Tag: discouragement

Unexpected Detours

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Nobody likes unexpected detours.

They mess with your plans and remind you that you are not in control.

Maybe your life has taken an unexpected detour.

The road before you may look different than you expected.

Life is taking you down a different path and you are not sure where it will lead.

That is okay, God does.

He knows what lies before you and that His plan for you will not be detracted by it.

It may take longer to get where God wants you, but you will get there. 

Through Jesus, this promise is for you: 

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Isaiah 43:1-2 NIV

Do not fear. 

God is not suggesting it.

He is not asking you to consider it, He is not giving it to you as an option, it is a command from His heart to yours: Do not fear.

My friend, you are a chosen, treasured child of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

God will meet you on this unexpected detour and be with you every step of the way.

He will help you face whatever problems you encounter and whatever challenges rise up to discourage you.

You are not alone.

God is with you. 

And as you go, my prayer is that you will rest fully in His endless supply of grace and mercy.

A Glimpse of Grace-Living

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Why are you here? 

Not to collect more things.

Not to become an expert.

Not to be happy all the time.

Not to look good all the time.

Not to feel good all the time.

“Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:14 ‭MSG‬‬

You are here to be a light.

A witness.

A glimpse of God living through you.

A glimpse of grace-living.

A breath of fresh love-laced air in the sin-stained world.

That is why you are here. 

Don’t get so caught up in yourself or in the present circumstances that you miss your God-empowered purpose for today: SHINE.

My prayer for you is that you are so filled with the Light of Christ and that it spills out of you in every way possible, to every person you meet, in every moment of darkness or discouragement or overwhelming circumstance, in spite of the current crisis, through the present obstacle. May the Light of His Love be uncontainable and contagious through you today.

Keep Me

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“Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”
Mathew 6:13 MSG 

Keep me from getting wrapped up in myself.

Keep me from over analyzing every single word of every single conversation trying to dissect what they might be thinking, what I wasn’t thinking, how I should have responded differently. This one thing alone can sap my energy to the point I am exhausted . It keeps my attention on myself and I completely miss what You are doing around me. 

Keep me from being obsessed with myself. Obsessed with how I look, how much I eat or don’t eat, what I should wear, how I should…you get the point. By depending so much on how the outward looks, I neglect filling up the inward with Your presence, power, grace and love.

And those are only two examples of how I can lead myself down my own well worn roads of discouragement and fear. 

I just need a nudge from the enemy. He doesn’t need to work that hard to send me down a path of such powerful self-distraction that I completely miss the joy of life’s little moments. I don’t even recognize the the offer of new friendship or gift of fulfilling Your purpose in my day. 

Today Lord, may this be the last moment I think about myself and focus all my energy to worship and magify You. May my eyes be open to see what You are doing where I am and celebrate it with You. May I uncover every moment of joy already laid for me. May I walk in your purposes and every time I’m tempted to go down my familiar self obsessed roads, give me a new road to walk on- Yours. 

Press Through

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“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬ NIV)

What has Christ taken hold of you for?

To limp along in compromise?

To go back to old dead destructive habits?

To hold onto the past?

No.

He took hold of you to walk with Him.

To run the race set before you.

To go forward in new holy habits.

To look toward the future with hope and the assurance that whatever it holds, Jesus will walk with you there.

Press through the fear of failure.

Press through discouragement to grab hold of God’s courage.

Press through the temptation to quit now before you even get started.

Don’t give up and don’t go back.

Jesus Christ has taken hold of you for a reason, press through and find out what it is.

Sinking

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“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. (‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭4-5‬ MSG)

You are an original.

The life you live is distinct and different from any other life that has ever been lived. Others may have things in common with you, there are others whose lives might be similar, but none that have your exact experience, have made your exact choices or have reacted to situations the way you have.

Life does not go as planned. Marriage, kids, career, money rarely follows our expectation of them. Some things turn out better that you imagined. Some things do not. And yet, through it all – it is life.

This is your life.
Take responsibility for it.
No one can live your life for you.

Instead of sinking into discouragement and doubt – sink into something else:

Sink into discovering who God has made you to be.

Sink into the work He has given you to do.

Sink into creating something only you can create.

Sink into it with thanksgiving.

Sink into it with joy.

Sink into the truth that God knows who you are, where you are and why you are there.

You are there to be a gift from Him.