What You Want MOST

Discipline is just choosing between what you want NOW 

and what you want MOST.

I like this saying because it reminds me that many times the situation I find myself in may be somewhat to my liking for the moment, but further down the road I will not be happy if I allow myself to settle there.

This could be a job that pays the bills but is not bringing me the satisfaction of making a difference in the world.  It could be a relationship that takes my time to cultivate but that would be wiser spent working toward an education goal.  It could be buying a car on credit and having to pay it off for a long time which would disable me from pursuing a long term financial goal.

Life has a way of distracting a person, and it is so easy to fall away from the path that will lead me to my ultimate dream or goal.  I might be comfortable in my present situation, and I think it is always important to be content, no matter what circumstances I find myself in. However, if I get too comfortable I can lose sight of my true goal, and not do the things that are required to pursue it.

It is often more pleasant to remain in your comfort zone than to face challenges that cause pain and ultimately growth, but in the end, choosing wisely will take you where you want to go MOST instead of living a mediocre existence. 

Doing the Easy Things

In a fairly famous speech by a motivational speaker, a man named Jim Rohn said that it is often the easy things that make or break our success.

 The things that are easy to do are also easy not to do.  

It is easy to make a call to a contact, but it is also easy not to do.
It is easy to read a motivational article each day, but it is also easy not to do.
It is easy to read the assignment ahead of time, but it is easy not to as well.

Those simple things we can do each and every day to improve our lot in life are cumulative and like compound interest, often build upon themselves to create a far reaching effect.  Not only does doing them affect us in a positive way, not doing them will usually affect us in a negative way.

For instance, I have enough dishes in my cupboard to last several days without washing them.  I can go four days without even running out of my favorite coffee mug!  But if I use all the dishes before I wash any of them, the negative effect will be that my kitchen is cluttered and I have no place to work, and it will take me twice as long to wash a large batch of dishes as it will to wash several small batches since I will have to stop midway through to dry and put them away to make room.

That is a silly example, but success in almost any arena of life is a series of small, seemingly inconsequential decisions and actions that add up.  Whether you choose to do the easy things each day or choose to wait until they are either too big or it is too late is up to you.

I hope you choose to do the easy things.

Living Without Limits

I am not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward--to Jesus. I'm off and running and I'm not turning back.

So, let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision--you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.                    Philippians 3:12-16 (the Message)

Have you ever thought about the areas in your life where you experience limits?  I think it is common for us to allow our past experiences and beliefs to dictate our present choices and thus our future successes.   Paul reminds us in this passage that we can desire everything God has for us and that God is cheering us on toward that goal.

The more I hear and understand about how we create our own world by our attitudes, emotions and beliefs, the more I am convinced that it is true; we have exactly the life we want in our hearts. We may not be happy in all the areas of our lives, but if we are not, at least God has given us opportunities to experience the abundant life if we choose to. It is because of our own choices not to believe in His promises that we are not fulfilled.

I once heard of a man who was afraid of getting cancer because it was in his family. He went to the doctor who told him that all the symptoms he was experiencing showed he did indeed have cancer and that he had maybe two weeks to live. The man went into the hospital and in two weeks he died. Due to the agressive nature of the cancer involved, they decided to do an autopsy. They discovered that the man didn't have cancer at all: It was his imagination that killed him. 

When I was younger, I remember hearing about a man who accidently got locked in a refrigerator car on a train and died with all the symptoms of hypothermia--he even kept a written record of time and how he was feeling colder, sleepy, lack of oxygen, etc. The refrigerator car, however, was not "on" and the temperature never got below 60 degrees. The expectation of his heart was what killed him.

We experience what we believe with emotion, both in the negative and in the positive realms. The focus of my mind effects my emotions, which in turn effects my energy, health, and life.  When we focus on the limits instead of the freedom we will cement them more firmly in our lives.  Focus on your pain and it increases.  Focus on freedom and it increases. 

What would a life look like with NO LIMITS? 

• No more limiting pain to keep me from doing what I want to do. "I am pain free" 
• No more limiting sickness to keep me from having the energy I need. "I am in excellent health" 
• No more limiting emotions to keep me from experiencing God's full and abundant life of blessing. "I am filled with the peace and joy of the Lord" 
• No more limiting fear to keep me from speaking love into every situation. "I am filled with God's love and glory"

We can claim these truths with confidence because the Word tells us we are all these things and more. The promises of God are infinite--without limits--to those who believe in Him. 

I pray you will reflect on your life today and consider what limits you have allowed to be put on your life, then seek out God's promises showing you no longer need to live within those limits.  You are FREE!!  As you consider the freedom and picture a life lived without limits, may you also deeply sense God's incredible love for you and know His desire for you to live His abundant life.

