Posted in God's Gift, Home on September 23, 2012|
“Holding a grudge is like drinking poison hoping the other person will die.”
Unknown author
Vapors disappear quickly. The Bible tells us that our life is like a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. James 4:14 (KJV)
God, our Father and Creator of all things, did not intend for us to live life harboring grudges.
Don’t let the vapors of your life be filled with bitterness and resentments. Let go. Breathe in. Forgive. And live.
(Re-Post)
There’s all kinds of ways to be beautiful. And there are all kinds of ways to be ugly. But our true beauty lies far beneath our skin. Sometimes it is hidden by a self-made prison, condemned by our acceptance of an unconscious label that we may carry. Sometimes we struggle to be beautiful by someone else’s standards.
(We have to watch that.)
Sometimes the struggle is to be strong, intelligent, thin, buffed, handsome and of course, pretty, and no matter what – never, ever TIRED (ha!). Sometimes we struggle just to be.
And if we come up short, well…we might wrestle with those labels too. You know the ones that try to stick to us like glue.
But God has a different standard for beauty. And we would do well to adhere to it.
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4
Sadly, there are some women I see who are walking around in 6 inch heels that are clearly uncomfortable. I can tell they’re not comfy by the bent over stature of the woman, or the way she limps (kind ‘a on the sly) while she’s walking.
I ask myself, why? Why would a person wear something that is so obviously uncomfortable? For the sake of fashion? For the sake of others?
Personally, I like wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. I like wearing jeans and sweat pants. But I also know how to wear dressy clothes when the occasion calls for it, yet even still, they need to be comfortable. I’m all about the comfort. And I’m not going to walk around all day in high heels just because I think I look my best in them or fashion (or somebody else) dictates that I should.
Nope. I’m going to wear my heels or wear my sneakers, I’ll exercise when I want to, and rest when I don’t. I’ll clean and moisturize my face, and if I don’t feel like putting on make-up – which is ninety percent of the time – then I won’t. And that will be good enough for me.
Now, God’s not saying that you shouldn’t pay attention to your outward appearance. Of course you should. You should never walk out of the house dirty and unkempt. But your true beauty should not be on the outside, but should come from within. Where the heart is. That’s where it counts the most. That’s where God looks when He wants to find the beauty of a person.
So, I challenge you. Whatever you do to beautify your external appearance – do twice as much to beautify the internal.
If you’re like me and don’t spend alot of time applying make-up and such, then that just leaves you all the more time to spend beautifying the inside!
Are you up for the challenge?
Posted in God's Gift, Home on December 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »
I am learning to play the violin. And much like living a life for Jesus Christ, it is an ongoing process.
If I don’t practice playing every day, I will never get better. I will never master the bow, the strokes, the even tempo, etc. I can’t pick the violin up whenever I feel like it and expect to play it, much less play it well.
It is the same with living for Jesus. I can not call on Him periodically, and then lay Him aside until it suits my fancy to call on Him again.
No. That will not make me better as a Christian. It will not make me stronger. As with the armor of God, I must be in Christ continuously, then He can live in me continuously.
Anything less won’t do, and it also leaves me open to the attacks of the enemy, satan.
Jesus Christ is not a Savior of convenience. He is the ONLY savior, and I must remain in daily conversation with Him. This is what is meant when people ask you if you have a ‘relationship’ with Jesus Christ. It’s just that. A relationship.
And when you’re in a relationship you see and talk to that person on a regular basis if not everyday, right?
So, when I think about growing as a servant for the Lord, when I think about my Christian journey I know that I can’t be on fire for Jesus one day, and indifferent the next.
Jesus told us that if we love Him we will keep His commandments. I love Him and expect my relationship with Him to last forever.
I may or may not master the violin (although I think I’ll be able to play a song or two when it’s all said and done). 🙂
But I must perfect my daily walk with Jesus Christ. I have no other choice. And through His power I will.
The sound of the violin is music for my soul.
The promise of salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ, is music that is life-saving for my soul.
And it can be for yours, too…
