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Keep On Fighting The Good Fight

There may be some of you have been praying for strength in tough situations because you may have felt or feel like you are defeated. I know this sounds silly when it is being said, but sometimes one of the best things we can do is to keep on fighting through the confidence of faith in God. There is a lot to be said about people that still have the willpower to fight even when they are being knocked down. I like to call these sorts of folks “scrappers”. Scrappers may get beat up or overwhelmed from time to time but never lose the confidence to believe that if they keep fighting that they will win. Some of the most successful athletes in sports today were not the most talented or athletic but possessed the ability to keep fighting. I would take a scrapper any day over anyone who is not used to staying strong in the fight!

Though we may have moments where we feel like we are down for the count, I speak to your weariness and tell you to get back up and keep on ‘scrappin’. The devil can only go so far into your life before (through your faith) you take a stand and declare defeat unto the enemy! Paul, towards the end of his life, acknowledged his perseverance through his life and ministry by stating that he had fought the good faith and reiterated the same analogy to his real thought that he had kept the faith! As we are faithful to God when our human nature attempts to decline in confidence God will move in kind (through the holy spirit) to bless you in that right-now time. The bible identifies this by stating that God is a present help in a time of trouble. So when you are in the middle of the fight you can expect the second wind of the spirit to come! You are not alone in this fight. Do not let the struggle of the fight keep you from still believing that through Christ that you can still win.

Do not be discouraged. Stay confident in God. And as Paul encouraged his people I encourage you today with this same exhortation that God placed within my heart for you: Keep on fighting the good fight.

Say It Now, Forget It Later, Yet The Impact Stays Forever

Anytime I have ever began to think about all of the silly/hurtful/irrational/confusing/deceiving/terrible/negative things that have came from my mouth it causes me to have very silent times. Thinking and considering the magnitude of how much my personal actions can have an effect on others leads me to the thought I have in my heart today. Whether you hear it come from your lips, feel them on the page/device, read them words with your eyes, or hear them by your ears words spoken with ill intent always affect people.

By comparison I would like for you to see the power of negative thinking through the means of someone throwing a rock in water. First of all when I think of a rock in this thought I consider that a rock in its intent is meant to be built upon, set in its purpose to provide support and its composition to provide stability. When I consider the water I see something that submerges everything that comes in its path; in fact it not only submerges it but attempts to break the substance of what it has encountered to be more like waters own qualities. The human element causes a rock to be thrown by our own willingness and physical force to take something from its intended position to direct it somewhere else. We as humans tend to use rocks in their advantage of being a weapon to break something. Whether it be to hurt, provoke or to insult words the negative speech that comes from your mouth can only break things when they come by force. In the casting of a rock by the human element to be forced into water, I want to remind us of the “ripple” effect that happens as the words hurt immediately, fade away, and stay rooted in the depths. A rock once it has been thrown must land somewhere. And unless great strides are made to keep the land or object that holds the water clear from obstructions it prevents the use of water being able to produce life.

To put this more simply, every word you exert by your own force without God’s love will only cause unnecessary issues for others. And while we (as well as the other party) can forgive what we have spoken and heard there is an impact that takes a great deal of love to overcome. As with any disease that our human bodies fight today we know that the best means to overcome a detrimental hindrance is to prevent it. Take caution and exercise it when you speak life and death in today’s world. You may say it now and forget it later, but there is an impact as a consequence of the action as well as the ultimate price (answering for our every idle word in the day of judgement).

Pray much, love much, and love others (and talk to them) as you would have them do unto you!

One Of My Fav Bible Phrases: “Shall Not Perish”

This phrase from John 3 speaks to so many volumes of things, but the part that means the most to me is the power that it has in the worst of times. When I am in my darkest and lowest hour, God is still God and I will still not perish. The greatest aspects that come with that wonderful “shall not” clause is eternal life in Heaven and a new beginning in the life that we live today through salvation!

I can truly say and testify to that in times when I myself was so weary from all of life’s tasks that I remember quoting to myself that “I shall not perish”. Of course I was not referring to my outward self that gets tired every day and needs rest but instead speaking to my inward (or spiritual) self. Paul made a reference to address the difference in where the spiritual life giving power of God is. He says, “…though the outward man perish, the inward is renewed daily…”, thus speaking to the weakness of our flesh. I can imagine throughout all of Paul’s journeys that this was one of the empowering reminders that kept him in times when the work seemed too great or his support system around him was failing.

So make that attempt today to remind yourself that though you feel low, ache in pain, or feel lonely in life that through God’s grace and wonderful power that we shall not perish!

How Do We Learn From Our Mistakes?

THE WORD

II Timothy 2:22-26 – Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

When we think we can take measures to prevent repeat mistakes, I offer this to you:

Change The Environment Around You – If there are situations that you come across that you can prevent in the future – or that put you in an awkward position, change it up! You can never be any different unless you surround yourself with an environment that will promote you to be who you are, especially a Godly individual.

Change Your Attitude – We want to carry a chip on our shoulder with rightful justification, yet this simply cannot be in every case. Remember that we have to put the Godly virtues into practice each day.

Practice Forgiveness To All – It may be the hardest action but it is the most effective. If you can forgive, you can lift what feels like massive weights off of your mind and heart! When I get upset about issues, I just remember that metaphoric analysis of how often we should forgive: 70 times 7!

Remember To Love Regardless – You can have all the gifts of God, know the bible from front to back, and have all the capital and resources at your disposal for your ministry, but without love it is meaningless.

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Take the time to correct yourself in one specific issue related to you being impatient with others. Use forgiveness and trust God to help you to forgive as He did you!