We won't be updating this blog very often anymore. Instead, please visit our new ministry website, Encouraging Word Ministries.
You can also follow our Twitter feed at EncourageLiving and like our Facebook page at Encouragement for Living.
February 13, 2012
February 10, 2012
Encouraging Thoughts-"The God Who Won't Give Up" by Max Lucado
Not everyone in Jesus’ world gave him a warm welcome. Not everyone received him with grace. And many didn’t just ignore him, they rejected him.
Isaiah prophesied his reception like this: “He was despised and rejected by men” (Isa. 53:3 NIV).
John summarized the rejection of Jesus with these words: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11 NIV).
How did Christ endure treatment like that? At any point he could have said, “I quit. I’ve had enough.” Why didn’t he? What kept him from giving up?
Click here to read the rest of the article from UpWords, the teaching ministry of Max Lucado.
Isaiah prophesied his reception like this: “He was despised and rejected by men” (Isa. 53:3 NIV).
John summarized the rejection of Jesus with these words: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11 NIV).
How did Christ endure treatment like that? At any point he could have said, “I quit. I’ve had enough.” Why didn’t he? What kept him from giving up?
Click here to read the rest of the article from UpWords, the teaching ministry of Max Lucado.
February 6, 2012
February 3, 2012
Encouraging Thoughts-God's Word vs. Your Feelings
This is an excerpt from Joyce Meyer's book "Living Beyond Your Feelings," which I recently read. If that is an area of concern for you, I strongly recommend checking it out.
Every day, we are faced with a decision: Will we respond to life's circumstances according to God's Word or will we react emotionally? The initial temptation is to react emotionally, but in every circumstance, it's truly your decision.
Let's examine three circumstances you're going to have to face at some point in your life. I've also included some questions to ask yourself, which I encourage you to answer honestly. They will give you a good idea of how big a part your feelings play in these circumstances.
Click here to read the rest of the article from the Joyce Meyer Ministries website.
Every day, we are faced with a decision: Will we respond to life's circumstances according to God's Word or will we react emotionally? The initial temptation is to react emotionally, but in every circumstance, it's truly your decision.
Let's examine three circumstances you're going to have to face at some point in your life. I've also included some questions to ask yourself, which I encourage you to answer honestly. They will give you a good idea of how big a part your feelings play in these circumstances.
Click here to read the rest of the article from the Joyce Meyer Ministries website.
January 30, 2012
January 27, 2012
Encouraging Thoughts-"Open Up"
From Joel Osteen Ministries
Psalm 81:10 says, "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it." As we enter the new year, ask yourself, "Do I have my mouth open wide for this year?" In other words, what are you expecting? What are you ready to receive from Almighty God?
If you've been thinking, "I don't think I'll ever get a pay raise with the economy like it is." "I don't think I'll ever get promoted; I'm not that qualified." "I don't think I'll ever get well," then the problem is that your mouth is barely open. You're not expecting good breaks. You're not expecting increase. You're not expecting God to show up and turn it around, and unfortunately, you won't be disappointed. Jesus said in scripture, "According to your faith it will be done unto you." He might as well have said, "If you've got a cup, I'll fill you with a cup level of blessing. If you've got a bucket, I'll fill you with a bucket level of blessing." But He also says, "If you've got a barn, I'll fill you with an overwhelming load of blessing!" In other words, if you'll take the limits off of God, if you'll go out each day expecting far and beyond favor, you won't be disappointed.
Let me ask you, do you go out each day knowing that favor is already in your future? Or have you gotten stuck in a rut? That's what happened to the people of Israel. They were headed toward the Promised Land. They had big goals and big dreams, but along the way, they hit some setbacks in their thinking. They got so discouraged they gave up on their dreams and just settled where they were. One day God said to them, "You have dwelt long enough on this mountain." Today, I believe God is saying to each one of us, "You've been where you are long enough. It's time to move forward." God is saying, "This is a new day. Get your fire back! Where you are today is not where you're supposed to stay."
Today, increase your capacity to receive—increase your faith. How do you increase your faith? Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. This means that the more time you spend learning, studying and meditating on the scriptures, the more faith will rise in your heart. As His Word transforms your thinking, you'll start thinking bigger and believing bigger. You'll break through barriers that have held you back, and you'll make room for the new things God has in store for you.
