Too often we put a timeline on our happiness. If this happens..then I will be happy, when I get this...then I will be happy. Maybe its a job, a promotion, a relationship, a house, a material item, a vacation, retirement, a child, a title, a future hope and so on. We think that when that one thing happens that is when we will be truly happy. We look in every direction for our needs and wants to be met by unrealistic things, when in reality we just need to look up. Look up to God and be thankful for what we have, be content with where He has us right now, and not base our happiness on Earthly things that can be taken from us instantly. We have all that we need, we have Him, His love, and His promises. "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."- 2 Peter 1:3 If we have Him, we have everything. Real freedom comes from being content in our circumstance. What we have comes from Him and Him alone. "Real freedom won't occur with just an external relocation, it requires complete internal renovation."- Lysa Terkeurst. We can't always fix our circumstances, but we can fix our eyes on God. We must allow ourselves to experience the true freedom that comes from depending on Him, by looking to Him and trusting Him to meet our every need. The Lord says, "I am the only One who can empower you to find contentment in all circumstances." Anytime our circumstances start to weigh us down, we must turn our attention to God and focus our thoughts on Him. It is when we learn to embrace where we are that God will take us further than we could ever imagine.
"Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment."- 1 Timothy 6:6 "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."- Philippians 4:11-13 Then The Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from Heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see weather they will follow my instructions." -Exodus 16:4 "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content."- 1 Timothy 6:6-8 "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."- Matthew 6:31-33 "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”- Hebrews 13:5 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."- Matthew 7:7 "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?- James 4:1-10 "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs..you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails."- Isaiah 58:11 "A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot."- Proverbs 14:30 "God's best is your best." "Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what could be." "Stress makes us believe everything has to happen right now, faith reassures everything will happen in God's timing." "Contentment is not the fulfillment of what want, but the appreciation for what we have." "Contentment is the secret to a thankful life." "Contentment does not mean that I desire nothing, but rather, its the simple decision to be happy with what I have, who I am, and where I am." Wishing you contentment in the season God has you in right now! Thanks for reading!!
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What stops us from trusting God in making a decision, committing to something, getting out of our comfort zone, or taking that next step? Fear. Fear of the unknown Fear of failure Fear of getting hurt Fear of what others will think Fear of rejection Fear of regret Fear of missing out on something better Fear of making the wrong decision Fear of making mistakes Fear of disappointment Here's the thing, there is no such thing as the perfect time or the perfect decision. Sometimes God gives us options..both decisions might match His will for us and we get to decide which path we want to take, neither one is right or wrong as long as both decisions are pleasing to God, in the end He has a perfect design for both options. Do not stay stuck where you are because of fear, trust God. He will lead you, cling to Him and His perfect ways. Look for His truth and promises. As soon as we realize that there is no perfect decision it will set us free from what fears are holding us back. I'm willing to bet that any choice we've made didn't come with some setbacks, failure, or imperfections. That is why there is no such thing as a perfect decision..more importantly are we willing to trust God through the process and know that He is bringing good from this decision? Here's the bottom line..imperfection and fear will never power over God's love and promises. Trust Him. A passage from Lysa Terkeurst: "If your heart and mind are aligned in the direction of God, you don't have to agonize to the point of paralysis over the decisions before you. We will steer where we stare. So stare mightily at God and His plan. And if you don't know His plan, stare mightily at living out His Word in your life and His plan will unfold day by day. Decision by Decision. Receive whats next, receive whats best." Decision making with God: 1. Pray for wisdom from God "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). 2. Search the Scriptures of God “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes” (Psalm 19:8). 3. Be still before God “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7). 4. Seek counsel from Godly people “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). 5. Have faith and trust in God “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). 6. Admit your weaknesses and limitations to God “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). 7. Be open and available to the revelation God's will “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/7-great-bible-verses-for-tough-decisions/ Making wise decisions based on God's truth..by Lysa Terkeurst (From her book, "The Best Yes" I highly recommend it!!) 1. Accept God's words God's word is a gift, but it won't do any good unless we accept the gift, open the gift, use the gift. 2. Store up His commands within us We must get into His word and let His word get into us. The more verses we learn and memorize, the more our thinking will align with His truth and we can put them to use. 3. Turn our ears to wisdom Listen to wise teaching, wise advice, and keep the company of wise people. 