Philippians 2:14-16 (NKJV)
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
While complaining and constantly arguing with others rarely ever brings us the joy we seek, it's something we get caught in so often. Most of us feel a strong need to defend ourselves and look out for our needs and desires. However, when we pursue a life only concerning our needs and disregard the needs of others, we find we rob not only others of joy but also ourselves. It's so tempting to act on impulse and complain and argue and push to get what we need, because that's what is at the forefront of so many of our minds. I know I am very guilty of causing conflict because things didn't go the way I planned, and it's something I still struggle with today. Here in God's word He challenges us to do something so counter-cultural. He calls us to be humble peacemakers in a world at war built on pride. Selfish arguments and endless violent wars have caused a vast darkness to settle on the world. God calls us to surrender our selfish ambitions and give up our whining and disputing that God may overcome us and work in us. As we are humbled and overwhelmed in the light and power of God, God shines His light to the world through us and provides a hope to the world through peace.
Open up to God about any arguments or tension you've been involved in lately. Come to God with the frustration you felt and how the outcome of the conflict affected you and others. If you feel God leading you, forgive those who have debated against you and give all the conflict over to God. In doing so, God will renew you and fill you will His light as you empty yourself of any darkness that the tension has caused within you.
I pray that God's word would cause a peace to settle over you as He makes way for peace around you. I hope everyone has a wonderful day!
Madelynn
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Sweet Revenge
Romans 12:20-21
On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
We all have or have had at least one person in our lives whom we just couldn't stand, who got under our skin. Whether it be that person who cut you off in traffic or some one who has deeply hurt you in many ways, all of us have had some sort of enemy at one point in our lives. Many of us have that inner instinct to defend ourselves and constantly look out for what's good for us. And this world constantly tells us that revenge is the only way to overcome our oppressors. So when someone becomes our enemy, most of us don't think twice about conjuring some form of revenge. But here in God's word, God calls us to do something that completely goes against what this world trains us to do: Love one another in actions. God died on the cross for even the most hateful and evil human you can imagine. He calls us not to pursue revenge against them, but to reflect God's grace and serve them out of love. It may seem completely crazy to humble yourself before your enemy and actually serve them, but in doing so you are giving them more of a punishment than if you actually pursued revenge against them. When someone is truly against you, to see you acting kindly out of love towards them makes them more angry and distressed than if you were to react the way they expected and give into the anger they're fueling. God knows that you need to be filled and sustained with His good and pure love instead of being overcome of this evil that the world sugar-codes and feeds you. God has given us the power to overcome evil with His powerful love that produces good. It's up to us whether we pursue that love or the revenge that ruins us.
Think about that one person in your life whom you strongly dislike, someone you desire to pursue revenge against. Talk to God about it, and be honest with Him. He wants to hear from you and to listen to everything that's on your heart. If you feel God leading you, confess forgiveness against your enemy, surrender your pursuit for revenge, and commit to serving even your enemies. Rest in this moment knowing that a great burden has been lifted off your shoulders, and that you don't have to live in the clutch of revenge and any longer.
I pray that this would give you peace and encouragement today to go out and serve with the love God has filled you with. Hope everyone's day is amazing!
Madelynn
On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
We all have or have had at least one person in our lives whom we just couldn't stand, who got under our skin. Whether it be that person who cut you off in traffic or some one who has deeply hurt you in many ways, all of us have had some sort of enemy at one point in our lives. Many of us have that inner instinct to defend ourselves and constantly look out for what's good for us. And this world constantly tells us that revenge is the only way to overcome our oppressors. So when someone becomes our enemy, most of us don't think twice about conjuring some form of revenge. But here in God's word, God calls us to do something that completely goes against what this world trains us to do: Love one another in actions. God died on the cross for even the most hateful and evil human you can imagine. He calls us not to pursue revenge against them, but to reflect God's grace and serve them out of love. It may seem completely crazy to humble yourself before your enemy and actually serve them, but in doing so you are giving them more of a punishment than if you actually pursued revenge against them. When someone is truly against you, to see you acting kindly out of love towards them makes them more angry and distressed than if you were to react the way they expected and give into the anger they're fueling. God knows that you need to be filled and sustained with His good and pure love instead of being overcome of this evil that the world sugar-codes and feeds you. God has given us the power to overcome evil with His powerful love that produces good. It's up to us whether we pursue that love or the revenge that ruins us.