What God Sees

It has been a great challenge to me throughout my life to see myself in a positive light.  My flaws are quite evident to me, and no doubt to those around me as well, but the more I think about my relationship with my Father, the more I realize He does not see me as I see myself.  It is important, therefore, to change my view to reflect HIS view and opinion of me so I may see the truth.

Here are some scriptures that help remind me of His viewpoint.  

• Jeremiah 31:3 says God loves me with an everlasting love. He draws me to Himself with loving-kindness. (not force, feelings of inadequacy, guilt, etc., but with sweet wooing, kindness and generosity)

• Psalm 5:12 says I am blessed by God and He surrounds me with favor as a shield. (I have often thought of his surrounding me as protection, but never noticed that His favor is a shield)

• Psalm 139:17-18 says His thoughts are precious toward me. If I could count them they would outnumber the sand! (that means He is thinking good things about me all the time--so many that I can't even begin to number them! I picture the love of my life and how many good things I think about him, then think about how puny my love is in comparison!)

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 says I am the righteousness of God in Christ.  Christ's righteousness is in me, and flowing through me: it is a part of who I am!  If I am His righteousness, I can love others as He loves me. It would be a tall order if He wasn't living within my heart, directing my paths and showering me with His love all the time! 

• Song of Songs 4:7 says that God thinks I am beautiful. He sees no flaw in me. (This is where I stumble! NO FLAW??? BEAUTIFUL??? That's what HE sees. Lord, help ME to see that, too!)

• Zephaniah 3:17 describes God's heart toward me as protective, delighting in me, calming me with his love and rejoicing over me with singing. (He is serenading me! He is so happy with me that He is humming as He thinks about me!)

These are not ways most people picture God's view of them, or there would be more wanting to know and spend time with Him!  If He sees me this way, I know He sees others this way. 

Matthew 11:28-30 in the Message says:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?  Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

Unforced rhythms of grace. We don't have to work at this. We just need to believe it. What JOY and freedom that brings!  

God knows who you are and all you have done and He still loves you completely, unconditionally and wholly.  He sees the wounds and scars on your heart and desires to heal them and make you whole. He wants you to trust Him and rest in the knowledge that His grace is sufficient to bring you through any circumstance, and that it won't seem like a burden to be in His company. 

I pray you will learn to live freely and lightly and that you will discover how to take a real rest in Jesus.  I pray you will search His words to discover how He sees you, and once you learn how valuable you are to Him, that you will rest and draw near to His heart so He might continually bring you love, joy, and peace.

Praying for Others

No matter what past history we may have with others, we need to see them through God's eyes of love. On some level we feel justified in recalling all the hurts we have experienced in the relationships, but that is an "old man" mentality, and according to Romans 6 that old man died when we accepted Christ in our hearts.

Since we now live under the New Covenant and are free to experience all the gifts we have been given through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, we must reexamine our prayer lives, as well. Since we already have been given the inheritance of Christ by the nature of our commitment to His lordship, we no longer have to ask God to DO anything. It has already all been completed through Christ. (2Peter 1:3) Since the covenant for our inheritance is with Jesus, not ourselves, we can't screw it up by not holding up our end of the covenant: it has been sealed by Jesus. (Now THAT is some good news!)

With that in mind, we realize that we can "pray" for people by blessing them. A blessing in this sense is a spoken positive whereas a curse is a spoken negative. When we talk negatively about people and remind ourselves of things they did that hurt us, we are cursing them. When we talk about people and speak positive things about them -- in this case the things God says about them-- we are blessing them.

Here is an example: We think about a person and get a picture of them in our minds. Then we speak the truth of the Word while thinking about them, adding their names in the promises. "John (in this case I have used a fictitious person) has been given the mind of Christ. He makes wise decisions and hears clearly from the Holy Spirit who resides in his heart to teach Him. John has been made righteous (as it should be) through Christ. He exhibits the fruit of the Spirit in all his actions. John has the healing power of Christ residing within his body. He desires to live his life in a manner that reflects health."

This type of prayer reminds us of the provisions for all believers because of our salvation (safe from harm, healed, delivered, protected, anointed, reconciled, given all the promises, etc.) and causes us to see others as God sees us. If the person has not entered into a personal relationship with Christ, we can still agree with God's word for these things (God loved us all while we were still sinners and loves each of us equally) and that He will draw them unto Himself, because it is not His desire that any should perish.

By agreeing with what God's word says about others, we don't have to wonder about whether or not our prayers are "heard" because they are divinely inspired! The answer then does not depend on our faith, but rather on the choice of the person we are blessing, and their response to God's wooing. We are essentially all responsible for the outcomes of our own lives (we are given free choice by God) but we are drawn to God by His great love for us. It is for this reason that nagging or manipulation of any sort are not effective toward changing others--even if it is for their own good!

