Your Weakness Perfects His Strength

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

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Isn’t it interesting that people dedicate an inordinate amount of time condemning others for their weaknesses, shortcomings, and failures? I mean I’ve witnessed and honestly, participated in verbal campaigns to identify, criticize, mock, and demoralize others when their human tendencies to fall short became public knowledge. I’ve also been the victim of this type of campaign, even when the stories weren’t based in truth, all at the hands (or mouths) of many in the Body of Christ. The irony in all of this is that this sinful, flesh-driven behavior is in direct contradiction to what God tells us about our weaknesses and how they should be viewed.

Second Corinthians 12:9 makes it quite clear that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. The Lord wants us to understand that instead of condemning ourselves when we fall short, we should turn to Him and seek His strength to transform our weakness into strength. Now, this is not a license to revel in our weaknesses that cause us to sin, but rather to seek God’s strength to help us overcome those weaknesses. For it is when we seek and rest in HIS strength that He gets the glory!

As for how this relates to the behavior I referenced at the beginning of this piece, it’s simple. As Believers, we are called to believe the best about others. When faced with knowledge that casts our brothers or sisters in a negative light, we are expected to pray for them, offer words of encouragement, and give Godly counsel. Nowhere does it say that we should spend time verbally condemning or crucifying each other using negative knowledge that may or may not be true. Our primary motive should ALWAYS be to love one another, ESPECIALLY when offering correction. If our motive involves our feeling superior, or the need to “tell them about themselves”, then our motive is contrary to the heart of God.

Purpose in your heart to submit your weaknesses to God and allow His power to be made perfect in your weakness. And when faced with the weakness of your brothers and sisters, purpose in your heart to pray for their deliverance while offering Godly counsel or words of encouragement until they are ready to experience God’s perfect power! 

All Things Can Become New!

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

 Philippians 1:6

Isn’t it amazing how people think they know a person’s whole story because they “heard” something about them? Or that they’ve elevated themselves to the level of gods by predetermining another individual’s ability or inability to change? Better yet, how about the ones who’ve witnessed an individual’s transformation before their very eyes, but insist on dredging up that individual’s past mistakes or errors in judgment in order to make themselves appear better than they actually are? Such arrogance! Where is the compassion that was demonstrated so often by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Where is that faith in action that we claim to have when dealing with the broken, battered, and scorned? Enough!

As believers, we are supposed to understand that people are not the agents of change when it comes to the spiritual matters in our lives. Jesus is! Philippians 1:6 reminds us that God begins, directs, and completes any and all good works within us. We are spiritually inept at changing the core of our nature or even overcoming the spiritual damage that’s stained and created so many dysfunctions within the core of our being. But God!!! As we celebrate this season, remember that His crucifixion, death and subsequent resurrection should be the daily reminder that ALL THINGS CAN BECOME NEW!!! ALL THINGS!!! That means there is nothing that we’ve said, thought, or done that cannot be forgiven and renewed through the power of Jesus’ shed blood! And while the damage may not be undone, the spiritual penalty is! And that affords us all the opportunity to go forward in God and become all that He has planned for us to become. It is then that we will bring Him the glory that we’ve been especially designed to do!

Life in Abundance

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

John 10:10 (NKJV)

(Image courtesy of www.tokyoweekender.com.)

I love, love, LOVE this scripture! Why? Because it talks about the abundant life we encounter when we are in relationship with God! But I don’t tag the word abundance only to the accumulation of material things. I see a bigger, even greater meaning. With Christ, we can live within the abundance of His presence and let that life spill out wherever we go!

Shepherd vs. Thief

Jesus spoke these words in John 10:10. He was sharing a parable that explained the difference between a thief and a true shepherd. He pointed out that a thief gains entry into the sheep pen dishonestly and through ill-begotten means. Why? Because a thief’s intentions are not honorable and they are the embodiment of selfishness.  A thief takes that which does not and has never belonged to them. They steal from the bounty of others. A shepherd, on the other hand, walks through the front gate and the sheep recognize his voice because they belong to the shepherd. There is relationship between the shepherd and his sheep. The thief has no relationship with the sheep therefore has no stake in the successful life of the sheep. The sheep exist solely for the benefit of the thief, while the shepherd is willing to sacrifice themselves for the safety and well-being of the sheep within their care.

