YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH!!

29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”  30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. ~~ Proverbs 31:29 – 31

If we know the story of the Proverbs 31 woman, you know the list of her accomplishments or accolades bestowed upon her.  But the most important thing about Her is that she is not concerned with what seems right according to the world. Instead, she focuses on God’s truth. Her biggest desire is to honor Him. That is her story, your story may be very different, your path may have been rocky, and you may not have had anyone to honor you in the same manner, but you have to know my dear Sister that, YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH!! 

You were born more than enough, the Lord said these words to Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5.  

He said this to Jeremiah, but he also says the same to you and about you.  You are God’s greatest creation; He chose you to be set apart and there is no one like you.  Take the time to tell yourself what David said in Psalms 139

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.  15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Psalm 139:14-15

Let me just say this, you are so unique that if you stood in a room of 1000 other women and the Lord called you specifically by name, 999 other women would have to take a seat.  Embrace your uniqueness, your difference, it is who you are, and it sets you apart from anyone else.  I used to think that I was strange, but after reading God’s word, one of my favorite scriptures –
1 Peter 2:9, I found that I’m not strange, but I’m peculiar – that’s a good thing.

Just writing this makes me so excited about being ME!  There is no one like ME!! I hope it makes you feel the same, knowing that you walk a path set just for you, I caution you to be protective of that path, stand strong, armored up – not allowing anyone to knock you off course where you end of up a place where you no longer feel worthy.

Walk in victory knowing that YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH!!

Decluttering Your Spirit

“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Luke 12: 15-21

As I wind down my long working career and start to prepare for retirement and a move to a different state, I feel the urgency to simplify my life.  To declutter, my office and my home, since I have far more possessions than I could ever use in a lifetime.  One thing that is clear to me is that when my home or office is cluttered, I’m unproductive which creates chaos for me and those around me.    By cutting down the clutter in your home to only the items you will genuinely use, you will also help yourself feel calmer and less under pressure to complete a mountain of tasks.  There’s no denying that when your home and life are cluttered, you’re more likely to feel overwhelmed. More stuff equals more demands on your attention and it’s difficult to focus because you feel pulled in so many directions.

 

Decluttering your home is important, decluttering your spirit is equally as important.

Ephesians 4:31-32 states, “Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”

Dealing with clutter, physical or spiritual, is a life-long endeavor.  Research shows that disorganization and clutter have an increasing effect on your brain. Our brains like order, and constant visual reminders of disorganization can drain our cognitive resources, reducing our ability to focus. The visual distraction of clutter increases cognitive overload and can reduce our working memory.

Just as our brains like order, our spirit man likes order as well, have you noticed how you feel or behave when you have overloaded yourself with negative content.  I know for me I feel sluggish, unmotivated, and almost paralyzed.  The way to rid myself of this feeling is to focus on the word of God.

Here are Bible verses to focus on that can help declutter our spirit:

  • For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~~Matthew 6:21 –This is an implicit warning, that if one’s treasure is on earth, one’s heart and attention will also be on earthly matters, to the exclusion of God.
  • For God is not a God of disorder but a God of peace. ~~1 Corinthians 14:33 – Paul wanted to remind born-again saints that their disorderly behavior and continual bickering was dishonoring to the Lord and contradictory to His ways. They reflected the ungodly conduct of the unsaved who are still members of a fallen creation.
  • And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ~~Mark 10:21 – A wealthy young man asks Jesus about eternal life—and gets an unexpected answer in return. His response to Jesus’ answer shows that his interest in God is limited by one thing: his money. In this, Jesus reveals that those whom God blesses often value the gifts more than the Giver. We declutter our spirit when we know which is more important, just to give you a hint, it’s not our money.
  • Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. ~~ 1 John 2:15 – The things of the world may be desired and possessed for the uses and purposes which God intended, but believers must be careful not to seek or value possession for the purpose of abusing them. The world draws the heart from God; and the more the love of the world prevails, the more the love of God decays.

