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perspectives

The Things We Take For Granted Are Things We Miss When They Are Gone

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As I am learning day by day to be an ambassador of God’s love there is one fact that stands very clear to me: the things that we take for granted are things we miss when they are gone. I apologize if this sounds like a golden-age’ish trip to the past, but I assure you there is a revelation for you.

Starting out in my childhood I never really realized (and we typically do not as kids) how good life really was. Having  little responsibility and having the only worries of what that note said that was passed at school was definitely a care-free time in my life. Sports were great…well…playing sports with an energy that did not run out was great! Christmas was a different experience as a child than an adult; for I can honestly say that the look on my face when I got presents I wanted let me know what pure glee felt like. I never knew that the experiences I would have with my family that we would seemingly be rushing through would be moments that I would give anything to have had more time in. There were people that I got to be around that were such a joy to my life that have passed away as I have gotten older. What I would not give for that chance to thank them with the same love they have shown me.

Moving on into my teenage years I plainly see my attitude was always objective with rebellious actions and always wanting more. I got what I wanted and thought I was entitled to it, as if being totally irresponsible and ungrateful were not enough in my opinion to deserve it. And even though my teenage years had a lot of bad decisions involved I am happy to say that there were some people that still attempted to invest in me. I had 3 teachers I specifically remember that took the time to make sure they knew I cared. I still remember their names and faces and now know what it was they were trying to do for me. I remember beginning to pay attention in church and seeing people do things that went completely against my outlooks and perspectives of things I thought were true as I was discovering life for myself. Yet there were those who still loved me even when who I thought I was changed all the time. Those people have never left my heart and I am so grateful that I was taught by example about what it means to love through God’s love.

I guess it would be safe to say that I am about in the mid-point in my adult life now. I’m not sure how much more time God will give me to live. Since I have been saved and delivered from my addictions life has totally changed. Something else changed: the numerous amount of people that were as a support around me began to let up little by little. I began to wonder if it was something that I had done to have people start only calling when they were in need of something. I thought I must have surely done something wrong to get in a situation where I always gave and never received a return. I went my entire life knowing one way and now was lost in this part of the journey. The one thing I had to learn in what seemed like the hard way at first was that God was there all along! I then began to learn about how much help I could have through God, that it was so much more than just knowing you had salvation. There was a relationship with God that began to bloom in my life that began to feel just like the people that were around me in my past. And now more than ever I now understand that this stage was a transition to God’s full purpose for my life. There are people now, as I have stepped into the faith, that are in great need of that person that will love through God’s love. Sure I could be sad about losing all of the loved ones and experiences I have had, but I now know why I ever got to feel the good times to begin with. It is now my time to pay it forward.

This ministry and the calling God has on my life was built by every good memory, good experience, and good person that invested in all of our lives. We were being built by people who had the love of God that wanted the best for us. When I really think about that my heart goes out for so many. I could never repay them all, just as much as I could ever fathom of repaying God’s free pardon of sin and love that has been shown to me. God’s love for all of us is shown to us so that we not only know God but show that same love in kind to others. It is so important to not stay selfish and always looking to find more for you. As you grow up and mature in your life God can teach you how to change from being selfish to selfless. In closing this thought I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the things I always took for granted are things that I wish I could get back. And though I cannot get back what I had I can still give out of what I had received. That is where the bible all of a sudden opened up to me like a flood and these verses hit me like I had just read it for the very first time.

1 John 4-7-11

[7] Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

[8] He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

[9] In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

[10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

[11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Learning To Adjust To Adversity With God As Your Guide

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One of lifes unpredictable pieces represents the part of it that changes it the most: the people around you. This is something that with each and every one of us at some point I’m sure have tried to fight or change the opinions or perspectives of, but never succeed. As you are reading this, please consider your own life as well as to how much you are able to adjust to others.

When I walk in the wilderness or mountains, there are so many different objects that you can interact with in many ways and with all senses. By comparison you can find unique things and people that differ all around you. I have walked through the mountains and seen some people admire the beauty of the rocks while others would throw them. I have seen others take plants as something special while others step on over it without even knowing what it is. In essence we are the same way with the way that we become preferable to some and not others. That’s how you can classify why it is easier or harder to love; for in a lot of the cases it is within how we perceive them to direct our feelings. I have also seen people destroy trees and smash rocks to try and fit them for other purposes as well. Even if you alter the original state of an object, it still does not negate from the fact that it was an object before it was changed, right? So what are we getting at today?

There are going to be plenty of people out there that you attempt to reach out to that may be totally different than what you are used to (or even prefer!), but that does not mean that God does not love them the same nor that the opportunity for salvation and deliverance isn’t just as free. We as children of God must learn to love all of God’s creation and learn to appreciate and love one another. With that said, doing this is a huge adjustment but not impossible!

Trust God to help you stay adjusted to have a love for all and and charity for those in need. Never forget that you are God’s creation regardless of all of life’s adjustments. Hang in there and cling to the promises of God today!

Are You On The Outside Looking In?