Think about that one person in your life whom you strongly dislike, someone you desire to pursue revenge against. Talk to God about it, and be honest with Him. He wants to hear from you and to listen to everything that's on your heart. If you feel God leading you, confess forgiveness against your enemy, surrender your pursuit for revenge, and commit to serving even your enemies. Rest in this moment knowing that a great burden has been lifted off your shoulders, and that you don't have to live in the clutch of revenge and any longer.
I pray that this would give you peace and encouragement today to go out and serve with the love God has filled you with. Hope everyone's day is amazing!
Madelynn
What to Wear...
1 Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Everyday we have put on clothes according to what our day is going to be like. We dress for work, dress for school or for just hanging out with friends. All of us have different outfits for different occasions, and though it may seem like a small choice, it's a choice we make everyday. Here in God's word, He calls us to wear something that prepares for not just one day, but everyday in our lives. God wants us to cover ourselves with 7 things: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love. He wants us to reach out to others who are suffering with a gentle and kind spirit, just as He does for us when we are wounded in life. He also knows that pride ruins us deeply, and He calls us to humble ourselves before Him and the world that He may work through us to show the world His glory. He desires for us to be patient, to wait on His purpose and His timing instead of giving into our impatient impulses and living the way we want. And just as He forgave us by giving His live on the cross to cover over our sins, He wants us to forgive one another and live according to His grace. But above all these things that God wants us to clothe ourselves in, there is one critical piece of spiritual attire that we are called to wear: Love. God is love, and He knows that we need to submerge ourselves in Him in order to truly live at all. His love covers over all sins, and is the source of our lives. His love is what gives us breath and causes our hearts to beat. Once we cover ourselves with His love, we find life and a satisfaction we have never known. God knows that the world calls you to wear the riches of this world that soon turn to rags. He knows the emptiness that comes when you fill yourself with the world. And He so desires for you to be richly clothed in His love and His virtues, that you would be clean and pure and satisfied in your submission to the Lord because you are His beloved child that He crafted with His incredible love.
Talk to God about what you feel you are spiritually clothing yourself with, and how it's affecting your life. If you feel God leading you, commit to clothing yourself in Him and living by these virtues that He calls you to live by. Invite Him into your heart that you may be filled beyond measure with His amazing love. Rest in this moment knowing that you adorned in the love of the Father.
I pray that this word would guide you and give you joy throughout today. I hope you all have a fantastic day!
Madelynn
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Everyday we have put on clothes according to what our day is going to be like. We dress for work, dress for school or for just hanging out with friends. All of us have different outfits for different occasions, and though it may seem like a small choice, it's a choice we make everyday. Here in God's word, He calls us to wear something that prepares for not just one day, but everyday in our lives. God wants us to cover ourselves with 7 things: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love. He wants us to reach out to others who are suffering with a gentle and kind spirit, just as He does for us when we are wounded in life. He also knows that pride ruins us deeply, and He calls us to humble ourselves before Him and the world that He may work through us to show the world His glory. He desires for us to be patient, to wait on His purpose and His timing instead of giving into our impatient impulses and living the way we want. And just as He forgave us by giving His live on the cross to cover over our sins, He wants us to forgive one another and live according to His grace. But above all these things that God wants us to clothe ourselves in, there is one critical piece of spiritual attire that we are called to wear: Love. God is love, and He knows that we need to submerge ourselves in Him in order to truly live at all. His love covers over all sins, and is the source of our lives. His love is what gives us breath and causes our hearts to beat. Once we cover ourselves with His love, we find life and a satisfaction we have never known. God knows that the world calls you to wear the riches of this world that soon turn to rags. He knows the emptiness that comes when you fill yourself with the world. And He so desires for you to be richly clothed in His love and His virtues, that you would be clean and pure and satisfied in your submission to the Lord because you are His beloved child that He crafted with His incredible love.
Talk to God about what you feel you are spiritually clothing yourself with, and how it's affecting your life. If you feel God leading you, commit to clothing yourself in Him and living by these virtues that He calls you to live by. Invite Him into your heart that you may be filled beyond measure with His amazing love. Rest in this moment knowing that you adorned in the love of the Father.
I pray that this word would guide you and give you joy throughout today. I hope you all have a fantastic day!
Madelynn
Friday, July 20, 2012
Unchangeable
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Every day in our lives we are faced with changes, big and small. Whether it be a simple change in clothes, or a dramatic change in your work place, change is something we can't avoid in life. Some of us thrive on change and variety in our lives to keep our attention from day to day. Some of us despise it because it often takes us out of our comfort zone and into a situation we can't control. Change can tear us apart or push us forward in life. In the craziness of all the changes we have to face in life, both good and bad, it's easy to get lost in the chaos of this constantly changing and moving world. While the shifting state of this world creates a shaky, unstable foundation, there is something we can build our lives on that will never shake, never change and never falter: God. He's unlike anything in this world that's constantly conforming. He is God. The great I AM. Unchangeable. Unshakable. Immovable. God. There is no darkness in Him, only light that produces pure and perfect peace. He is good when there is nothing good in us. He is God. And He desires for you to run to Him, recklessly abandoning the changing world around you. He wants to be the strong foundation in your life that you need. And once you base your life on Him, you'll find yourself stable and sustained in the strength of your God.
Talk to God about the changes in your life that you're facing, both good and bad. Open up to Him about how those changes are affecting you, and about any chaos that may be running your life. If you feel God leading you, give your heart to Him and make Him the strong foundation in your life. Ask Him to guide you so that you don't shift to another foundation crafted by this world, but that He we would root you in His unchangeable foundation.
I pray that God's word would give you confidence in God's unshakable foundation throughout your day. I hope everyone has a marvelous day!
Madelynn
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Every day in our lives we are faced with changes, big and small. Whether it be a simple change in clothes, or a dramatic change in your work place, change is something we can't avoid in life. Some of us thrive on change and variety in our lives to keep our attention from day to day. Some of us despise it because it often takes us out of our comfort zone and into a situation we can't control. Change can tear us apart or push us forward in life. In the craziness of all the changes we have to face in life, both good and bad, it's easy to get lost in the chaos of this constantly changing and moving world. While the shifting state of this world creates a shaky, unstable foundation, there is something we can build our lives on that will never shake, never change and never falter: God. He's unlike anything in this world that's constantly conforming. He is God. The great I AM. Unchangeable. Unshakable. Immovable. God. There is no darkness in Him, only light that produces pure and perfect peace. He is good when there is nothing good in us. He is God. And He desires for you to run to Him, recklessly abandoning the changing world around you. He wants to be the strong foundation in your life that you need. And once you base your life on Him, you'll find yourself stable and sustained in the strength of your God.
Talk to God about the changes in your life that you're facing, both good and bad. Open up to Him about how those changes are affecting you, and about any chaos that may be running your life. If you feel God leading you, give your heart to Him and make Him the strong foundation in your life. Ask Him to guide you so that you don't shift to another foundation crafted by this world, but that He we would root you in His unchangeable foundation.
I pray that God's word would give you confidence in God's unshakable foundation throughout your day. I hope everyone has a marvelous day!
Madelynn
Friday, July 13, 2012
Purpose in Life
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Whether you're a planner or a go with the flow kind of person, we all have an idea set in our heads of just how we want our lives to be. We make all these plans in our minds of how we want our lives to go, and of all the things that come along with achieving what we perceive as an ideal life. The more we think about our perfect little plans and build them up in our heads, the more we begin to pursue those plans and act on them. While most people see nothing wrong with mapping out their life and sticking to that plan, there is one problem with it: we were never meant to plan our lives or pursue that plan. The God who created the universe, the world, and each of us has an incredible purpose laid out for our lives that is greater than anything our minds could ever conjure. A perfect God has a perfect purpose laid out for our lives and He desires for us to grow closer to Him that we may know and live by that purpose. The more we try to fight God's purpose by sticking solely to our little plans, the more we find that our plans were never meant to be and will never work out the way we want them to. Once we surrender to God and commit to living by His purpose, we'll find that our plans small greatly in comparison to God's grand purpose for our lives. God does have an incredible purpose for our lives. We just need to give into that purpose and let it be the driving force in our lives.
Talk to God about whatever plans you may have for your life, how they came to be, and how they are working out for you. If you feel God leading you, surrender all of your plans over to Him and ask Him to guide you by the purpose He has planned for your life. Rest in this moment and take joy in that God's purpose will run the course of your life.