These scriptures help us to see how we clutter our spirit, there are just as many that help us to declutter.  As I prepare to declutter my physical house for a move, I find it’s an opportune time to do a checkup on my spirit.  I’m excited to see what the Lord will do as a result of my spiritual housecleaning, there is so much more that He can pour into an empty vessel than one that is hoarded.

Songwriter puts it this way, “Lord I’m available to you, my will I give to you, I’ll do what you say do use me, Lord, to show someone the way and enable me to say, my storage is empty, and I am available to you.

There’s no time like the present to declutter, it’ll be beneficial to you and those around!!

Nurturing The Temple

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own – 1 Corinthians 6:19

 

I’d like to begin today’s message with a few questions. 1)  If you believe God’s word and truly understand this passage, wouldn’t you do a better job of taking care of your body?  OR 2) Would you like to live in a house that is filthy, hoarded with all sorts of stuff that’s best use would be the trash?  I think I know the answer to each of these questions, but let’s further explore these thoughts.  We were given a body that was so precious to God, He didn’t just speak mankind into existence, but actually formed man from the dust of the ground and breathe life into his nostrils. God breathe His spirit into humanity in a way that separates us from animals and God’s other creation, which He just spoke, and it was so.

So, now that we have this information in mind, we have to nurture what God has created.  How do we do this?

Nurture the mind – The mind is a powerful temple that holds information beyond our mindful capacity.  It is a life force, everything that we do and act on is a result of how it gets processed in our brain and filtered through our past experiences.

Stillness – To nurture your soul you need stillness – Stillness is an awareness of the inner world and consequently, the cleansing and healing of it, so that you may take it back as your kingdom, your vineyard, yourself.

Eating Healthy – Many foods, including fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and protein sources, have been shown to reduce inflammation, improve immune function, promote healing, and provide the fuel necessary for you to mend

Nurture Your Testimony of God – Allow our life to be a testimony of who we are in Christ.  Pray to God that He would help us to walk right and talk right.  We have to feed our spirit with things that uplift, not those things that open the door for the enemy to take up residence.  We must remember that what’s inside of us will come out of us.

Our bodies are a blessing from God, and it is important for us to take care of them. It is easier for us to serve others and honor God when our bodies are functioning properly. It is our responsibility to be good stewards of the body God has provided us with.

 

My challenge to you today is for you to strive every day to do what needs to be done to make sure your temple is nurtured, and it represents the Creator who took the time to make us in His own image.

Take care of your body, and your body will take care of you!!

WISDOM – OFTEN GREATER THAN MONEY

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  ~~ Ephesians 5:15-16

 

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  ~~ James 3:13

 

Wisdom – the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.  The ability to discern inner qualities and relationships.   Wisdom is that knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life it’s the natural ability to understand any given subject.

 

The Bible speak of a number of people who walked by or asked for wisdom?  Here are a few we would like to explore.

We start with King Solomon who was wise beyond his years. He was around 20 years old when he was called by God to be King.  He knew that he needed help in knowing how to be a good King and take care of the kingdom. Solomon could have asked God for anything to assist him on this journey; money or material possessions but instead, he asked God for wisdom.  God had offered him anything his heart desired, and he requested wisdom. He felt wisdom was worth more than even money.  Because of his response, God granted him wisdom, He also gave him what he didn’t ask for, both wealth and honor.  Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, worth more than money.  He would have no king equal to him in his lifetime.  1 Kings 3:1-15

 

Abigail displayed wisdom as she dealt both with her foolish husband Nabal and with David who was very angry and ready to take revenge. Dealing with difficult people is a great challenge. Abigail shows us the value of learning and applying God’s wisdom in relationships and in making an appeal. You can read the story in 1 Samuel 25: 23-35.   There is a lot to learned from the way Abigail dealt with her situation.