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Hebrews 10:15 – Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before

1 John 5:10 – He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

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When I am going through the problems in my life, it is always the most difficult plunge of faith to be able to trust God completely. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that in our own perspective versus God’s that we are on the outside looking in. There will be many occasions when we do not understand the feelings or pains that a circumstance brings to an individual or family. The perfect example I could give you is when you see someone go to pray. When they are on their way to the altar, others go to pray for them and are done praying quicker simply because their heart is not invested like the individual that came. It simply was not enough. In times like that we may just say what we think is best or just hug a person and say “You are going to be okay”, but what are we really doing? Are we not staying long enough? Are we not caring deeply enough to feel the load that they carry? Tough questions, right?

It is especially easy for people to get on the defensive when you are passing on worldly advice, yes. Obviously it is the easiest choice for you to just tell them what you might think is best for them at the present time. Sometimes personal advice will prove to work, while when times are harder it can be less effective. Trials will be trials and burdens will be hard felt, regardless of what we can offer. There is nothing that I could say or any shield that I could put around anyone that would keep them from being able to escape from all the things that life will bring. So what am I getting at today?

I have to remember to not be a judge on people and instead help to be a burden bearer spiritually! When my words will fail them and there is nothing else that I can do, sometimes you have to begin to pray for the situation to improve. Sometimes going and trying to intervene is not necessarily the best plan of attack. You see, God’s ways are far above our ways, and He is above looking over each and every one of us! His perspectives go far beyond yesterday and today, but even into tomorrow to see what is in store. Always remember that God is your judge, and that you can always lean on God for comfort, rest, and an escape from the trials of life each day!

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Put Into Practice:

The first exercise is short and sweet. Go an entire day without saying a judging comment about another person. You would be surprised how hard it can be when you consciously try.

Time To Lose Some Weight

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Hebrews 12:1-3 – Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

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I know that you are thinking that this is going to be the top 10 tips to weight loss, but that is not what we will be discussing today. I will say that I thought that this title might grab some attention though!

I would like for us to keep that perspective of weight loss to spiritual burdens. When it comes to losing weight, sometimes we see that we need to and sometimes we deny it. Other times we see that we need to but refuse to see why we ever got in the shape to start with.

When it comes to our walk with God and the burdens we carry, we often treat it with the same perspectives; we do not know exactly how we got in the shape we did, but we arrived there nonetheless. There are scriptures in the bible that indeed point us to cast off the weights that easily beset us. When I put that into perspective, all the things that easily bother me should be immediately put off as needs to God in prayer. God understands every need, no matter how great or small it is to our perspective. There is another scripture that says that nothing is impossible to God, and is indeed but a small thing.

So when we think about it like that, repenting and relinquishing ourselves of tough burdens should not be like the pains of dieting and exercise that we make it out to be! We can simply pray to God and ease the weight that we carry! Simple as that!

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Put Into Practice:

This will be an interesting task. I ask you to give it a try! Take a couple plastic bags and put one within the other to give it a little more strength (add 1-2 more if you want to). Begin to fill the bag up with objects until you begin to think that the weight would exceed the bag. At this point, pick up the back and try to simply hold it for a minute. After that, perhaps you can try (without actually hurting yourself) to walk around while carrying the bags around.

When doing this in practice it is easy to see how easy it would be to begin to feel weighted down without continual prayer and communication to God each day. Without the casting off of the weights that would beset us, I am bold enough to say that eventually we will begin to beset others; especially those that need to be led to a relationship to Christ! Get rid of anything weighing you down and draw closer to God! Let the lightness by the strength of His spirit encourage you!

Exchange Your Goods

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Revelation 3:19-20 – As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

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I observe more often than not the fact that people will try to live with more burdens in their life than they have to. There are things that we have to learn to turn over to God, learning to put full trust in Him. We can kid ourselves with the “I’ve got this” and “I don’t need anyone” perspectives, but one day the void of loneliness or the true weight of the burden will hit us.

It can be noticed with someone very quickly if you take the time to pay attention to their personal behavior. On the same token, if you take the time to look at all the things that may be upon your mind there very well may be behavior traits you notice as well! I know even as you read this you might be thinking (or trying to persuade yourself) that “there is nothing wrong with me”. I’m here to burst your bubble via the bible and remind each and every one of us that even at our best that our righteousness is as filthy rags. So when we consider that even at our best that we still need God, consider the next thing to do: put God first!

Consider making a trade-in on the “junky” stuff that would weigh you down for quality goods from God, and have a better life by coming to the realization of who He truly is. Doing this gives you more than I could write in a few sentences! It does more than words could say! Coming in to the fullness of a spiritually fulfilling life also gives you the fruits that you may bear of things that will not rust or corrupt or let you down in the long run!

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Put Into Practice:

It’s always easier to start with objects when you can, so find something that you know that takes your focus off of God and put it into a box lay it in a room that you seldom go into. Leave it in there for at least a week and begin to pray that God would give you the ability to overcome any holds that it would have upon you.

If this object is something you still feel like that you need even after a week, leave it in the box. This is usually a good way to identify things that we are bound to. We cannot do this with the things that hold us in mental bondage, but there is no need to fear; for God is more than able to help you with each and every problem you have. Get yourself with a good group of faith believing spirit-filled prayer warriors and ask them to participate in 5-7 days of evening prayer meetings, where you begin to focus on 1 thing for each and every person that needs to have help from something.

Just remember if you are bold enough to believe, God is bold enough to do it!