Find A Christian Man

Tag: Overcoming Obstacles

  • When Answers Don’t Come Easy

    When Answers Don’t Come Easy

    The psalmist said in Psalm 23:3 (NKJV), “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” This is what God will do for us. He will restore our souls, and then lead us in the path of His righteousness. The question we need to ask ourselves is are we willing to be led. For those that have been praying to cross paths with the person they will marry, it is important for them to know that our Heavenly Father hears their prayers. He’s designed the universe in such a way that the moment we begin to pray, something shifts. Things begin to come together to bless us, and a momentum starts to build. Our faith is the force that continues to move this momentum forward, but there will most definitely be some blockers along the way. Immediately upon noticing them, we must look for something in our souls to be restored. We must make sure we’re hearing what God is saying, so we know exactly what needs to be healed and continue to follow the path of His righteousness.

    In Deuteronomy 1, Moses was handling some final business with the Children of Israel, because he knew he would not enter the Promise Land. In an address to them, he reviewed the journey they had been on together. It took the Children of Israel 38 years to cover a territory that should have taken them 11 days. Why? Because of their unbelief. God had promised to give them a land of milk and honey, a land that was beautiful, with good soil upon which to grow crops and increase livestock. Yet, they wouldn’t bring themselves to trust the Word of the Lord.

    Exodus 6:7-8 (NLT) gives us the record of what God told Moses to tell His people. He said, “7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. 8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’”  In verse 9, we have the record of the people’s response to what God said. It tells us, “So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.” They doubted God’s promise. Even though they were physically free, the harsh labor under the Egyptian pharaoh had put them in mental and emotional bondage. So, they wouldn’t listen to Moses and went around in circles because doubt took root in their hearts.

    God’s people were slow to learn, and this is why instead of marching to victory they wandered in the wilderness almost 40 years. This wandering can happen so easily in our quest to attain what God has for us. Many of us are wandering, not understanding that it is impossible to follow the straight line of God’s righteousness when doubt is in the picture.

    Healthy communication is crucial to any successful relationship. Not only must we speak the truth, we must be in a position to hear it. Our relationship with God is the most precious gift we will ever have. We need to hear what the Father is saying to us, because we need His instruction to carry out His Will. We also need to hear from Him about those places in our souls where we’re not allowing His love to rule. Very often, not hearing or perceiving God’s message is a blocker that slows our faith momentum. The Spirit of the Lord resides inside of the believer. Nothing can be closer to us than this, and if we’re not hearing the Spirit’s voice, with it being so close, how will we be good listeners to our future partners?

    We must be persistent in pursuing a Word from the Lord. God is always present, and He hears our prayers. Some believers have complained that God is not speaking to them, but He never stops communicating with us. It’s you and I that have a hard time hearing His voice, because we’re so focused on other things. Jesus Christ told us in Matthew 6:33 that we must seek our Heavenly Father first, and this must be a continuous habit pattern in our lives. We are spiritual beings and the more we quiet ourselves and get still before God, the more our spiritual hearing will increase. When it comes to the revelation that we desperately need to hear, it isn’t enough to receive a word from someone else’s lips. We need to be confident that God will speak to us, and we need to be confident that we can hear Him. This is paramount to navigating a successful life as a believer, and it is one of the most important and precious essentials to spiritually preparing for the blessing of marriage.■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “When Answers Don’t Come Easy” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • It’s At the Root

    It’s At the Root

    “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.”
    Proverbs 27:19 (NLT)

    God knows our hearts, but it is impossible for anyone to know what is truly at the root of someone else’s heart. Heavenly Father didn’t give any of us the ability to look into another person’s core, and that’s a good thing. Most of us have a lot going on internally, some positive and some not so much. We’re works in progress. This means that as we notice things about ourselves that aren’t so pretty and that do not line up with the example of Christ, we address those things through prayer and by renewing our minds to God’s Word. There isn’t a word in the English language that can express how important it is that we address the not so pretty stuff inside, because not doing it can be blocking the blessing we desire most.

    When it comes to the man that we want to attract, some of us have some inner workings that could potentially cause him to be repelled rather than attracted to us. In Romans 12:2, God urges us not to be conformed to the customs and behaviors of the world, but to renew our minds by putting on the mind of Christ. This means that you and I must change the way we think. It is necessary so that we can be transformed into the men and women that Heavenly Father desires us to be. Without changing the way that we think, our hearts will not change.

