Beauty in Pressure

This week I was in a beautiful park taking photos of the waterfalls.

The roar of the falls was so loud, I could hardly hear my friend talking to me,

and she was standing just a couple of feet away.

I was having a grand time shooting the falls and then, 

I had an interesting thought-

Our lives are just like these falls.

Our lives are Beautiful and Unique.

Think about it- What makes the falls beautiful and unique?

I can think of two specific things-

 Rocks and Pressure.

The bigger the rocks, the prettier the falls.

The more pressure, the greater the effect of both beauty and noise.

In our lives it's the same way. There is pressure coming from what seems like all sides.

The rocks in life can be huge and seemingly insurmountable.

If we aren't careful, we will become completely swamped in the busyness of life, and miss the beauty of the life God has planned for us.

If we are feeling the pressure of the many different things around us, 

if we feel like we are having to do somersaults to avoid the rocks in our path, 

then we need to pay attention.

Take a step back, and look at the big picture-

Look at your life.

Look at the different things the Lord has put before you, 

and see the Beauty!

You are a unique individual, and there are plans for your life that you cannot fathom!

So, embrace the rocks, face the pressure, and let it mold you into a beautiful portrait of God's never ending faithfulness, love, and grace.

The Meditation of My Heart

In my devotions this morning, I noticed a phrase that is only used twice in the entire Bible- "Meditation of my heart".

Psalm 19:14- "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Psalm 49:3- "My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be understanding."

This led me to dig a little deeper into the Word of Jehovah today.

The word Meditation is only used a grand total of SIX times in the Bible.

The two times listed above, plus- Psalm 5:1, 104:34, 119:97 and 119:99.

As I read over all of these verses today in their context, the Lord began to reveal to me a transition, or a growing if you will, of the person who is meditating.

Psalm 5:1- 
"Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation."

In this verse, the Psalmist is focusing on Himself- "MY words", "MY meditation".  He is asking the Lord to consider him and listen to his pleas.

I know I've done this before. "Lord, please give me       .  I deserve it because I've done             ."

In Psalm 5, the Psalmist is praying a prayer for protection. He starts the prayer by saying "Hear me! Remember the good deeds I've done!".

Psalm 19:14-
"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Psalm 19 is about the Law of the Lord, here are some of the previous verses- 

v7- The Law of the LORD is perfect,

convicting the soul:

The Testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple.

v8- The Statutes of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart.

v9- The fear of the LORD is clear,

enduring forever:

The judgments of the LORD are true

and righteous altogether.

v10- More to be desired are they than gold,

yea, than fine gold:

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

v11- Moreover by them is thy servant warned:

and in keeping them there is 

Great REWARD."

There has been a change of attitude here.

He realizes his words matter less and less, and Jehovah's matters more and more.

This Psalm is followed by a prayer for victory. 

Psalm 20:1 says- "The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble, the name of the God of Jacob defend thee."

So, even though he is realizing that his opinion matters less, he is still trying to make his voice heard.

Psalm 49:3-

"My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding."

Instead of saying- "Hear me! Hear what I have to say!" (Psalm 5) or "Let me be acceptable" (Psalm 19), the Psalmist is now saying- 

"Lord, I have accepted You! I will speak of Your Wisdom, 

I will meditate on Your Understanding."

That is a powerful change of heart!

But I noticed something even more powerful. The next Psalm, Psalm 50 is titled in my bible as "God is the Judge", here's how it starts-

"The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence:" (Psalm 50:1-3a)

So, not only is there becoming a change in how he is meditating and speaking, there is also a change of heart in how he's praying.  

He is no longer demanding, or asking, for the Lord to hear him. 

He is saying- 'God speaks and it is so.'

Psalm 104: 33-34- 

"I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD."

Here, he has gone yet a step further! He is no longer speaking, or asking to be heard. He is planning to sing to the LORD as long as he can!

He is now calling his meditation 'sweet'. He is glad whenever he thinks of Jehovah.

And further- Psalm 105:1-6 says- "O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in His holy Name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and His strength: seek His face forevermore. Remember His marvelous works that He hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth."

He is now sharing the good news with others. He is telling others the steps he himself has taken to gain a closer walk with the Lord.

Psalm 119:97-104-

v97- O how I love Thy law!

It is my meditation all the day.

v98- Thou through Thy commandments hast

made me wiser than mine enemies:

for they are ever with me.

v99- I have more understanding than all my teachers:

for Thy testimonies are my meditation.

v100- I understand more than the ancients,

because I keep Thy precepts.

v101- I have refrained my feet from every evil way,

that I might keep Thy word.

v102- I have not departed from Thy judgments:

for Thou hast taught me.

v103- How sweet are Thy words unto my taste!

Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

v104- Through Thy precepts I get understanding:

therefore I hate every false way.

