Giving

Paul said in 2 Corinthians, “I want you to excel in the gracious ministry of giving.” He could have said he wanted you to excel in business, excel in education, excel in performance – that’s all good. But he said what he wanted you to be really great at, what he wanted you to excel in, is giving.

I used to be a selfish person. I acted as though the world revolved around me and for the most part it looked to be true. But then I went through a long season of loss and struggle. People seemed to come out of the woodwork to use me, lie to me, cheat on me. I lost ALL of my close relatives (went home to heaven), friends, influence, money. It was a very devastating, eye-opening period in my life. But it brought me so much closer to God and it developed me into being a more gracious, loving, forgiving, generous person.

I had made up my mind then that I wanted to live my life as a giver and not a taker. If you’ve seen my Facebook page or been around me in person you know I love to motivate and help people. I can imagine no greater compliment than when I’m done here and go to my eternal home, for people to think of me as someone who made their life better... in ANY way.

Friends, in this season of giving I want to encourage you to let that be your desire, too; to leave people better off than when you first met them. Let your requests to God begin with asking Him to show you ways that you can benefit others. When you put God first and honor Him in all that you do you will begin to see His amazing blessings in a greater way, and on such a level you didn’t even know existed!

God Looks Beyond The Surface

Your Creator can see things in you that other people cannot see. The bible says, "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Sometimes people will try to push you down or make you feel insignificant. Sometimes our own thoughts will try to convince us that we don’t measure up. But God looks beyond the surface, beyond the mistakes you’ve made, beyond what somebody said about you and sees your incredible value.

You may think, “But I’ve messed up. I’ve blown it. I’ve failed. It’s too late for me.” No! God still sees more in you. God doesn’t just see what you are – He sees what you can become. You may have made some mistakes but God still sees victory on the inside of you. People may have tried to push you down but God can cause you to rise higher.

The key is that you’ve got to do your part and get rid of those condemning thoughts. Get rid of what somebody has spoken over you and start renewing your mind. Down deep, start believing that you are redeemed, restored, talented and valuable. Even if you have made mistakes, believe what God says, which is that great things are in store for you still. God’s not finished with you! He looks beyond the surface and sees your potential. Stay in step with Him and watch His plan for your life unfold.

Don’t Believe The Lies That Failure Suggests

A teacher told him that he was too stupid to learn anything and that he should go into a field where he could succeed by virtue of his pleasant personality – who was he? Thomas Edison.

They were turned down by a recording studio because the executives didn’t like their sound and went on to inform them that guitar music is on the way out – who were they? The Beatles.

When he didn’t make the varsity basketball team in 10^th grade he went home, locked himself in his room and cried – who was he? Michael Jordan.

He was fired from the newspaper because they said he lacked imagination and he had no original ideas – who was he? Walt Disney.

Friends, no genuinely successful person succeeds without suffering some failures; getting knocked down a few times. The key is found in how you respond. If you’re a believer in Christ the good news is that you have the Creator of the universe on your side!

The bible says, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.” These are the hidden dreams that you haven’t told anybody about. And one way you know they’re from God is that they’re so big that you can’t accomplish them on your own.

God does this on purpose so that it will take faith. Faith is what pleases God. Faith is what allows Him to do the impossible. So God will put something big before you, where you don’t have all the talent, the education, the connections or the confidence. God will even allow certain obstacles that we can’t overcome on our own. But take heart because He says He will never leave you nor forsake you! He also says that what He’s placed in your heart, He will not stop until it’s completed.

Today, if you’ve been believing God for something but it seems like everywhere you turn there’s an obstacle, a setback, a negative word – don’t give up! Remember, God knows exactly where you are. He knows the desires He’s placed within you. He’s promised to work things together for your good. He’s promised to finish what He started. As you delight yourself in Him, He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart!

Represent!

The bible is full of examples of people who said one thing yet did another. Who claimed to be believers, when it was convenient and/or to make themselves seem important. I want to quote just a few of these scriptures before I continue:

“Elijah came near all the people and said, ‘How long will you be divided between two ways of thinking? If the Lord is God, follow Him. But if Baal is god, then follow him.’”

