Seele’s Editor, reminds us that we are both Pharaoh and the Israelite. There are times in our lives when we oppress and are oppressed, and it is our Great SAVIOR, Jesus who has come to set us free from both.
Seele's edtor, Ally shares that, "it’s when times are really hard that we’re refined and that God does His best redemptive work."
For our Friday post, Seele's editor reminds us that before we get locked into a vow, we have to really sit and be sure we are ready to walk into that marriage, that we can deliver on that promise, and that we can pay back that loan- whatever it is we have to be certain.
King Hussein of Jordan to his son: “I could have stepped in but I didn’t. I had to see what you were made of.” King Hussein knew that one day Abdullah would become king and ‘to whom much is given, much is required.’
The fruit that are mentioned in Galatians 5 show that these attributes are attributes of God’s character. And He wants to see Himself in us. And just as He is patient with us, we must be patient with Him and with others.
To whom much is given, much is required, and that includes our calling and the gifts and talents that come with that calling.
To whom much is given, much is required, and that includes our jobs. Last week I wrote about family and how various members of our family are gifts from God, placed in our hands for a reason. This week I will talk about jobs and working hard.
To whom much is given, much is required, and that includes our families. Last week I wrote about how our relationships- those that breathe life into us and that bless us, i.e. work, romantic, and platonic relationships are gifts from God, placed in our hands for a reason. This week I will talk about family. God is asking, “what are you doing with what’s in your hand when it comes to your parents, children, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, grandchildren, and cousins?” Why should God bless us with more or take us to new levels when we haven’t mastered nurturing our own flesh and blood?
To whom much is given, much is required. Human beings can be impatient, ready for the next thing, when God is asking, “what are you doing with what’s in your hand now- with what I have given you?” Why should God bless us with more or take us to new levels when we haven’t mastered nurturing what we have now?
“I’ve learned that emotions aren’t problems needing fixing; they’re signals demanding feeling. They connect us- to ourselves, others, and God.” Jennie Allen
The Bible is very clear that Christians should let words edify, not tear down. And sometimes that means not letting the person on the left know what the person on the right has said, for the sake of peace. Today’s Friday Post is about knowing when to stay silent.
Have you ever thought that God pulls us like the slings in slingshots so that we can be propelled further?
People toss people they don’t think they need, people toss their marriage, companies toss employees, and children don’t always take care of what they’ve been given- why? Because we think these things are expendable and we can always get something or someone better.
Continuing and ending with the series, "How’s Your Soul?," I want to talk about money. The Bible mentions money over 800 times and makes over 2,000 financial references. Money is important to God and it can be a wonderful thing for those who know how to use it to glorify Him and uplift others. Because money is important to God, writers of the Scriptures wrote about the topic a lot. And Jesus, talked about money more than He did love, heaven and hell combined.
Continuing with the series, "How’s Your Soul?," I want to talk about family. While families have their problems a family is only as strong and good as the people in it. In order to be a good child, parent, cousin, nephew, grandchild, or uncle you have to get your soul right. When our souls aren’t right it can affect how we treat those in our families.
When Jesus is truly the center of a person's life then His fruits (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control- Galatians 5: 22-23) will be in their souls. What's in our souls will affect how we treat others. And, in how we treat our romantic partners.
Making time for God in the busyness of this 2017 plugged in, tech, selfish, gotta get it all world can be a challenge, where Jesus is left in the dust and He’s not even a priority. We often have to fight for time with God.
2016 may not have been that bad for you personally! But if you care even a little about other people, you will still want an explanation for why the world is such a mess. But more importantly, if you are honest, you will admit you are not the person you want to be. We can all put on a good face. But take off the mask and most of us are hiding character traits and behavior that we are ashamed of and can’t seem to change. So we shouldn’t just ask, “what’s gone wrong with the world? We should ask, “What’s gone wrong with me?”
This year I’m starting Seele’s Friday post with a series on “How’s Your Soul?” It’s more personal where I will cover Ego, Brokenness, Spiritual Life, Dating & Marriage, Porn, Family, People and Money. When “I” or “self” is supreme in our lives there is no room for God. The only way we can TRULY know God is with humility, and it’s through Him that we will begin to love others as we love ourselves.