Some wise people in the Bible are not specifically named but they played a huge role in preventing undue violence and bloodshed or seeking the Messiah.

  • A wise woman of Abel is an unnamed figure in the   She appears in 2 Samuel 20:16-22, when Joab pursues the rebel Sheba to the city of Abel. The woman, who lives in Abel, institutes a deal with Joab, who promises to leave the city if Sheba is handed over to him. The woman speaks to the people of the city, and they behead Sheba, and throws his head over the wall, at which Joab departs.
  • On the night of Christ’s birth, a mysterious light appeared in the sky which became a shining star that continued in the heavens. Tradition says that there were three wise men, this came from the fact that the Bible mentions three gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh, this is according to Matthew 2:11. It is not really known if more than 3 men travelled to see baby Jesus, what is known is that they bring to light that the Savior of the world had been born.  The wise men who came seeking the Christ child were not ordinary men or idolaters; they were upright men of integrity. Kings seeking the King of Kings.  What they do next is what we should all do when we encounter the Lord, they bowed down and worshipped Him and presented Him with gifts.

Of course, there are many otherwise mentionable in the Bible, I implore you to search the scriptures to find them and see what knowledge you can take from them that you can apply to your own life.

 

I leave you with these 8 characteristics of wise people, based on James 3:13-18

  1. Humble – Wise people don’t constantly brag, boast, or display a prideful attitude.
  2. Good deeds – Wise people live an upright and moral life.
  3. Gentle – Wise people treat others with care and respect.
  4. Considerate – Wise people put the needs of others ahead of themselves whenever possible.
  5. Peace-loving – Wise people don’t foster division. Instead, they work to end strife and turmoil.
  6. Merciful – Wise people demonstrate compassion, forgiveness, and kindness to others.
  7. Sincere – Wise people are genuine, real, and honest; not deceitful, hypocritical, or false.
  8. Impartial – Wise people are fair and just. They do not show partiality to others for their own benefit.

Kindness And Gentleness

(This Dual Can Heal Your Heart and Your World)

KINDNESS – the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.  “he thanked them for their kindness and support”.

This fifth fruit of the Spirit is kindness. Kindness is selfless, compassionate, and merciful; its greatest power revealed in practice to our enemies and amongst the least of these. We are called to love your neighbor; and to show kindness to EVERYONE. It’s the ultimate expression of your love for God. It’s how we tell Him that we are choosing Him in as much as He chose us. … Indeed, kindness not only makes others happy, but it also uplifts our spirit too.

True kindness is taught to us in Ephesians 4:31-32, “31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Truly kind people will actively look for opportunities to show kindness.  This means that kindness involves action.

For a perfect symbol of Biblical kindness, we need look no further than Jesus.

In Mark 1:40-42 – Jesus took pity on a leper and healed him of his disease.  He didn’t see the man as a leper but a human being who was sick and needed his help.  Through this, Jesus taught us that kindness should go beyond social stereotypes.  We should look at where the person is coming from and understand their circumstances.  Only then can we develop genuine compassion.

 

GENTLENESS:  Is the 8th Fruit of the Spirit.  It is the quality of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered.  Gentleness in the bible means showing care and respect for others in the way that you act and speak.  It also means giving up the right to judge what is best for ourselves and others. God is not as concerned with our comfort as He is concerned with our spiritual growth, and He knows how to grow us far better than we do. Gentleness means that we accept that the rain falls on the just and the unjust and that God may use methods we don’t like to reach our hearts and the hearts of others.

 

I remember as a young believer I visited a church for the first time and the first person I encountered was an usher, who wasn’t very gentle.  My first instinct was to turn and leave, but something prompted me to stay.  I was seated next to a lady who was kind and very helpful, this changed my total experience and I eventually joined the church.  If my first impression had been all that I took away from that worship experience, I may never have gone back.  But because of the gentle spirit of the person, I sat next to, I had a change of heart.

