Reflections....Contentment

Contentment...is most probably a swear word. Amongst striving for money, a career, a family, people strive for contentment...all these things they chase after to achieve contentment. In this world, something in us, about us needs to change, before we can be happy.


Comments or conversations go a little something like this: "I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish a baller, I wish had a girl if I would, I would call her..." realistically they go like this: "If only I was taller, I would be happier..If only I had more money, I would be okay...If only...when I...when this changes..." striving for contentment.


Do you regularly hear in conversations, about how happy people are in with things in their life? I'm not saying that we should be happy with everything, but at what point do we become content...do we base our happiness on material things-what we do have?


This expectation is projected onto others. An expectation for them to be unhappy with current situations because they 'appear' to lack something.


I may get personal...how much I can share, I will be careful- but it's the best way I can put it across.


First of all, is it bad for us to love ourselves? To fit in must I have a level of self-hate. Once I feel FREE to love myself (note its not whether I love myself or not), I will allow others to feel FREE to love themselves, and not expect them to feel discontent but encourage them to be content.


Recently, due to many trials with my hair, it is now in a bob-I don't mind-I like my hair-but I have often found that people expect me not to like my hair. I don't mind people asking me about my hair and so forth but reflecting on why people expect me to dislike my hair - may say a lot of our expectations of beauty...of happiness.


(8) All my single ladies (8) ... lol yes I will reluctantly touch on the subject of relationships. Was singleness Paul's thorn in his side? LOL! NO! There's an expectation for single ladies to be bitter and insecure - for a long time I have wanted to blog (rant) about this. Is a single woman incomplete. On the contrary! God has blessed me with friends who are (they may not say and even know it) Proverbs 31 women! Whose value exceeds rubies! Really 'who is he who can find her?' Though he has not discovered her, does that alter her value? (8) A rose, is still a rose and baby girl you're still a flower (8) ... I'm going to say something that may upset a lot of you .... wait for it ... wait for it ... your singleness is a gift ... and when you're married that relationship will be a gift. 


Whatever position you are in, it is a gift - how are you spending it? Bitter or content? Every part of life has treasures waiting to be discovered. Why spend life waiting to be content? Why spend your singleness waiting for someone to complete you...if you are already complete? (are you...continue reading)


...Now hold up, wait a minute! Before you get carried away and think I'm on some feminist ting!-I am not! A relationship is a gift - one day he'll come - but he won't find me waiting for him to complete me ... he'll find me complete. How can I be certain? I'm glad you asked... the moment I've been waiting to share!


I don't LIVE to satisfy myself, for I am already satisfied. I am already complete! Colossians 2:10 says 'I am complete in Him'. Christ in us the hope of glory and the fullness of God is in Christ, therefore the fullness of God dwells in us! We are in need of nothing! Psalm 91 says 'with long life, He will satisfy me'...not long hair, not a big house - long life! Some blogs ago we met the lady at the well who was looking for satisfaction elsewhere until she met the One who supplies living water!


 Can't spend life chasing after these material things...chase after the One in whom life is found - Matthew 6 says to seek Him first! And everything else will follow. Those who trust in the Lord will not be put to shame! He has an abundant life for us, stop striving for it... LIVE it!

*Psalm 63*

Be rooted, secure and grounded in love

Identity redefined

Genesis 32:22-32


Sometimes we have to go through a time of wrestling, where something has to be sacrificed (Jacob's hip) for God to bless us. Do not let go, no matter how much wrestling you are going through - something has got to change.


Psalm 27:14 - wait expectantly on the Lord.


In Luke 18 we hear of the story of a widow who continues to ask an unjust judge for justice. He doesn't grant her what she wants, but she continues to come to him, and so he gives her what she wants. Jesus told this story to explain to the disciples that they need to continually pray and not give up.


We go through situations- many unexplainable. Romans 5:3-4 explains that we can glory in our sufferings! You can glory in your wrestling! In you struggling! It says in scripture that suffering brings about perseverance, perserverance character, and character hope. James 1 is similar where we are told to count it all joy!! These situations count as joy! For in these trials our faith is being tested producing perseverance, becoming mature and complete not lacking in anything! These trials work for a greater purpose- not to take us out- but to develop- God will use these things for our good! Peter says that when our faith is tested we will come out as pure gold...we need to go for gold- trusting that the Author and Finisher of our faith is building us up! 


With such an encounter that Jacob had with God, you can not leave the same way- and in our times with God- trials or no trials, we can not leave the same way and as our character is developed, our identity is redefined. Nations were released from Jacob as his identity was transformed to 'Israel'...what's waiting to be birthed out of you?

Fear v Faith .. let the games begin

Genesis 4


If Abel had faith- and so his offering was accepted...what did Cain have?


What's the opposite of faith? Fear, doubt?


Cain served his fear, his doubt, as when you are jealous you fear you are not good enough. He not only had this attitude in life but he had this attitude in worship. Instead of his eyes being on God, his eyes were on himself. 


We need to stop serving our fears and anxieties, but worship God with all we have! 


*Without faith we can not please God*


Romans 12:1-2 - we just like Cain and Abel are still offering up sacrifices..ourselves...but how do we offer ourselves? Romans 14:23 says that whatever is not from faith is sin.


In faith you look beyond yourself, look beyond your circumstances (Romans 4).


Hebrews 11 - our faith involves us believing He is and that He is a rewarder.


Choose this day whom you will serve. Will you serve your insecurities or serve God?!

Where You go I go....

It's so important we change the way we see everything around us-realising we are created with a purpose and so we must live on purpose! With the Kingdom in mind I challenge you (as I have been challenged :p) to think about the reality you live from and how you live that reality here on earth.


