God’s Point of View – Part Three

Influenced by Others

Perspective can come from others as they speak truth into our lives. We all need people to be honest with us and encourage us to have a better outlook on life situations. Perspective changes everything! God never said we do life alone. He brings people into our lives for us to see our circumstances differently. When we are in the midst of chaos, our thoughts are jumbled and nothing makes sense. When we have someone feeding encouragement and positivity into our lives, we begin to change our perspective over our circumstances. The negative thoughts turn into positive thinking.

God also influences us by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in and through us to think and act more like Jesus. The more we seek and trust God with our lives, the more we will see through His eyes and not our own. His view is broader than ours. In His perspective, we will see His will for our lives and anticipate what the future holds for us. God works in us to change our perspective on life through reading the Bible and prayer.

Application:

The way you see life is vital to your Christian walk. Does your attitude get in the way of showing Jesus to the world? Do your emotions get the best of you and you speak out of anger and frustration? Is there anyone you know that you can trust and confide in to speak truth over your life?

It is important to have God’s perspective over your life. All these questions above are a great way to reevaluate your life to see whether or not your thoughts and emotions are Christ-like. Are you seeing through God’s perspective or your own?

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God’s Point of View – Part Two

OUR ATTITUDE

Our attitude towards something or someone is all about perspective. The way we look at a situation can determine the outcome. If we have a positive outlook, we will make the best of our situation. If we have a negative outlook, we will be too defeated to overcome the obstacle and try to avoid it at all cost.

Bruce Enns says that “our lives are much like rivers. They seldom go in a straight line for very long. We adapt to the ongoing changes in our life circumstances, some of which come at us suddenly and others, very gradually.” As Christians, we are not promised that we will have a perfect life with no conflict or heartache. Life circumstances cannot always be predicted or explained. Sometimes tragedy hits, and we have to make a difficult decision. Do we automatically think the worst and see no good in the situation. Or do we spend time with God seeking His hope and trusting in Him that everything will be okay? Do we blame God or others when life is not going our way?

We all have made rash decisions and created negative thinking over a situation. At times, we even blamed God or others for what happened in our lives. I am guilty of this mentality numerous times. God is continuously working on me to seek Him first before making a false accusation or creating negative mindsets. Matthew 6:33 says to “seek first [God’s] kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

How many times have we made an irrational decision or spoke out of anger towards someone? We did not allow God to handle the situation for us, but, instead, worked in our flesh. Our actions will always have consequences when we do not let God handle the situation His way.

How we handle a situation matters. It matters how we approach others. It matters what our thoughts are in the midst of conflict. Our attitude plays a big role of who we are as Christians. People watch what we do and say to see whether or not we are living a Christian lifestyle. Our actions and words must be Christ-like to show the world who Jesus is.

God’s Point of View – Part One

INTRODUCTION

As we grow in our Christian walk, our perspective on life changes drastically. God’s perspective can be compared to looking through “a telescope” (Merriam-Webster.com). God continues to adjust the lens until we see a clear view of the object. The clearer the view, the closer we are to God. When we come to Christ, He will gradually transform us into His image.

We begin to see how God sees. In the Book of Psalm, chapter 119, verse 18, it says, “open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.” When we spend time with God and read His Word, we will get to know His heart and see God’s point of view over worldly matters. Our hearts will be filled with His compassion, and He will show us His desires of this world.

Rick Warren wrote an article in December of 2012 called, “Develop God’s Perspective on Life.” He talks in great detail of God’s perspective and defines perspective as “understanding something because [we] see things from a larger frame of reference. It is the ability to perceive how things are interrelated and then judge their comparative importance. […] In the spiritual sense, it means seeing life from God’s point of view.”

I Declare…

A good friend of mine bought me a bracelet a few weeks ago that had the words, I DECLARE, in big bold letters.  In smaller letters the words around the bracelet says:

PEACE
OVERFLOW
HEALING
STRENGTH
JOY
WISDOM
FAVOR
VICTORY
NEW BEGINNINGS
FREEDOM
CONFIDENCE
BLESSING
LEGACY

My friend gave me this bracelet when I needed it the most.  I felt defeated, frustrated, and confused.  I could not see God in my situation.  This bracelet reminded me that God is not in the confusion but in the promises.  He wants us to stand strong against opposition.  He wants us to crush the enemy and stay strong in our faith.