There has now been a complete transformation.

He meditates on the Law and the Testimonies of Jehovah daily, and it has completely changed his life.

The Law is the Word of God, the Testimonies are the acts of God.

So, by meditating on what the Lord says He will do, and meditating on what the Lord has already done, - it creates in the heart-

• a love for the Law
• wisdom greater than your enemies have
• more understanding than your teachers
• more understanding than the ancients
• a desire to refrain from doing evil
• not departing from the judgments of the Lord
• a desire for the words of the Lord above honey ("good" things of this life)
• a hatred for the false ways of the world.

I think back to Psalm 19:11- "...and in keeping them (the Law of the Lord) there is GREAT REWARD."

The eight things above are just some of the rewards of following the Lord.

Oh, Heavenly Father! Help me to meditate on Your words and testimonies above all other things in my life!

Are you meditating on the Word of the Lord? Do you think on the testimonies of His faithfulness in your life and the lives of others? 

If you do, it could result in some heart-changing, mind-blowing, life-altering times with the Lord!  

But- 

What should we desire more than that?

Lessons Learned from an Unwise King

I have been reading in 1 & 2 Kings the last couple of months. 

It has been quite eye opening.

Earlier this year, I made a post about Building a Legacy and thinking generationally. I honestly don’t know if I truly knew how important that 

was until I read 1 Kings 11.

Let’s look at the background story just a bit...

• What did Solomon ask for?

1 Kings 3:7-13a (emphasis added to all scripture quotations is mine)

“And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant [Solomon] king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

“And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

“Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

“And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

“And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and…not asked for thyself long life; neither…riches for thyself, nor…the life of thine enemies; but…for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

“Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart…

“And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked…”

Jehovah was so pleased by what Solomon asked that He gave him not only the wisdom he asked for, but also riches and honor. The Lord only gave a small stipulation in verse 14-

“If thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.”

In chapters 4-10, Solomon builds the temple, prospers exceedingly, and is visited by many great leaders, including the Queen of Sheba. He truly was blessed by the Lord. His downfall sadly came in chapter 11.

1 Kings 11:1- “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.”

All of these tribes listed were tribes that the Lord had commanded the people of Israel to not marry, because they would draw their hearts away from the One True God, Jehovah.

• What happened once Solomon let his guard down?

1 Kings 11:3-4- “And he (Solomon) had seven hundred wives,…and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.”

1 Kings 11:7 & 8 really shows how far Solomon had fallen from the presence of the LORD.

“Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

“And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.”

1 Kings 11:9-10- “And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the LORD God of Israel,…and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.”

• What did the Lord do as a result of Solomon’s turning away?

1 Kings 11:11-13—“The LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. In thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.”

Notice first of all what I have highlighted in bold- “I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.”

The Lord’s punishment to Solomon was that He would take the kingdom from him- all of his riches, all of his land, all of his wives, EVERYTHING Solomon had- and give it to his servant (one of the other countries).

Now notice what I have highlighted in green- “I will not do it for David thy father’s sake” and again “for David my servant’s sake”.

This is where the generational thinking comes in. The Lord said He would take the kingdom away, but then He tells Solomon (in modern lingo)- “Because your dad served me faithfully, I won’t take the kingdom away from you, I’ll take it from your son. And furthermore- I won’t take the entire kingdom. I’ll leave your son a small portion, because your dad was a good man who served Me with all his heart.”

The Lord didn’t have to do that. He’s the God of the universe. He could have taken a deep breath and blew Israel off the map because of what Solomon had done. But He didn’t. Because of David being “a man after God’s own heart”, the Lord decided to spare them at least a small portion of what they had. 

For every action, there is a reaction. We should be doing our best, with the Lord’s help, to leave a chain-reaction of blessings for future generations.

You've heard “look before you leap”? Well, how about “Think about the future before acting in the present”?

David’s humility is what spared the kingdom for Solomon. 

• What did the high places that Solomon built do? 

Sadly, they brought destruction for the entire country of Israel. Read First and Second Kings. It’s one evil king after another. The few good kings are all praised for living a pure and upright life in every way, except for tearing down the high places. For each generation that came along with the high places still intact, the worse the sin of the country became.

Do your future generations a favor- search your heart and life now, and tear down the high places in your life. It will make things a little easier on your children and grandchildren when they come along.

If you already have children or grandchildren, then get rid of the high places in your life, and pray that the Lord will help your family to realize the need to tear down the high places in their lives.

Take back the ground from satan, it’s the only way you will ever get victory for yourself and for your family. Trust me, it’s easier to start with a clean slate, than to try and clean a dirty one.

May Jehovah bless each of you as you ‘think generationally’.

Involved or Committed?

It’s an interesting question. Some folks would argue that they are one in the same.

But not necessarily.

