Use Me

“Does He thank the servant because he did the things commanded to him? I think not.”

Luke 17:9

This verse for me personally is really convicting. How many times to I go to God expecting Him to Bless or encourage me simply for doing what He has told me to do.
   God I loved my neighbor even though it was really hard to at the time, Lord I was honest and respected my parents today ( for the most part), God I didn’t mess up too badly today, is it time for me to receive my reward?
   When I was younger I used to get upset when I saw ribbons and trophies being given out simply for participation or for showing up. Oh! You participated in the 200 meter dash but came in dead last?! That’s ok here’s a ribbon! Your basketball team hasn’t won a single game during the season? No, problem! You still get a trophy! Our society celebrates mediocracy!
    This verse seriously made me stop and question why it is that I even try and walk according to the way I know God has called me to walk. Am I striving to be obedient in response to the sacrifice He has committed for me and the Love that He continues to show me, or because I hope that if I behave like a good little girl He’ll finally grant me the answer or give me confirmation on something I’ve been praying for for weeks. Who am I trying to fool? LIke God doesn’t know my heart. LIke He can’t see the real motivation behind my behavior.
     Like Pastor G taught we are going to be given task upon task sometimes and we cannot expect a thank you simply for doing what we are called to be doing, because if that’s the reason we are performing the task then we have already failed at being a christian. Even if the task is completed to perfection, if in our hearts we are doing it simply for the recognition, or out of pride then we have ruined the task, we have failed.
      It really makes absolutely no sense for us to expect a thank you, or recognition simply for doing the bare minimum requirement, and sometimes we can even come to expect recognition for less than the bare minimum. My prayer is that my Christianity not be about how many blessings I can get out of my Relationship with God, but how much of God I get from my relationship with God. I’m really going to try extremely hard to change my perspective from “give me, give me, give me” to “use me, use me, use me.” abandoning all  regard for whether or not I can reap anything out of it.

Dead Girl Walking

“ But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink”’

 Luke 17:8

You can totally tell that I’ve been raised in American, I read, and re-read this verse and my flesh just started to boil!... Wait so you want me to serve you first, make sure you’re all cozy and taken care of and then ‘m “allowed” to eat and have a cup of water?! Are you kidding me?!
  Um...No. See here’s the thing, I’m dead, and I’ve never seen a dead person claim their rights. I have made a consciences decision to live my life for Christ, that means that my life is literally not my life anymore, but His to do with what He pleases. It’s not Monica’s Life being lived by Monica, it’s Christ’s living His life through Monica ,and I have to do my very best to live in the exact way He has commanded me.
   When I wake up in the morning I’m not supposed to make a mental note of all the things I want to accomplish that day, what I really should be doing is meeting with the Lord every morning and asking Him what He’d have me do that day.In the same way that the servant works for his Master and places his Master’s desire before he ever considers his own, so am I to make sure that my wants, and desires are to come secondary to God’s.
     Obviously it’s easier said than done, and even as I’m writing this there’s a part of me that’s asking “ I have to die to myself all the time? He doesn’t really want all of my heart at all time right...?” But He does. It’s my selfishness that doesn’t want to die to myself but it’s during that time that the Lord directs me to Romans 8:28:
 And we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His Purpose”.
    As hard as it might be in that moment for me to die to myself, His word comforts me with the hope and promise that when I finally do completely die to myself in a situation, He, being the Faithful,Amazing and Wonderful God that He is, will make sure that the situation works out first to glorify HImself and His kingdom, but secondly that it will work itself out in a way that ultimately will be for my own good.
   God is my Heavenly Father, and He won’t leave me hanging, but I need to make sure that my priorities and more importantly my heart places God and what He wants for me above my own desires.

Application:
        I will fight my pride and desire to be in control outside of God’s will, by verbally repeating Romans 8:28 when I feel myself being led by a will other than God’s.

God is Not a Vending Machine

And which of you having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field ‘come at once and sit down to eat”-Luke 17:7 

        Ok so I’ve been staring at my bible for what seems to be forever trying to figure this verse out, and I think I might have finally come to a conclusion...maybe

A servant is someone who goes about getting work done for someone else without any regard for themselves or their own opinions, wants and needs. A servant, especially during that day and age had no days off, they didn’t have a set 9am-5pm monday-friday schedule they worked by, they were always on duty.
     So let’s say I’m a servant ( which I technically am as a Christian) it wouldn’t make any sense for me to finish one task and then expect to be rewarded for it, especially when there is still more to do. Why should my master reward me if I haven’t even stepped up and accomplished all my tasks or what He’s asked me to do?
     Even as I’m typing this there is a part of me that’s going “ ouch...that’s a bit harsh”, and it might seem so at first but think about it this way, rewards are supposed to be given out for behavior and actions that at the very least are all encompassing of someone’s responsibility, we do not reward someone with a paycheck for only finishing half of their job responsibilities, and we certainly don’t give them a bonus for it.
    As Christians we many times want to be given rewards, and showered with blessings after only taking a single baby step of faith, sometimes we want God to reward us for less than that, but that’s not how it should be at all.
    We are to work and strive for Him, not for a reward but simply because we are His bondservants ( servants by choice). I need to check my heart when I do things, making sure that my motives are not just because I think if I do something the Lord will bless me, but doing something because1) He’s God and He’s already done more than enough to warrant my complete devotion 2) the Lord has given me the responsibility 3) if I do it in the way that He’s called me to then I’ll bring Glory and honor to Him, that should be my only motivation.
      It’s not to say that God won’t bless us when we are obedient and do as we are told, but that’s up to His discretion. Even if He never blesses us, or rewards us again, He has already done enough, more than enough to warrant our loyalty and servanthood.
     He it not a vending machine, where we put 25 cents worth of obedient in and get a bag of blessings out. He is the Living Creator God that has redeemed us by His Son and has asked us into relationship with Him, may I never lose sight of that.

Application:
    I will spend 20 minutes in prayer tonight asking the Lord to reveal to me the main motivation of my heart, and ask Him to give me a sensitivity to the Spirit, in order to really know when I’m doing something out of a pure heart, or a greedy one.