4. Call out for insight Ask others to help us see the pros and cons of our decision 5. Cry aloud for understanding Ask The Lord to show us how our choices will affect others 6. Look for wisdom as passionately as we would hunt for a hidden treasure See the value of wisdom as higher than any worldly way we are offered. Stay focused on looking for wisdom despite the many distractions the world puts in front of us to make decisions without taking the time to apply sought-after wisdom. "He has not brought you this far to abandon you." "He has never failed before and He won't start now." "The decisions you make determine the schedule you keep. The schedule you keep determines the life you life. How you live your life determines how you spend your soul."- Lysa Terkeurst "Wisdom makes decisions today that will still be good tomorrow."- Lysa Terkeurst "I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears."- Psalm 34:4 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."- Psalm 56:3 "His way is perfect."- Psalm 18:30 "You don't understand what I am doing now, but someday you will."- John 13:7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes;its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”- Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans."- Proverbs 16:3 "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life."- Psalm 143:8 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."- 1 John 5:14 "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”- Psalm 91:1-2 "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."- 2 Timothy 1:7 "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad."- Proverbs 12:25 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."- Philippians 4: 6-7 "My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands with you, turning you ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding- indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of The Lord and find the knowledge of God. For The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair- every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.- Proverbs 2:1-11 "The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for The Lord upholds him with His hand."- Psalm 37:23-24 "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning."- Luke 12:35 Check out the awesome song below by Lauren Daigle...love it!! Thanks for reading! Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend! With love, Shadow God doesn't ask us to be perfect, figure everything out, or have all the answers, He only asks us to be obedient to Him. O·be·di·ent- complying or willing to comply with orders or requests. Here's some questions to ask ourselves: Are we doing what we want to do, are we living "our" plan, are we doing things only for ourselves and our own benefit..or are we living for Him, being obedient to Him, and being obedient to what He is calling us to do? How is God calling you to be obedient to Him? What is He asking you to do to "show up" for Him. He shows up for us at all times. What passion, gift, calling, has He given you that can help His people, bless His people, touch His people? I am reading a book called "The Best Yes" by Lysa Terkeurst..great book! The first few chapters talked about how it's important to be obedient to what God is calling us to do, even if it requires getting out of our comfort zone, even if we're busy, even if we don't really want to, even if to us it seems like something small and unimportant. What God calls us to do transforms lives, it changes our own hearts, it paves way for the amazing things He has planned for our lives. Obedience always brings blessings. Do we really want to miss an opportunity God has placed right in front of us? What is that "thing" God is calling you to do? As I'm reading the first few chapters of this book, in the back of my mind is this "Holy Yoga" class that entered my head a couple months ago after attending a Women's Faith Conference in St. Cloud, I created the class, I practiced it once, & I set it aside. Why? I wasn't super comfortable with the idea, I doubted myself, I made excuses in my head that I'm too busy and that something so small isn't going to make a big difference. So here I am reading..it's in the back of my mind, I flip the page and come to a list: Her "thing" might be to: -Write a book -Go on a mission trip -Own a small bakery -Go back to complete her degree -Teach a class at her church -Get out of debt -Work with a local ministry Third from the bottom is when my jaw dropped and I just sat and stared at he page for a few minutes..& then I looked up and said, "Ok God, you win!! I'll teach the Holy Yoga class." The next chapter went on to ask...what if you took those next steps to be obedient to what God is calling you to do? So I did, I e-mailed my Pastor and asked if this was something that the church would be interested in offering and he said, "That would be great!" (I was secretly hoping there would be no interest and I could look up to the high heavens and say, "Well, Lord, I tried!" But that wasn't the case. I know I'll love every minute because the fact that God is giving me the opportunity to use my passions to serve Him and His people is what I want most in my life. I know my next steps are to do it with love in my heart, pray about it, and trust that God will give me the strength I need to do it, because lets be honest..I'm wandering right out of my safe bubble. Something that 3 months ago I thought was just a small idea, didn't mean anything, wouldn't make a difference, was unimportant....but God kept tugging at me, he kept putting little reminders out there. Get out of your comfort zone for Me Shadow, use what your passionate about to serve Me, show up, use the gifts I've given you, trust Me, rely on My strength. And then I came across a Bible story when the Lord said to Moses, "Who gave humans their mouths?..Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." Don't miss your assignment. Don't miss the opportunities God is putting in front of you no matter how small and unimportant they seem to you. Don't miss a chance to be obedient to Him and what He is calling you to do. Don't miss a chance to help someone, transform a life, work for Him and His people, gather with His people and worship Him. Don't doubt your abilities, God does everything for a purpose. When we doubt our abilities, we doubt Him. He will provide the strength, we just need to "show up". Show up for Him. Passage from Lysa TerKeurst: "When we doubt we have what it takes for us to do what God calls us to do, we are doubting His creation abilities. God does everything with purpose and precision. Trust this. Embrace this. Even if you don't know all the details of your calling quite yet, thank God for making you perfectly equipped for your assignments ahead. And when insecurity starts to make you doubt, flip it around and say, "God I may doubt myself. But I will not doubt You. So, I will let Your perfection override my feelings of imperfection and do what You instruct me to do." Prayer from Lysa TerKeurst: "Heavenly Father, I confess that all too often I doubt that I have what it takes to do the things You have called me to do. Remind me that I have been perfectly equipped for the assignments You have given me. Help me not to doubt. Keep me tender to Your commands. I want to hear you speak and respond quickly with whole-heated obedience. In Jesus' name, Amen." Blessing by Susie Larson: "May your every step be ordered by The Lord. May you go where He'd have you go, say what He'd have you say, and pray what He'd have you pray. May you be a vessel that Jesus fills up and pours out on a dry and thirsty land. And may your own soul be replenished in the process." "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."- James 1:6 "Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord."- Proverbs 16:20 "Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine."- Exodus 19:5 "But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you."- Jeremiah 7:23 "Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him."- Exodus 23:21 "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance." 1 Peter 1:14 "It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul." Deuteronomy 11:13 "Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will change His mind about the misfortune which He has pronounced against you."- Jeremiah 26:13 "If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land."- Isaiah 1:19 "Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground."- Psalm 143:10 "Those who leave everything in God's hands will eventually see God's hand in everything." "God requires our obedience before our understanding."- Lysa TerKerust "Whatever attitude we bring into a situation will be multiplied." - Lysa TerKeurst "Let out the cry of passion God entrusted you to. Let it all the way out to touch others, help others, and bless others."- Lysa TerKeurst "If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough." "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." "Your obedience to God is an act of gratitude of His gift of grace." Is there a time you felt like God was calling you to do something? Is there an opportunity that you know changed your life because you weren't afraid to wonder out of your comfort zone to be obedient to God? Is there a "thing" right now that you feel might be an act of obedience for Christ. Comment below & share it.. I would love to hear! Check out my Facebook page for details on my upcoming Holy Yoga classes..it starts a week from today! I'd love to see you there!!! Thanks for reading! Blessings to you! Have a wonderful day! Check out the song "Loyal" by Lauren Daigle below..what a beautiful voice! "For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in dry wasteland." -Isaiah 43:19
What are your goals and wishes for the New Year? Keep praying, keep that positive attitude and hopeful expectancy. Believe in this season that God is up to something good in your life. And during this time may he release fresh faith and perspective into every fiber of your being. Embrace the expectancy that any day now your breakthrough is coming! Don't give up hope, God has you, He is working with you and for you. While you wait for this breakthrough to come may you open your eyes to notice the prayers of yours He has already answered. See your circumstances changing for the better, let those glimpses of His wonderful glory be a reminder to you that he is involved in every detail of your life. He is writing your story, He is unleashing your highest potential, He is arranging your life better than you ever imagined. He is moving in the hearts of others, that is how much He loves you. Look to Him with expectancy and imagine what is possible, He works miracles. It is when we give up our power and control and fully trust him with confident faith that He provides a breakthrough. Don't give up hope, your time is coming, be joyful and prayerful in the mean time! Prayer for breakthrough by Susie Larsen: "May your persistent prayers pay off and may the burdens that have plagued you suddenly feel like a light and easy yoke. May this "suddenly" breakthrough come quickly. May god grant you a fresh revolution of His love and a fresh outpouring of grace to not only face the day but to conquer it valiantly. And may you experience increasing joy because you believe- beyond a shadow of a doubt- that God has amazing things planned for you! Amen." "All these blessings will come upon you & overtake you if you pay attention to the voice of The Lord your God."- Deuteronomy 28:2 "Do not throw away confidence; it will be richly rewarded."- Hebrews 10:35 "For The Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless."- Psalm 84:11 "God has been faithful to you before. He'll be faithful again."- Hebrews 10:35-36 "I wait for The Lord, my whole being waits and in His word I put my hope."- Psalm 130:5 "She holds onto hope for He is forever faithful."- 1 Corinthians 1:9 "I remain confident of this; I will see the goodness of The Lord."- Psalm 27:13 "The pain that you've been feeling can't compare to the joy that is coming."- Romans 8:18 Your future is as bright as the promises of God! Wishing you health, happiness, and many blessings in 2016! Thanks for readings!! Happy New Year! :) Great things to come! |