    We are made in the image of God, which means we are spiritual beings, just as He is Spirit. We are His children and our very nature should always reflect His love. God isn’t telling us to take on His nature just because. He has a reason for this, and it is because He wants the best for us. The best things in life are magnetized to our existences when His love is the focus of our hearts and minds. It will ultimately cause nothing but goodness and sweetness to flow from our inside out. It is what makes folks want to recognize and connect with us. So it can’t be a secret to anyone that when something negative is trying to takeover our hearts, it can potentially be a hindrance to our blessings. Uprooting this negative behavior, attitude, mindset, or emotion from our lives should be a main goal of ours.

    Any of us that has been saved for a while knows that even if a person is a Christian, they can still be nasty, malicious, and cynical. This is because of what is operating at the root of their hearts. We can try and hide this, but after a while it will eventually be revealed, and someone will see who we really are because our actions, attitude, and feelings will expose us.

    Notice that Proverbs 27:19 uses the transparency of water to illustrate how the heart reflects the real person. Water is clear and reflective. It also moves and expands. This gives us great clues about where our hearts will take us if we are committed to saturating them with God’s love. Only the power of the Spirit that indwells us and the truth of God’s Word can change our reflection from one of discontent and doubt, to that of faith and joy. Submit to God with a mind-and-heart-set that is humble and ready to see what is at the root of your own heart. If it isn’t a good reflection, be committed to change it, so that you are spiritually prepared to receive what God has for you.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “It’s At the Root”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Examining Your Motivation to Partner

    Examining Your Motivation to Partner

    A friend and I were having dinner and noticed a young couple holding hands at the table near ours. They couldn’t have been more than about 25 or so, but they looked so happy together. The way the young man treated the woman caught my attention. When they were escorted to their table, he pulled a chair out for her, and when she got up to go to the ladies’ room, he stood up. This kind of chivalry is almost unheard of today. Many in the younger generation have never witnessed it or know it exists beyond the movies. For many sisters, such gestures aren’t important or relevant, but I was thrilled to see that some men, even young ones, have not lost this sense of honor in their hearts for women. Personally, a man doesn’t have to order my food or always stand up at the table when I do, however, honoring the love of Christ that I carry in my heart is an absolute must.

    2 Corinthians 5:14(NLT) tells us, “Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.” As single sisters and brothers desiring marriage, this is a verse of scripture that must be at the forefront of our hearts and minds. One of the reasons for this has to do with our motivation for marital partnership. Once we arrive at a place where our desire for marriage is unveiled, our journey towards crossing paths with our destiny partners begins. Many people begin this journey before they’ve cultivated an intimate relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. They may be motivated to marry out of soulish or flesh reasons, but this motivation will harm and not help their quest.

    Getting to know the Lord is the most rewarding and fulfilling event in life. Nothing else in all eternity compares to the magnitude of this monumental relationship that we get to have with our Heavenly Father. We are transformed by it. Our old life is dead, and our new life begins because of Christ and what he has done for us. It is the recreation of our human-spirit through Christ that allows our connection to God. Everything that is outside the boundaries of our new spiritual reality has to catch-up to the newness we’ve received through our precious Lord and Savior. Our minds—thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors—have to be renewed to the mind of Christ. Renewal, changing the way we think, speak, think, and feel is the way we catch-up.

    God will not do this for us, because He will never violate our free-will choice. He won’t come inside our brains and start changing things around. He has commanded us to renew our minds to what He says. The problem is that when it comes to our motivation and desire for marriage, we stop short and throw the process of renewing our minds under the bus. We don’t do what is required to bring our desire in alignment with the new life we’ve received.

    Although we are transformed by Christ, our desire for marriage in many cases does not transform with us. It is probably the same, or perhaps has increased. But because we are never the same after our new-birth reality, the motivation for marriage must shift from pleasing ourselves to pleasing God. This is true beyond truth. God changes us from the inside out. Romans 8:39 says that nothing is capable of separating us from the love of God in Christ, because it is in Him that we live, move, and have our being. So, our desire for marriage must rise to the level of our newness in Christ. This means that we must now want what the Lord wants for us, because our lives don’t belong to us. He is Lord! He’s our Owner and always knows and does what is best. But if we have a different personal agenda operating in the background; if we’re still operating in the flesh when it comes to our desire for marriage, Romans 8:6 says this is equivalent to setting our minds on death. We wonder so often about what is blocking us from the blessing; this is it!