Making the Trees Dance

“So the Lord said, ‘If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea.’ and it would obey you’”
Luke 17:6

A mustard seed is a very small thing, mentally I’m sure we all know that, but I’ve actually held one in my hand, and man are they tiny, even in comparison with other seeds.
   This verse makes me a bit nervous, because if all I really need is a tiny ounce of faith to animate trees and make they dance in the river, why haven’t I made them dance before?
   I don’t know about you but I haven’t seen very many mulberry trees talking a stroll to a river bank and just wade in the water. Why is that? Does the Word literally mean that if I simply believe I can make trees come to life? Or is it trying to highlight the fact that I as a child of God many times in my heart and mind place a limit on His power?
     Stay with me for a second. When I first read this verse, my knee jerk reaction was kind of to scoff it off, it seems silly, almost fantastically so,that this would be the picture chosen to illustrate Faith... but I think that that might be the point. If I cannot take God at His literal word and sincerely believe that I can make a Mulberry tree pick up its roots by my Faith in God and plant itself in a river, then how can I claim to have faith in God when it comes to moving mountains or curing cancer? If the silliest almost fairy tale like actions cause me to doubt God, do I really have all that much faith in Him at all?
     Maybe the reason that I haven’t seen very many trees dancing in the river is because I don’t have enough faith to make them dance. This verse brings to light, at least for me, how little faith I have in God sometimes. No millimeter of my heart should doubt that God could actual command a tree to move and that it would actually move. I’m called to have child like faith, whether it be in the literal and physical movement of trees and mountains or faith that He can completely heal someone, or deliver me from sin, or even that He has plans for me that are not going to lead me in the wrong direction.
       My Faith is being stretched just by being here, but for me, it was really important to note just how much more I have to learn, not in a condemning way or anything but simply as a realization that having faith is crucial, and you can never have too much, but you can certainly not have enough.

Application:
     I will memorize Matthew 6:30 unto my heart and repeat it out loud whenever I find myself doubting God, or what He’s spoken to me

The Bold Bride

" For whoever is ashamed of Me and My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will also be ashamed when He comes in the Glory of His father with His holy angels"- Mark 8:28

        We are His Bride, if we put anyone else's opinion or thoughts above HIm, then we are cheating on our Groom,t he one who saved us and bought us so we would not perish. if we are ashamed of Him after knowing what He has done for us, then in essence we are denying HIs gift and the Holy Spirit. Come judgement day, because we were ashamed and didn't want to be made fun of or where afraid of whether or not we'd lose a friend or two, because we didn't count deaths gain, dying to ourselves to glorify God, the most important aspect of our life He will be ashamed of us before His Father.

       What kind of a Bride is ashamed of the work her Beloved Groom has done for her?

    May we be aware of the price paid for us, and live for our life unashamed of our Lord and His message. Let us be more concerned with whether nor not we'll be rejected by our savior than by men.

Application:

     I will not shy away from sharing what the Holy Spirit is placing on my heart, I will pray for boldness and discernment so that I can share the right words at the right time whether it be with non-believers or believers alike.

All that Glitters is Not God

" For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"-Mark 8:36

         It seems like in today's world, the most important thing is gain. We want the flashiest sports cars, the biggest T.Vs, the latest apple gadget, the most well paying job. the nicer house etc. etc. etc. As long as we come out on the other side of the equation with MORE then we are good to go.
       Everyone is striving to be the next Donald Trump or Bill Gates, to have the largest bank accounts or to own the most land.
      However, the more people try and gain, the less satisfying their possessions start to become. "Do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal". That shiny sparkly object we once had so much reverence for will become rust and rubble before our very eyes. The more we try to acquire possessions, wealth and status, the quicker the moths destroy.
     Life is not about how much you can acquire but about how much you give, love and show Christ to people. Anything else becomes a distraction, owning the land of the world and all the money within it will not save you ( not that having money is bad, if the Lord has blessed you it's for a reason, just don't expect it to be God). Take it from King Solomon, the richest ruler whoever lived "vanities of vanities it is all vanity"- Ecclesiastes 1:2
  Do not let the thieves of this world rob you of your heavenly treasures. Seek Him, enrich your soul, not your pockets.

Application:
    In the morning I will make sure to have my quiet time with the Lord before I take a single look in the mirror.

This Reminds Me of a Toby Mac Song....

"Or what will a man give in exchange for His soul?"- Mark 8:27

What am I willing to give?

I think this question boils down to, how real is your faith and your belief that Jesus Christ truly saved you! What are we willing to do, sacrifice, experience for the sake of our souls? Do we toss our souls away carelessly at the feet of idols, only bringing it to God when those line tear it apart? Are we Gomers?
   Do we actually recognize that a great price has been paid for our souls, a payment method so strong that it has managed to completely wipe our slate as well as our souls clean? All we have to do is take a step towards HIm.
  Many times we as Christians have that knowledge but don't allow it to take root in our hearts and transform our lives, to bring us to a place where we are willing to do anything for the Lover and Savior of our Souls? What are we willing to given exchange for the fact that the Lord has preserved our souls.
    It's important not to confuse our response to the cleansing of our souls with what actually causes our souls to be cleansed ( faith without works is dead). We need to allow ourselves to be fully comprehend the fact that He saved our souls, once we do that, what won't we do in response to what He did?

Application:
    Today I will spend time simply meditating on just what it is that the Lord has done for me, and whether of not my life shows that I recognize and appreciate it.

Mirror, Mirror

" For Whosoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it" - Mark 8:35

        The first thing that comes to my mind when I read this verse is martyrdom. The countless number of men and women who have literally laid down their lives for the name of God and for the sake of spreading the Gospel.
      However does this now make it a requirement for you to be killed for Christ in order to be saved? I don't think we are there quite yet, but I do think that this verse hints towards a very bold truth, anyone who considers his or her life to be above God, or His Will, or who realistically cannot ( with full knowledge and understanding of what He has done for us) submit and surrender to the Lord probably isn't in a true thriving relationship with Christ.
   I've heard the phrase "kingdom paradox" many times before, especially in discussing verses like these ( you know the one's I'm talking about, those that on the surface, and because of their wording seem to not really be forming any coherent thought but really hold invaluable nuggets of truth) This verse though confusing many times, is also straight and to the point. If I as a believer hold anything with more  value ( even my life) than I do God, then there is a definite problem that needs to be looked into.
      I think many times we can pretend to be "simple minded" because if we do not then we are held accountable for the truth and our actions are then held up against that light.
      May we not hide behind excuses but rather take a good hard look at ourselves and the true condition that our hearts are in.
     It's easy to pass judgement on others and point out their imperfection or the areas in which they are falling short, but it's not so easy when the mirror is flipped and the reflection we are criticizing is our own. While the reflection is many times not pretty, it's a prime starting point and ultimately  the best place to find ourselves, for it's in that state of humility that God has been known to show up and work His Mightiest.

Application: Today I will pray and ask the Lord to show me a clear reflection of the condition of my heart, and to give me an honest understanding of just how highly I can actually ( and inaccurately ) think of myself.

Ft. Knox Ain't Got Nothing on Me

Love never fails. But whether [there are] prophecies, they will fail; whether [there are] tongues, they will cease; whether [there is] knowledge, it will vanish away.
1 Corinthians 13:8

God is Love. We have all heard the expression before. I’m pretty sure I even used it in another IBS. The thing is that for me personally, I am at a place where God has just been showing me and teaching me what Love is by using Him to illustrate it. I feel as if many of my classmates have grasped the basic concept of Love and what it is and how to execute it, especially in regards to God, and are now moving on to how to practically apply it to the people that God has placed in my life.
     I’m still in the Remedial Class for Love. It’s a concept that in reality is very new to me. I had a very twisted perspective on Love, hating it only because I could not truly comprehend what it was, or when it was being shown to me, if I even thought it was being shown to me.
     So when I read verse 8, you want to know how God has shown it to me?
“ I (God) never fails, but whether (there are) prophecies, they will fail: whether (there are) tongues, they will cease: whether (there is knowledge), it will vanish away” but HE won’t. In going through this weeks IBS, HE has shown me so powerfully who He is. HE is Love, He has patience with me, He is not arrogant, He endures my shenanigans, rejoice when I am walking in truth and will not stand to let me wallow in iniquity. He will never fail.
    For me there is Hope in that. I have a new found appreciation for this chapter, not because it suddenly makes me feel all warm and fuzzy necessarily but because it strengthens me by reminding me who my God is. In having an understanding of Him as Love it better helps me understand why His greatest commandment is to Love, because to Love in the biblical sense is to be like HIm, is to try your very hardest to change your heart, actions and perspective  to match His. Loving others is just as much a work in you as it to them.
    I still have a lot to work on regarding this subject, but He has started to remove the walls and defense system ( which would have given Ft. Knox’s a run for its money!....see what I did there!?) that has stopped me from fully loving for so long and has started to de-frost that part of my heart that I have always felt I’ve had to keep cold to keep safe.
     It’s scary, exciting and nerve racking all at the same time, but that’s ok, because you know what?....my God never fails.

Application: I will memorize verse 8, not only mentally but with my heart, in an effort to build my defense against the lies that I've let consume me for far too long.

Heart in the Raw

1 Corinthians13:7 “ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”

This is the part where I start to internally cringe whenever the subject of love gets brought up. I’m not a lovey dovey person, anyone that has known me for about 5 minutes knows that I’m just not into the ooey gooey love sick puppy bit, but the disgust is a knee jerk reaction to fear. I hate it because if I hate it, then I’ll never let it happen, and if I never let it happen then I won’t get hurt.
    My parents split when I was very little and my dad spent about a decade after that coming in and out of my life in a way that left me crushed and completely hopeless. In my mind, I wasn’t lovable. He couldn’t bear being around me, he never fought to stay close by, he didn’t believing in me, if he would he would check in more often, he had no hope in me being anything beneficial or worth staying for, he couldn’t endure the horror of having me as a daughter.
    As dramatic as that seems that was the lie that I believed about my self for almost 19 years. I wasn’t worth anything, and the simple thought of being around me sent the one man that was suppose to love me forever simply for being me, running for the hills, he would come back but leave again, no matter how hard I tried to prove my worth, he would always find some reason to split...every single time. Leaving me completely broken and hopeless inside, believing I was unbearable, hopeless and that no one would ever be able to endure me for very long,I genuinely believed that eventually everyone would leave and give up on me. Nothing I did would ever prove I was worth it.
    The scariest part of all of this is that I wasn’t even aware that I was believing this lie. I’ve never been one to blame the devil for every little wronging that goes on in my life, but when one of the Pastor’s taught on “believing the Lie” ( that lie that we have all let infiltrate our lives as truth and is now being a hinderance to our relationship with the Lord) it all clicked. Not only was this lie infiltrating the way I viewed myself, others and my entire perspective on Life, but the way that I viewed and trusted the Lord as well.
    I was relying on works to please the Lord, because that was the only way I could figure out to even try and attempt to impress my earthly father. Every time I sinned I would cringe and postpone going before the Lord, because I knew that when I did confess He would walk away from me, tired of putting up with me, deeming me once and for all unworthy, not only of earthly love but of His perfectly Love as well.
    You know what though? He hasn’t left me yet, and I am now convinced that He never will. God IS LOVE. That means that when we read chapter 13 of the first letter to the Corinthians, what we are really reading is that God suffers long and is kind, God bears all things (including me), believes in all things (including me) and endures all things (also including me).
    God will not leave me, God will always be fighting for my best, God will not get tired of my shenanigans and abandon me, His Love endures forever. He in turn gives me hope, strength to bear and endure all things and He will give me the strength to believe that He really does love me unconditionally and irrevocably, and that He wants the best for my life and that He won’t just walk away half way through our Journey. He is a faithful God, and He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it, holding my hand the entire way through, never letting me go.
    I will obey Him and work for His glory not in an attempt to keep Him in my life, but as a response of the fact that He intervened in my life and loved me with such a fierce and redemptive Love that He knew my heart so desperately needed.

Application:
   I will spend 30 minute meditating on Chapter 13, mindful of the fact that our God is Love.

Walk Away

“ does not rejoice in Iniquity, but rejoices in the truth”- 1 Corinthians 13:6

    Love does not rejoice in immoral or grossly unfair behavior but rejoices in the quality or state of being truth. Love, true love, does not sit there and encourage behavior that is clearly wrong, or not of the Lord but delights in behavior that aligns itself with what God has deemed right.
  Having spent a lot of my life in the church, I have seen my fair share of “walk aways”. Those that have practically grown up right beside you (Pastor’s/Overseers Kids, founding family members, church babies) and then for one reason or another decide that they are through with God and the Church. The thing about this though is that they don’t just decide from one day to another get up and decide to leave. It starts with small compromises, a little sin here, a doubt there, one small act of rebellion every now and then, it’s harmless really....
     The thing is that it’s not, I experienced this first hand as one of my childhood best friend decided that the entirety of the Christian church was compromised of hypocrites and that she shouldn’t try so hard to be a “good” girl. If the entire church was lying and committing sin anyway (regardless of what they profess with their mouths) why should she be any different? It started off slowly enough, a small get together with friends that weren’t believers, a change in wardrobe, music and speech. I sat there and watched this happen, I wanted to ask and confront her about it, I wanted to know why she was changing from the friend I’ve always know. Her response? I shouldn’t be so judgmental and high and mighty, who did I think I was?
      Scared that I would lose a friendship I held so near and dear I stopped questioning and started supporting, laughing when at jokes that weren’t even funny, listening to music she loved but was in way way glorifying to God. I enabled her to continue her slow but sure descent from where God wanted her to be. I wasn’t loving her in the way God called me to love her. I failed her and God. I didn’t speak up and confront her with truth and love the way that it is so evidently spelled out for us in the word of God. It’s one of my biggest regrets to this day, and I still continue to pray for her
      God calls us in true love to stand for the truth, what He has spoken and what we know is His will for our lives and not encourage iniquity, not just in other people’s lives but in our lives as well.
       Encouragement is an important aspect of Love, but Love is also holding someone accountable when you see them going down a road you know they shouldn’t be going down. If we look at parents, mentors, good teachers, family members, they’re not afraid to call us out when we are about to make a boneheaded move. In the same way that love is patient and kind, it will not tolerate iniquity, but rejoice in truth.

