Day 326: Thanksgiving!

Psalms 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.

Psalms 30:12

That my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

So today is thanksgiving in America and as an old tradition that I’m sure just isn’t in my family, let’s call to mind what we are thankful. Let’s say how thankful we are for God, I want us to be reminded of how great God is. Bringing our attention to His goodness and thanking Him. I know that we thank God everyday, and we should be reminded of His goodness daily. But I just want you all, even if celebrating the holiday isn’t part of your tradition. Take the time to thank God and show your gratitude towards Him.

In everything we do we should glorify God, and I know our lives show how grateful we are. But there is something different about taking the time to thank God. There is something beautiful about acknowledging what He has done and what He continues to do. Some of my favorite moments are when I can just take in the goodness of God and just say thank you. Not with an empty heart but with a heart full of gratitude because I know that His hand is always on me. I know that He is the one who gets me through every moment of every day. We thank God because He has done so much for us, and just because a million thank you s would never be enough to thank Him for all He does, that doesn’t mean that we omit it. We are often caught up in asking God for things that we forget to thank Him. So, in honor of this American holiday, let’s do exactly that. Let’s take the time, not to ask for anything or push our own agendas let’s just take the time to thank Him.
With everything going on in this world it is important that we come together and be thankful for the wonderful things God has done. It’s so easy to pay ettentiin to the negative and see everything wrong. But I choose to see the goodness of God in all the craziness and evil this world has to offer. There’s so much to be thankful for. Let’s point that out today.

Response/Prayer Time

Take the time to pray and thank God. Whatever that looks like for you do it. Open your heart to Him and show Him how grateful you are.
I love you and I hope you all have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 327!

Day 286: Living Well Series (Part 2) - Winning At Life

1 John 5:12

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life.

Are you winning at life?

What does winning at life look like to you?

I’m sure we have all heard these concepts of “winning at life”. Buzzfeed had probably posted articles about how to win at life, buzzfeed also probably posted a quiz, that most of us probably took, about how to know if you are winning at life. When we think about this idea of winning at life, do we think of it as just something tangible. Are we thinking about winning at life as beating our enemies, or just being better than everyone else? How does it look to win at life? What doe sit mean? First let’s define that word, to win. What does it mean, according to my dictioanry.com app on my iphone, there are quite a few different meaning of the word. All the definitions are centered around success: to finish first, to succeed by striving or effort, to gain the victory, overcome an adversary. The slang definition is to be successful or competent and be acknowledged for it. These definitions are sometimes how we as people define ourselves. We always have to be first, we have to be the best. We have to prove that we are the best and the winners by constantly working hard. The last one hits close to home, we all want to be recognized for our success. We want to be acknowledged for winning at life. Often times we put up an image, most times on instagram, to make our lives look successful, and they might be. But how successful are we if we do not have Jesus? Are we really winning if we do not have Christ in our lives?

I can tell you right now that winning at life does not look a certain way as a matter of fact it lives a certain way. How we live determines how we win. What I mean is that we cannot win at life if we are not living in Christ. The very man who gave us life, how can we live apart from Him. To take that even further how can we win at life if we do not live in Him. It took Jesus to come from His throne in heaven to not only teach us how to live, but also it took His life so that we can have life. Before Jesus came we were dying in our sin, we were losing this game of life. Jesus gave us the tools we needed to win. Theres is only one way to win at life and His name is Jesus.  John 14:16 says. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

The idea of winning at life is the idea of pushing hard to earn it, but with Jesus we didn’t earn it, He gave it to us. All we have to do is believe, all we have to do is give our hearts to Him. True winning is when we are truly submitted to christ, that’s how we win at life. We give our hearts to the man who gave up everything for us. Winning at life is still having life in eternity when everything of this world fades. When all else is gone and we still have Christ to hold on to, that’s how we know we’ve won at life.  See as long as we have Christ we are winning, if we define winning at life by how successful we are, we will never truly be winning. Because we are not always going to be or feel successful.

All this to say, winning at life is declaring our victory in christ, not in the world. Jesus gave us the tools we need to win at life, and we cannot live apart from Him.

Reflection

1. Are You winning at life?

Prayer Time

Take the time to talk to God about what we discussed today. Have a conversation with Him about what it looks like to win at life. Thank Him for Jesus, take the time to thank God for giving us a savior who has given us eternal life.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 287!