Jesus said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I will spit you out of my mouth.” (One version says that type of behavior makes Jesus want to vomit.)!

Jesus said, “Listen! There is a group that belongs to Satan. They say they are Jews [believers], but they are liars. They are not true Jews. I will make them come before you and bow at your feet. They will know that you are the people I have loved [the true believers].”

Friends, why Jesus would rather you be outright against Him than to HALF follow Him is because it’s like a train carrying needed supplies that goes off the track but half is on and half is off. It’s better if it completely derailed than to stay on the track just a little bit, preventing other trains from getting through. Jesus is saying that being a hypocrite hurts His cause more than if you didn’t believe at all, because when you preach one thing and live another, it keeps others from wanting to seek Him.

The type of believer God wants you to be is one that draws more people to Him, not one that leaves a bad taste in their mouth about Him. Who is attracted to mean-spirited, gossiping, rude, lazy, negative, untrustworthy, hypocrites? Exactly! Now, how much more appealing are joyful, gracious, peaceful, mature, stable, positive, uplifting people?

So how do you really think God wants you to represent Him? Read 1 Corinthians 13. Honor God and He will move mountains out of your way! His blessings will chase you down! Represent Him accordingly and He will cause you to go further and faster than you ever dreamed possible!

Close The Door On Fear

So many people today are living with less than God’s best because they’ve allowed fear to creep in and take root in their lives. Fear is the greatest weapon the enemy uses to try to hold us back. But fear is not from God. The bible tells us that fear brings torment. It’s designed to paralyze us and keep us from God’s blessings.

The good news is that God is greater than fear. His power in you is greater than any power that comes against you. But, in order to walk in His power you have to close the door on the enemy. The bible says, “Do not give the devil an opportunity to work.” See, the enemy can’t have access to your life unless you open a door and give him access. That’s why we have to be careful about what we watch, what we listen to, what we read and what we say. When we open ourselves to fear, we give the enemy an opportunity to steal our peace and confidence.

If you’ve allowed fear into any area of life take a moment to go to God and ask Him to revive the power and confidence in Him that He intended for you to have. Conquering the enemy starts by making the choice to close the door on fear and you do that by receiving God’s love and meditating on His promises. Remind yourself of His truth and then speak His truth over your life. Let Him set you free and lead you into victory as you close the door on fear.

Your Times Are In God’s Hands

One thing I’ve learned is that God doesn’t always work on our time table. In fact, He rarely does. But, in a single moment God can change your life! All throughout the bible we see examples of how God was working behind the scenes and seemingly turned things around instantly for His people. It tells us that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, which means if He did it for them He can and will instantly turn things around for you, too!

You may be going through some difficulty today but be encouraged – the bible says that your times are in God’s hands. Trust that He has your best interest at heart. He does want to pour out His favor on you. He wants to take you further than you ever dreamed possible. He wants to do such a work in your life that’s beyond what you could even imagine!

Let this truth sink down into your heart today. Resist discouragement by speaking God’s promises over your future. You are a conqueror! You will lend and not borrow! No weapon formed against you shall prosper! God is working ALL things for your good! God will satisfy you with long life! He is your Healer, your Restorer, your Protector and He will make a way for you – not just when you see no way but ESPECIALLY WHEN you see no way!

New Life

Can you remember the last big dream in your heart? Maybe you were determined to excel in your career or to be a better partner or to get healthier. You probably started out with enthusiasm but maybe things got a little difficult or didn’t happen as quickly as you would have liked. Oftentimes, when things don’t go as planned people decide, “I’m just going to settle here. It’s not exactly what I wanted but it’s good enough.”

The bible says, “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’...” Friend, in this new season I want to encourage you to recognize that you were made for more than “good enough.” You were made to increase, to excel, to grow and stretch!

