Do Not Be Afraid

We all have our own definitions of what fear is to us, but no matter what our fears may be, no one likes fear. So how do we live a fearless life? Is it possible to live life with not a single fear lingering in our hearts? 

Fear is one of the main factors that drives our actions. Where does fear lead you in life? Who do you turn to in the midsts of your fears? For me, my fear led me to lies that I believed would take away my fears. I eventually found out that my lies never took my fears away, rather they made my fears sink deeper into my heart. 

So how did my fears go away? Through Christ. 

Instead of trying to fix my problems and fears by myself, I took them to Christ. I confessed my fears and asked him for guidance. Once I gave Christ control over my life, my problems slowly disappeared and every fear that I had was taken away. 

Psalms 34:4 says, "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." When you take your fears to Christ, he takes them away from you. Don't be afraid to turn to Jesus because he is only here to love and help you. Jesus is here to replace your fears with his peace. 

It is ok to have fear, but let your fears bring you closer to God, not farther away from God. I made the mistake of letting my fears drive me farther away from him, which only hid my fears deeper in my heart. But once I allowed God to take control of my fears, he took them all off of my hands and slowly through Christ,  I found that every fear I had was a lie that only came from Satan.

Satan wants to use your fear to drive you away from God, but God wants to use your fear to drive you closer to him. 

When we come to Jesus, we no longer have to be a slave to fear because fear will then be a slave to Jesus. Fear will no longer take a hold of us because Jesus has already taken a hold of it. 

Don't be afraid to approach Jesus because he wants and expects us to come to him with our fears. Usually when we report our bad mistakes to higher authority or to those we love, we become afraid of their possible harsh response or reactions.  

But with Jesus, we do not have to be afraid to approach him. Many times in the bible Jesus tells us to not be afraid. When Jesus first met Mary and Mary Magdalene after he rose from the dead, the first thing he said to them was, "Do not be afraid.."(Matthew 28:10).

When we approach Jesus with our mistakes, we do not need to be afraid because he is there to take away our mistakes, not to point at them. Jesus is there to take away our fear, shame, guilt, pain, and sin. He will never be there waiting to point at your mistakes, but only to show you that his grace is enough to fix your mistakes. 

If you don't know Jesus today, I encourage you to get to know him because he will change your life. However if you do know Jesus, is he someone you turn to in the midst of your fears? 

Jesus wants you to come to him with your fears because he wants to be there for you. So is it possible to live a life with no fear? The answer is yes, and it is only through Christ. There is nothing in this world that can permanently take away every fear you have in your heart. The only guarantee you have is Jesus.

Turn to Jesus and you will find that he will take care of all your fears. No matter how much anyone loves you, no one loves you more than Jesus does. He simply exists for you. So remember, do not be afraid, just turn to Jesus. 

Looking Into The Heart

We all have our "lists" of people that we put on the bad list, and I can guarantee that they are on your bad list because they have hurt your feelings at least once. But have you ever stopped to think if it was even right for you to place them on your bad list? No matter how bad someone has treated you, there is a way to put them back on your good list. 

Recently, I have been going through some difficulty with my website developer. Many things just went wrong with the website and at the end, he refused to fix the issues. I was beyond upset and felt that he deserved my bashing and lashing. In my mind, he was already on my bad list and I did not care about sending him mean replies. 

"He deserved it", I said to myself. Seeing his uncaring actions, how was it wrong for me to put him on my bad list? But it was at that moment when God spoke to me and said, "Do you deserve how I treat you?"

Do we deserve how God treats us? His love, grace, and mercy.. do we all deserve this? For it says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." This verse clearly shows us that none of us deserve God's love and grace. But despite our great sins, God does not lash out on us or say mean things to us. He sees our hearts and welcomes us with his loving arms. He tries to fix us by showing his grace and love, and that is what we should do to everyone who we think deserves to be on our bad list. 

In our eyes, those who hurt us do deserve to be on the bad list, but in God's eyes, no one deserves to be left on that bad list. Jesus came to this earth to show us an example of how to live; are you following his way in loving others? 

Do not treat someone the way they deserve to be treated because you are not treated by God in the way you should be treated. 

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, he said, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). How could Jesus say that to those who killed him for his innocence?

Because Jesus saw their hearts, not their actions. 

How can God still love us despite how much we have hurt him through our sins? Because he sees our hearts. God puts us in a vulnerable state so that he can love and save us from the doom of sin. 

I chose to change my perspective with my website developer and see his heart, not his actions. His actions may seem hurtful, but I know that deep inside he never wanted to hurt me in the first place.

Let us show God's love to others by looking at their hearts instead of their actions. It can be easy to let the harsh words and actions of others get to you, but look into their heart. If they knew what was truth and life, they would never have hurt you. They only did what they did because their hearts did not know what was the pure and right thing to do. 

Instead of putting others on our bad list, pray for them and say the words Jesus spoke, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do." Put others in a vulnerable state so that you may be able to show them God's full love. Bashing others will do no good, but when we show God's love to others, we are helping them run to God.

Don't let a harmful action block the chance for you to show God's love, because then you are working for the enemy. 

God's great commandment for us all is to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). When you choose to look at people's hearts and show them God's love, you will find your life filled with more joy than putting them on your bad list.

No matter who you meet, sometime down the road they will hurt you. But will you let their hurtful actions stop you from pursuing the calling that God has for you? Forgive others so that you may be able to love them. So remember, look into the heart. 

How To Get Through The Unknowns

As much as we plan and prepare for the future, there will always be that feeling of doubt in the unknowns of life. We can't runaway from the fact that we do not know for sure what will happen to us tomorrow or years from now. So how do we secure ourselves for the future? How do we get through the unknowns of life?

I had that 5 year career planned out well before I even graduated college. My plan was to get my Bachelor's degree and work full time. Afterwards, I planned to pursue my Master's degree that I believed would set me up to a secure future towards a career in business marketing. This 5 year plan that I had worked hard on was a plan that I thought was best for me. 

But just because we think our plan is the best does not mean that God will think it is the best - that was exactly what happened to my 5 year plan. God wiped away my 5 year plan to a plan that only consisted of faith in him. 

He took away my plan to take Master's and replaced it to pursue his kingdom first through writing books. I recently finally decided to let go of my own plans to follow his, but doubts and worries started to stir in my heart. What if I can't find the resources to publish my books? What if my books don't make it to the market? What if I fail to accomplish my God inspired dreams? 

The only way for me to stand firm through the unknowns in life is to know that I have a God who knows my unknowns.  Jeremiah 28:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Your unknowns may be unknown to you, but your unknowns are known to God.

God knows your unknowns, so trust in his plans and not yours even when it does not make sense. We cannot be sure that our plans will prosper, but we can be sure that God's plans will prosper. 

The best way for you to go through the unknowns is to have faith in God and follow his map plan for your life. This world teaches us to plan our lives, but God tells us to let him plan our lives. Let God slowly reveal and guide you to his plan because he wants you to accomplish the prosperous plans that he has prepared long ago for you. 