Day 235: Merely Vessels

1 Corinthians 3:5-7

After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

We are merely vessels used by God to bring forth His purpose for people on Earth. We are vessels through which His word is revealed to His people. I want to talk about this today because I think sometimes we can get caught up in the idea that we are the ones doing God’s work, and not Him doing it through us. We can get a big head sometimes and a bit arrogant. Without Him we would not have anything to give or do. So sometimes we have to check ourselves like, ‘Chill, go sit down somewhere and have a glass of humility.’ I love that Paul starts this statement off with a question, basically asking, “Who am I and who is Apollos?” Like who do you think I am, or who do you think I think I am. We sometimes view ourselves as more than what we actually are. It’s like a need to feel or be important.  We are simply God’s servants, just vessels here to be used by God. We’re only here to do what God has told us to do, and at the end of the day, what matters most is that God did the increase. Yes, we are vessels of God’s word, but we have to know that He doesn’t need us, He wants us. He wants us here planting and watering seeds so that He can make the increase. He wants to use us to bring His good news to the people, but that does not mean that the show stops when we decide to make ourselves unavailable. Paul goes on to say, I did one thing, Apollos did another but without God it would have never grown. He did the increase, not us. It doesn’t matter who watered or who planted all that matters is that God made it grow. At the end of the day, God is the only one who can make us grow, the only one who can increase us. Which brings me to my next point.

We often give God’s praise to man. Meaning we credit the people God used instead of giving honor where it is due. While God sends people in our lives to help us grow and elevate us, we must make sure that we realize it is God who is working through them. We can honor people for what they have done, and thank people, and show our gratitude, there’s nothing wrong with that. It becomes a sin when we begin to take away what God is doing in our lives and give all the credit and honor to man. God has gotten us where we are today, He has used man to help along the way but God is behind it all.

I love Chance The Rapper, but there is a specific moment in his career I want to highlight, and it’s when he won his Grammy for best new artist. He might have set the record for how many times someone has thanked God in an award speech. I love the fact that he thanked God for the position he is in. He thanked God for the people around him that helped make him winning a grammy possible. He gave God all the credit, for everything. He knows that if it wasn’t for God he wouldn’t have the people in his life that pushed him, helped him, and supported him. God is the mastermind behind it all.

All this to say, God is behind everything. No matter how much we plant or how much we water, until God does the increase, nothing will happen. God deserves the praise for all of it, let’s not take it away from Him and give it to someone else.

Reflection/ Prayer Time

1. Take the time to think about and thank God for the people in your life, that God has placed there to get you where you are today,
2. Next take the time to realize that we are merely vessels and thank Him for using us to bring forth His word to people.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 236!

Day 225: Unpacking Romans 12- Bless Those Who Curse You

Romans 12:14

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

One thing I’ve grown up being old is, “Kill them with kindness.” Meaning don’t treat people the same way they treat you. Don’t be mean just because they are being mean to you, the best thing you can do is kill them with kindness. Now I’m sure many of us have gotten to a point when we say, there’s only so much kindness to give, and eventually you’ll want to get back at them, whoever “them” is. You get tired of people being rude or disrespectful and want to tell them what’s on your mind.  Sometimes it’s hard not to say anything or do anything back to the people who intentionally try to hurt you or stir you up, especially when they know the exact buttons to push. But boy is it so rewarding. It’s so rewarding and a bit funny to see the reaction you will get when you refuse to get angry with someone.

One of the lessons I’ve learned is to just laugh it off. I am very sarcastic and I know it can be annoying to people who try to get to me. But I’ve learned that two angry people can get nowhere. It just turns into a screaming match, of who can scream the loudest and who can get the last word. I can get angry and stirred up, but when alls said and done, what will I have accomplished? Nothing. The best thing to do is diffuse the fire before it gets out of hand. I believe that this is the lesson here. God is telling us to turn the other cheek. He’s telling us not to get riled up and angry, but instead pray that He will bless the people who are out to get you. Pray the best for them. They are God’s children as well, that is very important to remember. We can take an example from Jesus, as with everything in life. Jesus was persecuted in the worst way, He was beat and spit on. He was talked about, but He responded with love. Even as the people were nailing Him to the cross He said “father forgive them for they know not what they do.” He knew that there was a bigger picture. He could have been angry at them, but instead He chose to forgive them, instead He chose to love them. When we think about it, it’s truly a beautiful image. To set yourself aside for the very person that is harming you and bringing you a world of pain.