Application: I will keep those that I love accountable in love and truth, but also ask that I be held accountable as well ( not by the same person) making sure that I act out of a place of truth and not iniquity.

Guns Blazing

(Love) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

1 Corinthians 13:5

           It’s really easy to point out when other people have wronged you, or even to mentally and spiritually prepare yourself to be nice to people and not selfish in a proactive manner, but what happens when its reactive?
          I know for me it’s extremely easy to be nice to people in a neutral environment ( meaning when they are being pleasant or just not being difficult) but when they are being difficult or rude, or nasty to me, being nice and loving is a completely different story.
          It’s my instinct to just respond in a defensive way and if people have their guns raised, you better believe that mine are too, and chances are I’ve already fired.  But that’s not how it’s supposed to be at all, especially not when my aim to be a representative of my Lord. I am to abandon all of my guns ( even the water guns) and embrace people with love and kindness and respect, not only when they are being pleasant but especially when they aren’t!
         Isn’t that where the juxtaposition between a life that has the Love of Christ and is able to share it and the life of a non believer highlighted in it’s greatest form? What would it matter that I have the Spirit of the one True Living God abiding in me if my actions are not different from the worlds. It’s so important to be nice, and selfless and to always give people the benefit of the doubt because it’s what I wouldn’t normally do at all, and in that I cannot take the credit for the fruit that comes out of the situation ( and you know if we act int he way that the Lord commands there is going to be fruit), the only choice I’d have is to point back to my Savior....and isn’t that the whole point anyways?

Not Even A Mini Cupcake

Love suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up- 1 Corinthians 13:4

      Love is not a feeling.
I know we’ve all heard it before, love is a choice, its not based on emotion, but do we really believe it? Do I act likeI believe it? If I’m honest with myself, I don’t. I forget many times that I am to Love people, not just when I’m happy or in the mood or even when I feel like giving Love,but all the time. ALL. THE. TIME.
   That’s a scary thought to me sometimes. I don’t have a lot of patience, I mean the Lord is definitely working on that subject with me, but let’s be honest I’m just not naturally a patient person. So when I read that love suffers long, I immediately freeze, forget the being kind ( which is another very big thing on the Fix List for me) or the parading itself, or puffed up-ness.
 All I can think is, you mean to tell me I am suppose to have long suffering in Love? As in the words "Suffer" and "Long"?....I’m not sure that I necessary appreciate the placement of both of those words next to each other.....
     But here’s the thing, I’m not necessarily a piece of cake either, I’m not even a mini cup cake, but the God of the Universe still puts up with me. He looks at me and the stupidities that I continue to put myself in day after day, and He still Loves me. He doesn’t look at me and go “ok, that’s it, I’m done! I’ve had it with you!” He just loves. I mean don’t get me wrong correction definitely takes place, He does Love me after all, and whom He Loves, He makes sure to correct. However, He slow to anger, and has the patience to walk me through this Life, and the Plans that He has for me.
     That’s why I have be patient and not get frustrated with people. If Christ looks at me in my human wickedness and is still able to have love for me in a patient manner,then I can certainly learn how to Love and “suffer long” the amazing group of people that God has surrounded me with. It’s not easy certain days, but trust me there are definitely harder people to Love in this world.
     One day I hope to be a spiritually superior creature ( please note the sarcasm) and have other reason to choose to Love with patience. But for right now the simple fundamental fact that Christ has patience with me is enough for me to in turn make a choice to do the same with others ( hey, baby steps, right?).So for now this is going to be my driving force. Regardless of the fact that it is not a natural tendency of mine to be patient, I will make the choice to love others with patience even when I don’t feel like it, actually ESPECIALLY when I don’t feel like it.

Application
       I will count to 10 when I start to get annoyed with someone, and then be purposeful about my actions and LOVE them!

Ski Lessons from God

   Yesterday was the first time that I had ever spent the entire day on a snow covered mountain on skis. If you personally knew me, you'd know how hysterical this was. Just a quick reminder for all of you out there, I'm from Miami, which roughly translated means I was not built for snow, and on top of that I have horrible balance ( I'm the girl that manages to find something to trip on, even when she's standing on a flat and stable surface). Needless to say it was a hilarious sight. Surprisingly enough I actually wasn't as horrifically terrible as I thought I would be, but apart from learning the basics of skiing I learned some pretty powerful lessons.
    After lunch I gathered up the little courage I had and attempted to actually get off the bunny slope and try one of the "big people" runs. As I was coming down ( slowly but surely) I was doing pretty well at first, but then all of a sudden I see the bright hat of one of the other interns that was riding the slope wiz right past me, and in an effort to show off and prove that I could go at the speed he was going  I tried to go faster....and then completely wiped out. I'm talking, face in the snow, skis flying off, my head ringing for two hours after, WIPE.OUT.
     The Lord didn't waste the opportunity to teach me a lesson (I'm a visual learner so He knew this would get the point across). We can't compare ourselves to others. I was at a different level than my friend, he was ready to go at the speed he was going at and do it safely and effectively. I on the other hand had only been on skis for about 2 hours, I was no where near ready to go as fast as he was, especially not effectively. In the same way God calls me to a specific path, His plan for my life is tailor made for my strengths and weaknesses. My trials are not going to be the same as someone else's because I'm a different person. My experiences and what He has for me are unique to me, it stands to reason that my training and equipping is not going to be like over people. Does that mean I mean less to God than others? That I'm not good enough or smart enough to learn the lessons others are going through? No.
    God loves me so much that He wants to make sure that I learn exactly what it is that He wants me to learn, and what I need to learn. He doesn't think less of me, He wants me to get to the point where I can zip down a mountain and do it with ease and confidence. My ski lessons are just a little different that the ones that He is giving others. And you know what?.....that is perfectly OK.

Grapes!

