There are many reasons why God should never use us. But He does. Moses stuttered and was a murderer. Miriam was a gossip, and David had an affair. Solomon was filthy rich and was obsessed with women. Gideon and Thomas, we are doubters. Elijah was suicidal. The list could go on. God used them all. God qualifies the unqualified. It is not God who disqualifies. Then who is it?
Self-disqualification. We live in a world that sees our worth in success. People tend to measure their self-esteem by their success. Success is something we dreamt about in our youth, and strive for in our adult years, if we haven’t achieved it, we often live in regret and bitterness. Society teaches us how to succeed, but not on how to handle failures. There is a self-imposed shame in not being as successful as we had envisioned. Failed marriages, kids going off the rails, business attempts that have crashed. Failure in society is often seen as an unforgivable sin, and our response to failure is self-disqualification.
We can look at Peter in the Bible, Did he fail? God is more concerned with who we are than what we do; what we become is more than what we achieve. If success makes us proud, self-sufficient, and uncaring, and failure makes us less selfish, less independent, and more sympathetic, which is better? Being the person God wants you to be is more of a true measure of success than achieving the goals you have set for yourself.
The Book of Peter is an account of how Jesus builds lives out of failure. We are Jesus’s success story.
Disqualified by others. People often don’t see your worth. When we are told that we will always be at the end of the line. And we are no quite enough. No matter our disabilities, looks, or anything else all people have a purpose. God looks at the heart first. God doesn’t use champions, or superstars he chooses the unqualified.
God separatesthe ones He chooses from the world. He separates unto Himself. Another word for it is “sanctification.” He separates the unqualified from what is unholy and causes them to be devoted to God.
These are Jesus words from Mark 8:34. In preceding verses 31-33, Peter had just objected to the idea that Jesus would die. In verse 32, we are told that Peter rebuked Jesus. Jesus in turn rebuked Peter for objecting.
Carrying The Cross
Then Jesus tells us what must happen if a man or woman wants to follow Him.
“He summoned the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself and follow me” -Mark 8:34
“Come after” in Greek means “to come after to z point of being with” Him. Jesus is saying that someone who wants to follow Him must take up His cross. But what does that mean?
“Let them deny himself…
Jesus is saying the starting point is to deny ourselves. Again we should understand the Greek meaning “aparneomia.” This is a strong word meaning that a person must refuse to think about themselves. It paints a picture of complete denial of one’s desires and wishes.
Take up his cross…
Then Jesus said the person must take up their cross. In Jesus’s time, everyone understood the meaning of the word cross. The Roman soldier literally crucified two thousand people on crosses on one occasion. To carry your cross meant that you were dragging it along and eventually reached the place where the soldiers would crucify you. Therefore, Jesus’s point is that you must be so committed to denying yourself that you are willing to die for Him.
And follow Me.
Then Jesus added what must happen after a believer, takes up their cross, if a believer is truly willing to did for Jesus, he or she will follow Jesus. Luke 5:1-11 gives us an important illustration of following Jesus. On this occasion, the disciples had already been asked to follow Jesus two previous times. What happened on this occasion was so incredible that the disciples left everything and followed Him.
“When they brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him“ – Luke 5:11
They left everything and followed Him. This is an excellent example of Jesus’s command to “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
No one will truly follow Jesus who continues to be more interested in themselves than in Jesus. Jesus does not give us the option of calling Him our Savior and Lord while continuing to satisfy our desires and wishes. We must deny ourselves to the point of death in our following Him. This is the character of a true follower of Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 16:25 Jesus said losers are the spiritual winners.
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
All of Jesus’s disciples lost their lives because they chose to follow Him. Except for John who suffered greatly because of Jesus throughout his long life.
We will all die that’s a fact. The disciples died for Jesus. In 2 Timothy 3:12 tells us that everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Isaiah 41:10 says “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be displayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
There’s a quote that I think most true believers believe,
“I’d rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God.”
The topics I like to discuss. I am not a very social person, especially when it comes to crowds. I would rather stand back and watch my surroundings. It is not a trust issue or anything it’s just how I am.
One on one I do fine with people. Some of the things I like to discuss are pretty deep. I have noticed most people just want small talk.
Some of the topics I like to discuss are anything that is open-ended. If you’ve read anything in my blog you know I like to talk about God, I love talking about what God is doing in people’s lives. How has He affected your life?
I like to give people hope. This world tends to be a cold place. Without hope, it’s easy to get depressed. I want to know the most difficult experience people have ever had. The problem is people would rather distract themselves from their most difficult issues instead of trying to fix them.
