IT'S UP TO YOU

“Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

Have you ever felt like Martha? We all have. But, it’s important to take a close look at what she is really worried about. Martha is telling Jesus that she is not being treated fairly. She wants others to start acting differently so that she will feel better. Sound familiar?

Poor Martha wants everyone around her to change, but she is not willing to change at all.

That can be a familiar feeling. When things aren’t going our way, sometimes our first reaction is to think that we are being ignored or taken advantage of. “Why is everyone doing this to me?”

This is when you can turn to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and freedom. If you do you will find an opportunity for real peace in any tense situation. But, you must take responsibility for changing yourself before trying to change anyone else, especially if you are asking for divine grace to help you. You see, while the Lord will help you deal with you, He alone will deal with everyone else.

And when you allow the presence of Jesus to have absolute first place in your heart, I guarantee amazing things will happen in your life! That is because God is so creative He can lead you to life-changing thoughts, decisions, and actions. This will do far more than just resolve a particular situation; it will bring healing, freedom, and even deliverance.

Be assured that your love and compassion for others will always replace your fuming over be slighted by them. Yes, if you call upon Him, God’s own divine wisdom will lead you to make changes in you and how you deal with everyone else in your life. He may even reveal how you played a key role in creating whatever problems you face . . . along with a way out of the mess!

But, no matter what the Spirit reveals to you, you will find your faith and trust in Jesus deepening. And as you experience His power to change your heart, His grace will flow out of you, helping everyone around you to experience that very same healing, freedom, and lasting joy.   

Today’s Prayer

“Jesus, I  need you! I bring every troubled relationship and situation to you. I know if I don’t place these things  in your hands, they will spiral out of control until I give them to you. Please pour your peace and patience upon each person involved. Let your mercy triumph over every division. Holy Spirit, allow your grace to fill me right now. I want to turn from my anger. Show me how I can respond differently here. Amen.”

The Lord's Toolbox

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. - Psalms 107:2-6

That great theologian, Charles Spurgeon once wrote these wonderful words to his students, “Lectures to my Students”, “Fits of depression come over most of us. Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down. The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy. There may be here and there men of iron…but surely the rust frets even these.”

Spurgeon understood that not every day dawns brightly. Sometimes it rains. And sometimes, great storms come upon us. While dark days happen to us all, you must realize their inherent danger. I am reminded of a little story I heard recently about the pitfalls of feeling blue.

It seems the devil was upgrading the tools he uses to steal souls and ruin lives. So, he put all his old tools for sale on the internet. Each one of his tools had its own listing and was marked with a unique selling price. Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Lust, Pride, etc. They were all there, but only one stood at the very top of the list, highlighted above all the rest. It was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn, but priced very high. Discouragement.

Someone emailed the devil, “why is that one priced so high?” the person asked. He replied, “That one is more useful to me than all the rest. With it I can pry open someone’s heart like a crow bar. Discouragement gets me in when other tools fail. And once inside, I can lead them any way I choose. The tool is very worn because I use it on almost everyone, especially since very few people know it belongs to me.”

is very important to realize the power of discouragement and what it can lead to. I have seen good lives destroyed because people left themselves open to all the troubles despair can cause: bad decisions in relationships, drug use, poor health, and even worse. It can send you into a downward spiral to a place you just don’t want to go.

Yes, the enemy loves to discourage us, but we have one of God’s tools which is much more powerful: Encouragement from the Holy Spirit! When the dark days come, remember the Holy Spirit is here to help you press through and lift you out from the quicksand of discouragement, while setting your feet upon the Rock of salvation.

The real challenge is to look past your own despair and find those around you who may be struggling in the swamp of despondency. Do not abandon them. Reach down and help them up and out. Because you are part of the Lord’s Toolbox; an essential tool He needs to build His Kingdom. That’s right, through what you do and what you say, you have the power to rekindle a discouraged soul and bring inspiration to them.

Now is the time to get out of the Lord’s toolbox and get to work!

Today's Prayer

Dear Jesus, please save me from discouragement. Sometimes, I am too weak to face despair on my own. I need your help all day and all night to shield my heart from the darkness. Open me to the power of Your Holy Spirit and let You encouragement shine within me. Allow me to be a strong tool for building Your Kingdom by lifting up those around me. Amen