Day 346: Live For Something that Matters

Mark 8:35
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

Lately I have been feeling challenged to do more, to live for something more than just me. In a sense I feel as if I have been living in my own little bubble of faith. It's just me and my prayers for my life and the people connected for me. Forgetting that their is a whole world out there, an entire nation of people that God has sent me for, but I am too consumed with my life to see them. I am too busy praying for what I want that I overlook that the fact that there is more than just me. Yeah, I read my bible and pray every morning and before I go to bed, but when I think about it, my prayers are very much directed inward. God help me, help me reach my dreams and goals, help my family, my friends, But what about the other dreamers, what about the families that have no one to pray for them. Being a Christian is more than just praying for God to help us live a righteous life, but it's about praying for those that don't even know they have the opportunity to live a righteous life. It's about living a life like Jesus, one that seeks out the broken just to heal them. Reading the word of God not just so it can transform my life but sharing it so that it can transform the lives of others.

If we as the body of Christ will turn our prayer away from ourselves, and towards the people of God. If we will turn our prayers towards the broken and the sick, and the tormented. If we will take our eyes off ourselves, our religion, our denominations, church attire, and the number of church services we have in a day. If we turn our focus towards the bigger picture, we will discover an entire world of people that have yet to come in contact or know who Jesus is. We will find that there are people begging for prayer. There are people begging to hear the word of God, but are we too consumed with our own small circle to see that it can go further than where we are. It needs to go further than where we are. This means that we have to put ourselves on the back burner, we have to set our needs and wants aside because the needs and wants of God's children is greater. The needs of the person with no food is greater than our need to go out and hang with friends at an expensive restaurant. Our needs or want for the latest pair of Jordan's or whatever it may be becomes pretty small when we see that someone is walking around with no shoes on their feet and no clothes on their back. Our needs and wants become pretty small when we think about the needs and want so of others. We are walking around boasting in a life that we live while we walk past our brother and sister that only wants a glimpse of what we have. There's too many millionaires and billionaires in the world for millions even billions of people to be starving, living on the streets, and living in toxic and harmful conditions. There are too many church leaders and ministers for there to be people walking around as broken as they are, sometimes from he seats of our churches. God didn't give us what we have just for us. We are here for something much greater much bigger than ourselves. Like a doctor has the ability to heal, they know that if they do not use their knowledge to do their job someone's life will be on the line. If a surgeon has the ability to fix someone's heart but does not do so what is the use of them being a surgeon on the first place if they are not going to do what they have been educated to do (I've been watching a lot of Grey's anatomy lately).

No matter how big  and great we think we are, God sent us here for something much bigger ad greater. We all want to matter and we all think we matter and we do. But at the end of the day God is less concerned with how much you mattered to the people that adored you. We are seeking this adoration from people instead of seeking approval from God. We are living this life that is shaped to elevating ourselves. There's no use of getting to the top if when we get there we left everyone at the bottom to die. Why are so consumed with this idea of being adored so much that we are willing to overlook the people that actually need our adoration. We are willing to walk pass the person that maybe all they needed was for us to smile at them but we are consumed with the number of people smiling at our presence. There is nothing wrong with being adored but when we think about what are we adored for, and is it all about self gain?

I had to learn to look away from myself so I can see the world God ha placed me in too help heal and save. We are constantly asking God to save and change the world. We all want world peace, we want the broken to be healed, so we pray. We pray and ask god to do it, and when we don't see a change we pray again and this cycle continues. But did we ever think we are the answer to those prayers? Did we ever think that nothing is happening because we aren't doing it?  Did we ever think that the very task or mission we are trying to put off on God He has put on us?  We pray for change but it never crosses our mind that God sent us to where we are because we are the change that we have been praying for. But we think that asking God to do it is enough and having faith to do it is enough. It's not when the mission is ours. It's not enough when He's telling us and equipping us to do it. Let's not neglect our mission because we are so consumed with ourselves and our small little world.

All this to say, when we look away from ourselves that is when we will realize that God sent us here with a mission and it is more than just our lives involve. We will have to be the least and last sometimes. We will have to sacrifice, the question is are we willing. It less about being able and more about being willing. God wouldn't give it to us if we didn't have the ability but do we have the will? That's the question. Do we have the will to live for something that will not necessarily make us great but will be greater than us. There's a reward, a satisfaction, a fulfillment if you will in living for something outside of self. That's why giving our lives to Christ completes us.

