Fantastic Friday #1057 - Selfish

Selfish

33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life. Psalm 119:33-40

Can you think of one way that you were selfish this week? I can think of multiple ways where I only focused on myself. Last week we discussed focusing on others, and to be honest it has been really hard this week, and most weeks I can say that it can be difficult. I wondered why it can be so hard to focus on others, and this scripture really outlines it very well. Do I follow the decrees and the law of the Lord with ALL my heart? Do I turn away from worthless things and focus on myself too much? These questions are something that should be on our mind throughout our day, so that we don't fall into a disgraceful situation. Some people say, oh it is ok to be selfish every once and a while, and if you really think about it, no it isn't ok to only focus on ourselves. God built us for relationships with others, and to live a full life. I really believe we need those others in our life. For someone who can be an introvert at times, this can be hard, but God wants us to long to be with Him and if we follow His example, then it will be a better pathway to righteousness for us all. Keep people in your life, focus on the others that make your life better, and give of yourself to those in need.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1056 - Deeds

Deeds

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

Do you think about your deeds that you achieve daily? This is defined as something performed, done or accomplished, so really this could be anything throughout your day. It doesn't have to be something towards another person, but can even be something you have accomplished yourself. We tend not to think about deeds that we have done for ourselves, and acknowledge whether they are good or make some kind of impact on our lives. Any deed performed begins with your own intent, and whether that deed impacts someone else isn't completely up to you. I spoke this last week about examples that we are to other people, and how we carry ourselves. Certainly if someone views an action by you that is honorable and true, it will in turn make an impact on others. I think that if God wants those people to see the deed, then He will make it observable to others. In our society where every action is seen or recorded, how about performing a deed that is discreet but observable and let God let people see these acts as a representative of His love and what He wants from others.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1055 - Serene

Serene

1 My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content. Psalm 131:1-2

Sometimes a scripture just hits hard, and is worth repeating. Our lives are so fast-paced and full of twists and turns, sometimes it is hard not to worry about things that are out of our control. With our worry comes an anticipation of what is to come next, and then makes us reflect on the huge "why" of these things in our life. They say pride can lead to downfall, like Uzziah experienced which can be found in 2 Chronicles 16, and we need to be vigilant each day to avoid pride from overtaking our minds. It is easy to slip into worry about things that are too great for us, but if we realize that we should take a step back and calm our spirit and quiet our mind, it will be easier to press down that worry we can feel. I find this is something I have to work on daily, and while I am not where I need to be, it is something I consciously work toward. We need to realize that God wants us to enjoy our life and think too much of the things of this world that can always leave us questioning. Take a moment this week to leave your pride at the door, humble yourself and thank God for the life you have. You will be surprised how calm this makes you.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1054 - Forgive

Forgive

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14

They should be the ones to ask for forgiveness because they were in the wrong. Why should I forgive them, they are the ones who started this whole mess. Does this ring a bell, or have you experienced a time when you were so angry that you couldn't forgive or ask someone for their forgiveness? This last week I heard a sermon about a mediator named Abigail, if you have never heard this story, it is worth the read and can be found in 1 Samuel 25. Abigail not only mediated a conflict but there was forgiveness in this story and we too often overlook these small acts of forgiveness. God wants us to forgive each other and the perfect example is how He forgave us. Each day when I run across people that make me angry, or upset me because of their incomprehensible acts, I don't stop to forgive them for their shortcomings, or don't reflect upon my own actions that may need to be forgiven by them. It's no surprise that God in the scripture above discusses how compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience lead to a heart of forgiveness. Take a moment this week to see who you need to forgive, or who you need to ask for forgiveness. Lift the burden off your shoulders and provide a way to reconcile your anger or misunderstanding. I guarantee that your heart will be lifted and you will experience a spirit of peace.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1053 - Heat Blessing

Heat Blessing

3 All you people of the world,
you who live on the earth,
when a banner is raised on the mountains,
you will see it,
and when a trumpet sounds,
you will hear it.
4 This is what the Lord says to me:
“I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place,
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
5 For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone
and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives,
and cut down and take away the spreading branches. Isaiah 18:3-5

It has been terribly hot where I live, and I often think of how blessed we are that we have air conditioning that cools the buildings we work in and the homes we live in. Not everyone is so lucky, and I honestly don't think about those individuals often because it doesn't hit home with how blessed we are and I certainly don't take enough time to thank God for all our blessings. When there is so much pain and suffering in the world, I wonder how long God will remain quiet until it is time for Jesus to return. While we don't know when or how, we need to be ready for His return, and maybe by focusing on the things of this world that are good and in how we are blessed, this will shine a light on His true blessing that is coming. Take some time in or out of the heat this week and thank God for all He gives us, and ask him to give us the hope and encouragement in our time prior to His return.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1052 - Flowing

Flowing


15 Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Deuteronomy 26:15


This week I got to experience a fast flowing river on a tube and it was quite the exciting adventure. What I did notice as I was floating was how beautiful God's creation was, even in Oklahoma. We tend to go through life's stream and not pay attention closely to what is happening around us, so to sit and think about God's creation kind of slowed things down for me. When we slow our lives down and ponder more on God and what He has for our life, it can make a lot of things quite clear. Looking back on some challenges we have had this year, I have found that God has blessed us and I know that I need to slow down for what He wants me to see. So as your day flows past you, put your hand in the water and slow yourself down to see what God has for you.


Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1051 - Time

Time

5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7

How many of us wish for more time? More time to do the things we really want to, more time with our children, more time with our spouse, more time with our friends and loved ones. I got to spend some amazing time with my children and wife this week, and at the end of the period when we were all together, I didn't want that time to end. The joy we experience when we are together can really lift up my spirit, especially with everything we go through in this life. So, why do we focus at times on the "limited" time we have together and not on the time itself that brings us joy. I believe it is because we are so focused on wanting more time than we are allotted, that we get caught up in this situation where we feel like it isn't enough. If we stop and think about it, God gives us exactly the right amount of time to spend with each other, and we should consider that time precious. We should also not let our pride drive us into a situation where we aren't grateful for the time God has given us. God knows when our time is up, and when we see His true miracles in our lives, and the time we have been given, we can have our anxiety of wanting more time reduced. I wanted more time with all my kids, but I know God gave me and my lovely wife just the right amount, and we should give our Father the time He deserves and give thanks for all He does.

Have a great weekend.

Matt