I pray that God's grand purpose for your life would guide you and give you joy throughout today. I hope you all have a fantastic day! And also, this will be my last blog post for a while as I am leaving to go out of town until Wednesday. So no Litte Wisdom Nuggets until then! I really encourage all of you to dive into God's word on your own, and let God's word move powerfully within your heart. Have an awesome week, and I'll be back to blogging soon! :)
Madelynn
Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Whether you're a planner or a go with the flow kind of person, we all have an idea set in our heads of just how we want our lives to be. We make all these plans in our minds of how we want our lives to go, and of all the things that come along with achieving what we perceive as an ideal life. The more we think about our perfect little plans and build them up in our heads, the more we begin to pursue those plans and act on them. While most people see nothing wrong with mapping out their life and sticking to that plan, there is one problem with it: we were never meant to plan our lives or pursue that plan. The God who created the universe, the world, and each of us has an incredible purpose laid out for our lives that is greater than anything our minds could ever conjure. A perfect God has a perfect purpose laid out for our lives and He desires for us to grow closer to Him that we may know and live by that purpose. The more we try to fight God's purpose by sticking solely to our little plans, the more we find that our plans were never meant to be and will never work out the way we want them to. Once we surrender to God and commit to living by His purpose, we'll find that our plans small greatly in comparison to God's grand purpose for our lives. God does have an incredible purpose for our lives. We just need to give into that purpose and let it be the driving force in our lives.
Talk to God about whatever plans you may have for your life, how they came to be, and how they are working out for you. If you feel God leading you, surrender all of your plans over to Him and ask Him to guide you by the purpose He has planned for your life. Rest in this moment and take joy in that God's purpose will run the course of your life.
I pray that God's grand purpose for your life would guide you and give you joy throughout today. I hope you all have a fantastic day! And also, this will be my last blog post for a while as I am leaving to go out of town until Wednesday. So no Litte Wisdom Nuggets until then! I really encourage all of you to dive into God's word on your own, and let God's word move powerfully within your heart. Have an awesome week, and I'll be back to blogging soon! :)
Madelynn
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The Definition of Love
1 John 4:10-12
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
So many of us go throughout our lives searching to find what love really means. We seek to find the definition of love in the search for our significant other. We seek it in bonds with friends. And we seek it in things that we can be passionate about in our lives. We search so desperately on Earth for this perfect love and find ourselves only temporarily satisfied in the various forms of love that this world offers us. However, the love that this world offers us is not the true love that we crave and need to sustain our hearts. That true love we chase after can only be found in God and God alone. That true meaning of love, that definition of love we try so hard to unscramble is laid out in God's love letter to us: God is love. And God gave us a perfect picture of just how deep His love runs for us as His Son hung on that cross for our sins. The definition of love was spelled out for us on that day when Jesus gave life so that we may live in God's love. God is love. Purely. Simply. Truly. Love. And once we allow this pure love to manifest within us, we find that we can't contain it. God's love is so grand and infinite that it overflows from our hearts and pours out into the empty, love starved hearts of those around us. God desires for you to know and embrace this love in Him that your brokenness within may be mended by His love which is made complete in us as He lives in us. God is love. Let Him be the true love of your life.
Read over the verse above once more. Let it really soak in and resonate within you. God is love. And in this moment, your heavenly Father wants you to live the life that He has planned for you in His incredible love. Come to Him with what is going on in your life with love. Open up to Him about how you've been chasing after love, and how that chase to discover the definition of love has worked out for you. If you feel God calling your heart, invite Him into your heart that He may overwhelm your heart with His infinite and unfailing love. Rest in this moment, knowing that the search is over. The definition of love rests within you as God moves powerfully in your heart.
I pray that the true definition of love would rest on your heart today, and fill you with a peace you've never known. I hope you all have an amazing day today! :)
Madelynn
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
So many of us go throughout our lives searching to find what love really means. We seek to find the definition of love in the search for our significant other. We seek it in bonds with friends. And we seek it in things that we can be passionate about in our lives. We search so desperately on Earth for this perfect love and find ourselves only temporarily satisfied in the various forms of love that this world offers us. However, the love that this world offers us is not the true love that we crave and need to sustain our hearts. That true love we chase after can only be found in God and God alone. That true meaning of love, that definition of love we try so hard to unscramble is laid out in God's love letter to us: God is love. And God gave us a perfect picture of just how deep His love runs for us as His Son hung on that cross for our sins. The definition of love was spelled out for us on that day when Jesus gave life so that we may live in God's love. God is love. Purely. Simply. Truly. Love. And once we allow this pure love to manifest within us, we find that we can't contain it. God's love is so grand and infinite that it overflows from our hearts and pours out into the empty, love starved hearts of those around us. God desires for you to know and embrace this love in Him that your brokenness within may be mended by His love which is made complete in us as He lives in us. God is love. Let Him be the true love of your life.