Response/Prayer Time

Take the time to reflect and respond on what we discussed today. Have a conversation with God about what we talked about. Ask yourself if you are willing to take on the mission God has for you.

I love you all so much and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 347!

Day 341: Crazy Love!

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Romans 13:10

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

1 Peter 4:8

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Has love ever caught you by surprise? Like have you ever been overtaken by love and didn’t realize it until something happens and you know only love could make you do something like that? They say love makes you do some crazy things, that can be both good and bad. But today we want to talk about the good kind of crazy love.

Love will take you by surprise sometimes, and sometimes it’s unintentional. I cannot stay mad at anyone, even when I try I cannot hold a grudge against anyone because my love for whoever it is is greater. I have too much compassion and it’s all Jesus’ fault. He made me like this. He did this to me. It may sound funny, but I’m serious. Sometimes I just want to be mad, like give me time to sulk and get over it. Just let me be angry sometimes, I’ll get over I just don’t want to get over it at this exact moment. But then I’m reminded of the scriptures and how Jesus loves us and forgives us, and how we are called to love one another. I’m reminded that love covers the multitude of sins. I’m reminded that love forgives, and does no harm. I’m reminded of all these things and I start to ask myself what would Jesus do. Then the next thing I know I’m praying for that person, because I love them so much. Because God loves them so much and God loves me, and His love is within me. I cannot help but to love His people the way He loves them.  

Our hearts are set up a certain way, they are set up in Christ, they have been captured by the Lord. This heart in me, that heart in you has been purified by the Holy Spirit and made new. This heart God has complete ownership over. Therefore we love like God and live like Christ. That means we love even when we do not want to. It means that the love we have in our hearts will catch us by surprise, and sometimes that’s how we know it’s genuine because we aren’t even trying to love but it happens. We aren’t even trying to live like Christ but our hearts have been captivated by Him so it just happens. That’s that crazy kind of love I’m talking about. It’s crazy because sometimes we don’t want it, but we cannot help it. Sometimes we love people so much only to have them not love us an ounce back. It’s the crazy love that says even though you sin against me and nail me to a cross I will ask God to forgive you while you are in the act of killing me.  That’s the love that is in us and we wonder why we can do no harm to our neighbor even when they harm us. We wonder why we have so much compassion for people even when our mind tells us they don’t deserve it, the heart does something different. We have to follow our hearts, because God is in our hearts. When our hearts are full on God, everything that comes out of them will be just like Christ. Yes, that will catch us by surprise sometimes but it is the best feeling ever! It is great to know that God is so good that He makes us good as well. God’s love towards us is so unconditional that we learn to love people without condition. It’s beautiful.

All this to say, walking with God will have us loving people even when we want to do everything but that. But love is the key to living. Love is the key to peace. Love is everything we need. God is love.

Reflection

1. Has love ever caught you by surprise?
2. If yes to the above question, elaborate.

Prayer Time

Take the time to talk to God about love. Thank God that He loved us first. Thank Him that He teaches us how to love and how to live. Whatever is on your heart talk to God about it.

I love you so much and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for day 342!

Day 335: This Is True Love

1 John 4:7-12

7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

It is widely known that our foundation is built on love, God is love, our very existence stems from love. We talk so much about how important it is to love God and love people. This message will never get old. Throughout the bible the common theme is love. God loved us first. God is love. God so loved… Love God, love your neighbor. It is so important that we as people of God move in love. The main reason being is that God is love, with that being said, how can we move in any other way? How can we walk without love if we walk with God, it is impossible. Everything about God screams loves. If we do not know God then we do not know love, it’s that simple.

God shows us how to love, He shows us what real and true love is. He shows us through His actions, God loves us enough to give us life and provide for us. He loves us enough to create an entire universe that will sustain us until we are united with Him in eternity. The greatest acts of love we have ever seen is when He sent His Son to die on a cross for us, and when Jesus willingly took our shame and death so that we wouldn’t have to. That right there is true love.