    The potential to honor God’s purpose unlocks partnership attraction. This is where we want to be! The young couple that sat near me in the restaurant responded to each other lovingly and with honor for one another. I know this because I responded to it as well. This is how Heavenly Father created us. When the love of Christ is at work, we can’t help ourselves, we must respond to it. This is why we can’t allow our old dead life to speak from the grave. It can only speak death, and we don’t want anyone we might partner with responding to that. We should all want someone who honors the love of Christ in us, and it behooves us to be sure that it is his love, and his alone, that motivates and fuels our desire to partner.■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Examining Your Motivation to Partner”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Ask the Right Question to Receive the Right Answer

    Ask the Right Question to Receive the Right Answer

    There have been a record number of published studies on single people in the past few years. Those in recent history suggests there’s never been as many unmarried adults as there are right now. More adults are opting to remain single, and those that are married are taking longer to get there. It’s no secret that men prefer the option of remaining single at a higher percentage than women. Many statistics on the age group of singles between 21-34 report that they prefer to live together with their significant other before taking that walk down the aisle. For those of us that believe God always knows best and want to live according to the standard of His Word, we really have to ask ourselves how much of the world’s influence has seeped into our psyches. Are we more comfortable than we think with not having to support and care for an extra person?

    This isn’t a question or answer we should take lightly. One of the greatest gifts that we can give ourselves is the time to think and reflect. Mark 1:35 tells us that Jesus Christ awakened very early every morning, while it was still dark, and he went to a quiet place to pray. In Psalm 46:10, Heavenly Father instructs us about the practice of stillness. He tells us to be still and know that He is God. Psalm 107 also talks about those who were in great distress and cried out to the Lord for help. Psalm 107:20 says that He sent out His Word and healed them. Our time of stillness allows us to pray, think, and hear God through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

    The Spirit tells us the mind of Christ, and as believers we can’t function without this. The Spirit gives us the truth, and we don’t always want to hear the truth about certain areas of our lives. God is constantly communicating, but we don’t always hear Him because we abdicate the posture of listening as attentively as we should. We have to change this. We need to quiet ourselves so we can know the truth of what is really going on in our hearts. It is entirely possible to desire one thing in our heads, but have another desire operating in the inner sanctum of our beings. God tells us in Proverbs 4:23 to make it a priority to guard our hearts because they determine the course of our lives. Jesus Christ told us also in Luke 6:45 that we produce out of the treasure of our hearts. The thing that is going on in our hearts is going to create the realm of our existence.

    A person doesn’t need to be married to be happy. Marriage is not required by God to live a Godly life. However, if we desire it, He desires it for us and would not withhold this blessing. We will sometimes think that He’s not blessing us to cross the path of our future beloveds, but this isn’t the truth. There are some things going on in our very own hearts about what we’re valuing most that interrupts our ability to focus our faith.

    I know someone that was blessed to marry a very well-known person. In an interview he was asked what about her attracted him most. He remarked that it was the way she treated her nieces and nephews, because this allowed him to see the quality nature of her womanhood. When we’re praying to cross paths with the person we will ultimately marry, there are many lessons that must be learned before the door to this blessing is opened. During our season of learning, we should never be tricked into diverting our attention to negativity by thinking there’s not enough good men to go around. The man for us is out there, and he is just as concerned about finding a quality woman as a quality woman is concerned about finding him.

    Seek wisdom about what is going on in your heart when it comes to this desire in your life. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 7:7-8(NLT), “7 Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Many of us are not asking Heavenly Father the right question, because we haven’t prepared our hearts to receive the right answer. James 4:3 says we ask and don’t receive because we ask amiss; we miss the mark with the question. We can avoid this mistake. Ask God for the wisdom you need to set your feet on the path of your marital blessing and be willing to accept that you’ve got more spiritual work to do.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Ask the Right Question to Receive the Right Answer”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Why Not Choose Me?

    Why Not Choose Me?

    It is becoming increasingly popular for women to propose to men. While commercials depicting this scenario received a thumbs-up from women’s rights organization for championing women’s options, as believers many of us are not on board. God’s people must be committed to trust and believe His Word. His Word is true, and it is also the preeminent authority on everything that pertains to life. So, we have to trust the wisdom of Proverbs 18:22, that a man who finds a wife finds a good thing. It is the man who is supposed to do the finding, not because the woman is deficient in any way, but because this is how a man obtains the Lord’s favor. But what if you’ve been found already? What if you believe he is the one, but asking for your hand in marriage just isn’t his thing?