Jesus put it like this, "You can't put new wine in old wineskins." He was saying you can't go to a new level with an old way of thinking. Are you ready for God to do something new? Begin to declare, "This is my year to go to a new level! This is my year to be totally healthy! This is my year to see God move mightily on my behalf!" Take a step of faith and open your mouth wide because He who promised is faithful! He will fill you to overflowing in every area of your life!
Psalm 81:10 says, "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it." As we enter the new year, ask yourself, "Do I have my mouth open wide for this year?" In other words, what are you expecting? What are you ready to receive from Almighty God?
If you've been thinking, "I don't think I'll ever get a pay raise with the economy like it is." "I don't think I'll ever get promoted; I'm not that qualified." "I don't think I'll ever get well," then the problem is that your mouth is barely open. You're not expecting good breaks. You're not expecting increase. You're not expecting God to show up and turn it around, and unfortunately, you won't be disappointed. Jesus said in scripture, "According to your faith it will be done unto you." He might as well have said, "If you've got a cup, I'll fill you with a cup level of blessing. If you've got a bucket, I'll fill you with a bucket level of blessing." But He also says, "If you've got a barn, I'll fill you with an overwhelming load of blessing!" In other words, if you'll take the limits off of God, if you'll go out each day expecting far and beyond favor, you won't be disappointed.
Let me ask you, do you go out each day knowing that favor is already in your future? Or have you gotten stuck in a rut? That's what happened to the people of Israel. They were headed toward the Promised Land. They had big goals and big dreams, but along the way, they hit some setbacks in their thinking. They got so discouraged they gave up on their dreams and just settled where they were. One day God said to them, "You have dwelt long enough on this mountain." Today, I believe God is saying to each one of us, "You've been where you are long enough. It's time to move forward." God is saying, "This is a new day. Get your fire back! Where you are today is not where you're supposed to stay."
Today, increase your capacity to receive—increase your faith. How do you increase your faith? Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. This means that the more time you spend learning, studying and meditating on the scriptures, the more faith will rise in your heart. As His Word transforms your thinking, you'll start thinking bigger and believing bigger. You'll break through barriers that have held you back, and you'll make room for the new things God has in store for you.
Jesus put it like this, "You can't put new wine in old wineskins." He was saying you can't go to a new level with an old way of thinking. Are you ready for God to do something new? Begin to declare, "This is my year to go to a new level! This is my year to be totally healthy! This is my year to see God move mightily on my behalf!" Take a step of faith and open your mouth wide because He who promised is faithful! He will fill you to overflowing in every area of your life!
January 25, 2012
Encouraging Words-Less Fear, More Faith
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:10-13 NIV)
It’s nice to be back in the flow after a bout with bronchitis. Unfortunately, there was no easing back into work after several days off. About five minutes after I returned home from my latest doctor visit, I got a text message from my boss asking me to let him know when he could call me with some major breaking news. Knowing that the only question here was how bad this news was, I connected with him right away and learned that our organization had lost one of its biggest contracts. We were now in a “all hands on deck” situation to determine the financial impact and come up with a plan of how to move forward.
I returned to work the next day into an environment dominated by fear. I learned that our CEO, instead of leading with a calm, focused approach, freaked out worse than anyone. Swell, my boss and I now had that additional obstacle to circumvent as we tried to engage our program teams and work toward a constructive plan of action. That is still very much a work in progress, and I don’t know how it will turn out, but I was reminded of how contrary to God’s way the element of fear is.
From a leadership perspective, it is almost always non-productive and leads to emotional responses that are not well thought out and usually harmful, often more so than the original situation that required action in the first place.
From a faith perspective, though, it is something much worse. At its very root, fear is our way of telling God “I don’t trust you.” That sounds really harsh, and most of us would never dream of saying that directly to Him, but if we give in to fear, isn’t that the message we are sending to Him? How many times do we have to read text in the Bible that says “do not fear” to understand that this goes beyond simple encouragement, which is certainly nice, to direct commands from our Lord.
It’s one thing experiencing fear-we’re human, and that happens. God knew that, that’s why we are coached throughout the Bible on how to handle it. I’ll never forget the sensation of my blood running cold when Brenda told me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Scared-you bet! So was she. We fought that by praying and trusting, and nearly five years later there is no trace of cancer in Brenda’s body. Praise the Lord, which we often have for that healing!
