Tag Archives: Direction

Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom

Walking in Gentleness

person walking in wheat field.

Previously, I have been discussing the nine fruits of the Spirit. Recently I discussed both joy and kindness. Today I would like to take a closer look at the Fruit of Gentleness. Gentleness is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.”. I found a great list of synonyms for the word gentleness in The Collins Dictionary, which are tenderness, compassion, kindness, consideration, sympathy, and softness. The word gentleness can also be translated into the term meekness. Meekness is defined as, a kind, gentle, and humble spirit.

 

So how do we apply gentleness in our lives so that we may walk in the Spirit? First off we must apply all nine fruits of the Spirit together, we cannot pick certain ones we like. A good example of gentleness is when we are courteous to others. This could apply to both people we know and people we simply pass by during our busy day. You might have a co-worker or family member who did you wrong, whether they apologize or not you should first forgive them, and also you must not seek revenge. Seeking revenge would conflict with gentleness and the other eight fruits of the Spirit. Titus 3:2 says, “To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”.

 

Another aspect of gentleness comes when we witness to non-believers. At some point in your walk with Christ, you will come across a family member, friend, or co-worker who is a non-believer and you might have the perfect opportunity to share the Gospel with them. The outcome can be unpredictable, they might accept it, totally reject it, or the might be on the fence. Mark 16:15 says, “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”. When sharing the Gospel with anyone we must be gentle about it and respectful, this is written in 1 Peter 3:15 which says,  “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”. We will have witnessed to people who totally reject the message of the Gospel, we must remember 1 Peter 3:15 to be both gentle and respectful. Just remember when you cannot get the message of salvation through to a particular person, pray that they will come to salvation. Romans 10:1 says, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”.

 

At the beginning of this article, I listed some of the synonyms for the word gentleness, one of them was softness. Proverbs 15:1 tells us, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”. I think this is a verse that every one of us needs to hear, and seek God to help us with daily. With our busy and hectic lives we can become quick to anger, I myself can be guilty of this. Whether you feel under the weather or received an unexpected bill in the mail, or your car won’t start, turn to the Lord first before turning to anger. If you forget and turn to anger, seek God to help you with being gentle. Romans 8:26 tells us, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”.

 

I challenge you to find parts in each day of your life to find an area where you can apply gentleness. If this is something you are struggling with seek the Lord. We must apply gentleness in our character along with the other eight fruits of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are a package deal, you can’t have one of them without the others. Galatians 5:16-17 which says, “ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”.

 

  1. Ray, Rayburn W. “Barbour’s Bible Dictionary & Concordance.” Barbour’s Bible Dictionary & Concordance, by George W. Knight, Barbour Books, 1998, pp. 206–206.
Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation, Wisdom

Filled with Joy

Christmas ornament imprint the word joy

As Christmas approaches very quickly we often become to busy with shopping, cooking, parties, and family gatherings to realize the true joy within our lives. While spending time with loved ones important this season as it should be all the time, let’s take a deep look into the term joy. As you read this article of mine, list some of the struggles you are going through in life whether it be health, family, financial, or emotional, and see how you can apply joy to that particular situation.

 

Galatians chapter 5 discusses the nine fruits of the Spirit which help us walk in the Holy Spirit. The nine fruits of the Spirit are characteristics one should have that is a true follower of Christ. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.”. Joy is happiness from the consistent promises of God within His word. We have joy when God gives us provisions according to His word. This can come from anything from a healing to a financial need that is supernaturally met. If you are a true born-again Christian then you already have one thing to be joyful for, and that is your salvation. Psalm 21:1 says, “O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!”.

 

So why should we always be joyful? Since joy is one of the nine fruits of the Spirit we must apply joy to our character. When we apply the fruits of the Spirit to our character, we are walking within the Spirit and not the flesh. Galatians 5:16 says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”. You might be weak in one of the nine fruits of the Spirit if so turn to God to help you with your weakness. We must remember our strength comes from the Lord. 1 Chronicles 16:11 says, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”.

 

So why must you apply joy even when going through a rough patch in life? First Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”. Notice the scriptures uses the word abound which has the following synonyms listed in the Webster’s dictionary: be plentiful, be abundant, be numerous, be full of, and overflow with. Also, Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”. The more time we spend rejoicing and in prayer, the less stressed out we will be. Spending time worrying is just wasting time that you could be praying. We are to continue our joy even in trials, and our perseverance during our trials will be dependent upon our joy. James 1:2 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds”.