“ I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser”- John 15:1

     Grapes!That was pretty much the first thing that came into my mind as I was reading this verse. After chewing on it for a bit, a thought occurred to me. What would happen if the grape wasn’t connected to the vine? To a source of life? Well I’m pretty sure the delicious grape wouldn’t be so mouthwatering any more. In order for grapes to get nice and plump they have to stay on the vine for sometime. If they fell off or became disconnected from the vine, they would be small, shriveled up, and bitter ,if any fruit would grow at all.
      I’m just like a grape, and Jesus is the Vine. I am not the source of any Life, but the growth in me is a reflection of the amazing power filled vine that I am connected to. If I disconnect myself from Him then I start to whither away, become bitter and can do absolutely nothing productive or edifying. It’s pretty easy to tell the days that I have truly spent time at the feet of Jesus and when I’ve rushed by with a nothing more than a wave to my Heavenly Father. The fruit is not the same. I’m striving so hard right now in this season of my life to be a good piece of fruit in the sight of my God. I want Him to look upon His Vineyard, look at me and go “wow, look at that grape grow!” but that only comes by making Jesus my true and only Vine.
       The vine doesn’t just physically hold the gape to the rest of the cluster, or even the main vine, it provides nourishment, strength, holding up the fruit and making sure that it is getting everything it needs in order to successfully grow into an amazing finished product, ready for whatever it is that the vinedresser might want to do with it, whether it’s simply sell it as a grape, turn it into a raisin, make juice or wine.
       Jesus does the exact same thing with me, providing me with not only spiritual blessings but physical ones too ( house, home, food, life...you get the point), He makes sure that He is constantly pouring out the Love and Life of Himself on me, sustaining me when I feel tired or weak, He is my connection to God. He is the only One that can.
       It’s funny that such a seemingly simple verse would reveal the necessity that I have of hanging on to Christ and abiding on Him and in Him, making Jesus my only source of strength. His Word says He is the True Vine, no other vine could possibly come close to giving me what He has,given me, not myself, or my parents, no self help book, therapist or friend could possibly nurture me the way that He has. There is no other way to attain True Life without the True Vine.  I’ve tried other vines,and trust me, they don’t work. Instead of a nice a delectable grape, you’ll end up more dried up than a raisin, not even good enough to be put into a Christmas fruitcake.

Application:
        I will not rush or elongate my quiet time with the Lord based on other people or my schedule,I will just abide in Him and get my nourishment for the day not worrying about anything else but being a pleasing grape to Him.

The Ultimate Dinner Invitation

“ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever” John 8:35

     The first thing that comes to mind after reading this is the effect that sin can have in our lives. For me especially the second I’m convicted by the spirit, I condemn myself. I’ve always struggled with the concept of Grace and Forgiveness. Yeah, Jesus forgave my sins, but didn’t He have to? Isn’t it in His job description to Forgive everyone?
     You want me to let you in on a little secret?......it’s not. Being the Christ is not a job for my Savior, it is a choice. He willingly stepped down from His Glory right beside His Father and came down to the earth to Sacrifice HImself in a gruesome way so that one day His Father could look at me and see not a slave to sin but see His Son, and in that be able to have a relationship with Him that I in no other way could have attained.
      He was thinking of me while He was hanging on the cross, He was thinking about all of us, each individual human being that ever existed, had existed, did exist and would exist, all of us where running through His mind. He knew what He was choosing to do, and just who specifically He was doing it for. C.S Lewis said it best “He did not die for man, but each man, if each man would have been the only man,He would have done no less”
      He was thinking,I’m doing this for Monica, so that she can have forgiveness and redemption, and so when My Father sees her, He doesn’t see her imperfection, her brokenness, her wicked heart, but He sees Me. He sees His Son.
      Jesus’ redemption was so selfless, it leaves me awestruck. I no longer have to be a slave to sin, because through Him I have strength to resist, or forgiveness when I’m weak and give in. Death no longer can hold me because He has rescued me. I get to enjoy the blessings that God bestows upon His Son because now that I have received Him and His forgiveness, when the Master looks at me, He doesn’t see a slave, but His Son. The Father now invites me to live and abide with Him,to eat His food, to sit at His table and to enjoy His inheritance. Not because of anything I have done, not because I was such a good or worthy slave, but because His Son was The Good and Worthy Lamb who was willfully slain for me.

Application: I will spend 30 minutes meditating of John 3 verses 14-18, substituting my name wherever I see the words “ the world” and “whoever” with “when she”.

“ They answered Him, ‘we are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say ‘you will be made free?’’”- John 8:33

         I think a lot of times in our Christian bubbles we are really quick to point out the God’s goodness and forgiveness, so much so that in a way we take advantage of it, before you come at me with pitchforks let me explain.
      God’s forgiveness covers all multitudes of sin, but it does not grant us the ability to sin freely. Many times I’ve seen people, or I myself have used the forgiveness of the cross to justify actions that I knew where sins. I’d convince myself that it isn’t really a big deal, it’s just a small sin, not anything big, Jesus will forgive me anyways so does it really even matter....right?
       The root problem of this isn’t the sin (though that should be directly addressed) it’s the heart behind the motive of committing the sin. Convincing yourself that since you’re going to be forgiven anyways does not take the sin away from your actions. I have had my “abraham descendants” moments before, I’m a christian, I’ve already been forgiven, so what will it really matter if I say a lie, or criticize, or am disobedient to my parents, I’m already forgiven, it’s not going to really affect anything....but it does.
        Your heart changes when you take on that mentality, you become more and more blind to sin and more and more self-righteous. You can see the plank in your brother’s eye as clear as the day but you convince yourself that the giant oak tree sticking out of your eye, is just a tiny splinter, not really anything worth getting looked at anyways.
         The weight of the sacrifice that Jesus committed on the cross diminishes to nothing more than a “get our of jail free” card. We lose the appreciation and the healthy fear of God that makes you realize just how little you are and how big He is.
        Even though we are already Christian’s does not mean that we are already perfect, we are forgiven, but we are going to continue to sin which means that we are still going to have to approach the cross and lay down whatever sin we are struggling with at the moment and ask for forgiveness. It’s a daily relationship,we’ll sin daily and need to read His word daily to continue to grow in His truth and love.
         We are not above anyone else, we are not to take advantage of the Gift that He has given us, but stand in awe at the fact that we have been given it. Let’s not be entitled and think ourselves superior so much to the fact that we begin to believe that we don’t need His continual forgiveness and Love.

Application: I will spend 30 minutes in prayer asking God to reveal if I’ve been minimizing any sin, and ask God to reveal to me a way of dealing with it in a genuine fashion.