Other times in my life, before my walk with the Lord was as strong as it is now, I gave in. I was in a job I should have left, but I watched the company crumble around me because I was so afraid of getting another job. I allowed myself to be paralyzed by fear, and my inaction resulted in me being laid off and unemployed for eight months. Even when I found a job out of desperation, it was at a lower level than the one I had lost.
Our actions always have consequences. Giving in to fear can have terrible physical, emotional and psychological ramifications. Spiritually, it also distances us from God when we really need Him the most. Faith, however, works the other way. The Lord gives us His strength, his peace, during the most challenging circumstances if we reach out to Him for it. It keeps us away from the “why me?” mode and moves us into the “God has a plan for this” mindset. Where would you rather be?
I’m not just talking the talk here; the Lord has given me an opportunity to walk it out in the workplace. My team is responding to the calm and focus God has filled me with and been calm and focused themselves. They are doing a great job of stepping up and producing what we need to so our upper management has the information they need to formulate a plan for moving forward.
That’s what the Lord always wants us to do-move forward. It’s hard to do when you’re curled up in a corner shaking with fear, but NOTHING can hold us back when we are walking with the Lord and being fed by the encouragement of His word. He says don’t fear, so don’t fear!
It’s nice to be back in the flow after a bout with bronchitis. Unfortunately, there was no easing back into work after several days off. About five minutes after I returned home from my latest doctor visit, I got a text message from my boss asking me to let him know when he could call me with some major breaking news. Knowing that the only question here was how bad this news was, I connected with him right away and learned that our organization had lost one of its biggest contracts. We were now in a “all hands on deck” situation to determine the financial impact and come up with a plan of how to move forward.
I returned to work the next day into an environment dominated by fear. I learned that our CEO, instead of leading with a calm, focused approach, freaked out worse than anyone. Swell, my boss and I now had that additional obstacle to circumvent as we tried to engage our program teams and work toward a constructive plan of action. That is still very much a work in progress, and I don’t know how it will turn out, but I was reminded of how contrary to God’s way the element of fear is.
From a leadership perspective, it is almost always non-productive and leads to emotional responses that are not well thought out and usually harmful, often more so than the original situation that required action in the first place.
From a faith perspective, though, it is something much worse. At its very root, fear is our way of telling God “I don’t trust you.” That sounds really harsh, and most of us would never dream of saying that directly to Him, but if we give in to fear, isn’t that the message we are sending to Him? How many times do we have to read text in the Bible that says “do not fear” to understand that this goes beyond simple encouragement, which is certainly nice, to direct commands from our Lord.
It’s one thing experiencing fear-we’re human, and that happens. God knew that, that’s why we are coached throughout the Bible on how to handle it. I’ll never forget the sensation of my blood running cold when Brenda told me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Scared-you bet! So was she. We fought that by praying and trusting, and nearly five years later there is no trace of cancer in Brenda’s body. Praise the Lord, which we often have for that healing!
Other times in my life, before my walk with the Lord was as strong as it is now, I gave in. I was in a job I should have left, but I watched the company crumble around me because I was so afraid of getting another job. I allowed myself to be paralyzed by fear, and my inaction resulted in me being laid off and unemployed for eight months. Even when I found a job out of desperation, it was at a lower level than the one I had lost.
Our actions always have consequences. Giving in to fear can have terrible physical, emotional and psychological ramifications. Spiritually, it also distances us from God when we really need Him the most. Faith, however, works the other way. The Lord gives us His strength, his peace, during the most challenging circumstances if we reach out to Him for it. It keeps us away from the “why me?” mode and moves us into the “God has a plan for this” mindset. Where would you rather be?
I’m not just talking the talk here; the Lord has given me an opportunity to walk it out in the workplace. My team is responding to the calm and focus God has filled me with and been calm and focused themselves. They are doing a great job of stepping up and producing what we need to so our upper management has the information they need to formulate a plan for moving forward.
That’s what the Lord always wants us to do-move forward. It’s hard to do when you’re curled up in a corner shaking with fear, but NOTHING can hold us back when we are walking with the Lord and being fed by the encouragement of His word. He says don’t fear, so don’t fear!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)