 

When we get distracted by things of the flesh we walk out of the Spirit. This can make our circumstances worse for us because when we walk by flesh and not Spirit it opens the door for the enemy to work. John 16:22 says, “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”. While we will have our trials here on Earth, we must remember that if our hearts are right and if we are walking in the Spirit we have eternal life. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  The scripture of John 3:16 is one reason every believer should be filled with joy. Many secular views tell us that heaven will be a place of partying and a good time. This secular view is completely wrong and will hinder one from walking within the Spirit. Heaven will be a place of praise and worship to our creator. Romans 14:17 tells us, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”. I believe that God wants us to walk in the Spirit as much as possible when we are here on Earth so that we can rejoice in heaven.

 

I challenge you to be filled with joy during times of struggle and seek God for strength. By walking in the Spirit and not the flesh, we can expect to see more of God’s promises in our lives. Also by spending less time worrying, and more time in prayer, we will have more hope. As Christmas approaches quickly, be joyful for at least one thing, if not more, and that is the birth of our Savior.

 

Christianity, Inspiration, Wisdom

Seeking God in Choices of Life

split pathway

Every day we make many choices in the day whether we realize it or not Some are quick decisions, such as what to wear or what to eat. Other times we have greater choices to make, for example: deciding on a job offer, buying a car, enrolling at a college, and many more. Making life changing choices is not going to be an easy task, whether you are a Christian or not. God’s Word offers great advice on making good choices. Although they won’t be a direct answer to your specific situation all the time, it is important to seek God when making important choices in life.

 

I think many of us have been at a point in our life when we have to choose between two roads. This could be a job, college, car, or home. Sometimes there are more than two options. One verse to turn to is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”. Often we tell ourselves we know exactly what is best for ourselves, but we must remember that God has a unique plan for each of our lives. Sometimes what we think the best path, it turns out to be the exact opposite of where God wants to take you. This is why we must seek God continually as said in 1 Chronicles 16:11, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”.

 

In life, we will face trials and have to make choices while dealing with trials. While going through a trial you might ask, why did God let this happen to me? You might be sick with a new condition, or lost a job, or have a major car repair. Whatever it may be we must remember Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”. God never promised the weapons wouldn’t form, he just promised that they would not prosper. In any situation, you must cast your care to the Lord and continue to seek him with guiding you. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”.

 

When you become born again by accepting Christ into your heart as your savior you must remember to make decisions by the spirit and not flesh. Making decisions of our flesh will often lead to sin, Galatians 5:16-17 says, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want.”. By being born again is the only way to see the Kingdom of God, as mentioned in John 3:3, “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”. If you read further you will see flesh and spirit differentiated by Jesus in verse six, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”. By being born again all the old in your life passes away, while it becomes a new beginning for you in your walk with Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new.”. If you are born again, I encourage you to make sure you seek God in the decisions you make, so you can avoid making decisions based on your flesh rather than of your spirit.

 

There is so much more you can study in the Word of God when making decisions, Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”.  As always remember the Lord is with you in all your go through and all the choices you make in life. One of my favorite verses that others share with me also is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”. So seek God in all you do and remember he is always with you and has plans to prosper you!

 

Christianity, Inspiration, Salvation, Testimony

God is Love

cross

Love is a very strong word that we use in our everyday life. We love someone or something, you love your spouse or you love that fresh meal. Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection or a person or thing that one loves. Other words that go with love are warmth, attachment, devotion, worship, passion, desire, and many more. Did you know God loves everyone, even the sinner? God does not like when we sin, but he still loves us. The saying, “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner”, can be backed up in Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”.

 

God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 says “ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”. You might ask, how did God show his love to us? What action did God do, that represents his love for us? If you read the next verse in 1 John 4:9, “ In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” Jesus was sent to earth so that he could live and experience life like we do, but die on the cross for everyone’s sins. The next verse says “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”.  In addition to Jesus dying for our forgiveness of sins, all those who believe in him by being born again are promised everlasting life as mentioned in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”.

 

So God did his part in loving us by sending his son to die for our sins, what is our part in loving God? Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”. You must live your life for God and his kingdom, what can you do to serve God? We all have different talents and abilities such as, caring for others, leading, teaching, cleaning, music, computers, and many more. We all have at least one talent that you can use for God’s kingdom. If you have the ability to teach, maybe you can teach a Sunday School Class. Maybe you have the musical talent, maybe you can join your church choir. Maybe you are a computer science student, why not make a website to share the Word of God to people all around the world? God appreciates any deed we do big or small, as long as we do it with our best. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”. Peter Marshall once said, “Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned”.