What do you need to declare today?
Do you need to declare peace over your life?
Do you need to believe in God’s healing emotionally and physically?
Do you need confidence to take another step forward with Christ?
Do you need to seek freedom in areas that imprison you?
Do you need to declare God’s victory over your life?
I repeat: What do you need to declare today?

In that moment, I needed to declare that I am not defeated, and I am not alone in my journey.  I declared who Jesus was in my life.  I declared that God is my healer.  I declared that God is the only one that can take me out of bondage and give me favor, blessings, and freedom through Him.

You see, words have power!  Words can conquer anything as long as you believe that they are true!  Do you believe what you say?  Do you have faith that God can do the impossible?  Do you believe…

We are not defeated.
We are not broken.
We are victors in Christ!
We are made whole in Christ!
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT TODAY!!!

A Leader Isn’t Just The Person In Charge, They Empower

A good friend of mine wrote this blog. I thought this blog had a great message that everyone needs to read. A leader is someone who empowers you to do great things!

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If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. -John Quincy Adams

For a while, I thought that being a leader was the person who was just in charge. They made sure there was no chaos among the employees and went about giving orders even when they did not know exactly what they were doing.

This belief came from one of my first jobs. It was as a shift leader at a local fast food taco-style joint. I took the job as a favor from a friend who was the district manager over several of the sames restaurants in the area. I was all set to learn from the store’s manager who I will call Johnny. Let me just tell you, Johnny was not the teaching kind.

He was constantly late, hung over, and very mad at the world. He…

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Rejoice Always

Do you find that seeking joy in your life is sometimes difficult and, at times, seems impossible to achieve? Life can feel like a rollercoaster with the ups, downs, twists, and turns. We all encounter challenges in our lives. Seeking joy has to be intentional. It is not something that happens naturally.

According to the world’s point of view, joy is “a feeling of great happiness” and the “success in doing, finding, or getting something” (Merriam-Webster.com). The world defines joy as “great happiness.” Joy and happiness are two very different emotions that need to be understood from the Christian point of view. As Christians, God defines joy differently. The definition of joy in Biblical terms is a “state of mind and an orientation of the heart. It is a settled state of contentment, confidence, and hope. It is something or someone that provides a source of happiness.” (www.theopedia.com/Joy).

Joy is not an emotion but a choice. We choose to have joy, no matter the circumstance. Happiness is an emotion that puts us on a rollercoaster mentality that creates ups and downs in our lives. “Joy isn’t just a smile or a laugh. Joy is something that is deep within and doesn’t leave quickly” (www.theopeida.com/joy). Joy does not waver but stands firm when we face difficult situations.

In the Book of James, chapter one, verses 2 through 3, it says to “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” How many times do we find ourselves not enjoying life? It could be from complacency in our careers, relationships, family, and so forth. How do we react when life is not going our way? Do we complain about our situations? Do we make ourselves and those around us miserable?

When we have no joy, the words we say are negative and our actions are not reflecting Christ-like mannerisms. Jesus brought hope and faith into the world. During the Christmas holidays, we sing a song called, “Joy to the World.” The song lyrics are “Joy to the World! The Lord has come.” The Lord is joy!

The word joy “appears 88 times in the Old Testament in 22 books; 57 times in the New Testament in 18 books” (www.theopida.com/Joy). Jesus lived by the fruit of the Spirit.  Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. If Jesus is joy and He speaks on joy throughout the Bible, then it is important to seek joy in our lives. God wants us to experience joy. He does not want us to trudge through life defeated and depressed. He wants us to live life to the fullest! The Lord says to “rejoice in [Him] always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

Application:

Are you seeking joy in your life? What are some areas that you need to work on to find joy rather than seek happiness in? Do you seek the Lord’s joy when life is not going your way or do you seek temporary happiness to fill the void?

I encourage you to spend some time with God and reflect on the questions above. Write down what God is telling you through prayer. Write down Scripture that will encourage you to seek God’s joy over your life.

