The Decisions We Make

I read posts on Facebook about all of the problems people have; some brought on by the kind of lifestyles they have chosen and it breaks my heart.

When it comes to temptations, for some reason, they give in when they don't have to. And, too many times they don't realize the decisions they make, when faced with temptation. will be felt by others. It's like throwing the pebble in the stream. The waves flow out in all directions and the lives of others can be changed for the worse because of your decision to follow temptation.

What is so tragic about the lives of people all around us that are suffering because of strife and struggles in their lives is that they don’t realize there is an out for them. They don’t have to live in despair because God has made a way for them to gain peace in their lives through His death on the cross for the sins of the world. If you are being bombarded by the temptations of Satan, there is hope so don’t give in.

There is a story in Matthew about Satan coming to Christ while He was on earth and tempting him. If Satan was bold enough to tempt Christ, he is certainly bold enough to tempt us. But, if Christ lives within us, we, too, have the strength to stand against Satan. It’s not an easy thing to do but we can do it with God’s help.

Is it worth it to give in to those temptations only to realize the tragedies that come from them?
Are you struggling today? If so, God is the answer. Your tomorrows may not be perfect but you can live without regret.

“ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV

 

Olympic Gold

As the Olympic games of 2016 came to a close, there was jubilation on the part of a lot of the men and women and heartache for a lot of others. And, we are still hearing repercussions from some of the things that went on there. After all of the preparation that went into their competition, many felt the gratification of the gold, silver or bronze metals while others must have wondered if it was really worth the blood, sweat and tears plus the money it took to get them to Rio.

Many athletes dream of standing atop a podium during an awards ceremony with gold medals around their necks. But there is an ornament even more valuable than a gold medal.

Proverbs 3:21-23 reveals: "My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble."

How many of us as Christians put forth the effort to be the best we can be in our Christian walk. True, there will be no metals presented us when we leave this earth for our eternal home. However, the award of an eternal life in our Heavenly home is far more valuable than all of the gold on this earth.

Life is Filled with Highs and Lows

"Life is filled with highs and lows, and God is there during them all. At times His will for our lives is very clear and at other times I think He wants us to seek Him and wait for Him to make it clear. It's during the seeking and waiting that we must hold on to our hope in Christ and claim the peace He offers us." Melissa Taylor

Why is everyone so negative today? Is there nothing to be positive about in our world? I suspect if we were to take an inventory of the average person's thoughts, the majority of them would be negative.
I recall hearing about a single mother who had four children to raise on her own. Someone ask how she managed to do it. Her reply went something like this,

"The day I found myself in this situation I told the Lord I had four young ones to raise so I didn't have time to worry. Then, I told Him, "I'll just raise 'em and let You do the worryin' for me".

Take an emotional inventory. What negative emotion has become a hindrance in your life? Why?

Think about the way you begin each day. Are you afraid of what the day holds?

Colossians 3:2 (NIV) "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."