When we think of the two words, 'Use Me', we tend to lean toward service involving church, don't we? There's another perspective on those words, and yet it still is service.

God most definitely wants to use you and I to serve not only Him, but to serve others. Most of the time we are all for it. Let's take a look at what I mean by this. 

We jump at the opportunity to do something for the Lord God especially when it is something right up our alley. If we are skilled in a thing and do it well, we look for opportunity to exercise it. But what happens if you become ill? Are you still able to serve God? 

A person who took ill and had to be hospitalized cannot attend church. They are laid aside perhaps in the hospital or at home. The tendency is to think that they are not serving a purpose and therefore not useful to God during this time. Not true! There are many persons who come across the path of a sick believer from nurses, doctors, hospital aids who bring them food to social workers and surgeons. That adds up to quite a few people who regularly tend to the sick.

God is in complete control over the things His children experience. He can use us anywhere at any time and in whatever condition we may find ourselves in. That sick saint who has been out of church can continue to serve God's purposes right there in their hospital bed. How is that possible, you may ask? Well, they belong to God, and they have a testimony. They can now share Him with all who come across their path while on a sick bed. God can use their spirit and attitude to get the attention of those who are nursing them back to health and provide opportunity for a much-needed conversation to be had. God can use their words to have an impact on others in that sick room. All who handle and deal with this sick saint, have an opportunity to get a glimpse of God. That's powerful. Perhaps that is part and parcel as to why God allowed their illness because of the people who would cross their path.

When we take a look at that perspective on service, it doesn't rank up there with how we see opportunity to serve the Lord. As a matter of fact, we want to shy away from any situation that places us in the hospital or functioning at a deficit. 

Sometimes God calls some of us away from 'Church' to serve in a different capacity for a certain length of time. He has purposes unknown to us. He gets to choose. We are simply in His hands. He desires that we get a glimpse into what He's trying to do with us at that point in time.

So, the next time you are not well and have to stay home from church, think of how you could take advantage of that opportunity for God. It could be as simple as using that time to pray for others who aren't well and who need healing. Perhaps there are those who could use a phone call from you and receive much needed encouragement. You can send a card or small gift to lift the heart of someone who is going through an affliction. There's no excuse since Amazon makes it possible and easy without having to leave your home.

This is just one perspective on serving God that I want you to consider.

As Christians, we go through many things in the course of our journey here. It's never easy. We have many scriptures that encourage us to endure and to see things from God's perspective. We are told that He loves us and has our best interest at heart, and we believe that until it is tested.

I have come to the realization that there are many things that we will never understand in this life. God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. He can be unorthodox in His ways of handling us and situations involving us. 

Humans can only see what they can see, which isn't much. We try to figure out why something happened the way it happened. We use earthly means to come to conclusions about God and how He deals. I'm here to tell you that often, we are so far off the mark. We will never know why God does what He does in the way that He does it. But what we can know is where we fit into the great scheme of things. 

God uses our situations, trials and challenges for more than we know. His special work involves us, but it's not really all about us. It is so much bigger than we'll ever know. That is why it is so important to endure what He sends your way. The blessing will be yours in the end. 

The enemy has his part to play as well. All the players are at the table, but God orchestrates and directs the movements of all involved. Just think about Job. Look at the whirlwind of troubles, crisis and tragedy that engulfed his entire family. The losses were incredible and the pain phenomenal. He had no idea what God was doing. All He could see were the chain of events around him breaking him and bringing him to his knees. By the time we get to Job chapter 42, we see how his spiritual eyes have been opened and enlightened and the tremendous blessings that followed. In Genesis 41, Joseph's ordeal in prison is over and he is now governor of Egypt and the king's right-hand man, but Joseph had to endure cruelty from the hands of his brethren, lied on for doing the right thing and thrown into prison. Suffering is never easy, but for the believer it is inevitable.

We can see that the trials of these two men, Job and Joseph, were bigger than anything they could have imagined. God had a grand purpose in all He allowed. Lives were impacted by their ability to endure and not curse God. Lives were saved and spared because Joseph endured his circumstances. In Job's Day, all the people who knew him made judgement calls on why he was in the situation he was in. He was looked down upon and scorned by some. His own extended family stayed away from him. Those he once helped in their time of trouble, turned from him in his hour of need. What suffering! When God got through and delivered Job and his wife, the entire community was stunned, some no doubt was made to be ashamed, while others were in shock. They all got to see a bigger plan to it all. In the end God was glorified. God had something to say about the 'Nay Sayers' too!

