The Power of Choice

My wife and I revisited a place over the weekend where we had experienced a lot of hurt some time back.  We had hoped that revisiting this place might bring some healing to our lives, but that appears to be work that we will still be doing in the future.  As we left, we reminded ourselves how there are things in life that we do not always understand, and things over which we have no control.  While we were disappointed that the visit was not as positive as we had hoped, we did leave rejoicing that God is at work in our lives in a beautiful way and that we can put all things in His hands!

That brings me to the main point of my blog today.  While we cannot always control our circumstances, nor control how people act, nor what people say, nor how people treat us, WE DO HAVE THE POWER OF CHOICE.  We can choose how we will act, we can choose what our attitude will be, and we can choose how we will conduct ourselves in difficult situations.  Our character is often revealed in the troubles and adversities of life.  There is great power in choice!  We do not have to be a victim of our circumstances, or settle into situations that demean us, or rob us of our God-given talents and purposes.

If you’re facing tough things in life today, choose those things that will deepen your character, strengthen your faith, unlease your creativity and passion, affirm who you are before God, and help develop you into the person that God intended you to be!  Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2, “Do not let the world squeeze you into it’s mold, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  You and I do choose what we want to become!

“All things work together for good, to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes.”  Romans 8:28

Still Growing

I’m still learning what it means to trust the Lord.  Some days it’s easier to do than others.  I know God is faithful.  I know He always has my best in mind.  Sometimes I don’t understand His ways.  It’s in those times that I must stay in faith and trust His loving heart.  I know that He is building good things in my life.  I know that my life is a tapestry and I can only see the underside–full of loose strands and knots.  But, God sees the upperside which reveals a beautiful design!  Today, I trust His loving Hand to complete the work!

“For we are His workmanship (literally, ‘His poem’) created in Christ Jesus for good works which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”      Ephesians 2:10

Let Go!

If we are going to reach our full potential in life, we must learn to “let go” of those things that would hinder us from becoming all that God meant for us.  All of us have things from the past that we have carried with us into our lives today.  Some of those things are good….others are bad.  There are a lot of people who have an enormous amount of “unnecessary baggage” from the past that hinders and obstructs their growth and development.  If you want to reach your highest potential as a person, you must learn to “let go” of those things that would keep you from becoming the very best that you can be!  For some that might be:  letting go of damaging relationships, letting go of self-destructive habits, letting go of self-defeating attitudes, letting go of guilt and shame from mistakes or failures that one has made, letting go of painful experiences that others have caused, or letting go of value systems that have led to mediocrity, laziness, or procrastination.  All of us have things that we need to “let go” of!  What is it for you?

It is said that African traders had a very specialized way of catching monkeys.  They would find large coconut shells and hollow them out.  In the top they would cut a very small hole which the monkey would use for reaching his paw into the coconut shell.  The traders would then place peanuts in the shell and wait for the monkeys to come.  The monkeys in the jungle loved peanuts!  Once the monkeys found the coconut shell and smelled the peanuts inside, they would reach their little paws into the hole and grab a handful of peanuts.  The problem:  once they formed a fist they could not pull their hand out of the hole!  The only way they could get FREE would be to LET GO of the peanuts!  The traders knew that the monkeys loved the peanuts so much, that they would not “let go” of their prize and would easily be caught.

We are much like those monkeys.  We often discover things in our lives that we need to “let go” of, but find it difficult to do!  Rather than “letting go” of those things in our lives, we stumble around, finding ourselves inhibited, hindered reaching our full potential, distracted from our goals and dreams, and excessively burdened with baggage that we carry with us from day to day.  Why not LET GO of those things and find freedom?  Why not LET GO of those things that are devaluing us, and putting a strain on our lives, and experience the joy, forgiveness, and grace of God?

I encourage you to do that today!  If it’s something really painful or tough for you to “let go” of, ask for God’s strength to help you!  In Jeremiah 31:34 God says, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”  Wow!  How awesome is that!  In Isaiah 43:18-19 God says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”  What a promise!  And that promise is for YOU!  Let God do something NEW in your life!  Let Him transform you by His love and help you reach your full potential.  Let Him make new ways in your thinking, your values, your habits, and your relationships.  He has the power we need to overcome and be victorious!

