Making God the Lord of your life involves a deep personal commitment to aligning your thoughts, actions, and purposes with your faith.
It includes surrendering and trusting in God as the ultimate authority. This means trusting His plan over our own. Proverbs 3:5-6 emphasizes
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
We can repent and ask forgiveness for our shortcomings and turn strive to live according to God’s teachings. Acts 3:19 connects repentance with turning to God for renewal.
“Repent therefore, and turn again that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.”
We can build a relationship with God through prayer, reading scripture from the Bible and worshipping Him. This helps us to understand His will. Psalm 119:105 describes what this looks like when we do this,
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.”
By being Obedient and being a servant to others we can live out our faith by following biblical principles, loving others, and serving the people in our community. James (Jacob) 2:17 highlights that faith without works is incomplete,
“Even so faith, if it had no works, is dead in itself.”
We have accountability when we engage with our faith community for support, encouragement, and growth. Hebrews 10:24-25 urges us to,
“Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and (do) good works, not for taking our own assembly together, as the custom of some is, by exporting one another, and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching.”
We need to make choices that reflect our biblical values, even when they are challenging.
Making God the Lord of your life is a vibrant, Spirit-filled commitment that emphasizes a personal relationship with Jesus and when we surrender to God’s will and have active engagement with the Holy Spirit. It
I think leaders tend to be visionaries. They create and articulate a clear vision, which inspires others to follow. They are also decisions makers, taking on responsibility for tough choices sometimes under uncertainty. They are the risk takers embracing challenges and stepping out of comfort zones.
While followers execute the vision and contribute to a groups goals, they collaborate effectively and prioritize success. They are open to guidance and show loyalty, discipline, cooperation, and humility.
It is important to be both leaders and followers. I tend to be a leader in the things I know most about, and a follower when I am learning of the task as hand.
I thought I would share some of the prayers I pray each day for my children and my friend’s children. With everything going on in the world today I believe it’s important to keep them lifted up each day.
The Word of God cuts like a knife through the world we live in regardless of the time, culture, or season of life we find ourselves in. In Acts 5:29 Peter said before the Sanhedrin and Chief Priest,
“We must obey God rather than men.”
Understanding how obedience, submission, wisdom, and authority work in this broken world can be critical if we are called to follow Jesus.
Following Jesus means we must be willing to break “World” rules for a higher loyalty and authority. But that must be done with wisdom, grace, and a mature understanding of the consequences and rewards.
Some in the world, want to follow their own rules. I think that’s why our world is in so much chaos. Everyone wants to do their “own thing” thinking they know best, everyone is running in different directions instead of focusing on one goal -living for God. It’s a lawless society.
The general rule of thumb for biblical interpretation is to start with what is most clear and allow that to inform what is most ambiguous. In Acts, Peter is confronted with two contradictory commandments. The first comes from Jesus Himself in Acts 1: 8 when the apostles are commanded to share the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. The second is in Acts 4:7 when Peter and John are commanded by the Sanhedrin not to teach in Jesus’s name. The commands of man are always opposite to Jesus’s. In this circumstance, it is clear that the commandments of God are to take precedence over the attempts by earthly powers to suppress the teaching of the gospel.
When human laws go directly against the command of God, we must follow God. Like Daniel when he was given the King unclean food in Daniel 1:8 or forbidden to pray in Daniel 6:10.
From my experience when I choose to obey God rather than man, my life is easier. Things just flow better. But, clarity does not automatically make us courageous, it’s that standard set our for us.
We need to mentally, prayerfully, and courageously prepare for the essential and nonnegotiable realities of our faith that will stand in opposition to the lies of Satan, our flesh, and this fallen world.
While many choices are not explicitly addressed in the Bible, they are based on biblical wisdom and matters of conscience. We can depend on God’s Word, and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to make the right decision. The Bible describes how Godly and worldly authority interact in Romans 13:1-3,
“Let every person by subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive His approval.”
Our sinful desires work hard against our obedience to God. We live in a world that ignores all the rules and all the “taboos” of traditional culture. Going along with the crowd is a natural temptation when we face hard situations. We don’t want to stir up trouble so it’s easier to quietly submit. But, giving in to our desires to avoid a problem is not what God wants. We are called to stand up and be a witness for Jesus and the salvation He brought for us. Being ugly or stirring the pot should never be our intention. It is the glory of Jesus and the truth of God that should be our focus and our theme throughout our lives.
If the world is going to hate us, we should let them hate us for our gospel message and not for our arrogance, our harshness, or our impatience.
How are we going to obey God rather than the world? Here are a few tips:
Know what God has told you to do. We cannot obey God’s Word if we don’t know God’s Word. When Satan tempted Jesus. He always answered with scripture “It is written.”
Stay close to God, worship daily, pray. Make prayer you’re default setting. “Pray without ceasing should be our default setting.
Stay close to other believers. Reliable friends serve as a sounding board and a good source of encouragement as we face the temptation not to obey God. Friends can be suitable for loving accountability.
Don’t trust your own strength. Jesus had given us the Holy Spirit as a gift. We do not have to face anything alone.
One time I remember after working a fundraiser I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things. It was a cold windy day and I was tired and wanted to go home. As I was leaving the store I lady came up to me and asked if I could take her home. I told her yes, even though I didn’t want to. Because I heard God say “give her a ride.” I could have easily have told her no and been on my way.