So, the next time you are in a trial, a crisis, a sudden turn of events that scare the pants off of you, remember, it may involve you, but it is so much bigger than you. Pray for Grace, you'll need it. Pray for the strength to endure. Hold on to God's unchanging hand and watch Him bring you through! Get your blessing!

Although our mode of interaction has changed over the years, what's more important is the content of our conversation.

Technology has afforded us different ways of interacting with one another. Some of us rarely make voice to voice calls. We say we don't have the time. What did we do before cell phones and texting? People were busy then too, but still managed to make voice to voice calls because that's all we had, besides a face-to-face encounter. 

What is the content of our communication these days? When we do speak with one another, are we also speaking of heavenly things, spiritual things or do we merely share our worldly journey like the unbelievers? I am reminded of the passage in Luke 24, after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and there were two disciples on their way to Emmaus. They were discussing the events of the past three days. They were sharing the little faith and knowledge they had at the time with one another. They were sad, but their hearts were engaged with the Lord.

There are a myriad of things to talk about with others, but one of the subjects that should be first and foremost on our hearts is the Lord. If thoughts of Him and His Word are not on our minds, it's because He isn't on our hearts. Yes, it's a heart thing, my friend. It begins in the heart, for when we are sitting in His presence reading and praying, we can't help but speak of Him when we are around others. We can't help but share what great things He is doing in our lives; we can't help but encourage others in their faith journey.

As the two disciples walked together, the Lord drew near to them and took center place in the conversation. While He walked with them, they were stirred in their hearts and asked Him to stay longer with them. Do you have a desire to linger longer in His presence? When you are in His presence, do you want to stay longer or leave quickly? Some of us rush in and out of His presence. We rush through quiet time and run out. We have so many other pressing things to do.

Let us be encouraged to engage more with the Lord by way of spending time privately in His presence as well as sharing conversation about Him. Your relationship with the Lord God is the most important relationship there is. It needs tending to, it needs time, it needs affection from the heart. Let it be said that you and I have been stirred in our hearts as we talk one with the other about the Lord.

Malachi 3:16 says,
"Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name." (NKJV)

Happiness hinges upon being content.  Without contentment, humans are restless, and always struggling to fill the void within them.

We live in a world that is constantly changing. There are a million, if not more people on social media telling us what it will take to find happiness and fulfillment in life. The ever-changing hair styles, attire and foods to eat and not to eat is overwhelming to say the least. This is not an era for the gullible! They define what being successful looks like and the necessary steps to get there. Most of these individuals are everyday folk who are struggling like the rest of us. Many are not professionals on the subject they are even speaking about.

Do people know what they want or even what they need? Has it gotten that bad where we need social media voices to guide us a right? There is nothing new under the sun, the Bible tells us. What we see today has been done already eons ago. It was just packaged differently due to the types of inventions that existed (technology known in that time). 

As Christians, we are to align our thinking with God's Word. Happiness, contentment and joy can only be found in a relationship with Christ. Nothing and no one on this earth can satisfy us. If you are a believer, and you're finding yourself tossed about with what the world offers you, check your relationship with God. Where are you in your communion and fellowship with God? Have you been obedient to Him? Are you spending time with Him via reading and studying the Bible along with having a prayer life? 

Some Christians feel as though God has not given them the life they wanted, and this has brought discontent within them. Some are actually angry with the Lord because of the situations they find themselves in and this has led to jealousy and envy of others.  Are you feeling the same? If so, what is it that you wanted from God? What has He not given you? The Word of God tells us that "No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless" (NIV) (Psalm 84:11)

Contentment comes when we trust in God's plan for our lives. God is sovereign and we must trust and believe that He knows what is best for us. He knows what ultimately brings peace, contentment, happiness and joy. We're dealing with a God who packages things differently. He is not like man, so whatever we want from Him or are expecting from Him may not look like we thought. 

The longer we spend time in that place of discontent, we rob ourselves of many blessings that God has in His hand for us. Let us go to Him in honest prayer and express what is really in our hearts. Ask Him to help you reach that place of contentment. Also, ask the Lord God to show you exactly why you are feeling the way that you do. He will show you if you sincerely want to know. 

Are you having experiences that seem to not make sense? Are you pursuing things in life, yet nothing seems to be working? Are you going through trials and afflictions, and you are feeling that none of them are warranted? Well, here's a bit of what might be happening.

As Christians, we go through many things and God allows them all for His purpose. We, on the other hand, experience the disappointment, setbacks, and even the pain in these situations, yet, God has a plan!