Faith means to walk blindly with only God's hand guiding you. Do you have complete faith in God? Faith that applies to all aspects of your life? I'm not only talking about faith in God for your salvation, but what about faith in the things that he asks you to do even when it does not make sense? Faith that calls you to enter the unknown with full dependence on God? 

I challenge you all to ask God to reveal his plan for you, and to walk in it with complete faith. God's best for you can only happen when you walk in the path of faith. This will require you to put the world behind you, and to put God in front of you. 

You do not need to go through the unknown with a definite plan because you have a God who wants to be your definite plan; he wants you to want him, depend on him, and need him. He wants to be your God! 

Hebrews 6:19 says, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.." It is possible to go through the unknowns with a firm and secure feeling, and that only comes through Jesus Christ. The Lord is your anchor to keep you still when you are going through the unsteady waves of life. The job of hope is to help you walk in faith with confidence in God through the unknowns. So remember, the way to go through the unknowns is to go with the one who knows. 

Do We Need To Have It?

Do you find yourself chasing after things with a mind that says, "I need to have it?" Putting your happiness in the things that you think you need to have? The question we should all ask ourselves is, "Do we need to have it?"

It can be dangerous to have the mindset of "I need to have it", because what if you don't get it? What if what you thought you needed ended up not being what you really needed? What if the things you thought would satisfy you ended up leaving you feeling empty handed and wanting more?

For almost my whole life, I had planned to take my masters after graduating and working full time. It was set in stone in my mind that I needed to take my masters...until the day that God challenged me to let it go. 

Months after, I still struggled with letting it go. I believed that my masters would make me satisfied with my life by giving me pride that I had the ability to achieve a higher education. I needed it and I wanted it. But deep inside, I felt guilty and I knew that my masters was not in God's plan for my life. I finally had to ask myself the question, "Do I really need to have this?" 

Ask yourself this question: "Do I really need to have it?" Do you need to have that 6-digit job? Or that one job you have been dreaming of? That man you have been waiting for? That big house you have been planning for? Do you need to have it?

There is only one thing that you need to have and that is Jesus. Only Jesus can bring you true fulfillment in your life because he is enough. Nothing else in this world can be enough for us. Everything else in this world will always leave you with wanting more - nothing will ever be enough for you except Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 says, "My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Jesus Christ." Jesus is the only thing you need because he is the source of everything you need. The things you may have planned might not be what God wants for you, so let it go and search only for what God wants for you because it is only he who knows what you need. 

For a while I thought that I needed my masters degree, but now I am trusting that God knows best. I am believing that he has something even more better than masters for me in this upcoming year. I challenge all of you to see that God is all you need to have. Putting God first in your life means choosing his way instead of yours. And when you do put God first in your life, you will see your life blossom in a way you never thought could be possible. 

Matthew 6:21 says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." What do you treasure the most in your life? If you are not sure where your treasure is, ask yourself what do you need to have, and there you will find the treasure of your life. Is it self-ambition that you need? Money? Or is it Jesus? If your treasure is in the things of this world, then your heart will be in the hands of this world. If your treasure is Jesus, then your heart will be in the hands of Jesus. 

The world can never guarantee you a happy life; only Jesus is a guarantee that you can trust and only he can give your heart the happiness and love that it needs. Once you find Jesus, you will find the treasure that your heart has been searching for. So remember, Jesus is the only thing you need to have. 

How To Stop Depression

Have you ever been piled up with failures and disappointments that led you to depression? How can an imperfect world that constantly fills us with disappointment bring us satisfaction and joy? Is it possible to stop depression while living at a world that will never live up perfectly to our expectations? 

Not only can this world disappoint us, but so can our loved ones. So how do we stop depression? 

I have recently been struggling with depressing feelings that I have kept inside for a while without even realizing it. I have been trying to submit my blogs to a magazine website that my friend referred to me, but that plan did not end the way I wanted.

I got a response back and they gave me suggestions to improve my blog for re-submitting. So, I revised and submitted with full hopes that this time I would get accepted. But until now, no answer back. I felt sad on the inside, but tried to forget about it and focused on writing new blogs to overcome this failing feeling I had on the inside. I did everything I could to overcome my depression, but found myself only deepening the depression.

What really became the climax of my depression was when I asked my boyfriend what he thought of my blog from reading it that morning. His response was, "I actually forgot what you wrote about." It was at that moment when I felt like I was at the bottom bit of my failures and disappointments.

I believed that I had failed as a blogger and was close to stopping everything that was originally my passion and dreams. I prayed to God and it was then that he revealed to me my mistake. 

When we are at a depressing state, we tend to put the blame on others and not see fault in ourselves. 

We believe that it was something or someone else that caused us to be depressed, but in reality, depression comes from us. 

What went wrong here? I was no longer writing for God, but writing for the approval of others. I gave my decision to be happy to the hands of others - not God. My blog started from my passion to glorify God and to satisfy him, but it turned to satisfying myself and others.

Doing things to satisfy yourself can also depress you because even you cannot satisfy yourself. You were made to satisfy God, and God was made to satisfy you. You will find yourself depressed if you live a life chasing your own dreams rather than God's dreams for you.

I was reminded by God that I am writing not for the approval of others or of my loved ones, but only for the approval of God. When I write for God, I know that I will never be disappointed because he is never disappointed at the good works that we do to glorify him.

When I found myself trying to satisfy others, I was continuously let down because this world was never made to satisfy me. Only God was made to satisfy me.

When you depend on others for your happiness, you will always find yourselves on the other side of happiness because no one is perfect. The only one who is perfect and capable of giving you perfect happiness is God. Psalms 136:1 says, "Praise the Lord! He is good. God's love never fails." God's love is the only promise you can depend on for your happiness. When you put your hope and joy in the hands of others, you are opening the doors of depression into your heart. However, God's love for you will never leave you at a depressed state. 

So how do you stop depression? It starts from you. Stop doing things to satisfy others, but do everything to only satisfy God. When you do things for God, you will always feel regenerated and joyful because that is God's job - to fill you with love and joy. 

Ask yourself this: Am I doing things to satisfy myself or God? 

I was confused at first when my blog got rejected. I thought it was going to be the perfect blog because I even had a far friend personally message me how this blog touched her. I could not understand why the magazine company did not see my blog post the same way my friend did. 

My blog was not accepted by the person who I wanted to accept it, but my blog did touch the lives that God wanted to be touched. Let go of your own expectations and plans because God's expectations and plans are better. There is no need for depression because God is proud of what you are doing and he has his own special plan just for you. 

I took my blog from God's hands into my own hands and found that it didn't bring me as much joy as when it was in God's hands. Take your life out of your hands and give it to God; that will be the best thing that you could ever do for your life. So remember, God is the way to stop depression. 

Get Up and Go

What does it mean to get up and go? It sounds simple to do, but if you were once broken, getting back up is not always as easy as it sounds. So how do you get up and live the new life that God has called you to do? 

