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.