Sunday, May 22, 2016

Lay Your Burdens Down

Most of you will remember the song we all learned in Sunday school with the verse, "if your happy and you know it, say Amen".  The problem is that often we don't know how to be happy and so we are find ourselves living in misery.  Why is that?  Why can't we simply let go, and let God?  It is a question of surrender, our ability to surrender it all to him without picking it back up. 

God calls on us to lay our burdens down in Matthew 11:28; he makes it clear that if we are sick and tired of the burdens of life all we need to do is come to him and lay them down, and he will give us rest.  He will take those burdens and address them for us; he is able to supply our every need according to his riches and glory.  He wants us to cast our burdens upon him and he will sustain us.  

If you are feeling burdened, weary, and just ready to give up, then go before the Lord in prayer and surrender your burdens to him.  Ask him to take charge of them and to give you rest, believe that he will take care of them.  He will guide you the rest of the way ensuring that each of your burdens is resolved in accordance with his will for your life.  Trust God and lay your burdens down!  Just a little advice to go! 

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Stop Chasing the Wind

Throughout life we are taught by our parents, family, and friends that life is all about being successful. We should go to school and learn all we can to pursue a profession worthy of celebration.  Some of us learn early on that these pursuits should be guided by the wisdom of God's word and the vision He implants within our hearts.  Unfortunatley, life's circumstances often result in God's vision becoming distorted and vague.  We forget that pursuing our relationship with him should always supercede our own selfishness.

At some point we all have to address the question regarding whether our pursuits have aligned with God's plan or not. Will we find ourselves thinking all we have accomplished is meaningless? Will we find ourselves alone, unhappy, and separated from our heavenly father, chasing the wind? The scripture warns us not to make this mistake in Ecclesiastes Chapter 2 verse 11 where it states:

"But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere."

Let us not fall into the trap of chasing the wind, that which is meaningless, but instead focus on aligning our decisions and pursuits with God's will. Through his word, prayer, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can discern his will and achieve the success he intended.  Then and only then, can we truly proclaim we are doing the work God has called us to do!  Just a little advice to go!

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Let It Go!

In this sinful world where the enemy often prevails and persists in reeking havoc, we must be prepared to prevent the enemy's attacks from become defining moments.  We cannot allow the difficult times to pierce the peace within us which is fostered by the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirt. The Spirit enables us to reject fear, worry, and the preoccupation with what could go wrong.  The fruits of the Spirit remind us to love unconditionally, to rejoice always, to be at peace, to be patient, to be kind, to be good, to be faithful, to be gentle, and to be self-controlled.  These gifts prepare us for difficult times, reminding us we can handle whatever may come our way.  So when you feel the enemy is messing with you, first rejoice in the Lord and then, LET IT GO!  Just a little advice to go!