I too was once broken down and forced to live a life with my bad past defining me. I could not erase my past mistakes, and thinking that many people would instantly define me as who I was did not give me any encouragement to get back up. 

I felt trapped from being able to live a new life and pursue my calling from God. I had dreams of who I wanted to be, but believed that I could never rise up to any of my God-given dreams. 

What finally revived and changed me was allowing Christ to come into my life and change me. I couldn't change myself, but Christ could. I finally found someone who was able to take away my sin and erase all the shame - that person was Christ. But accepting Christ and his forgiveness was not enough to change me; I had to get up and go. 

God will not lift yourself up for you; he will give you the power to get up, but it is up to you to take the initiative to get up and live a changed life. So how do we get up and go? It requires 3 things: 

1. Faith in God

2. Let go of your old label with a new label from Christ

3. Stay up

When Jesus healed the laid man, he didn't help the man get up. He told the laid man to get up and it was up to the laid man to take the initiative to get up and believe that he was healed. John 5:8 says, "Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your matt and walk." When we hear this story, it can be easy to picture the laid man getting up easily. But have you ever realized what it actually took for him to get up?

Faith In God

The laid man needed faith in Jesus to have the courage and power to get up and believe that Jesus healed him. Fear could have stopped him from getting up, but his faith in Jesus was greater. 

We must do the same and get up as how the laid man did. For us to rise up to a new life requires us to have faith that God will carry us through our troubles and believe that he has a great plan ahead of us. Faith is what will give us the power of God to accomplish what he has inspired us to do.

Let Go of Your Old Label with a New Label 

The laid man was known as the "laid man" in town for 38 years, and he had to live with such a label for so long. Before he could be healed, he needed to let go of his old label as a "laid person" and claim his new label as a child of God. He had to let go of who he was, with who he wanted to be in Christ.

To get up means to forget who you were -  forget your past and believe that you are now a new child of Christ. Through Christ, you can rise up and become greater than who you were. Stay up and continue to accept God's grace and healing for your new changed life. God doesn't want to see you broken, he wants to heal you.

Stay Up

God did not just tell the laid man to get up, he also told him to walk, and the only way to walk is to stay up. 

If we do not stay up, we will never be able to walk the plan that God has for us. The only way to see God's miraculous power in our lives is to walk it through. If the laid man never chose to walk and go, he would never have seen Jesus's healing power on his life.

To see God's amazing plans happen in your life requires you to walk in it until the end. Don't give up on God; have faith that God has prepared an amazing plan ahead of you. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

My past was not at all perfect and good, but from getting up and doing what God has called me to do, I now have a new life ahead of me. My past has not stopped me from changing and living a life to glorify God.

Don't let your bad past block the good future that God has planned for you. Because you are new in Christ, your bad can be used for the good; it has been God's plan from the day he made you. Accept Christ and know that you are his beloved Child. 

We all have a great future ahead of us, and as long as we have faith in God and know that we are his child and masterpiece, we can stay up to finish the good works that he has planned for us. So remember, get up and go. 

Is God Hiding?

Have you ever had times when fear and silence became your best friends? Wondered where God was during your darkest moments? Believed that God was hiding from you?

Events like the terrorist attack in Paris can make us wonder where was God? Why didn't he stop this when he could of? Although we may have many questions and concerns in the midsts of our trials, God never has any questions. God has all the answers and he knows what is happening and what is yet to come.

There are 3 things you must remember when you feel far from God:

1. God is good

2. God is with you

3. God loves you

God is Good

It can be tough to see God as good when we have just lost the most important people in our lives, or have lost that great opportunity that we have been waiting for. However, we must remember that God is always good - good under no exceptions and under every circumstances. No matter how bad we are or how bad our situation is, God's goodness stays firm.

God only contributes to the good and he only works for the good of those who love him. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.." God never creates harm - that is all the work of Satan. God however can allow bad things to happen, but if he does, he will always have a plan to turn what was meant for harm into good.

God will always have his way of using the bad for the goodness of his glory. Whatever you are going through right now, believe that God is good and that he will take your tears and pains and place it into his perfect good plan. Don't trust in your situation, but trust in your good God. His good plan for you is just around the corner, wait on it.

God is With You

What is more worse than going through the darkest moments in your life? Going through it alone. God never wanted you to suffer alone; he wants to be there to comfort you. Just as how any parent would want to be there for their child, your God wants to be your father. Lean on him and let him guide you from the darkness into the light.

Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "..Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." No problem is ever too big for God to handle, and nothing ever happens without him knowing. God will never leave you to face a problem alone; he will go with you throughout any storm you face.

God Loves You

Romans 8:38-39 says, "..neither death nor life,  neither angels nor demons,  neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse shows us how great God's love is for us. Our sin and any power that exists cannot separate or stop God's love towards us. God's love never fails and it will never hinder him away from us. If God loves us, then why would he ever leave or harm us?

If you are going through a dark time, hold on to God and know that he loves you. Don't give up, but trust that God will use your situation as a tool to create a stronger you to bless others. If God allows bad things to happen, it is only because he has a plan to use it for a greater good. God has a plan, and his plan is to always love you.

I have never lived the "perfect Christian life", however, my mistakes and the bad things that have happened to me has not stopped God's grace in my life. I am now able to share to others my weaknesses and glorify God through it. If it wasn't for the mistakes that I have made, I would have never been able to appreciate God's grace as I do now. Bad things that happen to you now, will never stay as bad things. Soon enough, you will see why God allowed it and how it fits into his perfect masterplan.

Is God hiding? The answer is no. God is our savior, and he is a savior that will never hide from his people. God will never hide from you or your problems; that is a lie that only comes from Satan. God might seem absent in taking action in the midst of your troubles, but behind the scenes he is working the best for your situation.

God is fighting for you, so don't lose hope. God sent Jesus to suffer and to die on the cross so that you may live life to the fullest. Do you think that God did all of this to only hide from you when trials stir up on this Earth?

Hebrews 12:3 says, "Consider him (Jesus) who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Jesus endured so much for us so that we could be saved and live boldly for him. Hold on to the love of God and never lose heart on him. So remember, God is not hiding.

Which is the Better Deal?

Have you ever found yourself feeling happy over a good deal that you got but was not supposed to get? Stayed quiet when you got charged less than what it should be? It can be easy to see all of these things and call it a lucky day, but are all of these things really the better deal for us?

I was a victim of thinking that getting the extra meat at Chipotle with no extra cost was a better deal than paying the actual cost, or staying quiet when the bill was incorrect. And even when I did the right thing, I felt like I was losing out on a great deal. So which is the better deal? Doing the right thing or letting the wrong thing happen for our own benefit?

It might sound obvious that the better deal is gaining something that we don't deserve, but the truth is when we do the right thing, we are actually getting the better deal. 

Proverbs 10:2 says, "Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death." Ill-gotten by definition means to acquire by illegal or unfair means. The verse is saying that when we attain things through unfair means, it will have no lasting value..but why? It can be easy to choose the wrong way and think that we got the better deal, but have you ever thought of what happens after the temporary benefit?