    Someone shared with me that she’s in a very similar situation. She was dating a man she believed to be the right one for her. He always said that if he was ever going to marry someone, she would be that woman, except a couple of years went by, and he never proposed. As a way to motivate his proposal, she ended the relationship, but he didn’t take the bait. She felt enough time had gone by and a few weeks ago, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Since neither of them have ever been married, and in her words, they’re not getting any younger, she went ahead and ‘put herself out there.’ She said she couldn’t imagine God would have her continue to wait year after year, so in her mind and heart, putting herself out there for the man that she loves was the right thing to do.

    He didn’t meet her with any opposition, and after speaking with him, she felt relieved, but he also didn’t give her the direct answer she was hoping for. She wanted a promise from him in the form of a wedding date, and he didn’t oblige. Like many single Christian women, she has lots to offer; attractive, successful, and dependable. She believed that after laying all her emotions and good intentions out on the table, he would respond with a resounding ‘yes’, and at the very least she was hoping for perhaps a mildly reluctant “Okay”, but this didn’t happen. He didn’t choose her, and she is left to deal with the reality that he possibly never will.

    The confidence of choosing well
    There is nothing in all the world that compares to knowing something so positively completely that there’s no doubt in your mind. Only God can give us this level of confidence. It’s the confidence of knowing we’ve chosen well. This is why trusting Proverbs 18:22 is so important, because when God ordains something, we can have utter and complete confidence in it. Everything about relationships doesn’t have to be conventional. God created us uniquely, but we must be clear that He’s a God of supreme order, and if Christ is going to be the head of our marriages and relationships, we must be led by the Lord.

    I think back to a passage of scripture in Acts 1:15-26. Joseph (also known as Justus) and called Barsabbas, was not chosen by God when it came time to replace Judas. Judas had betrayed our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and met a tragic end. So, the disciples of Jesus prayed to God to lead them in making the right decision. In Acts 1:24(NLT), they prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart.  Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry.”  They cast their lots (votes), and God chose Matthias to become an apostle with the other eleven.

    Joseph wasn’t chosen by God, and that must have been disappointing for him, but this allows us to see very clearly that our choices have implications. Even if disappointment is involved, it’s better to deal with hurt feelings in the short term than to turn our backs on God’s Will. Choices impact our lives dramatically. God knows this, and if we haven’t made Him the major participant in our choices and decisions, we stand to walk away from the destiny He’s ordained for us.

    As a woman who honors herself and desires to be honored by the man she will ultimately marry, she shouldn’t except less than what the Father wants to give her. The disciples had a very important choice to make, and they didn’t leave it to chance, but depended on God for His divine leadership and guidance. We must be spiritually mature enough to do the same thing.

    As born-again believers, we can receive information from Christ through God’s Holy Spirit. He will aid our decision making and help us walk according to God’s order. If we’re not yet able to discern the Spirit’s voice, we must continue to pray and be patient with ourselves to grow in Christ. Then, when we’re confident in the Spirit, we can be confident in our choices. You won’t have to ask “Why not choose me?” You’ll know that you’re with a man who enjoys God’s favor and he will consider you his greatest reward.■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Why Not Choose Me?” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Removing Thoughts that Block the Blessing of Marriage

    Removing Thoughts that Block the Blessing of Marriage

    If you’ve ever read an in-depth article or watched a good video about replacing a leaky faucet or repairing an outdated piece of equipment, you know they give a ton of information. Many of them provide step-by-step instructions and a list of necessary tools to get the job done successfully. Well, when it comes to making improvements to our dating lives, it’s almost the same concept, except the repairs must begin with our thoughts. The dating arena can be challenging to navigate, and some of us have shifted to a very pessimistic mindset. If this describes your current line of thinking, it may be because you’ve met people that seem nice in the beginning, but don’t turn out to be who you thought they were—far from it. It can get a little old and bring us down. This is when we need to go to God’s Word for some necessary repairs. In His Word, God provides step-by-step instructions and a list of necessary tools. They will refuel our hopes, rekindle our excitement about the future, and get us back on track to fulfilling our dreams.

    God provides His Word as our information headquarters for right living. He’s given us the example of Jesus Christ to follow, and the gift of His Holy Spirit as our teacher and guide. Believers can sometimes allow their minds to be dismissive when it comes to familiar scriptures and wisdom. We don’t mediate and study daily as we should, and when this happens, the nourishment meant for our hearts and minds slips away from us. Old thought patterns settle in, and things like believing that men can’t be trusted or that all men are cheaters become blockers to our blessing. To remove outdated thoughts that block our faith and keep us from the blessing we seek, here are a few steps to shift gears to a mindset that pleases Heavenly Father:

    Step 1:  Take God at His Word.
    In Proverbs 18:22(NKJV), God tells us, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.” We serve a God that is exact and precise. His Word is timeless and will forever stand as our foundation for right living, abundance, and truth. He considered the challenges of dating in modern times when He expressed this wisdom in Proverbs 18:22 thousands of years ago; for He knows the end at the very beginning. It is monumentally important that the Christian woman takes God at His Word, and that she is confident that He is not slack in any way concerning it. He has made sure there are men in every generation who #1 honor the Godly qualities of a wife, and #2 desire favor from the Lord. So if there’s anything in our minds and hearts that prevents right thinking on God’s provision in this area, we must change it.

    Step 2: Keep the Word in your mind.
    Hebrews 2:1(NLT) says, “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.” Remember, it’s our responsibility to keep God’s Word active in our hearts and minds. The Word of instruction in Joshua 1:8(NLT) still applies to believers today. This verse tells us, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” God wants us to succeed. He wants us to be married and partnered up more than we desire it for ourselves. Keeping His Word is paramount to our success.

    It is very easy to make poor choices and bad decisions in the area of dating. We get burned this way and lose precious time and resources on this journey. We desperately need to keep the wisdom of God’s Word in our minds, so that we remain on destiny’s path. Then, we can do as 2Corinthians 10:5 instructs and cast down vain imaginations and arguments from others, and we should even cast down those unruly thoughts that exist in our own heads. These are thoughts that place themselves higher than the knowledge of God, and we can never afford to let them dwell in our minds. That’s why doubt is so dangerous to our believing, because doubt tells a lie about the goodness of God. Instead of letting doubt rule our thoughts, Jesus Christ commands us to to capture those doubtful thoughts. We should examine them from all angles, and if they don’t line up with the mind of Christ, we need to squash them immediately. We must disconnect from the thoughts that support wrong beliefs. We can’t let them get into our hearts or cancel our commitment to keep God’s Word active in our minds.

    Step 3: Survive the test.
    It is critical that we understand the increase that marriage yields. It expands our territory exponentially, and to whom much is given, much is required. So many single believers complain about the wait. They don’t understand that God is building capacity within them. Marriage in modern times requires a strong spiritual foundation where the Lordship of Jesus Christ is firmly and unquestionably in place. It cannot be lost on us that the enemy doesn’t want our foundations to be strong in Christ and uses all manner of distractions to keep us from growing in the areas that we need to.

    Whenever you seek to go higher in Christ, you will always face challenges to keep you down. I encourage you to cease from complaining about the wait, for God is able to make up for any lost time. Survive and surpass the test the enemy is waging against your faith. Open your eyes and be attentive to the confessions you make, the conversations you have, the thoughts you think, and the attitudes that permeate your days. Bring everything under the submission and guidance of the Holy Spirit, as you stay in God’s Word. Know that when you take your obedience and stand to the next level and remove the blockers from your life, you’ll witness a repositioning that brings you in line with the blessing of marriage.■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Removing Thoughts that Block the Blessing of Marriage” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • What Happens if Your Faith Isn’t Where It Needs to Be?

    Just when you think you’ve gotten a clear understanding of what it means to walk by faith, something happens in your life to make you feel you’re almost back at square one. This is exactly what happened to me the day after having the most impactful prayer session I’ve ever had. Whammm! There it was, a formidable obstacle I didn’t see coming. I said to myself, “This is just another trick of the devil!” In fact, it was more than this. It was a mirror presented by my own thoughts and feelings of fear, those that were lurking just beneath the surface. Up to this point, I was operating in the faith I knew, and God has never failed me, but I had to face the reality that I had not been pushed to go beyond a certain level of discomfort. I had to deal with the answer to the question, “Do I truly trust and believe that no matter what, God has my back?”

    I noticed a pattern. Different variations of the same negative situations kept popping up, and with each instance, the circumstances became more severe. Sometimes, we become easily offended when we’re hit with tribulations. We begin to think that God has left us alone. Wrestling with trusting Him can be one of the darkest places a Christian can tread. It leaves a lot of room for doubt and ambivalence.

    Most of us have heard quite a lot of teaching on the subject of doubt. We’ve been schooled on the danger of letting it into our minds, and this can add even another layer of complication. Hebrews 11:6 tells us it is impossible to please God without faith, and some of us might think that if we have doubt in the slightest way, God will not come to our rescue. This isn’t true, of course. God will always come to our aid, but He will also teach us in ways that help us grow in faith.

    There will always be disappointments in life. There will be tribulations. In John 16:33, Jesus Christ told the disciples that in the world they will have many trials and sorrows, but they must be encouraged greatly in their hearts because He, our precious Lord and Savior, has overcome the world. He has won the victory for us. Heavenly Father wants us to realize that we have an enemy, and he, the devil, works through worldly systems. Romans 8 lists some of the persecutions that believers endure; tribulations, distress, being talked about and lied on, the perils of lack and loneliness, and danger coming very close to our lives; it can seem as if we’re just sheep waiting to be devoured. Then, Romans 8:37 tells us that none of these things will separate us from the love of Christ. It says, “despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

    It may not feel like it from where we stand this moment, but we have the victory over any circumstance facing us. Jesus Christ has already won it. Through fear, the enemy tries to keep us from seeing what Christ has done for us; he tries to convince us that God will not come to our rescue. Fear belongs to the devil; it’s his domain. Continually stirring the pot of our anxieties and working through others to prick us, the enemy uses our fear to get us quaking in our boots. We need to know with great confidence that God will help us be released from this fear. He will do it for us if we ask Him, in the powerful name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Jesus Christ left the throne of God to come to earth to save us. He became a flesh and blood person and shared in all the things that we deal with as humans. He did this because God, our Heavenly Father, gave him this mission. The heart of Christ was to do the Will of the Father because he loves Him and he loves us. Hebrews 2:14-15(NLT) says, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Jesus Christ has won every victory for us. He showed us how to trust and love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. Through his sacrifice and resurrection, we are released from anything that tries to hold us back or keep us locked down.

    He’s given us the victory! If you’re struggling to see the victory of Christ in some area of your life, don’t let your doubt place you in more self-condemnation. Don’t let fear and doubt put a wedge in your relationship with God. Ask Him to help your faith and talk with Him honestly about it. The Holy Spirit dwells within, and He will guide, teach, and comfort you. Take comfort in the reality that you will witness God’s grace and His awesome love and care, and this is yours for the asking even if your faith isn’t quite where it needs to be.■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “What Happens if Your Faith Isn’t Where It Needs to Be?” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Punishing Ourselves for the Past

    The other day, I ran into a woman that I hadn’t seen in over 15 years. I didn’t see her at first, but she recognized me and immediately made her way to where I was standing. It was so good to see her. We hugged each other and the first words out of her mouth were “How do you stay looking so young?” As many of you can attest, running after little ones will keep you on your toes, but nothing keeps you feeling and looking youthful like the grace of God on your life. When you have a heart for God, and you choose to dedicate your life to pleasing Him, He will keep you if you want to be kept. Living according to His Will has restorative power and helps us age gracefully. I’m not saying that we don’t grow older in our appearance, but His ageless grace is apparent on our faces when pleasing Him is our priority.

    All of us have made mistakes and haven’t always done the things we know are right. Some individuals are carrying around the guilt of those things, and this keeps them from walking more fully in God’s extraordinary grace. Sometimes this guilt comes from things we’ve done, and sometimes it comes from things that have been done against us. In some ways, we may be punishing ourselves by continually feeling sad and hurt because our hearts were broken by someone we truly loved. There are other ways that guilt punishes us as well. Sometimes its through the fear that is still operating in our souls because someone violated us when we were powerless to defend ourselves. These are wounds that the enemy would like to keep open, so that he can continue to trap us in fear, sadness, shame, and self-condemnation.

    Many of us allow mistakes and pain from the past to affect us in the present. We do this by spending a lot of time thinking about the situations and focusing on the harm they caused. This shows us that we’re still hanging on to these emotions and thoughts. God wants us to wear the sweet perfume of His grace and this requires us to stop punishing ourselves by rehashing and reliving the past. We’re giving negativity space and weight in our lives, and Heavenly Father wants to help us release it.

    In Luke 7:36-39 (NLT), Jesus Christ demonstrates the liberty and grace he extends through the record of a woman who had made some serious mistakes. In this passage, one of the Pharisees, a group known to deplore him, invited Jesus to have dinner with him. Jesus accepted the invitation and as they were eating, a certain immoral woman from the city heard he would be eating there and brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. This woman had a bad reputation in town because of her deeds of the past. Understanding the times in which this takes place is crucial, because it wasn’t easy even for a woman with a good reputation, so you can imagine what it was like for a woman with a soiled one.

    Some believe she was a prostitute, a label given to many women that were forced to make a living on their own because they didn’t have a husband. She might have come from a poor family with no pedigree and fallen in love with someone who promised to be her rescuer, but only used her for his pleasure. Heartbroken, but naïve’, perhaps she fell into this trap repeatedly. Men in the town began to talk, and because no man would marry her, she was labeled immoral. She was ostracized from good society, and no doubt felt life was a vicious cycle of which she had no power and no redemption.

    She had heard reports of Jesus’ ministry and teaching, and an urgency to see him ignited her heart. When learning he would have dinner at Simon, the Pharisee’s house, she made it her business to see Jesus, and she did not come empty handed, but came ready to submit herself in the most humble way she knew. She brought an alabaster box filled with perfume, intent to perform a service that was typically relegated to the lowest servant in the house. Luke 7:38(NLT) tells us, “Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.”

    Again, we need to know a little bit more about the times to see the heart of what this woman did. Hospitality was greatly treasured back then. It was extremely important to the culture. It was customary to do things like have a servant standing by to attend the guest by presenting a basin of water and towel so they could wipe their feet. They wore sandals and their feet were always dusty, so this washing of the feet was a common courtesy. It was also customary to greet valued guests with a kiss on each cheek and to anoint their head with oil. Simon had been a poor host to say the least. He had performed none of these hospitable protocols for Jesus, the Son of the Living God.

    When at a dinner table back then, it was common for the feet to be postured off to the side, behind the body in a sitting position on the floor. It is possible that this is how Jesus was sitting when the woman came behind him to wash his feet. Simon was incredulous that Jesus had allowed this woman to touch him. She dared not kiss his head, knowing how she was viewed, but kissed his feet and anointed them with perfume. Jesus rebuked Simon for his neglect of common courtesies and in Luke 7:47-48 (NLT) said, “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love. Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.””

    In Luke 7:50, Jesus told the woman that her faith had saved her, and to go in peace. This is the grace that he offers to all of us. We must stop punishing ourselves by rehashing old memories of hurtful situations in the past. By doing this, we are trying to keep dead things alive. Jesus took it all to the cross and we need to leave it there so we can walk in the liberty he freely offers.

    Take a piece of paper and write down all the negative things that have happened to you in the past that are still affecting you today. Be as honest and thorough as you can. Spill your heart openly to God on paper. Remember that the more you deliver over to Jesus—the more you ask and accept his forgiveness and restoration, the more love you’ll show him. Then, when you’ve written it all down, pray over it. Tell the Lord that you’re giving everything on that paper to Him, and that through his blood—the blood of Jesus Christ, you are released from them now! Tear the paper into the smallest bits possible and dispose of them in whatever way that causes you to have a new memory—one of being released from everything that has held you back or robbed you of joy. Go in peace. ■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Punishing Ourselves for the Past”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Private Lives Brought to Light

    Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, taught a very powerful lesson in Matthew 6:16(NLT), and although he taught it in the context of the spiritual practice of fasting, it can be used in many other areas of our spiritual lives, namely, marriage preparation. He told the disciples, “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” There were individuals who, when fasting, would allow their appearance to look miserable so that others would give them a stamp of “suffering for the Kingdom.” This was directly opposed to the actions that God rewards. It is very important to know what He will or will not reward, because as we prepare ourselves to partner, many of us are indulging behaviors and actions that work against our efforts.

    There’s also another extremely important component that is revealed in the words of Christ in this passage. Verse 18 tells us that there’s sanctity in moving in the things of God when no one notices what we’re doing. This is a jewel that millions upon millions of single Christians have missed. When we do the right thing for the wrong reason, we may be rewarded publicly by others, but that is the only reward we will receive. It’s the things we do in private that speak to the real truth of who we are, what we’re about, and how committed we are to God.

    In this same chapter of the Book of Matthew, Jesus continued to teach the disciples principles about Kingdom economy. He instructed the disciples in Matthew 6:19-21(NLT), “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Treasures are the things that we value most in our hearts, and this is an area of our lives that significantly impacts our relationship with God. Our hearts belong to Him, because we gave them to Him when we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Jesus tells us to make sure that we’re not filling our hearts with passions consumed by worldly things, because if we store them up, we’ll end up with nothing.

    We have to be so careful with our private lives, because we become passionately involved in our relationships with men and sometimes forget that the Father knows what we do in the dark. Being in a relationship with someone we’re not yet married to can present many challenges. This is why it’s so important to have a strong, made up mind about knowing how and when to say ‘no’ if ever you’re in a situation of temptation.

    In 1Corinthians 6:18, God tells us to flee sexual immorality, because it is a sin against our own bodies. This is a very private part of our lives. There are things we do in the dark that we want kept in secret, but these are the things that reveal what we’re treasuring. The force of attraction can be very strong. We say to ourselves, “a little flirtation won’t hurt anything…” but all it takes is a thought in our minds to create a climate for sin to creep in. We shouldn’t place confidence in our flesh this way, because it’s an area where many of us have compromised our stand on God’s Word.

    Jesus Christ said in Luke 8:17 (NLT), “For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.” God knows what we do in our private lives. Many singles have complained about the challenges of finding a treasure in the earth, and it is because they haven’t stored up their best in heaven. We may not be perfect in this area, but we must behave like we know Heavenly Father is looking at what we do in the dark, and He desires us to be better. ■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Private Lives Brought to Light”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Be Strong in God’s Grace

    God said in 2Corinthians 12:9(NLT), “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” He spoke these words to the Apostle Paul at a time when Paul was dealing with a troubling situation. He sought the Lord three times to remove this vexing problem, and 2Corinthians 12:9 is the spiritual strategy for success that God gave Paul. If we take some time to ponder this, we would see very clearly that Paul had a strategy in mind before he sought the Lord. He surmised in his thinking that removing the troubling thing from his life entirely was the way to go. And after he came up with this fix, he presented it to the Lord in prayer and hoped the Lord would cooperate. We can relate to this right? It’s often the approach many of us take about the issues we face. Well, as it turns out, the Lord had something better in mind, and as our problems persists, the strategy God gave Paul is the one we must put in place as well.

    The two-pronged spiritual strategy
    The spiritual strategy God gave Paul is two-pronged, and both prongs are instrumental to operating by faith. The first is that of God’s grace. To get a better understanding of God’s grace, we must look at the people God marked out as His own in Old Testament times. The Children of Israel were God’s chosen people. He didn’t choose them because they were so special, but because He is so special. His love is extraordinary, and through His relationship with the children of Israel, God demonstrates for us His unconditional love and grace.

    God’s grace is all we need
    The children of Israel broke their commitment to honor their covenant with God. Many of them disobeyed Heavenly Father and rejected His guidance and leadership. When Elijah the prophet began to complain about how far off the mark the Children of Israel had gone, Heavenly Father rebuked him. Elijah thought he was the only Israelite still honoring God, and this was not the case. God told Elijah there were 7,000 that hadn’t rejected Him and had not bowed to worship the idol god, baal. In the New Testament, in the Book of Romans, the Apostle Paul pointed to this Old Testament record. It shows us that we don’t always know the whole story and should stop speculating about things only God knows.

    In Romans 11:5-6(NLT), Paul said, “5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.” Romans 11:5-6 gives us a beautiful illustration and definition of God’s grace. It is His divine favor that is bestowed upon us although we didn’t deserve it and could never do anything to earn it. He bestows His grace on us because He loves us. God chose the Children of Israel to serve Him, just as He chose us to be His sons and daughters. It is always God who does the choosing. Everything is driven by His Will.

    Hebrews 4:16(NLT) tells us, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Heavenly Father tells us to approach His throne of grace, not with our own plan, but with confidence that He knows what to do and how to do it—that He will not leave us defenseless but help us in our time of need. It’s HIS ability we must trust, not our own. He told Paul to shift his attention off the troubling situation and on to His grace, because His grace is all we need. It is one thing to hear the words, but another entirely to believe and trust them. Paul had to actually walk those words out in his life, and so do we.

    His Power works mightily in an atmosphere of humility
    A vehicle will not move if we have our foot on the brakes. The second prong is to remember that God’s power is unleashed through our humility, and humility requires us to take our foot off the brakes by recognizing we don’t have the answers. The Apostle Paul was able to boast in his weakness because this is when God was glorified through him. Let go and let God is a lifetime mantra. God knew what was necessary in order that Paul learned more fully to lean on Him. Paul had more to learn about the discipline of shifting to God’s grace and keeping it in high gear permanently.

    When we don’t trust God through our tough times, we run the risk of separating ourselves from Him when we should be drawing closer. This is especially true when we’re experiencing loneliness, impatience, emotional stress, and financial worries. The Lord God is mighty in battle! We must trust that He will fight for us, and that His grace is all we need. With Him on our sides, we cannot fail. ■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Be Strong in God’s Grace” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!