I recently heard an excellent analogy relating to this. It is much easier to fish than to hunt. Hunters chase their pray who run from them in fear, whereas fishers lure theirs with appealing bait. Could be why Jesus called us to be "fishers of men" instead of hunters!

Crystal Reflections

I have always been drawn to the reflections of the light in cut crystal and love to see the sparkle of it under bright lights. Normally I am not interested in colored crystal, but this vase caught and held my attention. I went back to it several times in the 20 or so minutes we were in the little shop, and while it cost way more money than I had intended to spend on a souvenir from my trip, my husband kindly purchased it for me as an early anniversary gift.

When I brought the vase home, it took me a while to decide where to put it so I could look at it often. It didn't really fit with any of the rest of my collection: it was like a peacock in a dove cote. For a while it settled on a cedar chest in front of a large window. The light from the window made the colors come alive. When the sunshine hit the glass, it became almost too bright to look at, and the rainbow patterns were reflected all over the room.

I was thinking about that colored vase and how my life is similar. When I allow the light of Christ's love to shine through me, the beauty of all the facets He created in me comes through and reflects His love on those around me.

It is my choice as to how brightly I allow His light to shine. He is always present and always desiring to beam His love to any and all, but just as the old children's song reminds us, we don't want to hide that light under a bushel. I can choose to be less than friendly or refuse fellowship with others.  Likewise, if I continually have a cloud of misery hovering in my mind the light will be muddied and fail to reflect His love.

As you go through your day, I encourage you to remember that your life is a reflection of what is inside you.  Your thoughts are broadcast through your body language, your facial expressions and your words.  As you draw nearer to the source of light, more will shine through you and color with warmth all those around. 

Why Serve God?

There are many people who would say it isn't beneficial or even practical in today's world to be devoted to a set of principles or a divine being one cannot see or touch.  They may have bought into the Darwinian survival of the fittest mentality, the belief that we are all victims of circumstance, or that we make our own Karma and experience the results of our own behavior--either in this life or a former one--if they even philosophize  about it at all.

I bought into some variation of these and many other theories at one time or another in my youth, but my search was driven by a desire for the meaningful relationship with God that I eventually found.  God is not threatened when we question His authority, His divinity, His omnipotence or even His love.  He would not have given us a choice in the matter if He was threatened by our decision.  It is this very freedom to choose whether or not to accept His love that makes Him unlike any other deity--for He doesn't withhold it whether we accept it or not.

I am not really a deep thinker, and I realize that much of my desire to devote my heart to God is based on feelings, but since we are created as living souls and the ability to feel and reason are unique to man, I am not sure I should be concerned that feeling good about my relationship with my maker is all that bad.

When I believed that the Law was the path to relate to God, I was not as interested in living according to it because I knew I was incapable of fulfilling the Law on my own.  Oh, I could manage the Ten Commandments alright because those were ingrained early in life.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there is a lot of pain involved if you kill, steal or break any number of those laws.  It wasn't the thou shalt not's of the Old Testament that had me worried about relating to God, it was the writings in the New Testament and all the various warnings that had me thinking I could never measure up.

Once I realized the words of excellent guidance offered in the Bible were tributes of God's unlimited love to all mankind instead of a set of rules to gain His approval, I was able to break the old thought patterns of needing to measure up for acceptance.  God not only gave us true-north guidance and wisdom but He also gave Jesus that we might have access to His power and ability (grace) to live above our circumstances and hear His voice to avoid chaos.  I really do need that grace to enable me to walk in love because I am very self-centered without it.  Self-centered living leads to loneliness, pain and chaos--at least in my experience.

It is only by acknowledging God as my Father that I can access the identity of being His child.  It is by identifying with Him that I have access to His grace.  His grace enables me to walk in love and in wisdom.  By walking in love I experience fulfillment, and by listening to His voice I am able to be wise and avoid chaos and fear.  The more I walk in love, the easier it is to overlook offenses and keep peace.  This peace that passes understanding is the prosperity of the soul that leads to abundance.

What a generous and loving God to have given everything we need before we even asked.  I daily uncover some new aspect of His perfect love which fulfills more than any fallible human could ever do.  Until I discovered His love for me, I lived in fear of His judgment, but now I walk in His love which does away with fear.  I know I will never be judged for my short-comings or mistakes, but that He will remind me of my position as His righteous child who has rights and responsibilities of the position.  It is His love that draws me to repentance (changing my mind/direction) not the fear of His disapproval.

I pray you will discover this God-of-love and grow to know and love Him intimately.  He is the one who gives the power and ability to love at all, and with His love flowing in and through us, we are able to broadcast love and acceptance to others who are searching, just as I once was, for a meaningful life.  Indeed, it is the sharing of this perfect God-love that is the purpose of life.