Let's just take a look at the realities that we live from.


We have got to walk by faith- God's been really challenging me with that - showing me what faith looks like- we enter and welcome Gods presence with thanksgiving (enter His gates with thanksgiving in your heart) and then God was telling me that that is a representation of faith- when we go into thanksgiving with no guarantee that everything is going to be okay that's faith because we're depending on God- we say He is our Redeemer and our Deliverer! We must be thankful in situations, inviting Him and expecting Him to be exactly who He says He is! In Acts 16 we meet Paul and Silas who visiting different towns and dependent upon where the Holy Spirit sends them, they minister at that town. In one town they are doing ministering when they are arrested. While they were in prison they responded with praise- and it's like how much of us would respond like that especially when God told them to go in that direction- we would turn to God and be like how could you bring me here?

*Without faith you can not please God*

Then the ultimate example, Jesus- did He really know what He was going to find when He went certain places-because He only done and said what He heard God do and say and He was in prayer so maybe it was in those times when God was directing Him- step by step sort of thing- so if that was the case when Jesus was directed to do things like cross the river and a storm brews up - Jesus is caught napping! why because He walks by faith and not by sight- His mind is only what God said and God said go to the other side- therefore they must be going to the other side- we must know and believe what God says to be true and walk according to that- these momentary light afflictions do not define who we are nor where we are heading. I believe that while Paul and Silas were in prison they knew that they were in chains in this world but in reality they were seated in heavenly places in Christ and they chose to live out of that reality- everyday we got to choose which reality we will live from! We must choose those heavenly places boi! God is good Romans 8:28 and until what He says to come to pass we worship whilst waiting expectantly! Our situations on earth change but in reality we're always going to be seated in heavenly places so our decision should be the same every time!


In Colossians we are told that Christ in us the hope of glory- rewind and come again my selecta!- Christ is in us! And what is in Christ but the fullness of God (again Colossians). The fullness of God is in Christ and Christ is in us- so we therefore have access to all that is in God- love, joy, kindness, patience- all those qualities. Peter says that we have been equipped for life and godliness. This is our reality- that in whatever situation due to our close intimate relationship with God we can tap into these kingdom reality qualities and live them out here on earth. In need of love- we can show it.


We may feel at certain times that we have no more strength or no more love for a situation- but we can draw from God for all that we need and not live as victims but as overcomers knowing that God supplies all we need! We know that He has already overcome the world and so we have! It's like if your parents are rich (and our Heavenly Father is for the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof) and you ran out of money- knowing that your parents are generous, because of the relationship you have with them you can draw money from their account. It's the same relationship we have with God as He is our Father and not only is everything His but He is generous. I feel low on love or patience, I draw from that Heavenly infinite account!! There is so much in God thfat He wants us to have to live out an abundant life!


I encourage you to live out of the reality that you are seated with Him- situations may come and go but He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him- and thats the Truth!!

Victim Support Service

Been a while - but have a lot of thought to write and not a lot of time - so this may be the first of many- but it will be short and sweet.

Been reflecting on how we handle life situations, how do we see things- how do we see God, ourselves and people- and been reflecting on, in particular, difficult situations where we are called to love, be it our enemies, our friends or even ourselves. Something I have been challenged with regularly ( so you can read on and see if you can make sense of my thoughts :p)

So often we hear and often casually throw around the term 'walk in love'- but what does love look like. I have seen love translated many times and sadly seen it become lost in translation and people make it up as they go along. In 1 Corinthians 13 we can see the outworking of love but in this post I would like to focus on the attitude of love... and oh yess love sure does have an attitude.....
I say this because you can step on my toe and as I know I need to walk in love towards you I say no problem. But we all know that no problem can be said in so many different ways- I could be kind with it, I could be snappy with it, I could be aggressive with it- and which would come with the attitude of love... the one that oozes out forgiveness! 

That was a very small analogy- but what I am trying to say is that when we do what we are called to do- how do we do it- and how do we see ourselves in the process. Whenever I have these reflections I always have to come back to the Bible and what greater example is there than Jesus? He came for love. John 3:16 says that God so LOVED the world He gave His Son. Christ came for love-so that we may come into relationship with God, our Father. So what did love look like? It looked like encouragement (evidence of Jesus in the Gospels), healing, and so much more signs and wonders! Not only did love look like something- but love carried an attitude. Christ did all these things not worrying if people were going to accept His love, He loved anyway! He didn't do these things worrying whether people were going to take advantage and walk all over Him. He loved anyway! He didn't show an act of love and then behave as if He had given someone power of Him. He loved anyway because He knew that love has more power!! He also did all these things with a vision in mind. He done all these things knowing that whatever He came up against from the attitude of the Pharisees to leprosy, there was going to be a day where He would see all these things under His feet! He knew He was going to overcome these things- and knew He could walk in that overcoming spirit in the present. 

It says in Colossians 2 that Christ disarmed such authorities was put them to shame when He triumphed over them! We can therefore now love openly with no fear of the outcome for we know that however other people respond to us- love never fails! When walking in love we need an expectancy- In Hebrews 12 it says that what kept Christ going was the joy set before Him! He had a vision, and had an expectancy. He loved openly knowing that love would triumph. We can do the same knowing that we are and will overcome! We love out of God's love and not our own. 

In the face of rejection- we can continue to love! Why should another person's affect my own?
Love openly with an attitude of expectancy- not with a victim attitude for we are created to be overcomers- lol i dont love thinking "you've got one over me this time because I have to love you"- it may feel painful but love with a smile on your face knowing you have overcome!! 

*LOVE*