Breaking Through

“and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”- John 8:32

    The Truth shall make you free....what the heck does that even mean? Let’s back track for a moment,this verse is a continuation of the previous one which states that “If you abide in My (Jesus’) Word, you are My disciple indeed”, so we see if we abide in His word we become a disciple, and learn the Truth and that Truth will set you free”. It took me a really long time to be able to grasp the concept of this verse. For many years I sat in a chair sunday in and sunday out, hearing the words spoken by a preacher, going to youth group, read young girl’s christian devotional books, listening to all the right “christian” music , taking bible classes, doing my own background research on the culture and context of many bible verses, doing everything I thought a disciple was supposed to do, yet there was always an aspect of Christianity that  seemed to go over my head. I had all the head knowledge I thought I needed, I knew all the right things to say, knew where to quote from, knew what to do, knew what to act, yet I still felt as if I was missing something, like if everyone else around me could clearly see something that was I was completely blind to. If I was really honest with myself I didn’t really know anything. I tried to act like a duck, quack like a duck, look like a duck, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t make myself a duck! (metaphorically speaking of course). I was saved, but that was barely it,I definitely wasn’t a disciple, I was a Christian on life support and even that was starting to fade.
      I can still remember clearly the day that I stopped “knowing” what I thought was the truth, and when the Truth became known to me. God broke me and brought me to a place where no amount of intellectual knowledge or social etiquette could save me,and to the realization that only the Truth of His Love for me could get the job done.No amount of reading, or memorization could substitute the True Heart understanding of who He was, what He had done for me and how much He truly Loves me. His Truth set me free and allowed me to actually begin to accept Love and find freedom in who I was in Him. Allowing me to let go of the baggage and embrace being His disciple, nothing was holding me back from Him anymore, His truth really did set me free.( as cheesy as that might sound to some of you, its True)
     It’s still something I have to work on today,on a moment to moment basis, some moments are easier than other, but I always have the Rock to stand on and the Truth in my heart to remind me that His love redeemed and restored and nothing can take that freedom away from me. My identity is not who I was, but who I am in Him.
      God has the ability reveal a Truth so powerful that it will set anyone free from any addiction, shame, guilt, past, hurt or pain that they could have possibly experienced or still carry around.
     My prayer is that I not just be a hearer of the words but a doer, may the words that come from abiding in Him continuously be traveling those troublesome 18 inches from my head to my heart and make grant me a little more freedom in Him each and every day.

Application:
    I will commit to memorizing a verse from psalm 139 each day until I’ve inscribed the entire psalm into my heart, in an effort to instill more of His truth in my life

Abide

“ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘if you abide in My Word, you are My disciple indeed’” - John 8:31

Abide (Verb) to endure without yielding, accept without objection, continue in place. God places His word above His own Name. If He, the Creator of everything that has ever been in existence, the One’s whose opinion is above all else’s, how much more am I to give His Word importance. I am very guilty of many time taking the Word of God for granted. How many times have I woken up late, and put priority on my appearance before I even think about cracking open His Word, and just sitting and abiding in Him. I know how cheesy this is going to sound, but I genuinely just have a much better day when I take the time to come to Him with Reverence and try and soak up all that He is trying to speak into me that day. As opposed to the times when I just hastily read a 5 minute, prewritten devotion in the morning. I mean don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with grabbing the Word in whatever way you can, His Word will never return void and He can use a single Word to speak depths of truth into your life.
     But right now for me, He is teaching me the importance and weight that His Word carries. There is a reason that it is called the Sword of the Spirit. It is a powerful tool, a weapon that is not to be taken lightly. I mean we all mentally know the importance of the written Word of God, but has that knowledge traveled the 18 inches to heart and taken root there, spreading throughout you heart, and igniting a desire for HIm and what He has to speak to us? When it finally does, there is no going back.
       You start to abide in His word, not just read it superficially, but cling to the promises God has given you without question, continue in perseverance your walk with the Lord and you are then enabled to endure through His Spirit and Power whatever it is that God has for you.When we do that, we start really communing, and trusting God. A genuine and fruitful relationship begins to form.

Application: For the rest of the week, before I take one look in the mirror, I will spend my quality time with the Lord, listening at His feet and abiding in HIm.

The Miracle at the Beautiful Gate

Acts 3:10 “ They knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

         There’s not really much that you can do to argue with the facts of a testimony. Especially not one that you yourself have witnessed first hand. Could you imagine being one of these temple goers, who week in and week out would see this man sitting in front of the gate begging for alms, and support, never moving, never walking, always lame. Then from one day to another he is up and walking, jumping around singing praises to someone named Jesus Christ of Nazareth. What do you do? How do you process it? Well there is no doubt that in this instance, there was no other option but to believe that what this man was saying was true, he really was healed, I mean no one could argue with the fact that he legitimately did not have the physical ability to walk before and now he clearly did ( a fact which he demonstrated with literal leaps of joy). There is only one answer, a miracle occurred, a miracle in the name of Jesus Christ, irrefutable proof of the healing and restoration that can come from the Christ. And Just like that this man has an immediate and powerful tool to bring people to the realization of who Jesus Chris is, and just what t is that He has done for humanity.
     During the composition of this particular IBS the Lord seriously ignited a fire in my heart to show the difference of a set apart life for the Lord, and one that it consumed by the things of this earth. I want people to look at my life and be filled with wonder at what God has allowed me to partake in. Not for the sake of me ( which I know is a very common phrase in Christiandome, but you have to try and understand how absolutely serious I am about this) but for the sake of having an irrefutable source of proof of His unique ability to take a life, redeem it, restore it, and release it into the world as a source of light, at my disposal. I’m tire of using words and logic to try and prove God’s faithfulness and His power, they definitely have their place and purpose, but I’ve personally overused my share. I want to share the gospel, and the power of Christ without even having to open my mouth to do so, living in a way where the only thing that  is noticeable is His glory and power. Is it a seemingly unattainable goal? If I do it on my own strength definitely, but that’s the whole point! May people not hear My words, or My arguments ( which don’t really work anyway) but may they simply see the work of a God who is into accomplishing the impossible by using hopelessly flawed tools to bring the work to fruition.

Application:
     I will meditate for 30 mins on the verse James 1: 26, commit it to memory, and bring it forth whenever I'm tempted to let my words do the talking.
     
