This week the traveling Vietnam Wall traveled to our town. We watched it pass us being escorted by about 350 Vets and others on motorcycles. Someone has stood guard of it around the clock. This morning, we went to a church service they had there. In it a Vet spoke of how those on the wall were willing to die their lives for their country, and how Jesus die for us. It got me to thinking. We are suppose to be warriors for God. As warriors of God, as we willing to die for the kingdom of God?
Paul said that he died daily (I Cor. 15:31). I believe that this type of dying, is dying to our will and sinful nature. I use to call it killing my will. I would do that when ever my sinful pride was hurt and I wanted to to hurt back. I also have been known to lay my dreams aside when God told me he had other plans for me. That means that I had to let my dream die. As warriors of God, are we to die to ourselves daily?
John 15:12-13, tells us that we should love one another as Christ has loved us, and he loved us enough to lay down his life for us. Are we willing to lay down our lives for one another. This can be anything from laying aside something we wanted to do, so we could help a brother or sister in Christ with something they needed that day? We may say, "shore, I would." But are we willing to lay aside an hour of our day to pray for someone who really needs it? Also, are we willing to die physically for the sake of someone else?
How about Jesus? Are we willing to give Jesus, an hour or two to him each month, week, or day reading his love letter, we call the Holy Bible? Or do we spend time talking or listening to him in prayer? Above that, are you willing to die physically for God's kingdom?
If we are truly warriors of God, we should be. May we all examine ourselves and line our lives to our commander's will and command.It is easier when we remember that" we are looking for a city not made by hands"(Heb. 11:10).
Onward Christian Warriors!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Priorities
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mat. 6:33).
I have a sister who is a professional organizer ask the other day if anyone could name some thing that could not be organized. I said, "My mind". Then I started to tell her about all the duties I have and things that I needed to get done. Which is way too much for one person can reasonably do and has become overwhelming.
The problem is that I am a hyper minded person with ministries, writing, walking and exercising to do for my health, a home that I am trying to keep clean while I am organizing it, gardens to put in, Christmas gifts to make... You get the picture.To make matters worse, they are all of equal and high importance to me. This puts even more stress on me. I was at my wits end. So I asked her for help.
She surprised me with her clarity on what was most important which was my health. So that I should put walking and exercising first, and then organize my week and day in such a way as to get every thing done.The bottom line was that I needed to figure out my priorities and do the most important things first. Once I do that, figuring out how to organize my week and day will fall into place. Sounds easy, huh?
Are a lot of things in your life screaming for your attention? Do you grow weary in figuring out how to balance it all. Jesus addresses this in the sixth chapter of Matthew . He tells us that we should seek the things that are important to His kingdom first, then everything else, like the need for food and clothes will be taken care of.
Let us pray: Dear Lord, please give us clarity of mind and heart as to what is most important as we strive to live a balanced life between the spiritual and physical worlds. In Jesus' name. Amen.
I have a sister who is a professional organizer ask the other day if anyone could name some thing that could not be organized. I said, "My mind". Then I started to tell her about all the duties I have and things that I needed to get done. Which is way too much for one person can reasonably do and has become overwhelming.
The problem is that I am a hyper minded person with ministries, writing, walking and exercising to do for my health, a home that I am trying to keep clean while I am organizing it, gardens to put in, Christmas gifts to make... You get the picture.To make matters worse, they are all of equal and high importance to me. This puts even more stress on me. I was at my wits end. So I asked her for help.
She surprised me with her clarity on what was most important which was my health. So that I should put walking and exercising first, and then organize my week and day in such a way as to get every thing done.The bottom line was that I needed to figure out my priorities and do the most important things first. Once I do that, figuring out how to organize my week and day will fall into place. Sounds easy, huh?
Are a lot of things in your life screaming for your attention? Do you grow weary in figuring out how to balance it all. Jesus addresses this in the sixth chapter of Matthew . He tells us that we should seek the things that are important to His kingdom first, then everything else, like the need for food and clothes will be taken care of.
Let us pray: Dear Lord, please give us clarity of mind and heart as to what is most important as we strive to live a balanced life between the spiritual and physical worlds. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Spiritual rooms of our lives
Imagine:
Your life is a garden filled with "rooms". Each room is a different part of your life and each room has a gate to enter it.
In the beginning, you choose if you want to enter that room, like the room of marriage. But once you open the gate, you have to tend to the the room or it will die.Some of the rooms are connected, like the room of marriage is often connected to the room of children.
Then there are rooms that are there because we choose to add them, like ministry. These rooms can start out being casual rooms we dabble in from time to time. What would you grow in your rooms of ministry? Be careful, for sometimes the gardens in the rooms can take on a life of it's own and grow in ways you can never imagine!
For me, the room of ministry has turned into a cluster of butterfly gardens that seemed to be totally disconnected, but as time went by, they became very connected to each other. They are the rooms called,"The Vannie Project". There are five rooms at this time, but as time goes on,it appears to be growing next to many other rooms of my life. It may even be taking over some of the other rooms. Oh, for wisdom on how to tend all of the rooms of the garden well.
Know the feeling? I think that the trick is to go to the Master Gardener and glean from his wide wisdom on tending our gardens well.
Your life is a garden filled with "rooms". Each room is a different part of your life and each room has a gate to enter it.
In the beginning, you choose if you want to enter that room, like the room of marriage. But once you open the gate, you have to tend to the the room or it will die.Some of the rooms are connected, like the room of marriage is often connected to the room of children.
Then there are rooms that are there because we choose to add them, like ministry. These rooms can start out being casual rooms we dabble in from time to time. What would you grow in your rooms of ministry? Be careful, for sometimes the gardens in the rooms can take on a life of it's own and grow in ways you can never imagine!
For me, the room of ministry has turned into a cluster of butterfly gardens that seemed to be totally disconnected, but as time went by, they became very connected to each other. They are the rooms called,"The Vannie Project". There are five rooms at this time, but as time goes on,it appears to be growing next to many other rooms of my life. It may even be taking over some of the other rooms. Oh, for wisdom on how to tend all of the rooms of the garden well.
Know the feeling? I think that the trick is to go to the Master Gardener and glean from his wide wisdom on tending our gardens well.
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