Choosing One Path

We all have many choices in our lives and sometimes it can confuse us to which we should choose. It's easy to make a wrong move, but hard to fix the damages. During times like this, it's best to think about the root of your principles in life and live by them. From there you can make the best decision that will fulfill your needs. The root of my principles for my life is Jesus, which is what we all should live under. 

You can't follow the world and follow God at the same time. We have to choose one path in our lives; to live for Jesus or the world. Genesis 1:4 says, "God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness." We have to choose to either be the light or the dark. We can't be both day and night. We can't say we serve God and love him but don't live by the word of God. In order to truly love him we have to also show it by our actions. 1 John 1 says, "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." Let's all follow God's example and be the light of the world. God gives us the freedom to choose which path we want to take in our life. He doesn't force us because he wants us to choose to love him. We can only choose to love one; either God or the worldly things. We should all choose to stand under Jesus and to love him over what the world has to offer. 1 John 2:15-17 says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the father is not in them. For everything in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- comes not from the father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. If we want to love God, we must let go of our desires on this earth. To be able to truly love him means putting God as our priority and loving what he loves. 

Just because the world offers it, doesn't mean it is the right choice. The world offers divorce, abortion, drugs, same sex marriage, and many more to us but it doesn't mean that it is the right thing to do. It's so easy to get caught up with what the world has to offer to us. It can delude our mind from what is truly right in the eyes of God. Some choices in this world shouldn't even be choices for us, yet we still consider them as choices.  No one is perfect and we will not always make the right decisions, but we should at least make it a habit to think about the root of our principles in life and that will guide us to making the right decisions. So remember, we can only choose one path in our life to follow and that is Jesus. 

A Time For Everything

As humans we tend to want things now and instant. We all hate waiting! Wouldn't it be nice to be successful and to receive the blessings from God without having to go through the wait and troubles? However there's always a time for everything. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Some things in life require time and development. Sometimes we have to go through the troubles and tests for us to grow mature in God. Sometimes we have to fail first before we can learn. God knows the best time for everything, just trust his ways. In the long run, God's time will be rewarding.

Be patient and continue to seek God during the waiting time. When the time is right, God will answer your prayers. You might ask, well when is the right time? No one knows except God. God knows us best, more than we know ourselves. So trust in him that he will provide you the best and in the best time. When we force things to go our own way, it tends to turn into chaos. Instead, we should all give our troubles to God and let him handle them. Don't try to take control of your own life, but depend and surrender your life to him. Romans 12:12 says, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." During the waiting time, it is very crucial to rest yourself in prayer and hope. We need to keep our hope and faith strong in God during our troubles and worries so we can conquer them. Be patient because in his time, everything will be in place and your prayers will be answered. Don't blame God and say he is too slow. It's not that God is too slow, but that we are too slow to be where God wants us to be. He's always patient with us and God knows the best time to answer our prayers. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time." Trust and wait on God because waiting on God will be worth it at the end. 

So remember, God's time is always the best!

Turning your Failures into Success

Have there been days in your life when you felt like everything is going wrong? You're making mistakes here and there and it's just turning you more into a failure? I'm sure everyone has gone through days like this, I know I have! Your daily life will never be perfect. Some days will be great, while other days may be filled with failure and dissapointment. But know that the bigger picture of your life will come together into a great blessing. 

When your day is going bad, think of the blessings that God has given you. Be in thanksgiving to him and that will bring you back up into a more positive perspective of your life. When you give thanksgiving to God, you will find that you have more to be thankful for than the amount of your problems. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." From thanksgiving, the peace of God will enter your heart and mind. 

Learn from your mistakes and be better! Don't dwell on your mistakes because that will take you no where. Instead, accept your mistake use it to motivate you to be successful. Let your failures push you back up even stronger. I'm sure many of you have heard the story about Jonah and the whale. Jonah failed God by not listening to his orders to preach at the city of Nineveh. Because of his disobedience, he ended up in the stomach of a whale for 3 days and 3 nights. Jonah spent all those nights with thanksgiving to the lord. God then saved him by allowing the whale to vomit him back onto land. Jonah then went back up and ended up having the courage to preach at Nineveh which saved the people in that city. Jonah turned his failures and mistakes into success. When he was in the whale, he didn't spend the 3 days complaining to God. He spent those days with giving thanksgiving and prayer to God. We should all use his example and apply it into our own lives. When you bring thanksgiving and prayer to God during your troubles, he will listen to you more than if you complain. Claim the power of God instead of your problems! There is power in claiming the word of God into your life (blog on Letting Fear Go talks about power of claiming God's word). 

You never know what blessings God has coming up for you. Never underestimate his blessings and love for you. Be filled with thanksgiving during your failures, and use it to motivate yourself into success. Just because you are in a state of failure doesn't mean you have to stay as a failure.
So remember, you can turn your failures into success. 

The Hidden Power of Humility

You have probably heard many times in your life about the importance of being humble. But have you taken it a step further and asked, why is it important to be humble? Many of us might think, why should I be humble and think low of myself? What is wrong with boasting about myself? There's nothing wrong with boasting about yourself as long as it doesn't get carried away, however, humility has more power than boastfulness and pride. Humbleness does not mean you have to think low of yourself, and it is also not about how much you show off to people. Being humble is putting others' needs before your own. Being less selfish with your own needs. 

People value more to those who are humble rather than prideful, because it is not easy living a life of humility. As humans, our tendency is to love and boast about ourselves. But through humility, we will be respected more by people. Humbleness creates a pure heart; Pride does not. 

We should all follow the example of how Jesus lived. Jesus has been humble since the day of his birth. Although Jesus is the lord of lord and king of kings, he wasn't born in a palace. He was born in a stable full of animals, the least place we would ever think of for a savior to be born. But God allowed this to happen because he values humility. God values a humble heart more than a prideful heart. It says on James 4:6, "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." Jesus lived a life of humbleness. He spent his whole live preaching the word of God, healing others, and saving lives. He came to this earth only for serving and loving others before himself. He died on the cross for our very own sins. Jesus has the same power as God, but he humbled himself. He is our best example of what true humility is.  Jesus didn't have to go around bragging about himself to get people to follow him. Through his humbleness, people saw the true love of Jesus and everyone looked up to him even until this day. It says in Philippines 2:9, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name."

There is hidden power under humility. People will value you more through your humbleness than your pride. I now realize the importance of humility in my life, and I am trying each and every day to be more humble. Not just being humble on the outside, but inside my heart as well. Putting the needs of others, family, and friends above my own. Even if you seem to be humble on the outside, ask yourself this: Are you really humble inside your heart and mind? Are you really putting others first before your own desires? 

Proverbs 22:4 says, "True humility and fear of the Lord leads to riches, honor, and long life." Humility will bring you farther in life. 

So remember, the power of humility goes beyond pride.