My family and I attended a local pastor’s Jubilee this past week, and one of the pastor’s shared an illustration on this very fact.

Think about your breakfast table.

A lot of times breakfast will include eggs, bacon/sausage, biscuits, ect.

The chicken who laid the egg was involved in the breakfast meal, but the pig who gave his life to contribute bacon and/or sausage was committed to the meal.

I know it’s a little crude, but it really is the perfect analogy.

As you go about your life, and serving the Lord, do you get involved occasionally or are you completely committed?

• Do you say you’ll pray for someone just so you can get them off of your back? Or do you sincerely devote part of your day to praying for that person and their situation until that situation is resolved?

• Do you donate food to the food pantry/soup kitchen? Or do you get in there help bag the groceries or hand out a plate of food?

• Do you get on the kids level, and possibly even get dirty, as you play with them and teach them at VBS? Or do you show up and stand on the side lines just to say you were there?

• Do you volunteer to help out around your church? Or do you just sit in the pew on Sunday morning?

The examples could be continue, but I’m going to stop there. I think you’ve got the general idea.

The point is, whether it’s working with children, homeless, senior citizens, young married couples, families, or just your own siblings, the Lord has called each of us to a specific task and ministry. Are you willing to fully commit yourself to whatever it is the Lord has called you to? Or are you just willing to be involved?

I am reminded of the story of Jim Elliot and his four friends who went to reach the Auca Indians for Christ.

These men had decided early on that the souls of these men and women were worth the risk of dying. They truly committed everything they had to reaching these people for the Lord. They were killed in a very inhumane way by this head-hunting tribe of people.

At first it seemed nothing good would come of it. Five women lost their husbands, several children were without fathers, parents lost sons, siblings lost their brothers. Lives were devastated.

But Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint went back to the very tribe that had taken from one a husband, and from the other a brother, and lived among them.  They showed them forgiveness in a living, breathing example. The Lord later blessed the fruits of not only Elisabeth and Rachel, but also of the five men, by the whole tribe coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

These people were not just involved, they were completely committed. The men lost their lives, and the women risked losing theirs when they went back to the tribe. But Christ was faithful!

Not everyone is called to literally give their lives for Christ, but is He calling you to give up the comforts of home to go serve in another country?

The closeness of family to work in a ministry elsewhere?

Your leisure time during the week to disciple children?

Your Sunday afternoon nap to meet with a new Believer and help them grow?

“And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.” (1 Chronicles 21:24)

Ornan was going to give King David the things he needed for the offering to the Lord. King David answered wisely when he said he would not offer to the Lord that which cost him nothing.

You can live life as a Christian and not make sacrifices. But you will not live a fulfilled life that way.

The Lord convicted me this past week of doing ‘just enough’. Just enough to keep people from thinking bad about me. Just enough to feel like I’m doing what I should be. Just enough…But the truth is ‘just enough’ is never ENOUGH.

So, I ask you- Will you be the involved chicken or the committed pig?

Truly Stepping Out In Faith

This past month has been a pretty amazing one for me! Definitely faith growing!

April 1^st, I thought I was just going to stay around South Carolina, and stick to my usual routine.

Boy, was I wrong!!

It all started on Thursday, April 5^th. I found out that a homeschool conference in Texas still needed teachers for the Children’s Institute they were having for the little kids.

I immediately said to myself- “I wish I could go, but I can’t.” And started listing the why not’s in my mind.

The list looked something like this-

Not enough money

Can’t get off from work

Don’t have a way out there

Don’t have anywhere to stay when I get there

This was just the tip of the iceberg; there were a few other things I had on my list.

I tried to push the thought out of my mind. I shared on Facebook that they still needed teachers, and thought – “okay, I’ve done my part. I don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

But the more I tried not ‘to worry’, the more I thought about it.  

I started praying.

I said, “Lord, if you want me to go, You are going to have to provide the way.”

I talked to Momma about going to Texas. She didn’t say no right away, so I thought that was a good sign. 

I kept praying.

On Monday, April 9^th, my mom and dad were talking about faith, and Momma used me as an illustration in their conversation and said “I told Kristin to have faith that if the Lord wanted her to go to Texas, He would work out all of the details.”

On Tuesday morning, as I sat at work, I got to thinking about what Momma had said the night before. I called Momma up on the phone, and asked- “So, are you serious, if all the details work out, I can go?” Of course, she said yes.  I called Daddy, and asked his permission. He agreed, if the Lord worked out the details, especially in this short time frame (we were only two weeks from the date I would have to leave- Monday, April 23^rd), it was obviously His will, and of course I could go.

I got to work- You have not because you ask not.

I contacted a friend who I knew was heading to the conference from my area to see what her travel plans were.  She was driving out with some friends. She gave me the name of a family who was attending who was even closer to my area, and some of their children weren’t going to the conference.

