESITATE

1: to hold back in doubt or indecision

2: to delay momentarily: pause

I find that, in my life, I hesitate in relationships. I wonder if I’m making the right decisions in regards to the type of relationships I have with certain individuals. I wonder if my relationship with God is strong enough to make it through the roughest circumstances; would I be like Job? I wonder if I am a good example for those who are searching for hope, love, and faith around me. I wonder if I am making disciples who make disciples or if I am just talking in one ear and out the other. I wonder if what I say matters or if it could change a life. I wonder if what I say affects my relationships in a negative way – what would happen if I talk about God around this person, what would they think? My hesitation come from fear; fear of not being good enough.

1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker [leather worker] as they were, he stayed and worked with them.4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." 7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not [stop] be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." (Acts 18: 1-10)

To the man that many believe to be just like Peter, a rock, God saw his fear: his hesitation. Paul in his daily life (work- not just a disciple, but a leather worker-, church, and his neighborhood) spoke the word of God, yet he was afraid of something for God to speak to it. However, in verses 9 and 10, God gives Paul comfort with three commands and three promises:

1.                   Do not [stop] be afraid	For I am with you
2.                   Keep on speaking	And no one is going to attack and harm you
3.                   Do not be silent	Because many people in this city belong to me

God tells us not to worry about what might happen and who will say or do what, He says continue to speak about Him. We are designed to speak His name in praise and to make disciples who make disciples. This does not mean make a clone of you!! This means make people who are so fired up about God that they have to share what God is doing in their life to everyone else.

Do not be afraid is said more than 70 times in the Bible. Do not be afraid for God is with you! Inspire others to not hesitate and realize that there is no need to hesitate for fear of anything in this world. This world will pass and you will pass also, God is forever and eternity. Cling to Him and care not what this world can do to you. Though it is easier said than done (trust me, I know) we must reach to God as He holds on to us.  

Caring

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” -  Leo F. Buscaglia

Humans go through so much on a daily bases. Many of us know how to hide the daily struggles that we face and put on an indifferent facade to the world. We can go through life just getting by to make it to the end and say that we've lived; however, there is much more than what is shown on the surface. 

Like an Ice Burg, we only shows a small fraction of who we are, what we think, and how we feel. The things that we don't show can weigh us down more until we really don't want to show the world any of who we really are at all. Because we, as humans, are just like Ice Burgs, we should take care to realize that others are just as much in pain, turmoil, lust, fear, love, hate, thought, dismay, and guilt as the rest of us. If we remember that someone may have it worse than ourselves, we may realize that the house that doesn't have a pool is better than a card board box. The car that runs is better than walking 20 miles to get to the only job you can get, or that having a job at McDonald is better than no job at all. When we realize that others have it harder than we do, when we realize that we will never be happy if we fail to appreciate what we already have, we will learn to care for others more than for ourselves. When one makes their life all about themselves, what does that really do for anything? When we are in it for ourselves, we walk on others and they will not help us in our time of need, we will be left in the dust as we cry if we ignore the cries of others (Proverbs 21:13).

When you recognize what you hide from the world, what I hide from the world, you will be more apt to care about what others are going through. When others give you a kind word, does it not make things "feel" better? When you think everything is going wrong and one person tries to help, does it not make it "feel" better? We need to -- yes, me too-- realize that just because the person across the room smiles quickly as you pass by, it does not mean that they happy, they could have it harder than you. Care for others and you will be cared for when you need it most. If you are able to help, if it is no skin off your back to help others, why not help and make a life change forever?

"Penny's Song" - Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blogs

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Here's a story of a girl
Who grew up lost and lonely
Thinking love was fairy tale
And trouble was made only for me

Even in the darkness every color can be found
And every day of rain brings
Water flowing
To things growing in the ground

Grief replaced with pity
For a city barely coping
Dreams are easy to achieve
If hope is all I'm hoping to be

Any time you're hurt
There's one who has it worse around
And every drop of rain will keep you growing
Seeds you're sowing in the ground

So keep your head up, Billy, buddy

Imperfections

God didn't choose us because we are perfect, He chose us because, through our imperfections, we can grow and show the world what He can do. 

I realize that I am not perfect. I am short, come from a somewhat dysfunctional family, and have more insecurities than I have reasons for; however, every single imperfection I have, God has placed within me to enable me to show, through my growth, what He is capable of.

If Jesus chose 12 Pharisees to be His disciples, they would have "known it all." They would have doubted the rebellion that Jesus showed against the norm. Because He chose the tax collector, the habitual liar, the fishermen, the uneducated, and the poor He was able to show that with Him, we can do anything with Him.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.- Philippians 4:13

 Though I have imperfections, insecurities, and fears I will not allow those things overshadow that which God can accomplish in my life. With Him by my side, I can accomplish the things that He has placed in my path to do, the things that I say "I can't do that" to.

Remember always that God knows what imperfections He gave you. He knows that you fear or worry what could become of you due to those imperfections. However, He will use every imperfection for His good and for His glory which He does deserve!

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 "Can't" - Edgar A. Guest

Can't is the worst word that's written or spoken;
Doing more harm here than slander and lies;
On it is many a strong spirit broken,
And with it many a good purpose dies.
It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each morning
And robs us of courage we need through the day:
It rings in our ears like a timely-sent warning
And laughs when we falter and fall by the way.

Can't is the father of feeble endeavor,
The parent of terror and half-hearted work;
It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,
And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.
It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,
It stifles in infancy many a plan;
It greets honest toiling with open derision
And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a man.

