Am I Enough?

This world can be so overwhelming.  Money, bills, relationships, responsibilities, they bombard me on a daily basis.  Am I doing all that I can?  Am I doing enough?  I desire to be 3 places at once.  Is it even possible to be a good employee, friend, girlfriend, daughter and Christian all at the same time?  I need to get in shape, I need to eat better, I need to spend more time on my relationships, I need to spend more time with God, etc, etc. Time feels like it is against me most days.  I feel like if I am succeeding in one role then I am desperately failing at the rest of them.  I see people who seem like they have it all figured out, somehow managing to do everything I can’t.  And I wonder, am I doing enough?

Am I enough?

There are two answers to that question.  The first answer is “no”.   We are sinful humans in need of a Savior.  We alone are not enough, we can try and try but we will always fall short in our humanity.  We will get stressed out, burned out and worn out.  But there is some good news, because of what God has done and is currently doing in each of your lives “no” does not have to be the final answer.  Because with Christ we are so much more than enough.  Without Him we are not enough, but with Him we are so much more than enough.

You are not just a pretty face, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  You are loved by the King of Kings.  You may live here on this earth, but your home is in heaven.  When this world gets too much, when it wears you down, remember this:

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    

Psalm 139:13-14

God says He knew you before you were even born.  He said that you were fearfully and wonderfully made.  He has had a plan for you since day one.    Nothing in your life goes unnoticed.  He is there with you in the midst of the stress, He is with you everywhere.

The world will tell us that we are not enough, but God says “I am your enough”.  Are we willing to trust Him?  To accept that He is everything that We are not.  To believe that He is the answer to every one of life’s problems.  I challenge you friends to seek God in the midst of the mess.  As long as we rely on ourselves we will continue to fall short, only God can fill that void.

Let God be your enough today.

Lots of Love 💕,

Pure Hearts

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”  Matthew 5:8

In the dictionary the word Purity is defined as a “Freedom from adulteration or contamination. Freedom from immorality.”  There are so many contaminates in the world today,  and the sad thing is that less and less people are seeing them as contaminates.  They are being justified with “just be yourself”, “don’t judge me”, “I’m just following my heart” or “If it feels right then do it” attitudes.  We live in a “me” obsessed culture, where self-gratification runs rampant.

Unfortunately even the church is becoming a little desensitized to contamination.  Jesus did not die on the cross for us to live no differently than non-believers.  We are called to stand up and stand out not merely blend with the crowd.  Divorce, sexual immorality, lying, cheating, gossip, etc. has become a norm in both the church and the world around us.  Yes, I believe that God’s grace is sufficient, but I think we put way more emphasis on God forgiving our continual sin than actually changing our course. Grace is not a round trip ticket, it is a one-way ticket.  And the destination is Jesus. I think as a generation we are getting stuck in a vicious cycle.  We are doing everything we are supposed to do on the outside, but the problems are still there.  The sin is still there.  Somewhere along the road we got lost, our focus got blurry.  So what’s the root of the problem?  The Bible says it starts with the heart.

“For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.” Matthew 15:19

In order for our generation to experience revival we have to start in the heart.  Because unless we change the heart, the problem remains.  No amount of church services, worship music, Bible reading, etc. can change an impure heart.  I know because I have been there, I have had times where I would just get stuck.  It didn’t look like I was doing anything wrong on the outside, in fact I was doing everything right on the outside.  I was really good at playing the part that I was supposed to play, and you may be too.  But my heart was not in it, my heart did not match the lifestyle everyone else saw.  So where do we start?  Once again we can find our answer in the Bible.

Ask God to search your heart, and be open to what He reveals to you.  Because God may show you something that you did not even know was there, or maybe you forgot about it or avoided it so you hid it away.  We have to be willing to change, God will not just change our heart.  When He shows us a problem in our heart, we have to face it no matter how uncomfortable, painful or difficult.  Battles are won with opposition and determination, and this dear friend is a battle for your heart.

“Search me, God, and know my heart;

    test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

We now know what is wrong, we asked God to show us and He did. And We realize that in order to be pure of heart we have to change some things. This process will look different for everyone.  Things that have hurt you, things that you struggle with, etc. are not necessarily the same things that someone else may have to deal with.  Do not ever fall into the trap of comparison, your journey will never look like the journey of someone else.  Your progress will never be at the same rate of everyone else.  Some people after the discovery of a heart issue can simply drop it and never pick it up again, for others it is a long process.  But that does not mean that it can not be done.  Guarding your heart means eliminating the things that are causing or enabling a heart issue.  If you are in a relationship that is not honoring God, and the other person is not willing to address the problem then get out.  If your friends are inhibiting spiritual growth in your life then find new friends.  If the tv shows you are watching or the music you are listening to is shaping your worldview and it does not line up with the Bible then it is time to find something else to watch/listen to.  Nothing will change if nothing changes.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