Ill-gotten treasures do bring value in the short term, but its value disappears in the long run. When we gain things through deceit and unfairness, it takes away the righteousness of God in us, and it is only through righteousness that we can have life. Proverbs 10:16 says, "The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death." 

Life always bears fruit, but death does not. Think of a tree - a tree full of life will bear fruit, but a dead tree cannot bear fruit. If we continue to acquire things through unrighteousness, then the things we acquire will bear no fruit. Our wrong acts will slowly lead us to the path of death. 

We need to change our perspectives and see in the long term. Choosing righteousness will always have more value than ill-gotten treasures. The verse uses the term "treasure" because the things that we do get unfairly are still in a sense a treasure; they do bring a benefit in our lives, but whatever the benefit may be, do not be deceived by its temporary value.

The true treasure is not in the treasure itself, but is in the one who gives the treasure which is Jesus. Do not take in other ways, but only take what Jesus gives you. Choosing the unrighteous way is the same thing as choosing the way of Satan, which leads to death. Doing the right thing is the better deal because we attain righteousness, which brings life.

If you are not sure which choice is right or wrong, choose the choice that bears righteousness. The choice that bears righteousness is the one that will open the doors of blessings through Jesus. So remember, righteousness is the better deal.

Is Perfect Peace Real?

Is it possible to have perfect peace in our busy and ever-demanding lives? How can we have peace when life is full of risks and worries? Life will never stop bringing us troubles and worries, however, there is a way to attain perfect peace throughout any situation we will face. 

Recently, I have been busy with my full time job as well as preparing myself for graduate school. I was not doing too well on the practice exams and my final official score was sure not the score I wanted. My stress turned to worry, and my worry carried on to different parts of my life. I started to question my career and future, and found myself losing the peace I needed to live my life.  

I'm sure all of us have our own "what if's" in our lives. What if I can't afford this home? What if my business fails? What if my relationship will not last forever? What if I never find the "one" in my life? It is the "what if's" that prevent us from having that perfect peace we all dream for. 

Our "what ifs" will never go away, but they can be replaced with "I knows" that only come from God. 

Jeremiah 29:11 says, ""For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." With God, he can turn all of our "what ifs" to "I knows". In the midsts of our uncertainties, we know that our God is for us. What if I cannot afford my home turns to I know that God is my provider, what if my business fails turns to I know that my God will never leave me nor forsake me, what if I will never find the "one" turns to I know that my God loves me. 

God has many promises in the bible that were all meant to give us peace to live in the world we are in today. Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." 

This verse says that God will give us perfect peace. So what is perfect peace? Perfect peace is having 100% peace in any situation we face. It is the peace that perfectly rests in your heart despite the storms you go through. Perfect peace means not having even the slightest doubt when you face challenges. 

Is perfect peace real? The answer is yes, and it only comes from God. Nothing in this word can give you perfect peace; your money, family, and job will not provide you that perfect peace. God is the only source of perfect and unfailing peace. 

The verse says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you."We can only attain perfect peace when we focus our minds completely to God. If we let our minds focus on other things, then that is when we give doubt an opportunity to come into our lives. 

Don't depend your peace on other things, because it is only God who can give you that perfect peace you need in your life. God is our rock eternal (Isaiah 26:4 "..the Lord himself, is the rock eternal") the one who's promises will never fade away. Other things in our lives may seem to be rocks that are stable, but through time, they will all fade away. God, however is our rock eternal and he will never fade or fail. 

Let God's perfect peace sink deep into your heart and flow over your life. His peace will stand perfect through out any storm your life may bring. So remember, perfect peace is real. 

The Greatest Weapon

Feeling exhausted from fighting your own battles? Have you allowed stress to pile up and control your life? Hardships can easily take off our focus on what truly matters in our life. So what is the greatest weapon to fight our battles? 

Exodus 14:14 says, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

We have the greatest weapon against Satan and that is God.

Your wealth, family, spouse, and even yourself cannot save you. The only one who can fight for you and win is God. God does not need you to fight his battles; he only needs you to be still in him. 

Whether you are fighting sickness, sin, or any other troubles, know that this isn't your battlefield - it's God's battlefield and he knows it, and he is fighting for you. 

This is your Greatest Weapon.

Why Good Things Must Go

Has God ever asked you to let go of something good in your life? Ever wondered why good things need to end? There will come a time when we will have to let go of things in our life - not just any thing, but good things. This is certainly not easy to do, but it is something that must happen for us to grow in Christ. 

I have been struggling these past few weeks over a request that God has asked of me. I tried putting it off of my mind, but the guilty feeling of knowing that I was ignoring God's request just killed me. Every sermon, scripture, and devotion time that I had with God continued to hit my heart. God has been challenging me to let go of my music studio that I have invested my time on for 5 years. I could not understand why God would ask me to let go of such a thing that has been so good to my life. Why would God ask me to let go of something that has brought me joy and prosperity?

I continued to ask God the "why" questions, and it wasn't until recently that I finally understood why God might want us to let go of good things in our lives. 

It is because God wants us to live our life to the fullest. 

We will have our own definitions of what a good life is, but it is only God who knows what is best for us. There are many good things we could have and do, but not everything is best for us.  Trust God when he asks you to let go of something - even when that something is good.  God knows the future and he knows what is best for us. 

Jeremiah 17:7 says, "But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." The fact of life is that we cannot trust ourselves. As much as we want to be confident that we know it all, only God knows it all. Trusting God will require us to let go of our own securities. We can either trust God 100% or 0%. We cannot say we have sincere trust in God if it is not 100% - it's all or nothing. 

When we place our lives in God's hand, we can be confident that he will have a hold of it and will bring our lives to the fullest. Trusting God requires us to sacrifice our lives and to go through the fire that God will place us at. We can't eliminate our own desires because it can only be eliminated by God. We must go through the fire and allow God to permanently burn away our desires that are not grounded in God. 

If we want God's will in our lives, our own selfish desires must first be gone. That is why God places us through fires so that our own desires will disappear while his will appear. So what is the fire that we have to go through? The fire is anything that will hurt and purify you. For me, the fire that I had to go through was letting go of my music studio. It is only through sacrificing my music studio that I could burn away my selfish desires and surrender my life to God. 

To have God's will present in our lives require us to sacrifice our lives to him no matter the cost. The only way we can live our life to the fullest is if we give our fullest to God. Don't think that sacrificing your life is something out of the norm because we all sacrifice our lives for something. Whatever you are living for, you are sacrificing for. If you are living for your career, then you are sacrificing for your career. If you are living for your Jesus, than you are sacrificing for Jesus. There is no such thing as life without sacrifice. 

What are you sacrificing your life for? Matthew 10:39 says, "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." The only way we can live our life to the fullest is to give it for God to hold and mold. God has the life you want in his hands; give up yours in exchange for his. So remember, good things must go for the better things. 

How To Hear From God in 3 Steps

Have there been times when you waited to hear from God but heard nothing? Read the bible or prayed but received no revelations? Came to the conclusion that God has nothing to say to you? The fact is that God would love to take any moment to speak to you. So how do we hear from God? 

Reading the bible can be a dread when the passage does not connect to any part of your life. I used to experience this as well and my approach of reading the bible was, "Maybe today I will get something from reading the bible..maybe today God will speak to me." But I have now learned that there should be no maybe's - God wants to speak to you and he would take any chance he could to speak to you. If you only dedicate 30 minutes of your day to God, why would he not want to use that time to talk to you?

There are 3 steps to hear from God: 

1. Acknowledge that God exists

2. Desire to hear from God

3. Wait on God and expect him to speak to you

We cannot hear from God if we do not first acknowledge that our God exists. 1 Samuel 3 in the bible is a great example of how to hear from God. The chapter talks about how Samuel heard a voice calling him but did not know it was from God. He could not hear the revelation from God until his leader Eli told him it was God who was calling him. 1 Samuel 3:7 says, "Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him." 

Samuel could not hear God's revelation until he acknowledged God's existence. Samuel said to God, "Speak, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:10).  Once Samuel spoke this, God spoke to him a revelation about Eli. We must be like Samuel and acknowledge God and have the desire to hear from God. Samuel in his request told God he was listening, and it was evident that he had the desire to hear from God. God could have spoke to Samuel right away, but he wanted Samuel to acknowledge and desire his presence. 

Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." God will never force anything upon us and he will never force his voice over our life. God wants it to come from us - he wants us to desire him. 

The last step to hear from God is to wait and expect him to speak to you. If we do not expect for God to speak to us, then we will never have the will and patience to wait on him because we never expected him to speak. If we just lingered a bit longer and mediated on God's word, we could have received a revelation that would change our lives. God is here to not only give us salvation, but to guide and mold us daily into becoming more like Christ.

Samuel in his request to God told him to speak because he was expecting God to speak to him. 

Before you pray or read the bible, ask God to speak to you. Use what Samuel said and say, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening". The Holy Spirit is there to guide you to be closer and more sensitive to God's voice. Lean on the Holy Spirit for guidance and expect to hear from God because he does have something to say to you.

We were not meant to only hear what God has to say from pastors, but to also hear directly from God. Only God himself knows what we need to change about ourselves and he alone has the best word for us. Ephesians 1:17 says, "the glorious father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." 

It is not God who has to speak more, but rather us who has to listen more. We need to change our perspective when approaching God and reading the bible by believing he will always have a revelation prepared for us. Receiving God's revelation directly will take our  Bible reading experience to a new level. God wants to speak to us and he longs for an intimate relationship with each of us. So remember, you can hear from God. 

The Weights of Worry

Do you have a list of unlimited worries and burdens that you carry around everyday? Feeling distracted from your daily tasks because of your fears of the unknown? If so, how then can you remove the worries off your mind?

It was Sunday morning and I found myself fussing over a small argument with my partner. I could not get the burden off my heart and focusing on the sermon became so hard. But it was at one point in the sermon when God spoke to me and revealed to me where the situation was going towards. Instead of praising God and focusing on the sermon, I allowed the small worries of a silly argument block my focus towards God. I was wasting my time and energy worrying about unnecessary things, when I could have been using the time to glorify God.

Big or small worries both bring the same results - they all add a heavy weight of burden on our shoulders. From this experience I learned the truth about worries: 

Worries are distractions from Satan. 

Satan will always try to fill you with worries to distract you from what God wants you to worry about. His plan is to pile up worries in your mind so that they will distract you from the calling God has for you. Do not let worries such as financial problems distract you from doing what God has called you to do. 

Matthew 6:31-34 says, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?'..but seek first the kingdom of God and and all these things will be given to you as well." God does not want us to focus on unnecessary worries, but rather to worry about God kingdom matters. God wants us to worry about reaching the lost and spreading his gospel to all.

 Of course no one is susceptible to worries, but God never intended for us to dwell in our worries - that was Satan's plan. God will never ask us to carry our own burdens; he wants us to throw all of our worries to him. Psalms 55:22 says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you."

Don't let the worries of this world take your eyes off of what truly matters. You will never be able to win the race towards God if you have all the heavy burdens of worries on your shoulders holding you down. Satan wants to pile up more burdens on you so that you will never reach the potential God has for you. Satan will do anything he can to slow you down. Be careful to not let your worries pile up because they will leave you still and useless. 

Throw all your worries to God and let him carry the heavy weight for you. God wants you to cast his cares on him so that you can have the freedom to accomplish the great plans he has prepared for you. Do not let satan distract you with your worries. Trust that God has a hold of your life and continue walking towards your calling and purpose. So remember, do not let the weights of worry slow you down. 

A Taste Of Sin

Many of us understand what sin is and have come to know the sins stated in the Bible, yet how come we still try to compensate and desire for a taste of sin? How far will a taste of sin cause to our lives? Can we truly live a life pleasing to God while bypassing his laws? 

It can be easy to underestimate the consequences of sin, and there have been times in my life when I thought that I could justify my actions despite what the Bible says. I thought that I could still please God as long I acknowledge him, loved him, and served him. But I have found that there is only 1 fact that we should all know about sin: 

Sin separates us from God. 

No matter how big or small your sin is, it all separates you from the grace and blessings of God. When Eve sinned through eating the fruit from the Tree of Life that God had forbid her from eating, God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. They were separated from God, and if we continue to keep sin in our lives, just like Adam and Eve, we will be separated from God in our lives. 

Sin does not take away God's love for us, but it does put us outside of the blessings that God had originally planned for us. Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your inequities have separated you from you God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."

Like Eve, if we take a taste of that "forbidden fruit" in our lives, we will find God's consequences soon enough. Sin always seems good and harmless - like the forbidden fruit that Eve was tempted to eat. Genesis 3:6 says Eve saw the fruit as "good for food and pleasing to the eye." Sin will never seem bad to us; it will always be desiring and bring a benefit for us - but only a temporary one. 

You may think that sinning once, or just having a taste of sin is no harm, but looking to what happened to Eve, just one bite of the forbidden fruit brought curse to all generations to come. There will always be a consequence to sin, and it will definitely be greater than the instant gratification it brings. Ask yourself this: What good will a taste of sin have in your life? Why would you even want a taste of sin that God warns us to stay away from? What good would sin really bring to your life?

Don't let a taste of sin get in the way of God's blessing for you. 

We are all still dealing with the same Satan that tempted Eve. Don't fall for the doubts and lies that he will plant in your mind. We all face temptation the same way like Eve. It all starts from doubting God's law, and then justifying that sin is no longer sin nor harmful to us. Many of us face sin saying to ourselves, "What can possibly be bad from doing this sin?" 

Satan is good at telling you the benefits of sin, but he certainly will not tell you the consequences of it. He told Eve that the benefit of eating the fruit would bring her wisdom and make her like God. He was right, but he surely did not tell her that sin would separate Adam and her from God. 

Satan knows that sin separates us from God, and he will do everything he can to deceive us into compensating for sin. Don't use your own reasoning to justify if you should sin or not. Trust that God loves you and that he knows what is best for you. 

John 14:6 says, "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life." Only God's way will bring you life to the fullest. God wants to be one with you and he has planned blessings and a prosperous plans for you. So remember, don't try a taste of sin. 

Chasing The Right Trophy

We all have dreams, goals, and aspirations that we work hard on everyday to achieve, but have you ever wondered if you are chasing the right trophy? If all your hard work was what God had planned for you to do? How can we know if we are under God's and will and not our own?

All these questions and worries continued to fill up my mind as I prayed to God and asked him to help me decide what I should do with my future. I was in a battle of pursing a great business career, or choosing to answer to the call and purpose that God has prepared for me. 

There will come a time in our lives when we will have to make the choice -- the path of which to direct our lives to. It will require us to let go of even the good things in our lives that just were not the best things for us. So how do we know if we are chasing the right goals and dreams? There is only one criteria we need to determine if we are under God's will:

To glorify his kingdom and spread his good news. 

Money should not be the driving force of the choices you make in life. Nothing else should stand against putting Jesus first in your life. Make Jesus be the reason for everything you do. God did not ask us to choose the path of life that seeks for the most money, but to choose the life that shares Jesus to the most people. 

He asked us to seek his kingdom first, then everything else will be provided. Matthew 6:31-33 says, "So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'...But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Satan will plant in your mind all the worries of life, hoping to distract you from worrying about the most important thing in life - you call and purpose from God. He will make you worry about your financial stability because he wants you to make choices based off of the lies and worries of this world. But I encourage you to see past those worries and make choices based off of the trust in your calling from God. 

I used to think that missionaries, pastors, or even my friends who dedicated 40 hours a week to serve God were crazy. I felt that they were missing out in life and could have done other jobs and gained more money. But little did I know that it was actually me who was missing out in life. I learned that there is greater joy in pursuing your special calling and purpose in Christ. It is a unspeakable joy that nothing in the world can compare to. 

Matthew 7:14 says, "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Only a few people in this world find the beauty of that narrow path of sacrificing their life to Jesus, and only a few people live out their calling in Christ. 

Don't compare yourself to the majority of the people you will find in this world. It is true that there are more people on this earth pursuing their own desires and ambitions, but look to the few because it is only the few who truly find the right trophy of life - Jesus. 

Ask yourself this: What is the main thing you are chasing in life? What is the trophy of your life? Is it money? Pride? Respect? Or is it God? The lust of money and the ambitions of this world may seem to be attractive, but they are all lies and distractions from Satan. Satan knows the great plans that God has for you, and he will do everything he can to make you think less about God. 

My pastor always tells us, "Don't let Satan repurpose you from the purpose that God has for you." Live your life chasing God and nothing else. Look to the few and not the many, because it is the few who have truly found the beauty of life. So remember, make Jesus the trophy of your life. 

You Have the Power

Have you ever felt helpless and cornered out with no more clever solutions to your problems? Given hopeless prayers to God in desperation? When life gets tough, it can seem impossible to believe that you have the power to fix your problems. It can even be hard to believe that God himself has the solutions. But today I am here to tell you that you do have the power to save yourself. 

So how do we gain the power of God in our lives? It requires 3 things: 

1) Prayer

2) Living Word (Bible)

3) Claim and Believe

Maybe you have done all these things and have seen nothing happen in your life, but have you tried doing all these 3 things together? You need to do all 3 things together to experience God's power in your life. You need to pray, speak the living word of God against the problems you face, and claim and believe that God will give you the power to overcome anything. You will gain nothing from just praying but not having any faith to back it up. At the same time, there is no power in claiming and believing in empty promises. 

Romans 16:20 says, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." You have the power to cast Satan away. It is through God, but by you that you can defeat satan. 

The verse does not say will crush Satan under God's feet, it says under "your" feet. God wants you to realize that you have the power to conquer Satan. It's not enough to be scared and helpless and wait for God to defeat Satan. God can defeat Satan anytime, but he needs you to step up in faith and fight Satan yourself with God's power. 

Don't let the lies of Satan make you believe that your job is to give helpless prayers to God. You are not weak because you have an almighty God as your source of power and strength. Don't fight Satan with a hopeless prayer, fight him with a powerful prayer that is fueled with faith. 

God has also given you the Bible as another source to fight your problems. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active." This Bible isn't just any regular history book, it is a book that is alive to help you, and active to fight for you. Claim the living word of God and you will see it start to act upon your life. 

Satan can't stop God's power, but he can stop your faith in God's power. Don't lose hope in God's ability to save you in any situation you face. Satan will try to bring doubts into your heart because he knows that it is your faith that fuels the power of God. 

Jesus said it himself in Mark 11:24, "..whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Never doubt the ability of your faith, because that is a key factor in receiving the power of God in your life. Claim and believe in the living word of God and in your prayers and you will start to see God's peace resting in your problems. Let God fill you up with his ever interceding power. So remember, you do have the power. 

Why Is Jesus So Far Away?

Have you ever wondered why Jesus had to leave? Why did Jesus have to go back to heaven while leaving us alone to struggle in this sinful world? There have been times in my life where I imagined how good life would be if Jesus were living right here with us. We could ask him for advice and receive direct answers whenever we faced issues, hold onto him tightly when going through difficult situations, receive healing when experiencing sickness, and the list goes on and on. 

But why did Jesus choose to leave us when it is clear that life with him would be good? In fact Jesus says that is is to our advantage that he goes away. John 16:7 says, "But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away." So why did Jesus believe that his leaving was good for us? 

Because Jesus wants us to have an intimate relationship with him. 

The only way we could experience Jesus in the most intimate way was for him to leave us - to be physically apart from him. Because Jesus is far away from us, it forces us to be more sensitive in discerning his voice to know him. It forces us to have to work hard and seek him with all our hearts to find him. 

If Jesus was living in this earth and was only a mile walk away from you, you would not need to form an intimate relationship to be sensitive in hearing his voice. You could simply walk up to Jesus and ask him what you needed. But because Jesus is not here, the only way to know him and hear what he has to say is through a deep intimate relationship with Jesus. 

Being able to know and hear from Jesus without actually meeting him in person is not comparable to any relationship we could find on this earth - and that is exactly what Jesus wanted. He wants to have an intimate relationship with you that surpasses all the other relationships you have with your family, friends, and spouse. 

Just like in any long distance relationship, it takes greater effort from both parties to grow their love and intimacy. God wants us to put our best efforts in our relationship with Christ. He wants you to put your relationship with him above any other relationship that exists on this earth. He wants a relationship with you that only you could have with him. Jesus is already putting his best effort with you, but are you giving your best effort for him? Are you putting enough effort to make your relationship with Jesus work? 

