by Carol Roberts | Sep 18, 2017 | Love
Someone hurts you and they hurt bad. You are banned from certain groups for no reason other than someone spread a negative word. You work hard and you deserve to be included just as much as the next person but they will choose to have a vacancy before choosing you.
You pray and spend many hours trying to figure out what you said or did wrong and all research points back to that same person. Unfortunately that same person is well known and well liked by all people seems like. Even your best friends tell you that they need to limit their time with you because they don’t want to lose status with that particular someone.
As you become closer to God by understanding and obeying His word you become more like Him. People who do not know Jesus do not like that in a person. It brings a sense of discomfort to them when you come into their presence. You don’t have to say or do anything because just your presence reflects the love of Jesus and those who do wrong do not want to have any part of you, unless, of course, they are wanting to know Him more.
Praise God, you are doing your job and you are a witness for Christ by your attitude. This should be a gauge to you as to how you are doing and where you need to grow.
As for the things you have been excluded from, consider it a treasure in heaven you have sent ahead. It is a sacrifice of something you desire to give preference to God and He will not forget it.
As for the person who continues to make your life miserable, a prayer of blessing is the best thing to return back to him. If this person was truly blessed he would have no need to hurt others because he will then be happy with his own relationship with Christ. No need to retaliate when Jesus pays it all.
Luke 6:28 New Living Translation
Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.
by Carol Roberts | Sep 16, 2017 | Friendship
Beyond a smug attitude could be the most precious friend one could have. Many years of hurts and disappointments went into that attitude but imagine the valuable gem beneath all of those defense techniques.
Genuine friendships take many years to build. Layer after layer of trust is placed into a person and for each time secrets are kept is one more layer of strength in that friendship. A true friend will seek to see people as God sees them. Each person is a masterpiece of its own created by God.
When we choose to spend years praying for someone and encouraging them and see no results God is working on them from the inside out. It can sometimes take a lifetime for some people to trust beyond certain disappointments but a true friend will continue to see the broken heart.
As we meet people throughout our lifetime who display attitudes of all types we can know that their hearts are more precious than gold. We are to recognize that they have a need for prayer more than a retaliation from us. Many times what a person displays on the outside is not the same as what is in their hearts.
1 Samuel 16:6-7 New Living Translation
When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
by Carol Roberts | Sep 14, 2017 | Hope
We trust God for many things and we watch while He works all things out. One thing many of us never stop to consider is to trust God with our mind set while we wait on a manifestation of answered prayers.
Sometimes the least little set back or thing unchanged can cause our minds to doubt. It’s during these times we have an opportunity to focus on the outcome of things not seen and to thank God for the things being prepared. He never deserts us because we are in all things together. We can be assured we are on a winning team when we trust Christ for all outcomes.
Philippians 4:6-7 New Living Translation
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
by Carol Roberts | Sep 5, 2017 | Hope
When we look at the sky there is only one way the beautiful sunshine, moon and stars got there and it is God. When seasons are on time and ocean tides roll only God makes that happen. When we consider that we have minds that think and a heart that beats we look to God who created all things.
When we are facing something we do not understand what is there not to trust about the unknown when God is with us?
Psalm 9:10 New Living Translation
Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for You.
by Carol Roberts | Sep 3, 2017 | Encouragement
Sometimes when we worry about upcoming events or things on our schedule that we dread it’s best to concentrate on what we have going on right now. There is a phone call to a relative we have been putting off or a letter needing our response. Why keep putting off doing these things when we could be taking care of getting them done instead of using our time thinking about something we dread doing a week from now.
It’s how we spend time right now that determines how precious the memories are later on. Right now is the only time promised and today’s situations are the only ones we can address. God equips us to handle what we need to each day. He never grants endurance ahead of time because we never know when plans will change.
Take each moment as it comes with a grateful heart and these will become moments we can reflect on later in a positive way.
Matthew 6:33-34 New Living Translation
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.