Just Do It!

I don’t believe I am taking anything from Nike™ when I say this. Rather, I believe God implemented this policy many centuries ago, and I am confident that it is still His message to us today. The Scripture is full of numerous instances where the Lord simply says “Do this,” and makes no allowance for all of our wonderful excuses. Nor does He say, “Unless of course you were just born that way and can’t help yourself.”

Check out just a few of these examples below:

·        “Let this same mind be in you…” Philippians 2:5-6

·        “Set your mind and keep it set…” Colossians 3:2

·        “Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

·        “Humble yourself…” 1 Peter 5:6

·        “Strip yourselves of the old nature and put on the new.” Ephesians 4:22

·        “Let your light so shine…” Matthew 5:16

·        “Trust in the Lord.” Proverbs 3:5

·        “Love one another.” John 13:34

·        “Do not let your heart be troubled.” John 14:1

·        “Fear not.” Matthew 10:31

·        “Do not fret or be anxious about anything.” Philippians 4:6

Maybe this year it is time to get tough with ourselves. Refuse to bow down to every whim of your flesh (or “humanness” as I like to call it).When you feel those wrong attitudes and mindsets rising up in you, stop and say, “No! I will not allow this attitude to take over, and by the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of me I will overcome this temptation.”

I challenge you…leave this year and face the new with the right attitude, a peaceful, joyful heart, a commitment to the things of God and a deep love for His people. If you want the life Christ died to give you, you must follow His commands. Enough complaining about what your life and your walk are not until you are holding up your end of the bargain. I don’t believe God has given us these instructions merely to torment us with a daunting list of commands, but rather because He knows that in doing these things we will “have and enjoy our lives, in abundance, to the full, till they overflow!” (John 10:10)   

So get out there, and just do it!

If you got something out of today's post, please share it with others that we may continue spuring each other on and that we can encourage each other to enter 2012 with great attutides and a determination to glorify our great God!

Love 'em Good!

"I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another." John 13:34

"This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you." John 15:12

Hummm....two verses, same words....must be important! :) What does it mean to love someone (everyone) the way Christ loves you? Wow...not just love them, but love them the same way Christ loves. This is a powerful thought (practice) to take into this week sure to be filled with friends, family and strangers.

I can’t help but think that when Christ shows His love to me He likely over looks my faults, knows I’m not perfect, but doesn’t let that affect the way He loves me. He loves me not because of how I act or treat Him, but in spite of it. You know what…there is some serious grace involved in His brand of love.

 We are called to show this same love to others…not just those we like, and not only when they are acting like we think they should. People should not have to earn our love. They should receive it whether we think they “deserve” it or not. We are human. There are some people we are going to like more than others. But every person should receive the same, unconditional, selfless, generous, overflowing love from us. Because loving others is less about them and more about us fulfilling a commandment of our Lord and letting Him use us to reach the world.

I have a dear friend who once shared a struggle she was having with being nice, gentle and loving towards some family members. She was preparing for a visit with them and praying about it. The Lord spoke to her heart and said, “You are there to be a blessing to them.” You see, it didn’t matter how they acted. She was on a mission and had a job to fulfill. Regardless of what happened, she was to bless her family. I challenge you to keep this in the forefront of your mind as you prepare to interact with so many through the next two weeks. Your mission is to love everyone with the love of Christ. If you go into this time with the goal in mind to bless other, regardless of what is said or done, you will see a difference in how much you enjoy this precious season and how much better your relationships will be when you look past what people do and choose to love them as Christ loves you.

Take some time to sit quietly. Lift your heart to God, and make a commitment to love, really love, everyone you come in contact with this Christmas season. You are there to bless them!

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:10

Are you different?

“So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds. “Their ^[a]moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is ^[b]deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature]. In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].” Ephesians 4:17-19

So let’s ask ourselves…do we look any different than the world around us? To be holy means to be set apart. Once we have accepted Christ the scripture says we are made holy. But this passage definitely indicates that we must choose to live like it. It also makes it clear that we can make that choice and execute it. God would never command us to do something we are incapable of (with His help of course).

In this season that is all due to the birth of our Lord and Savior, be sure you look different. Smile while you’re out there in the crowds. Be patient and gentle with the harried clerks. Give from a joyful heart out of the abundance that Christ has placed in you. In the midst of all the decorations and lights let the Light in you outshine them all.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matt 5:16

“ that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,” Phil. 2:15

Peace?

So how are the Christmas plans coming? Finished decorating? Know what to get for everyone on your list? Invitations out for your party? Have you bought your Christmas cards? Have all your supplies for the baking you plan to do? Feeling stressed yet???

You know what the very first Christmas greeting was? “Fear not. Rejoice. Peace to all men.” Peace…do you feel peace right now? Are you rejoicing in this season? Or do you find yourself overwhelmed, burnt out, and focused on everything but the Reason for it all?

Our pastor had a great message this past Sunday about finding true peace and joy this Christmas. To paraphrase Pastor Tim…If Christ came back today would He be concerned with all the “stuff” you have or have not done to prepare for Christmas…how many lights are on your house, how many gifts you’ve bought or cards you’ve sent? Or do you think He may be more concerned with whether we have prepared our hearts and are taking advantage of this special time of year to share His love and His peace with the world?

Perhaps we need to take an inventory of the things we “have to do,” and see if just maybe we and the Lord may not be best served this year by leaving some of those things undone. Perhaps some of those decorations still not up would be best left in their boxes. Or maybe just sending out of town Christmas cards would be in order this year to allow you and your family some more time to relax and enjoy. Maybe even buying refrigerated cookie dough would be permissible…I hear Santa likes them just as well. J I encourage you to take this inventory. Cut out the things that are robbing you of the joy of Christmas. Take some time to just sit by the light of your tree and lift your heart to God in thanks for all He has done for you, remembering first and foremost the wonderful gift of His son.

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." Colossians 3:15 (NKJV)

In this very exciting time of year, let's hold this verse close and remember in all things to let the peace of God rule in our hearts. Take some time to think about how that might look in your life. Spend some time praying over this scripture this week and ask for the Lord's help in this area. If we are at peace we put others around us at peace. Definitely one of the greatest gifts we can give to those we love this Christmas season!

Go on...give Him praise!

Ok, back from a Thanksgiving, terrible cold (round 2), major home renovation, working to get my house in order hiatus! J

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. We all have so much to be thankful for.

Today I want to just encourage you with a little verse you may know well. One that is very straight forward:

“Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)” Psalm 150:6

This is the very last verse in the book of Psalm. After so much power and insight, this is the final thought. When all is said and done, let everything that has breath praise the Lord! The scripture tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. This isn’t merely singing a song, though that is a powerful way to give Him praise. Praise comes from deep within and is expressed by our words, our actions, our attitudes and the way we live our lives. But I encourage you…Open your mouth!!! Speak your praise to your great God as this is the most “out there” way we have to boldly declare Whom we have believed.

As we enter the exciting Christmas rush, let your first thought each morning and your last thought each evening be this, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” Let praising Him be your focus this season, and I know it will be the greatest yet - regardless of your circumstances, because we know we serve a God Who is bigger than anything we face.

Merry Christmas!