Everyone has a role to build up the body of Christ, and we’ve all been called to ministry work, to be equipped by Scripture and our spiritual leaders. No one is gift-less, potential-less, or purposeless. We all have a ministry.
Isn’t it interesting how one part of your life can be going so well- i.e. jobs, success, health, finances, free time BUT another part can be struggling or almost nonexistent- i.e. your relationships, your marriage, or your relationship with your kids? We certainly weren’t meant to always stay on the mountain. With Nehemiah as our model, we'll see one practical life application from Scripture that we can use so that we don’t lose our joy, faith and hope in the midst of having one part of your life going well and another part that may not be going so well.
I’ve got one and you’ve got one- a conscience. That thing that jerks us back when we do wrong, and that that gives our hearts peace when we’ve made the right decision...
There are seasons in life when we’re in the unexplainable, where we’re being pressed, where situation after situation that comes makes us exhausted, and where we can’t understand why we’re being pressed on every side.
It’s exhausting to try and please other people and what they think we should do or not do. And even though their advice may come from a good place, we will only find freedom through seeking to please God above all else.
It can be so easy to compare ourselves to others, to be envious of another, and to try and emulate what someone else is doing. If we resolve to look at our own papers, to look at our own lives and not compare ourselves to others, then we won’t have any reason to look at someone else’s paper.
It can be hard to sit under someone’s authority, especially when we don’t agree with them, but Scripture is clear that authority must be honored and that we must submit it.
When it’s time to move on from a thing God will let you know and confirm it. And sure, God understands your attachment to the old thing. And sure, there might need to be a period of mourning and sulking. But after time has passed, you’ll sense God saying “You have mourned long enough for this thing, and it's time to let it go.”
We can’t always control what actions we are faced with and that includes success, but we can control our reaction to actions. God is far more interested in our reaction to a situation than we think. Tony Alany, the Pastor of Worship at McLean Bible Church in the U.S., unpacks that in life's successes we Christ is all we need, and how humility should be our response to success.
Now, God doesn't cause thorns. They're here because of sin and He allows them because He has a greater plan, and one day there will be no more thorns. But, they keep us humble.
Though we have no right to judge another, when we sit back and inspect their fruit, especially bad fruit, we may not know what's going in their hearts or minds. But, we will know that something is going on in their root system.
Do we trust God when He takes us down a street that doesn’t look familiar? Do we trust God when He has given us the GPS coordinates but He has us to go through traffic, and we think He has given us the wrong route? It’s so easy to think that God has made a mistake and that we’ve landed on a weird path.
If we can’t accept people for who they are and let them make decisions and choices according to their own internal logic then that means are controlling. And control is not rooted in love; it’s rooted in fear and insecurity.
There’s something in letting a person get what he or she truly desires, even if it’s bad for them, and hopefully after some time they’ll open their eyes and see that what they wanted after all isn’t as awesome as they thought it would be.
If you don’t see any traces of God answering your prayer yet, don’t give up on God. An answer is coming and sometimes not in the form you hope. Let the testing of your faith (the waiting) have its good work in you so that you can develop perseverance and therefore you will not lack anything
It will be the most difficult of people that make us stronger; the most controlling of people that will make us relaxed and secure; the most insecure people that will make us confident; the most selfish of people that will make us humble; the most selfish of people that will make us giving; the most meanest, angry and evil of people that will make us love and forgive.
I, you, we don’t like when we’re hit with a challenge. We don’t like when bad seasons befall us- job loss, a relationship we wanted fails, mistreatment, a business deal goes bad, betrayal, rejection, we lose our home, or a friendship goes sour.
Anyone, whether Christian or non-Christian, should immerse themselves in the book of Proverbs. There are practical and spiritual life applications that can save a fool from folly.
When you choose to do something, an uplifting task that will bless others and build up God’s kingdom, buckle up because the enemy will throw everything he’s got in various forms at you, to stop you- but have faith, trust God, and keep moving.
It’s probably one of the easiest commandments to break and I don’t think that we sit and think about the ramifications of lip flappin’ and that it reveals what’s really in our hearts. It shows how we feel the need to puff up or own egos. So what does it mean to bear false witness against another?
Bringing up two topics in today's Friday Post: good v bad and anger v. moving on, SEELE's editor Ally poses this question, who is really good?- AND- how we decide if we let anger turn to rage versus moving on.