In the Bible, a remnant is a group of people who remain loyal to God after a time of hardship. There is a special meaning to the remnant of believers that will exist in the last days, when the earth is at its worst, right before the Messiah returning.
The beauty of God’s plan is He promises there will always be a remnant who will remain faithful to Him (Ezekiel 6:8-10). No matter how dark the world becomes or how dire the circumstances that emerge, the church of Christ will never be defeated (Numbers 16:18). The light that had come into the world through Jesus will never be extinguished (John 8:12). Sometimes I wonder how big that remnant will be in our generation.
The more I learn and the closer I draw to Christ, the more concerned I become about the multitudes who profess Jesus with their lips but deny Him with their lives. I see no evidence that everyone who calls themselves a believer of Christ is part of the remnant of God. I see a lot of people walking the path of “doing church” who could never squeeze through the narrow gate.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it“ – Matthew 7:13-14
I remember the story of Gideon in the Old Testament in Judges 6-8. When God chose him to deliver His people from the hands of the Midianites, Gideon got an army of over 32,000 men to fight. But soon it became apparent that not everyone who showed up for the battle believed in the Name they were called to defend. The first to leave were those who lacked faith that God would ever deliver them. Gideon told all those who were afraid of the enemy to go home, and over two-thirds of his army left (Judges 7:1-3). Then God removed all those who were not diligent to pay attention to the battle before them. All those who relaxed and carelessly drank in the refreshing water and ignored what was around them were sent home as well. (Judges 1:4-7). Only 300 out of the original 32,000 remained with Gideon. These were the ones who trusted God to deliver them and were unafraid to stand for God’s name. Those were the ones who would not take their eyes off the battle for the sake of their own comfort. They would not allow their personal desires to distract them from their mission. This was the remnant God used to deliver Israel from the hands of their oppressors. Less than 1% of those who reported for duty were chosen.
How many of the thousands of people who say they are church members across our lands will be part of the remnant? How many will be chosen? When times get tough and persecution mounts, how many will tremble and return to their homes? How many will grow weary of fighting and succumb to cultural pressures, and take their eyes off Jesus, just for a moment, to seek comfort and relaxation? Who will remain steadfast and alert? Who will be part of the remnant of God?
How many will have what it takes to hold fast go our convictions and persevere? This is not something that can be done in our own strength. If a person wants to be part of the remnant of God, they must live Him and all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Leaning on God for every decision and living with the courage to not deny Him. (Deuteronomy 31:6; Proverbs 3:5-6). They must take up their cross daily and die to themselves (Luke 9:23; Galatians 2:19-20).
Matthew 24:9-13 tells us that many who come to Jesus will fall away. When times of trouble come and we face persecution of any kind, God will ask us, “You don’t want to go away, do you?” (John 6:66-67). Will we answer like Peter answered, “Where else would we go? For you have the words of eternal life!” (John 6:68-69).
Will we stand firm and never waver? And be a part of the remnant of God.
Today was a particularly hard day for me. Everything that has happened I’ve felt like crying. I saw a magpie in a tree and remembered my father rescuing one that was hurt, and nursing it back to health. A flood of old childhood memories came back instantly.
Then I remembered that nothing is sweeter than believing in God for freedom from past hurts. While it seems like an oversimplification to believe that mercies come fresh, and experiencing freedom from past hurts is simple. It’s not easy, but it is simple.
God’s Word says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning great is His faithfulness” – Lamentations 3:22-23
Emotional hurt can be caused by so many things, the loss of a loved one, a toxic relationship, or past trauma. Anything that can being wounded to the soul (which can heal slower that physical injuries). Sometimes it can feel like full healing will never come.
The Bible promises us that we can and will heal. Isaiah 52:5 tells us, “But He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on Him and by His wounds we are healed.”
Jesus’s finished work on the cross promises not only spiritual and physical healing but emotional healing as well.
Many times the people around us tell us because we believe in Christ that we should be okay and we should always be happy and perfect. But that’s not the case. We all have hurts, pain, struggles, and wounds.
And I believe one reason people hide their hurts is because of shame and pride. But God tells us to humbly confess our hurts to God first and then to others. Acceptance is always the key to start the healing process. And part of starting that healing is to humbly admit we are hurt.
There’s a song by Crowder that says, “Lay down your burdens, lay down your shame, and lift up your face…come as you are.”
We. Just surrender every hurt to the cross. There is nothing in this world that can heal the soul. The only thing that can do that is Jesus’s finished work on the cross. Because of what Jesus did for us we can freely declare that, “by His wounds we are healed.”