The Bible says that everything we do comes starts in the heart.  Be careful what you let reside there, because it can only remain hidden for so long.  Choose wisely what you allow yourself to do, to think, to partake of and to be around.  We can look perfect on the outside but if our heart is dirty it is all in vain.  If you are having trouble removing things from your life then I ask that you seek accountability, someone that you trust to tell you what is best for you not what you want to hear.  It is great to have people in your life that do not “judge you”, but are those people actually helping you, are they looking out for your best interests?  People that care about you will want what is best for you and they will challenge you to be a better person.  So find those types of friends or maybe a mentor who you can be transparent with.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

Now that the hard part has been done we ask God to create in us a pure heart.  All you have to do is ask.  He has shown you what is wrong, you have sought the root of the problem, you are guarding your heart from contaminates, now allow Him to purify you.  No matter what you have done in that past you are never past the point of repair.  God can fix you, dust you off and purify you. He loves you so much,so much that He does not want you living in sin.  Sin will only feel good for so long, the only thing that follows is guilt and shame.  He never intended us to live with that, that is why He sent His son Jesus to die for us.  It was never our burden to bear.  God does not care how we look on the outside, He only cares about your heart.  And we are promised that the pure in heart will see Him.  So ask, guard and purify my friends.  It all comes down to your heart.

“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord sees not as man sees for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Samuel 16:7

Lots of Love 💕,

Autumn Leaves

October is here, it is finally here!  I love October, the air gets crisp and cool, the world changes colors, football season (living in Alabama that in itself is a season all it’s own), Pumpkin flavored everything, and my birthday!  I just love it!  Anne of Green Gables said it best, ” I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers”. Amen.

I also think there a lot of things that Autumn can teach us in regards to Christ.  Typically we get stuck in a rut during the summer.  We sleep late, we take vacations…too often we take spiritual vacations as well.  But I think Autumn comes along with it’s cool air and revives us awakens us to the wonders of God.  Who else could make something so beautiful? I want to present to you some things I think of When I compare Autumn to Christ.

Let Go

As the air gets cooler and the colors get brighter, the time comes for the leaves to let go.  If they do not let go then they cannot come back new in the spring.  They have to die in order to live, they have to let go of what they have been holding onto for so long in order to come back strong and new.  I think the same goes for us, we are coming out of season and with us we carry things, lots of things.  Things that hurt us, things that made us angry, choices we regret, and people we need to forgive ( or maybe we need to forgive ourselves).  We have to let go in this season in order to move to the next season.  Otherwise we get stuck and we can not grow, we stay weak.  Pruning is tough, it will hurt.  But unlike the hurt itself it does not keep hurting, only for a little bit.  But we have to submit, we have to allow the change to happen for God to work in our hearts to heal us and repair us.  In order to do that we have to fall, to let go and know that our heavenly Father knows what is best for us.  To trust that after the changing, the dying to self and the falling that we will return but so much stronger than before.  Because it is not the end, only a season that we find ourselves in.  God never forgets about his children.  So I encourage you to let go, to leave the past behind this Autumn and just fall,  fall in to the loving arms of our Lord.

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”  Isaiah 43:18

Accept the Seasons of Your Own Life

Autumn comes regardless of whether we are ready or not, it comes because it is time.  We can not stop it or postpone it, we can only prepare for it the best we know how.  Our life has seasons too, they come, they go and they shape us into who we are.  Some seasons are harder than others,  I recently came out of a pretty rough season.  It challenged me, but only after it knocked me down over and over.  Seasons are inevitable, all we can do is trust God and prepare the best we know how.  God will never give you more than you can handle, but sometimes He will get pretty close.  If life were easy we would not need God, but life is not easy and we do need Him.  I need Him, every single day.  I do not know what kind of season you are in right now, but I am here to tell you this:  That God is sovereign, He is in control and you already have you need to make it through this season because you have Him.  Seasons come and go, but God is forever.  Accept the season you are in and look to the Lord, your strength comes from Him and Him alone.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”  Ecclesiastes 3:1 

Fallen Leaves

I compared us earlier to leaves..  We have to let go, and we have to accept where we are.  But it does not end there, we have to turn around and pick up those around us.  Those who are barely hanging on, or who have fallen and hit rock bottom.  Those people need us, i believe that everyone is hurting, but if we only focus on ourselves then how many are left there on the ground?  How many people fall and can not get back up?  That is your job, that is my job, everyone has a job to look out for those who can not help themselves.  We are to pick them up, dust them off and point them to Jesus.  Because only Jesus can help them, but we have to get them there.  Like in the new testament, when those friends wanted Jesus to heal their friend.  They cut a hole in the roof of the building Jesus was in because the house was so crowded (Mark 2:4).  The man needed Jesus, but he also needed someone to get him there.  We have to be that person for someone.  If as Christians we only look out for ourselves and we only hang out with those who have it all together, then everything we do is in vain.  Jesus did not come for the healthy He came for the sick.  We are to do the same.  Help those in need, those who have fallen, those who are hurting…that is what being a Christian is about.

“If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:10

Autumn is here, the Summer slump is over and we have a job to do.  If we continue to do the same things we will continue to get the same results, Autumn is our awakening the time to revive ourselves and to help revive others.  Do not get so caught up the festivities of the season that we neglect our spiritual well-being.  Autumn is a gift form God, but this gift comes with some responsibilities.  Happy fall dear friends!

Lots of Love 💕,