Thursday, May 1, 2014

Representative of God

As Christians, we represent God everyday by what we say and do. People look at us as people of God. Do we give bad examples? As humans, we aren't perfect. But we should always strive to live in a way God would want us to. The things we say and do have a huge impact on how others perceive us. We are to live in His image, so that His light will shine through us and hopefully shine on others. 

This Week’s Best of the Web, Featuring a Teen’s Reflection on Loving Yourself #God #loveIt's been awhile since I've posted anything. I could sit here and say I've been super busy, life got in the way, I have too much going on, but those are just excuses that honestly aren't completely true. I do have a lot going on, but I should always make time for God. And I should always make time for my commitments, and I committed to this, so I will not give up on it. I am going to do better from now on.

For this entry, I read:

Exodus 5:22-21:21
Matthew 18:21-23:39
Psalms 23:1-28:9
Proverbs 5:22-7:5

                                                      Exodus
Gods love

In Exodus 13:17-18, God led the Israelites on a detour to the Promised Land instead of the shortest route to avoid conflict. Sometimes in life, do we feel like God is leading us on the longest possible path to reach our goals? I know I feel like that sometimes. But we have to remember, God see's our path from beginning to end. He knows what the best route is for us to reach our goals. It won't always be easy, and it won't always be fun, but He knows what's best for us. We need to trust Him, trust that He will take care of us and get us to the end.

God is often misrepresented as cold, condemning, boring, greedy, or some have stated He hates certain people groups or wants to oppress women. All are misrepresentations of His character.   Check out: The Misrepresentation of God. Http://ithoughtiknewwhatlovewas.com. There are no inferior people groups nor an inferior gender in God's Kingdom. God loves ALL people.

Matthew

Forgiveness is something everyone struggles with. When someone you trusted turns their back on you, it's hard to let that go. But in Matthew 18:21-33, Jesus says that we should always forgive, no matter what. That doesn't mean if someone who continues to hurt you, you should be around that person. But in your heart, you should forgive, because God forgave us for all of our sins. Can't we do the same? 

                                                             Psalms

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want..."The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me", Psalms 23:1-4. If you have never heard these verses, I am glad you have now. They hold an important message. The Lord is our shepherd, and we are His sheep. If we stick close beside Him, we will live in peace and contentment. If you have stress, worry, frustration in your life, just remember to stay close to God. He will give you peace that you can't get anywhere else.




Proverbs

I know how easy it is to be lazy, trust me. But God doesn't want us to be lazy! In Proverbs 6:6-11, God tells us to take a lesson from the ants, who work all day gathering food. We need to remember, God wants us to work. Volunteering, helping others, spreading God's word, anything to fill our day. Sometimes it's hard to get motivated to do things that we need to do. Putting things off is a bad habit. Just pray to God to help you get motivated. He is always there to help. :)