God’s desire is to bring us to a healing place, and that starts with us coming to God and leaving our hurts at the feet of Jesus. Matthew 11:28 tells us to “Come to Him, all who labor and are heavy laden and He will give us rest.”
Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “the comforter” in John 14:16. That’s because in God’s presence comes refreshing comfort which allows us to experience great mercies. When we are in God’s presence we are fully restored.
One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible says,
“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and you will praise the name of the Lord, your God, who had dealt wondrously with you, and my people will never again be disappointed” – Joel 2:25-26
When we are filled with God’s Spirit, He restores and mends us. All we need to do is allow Him to do so and give Him full access to our hearts.
I know bad days will come and many I’m sure will come again. But I chose to stand on the Word of God. Knowing that they will always lift my spirit and give e strength to come ahead toward my final destination.
One of the most important things that Jesus did during His ministry was to love everyone. As Followers of Christ, we don’t need lists of rules, we need to do this every day or every week. We need to do as Jesus did -love people.
It’s disheartening to me to see how some religious leaders hurt or abuse people in the name of Christ. They shame their members into feeling guilty about that life they are living. I think the essence of Christianity is love. We don’t need to complicate it with a thousand rules. We don’t need to use tools of guilt or shame to manipulate people into conforming people to religion, to demand ultimate obedience with the threat of eternal damnation hanging louver our heads. We can just love each other.
When the disciples asked Jesus what the important stuff was, He said, number one, love God will all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And the second it love your neighbor as yourself.
Many people don’t want anything to do with religion or any part of Christianity because of a religious trauma they experienced or the many horrible things that have been done by people to claim to represent God or act with divinely granted religious authority.
We are all on a spiritual journey to become more like Jesus. We all have unique life stories. As a Christ follower I an aware of my inadequacies to meet the holiness of God. No human being is without sin or wrongdoing. But know God loves each of us and He desires to have an intimate relationship with us, and the relationship is intended to last into eternity.
God created a way for our sins to be paid. The path to forgiveness is not complicated. When we repent and turn away from our wrongs we are forgiven. Jesus came to save us from the trouble that comes to us in this life. Saved literally means the power of God comes in and fixes whatever’s wrong or broken, whatever’s out of line. God straightens it out.
Jesus didn’t die so we could be forgiven an unlimited amount of times. He did so we could be made holy, so He could come and live inside of us. And with His power and strength inside of us we will be able to quit sinning.
Following Christ is about love and forgiveness. It’s not about clothing or any kind of addiction. It’s about being a better version of yourself everyday. And talking to God daily for guidance.
People engage in risk taking simply because they enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with it. Risk taking gives people the chance to experience a thrill followed by emotions of relief or triumph.
I had wanted to go zip lining for a very long time, it was something that was on my bucket list. Some people thought I was crazy, and others said go for it. A few years ago I went for it. I was nervous at first, but once they got me strapped in the pushed the of the platform it was an adrenaline rush. I was glad I took the risk.
How do you keep your focus on God and not your problems?
We stop focusing on our problems and start focusing on God when accept the fact we have control over our lives and instead rest our minds and hearts in the full assurance that God is complete control. In other words, we must learn to trust God.
Our relationship with God is the most important relationship we will ever have in our lifetime. Family will pass away, friends will come and go, but God is with us every single day of our lives. God will never leave us or forsake us. When we walk in the truth of God everything else in our lives fall into place.
God Is Bigger Than Your Problems
God has designed everything we see and don’t see in this world. He creates and sustains everything. Our problems are often inconveniences that are here one day and gone the next.
I like to think of my life as a jigsaw puzzle. I might be looking at one little piece that looks strange and confusing but God has the top of the box of my life, and to Him it makes perfect sense.
To help keep our problems in the right perspective we can look at a few Bible verses:
1. The pain is temporary and can bring us closer to God. Psalm 34:17 promises us that God is near the brokenhearted.
2. No matter the struggle we have in the world, we know Jesus has overcome the world. John 16;33 tells us that Jesus had done so.
3. God can and will use everything in our lives for good. Romans 8:28 promises that He will work all things together for good if we love Him and we are called according to His purposes.
4. Hardship is to be considered joy because it tests our faith. James 1:2-4 tells us this. So if it’s not joyful, we need to ask God for help in that area. “What are you trying to teach me through this? Joy must depend on the Lord who never changes and not the circumstances which are always changing. Nehemiah 8:10 can teach us about joy in the Lord.
We focus on God because He is the designer of our lives. He holds all the knowledge, wisdom, and insight not only into our most intimate details in life but also the world around us. God surpasses the size of our problems and we can get a clear understanding of that when we focus on Him.
