What Will I build?

What will you BUILD?

What will be your LEGACY?

How will you MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE?

These are the questions asked in one of the most recent TV ads for Habitat for Humanity.

As I listened to their commercial, it got me to thinking...How can I do those things?

What will I build? 

What will be MY legacy? 

How will I make the world a BETTER PLACE?

As I thought about each question, here are some answers I came up with-

What can I build?

There are lots of things we can build throughout our lives, but I want to focus on one- lasting relationships- “A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17)

In today’s fast-paced society, it is very hard to slow down and focus on the things that really matter. I know it’s very hard for me at times to remember that my sisters and my parents are more important than the book I’m reading, or the song I have to work on for church. I have to continually remind myself that these relationships are what will last, these are the things that will make up my life as I look back through the years, not the books I read, or the songs I play, or the emails I send out.

What will be my legacy?

This is a hard one to answer right off the bat. More than likely, when you think of a ‘Legacy’, you probably think of someone who has passed away. That’s what makes this so hard to answer right off, but think about it.

Everyone that has passed away has left a legacy, for some it’s a good legacy, for others, the families of the deceased would probably rather not talk about it. Some families have a very Godly legacy handed down from generation to generation, others wish they had that.

So, the question arises- how do you leave a legacy?

Well, right here, right now, you and I are building and creating our legacies! If the Lord tarries, one day, your great-great-grandchildren will be talking about what you did (or didn’t do), whether it be good or bad, and how it has affected their life. That’s a scary thought!

But think about it, through the ages many people have left a legacy. The ones we always recall are those that left a good legacy, but I’m sure within every family there is someone who left a not-so-appealing legacy. I know I have a couple in my own family. We don’t talk about the bad side of things most of the time, but the effects are still there.

So what legacy will I leave? What kind of legacy do I WANT to leave? What am I 

doing today, good or bad, that will effect future generations? We have to think about this now, because a legacy is not made in the last year or two or your life, a legacy is made over the course of a lifetime, and it’s largely effected by what you do while you’re young. 

So, start thinking generationally, not just for today. I’ll be right there with you!

How Will I Make the World a Better Place?

Have you ever heard someone say- “You make my life better just by being here”? Were they talking to you? Or were you eavesdropping on a conversation?  (caught you didn’t I?)

No matter where you heard it, did you know it’s true? 

So many people think that you have to go to the jungles of Africa or to the outback of Australia or to the mountains of China to make a difference. I know I thought that for a while.

But do you realize that you can make the world a better place just by smiling at someone? As I mentioned before, we live in a very fast-paced society, and so often, people are overlooked- The greeter at Walmart, the bagboy at BiLo, the little lady sitting by herself drinking coffee at the local restaurant- All of these people are special to God! But so often, they get left in the dust. Just by smiling and saying ‘Hi’, or “Thank you, and God bless you!” can change that person’s whole day, maybe even their life!

Another thing to do is follow God’s calling on your life. It’s different for every person. I have several friends who are answering the Call of Christ on their lives and it ranges from traveling all over the world to share the gospel, to being a missionary to one specific country, to ministering to the local children through Good News Clubs and Bible Study Fellowships.

If you do what the Lord has called YOU to do, no matter if you think it’s a big or small task, it is important (If it weren’t, God wouldn’t ask you to do it!) and it can make a difference!

I’m learning that it’s not always about the masses, it’s about the one soul. The Bible says the angels rejoice over one sinner who comes to repentance, so why should I think that just because I’m not witnessing to hundreds or thousands of people that what I’m doing is any less important?

I challenge you, do what God has called you to do! And if He hasn’t called you to something specific yet, find something to do (like truly greeting the greeter at Walmart), and do it with all your might! You won’t regret it, I promise!

So, What will You Build?

To Have This Kind of Faith!

"Give us Lord, a special faith, unlimited and free,
A faith that isn't bound by what we know or what we see...
A faith that trusts the sunshine even when there is no light,
A faith that hears the morning song's soft echo in the night...
A faith that somehow rises past unhappiness or pain,
Knowing that in every loss, Your goodness will remain...
A faith that finds Your steadfast love sufficient for all things,
A faith that lifts the heart above and gives the spirit wings."

B. J. Hoff

Boldly Stepping Out In Faith

When the Lord wants to get your attention, He will get your attention, infact, He will sometimes go overboard! :)

Lately, I have been struggling with something that I felt the Lord has called me to do, but I wasn't sure, because if I do it, I take the chance of damaging my testimony. So I have been really torn about this particular ministry opportunity.