As the scripture says real love is not that we loved God but God first loved us. We did not do anything to deserve this love, there was nothing we did to make God love us He just loves us. That’s it, He loves us, that love is unconditional. This type of love never runs out. If one thing I know. I know that God will never stop loving us. Even when we are living in sin, we know that because while in our sin God loved us enough to sacrifice His own child for us to have a life that would be freed from the bondage of sin. The scripture then tells us to take that love that God has given us and love His people. He teaches us how to love so that we can love others. So that we can give people a glimpse of  what God’s love is like. The love of God lives in us, God is in us and when that is true, when God has taken root in ur hearts we will love people with a Godly love that we never knew existed. That type of love is when we can’t really help ourselves. We just love. Even when we want to be mad at people and hold a grudge we can’t because God is love, and that love is running through us.

There’s an old saying that love makes the world go round. I cannot say that that statement is not true, because love is literally holding earth in place, keeping the world turning as the seasons change. Love can change people. Love can pierce evil. Love can heal or soften a broken and hardened heart. We need love, love is what keeps us going everyday. Love is our foundation. Life is so much better when we love. Through love comes peace, joy, kindness, forgiveness, humility, faith. Love makes the world a better place. Thank God that He is love.

Response/ Prayer Time

Take the time to respond to what we discussed today. Talk to God about love and true love. Talk to Him about loving our neighbors. Whatever is on your heart, pour it out to God.

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 336!

Day 298: Act on the Word

James 1:22-25

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Growing up my mom could always tell when we weren’t listening to her. It was less about how we reacted to what she was saying and more about how we acted based on what she was saying. When we acted in a way that we were not supposed to or did something and it went wrong she would always say it was because we weren’t listening, and I’d say, about 100% of the time she was right. She would say, “Everything I’m saying to you, goes in one ear and out the other.” Meaning, we acted like we never heard a word she said.

I share this because I believe that it is important for us as Christians to do more than just hear the word. We must act on it, we must do what it says. Living like Christ is more than just reading the bible, it’s living it out. We are walking, breathing bibles. How can we call ourselves Christians if we are not living by the word of God. We cannot have the word go in one ear and out the other, we must be doers of the word. We read the bible, but that’s not enough. Atheists read the bible. We must allow the word of God to take root in us, we must allow it to influence the way we live. Hearing the word of God is great, but how are we going to put it into action. The bible isn’t just some fun book to read, although it can be (read the old testament), it is a life instruction manual. It tells us how to live, and how to love. The word of God is everything we need to know how to live.

Too often we act as if reading the bible is enough. We read every morning, we pray and we’re good, we’ve spent our time with God for the day. It is so much more than that. We take the word of God with us wherever we go because it is in us. It has take root and manifested within us. We do not sit Jesus on a shelf once we are done with Him that’s not how it works. God is with us in every moment of our lives. He’s right there. We cannot read the word of God and not allow it to take root in us and change the way we live. We cannot forget the word of God as if it has no impact on us. We must be a doer who acts not a hearer who forgets.

All this to say, the word of God is meant to be lived. It is meant to influence the way we live. We cannot be just hearers of the word, we must be doers as well.

Reflection

1. Are you a hearer and a doer of the word
2. Have you had a moment in your life when you thought that reading the bible and hearing the word was enough?
3. At what point did you decide to be a doer of the word?

Prayer Time

Allow you answers to the above questions guide your prayer today. Take the time to search yourself and submit your heart to the Lord. Take the time to talk to God about allowing His word to influence the way you live.

If you’ve never made the decision to live for Christ, or you want to rededicate your life. If you want to be brought into this magnificent promise of eternity, now is the time to make that decision. If that’s you if you want to make that decision, pray this prayer with me,

“Jesus I declare that you are my Lord and Saviour who died for my sins and was raised three days later. I repent of my sins and I give my life to you. I believe in my heart that you are the true living God. I pray that you shine your  light on me and bring me out of the darkness and into your light. I love you Lord. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus name, Amen.”

If you made the choice to follow Christ, rededicate, or to submit your life to Him fully, Go to Romans 10:9-10

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

I love you so much. If you made the decision to follow Christ today, congratulations, this is the best decision you will ever make. Do not be afraid to reach out and get plugged into a church. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 299!