Every day is an opportunity to begin again. Why don’t you take a step of faith today and embrace the new life God promised you? Not only does Christ offer new life in eternity but He offers new life here on earth. Why don’t you pick up those dreams and be determined to see them through? It’s a new day and if you let Him, He will make everything new in your life!

The Gracious Hand of God

Have you ever thought about the fact that the victories you saw in your past weren’t just your own doing? The bible says, “For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them.”

When you made it through a difficult time, when you received an unexpected break, when things turned around for no reason, it was because God favored you. You wouldn’t even be alive today if not for the gracious hand of God on your life!

You need to know today that it doesn’t matter if you don’t have as much education as someone else. It doesn’t matter how influential someone else’s family is. It doesn’t matter what your background is. God’s favor can, has, and will take you places and to heights you can’t go on your own.

When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He places something undeniable on the inside of you. Something that can’t be measured, can’t be put on paper, and can’t be explained — it is His favor shining down on you! Other people may not be able to figure it out. All they know is that you’ve got ‘something’ — that’s the gracious hand of God.

Right now, in this moment, let this truth sink down deeply into your heart. Don’t be discouraged by what you can see, be encouraged by what you can’t see! Put your shoulders back and go out with faith and confidence knowing that His gracious hand is upon you. All that you thought was holding you back is no match for your heavenly Father! He WILL deliver you and you WILL experience victory and restoration in every way you need it!

Do It With All Your Might

Did you know that when you do something to the best of your ability it honors God and opens the door to greater blessings? No matter what we do, we should give it our best. When God sees you doing all you CAN do that’s when He takes over to do what you CAN’T do on your own.

This is true even in the little things. For example, when you’re doing the dishes or mowing the lawn, don’t drag around frustrated. Mow with enthusiasm! With every step, thank God that your legs work. Thank Him that you’re healthy and strong.

At the office, don’t just do enough to get by. You’re not working unto people, you’re working unto God! Do it with your whole heart.

When you volunteer at church, don’t wake up and think, “Aw, why did I volunteer? I want to sleep in!” No, serve Him with all your heart because that's the part that honors God most.

Today, find ways to be thankful. The fact that you’re reading this tells me (1) you can see, (2) you have an electronic device, (3) you know God – there’s three things right there you can start with! The bible says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might...” So bloom right where you are and trust that when you honor God, He’ll honor you. He’ll give you peace, health and blessing now and for the rest of your life!

Key To Lasting Happiness

The key to being happy is a grateful heart. I’ve seen people who have a lot MORE than me who seem grumpy about everything and people who have a lot LESS than me who seem to have the best attitude. You can’t wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to be happy. Someone out there will always have more than you and someone will always have less.

There is always, always something to be thankful for. If you need help, seek out someone who is less privileged than yourself in that area. If your leg hurts, talk to someone with no legs. If you can’t afford a new car, talk to someone who has no car. If you have to share an apartment with four other people just to make ends meet, talk to a homeless person. If you don’t like your job, talk to someone who’s been unemployed a while, who’s gone on many interviews with no call backs. If you think this country sucks, talk to someone from a third world country.

The fact is that we will always have something else we want – something that could be better – there’s no perfect situations here on earth. But experiencing true happiness starts with being grateful for what you already have. Once you embrace the things you DO have with a thankful heart you will see God show up and show out in greater ways!

Think about it as a parent. If you had a child who was always complaining about their things; their phone isn’t new enough, their clothes aren’t fresh enough, their shoes aren’t made by the right designer. Now, what if you had one who thanked you all the time; for putting food on the table, for encouraging their talent, for working to provide them with a safe home environment. Tell me you wouldn’t want to show even more blessing to the grateful one? God is our heavenly Parent – act toward Him in the way you would want your children to act toward you and see if your life doesn’t take a sharp turn toward more lasting happiness.

God’s Direction And Protection

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

God has many ways of pouring out His favor and goodness on our lives. This scripture says that He is your sun and shield. What does the sun do for us? It lights our way, keeps us warm, and nourishes the plants of the earth so that we can have food. Think about that for a moment. The earth is sustained by its relationship to the sun and God wants to sustain you through your relationship with Him. He wants to give you direction and be your shield of protection against all the attacks of the enemy.