   

Praising God

“ And all the people saw him walking and praising God” - Acts 3:9

       The boldness produced by this man’s newfound freedom in Christ is outstanding. All who were in the area beheld the work of the Lord, and isn’t that usually how it works? God works in our lives so that by being blessed we can be a blessing to others. I mean of course He loves us, and cares about us but He is also looking to further His kingdom here on earth and make His glory know.
       Our testimony is such a crucial part of the work that God is doing. You can spend  hours upon hours, disputing doctrine, thinking over theology and applying apologetics, but I think the most powerful tool in our belt is our very own God story.
       For me personally, learning has always been a joy, I enjoy reading and finding out new information, give me a good argument any day, and I’ll take it. I haven’t been the best at sports, or music, but academics has always been my strongest point ( except for math...because math is evil) but no amount of information or knowledge can change a life, we see that perfectly portrayed in the life of Saul, letter converted to Paul. He was a church official of the day, educated in greek and hebrew, in a position of great leadership and esteem. However it wasn’t until the Lord intervened into his life, and made it personal for him, made it not about what he (saul) knew, but about what Jesus Christ had done , that Paul was able to write most of the New Testament, plant or have a hand in planting many of the early churches, and bring the gospel to the ends of the earth.
         The things that the Lord has done in our lives are not to be kept in a little wooden box and brought out only when they start to get dusty or when we feel like reminiscing. They are powerful works that have been given to us in order to bring Glory to Him, and recognition to the fact that He is the One True God, the only one capable of doing what He has done.
        I many times am guilty from holding back the things that the Lord has done in my life, and forget that when He blesses me, the blessing is not just suppose to stop with me, but I am to take that blessing and share it with others, whether it be by simply sharing what God has done in my life and giving Him the glory verbally , or even taking what He has given me, the blessing or revelation whatever it may be, and pouring it out into someone else that might be going through exactly what I experienced.
       In the same way that this lame man was leaping for joy and making the miracle of what the Lord has done in his life know to everyone who was around, so are we to embrace our testimony and the works that He continues to do in our lives everyday.

Application:
     I will not hold back when the Lord has done something in my life, When Pastor Donathan asks a question like “show me what God’s has spoken to you in the past few days” I will answer honestly and openly.

Jump for Joy

Acts 3:8 “ And he leaping up stood, and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping and praising God”

             I don’t know about you but the picture painted before me when I read this verse is one of Progress. The lame man ( or previously lame man) leaped up and stood, which reminds me of that initial fire we all experience when we first come to the realization of what God has done for us, and then respond with fervent worship. Then he stood, grounding himself in his new found life of freedom and mobility. In the same way we have that “grounding” season in our lives when we are just receiving as much as we can and trying to establish ourselves before the Lord rooting ourselves in the gospel of Christ. Then he entered the temple, the place where he could never enter before because of his ailment, we all come to that point when we enter the temple, and leave behind the shame and guilt that kept us from it in the first place. We can now proclaim holiness, not because of what we ourselves have done, but because of that which has been done for us. The more we dwell in Him, what He has done for us, and the promises the Lord has given us, the more we can approach Him and His temple of glory without blemish, not perfect but covered in the sanctification of the sacrifice of our Savior.The man not only entered the temple, but did so walking. This to me shows a certain confidence in what the Lord has done in his life, we don’t see him stop and hesitate at the gates, or worry that he would get kicked out. Although I’m sure a part of him was apprehensive, this makes me think that the man was confident in not only that the work that God had done in his life was real, but confident in God Himself and who the he now was because he had been touched by Yahweh.
      This is the area that I tend to struggle with the most, stepping into the temple and realizing that God really has had His hand in my life, and continues to Love me each and every day. I haven’t quite mastered the standing confident in what He has done and who I am in Him. I mean don’t get me wrong, I cannot deny that time and time again the God of space and time has intervened in my life and brought me close to Himself, but as far as being confident in who I am in Him and what He has done in my life it’s still a very big struggle for me.
     It can be discouraging at times, because the people that have gotten to that point can leap in the sight of the Lord and Praise Him and seem to have the Lord do all of the amazing and wonderful spiritual things in their lives, while I’m still over here learning to walk on Holy Ground. If there is one thing that the Lord has really been pouring into me for the last few days is that everyone’s walk is different, and go at different speeds. Some might go from 0 to 100 in 5 seconds, and others might need some warming up. It’s not about how fast you go, but about the progress you make along the way. There is no use comparing my walk with another, because we are not the same person, we have not experienced the same things, some instances might be similar but never the same. God has a SPECIFIC plan, meaning a plan that is tailor made for me, of course it’s going to be different from the plan that He has for those around me, but that doesn’t mean that it is any less valuable or impacting, it doesn’t mean that I am worth less to Him than others. What it means is that He Loves me so much that He has precisely mapped out every footstep in order to make sure that I don’t fall back into my crippleness but thrive through His Redemption.

Application: I will put spiritual blinders on focusing on my walk with the Lord, and not others’, and when I feel the enemy provoking my feeling of unworthiness I will cry out to the name of the Lord, pray against it, and then find someone else to pray with me and for me.

A Lily Among Thorns

Acts 3:7 “ And he took him by the right hand, and lifted (him) up : and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”

       I love the picture that this paints of a follower of Christ stretching out their hand and helping someone up from their situation and into the glory of God. Not that Peter was needed to bring this man to God, but simply Peter’s willingness to take this lame mans hand, and lift him up, walk him through the miraculous deeds that the Lord was preforming and was about to preform in his life.
      I feel very strongly that discipleship is an integral part of the Christian walk. We are not meant to do it alone, we really aren’t from the beginning of time we see man’s inability to help himself. God in His faithfulness not only saves us but sends people into our lives to help lighted the load, people to take us by the hand and thrust us into the miraculous plans that the Lord has for our lives. I know for me personally I would not be sitting here today if it weren’t for a very special lily that the Lord sent into my life. A beautiful vibrant woman of God that saw me, the real me, and still loved me so fervently in a way that could only be from the Lord. She grabbed my hand and walked me through so much of my struggles, she knew exactly what to say and how to say it, not just because she herself had been through the very same things that I was still stumbling through but because she was filled with the Holy Spirit and she was willing to take the hand of a spiritually lame human being and help her into all that God had for her ( i.e me).
        It’s not to say that she was the responsible one for the transformation, and the realization of Love that I came to, but because of her faithfulness I didn’t walk away from the Lord all those times that I wanted to give up, that I felt inadequate or unworthy of the calling God had on my life. She fought for me, and for the first time the true realization that somebody not only cared but loved me totally rocked my world. She was not forced to love me the way I felt my family was or faked it the way I felt a lot of my friends did, she had a genuine love for me, a Love that came solely from the God of Heaven, the God that loved me so much that He sent a tiny mirror my way to show me a glimmer of the Love that He had for me. And you know what....it worked?
     It’s so important that we stay faithful and listen to the voice of the Lord, not only listen  to His voice, but also dutifully obey Him. Take the extra time to talk to or pray for the person that God has placed in your heart that day, pour into the people around you, don’t hold back. It might be that conversation, or prayer or just simply the fact that someone actually paid attention and cared, that could completely change the person’s heart for the Lord, and by changing their perspective on Him you could possibly be paving the way for someone to completely surrender themselves to Him and His will for you life.