As I was talking a friend of mine yesterday, I asked his opinion. He had some great words of wisdom-

"If the Lord is leading and you have given your reputation to the Lord then what is there to fear?"

Well, that was received with a swift kick in the spirit by the Lord. :) And I have to say a special thank you to this friend because the Lord used those words as the springboard to what He really wanted to show me yesterday and today.

Last night at church, the sermon was on expecting miracles, and you guessed it, it had a lot to do with FEAR VS. FAITH.

The teacher shared the verse- "Be not afraid, only believe." (Mark 5:36)
He also shared Hebrews 4:16-

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

At this point, I'm saying- "Okay, Lord, I hear you. I will step out in faith."

This morning the Lord decided to drive the point home just a little bit more.

I suscribe to a website called DailyChristianQuote.com.  Todays quote was-

"The reason angels can fly is because they take themselves so lightly."

At first I read it flippantly, and then I really looked at it. In a way, it's very true. When I focus on others and on doing what the Lord has called me to do, I feel like I'm floating on air, or flying. My spirit is filled with the Holy Spirit, and I'm letting Him have control, so I don't worry about anything, I just do. But on the other hand, when I focus on myself, and let pride get in the way, I feel weighted down, I don't have the Joy of the Lord as my strength.

In my devotions this morning I read the chapter of the day in Proverbs and this verse stood out-
Proverbs 15:3-

"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

The Lord spoke a sweet peace to my soul through this whole thing, but this verse was what 'sealed the deal' if you will. I felt the Lord's arms come around me and He whispered in my ear,

"What does it matter what others think? I see ALL, I know ALL. Don't worry about the outcome, just do what I've asked you to do. I'll take care of the rest."

Unless you have experienced something like this for yourself, you have no idea how much good this did me!

So, I have determined to Boldly Step out in Faith and let God handle everything. It's not easy, especially since I have a tendency to over-think, over-analyze, and over-control issues. But I know that with the Lord's help I can do it! Philippians 4:13-

"I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me!"

I will close with one more quote that really says it all-

"If you have the smile of God, what does it matter

if you have the frown of man?"

-Leonard Ravenhill

Desiring the Word of Truth

“The Bible is not an end in itself,

but a means to bring men to an

intimate and satisfying knowledge of God,

that they may enter into Him,

that they may delight in His presence,

may taste and know the inner

sweetness of the very God Himself

in the core and center of their hearts.”

A.W. Tozer

This quote really got me to thinking- how often do I read my Bible just to check it off the list and say ‘done for today, on to the rest of my life’?

My desire is to know Christ on an intimate level, to feel His presence in my life when I’m not reading the Bible and when I’m not in church, to commune with Him all day long.  But I must confess, more often than not, I pick up my Bible to read, and I read it like a fiction novel.  I treat it as if there is nothing there for me, it’s just recreational reading.

Oh Lord, please forgive me! 

His Word is anything but recreational reading!  I must learn to prepare my heart through prayer and then read the scriptures so that I may- enter in and delight in His presence, and ‘taste and know the inner sweetness’ of Christ in the very core of my heart and soul!

No matter what your goal in life-be it a missionary, a wife/husband, a mother/father, a business owner, etc., Christ and His Word must be the center of your life.  How can it be the center of your life if you don’t read it and apply what it says? 

My pastor has an acronym that he uses –

Basic

Instructions

Before

Leaving

Earth

I know that too often I forget that the Bible is not just a history book, and it’s not just a glimpse into the future, it IS Life’s instruction manual.  God did not give us 66 different books compiled into one Good Book for it to lie on our shelves collecting dust. He meant it for us to use as a daily tool. 

In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul tells us that as Christians we are fighting not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and against the rulers of darkness. One of the things he lists in our ‘armor’ is the Sword of Faith.

Think back to the middle ages, the days of knights and their ladies fair. A soldier did not go out into battle without a weapon, generally that weapon was always a sword, and a double-edged sword at that. Why? Because it would do double damage, it would cut coming and going. 

That is what the Word of God is. It is our double-edged sword. We face a battle everyday of our lives as Christians.  We cannot go into battle with our armor on, but no weapon. No soldier in his right mind would do that. We must arm ourselves daily with the Word of God, otherwise we will lose the battle.

May we be as Timothy when Paul was instructing him- May we “study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15; editing and emphasis mine).