Category: Relationships

Let’s be “Real”

None of us have it all together. We all make mistakes. We all have faults. We all have something about us that we would like to change whether it is in our appearance or our hearts or our mind. We all have something we struggle with or skeletons in our closet that we wish we didn’t have to deal with or that we don’t want others to know about. When we give those to Christ, he will help us deal with them and show us ways we can use them to help others.

Christ is the only person that had it all together. He died for us so that we can overcome our faults and use our weaknesses to help others. When we allow our weaknesses to be used to reach others, others can look past us and our imperfections and see the Christ, the only one that has ever been perfect.

Through Christ, we can look forward to attaining perfection in heaven. So for now let’s be real and relate to those that may need a friend to get them over their own imperfections. We can all be imperfect together that we might all be perfect in heaven where we will finally “get it all together”.

Are We Seeking?

Matt 7

21Not everyone who calls me “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do.

If you aren’t earnestly seeking God, you will not know what He wants you to do and therefore will not do it. We must seek and do if we want to enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Mistake Or Sin?

If we do something accidentally, we can call it a mistake. When we do something even though we know it will hurt ourselves or someone else, then it is sin. The knowing is what makes the distinction.

We like to write off our sin as a mistake and blame others for what we have done. Sometimes, we even blame God for our actions. We also blame Him for the circumstance that we experience because of our actions. We can live righteously before God when we can take responsibility for our decisions and our actions, admit our mistakes, and confess our sin.

Confession of sins to Christ is the big one. He already knows but we don’t receive forgiveness unless we ask. If we have unforgiven sin in our lives, it separates us from God and our other prayers will not reach Him. To be sure, we should enter our prayer time by asking for forgiveness of anything that may be in the way of reaching God. Ask Him to point out areas where we need to repent. Then He will hear our petitions and work in our life.

To avoid responsibility, we look for someone else to blame. If we had any way to keep from doing what we did and still did it, then we should accept the responsibility and the blame is on us. The sin needs to be confessed without putting blame on others. If we are truly seeking God and want to do right, He will provide a way of escape when we are tempted to do wrong. We will have to choose to hold our ground or to step into the danger zone.

The danger zone may take us to places we never wanted to go. The more disobedient we become and the further from God we get will just cause us more difficulty when and if we ever choose to go back. It would be better to not go there. We must seek God for help before we take that step and if we do slip, it is best to repent and turn immediately.

John 9:31

31We know that God does not listen to sinners; he does listen to people who respect him and do what he wants them to do.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

13No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Isaiah 64:7 (NLT)

7Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.

How Are We Doing?

Ephesians 5:1-8 (NLT)

Living in the Light

5 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

How are we doing? Can people recognize us as belonging to God by the way we talk and act. Can God recognize us? Can God say, “That one is mine, I can tell by the way he acts/talks”?

Can people see our Heavenly Father in us?

Don’t Be Selfish With Our Prayers

When raising kids, we often hear people advise us to pray that our kids will have good friends and that we should pray a hedge around them that only good kids would be able to get in and the bad would not be allowed in. That just sounds selfish.

We could definitely pray that the bad stuff would not influence our child but it may be the contact our child has with the other that could somehow make a difference in both their lives. These kids that you may consider a bad influence are someone’s child and we can’t just wish them away. They are just as much God’s creation as anyone else.

How about pray that they would somehow be changed or influenced for the good. Maybe God would work in their situation and bring people into their lives that would make a difference. Our children will always have someone around them to sway them in the wrong direction. It would be better that we have prayed for their strength so that they develop enough to withstand the stuff that will come against them as they grow. We all know the stuff we endure when little seems big at the time but we also know that when we are older the stuff that we face is bigger.

The individuals that come into our lives through our children will need help and prayer just as much if not more that our children. Our children are and will be covered by our prayers. The ones that may be considered a bad influence may have never had anyone pray for them. Let’s be the first.  We can be sure that it would be God’s will to work in everyone’s life, not just the life of our kids. God uses all to His glory and our betterment.