growth
Spiritual Growth – Striving To Love With The God Kind Of Love
Spiritual Growth – Striving To Love With The God Kind Of Love
Develop Great Spiritual Growth With
the God Kind of Love Flowing In Your Life!
The God kind of love is a love
that goes beyond words.
There are of course, many kinds of love,
but living a life that strives to love with
the God kind of love,
develops great spiritual growth within us.
Many Kinds of Love
From the time we are born, we begin to experience the love between parents and children. Then there is the love shared between family members, friends, and neighbors. There is also love shared between sweethearts and lovers.
These are just a handful of the many kinds of love, but the most important to mention, is the love shared between God and each one of us as human beings.
Putting the God Kind of Love in Action
Jesus teaches us to model the love between people, based on the way God loves us; God loves the righteous and the unrighteous alike. The entire essence of the law can be wrapped up in the commandments to love our neighbors and love our God.
“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”
— Matthew 5:43-45
Loving our spouse, family, friends, and others who love us is a no brainer. But it’s an altogether thing to love an enemy that hates us and who may have it as a goal to destroy us.
When Christ tells us to love, do good, bless, and pray for our enemies, He is telling us to take action. In fact, the God kind of love isn’t about warm, fuzzy feelings; it is about taking action.
How Do We Take Actions of Love?
Well what we don’t do, is wait for emotions of love, because they may never come. Rather we start with actions of love, and the emotions of love may follow later.
How do we do it? Start with the things Jesus taught us (Luke 6:27-28):
Do Good –
Search for a way to do something good for your worst enemy. Maybe send a card with a gift certificate to a restaurant and wish him or her a great day. Keep in mind: We are not trying to cause shame, we are striving to love with the God kind of love that loved us even in our evil condition.
Bless –
Our goal is to speak and think blessings about our enemies even when they speak untrue, mean, and nasty things about us. When around others, try to actively speak well about your enemies instead of complaining about unjust treatment received from them.
Pray –
Actively pray and intercede for your enemies. Why not ask God to help heal their hearts and turn them toward His light and truth? Pray that God show them mercy and bless them. Again, keep in mind the abundant mercy and blessings God had shown to us while we were yet sinners.
Self-love seeks something in return and the sooner the better. Not so with the God kind of love; it seeks no repayment.
The truth is: Jesus is out to change you and me into an army of servants that love and care for people (even our enemies) just as He does. He wants to see spiritual growth in our lives.
Make no mistake about it: Once we start to take actions of love, spiritual growth begins to develop. Selfless love is not easy to do, but powerful when put into action. And it allows God to continue to transform us more and more into His image, so our actions will reflect His work and His presence in our hearts.
May the God kind of love abound in your heart and your life be continually blessed with growing prosperity!
Be blessed to be a blessing!
God bless you always,
Brenda
Procrastinate No More – Why Put Off For Tomorrow What You Can Do Today?
Procrastinate No More – Why Put Off For Tomorrow What You Can Do Today?
Stop Procrastination and Tap Into Your Enormous God Given Potential!
Procrastination is rarely our friend.
Why do we all have the natural tendency to…
do things tomorrow –
instead of today?
Have you been putting off…
crucial activities…
and decisions in your life?
The Procrastination Trap
Often times we postpone our work and our choices in order to avoid discomfort. Sometimes we stall because of self-doubt or a sense of inadequacy associated with the task at hand. Other times, we simply lack the needed motivation to get started.
Whatever the reason, procrastination usually has negative consequences and simply creates stress as the projects and decisions begin to pile up…
And then there are spiritual consequences when we procrastinate. Important tasks in our church or volunteer organizations may be left undone and we may become a stumbling block to others. Our spiritual growth may slow to a stop, and worse of all, we may miss out on the blessing of God.
This is why we need to move beyond our fears and personal inadequacies and allow God to work in our lives. Once we admit our weaknesses to our heavenly Father, He is faithful to help us overcome them.
Put a Stop to Procrastination
If you find that procrastination is negatively affecting your life, then first confess this problem and turn it over to God. Then, try to identify the areas of your life in which you procrastinate. Ask yourself what feelings accompany your lack of motivation in these areas? Are you afraid, angry, bitter, or resentful?