God is more interested in working His plan for our lives than our comfort. It's important for us to look to see His hand in everything that's happening to us. We are being molded, shaped and made to look more like Jesus. That is God's ultimate goal; making us look more like His son, the Lord Jesus. This requires getting rid of habits, ways, attitudes, and practices that don't line up with His Word. 

When you are going through life's disappointments, what is God showing you? What is He saying to you in that moment? After a few days or so and the smoke clears, are you able to trace His hand? Are you able to hear what He is saying to you? It's important that we make that connection between situations we're going through and God's voice. If we miss that connection, we will forever be second guessing ourselves and we will be confused.

Everything in a believer's life, God has a hand in. Everything must either meet with God's approval or disapproval. Everything in our lives must be in His will. Usually, when God says, "No" to something we're pursuing, He means just that, "No"! Afterall, He knows what is best for us in the long run. If you or I decide that we're going to run after what we want and pursue it anyway, we will ultimately falter and fail.

We must always make that connection with what is happening (the events) and with God's voice (the end result) in the midst of it. You don't want to miss that or else you will circle that mountain over, and over again. God does not want us wasting time on things that will not benefit us. It's always good to take some time and assess the situation fully to see the hand of God in it.

Stop right where you are, right now, and think about what's happening in your life (the good, the bad, the ugly) and look for the hand of God. What might He be trying to show you? What is He saying at this time? 

May the Lord help us to make that connection!

Romans 8:28
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

No matter what, God will work it all for your Good! Be encouraged!

Oh, how time flies! I can remember being a teenager, then later the adult years came and so did all the responsibilities and challenges.  

The years go by quickly! But the most important thing is not how old we've become but what we've done. Done, you say? Yes, how have you and I lived out the years God has so graciously given to us? 

From the time we become followers of Christ, God holds us responsible for how we are living out our Christian lives. We must give an account for our words, our deeds, our time, talents, and how they have been used and spent (at the judgement seat of Christ Matt. 12:36, Rom. 14:12). He has given us a blueprint to follow with many promises that we can count on as well as many blessings He has for us. How many trials have we endured while trusting God through them? Have we lived up to the title we've been given as 'Peculiar People' (showing by our lifestyle that we belong exclusively to God. 1 Peter 2:9)? Have we separated ourselves from the world and its ideology, and practices? Are we faithfully persevering, and practicing daily obedience?

Since we realize that time waits for no one, and with each passing day we're aging, we ought to assess our lives and take a good honest look at where we are, spiritually speaking. From the time that you accepted Christ as your personal Savior, how far have you come in the race? Are you where you should be? Are you lagging behind? We lag behind spiritually when we give ourselves excuses for not being obedient to God like repeating the same sins over and over again asking for forgiveness without forsaking them. Remember, an excuse is a high-class lie.

 God is expecting His children to grow and fulfill their God-given purpose on the earth. The years fly by quickly and you don't want to wake up one day at an age and physical state where you can no longer serve the Lord. You don't want to be that person who has spent their years circling the same bottom of the mountain for years with nothing to show for it. You don't want to wake up one day only to realize that you wasted your youth, and middle-aged years of vigor and strength on everything but honoring God.

May the Lord help you and I to make steady and consistent progress in our daily Christian lives. 

"Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."  2 Corinthians 1:4

In the above verse, God's Word starts by telling us that He is our comforter in everything we go through; then He tells us that as a result, we can be a comfort and blessing to others. Now here's the part of the verse that we should really pay close attention to. God says where that comfort for others should come from; the comfort we received from God.

It's been troubling me for a long while now that many believers share posts online that are inspired and written by others. Who are the others who have written them? We don't know unless they sign their names to the bottom of it. I've read many and receive many, However, they are not inspired or are they the words of the one who is trying to encourage me. They are someone else's words for whatever they have experienced. I'm not saying that one cannot be encouraged by them from time to time, but what I am saying is that God has made it clear that the words of encouragement, comfort and support should be out of one's own personal experience and interaction with the Lord.

What has God done for you lately? Don't you want to shout it from the mountain top? Don't you want to share it with others? Don't you want others to draw near to God and come into experiencing Him on a more intimate level? In order for that to happen we must share what the Lord God has done for us when we were going through trials, afflictions, triumphs and blessing. It must come straight from our mouth.

If God has done anything for you, please don't bypass sharing voice to voice or face to face with persons who are in trials of afflictions and who are experiencing challenges. They need to hear from you so they can be comforted and encouraged to keep pressing on and to keep trusting the Lord God.