Let go of those hurts today!  Let go of that deep pain in your life!  Let go of those relationships that are holding you back!  Let go of that bitterness that is poisoning your soul!  Let go of those disappointments that you can do nothing about.  Stay in faith!  Keep trusting God!  Allow His grace to cleanse and renew your spirit.  Ask for His healing to restore your soul.  He loves you more than anything else…and has the very best for your life!  Let go…and let God have His way!

“I am still not all I should be but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”       Philippians 3:13-14

A Shaking at 4:39 a.m.

My wife and I were awakened at 4:39 a.m. this morning by a 5.2 earthquake!  It felt as if someone was at the foot of the bed shaking it as hard as they could.  It was a weird feeling.  The shaking went on for 40 seconds or more.  The earthquake epicenter was about 30 miles from us in Southern Illinois.  Nothing was damaged in the house, although several things were displaced.
The earthquake reminded me again how fragile life is.  It’s so easy to go through life either, taking things for granted, or believing that they will always be there.  The truth is, we never know from day to day what another day will bring.  How important it is that we value every day and value those whom we love.
In the New Testament book of Ephesians, Paul said, “Make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.”  That’s a great word of advice for each of us.  We should live every day to the fullest and use our gifts, talents, abilities, and love to be a help and blessing to others!  Will you dedicate yourself to that today?  I plan to!

“I urge you, therefore, by the mercies of God to present your bodies to God as a living sacrifice.  Then you will be able to prove that which is the perfect and acceptable will of God.”      Romans 12:1

Is Your Hut On Fire?

Are you facing difficult circumstances?  Does life seem to have thrown you a curve?  Maybe you’re going through extremely tough times right now and you’re wondering, “How am I going to make it through?”  When you feel like giving up, you need to believe that things are going to get better!  When you feel that there is nothing but a giant wall in front of you, you need to believe that God can make a way!  Are you a person filled with hope?  Do you expect things to get better?  Are you trusting God to help you make it through?  You should, because you don’t know what God may have around the corner!  The answer to your prayers may be just a “tick” away!  The solution to your delimma may already be on its way…signed, sealed, and delivered by God Almighty, Himself!  Are you staying in faith?

There’s a story told about a man who was out sailing in his boat and a suddenly, a ferocious storm came upon him.  His boat capsized and he ended up on a deserted island all by himself.  The man did everything he could to survive.  Several weeks went by and the man grew more disheartened as each day passed.  There even came a point in his life where he felt that he would never be found.  Being a man of faith, he prayed and he prayed but things never got better.  It seemed as if God was not even listening to him.

Just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did!  One day when the man had been out looking for food, upon returning to his simple thatched-roof hut, he saw his hut on fire!  Somehow, to his shock and horror, the little hut that the man had built for himself had caught on fire!  He couldn’t believe it!  He feel to the ground and wept as the hut went up in flames.  Finally, in desperation, the man said, “I give up!  God, I’ve prayed and I’ve prayed and I guess you’re just not going to answer my prayers.  I ask you to help me, but one bad thing after another comes my way.”

Lo and behold, an hour later the Coast Guard showed up to rescue the man!  He couldn’t believe it!  He got so excited he started jumping up and down.  He said to the Coast Guardsmen, “How on earth did you find me?”  They said, “We saw the smoke from the fire that you built.”

Sometimes a disappointment to us, may be God working to bring a solution!  Things may be getting worse from our perspective, but God may be getting us ready for a breakthrough!  Whatever you’re facing today, don’t give up!  Maybe it seems as if your prayers are not being answered.  Maybe your hut is on fire!  Whatever the case may be, stay in faith!  Keep praying…keep believing…keep trusting!  Know that God loves you and is working on your behalf.  The smoke going up from your delimma may be the very thing that God uses to bring you the victory!

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature  and complete, not lacking anything.”      James 1:2-3

Think On This

When you can’t see God’s hand at work, trust His heart!