This morning,
I woke up a little late. I work late at night from home, and I am NOT a morning person. LOL.
However, I woke up and started my day around 8:30 a.m.
One of my first thoughts was to pray and thank the Lord that I woke up this morning. Then I thought about cleaning, cooking...things like that. I did not do any of this, of course, as I was distracted by the internet.
Then, around 9:45 a.m. I started to remember that I need to begin my bible reading/studying. To be honest, I didn't want to do it because I am shopping for a Christmas gift, for myself. My husband told me to pick something out and I am eager to do this. But the Spirit within me was troubled. And I began to wrestle with my flesh.
What was more important? Gifts for myself, or receiving the gift of the Word today while in prayer and meeting with God?
I made a decision. God comes first.
I am dedicated to God. I WANT a better relationship with him and the only way I can do this, is through prayer and reading my bible. Spending alone time, with God.
The desire to shop was still there, but I love God so much more than shopping and spending time with Him means a lot to me.
I opened my bible and came across this verse:
"...for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me? declares the Lord." Jeremiah 30:21
Devotion. All of us are devoted to something. Who and what are you devoted to?
Devotion can be defined as:
profound dedication; earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc.
In other words, what do we waste our time in doing the most? Where do we dedicate our time? Do we dedicate ourselves to Christ? Or do we dedicate our self...to our self? Do we live for music? Do we live for money? Do we live for sex? Do we live for food? Do we live for fame? Do we live for praise?
Where do you dedicate all of your time?
The Lord was asking....where can he find someone who will dedicate/devote his time and energy into the Lord? So many of us say that we are that person, but our lives speak differently. Our actions speak for us. Talk is cheap. We are all hypocrites in one way or another. We have all said one thing and done something else entirely.
Yet the Lord requires action.
Devotion is something that you do. The Lord does not want pretty words, or long profound speeches, but pure and sound devotion. To Him. No one else.
And in the last days, He will look for people who are devoted to Him and His kingdom, His desires. These people will be taken to Heaven.
We all have to make a decision. Devotion is not something we adopt or obtain, but instead, a voluntary decision. We decide where to invest our time. God's desire is for us to invest our time into Him. To be devoted to Christ.
Just as I had to make a decision this morning to devote my spare time to prayer and bible reading, you too will have to make a decision to pour your life and energy into something.
Why not invest into an everlasting future with Christ?
Dedicate your life to something worthwhile. Live for your future in Heaven.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Judgement and other stuff
Every day is a struggle. I hate to admit it, but sometimes my opinions escape my mouth almost IMMEDIATELY after I see something that dishonors God. Most of the time, no one requests my opinion. LOL. No one wants to hear it, because it is almost always...negative.
So I asked myself...what have I done to earn the authority to judge others?
What qualifies me to lash out with such harsh words and judgment against people I don't know?
The answer is Nothing. Absolutely nothing! I was a cursing, blaspheming, angry, unhappy, depressed, fearful, lusting, unforgiving woman before I knew Christ. I had NO idea what it meant to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I had NO idea that my lifestyle was a slap in the face to Christ. Yet here I am, fighting judgmental thoughts about my brothers and sisters who are victim to the same beast. To the same sins. Trapped and enslaved to their own desires.
Winning at nothing, failing at everything. I used to be just like this.
I lied. I cheated. I've stolen many things. Sexually, I was immoral.
God knew this. He knew what I was doing and yet He still loved me. He rescued me from a dangerous lifestyle. The enemy was closing in on me and I had nowhere to go. My past was shaking up my present with everything that had a hold on me.
I was angry and hurt all of the time and even judgmental then. LOL. How foolish!
I thought I had learned about judgment and was doing a good job. I wasn't judging anyone. But, until this past weekend at Church, I realized how much I failed in that area. And I realized, I have NO RIGHT to judge anyone.
So then....can I have an opinion? Opinions and judgments are only separated by a fine line. I would recommend for each of us to tread carefully in this area.
So then I asked myself, what do the two words mean? Are they one in the same?
Judgment - the forming of an opinion, estimate, notion, or conclusion, as from circumstances presented to the mind.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Judgement
Opinion - a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.
Based on the above mentioned...yes they are. Almost the same.
To be judgmental, can also mean to have an overrated opinion. Or to be opinionated. Am I reading this wrong??
Am I understanding this correctly? So when I watch a television show, and that woman is dressed inappropriately, and I say,
"She needs Jesus! No respectful woman of God would wear something like that! How disgusting!"
Does that mean I have cast judgment on that woman? Yes. Am I right when I do these things?
No.
Jesus speaks about judgment.
