A grasping person stirs up trouble, but trust in GOD brings a sense of well-being. If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others.
Proverbs 28:25-26 MSG
Mankind’s definition of surviving is:
Do whatever it takes.
Grab whatever you can.
Serve yourself first.
Learn from other’s mistakes.
God’s definition of surviving is:
Trust Him.
Give whatever you can.
Serve others first.
Learn from other’s success.
How are you going to survive today?
The gift that you are with your
smile and words,
your hands and heart,
how you cook or clean,
create or organize,
how you lead and follow,
bless and pray
is meant to be given, not hidden.
God has given you gifts.
All kinds.
Some come as talent.
Others are revealed in character.
Some are gifts to you that bring such joy in you that can’t bare to share them.
Some are so close to your heart that you are afraid to reveal them.
But gifts are made for giving.
Salt is made for seaoning.
Light is made for lighting.
Gifts are made for giving.
The more precious they are to you, the more powerful they will be for others.
The gifts you have been given are to be given away: to serve, to love, to mend, to tend, to bless, to build.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10 NIV
Shine.
Season.
Give.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 NIV)
The enemy will gladly use your feelings and emotions to confuse, slow down and stop you from obeying God.
When God asks you to step out in faith, it will always be to do something that is beyond what you can do by yourself.
You will need God’s help to accomplish it. You will need His power, His Strength, His Grace, His mercy- all of it, all of Him,to do what He has asked you to do.
Whenever you face something you can’t do by yourself- fear rises up. That is okay. You are not supposed to “do it by yourself”. You are supposed to do it “with God”.
So when it comes to obedience: do it afraid. The feelings are natural when what God is asking you to do isn’t.
God is asking you to trust, to obey, to step out in faith and do something with Him.
To reach out. To love. To forgive. To share. Whatever “it” is, do it afraid.
Don’t wait for the feeling to leave- it will not.
Feelings don’t dictate your obedience, they only indicate how much you need to depend on God.
Do it anyway.
Obey anyway.
Step out in faith anyway.
Do it afraid.
Mankind’s definition of surviving is:
God’s definition of surviving is:
A grasping person stirs up trouble, but trust in GOD brings a sense of well-being. If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others. (Proverbs 28:25-26 MSG)
You don’t have to live your life grabbing for whatever you can.
Trust God.
Work smarter, not harder.
Living well before God looks very different than living well before people.
It is not about doing more or looking better.
It is about being real and looking for opportunities to serve, to give, and to bless.
“Pray for us. We have no doubts about what we’re doing or why, but it’s hard going and we need your prayers.
All we care about is living well before God.” (Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV)
Don’t be distracted from living your purpose and keeping your priority to please God, not people.
What does living well before God mean for you today?
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1 NIV)
Any occasion to give is good. Giving thanks is how to give and live in God’s grace.
When giving thanks becomes a daily habit instead of an occasional event, life becomes rich with a perspective that invites joy.
Let’s begin this week by giving thanks to God for your body. When was the last time you did that?
Lately, the following has been my thanksgiving prayer to begin my day with. It has set me up with a new perspective and I have been so blessed by it:
“Thank you, Lord for this body. Thank you Lord that I do not serve my body but I use my body to serve you.
Use this body to work hard, reach out, touch with gentleness, embrace with faith and help others.
I am thankful for the body you have given me to live in. Bless it and may it and all I am glorify you today.”
Feel free to make it your own or make one of your own.
Give thanks. Live by His Grace.
Sometimes you hold back from giving yourself completely and really putting your heart into it because you are afraid of getting hurt. Maybe your gift was misinterpreted in the past or wasn’t received the way you hoped it would.
So you hold back.
You don’t put your heart into it.
You just do the bare minimum.
You justify not serving because you think, “well, they won’t even appreciate it anyway”.
But you are not made to live half- hearted. You are not given gifts to only give them halfway or with conditions.
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, (Ephesians 6:7 NIV)
You have been created to live wholehearted and to serve wholehearted.
How? By knowing that you are really serving The Lord, not people.
That EVERYTIME you are putting your heart out there in service it is for God, not for a thank you from someone.
How is your serve?
Is it half hearted?
Be brave.
Know who you are really serving, then let go of your fear and go for it!
Cindy Grasso 