Just like Jesus does for us, a shepherd creates the best environment for his sheep to thrive and succeed. A good shepherd gives His flock the best feed, exercises them, keeps them protected from vile predators, and lovingly sheers away their old coats in preparation for the heat of summer. A good shepherd tends to the contentedness of their sheep because happy sheep are often more productive, successful sheep. And so it is with us and our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

Real Abundance

Jesus came, was crucified, and rose again so that we can have a more abundant life. He left behind clear instructions (The Bible) and a guide (The Holy Spirit) to help us navigate through this thing we call life in the most successful way possible. Now, some focus completely on the financial and material when they hear “abundance”. If they don’t see dollar signs, then they think they’re completely missing the abundance Jesus talks about, but that’s not so. Abundant life involves your attitude, your perspective, your experiences, and the fullness of your life! As Christians, we’re supposed to have abundant joy, peace, an overflow of love, patience, compassion, and wisdom! We’re supposed to be so passionate about our divinely ordained purpose that we explode with joy wherever we go! And when we tap into our divine purpose, we can tap into the gifts God has given us and create financial provision for our families and to contribute to the Kingdom!

So, the next time you see or hear this scripture, remember to tap into that abundant joy and crush any fear of living out your divine purpose with abundant love, and live your life in ABUNDANCE!

Prayer Focus: Father, in the name of Jesus, help me remember to stay in relationship with You so that I can live my life more abundantly. When I get sidetracked, remind me that it’s my right and responsibility to live in abundant joy, peace and love all the while tapping into and manifesting my divine purpose. Help me to stay focused and committed to living abundantly in everything that I do so that my abundant life brings glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Hears You!

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” 

Psalm 116:1 -2 (NIV)

Have there ever been times in your life when you’ve felt so broken and alone that you couldn’t even trace the existence of God in anything around you? I have. I’ve been so heartbroken, so angry, so deep in a pit of despair, that I couldn’t fathom God could love me let alone listen to me. My heart ached from loving, from longing, from losing…the rage from rejection boiled within my soul…WHY?!?! Why God, do I suffer so? Why does MY heart always seem to love too much, believe too blindly, absolve too easily? Why do I continue to reach out to the broken in my life only to end up further broken myself? Once the heartbreak occurs, then the withdrawal process begins. I shut down. I push people away. I self-protect. I vow no one will EVER hurt me like that again! Until, the next time…

This cycle of emotional dysfunctional was destroying my life. Whether in matters of marriage, children, siblings, parents, or even friendships, I constantly found myself feeling abandoned and alone. I so often prayed asking God to fix people, situations, and things. I even asked Him to fix me, but seemingly to no avail. What was I doing wrong? Why, did it seem, my prayers weren’t answered? And when I finally stopped talking long enough to actually hear what the Holy Spirit was saying to me, I was shocked and humbled…and awakened! I was doing two things incorrectly. First, I wasn’t always praying in line with the Word of God because I wanted what I wanted, as most of us do (if you’re really willing to be honest with yourself). The second, more egregious of my errors, was that I didn’t believe God was listening to me. My faith that He loves me and that He HEARS me didn’t win out over the doubt in my worth. Even after all of my years of studying the Word, listening to rousing sermons, and sharing the Word of Life with others, I still struggled with my own worthiness. I let low self-esteem and all of the negative things I’ve ever heard about myself continue to dictate my level of faith. I was the problem.

The turning point for me was reading Psalm 116:1 – 2. These two little scriptures drew a mental picture that forever changed the way I viewed God’s love for me. Verse one begins by pointing out the fact that God heard MY voice. That means, He doesn’t just hear random prayers, but just like ANY parent, He knows my voice specifically. When I hear any of my four children, I can usually tell who’s speaking because I hear the uniqueness in each of their voices. And so it is with our Heavenly Father. Yesterday’s devotional reminds us that God took painstaking effort to craft each of marvelously. We are each so unique because He made us that way! So, of course He hears our voices when we pray! But, even better than that, when He hears our cries and our pleas, He leans toward us just the way a parent leans toward their little child in order to focus and hear them better. What love He has for us, to incline His ear toward each of us!