Once we are ready to submit these emotions to God, He is ready to help us remove them from our lives. Then we have to choose to do today what we know to do, instead of making choices on the basis of feelings. The next time you do not ‘feel’ like working, stop and ask God to provide the godly motivation you need.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” — Ecclesiastes 9:10
Tomorrow is never guaranteed, and that helps explain the urgency felt in the above verse. Whatever task we may have at hand, we need to respond by doing it now and doing it well. Take whatever God has put in your hand and use it, without delay and without reserve, for the Lord.
God created us all with enormous potential to do great things. But if we want to tap into the potential that is currently beyond where we are now, we have to take action with the gifts and talents and opportunities God puts in front of us.
The clock is ticking. Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Especially do not procrastinate in serving the Lord; ask Him every morning for his help. Whatever God has put on your heart to do today; do it now with all your might and put a stop to procrastination.
May God give you the motivation to do today, what needs to be done today, so you can tap into your potential and manifest a life of growing prosperity!
Soar higher –
God bless you,
Brenda
Personal Growth – How to Be Spiritually Mature with 9 Key Qualities!
Personal Growth – How to Be Spiritually Mature with 9 Key Qualities!
Discover 9 Key Qualities to Help Evaluate and Guide You Spiritually
Personal growth in all areas of our being is important.
We are a spirit, with a soul (mind, will, and emotions), living in a body. Growing in all areas is vital to living a full life.
We have check-ups with our doctor to determine the condition of our physical health, and learn how to make adjustments and improvements. We also take tests to measure our intelligence and the condition of our emotional and mental well-being.
How do we determine our spiritual condition?
These nine quality factors will help evaluate spiritual maturity level and act as a guide for future growth. They are biblically based from Galatians 5:22. As Christians we call them Fruits of the Spirit.
The level of which these qualities are visible (or not visible) in a person’s life is evidence of their inward spiritual condition. They offer a great evaluation process for everyone.
9 Key Qualities to Help Evaluate and Guide Your Spiritual Maturity:
1.) LOVE
Are the things you do in life motivated by your love for people? Love is number one here, because walking in love is required to open the door to the other qualities.
2.) JOY
Do you exhibit an unshakable joy, regardless of your changing circumstances? Joy is not based on what is happening around you, but knowing that your name is written in heaven. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.
3.) PEACE
Are others able to take courage in your unshakable peace? When you know God, you’ll know peace and with His presence in your life you’ll have a peace that passes all understanding and is present in the midst of storms.
4.) PATIENCE
Do you display patience with yourself and others in the things you wish to accomplish? Patience in daily events allows for a peaceful life. If God can have such great patience with us, we should strive to have patience with others.
5.) KINDNESS
Are you caring and understanding with people? Kindness displays sweetness when dealing with others.
6.) GOODNESS
Do you want the best for others? When genuine goodness is evident in you, people will trust you and feel safe around you. Others are drawn to this Godlike state of being.
7.) FAITHFULNESS
Are you a person who keeps their commitments to the end? Being loyal, steadfast, and stable in all your commitments should be a given. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
8.) GENTLENESS
Do you keep your strength under control and maintain a balance of being tough and tender? Strive to remain even-tempered and deal with people with a gentle word or deed rather than lose your temper.
9.) SELF-CONTROL
Are you disciplined to make the right choices and move toward your goals? Self-control is vital since your flesh is at war against your spirit. Self-control must be operating in your life in order to have victory over negative devices.
In truth, there is no limit to what you can do with these powerful qualities at work in your life. Life is a growth process and we all have room for improvement. Regular evaluation of these nine qualities will help guide you.
The bottom line is this: God has provided these qualities to us through His Spirit so that we can transform our lives and reflect His image. Draw on the life transforming power God has provided and let these divine qualities be evident in your life. Choose to mature spiritually as a vital part of your personal growth.
May you mature spiritually and continue to have a life of growing prosperity!
God bless you –
Brenda
P.S. Which one of these is the most challenging for you and which one the easiest?