Need Christ's power and not willpower

“I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me."
2 Corinthians 12:8a

I had to smile when I read this verse and thought, "Yep, I have asked you more than three times to help me with my weight problem(or my "you fill in the blank" problem). What area of your life do you continue to come to the Lord and ask for help and he seems to be silent and not help you?

Well, the best part of the verse is so comforting.
But the Lord said, “My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.” So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me.”
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 ERV

I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. I lack the discipline I need most days! But that's the good news. Only when I admit that to myself and to the Lord, can I be the receipt of his profound, unmatched grace! He says that "when I am humble, he gives grace."

Today i I will remember that I need Christ's power and not my "willpower."

Disobedient?

“Moses said to Pharaoh, “I will pray for you, your people, and your officials. Then the frogs will leave you and your houses. They will remain only in the river. When do you want the frogs to go away?” Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “It will happen as you say. In this way you will know that there is no god like the Lord our God.”
Exodus 8:9-10 ERV

As you can tell, I am deep into Exodus with my Bible reading. I get so mad when I see the stubbornness of Pharaoh! God knew his heart and he sent plague after plague to cause him to agree to let the people of Israel go. Moses and Aaron continued to warn him of the terrible thing that was about to happen...water turned into blood, frogs appeared everywhere, darkness descended on the land, hailstorm destroyed their crops, etc.

Listen to the stubbornness of Pharaoh when Moses asked him when he wanted the frogs to leave. "Tomorrow," Really!!! That is a rebellious heart. I would have begged that God would end the plague right then and there. However, the Pharaoh wanted the last word on his relief. That is a hard heart!

i know that the reason God made this verse jump off the page to me today. He is pointing out to me that many times, he has warned me of the consequences of my sin. He has clearly told me what would happen if I continue in that path. My response would be, "I will change tomorrow."

Is is there an area of your life where God has clearly warned you of the things that will happen if you continue in the path you are on? For example, not reading the word, not having a quiet time, eating too much junk, sleeping late on Sunday morning, not cherishing and forgiving your spouse, ...the list goes on and on. Is your response, "Tomorrow. Not today because I enjoy my disobedience too much? "

Need to Delegate?

“But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “This isn’t the right way to do this. It is too much work for you to do alone. You cannot do this job by yourself. It wears you out. And it makes the people tired too.”
Exodus 18:17-18 ERV

Do you have the attitude that you are in charge and you have to do everything? I certainly do:). When I have the "martyr syndrome" I wear myself out and the people around me, as well. My sisters will tell you that we got this honest from our mom and we did not like the "I've got to do everything and don't try to help me."

Have a a discerning heart today and ask yourself honestly what can be delegated or dropped all together. While you are at this, examine your motives. Are you continuing to do everything from pride so that you will get the glory? Ouch!

We can't be the whole body of Christ. We can only be the small part that God created us to do. We will be happier and the people around us will be too.

Way To Riches

“Devotion to God is, in fact, a way for people to be very rich, but only if it makes them satisfied with what they have. When we came into the world, we brought nothing. And when we die, we can take nothing out. So, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that.”
1 Timothy 6:6-8 ERV

Many things happen when life is a beat down. We forget that "our troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory." But something else happens-comparison with someone else that doesn't have that problem!

If you are like me, you will begin to compare your life with some one else's every time. Say you have worked hard on your eating and exercise and you gain two pounds. You look around and find women that don't seem to struggle with weight issues and you start comparing. Maybe you are choking with busyness and stress at work(me). You look around and find women that have an easy job or no job. The list could go on and on.

This verse has an antidote. Be content with what we have. "Devotion to God is a way to be very rich." It is a vicious cycle when we take our eyes off the Lord. Good days, bad days will always be there and we will envy the lives of others. i want to get my eyes on him and not others. That is the only way to break out of that cycle.

Never Give Up

“That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 ERV

If we flip this verse around, "If we give up as our physical bodies become older, our spirit is not going to be strengthened.

If we long to be stronger, in every way...physically, spiritually, emotionally...we must endure suffering. Obviously, if I want to increase my muscles I must exercise, which is a form of suffering for my body.

if I want to grow in emotional maturity, I must put myself in second place. I must humble myself. I won't grow emotionally if I stay in selfish mode.

But most of all, to grow spiritually, I must accept the trouble and suffering as a form of training that God allows In my life to grow from it. Delayed gratification...the eternal glory is so much greater than my temporary troubles.

Love to Your Fellow Believers

I was reading a great article that my sweet friend, Michelle Myers wrote about how we are quick to criticize our sisters in Christ. I have been thinking about this and this morning I read this verse.

“One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him.””
Luke 7:36-39 MSG

The Pharisees were quick to accuse Jesus and one had the nerve to say, "if he was the prophet I thought he was." I thought about how I am quick to find a fault in my fellow sisters in Christ. I judge them quicker than I do a non-Christian and I bet you do too.

Today i am going to give more grace and love to my fellow believers. Think about it...you are going to spend eternity with them:):):).

Is God Taking Too Long to Act?

“When the people realized that Moses was taking forever in coming down off the mountain, they rallied around Aaron and said, “Do something. Make gods for us who will lead us. That Moses, the man who got us out of Egypt—who knows what’s happened to him?””
Exodus 32:1 MSG

Have you ever thought God was taking too long to do something in your life and you took matters in your own hands? The children of Israel are not any different from us. God had never once disappointed them. In fact, he had done miracle after miracle. But when he paused, they lost their trust and "made other gods."

Next time you realize that God seems silent, don't be tempted in any way to form another god to help you out. Wait. Trust. The golden calf you are substituting is just that...a man-made god. That god will disappoint you every time. The real God will never ever ever disappoint you. He is worth waiting for.