Conquering Your Fears – Part Two

JESUS CALMS THE STORM

In the Book of Mark, chapter 4, verses 35 through 41, Jesus was on a lake in a boat with His disciples. “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion” while a storm was brewing outside (verse 38). The disciples were uneasy and fearful when they saw that the winds were gaining strength and the waves were swaying the boat back and forth. The disciples abruptly woke Jesus up from a deep sleep asking, “’Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’” (verse 38). “[Jesus] got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm” (verse 39).

After Jesus calmed the storm, He turned to His disciples and asked them, “’why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’” (verse 40). The disciples “were terrified and asked each other, ‘who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!’” (verse 41).

We can all relate to this story and understand why the disciples were fearful. They did not understand how Jesus could sleep in the midst of the storm. They felt that Jesus had forsaken them, and they were about to die. Sometimes in life we feel like we are in the midst of a storm. Our lives are full of chaos and confusion, and we see no way out of the situation. We allow our emotions to override our faith. We become fearful and uncertain of the outcome. We beg for God to wake up and quiet the storms in our lives.

God is asking us “why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”. Life is full of uncertainties, but the one thing that remains the same is God’s love for us. He will never forsake us. He is right beside us in the midst of our life’s storms.

“We are more than conquerors through [God] who love[s] us” (Romans 8:37). As we continue to grow in Christ, He equips us with everything we need to conquer our fears. We can conquer anything through Jesus Christ our Lord. He will calm the raging seas in our lives and give us His peace with just one command.

Application:

Fear is an obstacle in everyone’s life that must be conquered through Christ. What are some of your fears? What hinders you from moving forward in life? Write them down and pray that God will give you peace over these situations. I encourage you to ask God to help you conquer these fears with His guidance. He wants you to live a victorious life and let go of the fears that hold you back from fully walking with Him.

In This World There Will Be Trouble

It is so easy to say statements like:
“When it rains, it pours!”
“Trouble never comes alone!”

I try to avoid thinking or even saying those statements, because they bring negativity into your life. When storms are brewing all around you and life seems impossible, the best place to be is in Jesus’ arms seeking peace and comfort. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  God says there will be trouble, but we are conquerors through Him.

The past seven months have been a struggle, and I am thankful that I have godly people in my life to encourage me and walk this journey out with me. I have dealt with disappointment, financial needs, medical issues, and spiritual warfare. The enemy has tried to destroy me with insecurities to break me and make me lose my hope in Christ. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Sometimes I feel empowered and can conquer the world. My faith has not wavered during this time. I realize the struggle is real, and satan does everything in his power to tear you down. I want this journey to be a testimony for others to see that you can find strength and hope in the midst of chaos. The only way to find hope in the middle of the circumstances is to find God’s peace over your life.

I found some quotes that were encouraging:

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” — Thomas Paine

“Life is difficult for everyone; everyone has bad days. Everyone has trouble in their life, because it doesn’t matter how rich you are: Sickness and trouble and worry and love, these things will mess with you at every level of life.”– Domhnall Gleeson

Finally we must realize that, “storms don’t last forever.”

These are moments in our lives that can define us. How we handle the situation can build our character and strengthen our walk with the Lord.  It’s a choice!  Do we fight the battle of life with God on our side or do we fight alone?  As long as we have God fighting the battle with us, it is a guaranteed victory.  We fight with strength and endurance and never grow weary.  Isaiah 40:31 says, “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” 

Life may be hard and sometimes overwhelming, but, with God, He will continue to give us the strength we need to conquer our troubles and not be defeated!

Conquering Your Fears – Part One

INTRODUCTION

Fear is part of everyday life. It is something we all experience. The definition of fear, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “to be afraid of something or someone” and “to expect or worry about something bad or unpleasant.”

What are your fears? What is holding you back from living life to the fullest? In our mind, these fears are real and hinder us from moving forward in life. It might be the fear of rejection. This fear keeps us from meeting new people, and we isolate ourselves. It might be the fear of failure. It hinders us from trying try new things, and we miss out on great opportunities for individual and spiritual growth. Whatever the fear may be, it does not have to control our lives.