I have found that when I keep my focus on God I am able go make better decisions for myself and my family along with those whom I come in contact with daily. By making the decision every day to put God above all else I renew my mind and it becomes easier to reject the evils of this world.
Romans 12:2 tells us,
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God,”
There a saying that goes, “Big problems, small God. Small God Big problems.” What’s important is the truth in the saying. The more we are focused on God, the bigger He is, and that’s why it’s so important to keep Him at the center of our thinking throughout every day. When we keep our focus on God, His control and goodness will be more evident on our lives.
Lean On God, Not On Others
How do you lean on God? Go to God first with every concern you have in your life. Whether it’s a stubbed God or a huge decision to make, make God your go-to always. By doing this, you will not only be leaning on God but trusting Him with your life.
One of the hardest things I’ve learned in my walk with God has been the concept of going to Him before anyone else. It’s easy to pick my phone, send a text, or grab my husband about a problem I’m having.
It’s easy to just ask someone else about a problem you’re dealing with. So easy it becomes a temptation. But it’s harder to stop what your doing and seek a few minutes of peace in prayer.
If we truly want God’s help first, there a few things we should keep fresh in our minds in order to accomplish this type of reliance on Him.
You won’t go to God first if you aren’t already thinking of Him. This is one of the reasons why daily prayer and Bible study are so important. If He’s fresh in our minds, we are already thinking of Him. And we will naturally start talking to Him first.
About 6 months ago I had to get a different vehicle because my other one had some major problems. One November morning I was in a hurry to get to a meeting. I had started my car to let it warm up. When I got in to leave, it wouldn’t go into gear. Being an older car, I immediately panicked thinking it was the transmission. I grabbed my phone to call my husband at work. After waiting a few minutes for him to come to the office I started rattling off things I thought was wrong. He told me to shut off the car and he would look at it when he got home that night. I was embarrassed to call to cancel my meeting on such short notice. After I hung up, I thought “I should pray.” After praying I just sat there waiting, I immediately felt the urge to shut the car off, open the door and try again. When I did that I could put my car into gear and drive off.
We need go have a habit of praying and going to God first. We already have habits when we wake up, when we eat when we shower, we should have a habit set up when you pray. Make time with God a habit.
Don’t let failure stop you from trying again. Just because we mess up it doesn’t give us permission to give up.
Follow God Instead Of The World
How do you follow God instead of the world? By learning to love God with all your heart. This comes from dedicated times of study and prayer, learning more about God through His Word, and understanding who His is on deeper levels.
“Draw near to God and He will draw closer to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, you double-minded”- James 4:8
God desires our hearts. When we read the scriptures and learn more about God. We will see the truth shine through all of the Bible. From the Old Testament, and His desires of Isreal’s heart and into the New Testament with Jesus’s ministry we see that He wants a relationship with us -All of His creation.
Stay Focused On God In Relationships
How do we stay focused on God in every relationship we have? By keeping at the top of each relationship. He must be the One true love of your heart, let Him rest in His rightful position at the top. No relationship will be successful with God in it. We can become better-equipped spouses, parents, friends, and family members when we keep God first. Every long-term relationship depends on truth, love, respect, and communication.
We can do this by becoming so dependent on God that it’s like oxygen to us.
Stay Close To God At All Times
There’s an old story about a teacher who was asked by a student “How do I find success in life?
He told the student, “Meet me a 5 o’clicj tomorrow morning at the ocean.”
The student went home slept, and got up early to next his teacher.
He found him on the beach, in the water. He motioned the student to cone into the water.
As the student went into the water, the teacher went further into the water, still motioning the student to come closer.
Finally, the teacher stopped and the student came, the water about to his chin.
The teacher asked “ do you still want to know how to find success?“
The student nodded, trying to keep his head above the water.
The teacher said, “good.” Then he placed his hands on top of the student’s head and pushed him under. He held his head underwater.
After a few moments, the student needed air and so he fought to come up, but the teacher kept his head underwater.
Finally, just moments from blacking out, the student mustered enough strength to fight his way to the surface to breathe.
The teacher said, “you have to want success as bad as you want air.
The point of the story is, that if you stay close to God at all times, you have to be desperate for Him that way the student in the story. You will have to fight every day to stay close to God.
Proverbs 3 tells us the way to reach success:
“Trust in the Lord will all your heart, And lean not on your own under; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will direct your paths” -Proverbs 3:5-6
Let the Bible become more than just words on pages, and instead let them become part of who you are as a person.
Focus On God First, Others Second
How do you focus on God first? By having everything in your life by an outpouring of your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It’s through a relationship with Jesus through faith, that will enable you to focus on God every single day.
This doesn’t mean people are not important, it just means that they come second to God. Jesus showed us this by example through His ministry. While He was here on earth, He went away to pray. He kept God first and foremost throughout His time here.
I used to think there was no way I was going to be able to do this. But with time people learned to respect my walk with God. They learned that God comes first before anyone else.
“And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray” – Mark 6:46
“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” -Luke 6:12
Above are a couple of examples of when Jesus went off to pray. Focusing on God first means communicating with Him. We can do this through prayer and Bible study. Through daily habits of connecting with God, we will be able to focus on God fully and to do His will in our lives.
Putting God first means having no one and nothing more important in our lives. This follows the Biblical command that is laid out in the Ten Commandments, “Have no other God’s before me.” (Exodus 20:3).
Today, we don’t have the traditional gods we see in ancient times of the Bible (no sun god, no fertility god, or storm gods, no god of Baal). Instead we have modern day-gods such as self, sports, celebrities, social media, or cell phones, materialism.
When we don’t put God first, we will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-9). It’s important to notice, you do not reap in the same season you sow. So, a person might not see an impact in their life as they go day by day, but throughout their life, they will see (or reap) the lasting consequences of their actions. This can come in the form of lasting hardships, unwise decision making or other unforeseen consequences. Ultimately, when a person decides not to put God first, there are lasting consequences in their life.
You might be sowing seeds right now you might not want to reap later in life. Galatians 6 tells us,
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall real if we do not like heart” – Galatians 6:7-9
“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will alsi reap bountifully” – 2 Corinthians 9:6
The Bible makes it clear that there are lasting consequences for a man or woman who decides not to put God first. This is true in relationships are well as life in general.
Making God A Priority Every Day
We make God a priority by actively seeming Him through prayer and Bible reading, as well as seeking Him through our actions, thoughts, and speech.
We live busy lives and it’s easy to lose track of priorities. If you are a person who struggles to make God a priority you are not alone.
Many people love the idea of reading the Bible and praying more, but can’t seem to shake the struggle to actually accomplish it in their life.
Set aside time for reading the Bible every day even if it’s only 5 minutes to start.
Thank God in prayer when you first wake up, in the car, and when you lay down at night.
Say prayers with your family over meals.
Ask yourself often if what you’re about to do honors God. Do this often.
God’s priority is saving souls for His kingdom.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy” – Matthew 28:19
When we are focused on God we are not concerned about our problems, instead, we are focused on His top priority, which is making disciples for Him.
When we stop focusing on our problems and focus on God and His desires, our minds and hearts become aligned with His. We start thinking with God sized thinking.
What happens when we prioritize God?
When we prioritize God in our lives, something amazing happens. We begin to trust Him more which leads to less stress knowing we have a loving God who is taking care of us. We begin to love other people because of the surpassing love we have received from the Father God. Our lives are transformed and lived out in a way that brings Glory to God.
We must trust God is truly who He says He is, and walk by faith.
Write about a time when you didn’t take action but wish you had. What would you do differently?
A time when I took not action, but wish I had. When I graduated high school I had the choice to stay here and get a job or go to college. I chose the work route. My life could have been very different if I had chosen college and pursued a career.
Sometimes I regret making that choice. But good things came to me and I’ve lived an amazing life. I maybe didn’t get to enjoy some of the things I wanted to. But God always helps us in the end.
I have learned that everything we think, say, and do has consequences. It’s like ripples in a pond our actions spread out and affect others because everything is interconnected. Actions are irreversible, and consequences are where our thoughts and action meet reality.
“When you do the right things in the right way, you have nothing to lose because you have nothing to fear” – Zig Ziglar
When I look at the world today I am reminded of how important it is to stand up for what is right, even if it isn’t easy. Even though it takes a, or of courage to stand up for what’s right when we are in a situation that requires us to stand alone. But no matter how intimidating a situation or how afraid it might be it is always worth it to do the right thing.
It’s easy for people to get sucked into situations where they can start thinking they can justify doing the wrong thing in order to get the right result they hoped for, I think we have to do everything in our power not to let ourselves sucked into that trap. We need to constantly remind ourselves that no result is ever worth doing the wrong thing.
When we are willing to stand up for what is right and uphold the truth we can walk away without regrets, regardless of the outcome. Because right is right and at the end of the day all that matters is that we live our lives with integrity because our integrity defines who we truly are.
“People of character do the right thing even if no one else does, not because they think it will change the world, but because they refuse to be changed by the world“ – Michael Josephson
From Pity to Praise 