Jesus never intended to leave us, but to stay in our hearts. He also did not leave us alone on this earth, he sent someone important to help us. That someone is the holy spirit. The second part of John 16:7 says, "Unless I go away, the advocate will not come to you; but if i go I will send him to you."

Jesus knew that the holy spirit would do a better job than him in teaching us what it means to depend on God and be one in him. The holy spirit is there to help guide us to knowing God and to reveal to us the things that God wants to reveal in us. If Jesus never left, the holy spirit could never come, and we would never experience Jesus the same way we could now. 

Embrace Jesus in your heart and trust that the holy spirit is enough to cultivate your intimate relationship with him. Jesus is always with you and he will never leave you no matter where you go. He may be physically far, but through this he can exist deep in your heart. Matthew 28:20 says, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." So remember, Jesus is not far, he is closer to you than ever before. 

How To Make The Best Decision

There are so many good choices in our life that we could choose, but which should we choose? Out of all the things we could do and have in our life, how do we know which is the best for us? We only have one self and one life, so how do we make the best decision that will give the most to our life? 

For the past few weeks I struggled with all these questions. My ambitious heart desired a lot of things, but my own self could only handle so much. I had a full-time job, taught piano, wrote blogs every week, took bible classes, and on top of everything I was in the process of writing a book and also wanted to start a business I had planned for a couple of months. I reached a point in my life where I could not handle everything and ended up accomplishing nothing, but most importantly God started to diminish away in my busy life. 

I prayed and asked God to show me which path was the best decision for me. Everything seemed good, but I was not able to have everything and God started to lose priority in my life. I was confused on what exactly was blocking God from truly reflecting in my life. His answer was simple yet true: It was me - I was fogging up my own mirror and taking away God's reflection from my life. 

God wants us to live a life that mirrors him and not us. Everything good in this earth was not all meant for us. We were never made to take all the good things, but to take only the good things that were meant for us. 

So how do we make the best decision for our lives? It is simple: To choose the one that will mirror God the best way possible in our life. 

God never intended for our lives to glorify ourselves, but to only glorify him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, "So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord - who is the spirit - makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."

Ask yourself this: Is your life mirroring God? And if it is not, what is covering it up? Who do you see in your mirror, God's reflection or yours? Is your reflection taking up the room for God's reflection to be in your life? God calls each of our lives to reflect him and to become more like his image and not our own. 

We ourselves are the greatest threat of blocking God's image into our lives. It can be easy to focus our life on ourselves and to be self-centered, choosing the life we want and not what God wants for us. But to live a life that truly mirrors God means living a life that God wants for us. As much as we have our own desires for our own life, living a life that surrenders and follows christ means to let God make the best decisions for us. 

Pray and ask God to lead you into the things he wants for your life. Your life was only meant to reflect the glory of God, so do not let your selfishness remove God's glory on your life because that is exactly what satan wants. It always cost something to get something, but don't let the cost be cutting God short in your life. Let go of the things you desire in your heart and chase after what God wants for you. 

Be a mirror that reflects God's glory and not your own. When others see you, shine his light towards them and let his image be ever present upon your life. So remember, only God can make the best decisions for you. 

How To Fix a Stale Relationship

Is finding time alone with God a burden for you? Do you find yourself arranging and measuring your time with god instead of simply desiring him? Feeling relieved when your bible time is over and checked off on your check list? If your answer to all these questions are yes, then we can almost confidently say that you have a stale relationship with God. 

The definition of stale is, "no longer fresh and pleasant". Some good questions to ask yourself daily are: 

-Are you putting your relationship with God first? 

-Do you talk to God as much as you should?

-Are you constantly desiring God, or are you measuring the time you should seek God?

So how do we fix a stale relationship? The solution is to make God your source of freshness. 

If you are not making God your source of freshness, then how can he ever be your source of freshness? Our relationship with Jesus is like any other relationship we have with our partners. Like any relationship with your spouse or partner, if you never depend or see your partner as your happiness, then they will never be your source of freshness and happiness. Just because you say I love you, give them a kiss, and hangout with them everyday does not mean that you see them as your happiness nor love them. If you continue to focus on someone or something else other than your partner as your source of happiness, then how can you ever see them as your source of happiness?

This goes the same with God - if we focus on something else other than God as our source of joy, then we will never open the way to see God as our source of joy. Just because you go to church, read the bible, or pray does not mean you see him as your source of freshness and joy. 

To fix your stale relationship with God, first identify what you depend on as your source of freshness and exchange that with God. If social media is a greater source of joy and refreshment for your day, then remove that with more time spent on reading his word. Change your perspective and see God as your source of joy, and that will be the start to fixing your stale relationship with him. 

Psalm 42:2 says, "My soul thirsts for God, the living God." Are you thirsty for God? Do you feel the need for him? Or is time with him an obligation? It can be easy to breeze through life without acknowledging God, but the fact is we need him every single day of our lives. We need that thirst for God so we can have the desire to seek him with all our hearts. Before we can thirst for God, we first need to see God as the source to relieve our thirst. Just like with water, before we can thirst for water, we first need to see and acknowledge that water is the source to relieve our thirst. 

Do not pretend to be open with Jesus, but rather keep your life open to him. When you open your mind and heart to Jesus, then you will open the way for his joy to fill your heart. I encourage you all to pray and ask the holy spirit to fill you with a never ending supply of joy from God. God wants us to desire him, as he desires us.

Joy from God was never meant to be a one-time thing. Psalm 16:11 says, "You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." His joy was meant to refresh us ever single day for the rest of our lives. So remember, you can turn your stale relationship into a fresh one. 

How To Pursue Your Purpose

Many of us work hard everyday with planning our tasks and goals in life, but have you ever feared that your hard work would result to nothing? Or even worse - your hard work would end up hurting you? Afraid that you will not be able to pursue your purpose or that you are pursuing the wrong purpose? 

It has been a month now since I have been taking bible classes at my church. At first, I was afraid of enrolling to the classes because it would take a lot of my time and investment to complete the set of courses. I was afraid that I would not be able to find time to manage all my current responsibilities, but more than this, I was afraid that my hard work on pursuing my career towards ministry would result to nothing. I was afraid that I was not good enough to be successful towards this purpose that God has called me, and that I was pursuing the wrong purpose...so many "afraids" just filled up my mind. 

It can be so easy for us to fall for our own weaknesses and substitute God's plan with our own plans; plans that we feel will fit for us. I made all the excuses I could make to justify myself against pursuing the call that God had for me. Filled with worries of failure, I prayed to God and asked him to help me. He then spoke to me through this verse: 

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord." (Proverbs 21:31)

We can prepare and work hard as much as we want, but victory is all in Gods hands and not our own. We spend most of our time worrying about the end result, the victory, when we never had to worry about it because victory has already been in God's hand. 

Your victory is resting in God's hand and it is going no where. 

God made me realize that I was worrying about the wrong things, and that if I continued to dwell in my worries, I would never find my true purpose in my life. Don't pursue a purpose that your eyes now can assure you will make it. What your eyes see now does not have the capability to show you what your true purpose is in Christ. See from God's eyes and trust that he already has your victory resting in his hands. 