In the natural it’s easy to fall into the trap of relying on the things of this world to direct and protect us. But when we put our trust and hope in our heavenly Father, not only does it enrich our relationship with Him but it also opens the door to the supernatural realm. It’s at this level where you experience supernatural favor, wisdom, divine connections, new ideas and so much more.

Today I want to encourage you to choose to put your trust in God and receive His blessing of direction and protection. When you trust in Him, He shines His light on your path and leads you forward into the blessing and victory He has prepared for you!

The X Factor

I’m sure you’ve heard of the show called, “The X Factor.” The judges study the different contestants and try to figure out who has that indefinable ‘something’ that makes them stand out. You can’t necessarily put your finger on it. It’s not just talent, looks or personality. There’s something about them that gives them an advantage.

In the same way, when God breathed His life into you He put something in you to give you an advantage in life. There is something about you that makes you stand out, something that draws opportunity, something that causes you to overcome obstacles, to accomplish dreams. The bible calls it, “the gracious hand of God.”

This manifests in life as God’s favor. It’s His blessing. You can’t put your finger on it. It’s not just your talent, your education, your hard work. It’s the Creator of the entire universe breathing in your direction. I encourage you today to put your shoulders back and hold your head up high. Call on God to show you His amazing plan for your life and seek His direction in executing it to it’s fullest.

Know When And What To Ignore

In order to live the life of victory God has promised you have to be very selective about what you give your time and attention to. The bible says, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” You have to recognize which thoughts to ignore, which comments to ignore and even which people to ignore.

Every “battle” that comes across your path is not a battle that you’re supposed to fight. Many battles are simply distractions from the enemy to try and lure you off course. If that battle is not between you and your God-given destiny, it’s a battle you should ignore.

Many people get thrown off course because they’re always trying to straighten everyone else out or win their approval. But if that’s your focus you’re wasting valuable time and energy that you should be using to pursue your dreams. Turn away from that distraction! You don’t need the approval of everyone around you; you only need God’s approval!

Friend, it’s very freeing when you realize you don’t have to fight every battle. You don’t have to please everybody or straighten people out. Instead, focus on what matters – God’s plan for you. He’s the One ordering your steps so thank Him for planning good things for you and ask His help to discern the things and people you should ignore. Keep seeking His approval above anyone else’s and you’ll learn how to live in peace and happiness every day of your life!

You Are Fully Equipped!

The bible says that God has equipped you with everything you need to fulfill your destiny. That means you are well able to do what He has called you to do. You can accomplish your goals. You can fulfill your dreams. You have the ideas, the creativity and talent to be successful. You can overcome any obstacle. You’ve been armed with strength for every battle.

Not only has God equipped you but He’s also working on your behalf. Get this down in your spirit today – He has already gone before you and lined up the right people and the right opportunities. Seek and trust God to guide you and you will see that you were created to excel! You may not have seen it in the past but if you’ll stay in faith it’s just a matter of time – victory is on its way!

So friend, don’t settle where you are. Don’t have a weak, defeated mentality. Have the attitude, “I am anointed. I can accomplish my dreams. I can overcome any obstacle. I am empowered by the Creator of the universe!” Stay focused on God’s promises and plan for your life so that you can do all He’s called you to do and have all that He’s lined up for you to have!

How To Experience Increase

God has a system that is based on the principle of sowing and reaping. In other words, what you pour out to others will come back to you in increased measure. When you give generously, a generous harvest will return to you. When you help others succeed, you will find abundant success on your path, too.

Are you helping others succeed? Are you helping others get ahead? There are some people in your life who hold the keys for you to reach your full potential. These are people that God has placed in your life for you to help along. The higher they rise up, the higher you will rise up, too.

The bible says, “Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.” When you give generously of your time, talents and resources, you are setting yourself up for greater success. People will come across your path that will help you grow and reach your full potential.

