John 15:13 tells us, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13). Of course, this scripture is talking about the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made to pay the price so that we can spend eternity with Him. But every day, we have the opportunity to "lay down" ourselves for the people in our lives. Making sacrifices and giving to others of our time, abilities and resources is how we show our love. It's easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day activities of life. Most people spend their days maxed out, but we have to make the effort to communicate our love to our family and friends.
Novelist Katherine Anne Porter once wrote, "Love must be learned and learned again; there is no end to it." In other words, love should not remain the same year after year; love is supposed to grow. Relationships evolve over time, people change over time, and our love should strengthen and grow over time, too. The apostle Paul prayed that our love would abound and grow in knowledge and depth of insight. That tells me that we cannot put our love on autopilot. If we put our love on autopilot and trust that the people in our lives will simply "know" that we love them, our relationships will not grow or be as fruitful as they were intended to be. That's why it's so important to make every effort to keep strong connections in our relationships.
Today, find a new way to show someone you care. Do something out of your comfort zone. Ask God to give you a creative idea and be willing to stretch yourself. It can be as simple as leaving a note or doing something extraordinary around the house. When you lay down your old ways and old ideas, that's when new growth will come to your life personally and to your relationships. Dare to make others a priority in your life and let that greater love come forth out of you!
Showing posts with label God's message. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's message. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
The Source of Boldness
Proverbs 28:1 tells us that "the righteous are as bold as a lion." The only way you're going to have the boldness God wants you to have is to know that you are righteous. When you know who you are in Christ, when you know that God is smiling down on you and your sins are forgiven, that's when you're going to hold your shoulders back and have the boldness and confidence that God really wants you to have.
Being made righteous doesn't mean that we'll always be perfect. It doesn't mean that we'll never make mistakes. But when you have a heart after God, when you have a desire to please Him, when Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then you are righteous by your faith in Him. You have been born into God's very own family. You didn't do anything to earn this righteousness; it's simply a gift, and you have to learn how to receive it.
So many people struggle in this area of righteousness. They carry around guilt and condemnation. They feel wrong on the inside like they don't deserve anything from God. People who made mistakes in the past, and they have prayed and asked God to forgive them. They're very sincere. They've done their part. But they're still holding on to guilt. It's like a dark cloud follows them around everywhere they go. We have to understand that God doesn't work in an attitude of guilt and condemnation, He works where there's an attitude of faith. He works when we have an expectant heart.
If you've made mistakes in the past, don't fall into that old trap; instead, put your shoulders back and go to God boldly. Receive His righteousness by faith. Receive His mercy and refuse to wallow around in guilt and condemnation. You are worthy because of what Jesus did over 2000 years ago. You are forgiven, and you are redeemed. His mercies are new and fresh every morning!
Today, shake off your old rags of guilt and condemnation and put on your robe of righteousness. Be all that God has called you to be and go out with boldness and expectation, ready to receive all the blessings He has in store for you!
Being made righteous doesn't mean that we'll always be perfect. It doesn't mean that we'll never make mistakes. But when you have a heart after God, when you have a desire to please Him, when Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then you are righteous by your faith in Him. You have been born into God's very own family. You didn't do anything to earn this righteousness; it's simply a gift, and you have to learn how to receive it.
So many people struggle in this area of righteousness. They carry around guilt and condemnation. They feel wrong on the inside like they don't deserve anything from God. People who made mistakes in the past, and they have prayed and asked God to forgive them. They're very sincere. They've done their part. But they're still holding on to guilt. It's like a dark cloud follows them around everywhere they go. We have to understand that God doesn't work in an attitude of guilt and condemnation, He works where there's an attitude of faith. He works when we have an expectant heart.
If you've made mistakes in the past, don't fall into that old trap; instead, put your shoulders back and go to God boldly. Receive His righteousness by faith. Receive His mercy and refuse to wallow around in guilt and condemnation. You are worthy because of what Jesus did over 2000 years ago. You are forgiven, and you are redeemed. His mercies are new and fresh every morning!