I emailed that family, and they had space for me in their tent and in their car. So I had a place to stay for the week and a ride to Texas.

I now had a way out, I just needed a way back home. I started checking airline prices.

Two things checked off of the list.

I then called my boss, and when I told her what I would be doing in Texas, she said- “Who am I to stand in the way of the Lord telling you to do something? Go!”

Now I had work taken care of too.

I kept praying.

Not too long ago, I read a biography of George Mueller. I was convicted and inspired by that biography. George Mueller was a man of God who made a vow never to ask man for money. He took all of his needs before the Lord, and the Lord always provided.  He also never kept a ‘rainy day’ fund. Every cent that came to his ministry was assigned a specific purpose; it was not put aside ‘just because’.

So, as I was praying and asking the Lord to provide for the trip to Big Sandy, George Mueller came to mind, and the Lord said ‘What about your savings account?’ I looked at the total in my savings account and other things that I knew were coming up, and I said, ‘Okay Lord. I need you to provide a plane ticket for $400.’

I was looking for a flight back home, I found a ticket for $410. I thought, ‘I can swing the extra $10, no problem.’ When I told Momma about it, she said I should get a round trip ticket and just fly the whole way.  I started looking for round trip tickets. The cheapest ticket I could find was $548. That was nowhere near the $400 I had asked the Lord to originally provide a ticket for. (Remember I was now less than two weeks away from when I would be leaving)

On Wednesday, my sister, Amanda, brought me a check from the school where she works. I had helped with childcare, and this was my payment. I had also received a check from my regular job that week as well. After tithe, the total of the two checks was $138, the difference of the $410 and the $548.

When I got online on Thursday to check ticket prices again, the flight I was looking at on Tuesday that was listed as $548, had come down $10! The Lord completely provided! And I didn’t even have ‘to swing that extra $10’!

So I now had a way out there, and way back home and a place to stay, all within THREE days!

The only thing left was a way to and from the airport.

I did some calling, emailing, and texting. No one could give me a ride all the way to and from.

For the next few days, I prayed for the Lord to provide. I said over and over- “I serve Jehovah-Jireh, a God who provides a way where there is no way!”

Then the final piece came together on Tuesday, April 17^th.

The Lord directed me to a shuttle service. Between the shuttle and a family who was willing to go part way, I could get all the way to the conference and back to the airport. The Lord also provided the extra funds for the shuttle!

I had a marvelous time in Texas! I got to serve the Lord with 50 amazing teachers. I was able to share Christ’s love directly with 9 little blessings all week.  I rekindled old friendships and made new ones. It was definitely an EPIC week!

When I got home and went to church on Sunday, April 29^th, I was exhausted and sick (I had pretty much lost my voice), but every time I would even think about the week, I couldn’t help breaking into a huge smile!  I was even told a couple times that I was 'glowing' as I talked about the week. 

I can honestly say, without a shadow of a doubt, that I was in the center of God’s Will. All because I took the advice from a month ago and stepped out in faith.  

Brothers and Sisters,

I challenge you, if there is something you know the Lord is telling you to do, don’t sit back and say you can’t.  You never know what the Lord will do to get rid of the reasons of ‘I can’t’.

Just be willing to move when He says move! 

Step Out In Faith and watch Jehovah work!!

Freedom in Christ

I am FREE!

I am OWNED!

  I can hear you right now- 'Wait a minute! How can you be free if you are owned?'

Well, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20--

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?'

"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

During this week before Easter I was thinking about what Christ provided for us through His death on Calvary, and through His miraculous Resurrection on Easter morning some 2,000 years ago.

We always hear of the freedom we receive as Christians through Christ’s death and resurrection. I was thinking about this today, the Lord spoke to me and said, “You’re not completely free. I OWN you!”

He reminded me of the above verse-  

“For ye are bought with a price…”

How am I bought with a price? Through the death of Jesus Christ!

Consider the following passages of Scripture-

Romans 8:1-5

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are 

in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, 

but after the Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, 

condemned sin in the flesh:

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

 -And-

Romans 6:1-10

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, 

that grace may abound?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, 

even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, 

that henceforth we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall 

also live with him:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, 

he liveth unto God.

  

AMEN AND AMEN!!!

Reread these passages if you need to!

We are freed from sin through the death of Jesus Christ! 

But, once we have accepted His gift of Salvation, we are now servants of Jehovah, and we are to be seeking to serve Him in every thought, word, and deed until the day we die and meet Him face to face in Heaven!

By accepting Christ as your Savior, you are now owned by the BEST Master in the universe! 

So, as you go through the rest of this week and on into the rest of your life, don’t just think about the FREEDOM you have in Christ, take it a step further and challenge yourself to find ways to thank Him through service to Him for what He’s done for you!

Christ gave His ALL, shouldn’t we at least TRY?

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?