Open Hands

What are we supposed to do when we feel that our blessings are being missed?  This is something that I talked about before when discussing being flexible and I want to continue speaking about it, but explore how we can grab hold of the blessings that are meant for us.

Too many times we get wrapped up in the world around us to see some of the blessings.  And all too often, our hands are already full when we find them.  What I am saying is that we need to let go many times to be able to grasp what is coming our way.

Try this with me…pick up your cell phone, your check book, your television remote, your car keys, and anything else that you may have around you that makes up your daily life.  Hold all of these things in your hands and now try and pick up your Bible.  You can’t do it, because your hands are so full the Bible (or in many cases, your blessings) are unattainable because there is not any room for God in your life.

We make ourselves too busy, we fill our heart and minds with the things that we think will fulfill us, and we miss what God is trying to tell us.  We are too wrapped up in the world to know what is truly waiting right there for us to take hold of and what we should be holding tight to.

We have to come before God with open hands to be able to take possession of His blessings and promises.

Look at your life; are there things you can drop to help you balance everything out?  Are there things that are taking the place of God’s blessings for your life?  What can you do about it?  How can you let go of the things that are holding you back?

I would encourage you to bury everything in prayer.  Start with a daily conversation with the Creator of life.  Secondly, set aside the time to read the scripture and let yourself hear the answers that God is trying to share with you.  We have to balance our prayer and study to fully take hold of the blessings that are there for us.

Don’t let another day go by without taking the time to thank the one who gave it to you!  Talk to God, take the time to thank Him for your blessings, and take the time to search for His answers for the problems in your life.  The Bible is our Owner’s Manual…another way to look at it is as an acronym – B.I.B.L.E. – Basic Instructions before Leaving Earth.  Read the manual and enjoy life the way that God intended – With Him!

Welcome to the Show

The beauty of life is that we all are part of a story; a story that is being written by God and we play the lead.  We are all playing a part, seeking to show the world our story, by showing the world His story.

God has given each of us a place…He has shown each of us a path to travel, and it is now up to us to take the right road.  We, as Christians, have seen what is right, and we know that God has a plan to prosper us; it is now the time where we are to step up and step out on faith.

We don’t always know exactly what God is doing, but as Christians we can rest assured that His plan will always be greater than ours…and his plan will always be better for us than our own.  Here is where life can take an interesting turn.

When we realize that we are part of the show that God is producing, we stop seeking our own gratification.  We start to put others in front of ourselves, we start to want to see the kingdom grow through the actions we take, and we start to seek the kingdom of God over everything else in our lives.  In other words, we accept that God is in control, and we automatically start letting him control the outcomes in our lives.

In our personal lives, we may be surprised by what takes place when we fully surrender to God and allow Him full control over everything (including the small things).  Something happens when we fully surrender, because we start to care about things other than our own priorities.  We start to change our way of thinking, our way of acting, and essentially start to make sure that everyone around us is taken care of.

Start today reminding yourself of what God is doing in your life and what he can do put you in the places where He can be most effective.  Take a moment to ask God to guide your path today…let Him write the story and you will be amazed at where He will take you!

Overcoming the Darkness

Darkness…

…a word that brings thoughts of despair, thoughts of being alone or even abandoned.It’s amazing how one word can bring about so much thought.Darkness has become associated with loneliness, and in the Christian’s life, most often associated with feeling distant from God.

That being said…we can do something about it. As Christians our lives are about falling in love with the God who first loved us.

When we feel distant, sometimes the ‘miles’ can overcome us and cause us to feel even farther away then we already do, but we don’t have to feel that way. Remember the story of Paul? or should I say Saul? A Pharisee, a man who held the coats of those who stoned Stephen, was one of the biggest enemies to the Cross. A man who was on his way down the road to Damascus with one motive in mind: find and arrest the Disciples. He had obtained the warrants, knew his goal…and was out to succeed.

Saul was a man who lived and thrived in the darkness.He was a man who knew nothing of the saving grace of Jesus Christ, that is, until he saw The Light.

Overcoming the darkness happens on our ‘road to Damascus’ when we start to focus on things above. We can overcome by being blinded by the light, the light of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to the world to save it, not condemn it (John 3:16-17). Jesus was ‘the light’ that blinded Saul on his journey; and Jesus was eventually ‘the light’ that Paul used to see himself through the remaining days of his life.

In our lives, are we looking to, and using the light to guide us? Or are we trying to shade our eyes, and block out the light because of the things that it reveals in us?

Jesus may not blind us literally as he did Saul, but He may blindside us with the things that come our way in life. I’m not saying that He will give us a trial that we can’t overcome, but He might just give us something that is just big enough for us to have to trust in Him and His grace to survive.