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged." Matthew 7:1
In Luke 6, Jesus talks about this again. He says,
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned." Luke 6:37
These commands are the words of Jesus. He spoke this, and commanded us NOT to judge each other. So why do I do this? Why do I judge people? Why am I disobeying Christ?
I'll be honest, to know that I am failing in this area upsets me. But, I know that Jesus is faithful and He will forgive me my sins and make me a better version of myself. I do not want to be a judgmental person. I want to be free of carrying this burden to judge. I don't like it, and I rebuke it in the name of Jesus. I am going to continue to pray for deliverance. For God to give me a better heart and mind when I see e a mistake or an area where someone can improve.
If you are going through what I am going through, ask God....ask Jesus to help you.
Pray to him so that He may remove your judgmental heart and bind this sin in hell.
Jesus also says,
"First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:5
I thought long and hard about this, and came to a conclusion.
How would I be able to see the speck in my brother/sister's eye if I am blinded by the plank in my own? And if I am trying to take the speck out of their eye, but I can't see what I'm doing, wouldn't I hurt the person more so than help? Wouldn't I cause more damage, because I can't really see what I am doing?
Jesus has really been correcting me in this and helping me to understand what this means.
I am praying that I continue to ask for help in this area, and remain prudent in what I say to others and renouncing judgmental thoughts.
I will NOT have a judgmental spirit.
So I asked myself...what have I done to earn the authority to judge others?
What qualifies me to lash out with such harsh words and judgment against people I don't know?
The answer is Nothing. Absolutely nothing! I was a cursing, blaspheming, angry, unhappy, depressed, fearful, lusting, unforgiving woman before I knew Christ. I had NO idea what it meant to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I had NO idea that my lifestyle was a slap in the face to Christ. Yet here I am, fighting judgmental thoughts about my brothers and sisters who are victim to the same beast. To the same sins. Trapped and enslaved to their own desires.
Winning at nothing, failing at everything. I used to be just like this.
I lied. I cheated. I've stolen many things. Sexually, I was immoral.
God knew this. He knew what I was doing and yet He still loved me. He rescued me from a dangerous lifestyle. The enemy was closing in on me and I had nowhere to go. My past was shaking up my present with everything that had a hold on me.
I was angry and hurt all of the time and even judgmental then. LOL. How foolish!
I thought I had learned about judgment and was doing a good job. I wasn't judging anyone. But, until this past weekend at Church, I realized how much I failed in that area. And I realized, I have NO RIGHT to judge anyone.
So then....can I have an opinion? Opinions and judgments are only separated by a fine line. I would recommend for each of us to tread carefully in this area.
So then I asked myself, what do the two words mean? Are they one in the same?
Judgment - the forming of an opinion, estimate, notion, or conclusion, as from circumstances presented to the mind.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Judgement
Opinion - a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.
a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.
Based on the above mentioned...yes they are. Almost the same.
To be judgmental, can also mean to have an overrated opinion. Or to be opinionated. Am I reading this wrong??
Am I understanding this correctly? So when I watch a television show, and that woman is dressed inappropriately, and I say,
"She needs Jesus! No respectful woman of God would wear something like that! How disgusting!"
Does that mean I have cast judgment on that woman? Yes. Am I right when I do these things?
No.
Jesus speaks about judgment.
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged." Matthew 7:1
In Luke 6, Jesus talks about this again. He says,
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned." Luke 6:37
These commands are the words of Jesus. He spoke this, and commanded us NOT to judge each other. So why do I do this? Why do I judge people? Why am I disobeying Christ?
I'll be honest, to know that I am failing in this area upsets me. But, I know that Jesus is faithful and He will forgive me my sins and make me a better version of myself. I do not want to be a judgmental person. I want to be free of carrying this burden to judge. I don't like it, and I rebuke it in the name of Jesus. I am going to continue to pray for deliverance. For God to give me a better heart and mind when I see e a mistake or an area where someone can improve.
If you are going through what I am going through, ask God....ask Jesus to help you.
Pray to him so that He may remove your judgmental heart and bind this sin in hell.
Jesus also says,
"First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:5
I thought long and hard about this, and came to a conclusion.
How would I be able to see the speck in my brother/sister's eye if I am blinded by the plank in my own? And if I am trying to take the speck out of their eye, but I can't see what I'm doing, wouldn't I hurt the person more so than help? Wouldn't I cause more damage, because I can't really see what I am doing?
Jesus has really been correcting me in this and helping me to understand what this means.
I am praying that I continue to ask for help in this area, and remain prudent in what I say to others and renouncing judgmental thoughts.
I will NOT have a judgmental spirit.
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