This is something that has been on my mind for the past few days. I've read it in a book and this biblical principle is really bugging me. I know that there is something that I need to give up but it's not easy doing so since it has been part of my life for so long. Normally when God asks you to give up something, that thing is normally useless and not good for you. And I have weighed this thing that God wants me to give up. It is totally useless. It doesn't affect my life in a negative way if I give it up. But it will only bring me good.
In my writings you will realise that I do not reveal everything because I know that a lot of people are reading this. But i wanted to share with you guys what I learn from Jesus as I walk with Him daily. All of us have something that we need to give up at every point in our life. If there was nothing to give up, we would be perfect. But because we're not, we still have something to give up.
Some of the things that we need to give up includes our wrong thinking, wrong believe, sinful acts, selfish desires, time and even our comfort zone. In every season of your life, God will ask you to give up something that you able to give up at that point of time. Trust Him. He knows our ability to give up something. He wouldn't ask you to do so if you couldn't. And it is our response to His call to give up the things He want us to which will determine whether we go 'up' or we stay the same. Someone once said this, "If you continue to do the same thing you did before, you will end up having the same results as before."
I'll end with this. This phrase was the thing that ultimately made me decide to give up that certain thing that God wanted me to give up. "If you have to give it up sooner or later, why later?" I pray that God will help me and enable me to give it up once and for all. Give up, to go up.
I've decided to write about my daily readings of the bible in this blog. I wanted to try writing a journal but i guess i'll just start with writing it on my blog.
I just started reading my bible again seriously after a period of dryness. Was discouraged about certain things but as usual God is good and He helped me by providing friends and leaders that were available to help me and encourage me.
There was something that Uncle Don (my mentor) said when i was having breakfast with him last Friday. i told him that i was discouraged and wanted to go somewhere far away to pray and seek Him again. Then he said something interesting. He talked about spiritual survival skills. Here is how it sounded like.
"When you are hungry, and haven't eaten in weeks, you don't hope and wait for good food to come your way. You eat whatever you have."
That is so true. After a period of dryness, I know actually what he was trying to say. I should just read the bible. I should just 'eat'. I might not feel that the food is as good as set C in Chang Jiang (:Þ *drools*), but i still gotta eat. So i started eating again. When I read, i didn't feel like some special feeling or something like that but i know that God is feeding me with His Word.
Joy told me that last time I told her that no matter how we feel, we should continue to read the bible and have a habit of reading it. And she did exactly that. According to her she read the bible everyday and developed that habit. We all need that. We won't go to hell if we don't. But I sure want to fall so in love with Him that I will do it. I want to love God enough to be commited to read His word everyday.
For those who are feeling dry, who feels that they have drifted far away from God, just 'eat'. Don't wait for that special experience or feeling. Continue to feed on the Word of God. Trust Him that He is there all the time and no matter how we feel, He's always and I mean ALWAYS good.
We all need food to survive. And the Word of God is more important than food. If you don't continue to have it, you will die spiritually.
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' (Matthew 4:4)
Just eat it.
I'm thinking about blogging about my daily bible readings....should I do it? It should be a good accountability tool for me...hmmm....
Jesus Shows You How To Control Your Emotions!
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. -Hebrews 4:15 (NLT)
Sometimes I forget that Jesus faced the same challenges that we come up against every day. But, Satan's tricks don't change. He recycles them and dresses them up a bit, but he has been pulling the same old stunts since the fall of man. And Jesus had to deal with them just like we do today.
What better way to learn how to control emotions than to look at how Jesus handled His. A great example of this is right before the crucification. Jesus knew what His destiny held. His date with the cross was growing closer and closer, and His human emotions began to rear their ugly heads.
Let's take a look:
They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said,
"Sit here while I go and pray." He took Peter, James, and John with Him,
and He became deeply troubled and distressed.
He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.."
-Mark 14:32-34 (NLT)
Can you even image the thoughts and emotions that must have been going through His mind? So, what did Jesus, or savior and example, do when He realized that His emotions were raising up against Him?
He sought the Father in prayer.
He went on a little farther and fell to the ground.
He prayed that, if it were possible,
the awful hour awaiting Him might pass Him by.
"Abba, Father," He cried out, "everything is possible for You.
Please take this cup of suffering away from Me.
Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine."
- Mark 14:35-36 (NLT)
Jesus' desire was for the torment to be taken away. His emotions were kicking in, and He wanted out of God's plan. But, more than appeasing His emotions, He wanted God's will.
We can learn so much from this passage. Jesus felt the fear, but He did not allow His emotions to stand in the way of God's will and God's way.
Our emotions are not the law. In fact, many times the emotions that we feel are being manipulated by the enemy to stand in the way of God's will for our lives. He knows that, if he can keep us bound up by fear and anger, he can keep us from walking in all that God has in store for our lives.
Whenever Satan tries to plant a thought or emotion in my mind, the first step I must make is to recognize it as a threat! It's a threat to my joy, my peace, and my relationship with God.
Jesus says:
Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy,
and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them.
Nothing will injure you.
- Luke 10:19 (NLT)
You do not have to bow your knee to the tricks that Satan tries to play on your emotions. God Himself tells you to "hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil" (Ephesians 6:16 NLT).
So, when you begin to have emotions that are threatening your joy and peace, or feelings that urge you to stray from God's plan for your life, do what Jesus did. Seek the Lord in prayer, and ask Him for the strength to feel those emotions, and do God's will anyways.
The more you ignore your emotions, the less you will feel their control. Then you will have officially learned how to control emotions instead of allowing them to control you.
How to Control Emotions
Your Feelings Don't Have To Control You
Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. ~ Proverbs 16:32 (NLT)
Controlling Emotions
Are you fed up with letting your emotions get the best of you? Feel like learning how to control emotions is an impossible struggle.
Well, "Nothing is impossible with God!" (Luke 1:37 NLT). With His help, you can finally learn how to control your negative emotions, and stop letting them control you.
I used to think that if I were a mature Christian, I wouldn't have any more negative emotions. I thought that I'd never have a feeling of fear or an emotion of anger once I reached a certain point in my Christian walk.
But, God revealed something to me through His Word that I want to share with you today - The goal is not to be free from emotions. The goal is to be free from their control.
And, truly learning how to control emotions is only possible when you enlist the help of God's Holy Spirit.
God Wants You Emotionally Stable
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
- 3 John 2
There are two parts to this scripture. The first half talks about life prosperity and health. But, the second half talks about the prosperity of your soul.
Many Christians get confused about what the Bible means when it talks about our souls. But, your soul is actually made up of three parts.
1. Your mind
2. Your will and
3. Your emotions.
When God says that He wants you to be prosperous in your soul, your emotional stability is included. Controlling emotions is a part of God's plan for your life.
God says that:
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he who rules his [own] spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32 (AMP)
Controlling Emotions
God does not want you to be ruled by your emotions. He loves you and wants you to have the peace and joy that comes with knowing how to control emotions.
Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that we have no control over how we feel.
We hit a challenging situation, a wave of emotions sweep over us, and we feel powerless to change them. But, just because our emotions feel powerful, does not mean that they are ALL powerful.
You have the power to overcome your emotions. Just because you feel them does not mean you have to act on them.
I decided to blog now because I received a comment from Joy to update it!! Haha..
Complainers vs Contributors
These are the two types of people in church (or in this world perhaps). When a problem arises or somethings goes wrong in the church, there are these two types of people that give two different types of response.
Complainer
This type of church member obviously is the type that complains. Yes, complain and full stop. Does nothing about anything. Just complain. They are the type that see many things wrong with the church and does not lift one finger to help or improve the situation. Typical excuses of these people normally are as follow:
1. Let the young people do it.
2. You're the leader, you should do something
3. I don't know how
4. I'm too tired
5. I don't have the time (I'm busy)
6. It's your responsibility, not mine
Well, there are more that can be added to this list. Maybe someone more creative (or someone who is a complainer) can come up with more excuses for me? haha...
These people are a leader's headache. The fact they complain and not do anything to help normally gives a leader another thing to worry about or it adds another thing into his/her to do list. Worse still if they express their opinion to other people who have no clue what's going on and create a negative image on the church and it's people. Next thing you find them talking among themselves in Old Town Kopitiam about issues in the church. Haha! Don't get me wrong, discussing something about the welfare of the church is not wrong if you are genuinely concerned by actually trying to help out or at least come out with a solution or suggestion for your leader. instead of discussion, it turns into.............COMPLAINT!
Contributor
This type of church member obviously is the type that.........complains as well!! But they do so because they do not accept the status quo and has a genuine desire to see the church improve. They are called people who have a constructive spirit of discontent (huh?!?). It means that they are discontent, but in a constructive kind of way. Unlike complainers, they dont just complain. They do something about it. It's easy to spot a contributor. This is normally how they sound like
1. Why not we try doing this?
2. I see that there's a problem here, is there anything I can do to help?
3. Hey, I have a suggestion.
4. I don't know what to do, but I'm willing to learn
5. Use me Lord!
There will always be problems in the church no doubt. Contributors might not be able to solve all the problems but it at least eases the burdens of their leaders. And leaders (hopefully) being able to discern their gifts and talents, will place them in the right place to serve or help out so that they will be effective in service for Jesus and the church.
One note for contributors though. Due to my own experience, I know that being a contributor doesn't mean that all our suggestions and our offers of service will be accepted due to certain reasons. I give you a good example.
If someone like William Hung came and told you, "Hey, I feel that this church needs a bit more enthusiasm during worship. We should dance like this!" And he starts doing the 'she bangs' move in front of you (go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsn3WkxKvG4 if you don't know what I mean). We admire his heart for the Lord, but not his suggestion!
Leaders are supposed to see the big picture so don't blame them if they don't like your suggestion. Of course leaders also need to be careful not to do something unbiblical. Alamak, out of topic ni!
In conclusion, in every church there will be the two C's. And its the third C that will determine whether you are a Complainer or a Contributor - your Choice. I know that if you choose to be a contributor, God will definitely give you whatever is necessary to do the task that He wants you to do. God never rejects people who avail themselves to serve Him. Let's all serve Him and do our part.