Patience is Suffering

Patience is a virtue. Being Patient is also not an easy thing to do from day to day. I have recently been a part of a Bible Study group that has been covering the book of James. The book of James is so rich in its reading and I have learned a lot through the study. In James 5:7-8 it reads, "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains, You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." To me this means that we need to fight the fight that we have on this earth. Being patient for God might seem difficult for us, but Jesus himself was a patient man. We are supposed to strive and follow his ways. We are here to wait and endure trials thrown our way. If we are patient then we will be blessed by God. James 5:10-11 states, Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered." It is comforting to know that a huge reward is waiting for all of us. All we have to do is fulfill our purpose and endure human evil, also known as temptation. This may not come easy, but with God on our side it is possible. Timing is everything and I have felt that here lately. Let us strengthen our hearts and endure the trials in place for us. The CHOICE is YOURS.

Character Part 2: HOLY Outfit

     Character is something that everyone has. Some have good character while some do not unfortunately. Character is like an outfit. We sometimes may wish that we had that perfect outfit that always looked good and never went out of style. An outfit can make us feel like our absolute best. Believe it or not we all can have that perfect look. It is something known as our character.
     Colossians 3:12-14 states, "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 whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
     God has given us virtues that we are all capable of having. Not only are they virtues that benefit us, they are mainly benefiting for others. God is telling us to treat others like we would like to be treated.  With a combination of kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love, these things can bind together and make a difference.Not only that, but we should forgive like he did for us. We all are able to be our very best that we can be with these virtues. So put on your best look for every day of the week. By doing this you can show others what Christ has done for you, and is able to do for them as well. The Choice is Yours.

Character: Part One: Be a STAR

     "You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices." Leviticus 18:3 God put these people in areas where they would be tempted by evil. He left them in the beautiful place of Canaan with a warning: "You must not do as they do."Are you in a place surrounded with people that live or think differently than you do? I know for me coming to college was going to be a land like Canaan. It was new and exciting but temptation flocks everywhere. I am faced by others that just don't lead the same life that I do. This is hard for me because its a challenge. I feel like I am Moses being constantly reminded not to do as the others do. I want to be a light for Christ in this place instead of falling into temptation and following the crowd.
     Philippians 2:13 adds another great point by saying, "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." It is a harder job to complete by having our lives characterized by a peace-loving, patient, and positive outlook, but it would make us stand out of the crowd. When I am around others that have negative attitudes, after a while, I tend to catch it as well. Bad attitudes are like a contagious virus. Once you place yourself around the person with that attitude for a certain length of time, your pretty much standing in line to get it next. Instead of catching this illness, we should strive to avoid it. We can avoid getting that bad attitude and cure someone Else's too. If we listen to God as he says, "Do not do as they do.", our character can be the shining star that he wants us to have. Let us shine our light for the Lord! Stand out and be different! The choice is yours.
    
    

Trusting the Lord with all of your Heart

     I have a job interview process coming up that would mean a lot to me if I was fortunate enough to receive it. It is not only a huge opportunity for me to be a role model on campus, but it allows me to show others that I strive to live for the Lord. There are a lot of factors going into this process but I am really trying to give it all to God. Trust is something that I think is difficult for numerous people. We all have had things happen to us that make us think "Why is God doing this to me?". We have also faced people that make us loose their trust that also affects our trust with others in our lives. It is easy to talk about trust, but it is much more difficult to totally give it all to God.
      The book of Daniel is filled with one of my favorite stories. It's the story on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three men were tested for their faith and trust in God. King Nebuchadnezzar solely depended on a false god and had his people follow him. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused because they knew who the one true god was. The king found out that these men refused to worship his god so he commanded that they be sent to a fiery furnace. Daniel 3:22-23 states, "The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace." After noticing that the men weren't harmed, Nebuchadnezzar realized who was the all mighty God. Daniel 3:29 shows the truth when he says, "...For no other god can save in this way."
     Would you trust God with your life? It is easier said then done for sure but it is worth it. Our God is all knowing and all we have to do is give ourselves to him. He can handle our problems, worries, and fears much better than we even think we could. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't just talk about trusting, they showed obedience which risked their lives. Trusting him may simply mean not following the "cool" crowd at school. Your furnace may simply be walking into your school or even work place. We must be willing to talk the talk AND walk the walk for our God. Trust is a big deal but can be proved through obedience to Him. 
     I have decided a while back to give it all to God. I know that what is meant to happen in God's plan will happen. It may mean that I will not receive this job I am hoping for, but he knows what is best. I challenge you to give it all to God. Through that, God will show you things that you never knew were available. He can save you. The CHOICE is yours.

Our Very Own Personal Power for Good or Evil

      Have you ever been around a group of girls or even guys that seems as though all they do is talk about others? It's like all they do with their day is find out all of the new scoop on everyone. Have you ever been the hot topic of discussion in one of those groups? I have felt myself being wrapped into groups like that before and it is so easy to get sucked in. I have also been in the seat where I'm the topic of conversation. What goes around comes around. It is not fun being on that side, but when I think about it...being on the other side should'nt be either. I always tend to look back at those moments and get so disgusted with myself. I will be the first to say that I am nowhere near perfection, so what gives me the right to capitalize on others mistakes or negative things in their lives?

     Here lately I have been praying that God will guard my mouth and the words that come out of it. Our tounges can be compared to a tiny computer chip that acesses the Internet, or the steering wheel of the car that maneuvers two tons of steel. These parts are small but control a lot at the same time. Our tongues are a very small portion of our body but yet oh-so-very powerful. James 3:9-10 states, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." Just think about it...we have a lot of power in what we say to make an impact. Just know that this impact could be devastating to the Lord OR a praise to the Lord.

      I think we all want to strive to make what we say impacting in a positive way. This may come as more of a challenge to us, but it should be a challenge we are willing to take on! Do you want to shake someone's confidence, reputation, or even possibly their joy with your words, OR would you rather use them to build others up, point them to Jesus and praise God??? You have the CHOICE.