Written by “May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.” …”
— Mother Teresa
Posts in category Christian faith
Inner Peace
10 Steps to Changing Your Life
Step 2. When you think you know you’ve heard from God..think bigger!
If you’ve got a vision or a dream and you know you can achieve it- the chances are it’s not from God! So think bigger! And when you’ve thought big and you’re sitting there thinking, ‘There’s no way I can do this,’ that’s when God comes along and adds his ‘super’ to your ‘natural’.
1 Corinthians 13 – LOVE
At a friends wedding last week her Godson read this chapter and I was touched once again not only by the beauty of it, but also by its truth and relevance to our lives.
The Silence of God
When we long for an answer to prayer, Gods silence does not calm us. Nor does it inform us gently of His presence or ask us to wait in quiet anticipation. Instead, in the silence we begin to lose hope of ever hearing God- there is nothing, not a breath or a distant footstep to reassure us.
If we know we are living in a way that honours God and that we are earnestly seeking Him, it may be that God is asking us to hear the silence in a new and different way. Often He asks that we wait, not for something to happen, or for an answer. But just to wait. In that waiting there is trust and in that trust there will be a deepening of relationship. And, eventually, in that silence there will be God.
It’s not easy. In times of pain or times of struggle it can feel that you have perhaps lost touch with God. But however frustrating it feels, Gods silence may be a privilege- the most intimate and loving of answers – drawing you nearer to Him.
(adapted from a writing for a daily devotional by Wendy Bray)
You are the salt of the earth…Matthew 5:13
This was the Word for Today last Sunday (22nd May) and I have adapted it to share with you.
We keep trying to find happiness the wrong way. We attempt to find it by getting instead of giving. Love must give; it’s the nature of love to do so: ‘live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God’ (Ephesians 5:2) Love is all about giving of yourself and sacrificing to meet the needs of others- practical needs as well as spiritual needs. Some of us are so religious that we see no value in meeting people’s everyday needs. Love for God is the root; love for others is the fruit, expressed through encouragement, patience, kindness, courtesy, humility, unselfishness, good temper, gentleness and sincerity (Galatians 5:22). We must actively seek ways to show love, especially in little things. Jesus said, ‘You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality).. It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out.’ Salt is like love; it can heal, purify, preserve and enrich, but it’s useless if its kept in a shaker and not sprinkled around. The truth is that all life is tasteless without love. Even acts of generosity done out of obligation, but devoid of love, leave us empty. Love is the energy of life; it should be the reason we get up every morning. Each day can be meaningful if we see ourselves as God’s agents, waiting in the shadows to sprinkle some salt on all the tasteless lives we encounter.
The Difference
I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day; I had so much to accomplish that I didn’t have time to pray. Problems just tumbled about me , and heavier became each task. “Why doesn’t God help me?” I wondered. He answered “You didn’t ask!”
I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak; I wondered why God didn’t show me. He said “But you didn’t seek”.
I tried to come into God’s presence; I used all my keys at the lock, God gently and lovinginly chided, “My child, you didn’t knock”.
I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day; I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.
Author unknown.