Day 296: Right By Who?

*Take note of all the questions asked throughout today’s devo*

Colossians 3:17

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

1 John 4:8

But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

I’m the type of person that believe there is something good in everyone. I like to see the good in everyone, I feel like everyone is good in one way or another, no one is born evil. We are born into evil but that does not mean we are evil human beings. With that being said, there’s is a difference between just being a good person, and being a person full of faith following God. Sometimes we get the two confused, just because someone is nice does not mean that their heart is with Christ. We can all be good people and do right by everyone, but are we doing right by God? That’s the question. Do we let our good deeds take the place of living like Christ, and walking in faith? I think a lot of times when we think about our good deeds we think that it’s enough to please God. We think that God just wants us to be a good person, yes He does but being a good person and being a Godly person can be two completely different things. We can all be good people, but at the end of the day a person who is made good through giving their life to Christ is different than a person who is “good” but still living a life of sin.  Don’t get me wrong God is very pleased by our good deeds, but it all comes down to our heart. Is Christ in our heart? That question gives so much meaning to who we are and why we do things.  

I remember when asked if I was living right, or living for Christ, I gave  list of all my good deeds and how I was doing right by people and how that meant I was a good person. I talked about how I fed the homeless, how I’ve bought meals for people and given them money, how I offer free service or help when someone needs it. That’s great and all but does it compare to the life I am living in Christ? Am I doing right by Christ, or am I just doing right by people and hoping that’s enough? The scripture above tells us that whatever we do we should do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, if I am not submitted to Christ and I have not given my heart to him how am I glorifying Him? I can do all the good deeds in the world but if I do not have love in my heart none of it matters. If at the end of the day I do not have Christ, was it really worth it?

Sometimes we as Christians get too caught up in what we are doing as opposed to how we are living. Meaning we are more concerned with our image as a Christian rather than being a devoted follower of Christ. This is something I had to learn as well because I was so concerned with helping people, going out and talking about Jesus, and doing good deeds, but it was only to prove my faith. It was all to show that I’m a Christian. It was really self-serving. It was to make me feel good as a person. It had nothing to do with pleasing God or helping people. Especially our generation with social media, and this constant need to show the good we do for people. It’s all self-serving. Jesus was less concerned with how many people saw what He was doing and more concerned with how many were saved. We are so concerned with how people see us that we forgot that the only opinion that really matters is the one we are ignoring. God. But when we really get to know God and when we really began to live like Christ, it becomes less about good deeds and more about being a servant of God. It becomes more about serving an everlasting God whose love is unfailing. It’s about the one who sacrificed it all for us. It becomes selfless. It is less about our earthly kingdom and more about His heavenly kingdom and eternal glory. It’s about glorifying His Kingdom and walking in love. If we do not have love we have nothing. We cannot walk in love and outside of God. God is love, so walking in love means we are walking with God. Doing right by God means loving Him first, and loving His people. Submitting our lives to Him and allowing Him to lead us every step of the way. We have to walk through life with the one who provided it. Creator cannot exist without the creator. Our lives are meant to glorify Him, and if we are not doing that are we really living, and are we really doing right by Him?

All this to say, doing right by people is not the same as doing right by God. Our good deeds are not always what it takes to live like Christ. We cannot be saved by good deeds alone, it takes faith.

Reflection

1. Take the time to answer the questions proposed today?
2. Are you doing right by God, self, or man?
3. Note that when we are doing right by God we are living exactly how we are supposed to live, therefore we are doing right by ourselves and His people.

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer today. Ask God to search your heart and check your intentions. Take the time to listen to what He is saying to you today.

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 297!

Day 288: Living Well Series (Part 3): Our Living is a Result of Our Loving

Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Ephesians 5:2

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

2 John 1:5-6

I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

John 12:34-35

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Recently I was listening to a podcast of Chad Veach he said sometime that really struck me and inspired this series. He said, “Your living is a result of your loving.” When I thought about that, it made so much sense to me and it actually shined a light on how we as Christians are living. Are we loving people the way god has purposed us to. Our entire faith, our foundation is built on love, so how we love is ultimately a result of how we live. So few words, yet so profound.

