Wednesdays Full of Wisdom! - Let His Light Shine Through You!

The Lord has really been impressing this question on my heart this week...what kind of Christian am I, in the aspect of...when people hang out with me, do they feel encouraged by me? Am I the kind of Christian that uplifts people by my words and actions? Does the light of Christ shine through me and reach the hearts of people around me? These are some convicting questions that have really been on my heart this week. And unfortunately, many times, the answer to those questions is no. I am not always uplifting and encouraging. Many times my pride and selfishness get in the way of my ability to shine the love of Christ onto other people. Its like I have the Light of the world living inside of me, and I should be transparent, allowing the Light to shine to its full brightness, but so many times, I allow fog to cover that Light. That fog is my pride, and selfish nature. I feel so convicted by this. I am nothing, He is everything. I am but a vessel that was created to reveal the glory of God. Why is it that I allow my disgusting, sinful nature to get in the way? The Word says...

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven" -Matthew 5:16

and

"He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up" -1Thess. 5:10-12

and

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another" -Hebrews 10:23-25

The way we live our lives is supposed to be an encouragement to others. Our attitudes, our actions, our thoughts, our speech; all of it should shine the Light of Christ and should uplift people who are around us. There are so many times that we as Christians allow our own issues and are own selfish desires to get in the way of our ability to truly love on people. We forget, this life is not about us. This life is about bringing glory to the God of the universe. And we do that by allowing his light and love to shine through us. In everything we say and do. I want to be a Christian that encourages people by simply being around them. That is my desire. I am so thankful to the Lord for his conviction this week. :)

Wednesdays Full of Wisdom! - God is in control!!!

And You, calm the raging sea. And You, calm the storms in me, again. 

All I know, is I find rest in You. 

Something that God has made very evident in my life this week, is that He is in control. When we live a life surrendered to the will of God, we choose to live subject to what He wants for us. Even when we give into our flesh, He finds a way to get a hold of us and get us back on track and in sync with His will.

To be honest with you, I have been trying to go along with something lately, that I knew was not good for me. I knew it was not a life-giving situation, and would likely drag me down spiritually. But I ignored all the usual warning signs because the situation made me feel better about my life. I was finding comfort in it, rather than in Christ. I asked for prayer from a couple people because I knew I needed strength to overcome my flesh in the situation. But even when I asked for prayer, I had no intention of stopping my actions. And this is about the time that the Lord intervened. Something that I should have ended, the Lord took control of, and He ended it for me. He is faithful and just, and He hears the prayers of His people. I am so thankful for that.

There are quite a few other situations in my life, as of recent, that I know I need to give to God, with faith that all things will work together for His glory. Through this experience this past week, I have realized that I am not in control, He is. I have surrendered my will to His. So therefore, there is no logic in worry about what will come, or what is going to happen in the future. I am not in control, so why worry? I have truly learned to trust in the Lord. He knows what is best. There is no greater peace than that of a life lived in complete surrender to the will of God. I am so glad I have a Father in Heaven that knows all things, and knows what is best for my life. There is nothing to worry about. I am a daughter of the King! :) 

So my encouragement to you today, is to remember, God is in control. There is simply no logic and quite honestly, no faith, in a worried heart. We are called to live in accordance with the will of God, to seek His face daily, and to glorify Him alone with our lives. So walk with Him, and trust Him, and you will therefore find an indescribable peace that comes from a life that is truly surrendered to the Lord.