Keep It in the Right Gear

 By Andrea Merrell

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send 

in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to

 your remembrance all things that I said to you. 

John 14:26 NKJV

I stepped on the gas, and nothing happened. That’s when I realized the car was in Neutral (N). Seems the only time that comes in handy is in the car wash.

To keep our vehicles in motion and moving forward, they must be in Drive (D). It’s the same in our walk with the Lord. To achieve our goals, pursue our purpose, and fulfill our destiny, we have to keep moving forward.

That’s not to say there’s never a time to use the other gears. Sometimes we need to shift into Reverse (R)—not to go backward and dwell on the past but to reverse negative and harmful attitudes and behaviors.

And what about Park (P)? Is there ever a time we should shift into park and turn off the engine? Absolutely. That’s when we take time to find a quiet, solitary place to spend time with the Lord and rest peacefully in His presence.

Each gear is essential and has its own unique purpose. We just have to learn how and when to use them properly. The best way to do this is to trust our Helper, the Holy Spirit who’s always ready to lead and guide us.

How about you? Are you keeping it in the right gear?

Photo by Syed Ali on Unsplash

The Truth about God’s Kingdom

 

By Andrea Merrell

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

 

Have you ever considered how God’s ways are contrary to the world’s theology. Some call His methods upside down or backward. But in reality, everything in God’s kingdom is a paradox, a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory proposition.

For example, in The Word for You Today, Carolyn Arends says, “The world offers promises full of emptiness. But Easter offers emptiness full of promise. Empty cross, empty tomb, empty graveclothes … all full of promise.”

To take it further, let’s look at some things that seem counterintuitive to common sense:

• Love your enemies.
• Do good to those who hate you.
• Pray for those who persecute you.
• The more you give, the more you get in return.
• When you’re weak, His strength is made perfect in your weakness.
• God uses foolish things to confound the wise.
• The meek inherit the earth—not the strong and powerful.
• Lose your life so you gain it.

We might view God’s ways as upside-down, but when we embrace them, He turns our life right-side-up because His ways are always best.

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

Broken or Blessed?

 

By Andrea Merrell

 

My troubles turned out all for the best.

Psalm 119:71 MSG

 

 

“My life has been really hard. I’ve been through so much,” my friend said. “How could God allow all that stuff to happen to me? I feel crushed and hopeless.”

Another friend recounted many of her bad life experiences and told me how much she had grown through them. She was thankful.

One broken, one blessed.

Weighing the two conversations caused me to look back over my own life experiences, both good and bad. All the joy and all the pain. Thankfully, I can now see how God used those painful situations to change me.

The psalmist said, “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees” (Psalm 119:71 NLT). The Message translation puts it this way: “My troubles turned out all for the best.”

God doesn’t cause our pain, but He certainly uses it to teach, mold, and mature us. He doesn’t waste a single moment. He has helped me see how each experience I’ve gone through has shaped me into the person I am today. And … He’s still working on me.

I am truly blessed. How about you?

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and photostock.

 

Giving Up or Giving In

 

By Andrea Merrell

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. 

At just the right time

we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Galatians 6:9 NLT

 

 

“I give up,” the man said. “This Christian life is too hard. I can’t possibly do everything that’s expected of me.”

Unfortunately, he had put unrealistic expectations on himself that were impossible to live up to. He felt like a failure. He constantly disappointed himself and believed he was letting God down in the process.

Trying to live a perfect life will wear us down and make us want to quit. But the Bible says, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.” Why? Because “at just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

So what exactly is the good the verse is referring to? What does God expect from us? According to Ecclesiastes 12:13, we are to “fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

God doesn’t want us to make serving Him so difficult that we get tired, frustrated, and burned out. He doesn’t want us to quit. His desire is for us to stop striving and surrender ourselves completely to Him. To love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That’s what the Christian life is all about—not in all the doing, but in being ... exactly who He created us to be.

Are you weary? Don’t give up, give in.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Zachary Ferguson.

Are You a Good Listener?

 

By Andrea Merrell

You should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry.

James 1:19 CEV

I watched a TV show recently where absolutely no one listened. They heard a few words and made assumptions, then either jumped to conclusions and tried to take over or stormed away without a clue as to what was really going on.

Listening—and really hearing what the other person is saying—has become a lost art. We are too full of our own opinions and ideas that we want to jump in and derail the conversation to fix the problem and prove we know more than anyone else. Or else ignore what is being said.

Proverbs says, He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him (18:13 NKJV). The MSG really brings this Scripture home: Answering before listening is both stupid and rude. Ouch!

If we want to build and nurture our relationships, we must learn to listen. To put our thoughts, ideas, and stories aside while others are sharing their own. The Word for You Today gives us five suggestions:

• Don’t interrupt.
• Try to understand their point of view. Don’t assume.
• Don’t rush to conclusions. Keep listening.
• Don’t put them on the defensive by constantly correcting them.
• Validate the speaker. Everyone wants to know their words and feelings have value.

This is an area where we can apply the Golden Rule. If we want others to listen to us, we must first learn to listen to them. We are to be quick to listen and slow to speak.

Are you a good listener?

Photo by Alireza Attari on Unsplash