Fully Persuaded

Romans 4:19-21

If your faith and confidence level in godliness was based on percentages, could you boldly say that yours would be an easy 100?! Do you literally trust God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Or, are there moments, when you doubt whether or not God will step in to help resolve some of your issues? In order for anyone to please God, they must have faith, because without it, it’s impossible to please Him. Having faith is one thing, but developing your faith to greater levels, is necessary in order to benefit from all the things God has for those who trust Him.

Oftentimes, men and women stagger at the words God spoke in Scripture, and as the children of God, we sometimes fall short of His glory, by taking our focus off God, and doing things our own way. An example of this took place in the Bible, when Abraham and Sarah decided to help God and bring forth the promise He had made to them, that they would have a child. Rather than continue to wait patiently for God’s plan to play out, Sarah presented her handmaid to her husband, in hopes she would bring for the child of promise. Contrary to their unwise plan, Abraham and Sarah were told, the child would come from their union, and not another. In due time, Abraham’s faith was rewarded, when His 90 year old wife was blessed to conceive. Although Abraham took unwise counsel from His wife, his faith in God’s promise was not weak, but strong. Abraham was fully persuaded, that what God had promised, He was also able to perform.

During times when our faith grows weary, take a moment to consider all who came before us, and the trials and tribulations they endured until their end. Learn from our pioneers of the faith, and strive to grow daily in wisdom, understanding, and faith. The more your faith grows, the more confident you’ll become in the words of Scripture.

Prayer Plus Faith Equals Manifestation

James 1:1-11

Bestowing blessings upon a double-minded man, is like giving car keys to a four year old. A child that young, inexperienced, and underdeveloped, can’t possibly operate a vehicle properly, as they are not equipped to do so. God prefers not to bless those who are wavering and unstable in their faith, because doing so could cause them more harm, than good. Can you imagine if God gave everyone all the things they prayed for, even if they weren’t stable in their minds? This world would be in even more chaos than it already is. God is holy, and He is wise enough to know that only when a man’s mind is stable, can he truly benefit from His goodness.

Many people pray to God daily, but fail to attach faith with their requests. For this reason, they accuse God of not answering their prayers, but the problem was not with God, but their lack of faith. Faith is essential for many reasons, but most importantly, it proves that one’s heart is set on God’s agenda, and not on self. When we pray in faith, we don’t stop doing the works of the Lord. Instead, we continue living a holy life, while waiting and anticipating our manifested prayers.

God wants to bless His children daily, but we must do our part by trusting that He knows what’s best for us, and continuing in His divine will. Always remember, the text teaches us, “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways”, and he should never expect God to honor any of his prayers, and only when we function with a sound mind, can God then trust us with His honorable gifts.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Selfless Consideration

Romans 15:1-6

In our society, working together is promoted in all areas of business, education, and entertainment. Businesses thrive on increase and productivity, but their success can only go as far as their unified organization allows them to. Teachers work hard to ensure that their students learn and develop the skills required to advance to the next grade level. When done for the right purpose and with right intentions, teachers can impact the lives of their students far beyond their initial expectations. Without unity and togetherness, it would be unwise for any team, of any sport, to attempt to challenge an opponent, because their lack of teamwork would weigh heavily against them, causing them to suffer a great and embarrassing loss. From these examples, it’s safe to presume that working together as a single unit, will always produce better results, than operating from a system of dysfunction.

While teamwork involves all members working together toward a common goal, each individual must exhibit behaviors of humility, compassion, and understanding, in order for the “team” to “work” effectively. In our text, the apostle Paul helps Roman believers grasp a better better understanding of the importance of unity, amongst the body of Christ. Although each member of the body performs different functions, not one area holds more importance than another. The Bible does teach that we are to honor our leaders, and give them respect, but we must not consider our own callings irrelevant, in comparison to theirs.

The church is at its best, when all members perform their duties with all their heart, aiming to give God glory from their lives. Unfortunately, times will arise when those who are weak in faith, may tend to get weighed down by the heaviness of life’s struggles. During these critical moments, those who are strong in the Lord, ought to make haste to cover, protect, edify, and restore those who may fall, because at any moment the enemy could come and sift them as wheat. The Bible doesn’t teach us to be “people pleasers”, but we are commanded to live to please others. In pleasing others, we make ourselves available to lift them up during times when they feel down, supply their needs during seasons of lack, or simply loaning an ear or shoulder for someone to cry on, giving them hope that they’re not alone in the fight of faith.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell