It's good to praise when we don't feel like it. In fact 90% of the time we probably don't. However, if we keep praising Him until we feel His heartbeat (and we will if we don't give up), we will be filled beyond measure.
In a healthy marriage you want your partner to be happy. You want to do everything in your power to ensure that they are fulfilled. How would it feel if your spouse just stopped at "ok"? Or, had a chance to bless you and decided to do something else instead? Sometimes when we have a chance to be with Him we might sing a couple of songs or read something inspirational, but it's more out of duty than relationship. Here's the litmus test: if we stop.
That's right, if we just stop without reaching Him and intimacy with Him, it's like we've done nothing at all. 1 Corinthians 13 says that if we don't have love, we have nothing.
My encouragement to myself today and others that read this is "don't stop". He will fill us if we press on in intimacy with Him.
The same is true about God. He will not stop until we are living the most abundant fulfilling life imaginable. But there's something that will bring this about sooner--our obedience. It's like a dance--he can't twirl us or dip us until we step out on the floor. But when we do, oh baby!
He will not stop until we are over-flowing (John 10:10). He said that's why he came and died.
So, let's not stop until we see Him. And He promises to not stop until we get enough--not just of His presence, but all the blessings He has for us.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Rest and Freedom
About a week ago I sensed the Lord asking me to take a spiritual break--to rest. For me this meant not constantly looking for ways to encourage or be super intense. It was good for me, but difficult.
Today I woke with a sense of freedom. I had a dream that set me free. I have also realized what was weighing me down, what even caused me to be physically sick last week.
I have to say that my first scripture and point was taken from Joseph Prince. Last night he was speaking on entering into the rest of God (see Heb.4:10). That verse says that if we enter into His rest we are free from the "weariness and pain of human labors". Prince commented on worry, and how when we worry we are actually stopping the flow of the Spirit of God, and seeing things in a wrong perspective.
To me, this meant taking on people's troubles and worries. Isaiah 53:4 says that Jesus bore our sorrows and distresses.
I asked the Lord last week if it was "wrong" for me not to want to encourage anyone. What I have just shared was His answer to me. For years I have taken on the false responsiblity of sharing in other's worry.
Philippians 4:6 says not to be anxious, but to petition God instead...with thanksgiving!! That does not sound like worry to me.
In conclusion, these passages can refer to the one who has lost their peace, or the "fixer" that tries to help everyone. Jesus died and took our pain, so that we don't have to abide in it! We must abide in Him and seek to enter into His rest.
At this point, I really want to be an encourager--an encourager that says, "Cast your cares on the Lord"(1 Peter 5:7)! I can not do that for someone else.
At the end of the day, we all need to seek the Lord for ourselves. It is great to have a friend to rely on, but if we get rid of our worries by taking them to Jesus first, we will be able to encourage others, and truly enter into the rest of God. That's the kind of encourager I want to be!
Today I woke with a sense of freedom. I had a dream that set me free. I have also realized what was weighing me down, what even caused me to be physically sick last week.
I have to say that my first scripture and point was taken from Joseph Prince. Last night he was speaking on entering into the rest of God (see Heb.4:10). That verse says that if we enter into His rest we are free from the "weariness and pain of human labors". Prince commented on worry, and how when we worry we are actually stopping the flow of the Spirit of God, and seeing things in a wrong perspective.
To me, this meant taking on people's troubles and worries. Isaiah 53:4 says that Jesus bore our sorrows and distresses.
I asked the Lord last week if it was "wrong" for me not to want to encourage anyone. What I have just shared was His answer to me. For years I have taken on the false responsiblity of sharing in other's worry.
Philippians 4:6 says not to be anxious, but to petition God instead...with thanksgiving!! That does not sound like worry to me.
In conclusion, these passages can refer to the one who has lost their peace, or the "fixer" that tries to help everyone. Jesus died and took our pain, so that we don't have to abide in it! We must abide in Him and seek to enter into His rest.
At this point, I really want to be an encourager--an encourager that says, "Cast your cares on the Lord"(1 Peter 5:7)! I can not do that for someone else.
At the end of the day, we all need to seek the Lord for ourselves. It is great to have a friend to rely on, but if we get rid of our worries by taking them to Jesus first, we will be able to encourage others, and truly enter into the rest of God. That's the kind of encourager I want to be!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Importance of Being Yourself
Each one of us was created by God for a distinct purpose (see Psalm 139).
Today I had a sequence of thoughts that went something like this :
Oh wait--I need to give you the backdrop. I admire Sheryl Crowe. She's been rocking hard for years! She has her own unique style. I'm talking style here, not Christian vs. non-Christian.
Ok--having said that, this is how my thoughts lined up:
I had a picture of Sheryl Crowe singing some Chris Tomlin song in just the same style that he uses. It was really depressing. It's like she had given up her style when she became a Christian.
If she is not a Christian at present, I really hope she joins us :) Wouldn't it be tragic, though, if after accepting Christ she gave up her own unique style?
So the Lord whispered to me this morning, "This is the importance of being yourself. The world will lose something unique and necessary if you are not true to your own personal style."
This could pertain to things other than music. What about your personality? What about your special gift in which you operate? It may not be like your neighbor's gift. In fact, it will never be. It may look the same, but it will still never be exactly the same.
So in the day to day business of life, let's remember that we need to be ourselves. I believe it gives God the most pleasure when we are ourselves...whatever that may look like.
Today I had a sequence of thoughts that went something like this :
Oh wait--I need to give you the backdrop. I admire Sheryl Crowe. She's been rocking hard for years! She has her own unique style. I'm talking style here, not Christian vs. non-Christian.
Ok--having said that, this is how my thoughts lined up:
I had a picture of Sheryl Crowe singing some Chris Tomlin song in just the same style that he uses. It was really depressing. It's like she had given up her style when she became a Christian.
If she is not a Christian at present, I really hope she joins us :) Wouldn't it be tragic, though, if after accepting Christ she gave up her own unique style?
So the Lord whispered to me this morning, "This is the importance of being yourself. The world will lose something unique and necessary if you are not true to your own personal style."
This could pertain to things other than music. What about your personality? What about your special gift in which you operate? It may not be like your neighbor's gift. In fact, it will never be. It may look the same, but it will still never be exactly the same.
So in the day to day business of life, let's remember that we need to be ourselves. I believe it gives God the most pleasure when we are ourselves...whatever that may look like.
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