Do your part to step out and sow the seed. Be on the lookout for ways you can help others. As you give of yourself to help others grow, you’ll see increase in return. You’ll see success and live the abundant life God has prepared for you.

Peace Is Our Position Of Power

Every day we have opportunities to get upset, be frustrated, or get offended. Maybe you had plans that didn’t work out or someone was rude to you for no apparent reason. Maybe you were doing something that should have taken one hour and it ended up taking three. Life is full of inconveniences but even though we can’t always control our circumstances, we can control our reaction. You know the saying, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond.”

The bible says, “Good sense makes a person restrain their anger, and it is their glory to overlook a transgression or an offense.” We should always go out each day with a positive attitude, full of hope and expecting God’s favor. But at the same time, we should recognize that most days are not going to go exactly as we plan.

When you get upset at circumstances beyond your control you only make things worse. Don’t sink to someone else’s level who was rude to you. When something or someone attempts to steal your joy turn it over to God right then. Don’t wait until you’re so wound up there’s no calming you down. You are a child of the Creator of the universe… act like it. Maintain your composure, knowing that God has the ultimate say in whatever comes your way.

We were created to live in peace. Peace is our position of power. If you get stressed because you got off schedule or retaliate against somebody who tried to hurt you, what you’re doing is giving away your power. The more you practice releasing those offenses and disappointments to God for Him to handle, the more you’ll learn to live in peace and enjoy each day as the blessing He intended it to be!

How Do You Wait?

Are you waiting for God to do something in your life? One thing I’ve learned is that waiting should not be a passive thing. When we’re waiting the correct way, we’re on the lookout. We talk like what we’re believing it’s going to happen. We act like it’s going to happen. We’re making preparations.

It’s just like when you’re expecting someone for dinner; you don’t wait till they show up before you decide to start cooking. Most likely you start early in the day. You make sure the house is clean, you go to the grocery store, maybe you buy some flowers for the table. You make preparations because you’re expecting someone.

Well, that’s the attitude we need to have while we’re waiting for God’s promises to come to pass. Put your faith to work. The bible says, “...Faith without works is dead.” You need to start preparing for the answer to come.

I want to encourage you to choose to put actions behind your faith today. Trust that God is at work in your life. And wait the right way — with expectancy — knowing that your faith in Him opens the door for His hand to move in your life. Keep standing, keep believing, and keep hoping because your answer is closer than you think!

God’s Value System

In this day and age, people are considered to be important for so many different reasons like titles, position, possessions, where you go, what you drive. But God’s value system is very different from the value system of the world. God cherishes and values you so much simply because He made you. You are His beloved creation — the apple of His eye; the center of His world!

If you’ve ever thought that God has too many other important things on His plate to be concerned with you and your life, know this today — you are God’s number one priority. And there’s nothing you can do to be more important or less important to Him. He values you today and your value will never change.

You are significant! Your life is significant! The things that concern you, concern God. He carefully watches over every detail of your life and there is nothing too big or too small for His attention.

Today, I hope you find peace and security in God’s love for you. Don’t be afraid to take your concerns and cares to Him. He loves it when you come to Him and He’s ready to receive you with open arms because you are the apple of His eye!

Triumph!

We all have to deal with the unexpected in life. Just because we’re believers, just because we’re good people or doing the right thing doesn’t make us exempt from trouble. The bible says, “The rain falls on the just and the unjust.” But it also says, “…thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph...”

When something unexpected happens or you find yourself facing a crisis don’t automatically go into panic mode or fall apart emotionally. Realize that the crisis is no surprise to God. It may be unexpected to you but God knows the end from the beginning. He has solutions to problems you haven’t even had yet. The bible says that He has equipped you for every battle; that He goes before you to make your crooked places straight.

Today, instead of focusing on your problem, focus on your Creator. Focus on the fact that He is with you. Allow Him to lead and guide you to a place of peace and victory. No matter what has happened He will take what the enemy meant to hurt you and turn it around for your good. When you seek God and allow Him to execute His specific plan for your life He will always lead you to triumph over the enemy’s ploys and tactics. So keep moving forward, trusting that He has a good plan for you!