So, the next time you are tempted to go online and share a post that someone else wrote, resist the temptation by simply sharing in your own words. Better yet, pick up the phone and call the person voice to voice. That is the most effective way to comfort and encourage another.

At every stage in our lives there are decisions to be made. Some will be tough and challenging while others will be no brainers, as far as decisions are concerned.  But what about the ones that hit closer to home; decisions that sever ties, decisions to leave a workplace, or decisions that require us changing something about ourselves?

It will never be easy to make different choices, but it will more than likely be necessary. It's never easy to cut ties with certain individuals, or to walk away from friendships that we have poured into. If the relationship hasn't helped us to grow, to be stimulated, or to be better persons, we will need to part ties.

We are told in the Word of God, " Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV) Relationships are needed; however, we want the ones that are inspiring us to grow spiritually, the ones that encourage us in general and the ones that we simply enjoy for healthy reasons. Sometimes we must know when to let go and trust God to bring the right relationships into our lives.

God is the best person to help in deciding whether or not to stay at the job we're at, or to look for another. He knows where we can be the most effective and valuable to a workplace and its atmosphere. He also has in mind for us to be a light in the midst of darkness.

There are decisions to be made when it comes to ourselves and the inner self so to speak. We are all a work in progress and will continue to be until the day God calls us home or raptures us up. Nevertheless, there are things right here and now that we need to change. Sitting at the feet of Jesus daily helps us to look into that mirror and see where we line up with what pleases God. It is there that He reveals or reminds us of the things we should put on and put off. How are we doing so far? We are early into the New Year and should be working on what we need to start and stop doing.

​Are we there yet? Time is running out. We don't have as much time as we think. So, let us examine our lives closely with a fine-tooth comb and do the excavation work that it calls for so that we can be the most effective as we serve the Lord God!

So, we've come to the end of another year and quickly at that. How did we do? Did we accomplish all of the things we said we would? Did we slack off a bit due to many distractions and the unexpected?

There will always be something waiting in the winds to compete with our attention. That's just life. It is also what Satan is counting on. We have to ask ourselves this question; "Why didn't we reach our goal? Why didn't we do all the stuff we set out to do? Why did we lose momentum? Why did we fail?"

We will get the same result going into the New Year if we don't have answers for those questions. Perhaps we struggled with discipline. The type of discipline that meant that we needed to shut the T.V. off and get to it. The kind of discipline that required putting that cell phone down and away for a while so that we could concentrate and focus on the task at hand. The discipline of going on a social diet from social media, and friends.

Often, when we are not sitting at the Lord's feet each morning, we are bound to fail in anything we're trying to do. If we don't keep the Lord first and foremost, we will undoubtedly meet with all sorts of obstacles and distractions. Attending a church isn't enough, by far. Without that one-on-one personal relationship that involves reading and praying, we fall off and lose our way.

God has spared your life and my life up to this point. Let's mean business and get to the care and management of our spiritual lives. It starts now. Stop whatever you're doing right this minute and open your bible and sit quietly in the presence of the Lord. Prepare your heart to hear what He wants to say to you. After you do that, make some time for prayer. Have a heart to heart with God and end this year in tune with His Holy Spirit and wake up tomorrow and repeat the process.

May our Lord keep you and may you trust Him a little more than you did in the past 12 months.
"Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."  1 Peter 5:8

We are nearing the end of another year. It has gotten here faster than the year before it. The past 11 months, for some, have been filled with many ups and downs. Some of us may have had our faith challenged in ways like never before. There are those in the body of Christ who have suffered illnesses and health setbacks. That is really tough to deal with. While others are still waiting for the Lord to answer much needed prayer requests.

In having my own faith struggles I've had to be honest with myself and the Lord about how I handled each situation He sent my way. And so, I must take an assessment of my actions, behaviors, speech and thoughts. 

How did you do this year, so far? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Did I sit in God's presence more this year than last year?
2. Have I prayed more often over the past months?
3. Am I praying for those who caused me harm by way of offences, evil acts, or ill treatment?
4. Have I been handling challenges and trials by casting them on the Lord or am I still trying to deal with them on my own?
5. Did I look for opportunities to share the Lord with others by way of personal testimony, witnessing, or speaking of the ways He's worked in my life?
6. Did I find myself reading and meditating on His Word a little more this year?
7. Who have I mentored spiritually in the past 12 months?
8. How many times this year have I used my spiritual gift?
9. God's been trying to correct certain things in my life; how well did I do with controlling my tongue, negative behavior, gossiping, or simply doing what is right?
10. Have I judged my own actions and behavior more than judging others the past year?