No matter how sad, heartbroken, or alone you feel, know that God’s presence is there with you! He’s waiting for you to call Him so that He can lean down toward you and listen intently to your petitions. Have assurance that He knows you, your voice, and hears you, especially when you’re crying for help. Just like any parent, He’s ready and willing to come because He loves you!

Prayer Focus: Father, help me to believe that you know my voice and hear my prayers when I call to You. Remind me of your love when I allow doubt to shake the foundation of my faith. Speak to my heart, Lord, and stir up assurance in your love, and faith that will overcome all doubt. I know you hear me and I glorify Your name because you are LOVE! Amen!

Clean Your Lens

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.”

Psalm 139:13 – 16 (The Message)

What an amazing creature you are! Why? Because God made you! You are so special that He painstakingly planned and created you to be the marvelous individual that you are! But I know that some of you reading this struggle with those compliments because you don’t see that person when you look at yourself in the mirror. You see the fat girl, the ugly boy, or the nerdy kid with the glasses who was called four-eyes and bullied all the way home every day after school. Or you see a dummy, a person who’s not that smart because someone told you that most of your life. When you open your mouth and your melodic voice flows out, you don’t hear that. You only hear the sharps and flats and every little imperfection rather than the overall beauty of your song.

Why? Why have we so easily bought into the negative things people have said to us? Because as we’ve heard the negative comments, the mean taunts, or witnessed the failure of someone to contradict those verbal assaults upon our tender hearts, we secretly began to believe them. We bought into them because our view of ourselves was already compromised. Our lenses became dirty and warped and we stopped seeing who and what God sees when He looks at us. We’ve succumbed to the negative forces that exist solely for the purpose of tearing us down, rendering us ineffective, and destroying our belief in divine purpose. How can one walk in their divine purpose if they don’t even believe they have one?

These verses in Psalm 139 are God’s loving reminder that we are special to Him! But not only special to Him, but that He created each one of us so intricately that we each have a unique purpose in this world. It’s proof that we are all powerful beyond measure no matter what we’ve been led to believe! God planned, sculpted, and formed us as an original masterpieces! We are priceless works of art! Together, we form a tapestry of such tremendous beauty that I am convinced God yelps with joy every time we walk in our purpose, individually and collectively!

Oh beloveds, you need to clean your lenses! You must look in the mirror every single day and speak the exact opposite of all the negative things you’ve been told, shown, or made to believe about yourselves! You must counteract the negative and affirm yourselves each and every day! If you believe you’re ugly, look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are beautiful or handsome. If you believe you aren’t smart, look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are smart and have a vast mind that yearns to acquire new knowledge. You get the picture, right? But then take it a step further. If beauty or your appearance is your concern, confide in someone you trust who has some fashion sense and learn some new ways to wear your wardrobe and trying new cosmetics or hygiene products. If you want to expand your mind, read books on new subjects or listen to books on tape to expand your knowledge base. Don’t just say it, do it! You have been given power and authority by God to create change in your life! Now take that power and CLEAN YOUR LENS!

Focus Prayer: Father, in the name of Jesus, help me to see myself the way that you see me. Help me to clean my lens so that I see all of the good that you’ve poured into me instead of focusing on all of the negative and destructive things others have forced upon me. Body and soul, I am marvelously made! Help me to not only speak these truths into my life, but to take action to change what I see when I look at me. I thank you that You’ve lovingly sculpted me for a purpose and that You have a plan for my life! Thank you for loving me THAT MUCH! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Let's Talk About the Light

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” 

Genesis 1:1 – 5 (NIV)

(Image courtesy of damselflyfaith.blogspot.com)

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life” is often quoted in an effort to encourage someone who attempts a new beginning of sorts. It’s almost an anthem for those who are embarking on a new-found journey, redirecting their course, or simply starting all over again. It is a mandate to turn ones’ back upon the failures or disappointments of the past, throw caution to the wind, and create and manifest a new vision for their lives. Since today is New Year’s Day, people all over the world are coming up with New Year’s Resolutions, vows to do better, work harder, exercise more, and thousands of other “self-improvement” promises that may very well go unfulfilled and become quickly forgotten. But…it doesn't have to be that way!

