Simplify

Colossians 2:5 (ESV)

For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Order is a powerful way to advance your life. Busyness is not necessarily the same as advancement. We can be busy working at the wrong things (like watching too much TV), but it’s not going to advance our lives. Not only do we need to choose the highest priorities, but we also need to be productive at bringing order to those areas.

When Adam and Eve sinned, disorder and chaos came into the world, and everyone born into sin was born with a natural tendency to buck order. You know what I am talking about–the tendency to overeat, to leave a mess behind, to be slothful in business, to allow the weeds to take over!

We don’t need to buck God’s order; we need to buck the world’s system of calling evil good and good evil, which produces chaos in life. Order comes through discipline. I know that’s not a popular word, but discipline is the road to freedom!

If we are disciplined in our finances today, we will have more opportunities tomorrow. If we put it away now, our house will be easier to keep clean. If we have the discipline to make the tougher choices today, we can celebrate victories tomorrow. Many people want to have success but they are unwilling to do what it takes to get there.

Organize your life. Clean your house. Simplify your lifestyle so that you can maintain it with order. Properly align your relationships, finances and family. Order will bring blessing!

Dear Lord, we pray that we would organize our life so that we will have the blessings that it will bring us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Time for rest

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

We have to learn to be still and know God, or there is no time to dream dreams, think of how to create them, and be present in the moment. We need perspective! It refreshes our spirits, souls, and bodies when we rest in God’s presence. It’s always hard for me to put the to-do list aside and listen, but it’s so rewarding!

One of the biggest keys to keeping your joy is to establish and protect your day off every single week. No “quick” email breaks, business calls, or meetings—as hard as that may sound. God created you for a day of rest.

When Satan realized he couldn’t tempt Jesus, the Bible says he left him to wait for an opportune time. Satan is always looking for an opportunity to tempt us—and he usually strikes when we’re worn out. When we don’t take time to rest, we set ourselves up for temptation!

Often the biggest areas where we miss it are the easiest and simplest ones to do. That’s because we expect them to fall into place naturally, but practicing the habit of rest every week takes effort. We have to be intentional about unplugging from the stress of our day-to-day and finding rest in God’s presence.

Practice self-love and you’ll reap the benefits of a happier, healthier you, as well as happier, healthier relationships!

Dear Lord, help us to take the time to rest. Help us to learn to put things on hold and just stop and talk and listen to You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

God is LOVE

"I love Star Wars."

"I love tacos."

"I love listening to praise music."

We often use the word "love" to describe the affection we feel toward a finished work ingenuity or cleverness. We see something that is well-made and call it “good.” In this way, we are like God, who marveled at his creation in the beginning:

Genesis 1:1, 10

“In the beginning, God created…and God saw that it was good.”

But God’s love doesn’t stop there. He responds to the enjoyment of something beautiful by surging forward to create yet more marvelous and satisfying things in an unending cycle.

God's love is an active force, alive and on its feet, producing new and appealing compositions. His love prompts him to produce works of art and write poems; specifically, us.

The word "poem" comes into English directly from the Greek poiema.

Ephesians 2:10

“You are God's workmanship (poiema)…”

We are God's crafted poems. We are composed in the ardor of his passion, the passion that renews and sustains all things.

Psalm 139:13

“You formed my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother's womb.”

The word "knit" calls to mind the image of a grandmother smiling to herself as she stitches together a scarf for someone she loves, humming a gentle tune as she works. That is the spirit of our origin story: affection, care, intentionality.

When we see a person freshly in love, we may say that she is “glowing.” This is what is meant in the Blessing of Aaron, “The Lord make his face to shine upon you” (Numbers 6:25).

Another person newly in love might find himself possessed by the inexplicable urge to sing, just as God sings songs over us: “He will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

We were created in love, by love, since God is himself is the very essence and epitome of love.

1 John 4:8

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:12

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”

John is saying that even though God is invisible, he can be seen most clearly through the love Christians show for one another. He's saying that the love of God radiates through us and finds its fullest, truest expression when we give and receive love; it is then "perfected in us."

In fact, the night before Jesus died, he made a point about love. He could have said so many other things. He could have commented on when communion should be taken, the proper age for baptism, or worship styles. Instead he speaks of love.

John 13:35

“By this all people will know you are my disciples, that you love one another.”

The calling of our own lives is to imitate God by pressing into the very force that brought us into being, returning love back to God and extending it outward to one another.

In other words, the essence of Christianity is this:

God is love. Love writes poems. You are God’s poems. Now go and love.