Can't is a word none should speak without blushing;
To utter it should be a symbol of shame;
Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;
It blights a man's purpose and shortens his aim.
Despise it with all of your hatred of error;
Refuse it the lodgment it seeks in your brain;
Arm against it as a creature of terror,
And all that you dream of you some day shall gain.

Can't is the word that is foe to ambition,
An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;
Its prey is forever the man with a mission
And bows but to courage and patience and skill.
Hate it, with hatred that's deep and undying,
For once it is welcomed 'twill break any man;
Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
And answer this demon by saying: "I can."

Life's Tests - Will You Pass?

Throughout life, we will be given tests. Christians, as I said in my last post, will be tested and tested in their faith; however, that doesn't mean we should give up!

In the last couple of days, I have gotten some disheartening news in regards to my college education. I found out that, even though all 62 credits transferred to my new college, most of them transferred in as elective credits. This being said, some of these credits were transferred in as a direct match to a class that was needed in my new college; however, many of the ones that I needed to transfer in correctly in order to have fulfilled my general education requirements will have to have a petition to prove what I actually learned in the classroom so that it will count at my new college. After receiving this news, I must say that I was so disheartened I began to cry in front of my academic adviser as I thought all my credits transferred and I could continue in the manner as I did in my old college. Also, because of my late date of registration for my classes, I am stuck with full classes and the knowledge that now, because some of my credits won't transfer properly, I will not be able to take my Accounting 301 course; this sets me behind a semester in itself -- not to mention what will happen if the petitions or the syllabuses don't come through for me

Now that I have explained a bit of my problem, I will share with you my lesson.

Before my transformation, I was a worrier. I would stress and stress until my life was consumed with the problem and I wouldn't let it go until it was resolved. While I was speaking to my mother earlier, I recognized myself going back to this. I started to try to fix everything my way, I wanted the classes my way, I wanted to have these classes my way. I lacked the trust that God would take care of my situational needs in that I need to take English 295 and I need my Communication classes to either transfer properly or I must retake it this semester. I have to have other classes, but these two and my statistics class not transferring properly and are keeping me from entering into my major and, thus, I will be a semester behind. I didn't trust that God would find a way to get me into these classes or that he would provide the means for me to get through them. While my trust and faith in God has grown so much, I still am weak. When my hand gets weak and tired, His still has a hold! I was just thinking about this and calmed my heart. Trusting that God will open a door before He closes one. Trusting that no matter what happens, it is in His plan. Trusting that He will provide what I need! I will continue to look for open classes and I will continue to try to get my past syllabuses; however, no matter the outcome, I will trust in God as His way is the path that I will follow; not my own.

In regards to a pass or fail, I'm not sure what you would want to call this. I could have failed, like so many times before, because I lacked the faith and trust in Him. I could have passed because I realized my fault. Either way, an error has been made, and I tried to take back control.


I will leave you with this:
When you are weak and weary, when you feel like you have nothing left to give and you have failed, God will carry you! He will bring you back to the path that you were meant to be on. He will throw things that are to help you realize your faults, not as a slam, but as a helpful hand. Though the unknown are before you, don't let that keep you from Him. Run to Him, all eyes on Him and you will prevail, unlike I did for the past couple of days. We all stumble, we shouldn't rely on others to help us get back up, but we can rely on Him!

Understanding

21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand ? 22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24 And he looked up , and said , I see men as trees, walking . 25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up : and he was restored , and saw every man clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his house, saying , Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. (Mark 8: 21-26)

 In the Gospel of Mark, Mark tells a story of a blind man from Bethsaida. Though this is a miracle preformed by Jesus as He healed the blind man, there is much more to this story than what meets the eye. 

Within this story, Jesus lays His hands on the blind man twice after asking His disciples why they do not understand who He is and what He is meant to do.  Now, we know that Jesus doesn't make mistakes; thus, there had to be a reason that he would spit on his eyes and only have the man see men like trees that walk. The reason is this, we cannot just see the miracles that Jesus preformed and believe that He is what He said he is, thus the reason for the "do not tell anyone what has happened here" verse. We have to realize that our belief in Him is a two part play. First, we need to believe in His goodness, mercy, helpfulness, and grace. We need to see His miracles happen in our lives and believe that they are miracles. However, if we only do this, we only get half the picture; nothing is clear when you only get half of it. Thus, the second part is that we have to understand and see His death and resurrection. While we, now days, cannot physically see the death and resurrection of Christ, we can understand it. As we read the Bible, to not only skim over or hurry through the beating, but to feel the pain that He felt and understand what you are worth to Him. Then we must see the resurrection! The new life and breath that we are blessed with each day. This is the two part story. 

To have seen and to believe is one thing, to have never seen and to still believe is quite another. 
"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed : blessed are they that have not seen , and yet have believed ." (John 20: 29)  If we are blessed, as the scripture says, then we must believe with a right mind and a right heart. We cannot merely remember the good and forget the agony; we cannot, as Christians, pretend that they world should love us! They should hate us for being different, they should criticize us and jeer at us! However, we would prefer to be liked and forget the pain and agony that Christ went through to give us life in order for our pain to stop. Who are we to forget that this is more than just miracles, this is also about trusting Him to get you through any pain. 

This two part story is like our two part lives. We only are Christian when it fits us to be so; yet, we want to be so much like the world that we lose site of the Almighty. To be a Christian we must understand that we will go through more pain and have more criticism than others that are "normal." We will have people against us as He had people against Him. If we don't have people against us, we aren't Christians, we are worldly.