Let your worries go and pursue the call God has placed in your heart. I am glad that I decided to enroll in the bible classes that I am currently in now. God has been able to help me manage my time, and I trust that the end result of my victory is waiting in his hands. 

I encourage you all to trust the purpose and call that God has placed in your heart, regardless of how impossible it seems. Do not worry about the victory because God already has a hold of it. No one including Satan cannot steal that victory away from God. Focus on what you are called to do today and let God take care of how you will make it tomorrow. 

God's strength is enough to carry you through and only he can help you pursue your purpose. The last thing you want to do is try to fulfill your purpose by yourself because it could lead you into pursuing the wrong purpose. John 5:15 says, "I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you are nothing."

Count on God and make him your savior, hope, and defender. Your hard work does not add or subtract towards your victory because God already has your victory before you even knew your purpose. To pursue the right purpose means to give God the control over your life. He will be your best fighter and he will never fail you. So remember, allow God to pursue your purpose. 

Are You a Cover Up?

Have there been times when you did something on the outside, but on the inside you really did not want to do it? Saying a lot of yes's on the outside but many no's on the inside? Our good outward actions can easily fool us to believe that what we are doing is right and even good for God, but have you ever stopped to consider if you were being a cover up? 

I am the type of person that does not like to disappoint others as well as God, so if there is even a slight possibility of me saying yes to any request that is asked before me, I most likely will say yes. But that yes comes with complaints and a grumbling heart filled with why's and no's. It was then that I stumbled upon a simple short verse that opened my own eyes: 

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure.." (Philippians 2:14-15). 

From this verse, it made me realize that I do almost everything with grumbling or arguing - which is the total opposite of what God has called me to do. I always took the time to check my actions, but I never took the time to check my heart. Besides checking your actions, have you taken the time to check your heart? 

God calls us to do everything without grumbling. That word everything includes the times when we don't deserve to go through it, the times when it is not convenient for us, and anything else that has a great reason for us to grumble about. God's glory can only shine on us and others when our hearts resemble what our hands do. 

My one friend one told me that as mature christians, we have learned how to control ourselves and hide our emotions. We have trained ourselves to show ourselves godly on the outside, but what about the inside? Because the inside is what matters to God. 

Our actions do not define our hearts, but our hearts is what defines our actions. 

It can be easy to put on a mask and not even realize it. Be careful of doing good things but wearing a mask that hides the ugliness of your heart. Instead of covering up youtself, admit your faults to God because he is the only one that can transform you. No one is perfect and it is ok to have a grumbling heart at times, but as soon as we realize it, we must allow god to transform us so that his glory can shine through our actions. 

A mask may protect and cover you up temporarily, but it will never transform you into who you want to be. Take off your mask and trust that Jesus can transform your heart. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord." 

To be able to experience God's glory and be truly transformed, we must remove the masks that we put across our face and unveil our faces to God. Instead of thinking that the mask is the solution, focus on fixing your heart. Open yourself up and allow the holy spirit to transform you so that his glory may shine one you and every action you do. So remember, do not be a cover up, but rather cover yourself up with God's glory. 

What Defines Happiness?

There is not a single person on this earth who is not seeking for happiness - the pursuit of happiness is everyone's dream. Although we are chasing this dream called "happiness", what actually defines happiness? Is your definition of happiness the real happiness that you should be pursuing? Will your definition actually bring you to happiness? Happiness is a simple word to understand and an emotion that is easily relatable, yet why is it that not many people reach happiness? 

The answer to this question is because many people chase the wrong happiness. Many of us define happiness as to how much we have and own (which includes money). I don't blame those who have this mentality because we grew up with this mentality as children. When we were young, we were trained to see happiness as something that was given to us; a reward or gift. When we got an A on a test we would get rewarded by getting the toy or item we always wanted, when we did well in school we would get candy, and the list goes on. We have been trained to love receiving toys and gifts and saw happiness as to what our parents gave us. A reward for us was defined to what we got in return for obedience. 

But as we get older in Christ, we should start to see the reward of life as giving back to others, spending time with the people you love, and impacting the world. As adults we start to have more responsibilities, and although it might not seem that having more responsibilities is a reward, when you really think about it, it is actually more rewarding to have more responsibilities. When you have more responsibilities, you have the ability to make a greater positive impact to others. 

Acts 20:35 says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." You might be wondering but how does giving to others more than yourself make your life happy? I asked this same question to myself as well many times before. 

I was reading the story of Mabel Dean, a lady who dedicated her life to God. God called her to leave the U.S and service as a missionary in Egypt. She left everything that she had and followed where God had called her. Even though she wanted to go back to the U.S, she stayed in Egypt and sacrificed her life for 30 years in Egypt to do God's calling on her. As I was reading her story, I could not help but wonder how could someone be willing to sacrifice their life and still feel happy? Although I appreciated what she did, I could not understand how serving and sacrificing her life brought her joy. 

How could a life that asks for so much of yourself be a life worth living for? Then I read the last sentence in the passage that opened my eyes. The passage stated how she built 15 churches and another 30 congregations. She made not only a big impact on Egypt, but a lasting one as well. That is when I realized that this is the life worth living for. I finally learned the simple definition of happiness: 

Happiness is not from what we hold, but from what we leave behind. 

Did you know that you have something worth more than money? Something that can last for generations to come? That something is your legacy. We all have the power of happiness and it is not determined by our circumstances, or of how much money we have. What we have will not last forever, but our legacy does - it can last for generations to come. 

A life like Mabel Dean's is a life worth more than what money can buy. Having a life where you are filled with money means you can own everything you want - the best brands, house, clothes, cars, ect. It is a great life, but it is a life that anyone could have and that money could buy. Money cannot buy a legacy that will last for generations, it cannot buy the salvation of Jesus, and it cannot buy an impact to the world. 

Money only means you will have more, but having more does not mean you will be happy. Our natural tendency is to always want more than what we have, so what we have will never make us content or fulfill our lifelong happiness. 

Your legacy and impact is what will make you happy and create purpose in your life. Many of the people who are most happy are the ones who gave and left behind the most. The things you have will not last forever, but the impacts you make will last forever. John the baptist is another great example in the bible. He sacrificed his whole life to serve Jesus and even ended up in jail, but his example and teachings have left an impact to the world even until today. 

Life's reward is not on how much we can take from this world, but on how much we can give to this world. 

So now that you know the definition of happiness, can you pursue happiness? The answer to that is yes! You are the source of happiness - it is not what you have but because of you and your capabilities can you create a strong legacy. I encourage you all to stretch your capabilities to impact this world. With the hand of Jesus in your life, you will be able to do more than you can imagine. 

1 Corinthians 2:9 says, "No eyes has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." Let Jesus into your life and you will find your true happiness. Jesus is worth more than anything on this earth, and he will help you define your purpose in this life. So remember, the foot steps that you leave behind today is what defines your happiness for tomorrow.