Sometimes God tells us something that we don’t understand. Don’t second guess it. Obey. The blessings far outweigh the trouble we think it is.
What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?
Sometimes I get pages where I do things I want to do and will not listen to anyone else -which usually has a bad outcome.
I can improve my life by recognizing when I get in that phase of not wanting to listen to anyone and doing what I wanna do. I need to remember and ask God for his guidance.
Throughout my day, I should pause and check my spirit. “God, what do You want me to do? What would please You? Then do that.
Galatians 5:24-25 tells us, “ those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
The lighthouse is a symbol of strength, hope, and awareness.
When we shine light, and offer hope and direction in dark stormy times we become a lighthouse for others. We can inspire those around us through our actions and presence
By leading example we can show kindness, model honestly, and show our faith.
Sometimes it’s not about opening your pocketbook and giving money. We can listen, encourage, and pray for others. Or even gently sharing some biblical truth or personal insight.
Be aware though that you need to stay anchored and root yourself in prayer and scripture to remain steady. As to not overwhelm yourself.
We can become a beacon of light in helping others find hope and direction.
Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life.
I have had many people make positive impacts in my life. But over the years I’ve learned something.
People tend to adopt the habits, attitudes, and behaviors of those they spend the most time with. It’s a mix of social influence and mirror neurons at work. If you hang out with driven, positive people, you’re likely to pick up their optimism. Surround yourself with negativity or apathy, and that will drag you down too. Choose the people you hang out with wisely, and they can shape you more than you might think.
People can have a positive impact us, but maybe we can make a positive impact on someone else.
Seeing with God’s eyes is perceiving the world through a lens of divine wisdom, compassion, and understanding. It’s looking beyond the surface appearances, biases, or our limited human perspectives to get to a deeper truth about existence, people, and creation.
Seeing through God’s eyes implies aligning our perspective with God’s attributes which are love, mercy, justice, and holiness. It’s about seeing others as God sees them. Seeing them as inherently valuable -created in His image (Genesis 1:27) and that they are worthy of compassion, regardless of any flaws or circumstances.
For example, Jesus’s interactions with the marginalized. Like the Samaritan woman in John 4, reflects this divine perspective.
To see with God’s eyes is practicing empathy, forgiveness, and humility in daily life. It could mean looking past someone’s actions to understand their struggles or recognizing beauty in the mundane.
Seeing with our faith in God means perceiving the world through a lens of trust in God’s divine wisdom.
Being guided by belief in God’s presence, love, and purpose. It’s about letting faith shape how we interpret life’s events, relationships, and challenges. Aligning our perspective with God’s truths which is revealed through scripture, prayer, and spiritual practice.
This involves:
Trusting In God’s Plan: Believing as Romans 8:28 suggests that,
“All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Even when the circumstances are unclear we must believe the promise of God in this scripture.
Heart Centered Vision: Following 2 Corinthians 5:7,
“We walk by faith not by sight.”
We prioritize, spiritual insight over worldly appearances.
Compassionate Lens: seeing others as God‘s creation, reflecting Jesus‘s command to love others as ourselves as in Matthew 22:39,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Our neighbors are not just people who live by us they are everyone.
Guidance Through Prayer: seeing the Holy Spirit’s discernment to view situations with clarity and hope.
Practically this means:
Approaching trials with hope, and trusting in God sovereignty.
Forgiving others, seeing them through God’s grace.
Studying scripture, like Psalms, and the “gospels,” which are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to internalize God’s perspective.
Cultivating gratitude, recognizing God, hand in all things.
Faith driven site, transforms, fear into trust, judgment into mercy, and despair into hope. It’s less about changing what we see and more about how we see it through the assurance of God’s love and promises.
Being a mother is difficult and a challenging responsibility that is defiantly under appreciated. It takes patience and commitment.
Every mother learns the importance of wearing many hats within the home.
Being a mother involves a blend of emotional, practical, and spiritual qualities often shaped by love, sacrifice, and resilience.
Love and nurturing provides unconditional love of fostering a child’s sense of security and worth through affection, listening, and support.
Patient and adaptability, raising children requires patience for their growth and mistakes but also flexibility to handle unexpected challenges from temper tantrums to teenage rebellion.
Responsibility and sacrifice, mother need to prioritize their children’s needs -physical (food, shelter, safety), emotional (guidance, encouragement), and educational before their own.
Teaching and role modeling, they ned to instill good values, manners, and life skills, modeling integrity and resilience to shape character.
Emotional strength, mothers navigate worry, guilt, and societal pressures while staying grounded, often leaning on personal convictions, others or the church body for support.
They need practical skills like time management, budgeting, and problem-solving which are keys to balancing family needs and self-care.
Motherhood also includes praying for their children, teaching faith, and trusting God for their future.
It’s less about perfection and more about a consistent effort, learning through challenges, and growing alongside their children. Every mother’s journey is unique, and shaped by circumstances, culture, and personal beliefs.
Motherhood includes cleaning, cooking, laundry, chauffeuring, nursing, and anything else that comes along.
A mother’s job isn’t easy it’s hard work. But it is worth it.
From Pity to Praise 