If You're Going To Pray, Why Worry?!

Worry: To be concerned or troubled, to irritate

The Word of God clearly teaches us not to worry, but I know this is often easier said than done. It may be human nature to worry, but remember, it’s not God's nature for us to do so. We would all be much better off if we would learn to lean on God and ask Him for help. He cannot take care of our problems, worries, or our concerns until we learn to turn them loose and give them to Him.

I once heard Joyce Meyer say, “Worry is like a rocking chair - it's always in motion, but it never gets you anywhere.” When we worry, we torment ourselves and it wears us out - mentally, physically, and emotionally. And you know what? After we've worn ourselves out, we still haven’t fixed or changed the problem! Let’s do as the Word says in 1 Peter 5:6, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for he careth for you."

Do you think Peter was worried after he was put in prison? Although most of us would have been, it seems obvious that he wasn’t, because Acts 12:6-7 tells us that "Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains... And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands." The saints of God weren’t worried, instead, they were offering up prayers without ceasing and God delivered.

Worry is the opposite of faith. Worry is caused by not trusting in God to take care of whatever our situation may be. We must humble ourselves as the Word says and trust God in all things. Of course, things are going to come up that causes us some concern, but that’s when we have to turn it all over to God and say, "Lord, I trust you to make the right decision for me."

My friend mother would always say, “if you are going to pray - why worry? And if you are going to worry - why pray?" We must learn what our responsibilities are and stop trying to do God’s job! Worry steals our time, our peace, and our faith. Let’s save ourselves some time and give our concerns, our troubles, and our irritations to God.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!                             

Forgiveness Is A Must !

Forgiveness: To pardon, to give up resentment. to grant as a favor, a gift.

You know how we always like to receive presents from people? Well, what about giving yourself a gift? I'm talking about the gift of life - Forgiveness.

No matter what we perceive has hurt us or has caused us shame and grief, we must always remember to forgive. Forgiveness is our path to healing, not to mention, it's what God expects us to do.  If we offend someone; we must quickly repent. If someone offends us; we must quickly forgive. Ephesians 4:32 reminds us, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Forgiveness is big with God, because it's an expression of His love. When we choose not to forgive, we are putting limits on ourselves... as well as on the Lord. We are holding back on His love, His joy, and His peace that we should be showing one to another - instead we carry around all sorts of unprofitable weight.

Matthew 18:21-22 says, "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." (In case you were wondering - that’s every 2 ½ minutes.)

Forgiveness is a choice - if we are on the receiving end of someone’s unkind words or if there were unkind deeds that were done to us in the past, we have a choice. We can choose to forgive and move past barriers that will separate us from others (and from the Lord) or we can tie God hands with our unwillingness to forgive. How easy is it for us to forget that we have made mistakes in our life?? Keep that in mind next time you're holding a grudge. We must forgive others so that we too can be forgiven.

We have no excuse for holding grudges; for not forgiving others... while Jesus was hanging on the cross He said, "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Surely we can do the same, right? Especially since we're not hanging on a cross! Forgiveness is a gift - one that we can all use and one that we all need.

With all that said; let the Church say amen... and AMEN!                

We Need LoveThat's Based On Action!

Love: strong affection, unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for others

This week I would like to remind us of just how we need to love one another. Just in case you've forgotten - "love" is an action word. Unfortunately, we just don't see much love in action these days. All you have to do is turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper and you will hear about all kinds of unloving things going on in this world... it's sad, but it's true. If there was love in the world today, things would be totally different.

So let's talk about a few things that love is:

1.  Patient: Love doesn't have a short fuse. When we practice love, we don't easily lose our patience with people. Love never gets angry with others or says "This is your LAST chance to get this right." Love is very patient, it is always willing to wait for God's perfect timing. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, "Charity (love) suffereth long." In other words, Charity, or love in this case, is long suffering, and people who show love are willing to tolerate the shortcomings of others.

2.  Kind: Love speaks softly and is very caring. Love is kind, but it's often tough. "Kindness" doesn't mean that we always have to give people exactly what they want - that's not necessarily kind. Love sometimes means saying no to our children when we know a situation is not right for them. Kindness means telling the truth (nicely, of course) even when it might hurt a friend. It's our love for them that drives us to keep them out of harms way and give them what they need (time, space, more love, etc.) to heal. 1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that, "Love is kind."

3.  Envieth Not: Love is not displeased with the success of others. That's because true love desires the success of others. If we were to list our blessings, we would quickly realize that there is never a need or reason to be jealous and we would / could / should be content with what we have. 1 Corinthians 13-4 reminds us, "Love envieth not."

Simply put, Love is a decision without any conditions or circumstances.

Of course, there's a lot more that I could share about love, but I realized that if we would simply be patient with one another, show kindness to everyone (even if we have to go a little out of our way), and stop wanting what others have, the world could truly be a better place. Remember: if you have questions about what you have vs. what someone else has, just take inventory of your blessings! God is love! So let's learn to love one another not just in words, but in action as well.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!

Kindness Will Bring Blessing!

Kindness: Quality or state of being kind

Kindness is a choice - it costs nothing, yet it is so wonderfully fulfilling. There are days in my life when things aren't going the way I expected them to go, but when I take my mind off myself and show some kindness to someone else, I usually feel better about myself and those things that weren't going my way that seemed SO important, often become less important. There is just something so powerful about unexpected acts of kindness that even the least emotional people can't stay untouched by such acts.

When Paul was sent to Rome, there was a storm at sea and they became shipwrecked. In Acts 27:44, we find that all aboard escaped safely to land. Acts 28:2 goes on to tell us that the natives of the land showed the people unusual and remarkable kindness; they kindled a fire and welcomed and received them all, since it had begun to rain and was cold. Paul and the rest of the voyagers landed on THEIR LAND, yet the natives weren't hostile, instead, they acted kindly to help keep the travelers warm. Now, that’s the kind of act the Lord calls kindness.

More often than not, when we met a person he or she is carrying a burden inside. A simple, heartfelt smile from us may bring them hope. Opening a door, saying hello, or offering a helping hand may make a major difference in someone’s day. And while we are not doing it for a reward, it's an added bonus that our God rewards kindness. 1 Samuel 15:6 provides us with a great example, "And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites." The Kenites showed kindness to the children of Israel and the Lord rewarded them by sparing their lives.

Our words and thoughts can sometimes be perceived as being mean and thoughtless even when we don't intend them to be. For this reason my friends, we must strive to always have a smile on the inside so that it reflects on the outside. We also must remember to be kind to ourselves, as being kind to ourselves is the first step toward being kind, patient, and loving to others. Every act of kindness, whether large or small, can produce joy, peace, and happiness in yourself and in someone else. Kindness is a choice and it’s free - so let's strive to make good choices!

With all that said, let the Church say amen... and Amen!