Today, shake off your old rags of guilt and condemnation and put on your robe of righteousness. Be all that God has called you to be and go out with boldness and expectation, ready to receive all the blessings He has in store for you!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Cleaning Out Your Memory Box
Have you ever been in a situation where you said or did something before you had time to think about it? Most times, when someone tells me "I did it without thinking," it's something they wished they hadn't done! We've all been there, hoping that we could take back words or undo something that we just automatically did.
It's interesting because research actually shows that our brain comes up with answers and finds solutions seconds before we become consciously aware of it. In fact, it's estimated that 95% of decision making happens subconsciously. When we are in a situation, our brain automatically scans our memory for a similar situation and then tells us to respond in a similar way.
All throughout our lives, we are taking in information that becomes the gauge for our perspective on life. Apart from the Word of God, our experiences and what we take in through our senses form the basis for what we believe about ourselves and the world around us. That's why the scripture tells us to guard our hearts because what we allow into us will automatically come out of us. We all have an internal memory box, and what you place inside your memory box will drive the direction of your life.
Romans 12:2 tells us that we are to renew our minds. The word "renew" means to make new or to make extensive changes. We have to proactively make internal changes in order to see external changes. We have to clean out our memory boxes and get rid of the old way of thinking. How do we get rid of the old way of thinking? Simply by meditating on His Word. When you place the truth of God's Word in your memory box, His truth will automatically flow out of you and guide your steps. When you meditate on His promises, it resets your internal gauges. It rebuilds your mental foundation and changes your perspective to His perspective of love and confidence. When you fill your memory box with the goodness of God and all the times He has brought you through difficulty, you will automatically be programmed in the direction of victory.
Today, I encourage you to fill your memory box with the treasure of God's Word. Write down several scriptures on 3x5 cards and take them with you everywhere you go. Fill your thoughts with reminders of how God protected you and how you overcame obstacles in the past. When you rehearse over and over all the good things you have accomplished and dwell on God's goodness in your life, you are renewing your mind. You are setting yourself up to automatically have the right responses to future situations. You are creating an internal foundation of strength and power to move forward in victory in every area of your life!
Victoria Osteen (2010, September 23). Cleaning Out Your Memory Box. Retrieved from
http://www.joelosteen.com/HopeForToday/JoelAndVictoriasBlog/Pages/BlogEntry.aspx?item=93d3a3b8-5133-4929-bb4e-d233bdc936cb
It's interesting because research actually shows that our brain comes up with answers and finds solutions seconds before we become consciously aware of it. In fact, it's estimated that 95% of decision making happens subconsciously. When we are in a situation, our brain automatically scans our memory for a similar situation and then tells us to respond in a similar way.
All throughout our lives, we are taking in information that becomes the gauge for our perspective on life. Apart from the Word of God, our experiences and what we take in through our senses form the basis for what we believe about ourselves and the world around us. That's why the scripture tells us to guard our hearts because what we allow into us will automatically come out of us. We all have an internal memory box, and what you place inside your memory box will drive the direction of your life.
Romans 12:2 tells us that we are to renew our minds. The word "renew" means to make new or to make extensive changes. We have to proactively make internal changes in order to see external changes. We have to clean out our memory boxes and get rid of the old way of thinking. How do we get rid of the old way of thinking? Simply by meditating on His Word. When you place the truth of God's Word in your memory box, His truth will automatically flow out of you and guide your steps. When you meditate on His promises, it resets your internal gauges. It rebuilds your mental foundation and changes your perspective to His perspective of love and confidence. When you fill your memory box with the goodness of God and all the times He has brought you through difficulty, you will automatically be programmed in the direction of victory.
Today, I encourage you to fill your memory box with the treasure of God's Word. Write down several scriptures on 3x5 cards and take them with you everywhere you go. Fill your thoughts with reminders of how God protected you and how you overcame obstacles in the past. When you rehearse over and over all the good things you have accomplished and dwell on God's goodness in your life, you are renewing your mind. You are setting yourself up to automatically have the right responses to future situations. You are creating an internal foundation of strength and power to move forward in victory in every area of your life!
Victoria Osteen (2010, September 23). Cleaning Out Your Memory Box. Retrieved from
http://www.joelosteen.com/HopeForToday/JoelAndVictoriasBlog/Pages/BlogEntry.aspx?item=93d3a3b8-5133-4929-bb4e-d233bdc936cb
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