My Response Matters

Have you ever been hurt, angry, fearful, rejected, or disappointed? Most of the time we focus on the emotions versus the will of the Lord.

Your response is what really matters to the Father. I am not saying the other person is not accountable for their actions but your heart position before God is determined by your response to them.  1 Corinthians 13:11 reminds us "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I responded like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." This is an awesome scripture because it follows Paul telling us how to love. We say we love people all the time but in our immaturity we really fail the love test most of the time.

Some of the greatest blessings from God are the relationships He allows us to have. Many times the relationships closest to us are challenged by trials and tribulations. Of course this is obvious to some. A stranger can not hurt you like your spouse or children nor disappoint you like a friend. The truth is as long you are in relationships with humans, you will experience hurt, anger, fear, rejection, disappointment and much more.

The question is not who hurt you or what they did, it is more about how you react when it happens. As we grow, these are some suggestions:

1- Slow your roll
James 1:19-20 "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

2-Watch your words
Ephesians 2:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

3- Speak Truth in Love
Zechariah 8:16 "These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;

4- Protect your heart 
Zechariah 8:17 ^"do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”

Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life"

5- Get it right the same day
Ephesians 4:26 "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,"

Some relationships are for a season but anger (a.k.a. offense) should not be the reason a relationship ends. In all times seek peace and it's okay to agree to disagree. Remember, it does not make someone your enemy because you have different views. Even when someone is your enemy the word of God is very clear. Do not repay evil with evil.

Romans 12:16- 21 "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Guard your heart! Your response matters!

Stamped Approved!

"Lord not my will but Your will be done!"
"Lord it is my desire to please You in every way!"
"Lord make me a vessel fit for Your purpose!"

Have you ever prayed any of these things? Almost every time I open my mouth to pray these words come out. As I was praying and reading this week, the Holy Spirit has really been ministering to me that the Lord knows who are His. Those who are His wear a stamp labeled 'Approved'".

My prayer this week from 2 Tim 2:19-25 Complete Jewish Version

• Lord let my life be built on a firm foundation. Know me by name and stamp me 'Approved'.  

2 Tim 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, stamped with these words:

“The Lord knows his own,” and, “Let everyone who claims he belongs to the Lord
stand apart from wrongdoing.”

 

• Lord let me be a vessel of honor and not of dishonor. Give me the grace to keep myself free from defilement so I can be a worker honorable and ready for every kind of good work.

2 Tim 2:20-21 In a large house there are dishes and pots not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. That is, some are meant for honorable use and some for dishonorable. ²¹ If a person keeps himself free of defilement by the latter, he will be a vessel set aside for honorable use by the master of the house and ready for every kind of good work.

 

• Lord I choose to flee youthful lust and pursuits. I will choose to pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 

2 Tim 2:22 So, flee the passions of youth; and, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart, pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love and peace. 

 

• Lord let me watch my words and stay away from stupid and ignorant controversies
• Teach me how to be kind,  & how to be a good teacher
• Lord it is hard on the flesh but teach me how to forgive quickly and not be resentful when I am mistreated
• Even when I find myself in conflict with a someone, teach me to be gentle in my correction.
• Father you sent your son to die for our sins, so we can be restored. Let me always walk in restoration with others.

2 Tim 2: 23-25 But stay away from stupid and ignorant controversies — you know that they lead to fights, ²⁴ and a slave of the Lord shouldn’t fight. On the contrary, he should be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and not resentful when mistreated. ²⁵ Also he should be gentle as he corrects his opponents. For God may perhaps grant them the opportunity to turn from their sins, acquire full knowledge of the truth,

Let us all desire to be stamped approved by Father!

Seek the Lord NOW while He is NEAR!

All week I have been hearing "Will you seek me will ALL your heart, mind and soul?"

I want to encourage us to be seekers! Throughout scripture seeking the Lord is best described as setting your mind and heart on God. We must be INTENTIONAL about setting our mind and heart on Christ. We must focus on him. When we seek God with all of our heart, mind and soul our responses will change, our relationships will change, our ministry will change, everything about us will change. WHY, because we are living a God focused life.

What happens when we seek God intentionally?
1- We find Him: Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart"
2- Our needs are supplied: Matt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
3- We learn the goodness of the Lord: Psalms 40:16 "But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!”'
4- When seeking is added to repentance, forgiveness and healing takes place: 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

The enemy of our soul knows the power we will have if we really started seeking the Lord. The devil is always trying to distract us with the cares of this world. We must make a conscience decision to seek the Lord.

John Piper founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary said "The heavens are telling the glory of God. So we can seek him through that. He reveals himself in his word. So we can seek him through that. He shows himself to us in the evidences of grace in other people. So we can seek him through that. The seeking is the conscious effort to get through the natural means to God himself — to constantly set our minds toward God in all our experiences, to direct our minds and hearts toward him through the means of his revelation. This is what seeking God means."

What is crowding your heart and mind right now? What has your attention?  What controls your emotions? What controls the way you spend your finances and time? What is the driving force behind your daily decisions? Does God's opinion have any weight in our everyday lives? These are some of the many questions we all must ask ourselves. The answers to these questions are our measuring stick. The answers will help us to determine if we are seekers of God or not.

We must seek the Lord now while he can be found. The world has a lot of temporary pleasures that will attempt to momentarily satisfy us. The Lord is giving us an invitation to have pleasures forever more!

I encourage you to make a conscience decision to seek the Lord! Isaiah 55 reads: (NLT)

“Is anyone thirsty?
    Come and drink—
    even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
    it’s all free!
² Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
    Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
    You will enjoy the finest food.

³ “Come to me with your ears wide open.
    Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
    I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
⁴ See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
    I made him a leader among the nations.
⁵ You also will command nations you do not know,
    and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”

⁶ Seek the Lord while you can find him.
    Call on him now while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked change their ways
    and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
    Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

¹⁰ “The rain and snow come down from the heavens
    and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
    producing seed for the farmer
    and bread for the hungry.
¹¹ It is the same with my word.
    I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
    and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
¹² You will live in joy and peace.
    The mountains and hills will burst into song,
    and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
¹³ Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.
    Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.
These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name;
    they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”