 

Another important aspect of love is loving one another. If you go back to 1 John chapter 4 and continue to verse 11 it says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”. There will be people in our lives that we cannot stand to deal with, whether it be at work, school, church, or even our own family, we must still love them. The same Jesus that died for your sins, died for their sins also.

 

So how can you show your love to God and to others? How can you plan going forward to do good deeds for God’s Kingdom? Do you show love to everyone in your life, even the people that get on your nerves? These are all important questions to ask, along with making sure our personal relationship with our savior always remains fresh, by staying in the Word, and living our lives accordingly.

Christianity, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation, Testimony

Rejoice All the Time, Even in Hard Times

flower in pile of trashLet’s face a simple fact, life is not and will never be easy. Often people will ask followers of Christ, ‘why are you not healed?’, ‘why are you still suffering?’, and many more to question your beliefs. When faced with anything that causes us suffering in life we can often get discouraged, often we can let our mind get the best of us. In times of suffering, we can have many thoughts race through our head while dealing with whatever the situation is. But we need to remember what God’s word says.

James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”. This verse clearly explains to always be joyful no matter what. An important word in this scripture is steadfastness, synonyms for the word steadfast are loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, true, solid, and several more. So even in times of trials, we are to be faithful and must be steadfast, so that we can continue to grow both personally and in our relationship with Christ.

If you read further, James 1:12 says “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”. Those who go through hard times and keep their faith and trust in God will receive “the crown of life”. Jesus even told us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”. By Christ dying on the cross and rising from the dead,  he has overcome the world, like James 1:2-4 says we must be joyful during times of tribulation.

If you read in Romans 8:28 it says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”. If you have a loving personal relationship with God, all things work together under God’s purpose. Part of having a loving personal relationship also deals with being steadfast. Are you committed, devoted, and dedicated to staying in God’s Word and living your life accordingly? An important part in receiving the promises of God’s word is living your life accordingly and not just believing in your mind but in your heart.

If you read further in the Book of Romans, you will see in Romans 12:2 it says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”. God does not want us to be conformed to follow things of the world. Following the trends of the world we live in, leads to sin, which will draw us further away from God. To stay close to God we must accept his son as our savior, stay in the word daily, and do our best part in living our life according to his word and will for us individually.

 

Some other important verses to remember during struggles are:

  • Psalm 27:1, “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”
  • Isaiah 41:13, “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”
  • Ecclesiastes 7:9, “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”

There are many other scriptures I could go on about for times of struggle, but let’s remember to have faith in the Lord, and be steadfast, and all things for those who love Him work for the God of His purpose.

Christianity, Inspiration

We Have a Purpose

In Genesis chapters 1-2, you will find the ‘The Story of Creation’. For years this has always been debated on whether it is true or not. Science tries daily to defend that there is no God and that we are here on earth by accident. Our society imposes on our youth to be taught the Big Bang and Evolution in school. If you are a follower of God’s Word, you will most likely be questioned at one point in your life about Creation vs Science. This is why it is so important for us to know what God’s Word says.

Throughout high school and college writing courses, I have been taught the key to making a successful argument is to know both sides. While you know a lot about your perspective on the argument, what about the other sides perspective? If we are ever questioned about our belief in God’s Word we not only need scripture to back it up but also other data to back it up. You can find so much valid data to back up the Bible.

One argument of Charles Darwin is that the Bible does not give an accurate world history. Dr. Henry Morris said, “In 1810, about one billion people lived on earth. In less than 200 years, the population hit six billion. This fits the biblical chronology perfectly as the current population started about 4,400 years ago with Noah and his family after the Flood. An evolutionary timeline would require not only a nearly non-existent growth rate but also three trillion deceased humans within the last million years.”.

Dr. Michael Denton from the University of Otago in New Zealand, who is a senior research fellow in human molecular genetics said, “All the evidence available in the biological sciences supports the core proposition that the cosmos is a specially designed whole with life and mankind as its fundamental goal and purpose, a whole in which all facets of reality have their meaning and explanation in this central fact.”. The Bible also backs this up in Isaiah 45:18, “For this is what the LORD says– he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited– he says: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”.

Another common argument is where did God come from? First off, God did not have a beginning, he always existed, and he always will. We can reference this in Isaiah 40:28, “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.”. Secondly, God does not grow old or change, this is why we depend on God. Malachi 3:6 says “I the Lord do not change”.