Over and over throughout the bible there is a common theme, love. God loved us, we love Him, and we love people, in that order. When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus’ response was love. Love God, love people. In those two commandments we obey the law. Love impacts the way we live, it impacts who we are, and how we see people. When we come into the knowledge and understanding of God’s unconditional love towards us, it changes our lives, and ultimately changes how we live. 1 John 4:8 tells us whoever does not love does not know god because god is love, so there is no way we can walk with God and live according to Him word if we are not walking and living in love.  

I’m not sure if you’ve ever hated anyone before, but I have and I can tell you it impacts the way you live, it breeds nothing but bitterness, anger, frustration, revenge, and disappointment. It was when I learned to love that my life began to change for the better. Walking in love means walking in and with God all the days of our lives. Meaning we are full of forgiveness, humility, patience, joy, peace, kindness.  

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

I propose the question, how are we loving? Are we loving God and loving people? What I’m getting at here is are we loving the way we say we are? Because how we live will show it. I can save for myself that I do always love the way I should. Sometimes I can treat people better. Sometimes I can have a bit more patience with people, with God, and myself. I’m not perfect, none of us are; but we serve a perfect God. A God who is constantly teaching us, molding us, and correcting us. So even when we aren’t loving the way we should we can turn to Christ and take an example from His life. That’s how it should look. When we truly walk in love we are walking in the light of Christ. When we walk in love we inhabit all the fruits of the spirit. When we walk in love, loving our neighbor isn’t that huge of a task. We as must learn to allow how we love dictate how we live. Meaning we must submit our hearts to Christ and allow Him to teach us how to live and walk in love. Over and over the Gospels tells us to love God and love people. If we break that down a bit, when we truly love God it will change the way we live. We will live a life devoted to Him because we love Him. We will seek His face and live according to His word because that what love does. We will not walk away from someone we love, we will not want to live apart from the person we love, so loving God automatically impacts the way we live. Anything that separates us from God we will do away with it because we love Him so much we cannot bear to be away from Him. That’s good living. Then as we love God, we love His people,  we begin to see the world through the lense or filter of God’s love. Meaning we begin to treat people the way Jesus would. Loving people the way we love ourselves means doing what we would do for ourselves and even more. How we love one another is a result of how we love God. We cannot know what love is until we know God’s love. Sometimes we are loving people the wrong way because we have yet to experience God’s love. God not only loves us but He teaches us how to love.   

All this to say, love changes the way we live. Living well means walking in love, and walking in love means walking with the Lord. Living well is a result of how we love. Are we loving the way we should? Love gives us a different outlook on life, a new perspective. Living well is loving well.

Response/Prayer Time

Respond in whatever way you feel led. Talk to God about living well by loving Him and his people. Have a conversation about what that means.  

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 289, to continue the series!

Day 224: Unpacking Romans 12- Hospitality

Romans 12:13

When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Hospitality

-the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.

-the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.

-kindness in welcoming strangers or guests

-receptiveness

According to all the above definitions hospitality is about receptiveness. It’s about welcoming others with a warm spirit. Following the theme of being a true Christian. Hospitality is part of the calling of a christian. The way we treat people, especially those who are strangers to us. It’s all about how we make them feel. The vibe that we give off. It’s easy to get along with the people we know and like, but how do we treat people that we don’t know? This is an interesting question because as humans we are accustomed to comfort. Meaning we have our circles and we have our people that we are most comfortable around, and that’s okay. But how often do we make those that are new feel uncomfortable or unwelcomed? We as Christians make these exclusive circles and people who are “not on our level”, get looked over because we are too busy on our high horse to welcome them with open arms. We may do it without even realizing it, but when it is brought to our attention we must change it.. As Christians is it our job to go out of our way to show hospitality to others. To go out of our way to help those in need. This is something that we must practice as Christians, when it comes showing the love of God. A lot of times the question that come to mind for many people when it comes to loving their neighbor; how can I love someone I don’t even know. We treat them the way Christ would. We accept them with open arms, making them feel welcomed wherever we are, no matter who they or where they came from. There should be no circles or cliques in the body of Christ. Jesus is for everyone, not an exclusive group of people who think of themselves higher than everyone else.