My mom would always tell us growing up, “hurt people, Hurt people.” Meaning people who are hurt, do not want to hurt alone. You never really know why someone is treating you the way they are. Sometimes people act out because they themselves are hurting and they want someone to either feel the pain they feel or feel something worse. It’s a messed up disposition but it’s real. So many times I think that when we are called to turn the other cheek, or bless those who curse us, it is just as much for them as it is for us. While our faith might be being tested someone is being healed. It’s much deeper than just getting the last laugh or proving that you are mature.

All this to say, love everyone, even the ones that are hard to love. Bless the people that constantly curse you. In the end you will be proud of yourself for not engaging and you give the other person a chance to inspect themselves.

Reflection

1. Have you ever been in the position where you had to walk away from someone who was angry with you?
2. How are was it?
3. Can you see the bigger picture in blessing the people who curse you and giving a soft answer?
4. What is it?

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer today. Ask God to help you learn to pray for those who curse you and help you hold your tongue. Pray for self-control. Whatever is on your heart today, talk to God about it.

I love you, and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for day 226!

Day 220: Unpacking Romans 12- Renew Your Mind

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Isaiah 55:7-9

Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

When we become Christians, everything changes about us, from the inside out. They say Christians are more attractive, but that’s not the point. When we become Christians, our lifestyle has to change and in order for that to change our mindset has to change, the way we think about about things and the way we view the world and people has to change. We cannot walk with Christ and still have the mindset of the world, it won’t work. The mind is very powerful, that’s why they used to have billboards and commercials, and posters in the classrooms when we were younger, telling us “the mind is a terrible thing to waste.” As corny as it was, it’s true, a lot of times we are ruled by our thoughts. Some of the greatest inventions and discoveries started as a thought. It also works the other way, many of the biggest crime Lords, and even serial killers started off with a thought. Our minds shape a lot of who we are, How we think says a lot about who we are. If we want to be like Christ we have to think like Christ.

One of the questions I always ask myself is,  ‘Is the glass half empty or half full?’ Just to see where my mind is. When we become a Christian we will almost always view the glass as half full. Meaning with Christ, it’s never over until He says it’s over, and as long as I have breath in my body, it’s not over. Christ has changed the way I view life, love, people, and the world. What I’m getting at here is, if our mind is not renewed our life cannot be renewed. If we are still moving and thinking the same way we did when we were in the world, how are we ever going to grow in Christ. A worldly mindset does not work in a Christian body. It just doesn’t, our thoughts have to be His thoughts. We must think like Christ in order to be like Christ. Move like Christ did and view the world as He did.  

I think when our mind is renewed by Christ we are more in tune with His voice and His will. We  become one with Christ meaning we can hear his voice more clearly, and we can differentiate between His voice and the voice of the enemy or even our voice. Also when we are in tune with Christ it’s almost as if every thought or idea of doing wrong is banished,

All this to say, when we submit our lives to Christ, we must also change our mindset. Allow our minds to be renewed by Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit. When we grow our mind grows with us. So when we grow in Christ so our mind will also grow. These things are not separate. I’ll leave you with this scripture.

Matthew 22:37

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Response/ Prayer Time

Take the time to think about what we spoke on today. Respond in whatever way you feel led. There are no questions today, just take the time to have a conversation with God. Ask Him to renew your mind. Have an honest conversation with Him.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening, be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 221!

Day 194: When It's Too Much

Yesterday we talked not giving any excuses and throwing ourselves a pity party, but if I’m being completely honest, sometimes life seems to throw too much at you at the same time. I might sound like I’m contradicting myself here based on what I wrote yesterday and what today’s subject will be. But the truth is, life contradicts itself, it has ups and downs, flaws and all, but it’s worth living.

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

“...He will not fail you or forsake you.”

You ever get tired of fighting? You’re not necessarily giving up or losing your faith in God, you’re just tired. Tired of fighting, and exhausted from how long the fight has been. It’s like an in between area, you don’t want to give up, you want to keep going, you’ve come too far to stop, but you just want a break. Just a little break, you want the opponent to ease up a bit so you can breathe and gather your thoughts. It’s a hard place to be in.