Read over the verse above once more. Let it really soak in and resonate within you. God is love. And in this moment, your heavenly Father wants you to live the life that He has planned for you in His incredible love. Come to Him with what is going on in your life with love. Open up to Him about how you've been chasing after love, and how that chase to discover the definition of love has worked out for you. If you feel God calling your heart, invite Him into your heart that He may overwhelm your heart with His infinite and unfailing love. Rest in this moment, knowing that the search is over. The definition of love rests within you as God moves powerfully in your heart.
I pray that the true definition of love would rest on your heart today, and fill you with a peace you've never known. I hope you all have an amazing day today! :)
Madelynn
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Control
Jeremiah 32:17
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
I remember when I was a little girl what an independent and bold child I was. I went through most of my childhood days with an attitude of "I can do this all by myself". I liked feeling like I was in control of what I was doing, especially at the young age of 3 or 4 when I was just beginning to take hold of my new abilities. Even when my parents were there to guide me and take care of the things that were too big for me to handle, I still fought to do it all by self because, as a child, I cherished that feeling of being "all grown up". As strange as it may sound, many of us, including myself, still battle with that same problem I encountered as a child. We go throughout our lives wanting desperately to control the environment around us, to have things go the way we want them to go. We fight daily to control our circumstances and to reach that level of perfection we all crave in our lives. And even when someone steps in and offers to take care of something we can't handle, we still stubbornly hold on to whatever control we think we may have. Why? Because just like me when I was an independent little girl, we love and desire that feeling of being in control of our lives. The only problem with that strong desire within us to have control is that we were never meant to be in control of our lives. God is. The God who crafted the universe with the very hands that bled for us on the cross. The God who fearfully and wonderfully designed us all. And the God who created the purpose in our lives. The God who has had control since the very beginning is the One who is meant to be in control of our lives. But just like a stubborn child, we fight to control our lives the way we think they should be controlled instead of giving it to the One who was meant to be in control. Nothing is too hard for Him to handle, not even the biggest battle in our lives that we struggle to control. He is here. And He will never leave us. His powerful arm that created the heavens is outstretched, waiting for us to take it. We just have to step out and take the hand of our Saviour, and surrender all to Him.
Talk to God about what you're battling to control in your life and how it's affecting you. Open up to Him as if you were opening up to your closest friend about your biggest problem in your life. If you feel God leading you in this moment, surrender all control of your life to Him. Give your heavenly Father all your problems that are too big for you to handle, because nothing is too hard for God to handle.
I pray that this word would give you peace in knowing that nothing is too big for our God to handle. I hope you all have a great day!
Madelynn
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
I remember when I was a little girl what an independent and bold child I was. I went through most of my childhood days with an attitude of "I can do this all by myself". I liked feeling like I was in control of what I was doing, especially at the young age of 3 or 4 when I was just beginning to take hold of my new abilities. Even when my parents were there to guide me and take care of the things that were too big for me to handle, I still fought to do it all by self because, as a child, I cherished that feeling of being "all grown up". As strange as it may sound, many of us, including myself, still battle with that same problem I encountered as a child. We go throughout our lives wanting desperately to control the environment around us, to have things go the way we want them to go. We fight daily to control our circumstances and to reach that level of perfection we all crave in our lives. And even when someone steps in and offers to take care of something we can't handle, we still stubbornly hold on to whatever control we think we may have. Why? Because just like me when I was an independent little girl, we love and desire that feeling of being in control of our lives. The only problem with that strong desire within us to have control is that we were never meant to be in control of our lives. God is. The God who crafted the universe with the very hands that bled for us on the cross. The God who fearfully and wonderfully designed us all. And the God who created the purpose in our lives. The God who has had control since the very beginning is the One who is meant to be in control of our lives. But just like a stubborn child, we fight to control our lives the way we think they should be controlled instead of giving it to the One who was meant to be in control. Nothing is too hard for Him to handle, not even the biggest battle in our lives that we struggle to control. He is here. And He will never leave us. His powerful arm that created the heavens is outstretched, waiting for us to take it. We just have to step out and take the hand of our Saviour, and surrender all to Him.
Talk to God about what you're battling to control in your life and how it's affecting you. Open up to Him as if you were opening up to your closest friend about your biggest problem in your life. If you feel God leading you in this moment, surrender all control of your life to Him. Give your heavenly Father all your problems that are too big for you to handle, because nothing is too hard for God to handle.
I pray that this word would give you peace in knowing that nothing is too big for our God to handle. I hope you all have a great day!
Madelynn
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