We all have a purpose in our life that God had already planned out before our birth. Why believe that we are from some accident of events or started life from a warm pond? Colossians 1:16 says “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”. Without God and his Word, life is meaningless. This is even confirmed by Bertrand Russell, who is an atheist and stated, “Unless you assume God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.”. Do you want a meaningful life or a meaningless life? I believe the choice is clear, and this is why we must seek God’s Word, and accept his Son as our savior.

darts

Christianity, Inspiration, Testimony

Jehovah Jireh: Our Provider

bird eating

I am sure all of us have been at a point in our life where we needed a major provision. Whether a job, promotion, healing, house or financial need. I can give you one example that impacted my family where it would seem nearly impossible to man for a provision to take place.

When I was young my parents and I lived right next door to my grandparents on my mother’s side of the family. The house we lived in was owned by my grandparents, in which the house was promised to be my parents when they passed. This house was over 100 years old, my parents invested thousands of dollars in repairs, which was no problem. As time went on my grandmother forced my grandfather to change the will that the house would go to my grandmother if he passed first. My grandfather always told us it would still be our house in the end.

However, in the summer of my seventh-grade year, my grandfather began to get very sick. It first started out as finding a blood clot in his leg, which through several other events led to the doctors finding out my grandfather had stage four stomach cancer. I first was in shock, my grandfather took such great care of himself, and is being diagnosed with stomach cancer. It was not until 13 days after the diagnosis that he passed. A week after the funeral service, my grandmother told my mother that she was planning to sell the house and that she wanted us out. My mother asked my grandma “where will we go”, my grandmother responded with, “I really don’t care where you go”. My mother’s sisters were on board with my grandmother about this situation.

My parents did not plan to buy a house at this point, so there was not much saved up for a down payment. My father was the breadwinner of the family, but he worked construction. If you work construction you should know the weather conditions can impact your paycheck. My father, which always had strong faith, was very stern in believing that God would provide a home.

At first this looked nearly impossible, but my parents were reminded by the Holy Spirit about Romans 8:28, “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.”.

After almost a year of searching for a home and applying for a loan, my parents finally found a home. The finances got approved, and we moved in. It was only by the grace of God that the home was provided. I would not want to begin to imagine how this situation would have played out if my parents were not strong in their faith.

We all will encounter one rough path in our life that will nearly seem impossible. But we need to remember the God’s promises to us. Jehovah Jireh means the Lord will provide. You can find this in Genesis 22:14 KJV: “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”. The NVI translation, “So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.””.

Some other scriptures to hold to your daily life for God’s provisions are:

  • Philippians 4:19: “And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9: “but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.”
  • Psalm 34:10: “The young lions lack [food] and grow hungry, But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.”

There are many other scriptures where you can find examples of God’s promise of providing for your needs. We often get ourselves caught up in life and let our stresses and struggles get the best of us. This often leads us to forget about God’s promises to us. It is so important for us to always maintain a strong personal relationship with God, by spending time in the word, with fellow Christians, and in church. All of this plays a vital role in making us stronger in faith.

Whatever it is you are in need of God has a provision in place for you, it might not be in our time, but it is in God’s time. God’s timeline works out much better than our own timeline. Remember Psalm 27:14 says “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”.

Christianity, Inspiration, Wisdom

Following the Right Direction

Sometimes in life we set our self a goal, whether that is to find a job, spouse, or to lose weight. Once you set a goal in life, you usually create a plan of action on that goal. Have you ever made a goal and stuck with it and it did not work out? Maybe you made the wrong choice, or just did not go about it the right way. So many times, in life we are quick to think and make decisions, and not thoroughly think through decisions and plans, along with praying.

God has a plan for every part of your life. How do you know if you are following it the right way? The first part is to have a relationship with Jesus our savior. Having a relationship with Jesus as your savior will enable you to follow through with the plan in store for your life.

There might come a time in your life when you need a job or certain financial needs. You might be going about obtaining that one way, but God might want you to go about it a different way. Sometimes our way might seem like it will work, and we get ourselves stuck in our own pride.  During this time of struggle God will give us clues to what we need to do, but the question is are we going to listen? If we listen there will be great results, if not then we may not achieve anything at all.

Let’s look at an example of someone who listened in the Bible to what the lord instructed him to do, and his needs were met beyond what was originally expected.

John 21:3-11…

“3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[a] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.”

Simon Peter was hoping to catch some fish, he was trying his way and was having no results. As soon as the Lord spoke to him and he followed through his need was met.

This same result can happen to whatever your needs are. You just need to focus in on the Lord in your life, listen, and follow through.