Dear Lord, fill us with your loving-kindness so that it overflows to those that You bring into our life. Help others see Your love in us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Creating Change

James 1:5 (ESV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

The best day to start creating the life you want is today!

So how do you get there? How do you move from where you are to where you want to go? These two steps are a great place to start:

1. Seek God’s advice about your situation.

In addition to reading God’s Word, you can pray for mentors, knowledge, and divine strategy on how to live your best life. Matthew 7:7 (NIV) says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Sometimes getting the answers we’re looking for simply starts with asking the questions!

2. Implement daily practical steps.

If you keep doing what you did yesterday, you’re going to keep getting yesterday’s results. Seize the moment and commit to the changes you need to make to thrive! It takes time and effort, but you’ll thank yourself three months from now.

Dear Lord, help us to create the life that You have for each of us. Help us to not live in the past put look to the future You have for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Changing your thoughts

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Changing your thoughts and controlling your emotions are not easy, but both are possible! John 8:32  says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” You can choose to put your trust in what God says about your situation instead of in your emotions.

I read a story about a lady that was pregnant with their third child, she started showing signs of a miscarriage. She said it was tempting to let her thoughts and emotions run wild. She knew that if that baby was going to live, she needed to get her emotions under control. She recalls sometime before she had written Scriptures on index cards and put them all over their house. She said she had even stuck some on the ceiling over the bed, so as she was going to bed at night, she would see the right picture. Although she battled thoughts when her circumstances spoke contrary to the promises of God, she already had the upper hand by knowing God’s truth. She says the preparation made her battle ready, and by staying on the truth, I she won. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy a few months later!

If we will stay in God’s Word, we are able to fight successfully. Don’t wait until the evil day to prepare; instead, meditate on God’s Word day and night. If an attack comes, God’s Word stored up inside of you will quench it!

Dear Lord, we thank You that we can arm our self with Your Word. We thank You that we can conquer anything when we fight the battle with You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Brave

2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

I have done some adventurous things in my life.  Some of those things include Winter camping in -17 degrees, canoeing through Canada, repelling off the side of a mountain in Colorado and I even tried cliff diving once.

I won’t lie. All of those things took guts.

There is always something that is outside of your comfort zone, and as soon as you conquer that, it’s going to be something else. So how can you be courageous enough to handle whatever comes your way? How can you be brave enough to jump off a cliff into the water?

I promise you, you can. And it’s easy!

If you want to jump off cliffs into the water, this is the one simple step you need to take—jump in the water!

Whew! That’s easy, right? No?

I’ve discovered that many people want to know how to be free from fear, but they want an answer that removes all responsibility from them. People want to hear, “Do not worry. If you say these three words, God will take over your body and do the scary stuff for you.” No matter how many times you ask the Word of God how to be courageous, you will never find that answer. You have a part to play, but remember, I said it would be easy! All you have to do is jump in the water, and God will take care of the rest. You can trust God to take care of you.

The hardest part is always just saying yes. When you understand that, jumping gets a lot easier!

Courage is doing something even when it looks scary because you know you aren’t doing it alone. All you have to do is jump—say yes, step out—and God will meet you there. Don’t worry about what comes next, just jump!

It takes courage to share God’s good News with your neighbor or the stranger you meet while out walking.  Remember to just jump in ad ask God to give you the words to say.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the courage You give us. Help to not be fearful but filled with Your love and courage so that we can do great things for You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Really happy

1 Peter 1:8 (ESV)

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.

Raising our two children was an incredible time mixed with many  adventures and overwhelming joy. I love happy families!

That joy and intense love are like the joy we feel when we experience the knowledge of the love God has for us. And even though at times it can seem a bit cloudy with all the day-to-day tasks, it’s real. There is great joy in the relationship, and we haven’t yet seen Him with our natural eyes. We see Him with the eyes of our spirit. We see Him through His Word and others’ encounters, but what will that day be like when we see Him face to face and fall into His arms, or maybe swoon at His feet before we can even get there?

He said, “I go to prepare a place for you so that where I am so will you be also.” We prepare parties, food, presents, books to read, vacations, and activities for our children because we want to express our great love for them. What joy we have in the preparation! Jesus is preparing a place for us to make our joy full when we see Him. We have joy now, but we haven’t seen anything yet! So if things seem a little rough today, don’t forget the joy of His love and the fuller experience of that joy that is yet to come!

Dear Lord, thank You for the place you are preparing for us. We want to thank You for the joy  that is waiting for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.