Fear has no stronghold when we fully trust God. Fear is another tactic satan uses to tear us down and tell us we are weak and defeated. When we live in Christ, we live in victory. John Hagee said, “We prepare for victory or defeat at the very start of each day. When [we] get up in the morning, [we] have to set [our] mind in the right direction.” One way to start our day as a victor is by spending time with God. Whether it is reading the Bible or praying, we are receiving God’s strength and courage to face the day.

We are all overcomers through Christ. First John 5:4-5 says that “everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Through Jesus’ death, God conquered the world and defeated the devil. John 16:33 tells us that, “in this world [we] will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

To overcome something difficult in our lives is “to successfully deal with or gain control of” the situation (Merriam-Webster.com). The only way to gain control over a situation is to give our worries and doubts to God. We must put our faith and trust in Him. God never ceases to amaze me when I see how He works miracles in my life. Psalm 63:2 declares, “I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory.” The All-powerful God wants to remove our worries and replace them with hope.

God’s love is perfect in every way. First John 4:18 says, “there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” According to this Scripture, if God is perfect love and God works through us, then fear is removed from our lives. He gives us His confidence to conquer our fears. I encourage you to wake up each day with a renewed mind and the knowledge of who Christ is before stepping out into the world.

The world is full of lies, and we must protect ourselves by putting on God’s armor. The armor of God is talked about in the Book of Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 10 through 18. In verses 10 through 12, it says to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.   Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” As Christians, our struggle is with “flesh and blood” and “of this dark world.” In verses 13 through 17 states, “therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.   Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This is a Scripture to memorize and recite daily to remain in God’s confidence for our lives.

Seeking Hope

What do we put our hope in? Do we put our hope in the world or in Christ? The world’s definition of hope is “to want something to happen or be true and think that it could happen and be true” (Merriam-Webster.com). “The Biblical definition of hope is ‘confident expectation’” (www.gotquestions.org/hope-Bible.html). Romans 8:24-25 says that “for in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” The hope we are looking for is from the Lord (Psalm 39:7).

The hope from the Biblical perspective “is not simply [an] emotion, attitude, or a feeling. It is confidence that defines us […] Christians don’t define hope so much as live it—in our daily decisions, our routine obedience […] our integrity” (Darrell L. Guder).

We all need hope in our lives. God’s hope carries us through difficult times when we are ready to give up. Hope keeps our dreams alive when the world says God has forsaken us. It diminishes fear and gives us strength to continue our journey with God.

The world does not offer hope. It offers false standards of what is expected of us to succeed in life. Hope in God is possible, because He has already equipped us to succeed. He is in front of us preparing the way. Deuteronomy 31:8 says that “the Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

When we put our hope in Christ, it changes our outlook on life. It changes the way we see our past, present, and future. It fills us with joy and expectation to what is to come. Hope builds our faith while waiting for God to fulfill His promises in our lives. Romans 12:12 states that we need to “be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

The only way to have hope is to trust God whole-heartedly. Romans 15:13 is a simple prayer but, yet, a very power Scripture. I encourage you to take a moment and say this prayer to God: “may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

In the Bible, the Book of Hebrews, chapter 11, it speaks about how “faith is confidence in what we hope for” (verse 1). For us to have God’s hope in our lives, we must have faith that God never breaks His promises. The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews declares who God is throughout the Old Testament. God worked through people’s lives to bring others to Christ. The Bible characters Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and so forth are all great role models on how to be a faithful Christian. They put their hope in Christ (Hebrews 11:4-38). In verse 39, it says, “these were all commended for their faith.”

Faith, hope, and trust work together to build our relationship with God. Hope is an important part of our spiritual growth. God’s hope cannot be compared to any other. “Christian hope is rooted in faith in the divine salvation in Christ” (www.gotquestions.org/hope-Bible.html).

Chris Tomlin, a contemporary Christian worship leader and songwriter, started his career in 2001 and continues to touch lives with his music. Tomlin sings a popular song called, “In Christ Alone,” and the lyrics go in depth of God’s hope. It says:

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love
What depths of peace
When fears are stilled
When strivings cease

My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand

What are you hoping for today? Are you hoping for a dream to come true? Are you hoping for peace and comfort? Are you hoping for a new career? Whatever it may be, hope for God’s best for your life!