Conceive It Then Receive It

God is constantly trying to plant new seeds of victory on the inside of you. He’s trying to increase you. He’s trying to enlarge your vision. He wants to take you to new levels of victory. But before you see a harvest, the seed has to take root. You have to conceive it before you are going to receive it.

In other words, before you’re ever going to be successful, you’ve got to see yourself successful. Before you’re ever going to have your dreams come to pass, you’ve got to look out through your eyes of faith and see them coming to pass. That’s how you allow the seed to take root.

Today, I encourage you to examine your thought life. What are you allowing to take root? Are God’s seeds of victory and life growing in your heart and mind or are you nurturing seeds of defeat and despair? The good news is that you can change your thoughts right now, this very moment. Begin to dwell on God’s promises and His goodness. Let His good seeds take root in your mind and heart. It won’t be long before you’ll see that harvest of blessing come forth in every area of your life!

Worry

Is there something that you are worrying about today? To worry means to allow something to revolve in your mind over and over again. But the bible says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” God doesn’t want you to live worried or anxious about anything. He knows that worry steals your peace and joy. It affects every area of your life.

I’m sure you’ve heard the term, “worrying yourself sick.” There’s plenty of medical proof that worrying affects your physical body. It affects your sleep. And you won’t ever gain anything by worrying; in fact, you’ll lose precious moments that you can never get back again.

Here’s the good news though. You can decide today to put an end to worry in your life. God has promised that you can have victory over worry. But it starts by making the choice to trust in Him. When you cast your cares on Him like the bible advises then you will experience His peace.

Today, I want to encourage you to choose to feed your faith and fill your mind with God's promises. As you focus on what God has to say about you and your circumstances you’ll drive out worry and fill your heart with faith and expectancy; and you’ll be empowered to move forward into the life of blessing He has in store for you!

The New Has Come

There may be old things in your life that you are trying to get rid of. Maybe you have old habits or addictions that you want to change. The bible says if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. Remember today that the new has come. It may be nearing the end of a calendar year but don’t wait until January 1^st to begin again or believe for new things.

Right NOW, there will be new opportunities for you and you can decide TODAY that it’s time for you to be the new you. You can decide now to break old habits and addictions. You can believe right now that you are moving forward into a new life of victory, influence and abundance. Decide right now to take hold of all the spiritual blessings that God has promised: peace, health, protection and success.

Be encouraged today because no matter what has been going on in your life, you have a chance for a new beginning. Choose today to leave the old behind — old behaviors, old thinking, old words. Embrace the new by faith because this is your time to experience the new life that your Creator has prepared for you!

You Haven’t Seen Anything Yet!

If you look back over your life and you’re honest, you can say that God has been good to you. We’ve all seen God’s favor at work. He has protected us in ways we may never even know, He’s promoted us and opened doors for us. That’s God’s favor. But even so, I believe that in the coming days God wants to show you unprecedented favor —favor like you’ve never seen before.

In the bible Paul said that in the “ages to come” we would see “the immeasurable, unlimited, surpassing greatness of God’s favor.” What’s interesting is that Paul wrote this passage ages ago. I’ve mentioned this before, I truly believe that we are now living in the “ages to come” that Paul was talking about. I believe you and I are going to see this unprecedented favor!

You may have seen God’s favor in the past but my message for you today is get ready because you haven’t seen anything yet! What God has in your future is going to be bigger, better, greater and unprecedented! He is going to show you His goodness in ways you’ve never seen before! So keep standing, keep praying, keep putting Him first and watch because His unprecedented favor is about to pour onto every area of your life!

Embrace Who You Were Created To Be

The bible talks about how God has given us the power to enjoy what is allotted and appointed to us. I don’t have the power to enjoy your life and you don’t have the power to enjoy mine. Someone may have more success, more money, more friends or a better job but if you were put in their life, believe it or not, you’re not going to enjoy it like they do. We are uniquely designed to run our own race and the experiences, both good and bad are intended specifically to fit your journey.