In this passage of Genesis, the very first lines of the Holy Bible, we see that God has looked out over the heavens and the earth and made some decisions. God decided He wanted more than what He saw sitting before Him. He didn’t just want to look out and see formless emptiness shaded over by darkness. He wanted to see light! So, instead of complaining to the Son and the Holy Spirit about how dark it was, how uninteresting the lack of form was, or how empty it felt to look out over it, He opened His mouth and spoke what He wanted to see. He wanted light, not darkness. That’s where He started. If you go on to read the rest of the first chapter, you’ll see that He addresses the formlessness and emptiness as well. But first, let’s talk about the light.

You will NEVER change ANYTHING in your LIFE until you shed light on it! Until you are willing to look at yourself, take responsibility for the choices you’ve made, reconcile yourself with the wrong that has been done to you, and begin the process of forgiving everyone who’s hurt you (including YOURSELF), then real light CANNOT enter. You must want the light to illuminate truth so that you can look at yourself objectively and see where improvement is needed. Life, just like the plants in the earth, is about change and growth. Anyone who remains stagnant fails to grow and it means that you’re not connected to a life-giving source. You must broaden your mind, try new experiences, expand your knowledge of something you’re uncertain of, push past the limitations the world may have put upon you, and become the most outstanding version of yourself that you can be right now! But first…let’s talk about the light.

Once light is shed upon anything, darkness is diminished and you can see clearly. But it does not stop with just seeing clearly. When God spoke light into existence, it is because He recognized that He had the power to create a change in what He saw. He knew that if He spoke light into existence, it would happen. And so it is with us as Believers. We cannot act like situations don’t need to change. We can’t ignore situations that need light to be shed upon them for the sake of comfort or even worse, because we are afraid! We must see what stands before us, find out what the Word of God says about it, and then speak what the Word says in order to bring God’s plans to fruition! But…we cannot just speak it; we must walk according to the Word and as the Bible tells us in Romans 4:17c to “call into being things that were not (as though they are)”. We must not just identify the issues and harp on them, but shed the light of truth and love upon them by speaking the Word of God over each issue. And here’s the challenge; we must change our behavior in order to see the change manifested! The light enters to illuminate the need for changes. We then have to become enlightened by the Word of God in order to see what the change needs to be. From there, we must submit to the power of God by changing our behavior (that we have control over) and seeking God’s power to change that which we struggle with.

So, when we talk about today being the first day of the rest of your life, it actually can be! You can decide today to plan for your success on this new journey or re-dedication to bringing out the BEST in you! Don’t just sit back and wish things were different! Make them happen! Seek the power of God to help you change the complacence that has come to be your “normal”. You are an amazing individual endowed with talents, passion, and purpose! Begin walking in that purpose today! After all, today really can be the first day of the rest of your life!

Prayer Focus: Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask that you move me out of my comfort zone by shedding light upon my life. Open my eyes so that I can see all of the potential that you’ve put inside of me so that I WILL use the gifts/talents that you’ve given me, live out this life with passion all the while striving to fulfill my purpose on this earth! I recognize that when I walk in my purpose with passion and joy, I bring glory to You because I am all that I am because of You! Father, let Your light shine on me, in me, and through me each and every day! Amen!

Happiness is Contagious!

“Happiness is like jam, you can’t spread even a little without getting some on yourself.”

Anonymous

Have you ever noticed miserable people tend to surround themselves with other miserable people? Why, you ask? Because it is impossible to remain happy, joyful, or positive around misery! So, when happy people encounter miserable people, they FLEE! They might try to share their happiness with them in an effort to buoy their spirits, but more often than not, it doesn’t work. Misery really does love company!

Now, I used to be a miserable person because that’s all I knew. I was also miserable because of unchecked and unacknowledged emotional issues that presented challenges I was unprepared to deal with. But that aside, I still had a decision to make. I needed to decide whether I was going to choose happiness or stay with the internal misery I’d known for so long. Well, I choose happiness! I’m not going to give you the sugar-coated version of that process. It was HARD WORK! It was a constant challenge because I had to rewire my brain and learn a whole new way to think, react to situations, and plan my thoughts about life in general deliberately. And it is STILL a process!

However, through all of this, I learned that happiness can be just as contagious as misery! I also found that as I shared happiness, it impacted those around me. And when I’ve been down myself and I decided to try to lift someone else’s spirits, mine were lifted, too!!! So, today’s quote is actually quite accurate. It IS impossible to share happiness without it coming back to you! So, make it point to choose to share happiness rather than negativity and watch your joy soar!