Application
I will stop glorifying busy, and when someone pops in to my mind I will grab them and pray with them, or have an actual conversation ( not the kind that is filled with small talk) with the person, and find out at least 1 unknown fact about their lives.

The Broken Restored

“ Then Peter said, ‘silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk’”- Acts 3:6

    Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. Jesus. I love how blunt Peter was in his statement, and how quickly he got to the root of this man’s problem, Peter saw a need and he met it. He gave this man the one thing that no amount of money could give him....A Cure. An eternal cure and an immediate cure. Money could only dull the symptoms of what this man had, but Christ could heal Him in the truest sense of the word. Christ could not only heal the inability, but the broken heart that must have been harbored within this man.
     Simply for being born without the ability to walk, this man would have been ostracized in his community, ridiculed and mistreated. The pharisees of the day would have looked upon him with eyes of disgust and tongues of condemnation, bringing into remembrance every time they saw him that the reason he was lame was because God was punishing him. Imagine being told that you are suffering God’s punishment every single day since you were born,that the reason you could not run around with the other children, or climb trees, or swim in the river was because God was mad, and you were bearing His wrath. It’s enough to break any soul, and rip apart any hope of approaching God, feeling His Love, or being Forgiven.
   Imagine thinking, does that mean that His promises for the nation of Israel don’t apply to me? Does that mean that the promises for Abraham and his descendants don’t apply to me either? Asking the question Does God hate me? ....God, what did I do?
   With one name all that hopelessness that this broken man ever felt went away. With Christ I am restored. The feeling of worthlessness that so many times seem to consume me all vanish. The shame of my spiritual lameness is covered by the glory of the Lamb that died in my place. Peter was not only saving this man from his physical state but from his spiritual brokenness as well.
     I was that lame man, the one who would situate himself (herself in this case) around the temple gates, I would attend church, go to youth group but it still wasn’t enough. I was still broken, I was still spiritually lame. It wasn’t until I received the invitation I had heard given so many times before that I was finally able to leave that shame behind me, and start to rebuild. It wasn’t until Christ Himself grabbed my hand that I was able to get up and walk away from my past, from my hurt, from the hatred I had for myself, from the daily blame I placed on myself ,and step into His Love. In that Love I realize that God didn’t hate me, and my life wasn’t a punishment but a opportunity to live it out in a way that would glorify the only One that should ever be glorified.

Application: I will share with someone today what the Lord has done to restore my Life, in an attempt to give Him all the glory for the works which He has accomplished.
   

Friends Don't Let Friends be Stupid!

“ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills”- 1 Corinthians 12:11

  One and the same Spirit. Every single one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are inspired and are accomplished BY the Holy Spirit (Shocking,I know!) However, If I truly know this the way I claim to, why is it that I find myself so many times creating a hierarchy of importance within Christendom? Why do I so many times find myself judging others, or giving certain people more respect than others solely because I think I can see a certain gift in them that I in my Flesh have deemed a “valuable” gift.

    While I was meditating on this verse, the Lord seriously convicted me. I claim to not place importance on spiritual gifts, with the supposed understanding that it’s all the Holy Spirit working and therefore whether it’s the gift of tongues or compassion they both have a significant and equal value , neither one validating a Christian and their walk with the Lord any more than the other, but....is that really what I do? If I’m being honest many times it’s not. I automatically place more weight on what certain people say or their perspective because of the obvious gifts I think I see in their life, and I’m sometimes quick to disregard or completely ignore other people because they have less “ in your face” gifts.

     This is so wrong, it kind of disgusted me when He revealed the fact that I many times see people like this. Nothing that the Lord does is insignificant, no gift is too small, or unworthy. They are all a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and thus GOD. To say that one of them is not as important as another, is like saying that one aspect of God is not important compared to another, and let me clarify this right here and now, ALL OF GOD IS IMPORTANT. There is not a single aspect of the Lord that is lesser, or meaningless, He is ALL good, ALl perfect, ALL powerful, ALL righteous....He is ALL

       All gifts are important and powerful because they have all been granted by the same Powerful God. He chooses who receives what gift, and it’s just that...a GIFT! It is not a representation of our worth (because if it was we wouldn’t be receiving a gift at all, but punishment in response to our behavior towards God) they are given simply because He wants to give them to us. 

     Who am I to question why I or others receive them, or even try and categorize them and give them worth. His ways are not our my and His point of view is not mine (Praise Him for that!). My job is not to do anything but simply be grateful that He is allowing me, a sinner, to help Him carry out His work here on earth and using whatever gift He decided to Grace me with, to point back to Him, His Glory, the fact that He has paid for the sins of the world and that He has made a way to the Father. 

Application: 

   “ I will verbally appreciate a gift whenever I see it, simply for being from the Holy Spirit, and ask someone to keep my accountable (and rebuke me!) when I start to let my stupidity run wild and try and figure out how God’s economy works. Friends don’t let friends’ stupidity run rampant! 

Not Just Another Pretty Flower

1 Corinthians 12:7 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all”

          Our Spiritual gifts are not our own. It feels kind of silly that God even has to explain that to me, but it’s so truth. I know that I myself many times can lose sight of the fact that when the Lord choses to do a work through my life, or is teaching me a lesson  the reason He’s probably doing it is not just for my personal growth ( though He does care about that too) but His ultimate goal is furthering His kingdom. He is pruning me, not just so I can be another pretty flower in a garden, but so that I may bear fruit, be useful and effective, adding to the worth of the body, instead of sucking it dry.
           In the same manner Spiritual Gifts are not a selfish thing, in fact they are the very opposite. In God pouring into our lives, watering us with His Word, and nurturing us in a way that we bear fruit, we become members that are adding Blessings to the Body of Christ, instead of always taking from others but never giving anything back. Learning how to use our gifting will definitely stretch us, prune us and in many instances refine our hearts, but it’s in those moments that we have to remember their ultimate purpose, Glorifying the Amazing God that so graciously saved, preserved and restored us. God has blessed us, not so we can hoard the blessings, but so that we in return can bless others, and bring Honor and Recognition to the Giver.
          A person with the gift of hospitality is not given that gift just so that at the end of the day they can feel good about themselves and the service they have provided to others but rather that through their service, their attention to detail and their attentiveness to others needs, the God for whom they are serving may be glorified.
          May our prayer be one of recognition and willingness to be selfless in our usage of the Holy Spirit’s gifts, always remembering that they were not originally given solely for our benefit, but that through them the Holy Spirit could manifest it’s will and that the Body of Christ should profit from them.

Application:
      Today I will wake up 30 minutes earlier so I can pray and seek the Lord on just what my gift is and how it is that He wants me to use in, and in which way it can be the most effective in the Body.