This attitude should be most expressed by the church. I’ve been to far too many churches where I felt unwelcomed and judged. Due to the atmosphere, how people looked at me because of the way I was dressed or how people speak so badly about our generation within the church.. How I was removed from the front row because according to the men in the pulpit my skinny jeans were too tight and I was tempting the young men in the pulpit. Too often the church has turned people away because they don’t agree with their lifestyle or they have labeled them sinners. No one should feel unwanted in god’s house, and if they do, that’s on us.

All this to say, many times we are responsible for how people feel around us. We create the vibes if you will, the atmosphere that either accepts or neglects people.. We must learn to welcome people with open arms and make them feel like they are loved, like they are a part of this beautiful community God has created. We never know what people are going through and one hospitable act from us could literally change the course of someone’s life. We must make sure that people not only feel welcomed in God’s house but know that they are, meaning we speak to them and let them know that they are welcomed. Words are one thing, actions are another, but when you put the two together it is powerful. We are not here to point out people’s sin and flaws. We are here to point people to Jesus. He uncovers the sin and only He can judge them for it.

Reflection

1. Can you remember a time where someone has made you feel unwelcome or uncomfortable?
2. Can you remember a time when you did it to someone else?
3. Have you ever been to a church that made people, or you, feel like they shouldn’t be there?
4. How can we change this?

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer today. Talk to God about being hospitable, and ask Him to teach you to be warm and welcoming towards His people.

I love and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for  Day 225.

Day 66: The Character of God

This week we will dive into the character of God. We often have this image in our heads that God is some unapproachable, angry, commanding being. But that is not true, He is quite the opposite there is so much to Him that we need to learn and understand but first we have to get past our assumptions of who he is, so that we get to know Him.

1 John 4:8

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

First thing to know: God is love. His character is love.

The scriptures tells us that God is love, then goes on to explain what love is. Knowing that God is love we can take all those attributes and know that they come from a God who is kind, patient and loving. The love of God is so sweet, and beautiful. We must look at God that same way. Knowing that even though He does get angry, it is never permanent, His love for us is greater than anger. God is the most loving being in the universe. How did we get from that to viewing Him as an angry old guy who doesn’t want us to enjoy life. We have it all wrong, He is anything but resentful, and judgemental, He is compassionate, kind, merciful, full of grace. God is our father, we have to treat Him like one. Everything He does, He does out of love. We have to stop listening to people tell us that if we don’t obey a set of rules God will be angry at us.

We as Christians tend to talk a lot about sin and punishment. But we forget about grace and mercy.

I went to a church where the pastor always told us to either do something a certain way or we are going to hell. Being new to my faith I believed it. I started to view God as a being that I should fear. And I did, I thought God to constantly be judging me and waiting for me to sin so that He could punish me. Everything I did was so that I would not be punished or go to hell. I was so wrong.  

-Dyamond

Fear- reverential awe, especially toward God:

We talk about the fear of God, as if we are to really fear Him in a sense of what He will do to us. This causes us to not give our all to Him. We cannot have a relationship with God is we are afraid to speak to Him. It’s hard to genuinely love someone when you are constantly afraid of what they will do to you. When the bible speaks of the fear of God, it is to mean, respect, gratitude, standing in awe of who He is. It is rooted in love. The fear of God isn’t about worrying about what God will do to us if we don’t obey, it is more about loving Him so much, and having so much gratitude and respect for Him that we don’t want to disobey Him. Or we don’t want to sin against Him because we know it will separate us from Him. Fear rooted in love, it sounds crazy but when we think about it in a biblical sense it makes sense.

God loves us so much that He is in constant pursuit of our heart, He went through drastic measures to have us near HIm again, we are His children, His babies. He holds us in His arms like a father holds his newborn child. We have to break down that wall that we put between ourselves and God, and dive into who He really is. Dive into intimacy with Him. Dive into a relationship with Him, so that we can understand His character, and see past our own assumptions and get to know God for who He really is.

Reflection

1. How do you view God?
2. Is God a scary being to you?
3. How have you been told to view God?

Prayer Time

Allow you answers to the above questions guide you prayer. Remembering that God is love and knowing the characteristics of love. Ask God to show you His character, to show you who He truly is. Ask HIm to take away the assumptions and see Him for who He is.

I love you, and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Make sure you share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 67!