The Christian Minimalist

Minimalism is a life style choice, one we as believers need to become intimately acquainted with.  If Christ has taught us anything, it is that when he calls we should surrender all and follow him.  This means committing ourselves completely to him without worry of holding on to our worldly possessions.  I'm not suggesting we take to living on the streets but rather that we focus on the "intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that detracts from it."   In other words not living in the culture of consumption, but focusing on doing everything to align with God's commandment that we love our neighbor as ourselves; that we focus our efforts on caring for those in need.  

Reducing our possessions to the things that really matter, the essentials; enables us to be in a position to provide for those who have far less than we do.  Imagine if we stopped purchasing the latest technological gadget (this one applies to me), another article of clothing that will sit in the closet perhaps going unused for some time, another pair of shoes because three brown pairs are never enough, another decoration for the house as if we have any more wall space, and so forth.  As believers, we cannot allow ourselves to fall prey to the culture of consumption that makes shopping fun but limits what we can do for others.  We need to consider how little Christ possessed during his time on earth and how much he willingly gave of himself; the greatest of which was his life on the cross so that we could be blessed today.  Take a look around your home, your apartment, your rooms, your closet, your dressers and consider how much of what you have is more than you truly need.  Be a blessing to your family, friends, neighbors and those who are without by giving your excess to them.  Perhaps you might even make a sacrifice and give beyond your excess, giving to the point of sacrificing your own needs for the benefit of others.

I have started emptying my closets and limiting my possessions, preparing to downsize my home, increasing my contributions to those agencies helping the poorest in our community, and looking for opportunities to love my neighbor as I love myself.  Think about it, being a minimalist just might be more fulfilling than you can imagine.  Just a little advice to go!

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! 

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!

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!

Waiting and Receiving Your Miracle, What to do!

This week’s devotional is based on a sermon by Dr. Samuel Chand, author of the book Leadership Pain: The Classroom for Growth.  His message was derived from the book of Mark, Chapter 5, Verses 21-43; the account of the synagogue leader Jairus and his 12 year old daughter.  Please read the scriptures first as they give meaning to his message and his six principles for waiting and receiving your miracle.  Here they are:

1. Be Not Afraid-Verse 36
Regardless of the storm you are enduring Jesus tells us, like he told Jairus, be not afraid.  Do not live in a spirit of fear, but in a spirit of courage.  Courage comes through the grace of God and the fortification of the Holy Spirit.

2. Just Believe-Verse 36
When things go drastically wrong as it did in Jairus' case, his daughter having died before Jesus' arrival, you need to Just Believe.  Believe and know that Jesus is a God of miracles and that his is the  same yesterday, today and forever more.  He can make the impossible, possible!

3. Surround Yourself With Positive People-Verse 37
When the challenges come, you need believers, prayers, overcomers, testifiers, witnesses, fortifiers, uplifters, and victors.   Surround yourself with people who know that God is capable of making the miracle happen.

4. Kick Out the Negative People From Your Life-Verses 39-40
Surrounding yourself with positive people is not enough, you also need to kick out the negative naysayers who have nothing good to say.  They will weigh you down and take away from the blessing and miracles God has for your life.  Kick Them Out, in the name of Jesus!

5. Speak Life to Your Situation-Verse 41
Anyone can speak death to a situation, as believers we need to speak life into the situation, remembering that in Christ all things are possible.  Speak it into existence knowing that your heavenly Father hears you and responds.

6. Feed Your Miracle-Verses 42-43
The way to feed your miracle is not just to talk about it or celebrate it, but to make sure that you help someone else with their miracle.  Be the person God uses to make the miracle happen for someone else.  If God blessed you with a job, help them find a job or give them a job.  If you overcame a sickness, help someone else overcome their sickness through prayer, transportation, and any other necessary means.  If you are blessed with extra cash, then use a portion of the cash to bless another person and help them receive their miracle.  Thank God for the miracle he delivered to you and let Him lead you as he works to make other miracles happen!

Just a little advice to go!

Don't Dream Alone!

We all have dreams and aspirations for the future, dreams of blessings and successes we imagine will be part of our future lives.  When we dream alone, those dreams often change or fail to come to fruition for one reason or another.  Dreaming alone without Gods insights presents an unnecessary challenge towards the fulfillment of those dreams.  Stop dreaming alone, and incorporate God into your dreams as you plan for your future.  Take the time to speak to him about your dreams and how they align with the dreams and hopes God has for your life.

Time has taught me to align my dreams with his and to not move forward blindly in pursuit of what I believe is best without first seeking direction from my Heavenly Father.  When I am patient, pray, listen, and wait for certain indicators on which direction to move, I find myself aligned with his will; moving forward in the right direction.  Don't dream alone, dream with the Lord!  Just a little advice to go!

Stepup From That Setback!

Sometimes we encounter setbacks and become discouraged wondering why, despite our efforts to serve the Lord, we have encountered this difficult situation.  We get caught up in the turmoil of the situation and lose sight of the reality of God's plan for our lives.  His plan does not preclude setbacks, but ensures the setbacks we encounter can turn into opportunities to step up to his blessings.

The enemy creates the obstacles that lead to the setbacks we experience; all we need to do is trust God and recognize that today's setback is just an opportunity to for us to step up to his blessings! Just a little advice to go!