Sometimes life is hard, and sometimes we get to the point where we do know if we can keep going. There’s no doubt that we want to keep going but it’s hard, we’re tired, and sore, and exhausted. How do we keep pushing when the harder we push the bigger the battle gets, the more we press, the more pressure is applied. It is tiring.

I am not ashamed to say that life can get tiring and sometimes I just want to walk away and not even try anymore. But it’s in these moments that we have to keep going. We have to keep pushing. God didn’t bring us this far to leave us, and we didn’t come this far to give up. We get to a place where it’s too far to turn back and to close to stop. It’s been a journey of sacrifice, tears, blood, more tears, frustration, and anger but it’s worth it to keep going. My mom would always tell me when I was younger and even now, “the closer you are to the top, the harder it gets.”

All this to say, yes, I know you’re exhausted and it’s tiring, it’s frustrating, and sometime you don’t understand. Trust in God, trust in His plan, trust that He is going to come through for you. He hasn’t failed yet, and I don’t believe that He will start now. Keep going, keep pushing, fight a little harder. Trust me, it will all be worth it. You will reap and it will be glorious. Remember, a diamond is made with extreme amounts of pressure.

Response/Prayer Time

Take the time to talk to God about what we discussed today. Ask God to give you strength and endurance. Whenever you get into the mindset of being tired, you get three and a half minutes, that’s enough time for one sad song and then you get back to it.

I love you, I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 195!

Day 187: Live to Win

1 Corinthians 9:24

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

One of my least favorite statements is,

“I’m hoping for the best, but I’m expecting the worst.”

That statement makes me livid, because no, don’t write yourself off like that. If you’re going to hope for the best, hope for it. Believe it, and if the result is anything less than that then atleast you tried, it just didn’t work out. I think many of us are afraid of being let down and hurt so we don’t expect much out of the things we hope for. We don’t want to be disappointed so we don’t get our hopes up. We don’t want to get our hearts broken so we act like we don’t have feelings. Well, get over it, that’s life. It’s full of ups and downs, heartaches, headaches, and disappointments, but all of these things work together to make us better people. God uses all of these things to mould and shape us. The biggest disappointment would be, if we let our insecurities and fears stop us from ever trying. I’d rather be disappointed and know that I tried rather than angry and bitter because I never tried in the first place. Which brings me to the title of today’s devo, we have to live to win. We have to give it our all. What’s the use of running a race if you’re not running to win?

I truly believe that God wants us to win, not in a way where we are competing with our neighbors but in a way that we are living the best way we know how. That we are giving everything we have to this life that He has given us. It is apparent to me that God doesn’t want us to sell ourselves short. He loves us and believes in us enough to send His son to die on a cross for our sin. Why can’t we believe in ourselves the same way? He definitely didn’t sell us short.

Over the past year I have seen a wave of, ‘glorified insecurity’, where it has become almost a trend to talk down on yourself and write yourself off. From ‘funny’ memes to grunge tumblr posts. It’s something that has started on social media but has also taken root in the lives of many people. It’s not okay or funny or cute to talk down on yourself. There are many other people out there who are going to do that, why do it to yourself?

We have to learn to believe in ourselves, believe in our dreams, and most importantly believe that God has sent us here with a purpose. Having faith in the fact that God is rooting for us, He wants us to win. Jesus is like our cheerleader, He’s on the right side of the father interceding for us day in and day out. He is rooting for us too. It’s so easy to let fear stop us from trying, but God is not a God of fear. Yes we will fall, and we have to get back up. We will get a few scrapes and scars but it’s makes for a better story in the end. Something my mom always told me growing up, before Kanye said it, “What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger.” She’s been telling me this all my life. Whenever I got a no from an audition, or didn’t get picked at a showcase, she’d look at me and say that statement. What that meant was, don’t let this stop you, I know it hurts but you have to get up and keep trying. Let it fuel you to do more.

All this to say, live to win. Live for something bigger than yourself and don’t write yourself off. You are much more than you think you are. God made you for a reason, live like you believe that.

Reflection

1. How often do you talk down to yourself, or think less of yourself?
2. Have your written yourself off?
3. Are you running this race to win?
4. Do you believe that you can win?
5. Do you know your worth

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer. Whatever you feel the need to talk to God about today, talk to Him. Leave the self-doubt, fear, and insecurities behind.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. I really do love you and I want you to know that. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 188!