Once we truly understand and embrace this we won’t be tempted to compare or wish we had what someone else has. You won’t think, “If only I had their talent...” No, if God wanted you to have that talent He would have given it to you. Instead, take what you have and develop it. Make the most of it. Don’t think, “If only I had her looks...” No, God gave you your looks. That’s not an accident. The life you have has been perfectly matched for you.

Now, as it often is in life you’ve got to do your part. You have to get excited about your life. The bible says that Jesus came not just to give you life but that so you could, “have AND ENJOY your life.” Be excited about who you are! Your looks, your talent, your ability, your personality. If something needs changing, like a bad habit or wrong mindset then do so but the basic YOU was designed by God and you need to embrace, develop and celebrate it.

Today I want to encourage you to choose to put your trust and hope in God. Know that He has equipped you for the awesome calling that was specifically and carefully planned out by the Creator of the universe. When you’re passionate about who you are it brings honor to God. That’s when God will breathe in your direction and the seeds of greatness in you will take root and begin to flourish!

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Well, I’m glad you asked! And no, I’m not talking about Tina Turner (good song, though!). In our culture today so many people are confused about what love is. We love pizza, movies and sports but we also love our friends or spouse. If we look to the bible we see God’s definition of love.  1 Corinthians 13 tells us that “love is patient and kind. It does not envy, nor boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It does not seek its own way, is not easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not rejoice in evil, but rejoices in the truth. Love believes, hopes and endures. Love never fails.”

This is how God responds to us and this is how we should respond to the people in our lives — with patience, kindness, hope, humility and love. Scripture tells us that God is love, and His character never changes. 1 Corinthians 13 ends with, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE”

Today I want you to understand that God loves you with an everlasting love. He promises that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He has a good plan for your life. Ask for His help to develop this gift of seeing others the way He sees them and responding in love because He is love. Receive His perfect love and let Him transform you from the inside out so that you can experience  the fullness of the blessings He designed for you.

Your Appetite Will Be Abundantly Supplied

God longs to pour out His favor and blessing on you. He longs to show you His goodness and provision. He promises to do His part – but you have to do your part, too. You have to be diligent. The bible says, “...the appetite of the diligent is abundantly supplied.” First of all, be diligent in seeking His ways and following His commands. Then, be diligent with what you have in your hand, with your time and resources.

In Matthew, Jesus tells a parable about three men whose employer entrusted them with some money called talents. Two of the men were diligent and invested the talents and received a great return. The third man was afraid and buried what he was given. The first two men were rewarded and praised for their diligence while the third man was reprimanded.

Follow the example of the first two men and look for ways to be diligent with what you have in your hand. Whatever you do, do it with excellence. Be the best you can be and go the extra mile even when you think it goes unnoticed. God notices even when people don't, and He promises to reward the appetite of the diligent.

Awesome!

If you’re going to reach your highest potential in the natural you will need to have doors open for you that you can’t open on your own. You’re going to need promotion, good breaks, divine connections and God’s favor in a greater way than what you’ve seen in the past.

God said in Exodus, “I will perform great wonders that I have not done anywhere before in all the world. People will see what great things I can do because of the awesome things I’m about to do FOR YOU.” Think about that for a moment and let it take root in your spirit.

This word is for YOU today! God is saying, “I’m going to do something awesome in YOUR life.” “Awesome” means “astounding, remarkable, overwhelming, breathtaking.” Pay attention to this key though, it’s found in the very next verse; it says, “Obey what I have commanded.”

Friend, God is ready to do His part but we have to do ours. When we do things God’s way we get God’s results. When we follow His plan He promises to bless us with life, health, peace and joy. Trust that He is true to His word and opening doors for you that no man can shut. He promises to do what has never been done before so now is the time to get ready for the surpassing greatness of God to show up and show out in your life!