 

When we are filled with the Spirit’s fruit of gentleness, we will correct others with easiness instead of resentment and anger, knowing that their salvation is far more important than our pride.   This is so important, especially as a Christian, the way we treat someone could affect the way they see God.

 

John the Baptist the fiery preacher, showed true gentleness when he said, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.”  (John 3:30)

 

How can you show kindness and gentleness to those you meet?  Remember doing so shows the heart of God to those who need truly need it.  This holiday season we will encounter a lot of people, with lots of different personalities and circumstances, let’s be intentional about showing both fruit to anyone we encounter.  I promise you it will change their lives or at least your heart.

 

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’  ~~ Matthew 25:40 (NLT)

Lydia: The Entrepreneur

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.    Acts 16:14

 

As we take the time this month to explore the lives of the women of the bible, we decided that Lydia would lead the pack.  Although the bible doesn’t give us a lot about Lydia, what is mentioned gives us enough to know that she was a good businesswoman.  Because of her entrepreneurship, she was a seller of expensive goods, and most importantly, she trusted God who opened her heart to believe.  Lydia was from the city of Thyatira and is called out in the New Testament as a woman who is regarded as the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe. Although she was from Thyatira, at the time Lydia met the Apostle Paul, she lived in Philippi, which was a leading city of Macedonia.

Once Lydia heard Paul, she believed and made a confession of her faith to her community by being baptized. She then assembled her entire household, told them what had happened to her, and asked them to also believe.

When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.  Acts 16:15

Lydia also recognized the demands of travelers on a journey and saw the needs of people in ministry. She helped to create a legacy for the early church, in Philippi, and her home of Thyatira.  She helps us to know that community still matters.

We see that Lydia was a well-known seller and was a successful businesswoman in a prosperous city.   She had ability, enthusiasm, purpose mental shrewdness, and she prospered greatly in an honorable and extensive calling.

Most likely from the details given about Lydia, we can come to a few conclusions. First, Lydia most likely accumulated a great deal of wealth from selling purple cloth because only royals and the rich could afford purple outfits. Secondly, Lydia was an example of the independent position only a few women attained in Asia Minor.  She was prosperous in business, she owned a spacious home and had servants to care for her.

Lydia puts this wealth to good use by showing Paul and his companions some hospitality, putting them up in her home. Lydia’s life proves that one can work an honest “secular” job and use it to further the gospel.

 

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, thank you for giving us an example in the Bible of how when we trust you with our lives, and resources, you are able to do unimaginable things with them.  We thank you that even though a lot is not spoken about us, we can be impactful in the Kingdom especially when we use what we have in our possession to carry out your work here on earth.  We bless you now in the matchless name of our Savior Jesus Christ – Amen!

 

Pray for Your Community

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:14-16

We know that prayer is essential and that it changes things, so as we pray for our community, which includes family, friends, neighbors, and church, we do so with an understanding that change is certainly possible.

As a mother, I pray for my children and grandchildren every day and although what I have prayed over their lives has not yet manifested, I still believe the Lord answers prayer, and He will do so in His own timing and in His own way.

Praying for the community can take place during family gatherings, church services, or it could be a structured meeting of Christians who have organized to pray together.  Communal prayer helps us to connect with each other as well as God and help to strengthen that community.

Romans 12:4–5 says that we are better together than we are alone, but, if we are truthful, it can sometimes be hard to commit to community, especially if we’re guarded from past experiences or hurts or if we just prefer privacy. Even so, community is God’s desire for us—and it’s a sign of a mature faith.

I leave you with these words “Let’s be powerful together”

PRAYER:  Thank you, God, for the communities who are called to serve you, who are proclaiming the Good News to all who will hear. For those who minister across the country or at home, send us out to be a light to those in the darkness. Send us out to speak life, to extend grace and mercy. Open the doors of our homes and Your church so that they are filled with the broken and the hurting. Allow people to find forgiveness and comfort there in the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen