Tag: Food For Growth

⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ~ 1 Timothy 5:8

One of my favorite childhood cartoons was “Code Name: Kids Next Door.” Throughout the show, a group of kids who are a part of a greater operation battle adult tyranny. The villains were all teenagers or adults who tried to harm children in one way or another. The Boss who kept parents at longer hours so they couldn’t go home to their kids. The scary cat lady down the street, whose cats are vicious like her. The grandma who tries to make you eat gross food like liver, mystery meat, etc. The spanking vampire, who spanks all naughty Children who break the rules. But the scariest villain of all was Father. I never really thought much of it as a kid, just that he was scary, but the other day, while watching the movie, it made sense.

Father was the scariest villain, not because all dads in the show are evil; in fact, all the dads in the show are loving and caring for their children. I believe Father was the scariest villain because if your Own father is against you, you truly have no safe place. It’s one thing to be afraid of Strangers, it’s another thing to be afraid of your own father, or for him to be against you. See, the Boss had children, and even he was a good dad to them, but Father was another story.

As a kid, it doesn’t matter who’s against you. It only matters if your parents are for you. If you’re scared, it’s Dad you go to to protect you, to defend you, to keep you safe. If your Dad is against you, then you no longer have a safe place.

Fathers, you have an obligation to your children to be their safe place. A place they can go to when they’re scared, nervous, or unsure. So many people struggle with the love of God because of their relationship with their fathers. You are a representation of our relationship with God, so don’t take your role lightly.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Their Safe Space.

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. ~ Philippians 2:12-13

I heard a well-known preacher say that another preacher was a heretic. Why? Because the one preacher did not subscribe to the belief that we have absolutely nothing to do with our salvation. See, he didn’t believe that if God wanted you saved, you’d be saved. He believed that you had to choose God. That you had to make the decision to follow Him, while the other preacher believed that if God wanted you saved, you’d be saved and unable to resist His pull. So, what’s wrong with believing that? Isn’t salvation a gift from God so that no one can boast?

It absolutely is. The issue, though, is that believing God will save you if He wants to means that He doesn’t want to save everyone. This line of thinking doesn’t line up with the Word of God. See, Salvation was purchased entirely by Christ for us. There is nothing that we can do to save ourselves; that is why there is no boasting. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have to choose Him. We do. He tells us to seek Him while He can still be found. To come to Him and He will give you rest. These aren’t the words of a God that only wants to save some while creating others specifically to burn in Hell for all eternity.

No, Paul tells us, “How will they believe, unless they hear? And how will they hear unless someone tells them?” This is Paul’s call to evangelism. To the spreading of the Word of God to all the nations. If we have absolutely no choice but to give in to God’s call, there would be no need to evangelize. No need to preach. Why? Because they’d have the call of God that they wouldn’t be able to resist, and they’d automatically follow regardless.

God promised that He would pour His Spirit out on all flesh, not some flesh, but all flesh. Therefore, He gave every single soul on earth the opportunity to be saved. He called, tugged on the heart of each and every single soul. Then He gives the final nail in the coffin, “anyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” These aren’t the words of someone who doesn’t desire all flesh to be saved. No. These are the words of a loving Creator that desires none to perish, but all come to acceptance.

⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

Therefore, don’t just expect the LORD to change you without putting any work or effort into it. We are to work out our salvation with much fear and trembling. In other words, we are to humble ourselves before the Throne of Grace and crucify our flesh daily so that we might remain saved. So that we don’t lose this race set before us.

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. ²⁶ So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Work Out Your Salvation.

Matthew 5:23-24

²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Interesting how our brains tend to focus on the little things in life. The little things that people say or do to/for us. It’s those moments that tend to really stick with us. That shape is. Yes, big things impact us, a lot, but for some reason the little things really seem to stick with us even more.

I think maybe because it’s the regular, everyday little things that make us who we are. That shape our relationships. Define our personalities. It’s not the big extravagant things that happen every single day, but the little things that seems to be build up and make more of an impression in our minds and memories.

Jesus said something profound, if your brother has something against you leave your offering at the altar and go and make it right with him before you give your offering. An offering is something big. It’s something that cost you something. But that offense, could be a small thing. A little thing, that caused big damage to someone else.

Our day to day lives should be lived with just as much care as when we’re planning something extraordinary. Our regular day to day interactions with people, what we say, do, and how we treat each other, should be done with love. We should always walk in love because those little moments, usually turn out to be the big ones.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pay Attention To The Little Things.

¹ Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. ~ Matthew 7:1-5

I recently saw a video that said:

“We don’t experience the same rain. Some have umbrellas, some have roofs, and some only have themselves. That’s why we should be kinder, slower to judge, and quicker to understand. You’ll never know how heavy someone’s rain is until you’ve stood where they are.”

Each one of our walks in this life is different. We have different obstacles, giants, valleys, and hills. Some of us have it easier, and some have it harder. This world isn’t fair. It throws everything it can at anyone it can. Some have other people that they can depend on, while others only have themselves. We don’t always know the walk someone has had before we judge them. Before we decide whether or not they are doing everything they can to keep going.

Often, the judgment call we make is much harsher than it would be if we were judging ourselves. We, as humanity, tend to judge others much harsher than we judge ourselves. Holding others to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. Why? Because it’s always easier to make a judgment call from the outside looking in. It’s easier to say what one should or shouldn’t do when it’s not you who has to do or not do it.

Therefore, God tells us to judge carefully. He warns us to first examine ourselves. He warns us that the same level of judgment we use to judge others will be the same level we will be judged with. Yes, as Christians, we are to judge right and wrong. We’re to call out sin. But we’re to do so in love. Jesus didn’t call out sin that the sinner was already aware of. When they came to Him and knelt at His feet, the sin was left there. No more talk of it. He didn’t turn anyone away from Him, regardless of how great the sin was. How can we do any less?

We need to be the salt of the earth, yes, but also the light of the world. Showing the love of Christ to others. Taking time out of our day to be a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, an encourager; to be Christ to the world in need. The rain around us will never be the same. Some will have it harder than others, but how we treat others in the rain can make all the difference. It can change a life.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Help Someone In The Rain.

¹ Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, ² saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. ~ Jonah 2:1-2

I recently rewatched The Hunger Games series for the millionth time and each time I watch it Prim’s death is just hard. Then I remind myself that her death was a necessary loss. See, if Prim hadn’t died, Katniss would’ve never killed President Coin and the people of Panem would never truly be free. She would’ve just been satisfied living the rest of her life in peace with her family. She would’ve missed her purpose of bringing freedom, peace, and security to everyone without fear of oppression.

So many of us are Katniss Everdeen. We have this giant call on our lives that forces us to become more than we think we are. To travel so far outside of our comfort zone that we feel like we won’t make it. The walls feel like they’re closing as the weight of the world crushes our shoulders. But we have to keep going. Even if it takes someone else pushing us to that place where we will become exactly who we’re supposed to be. Who we’re meant to be.

Sometimes we have to lose everything in order to become more. We all have a call on our lives. Something that demands more of us than we thought we could be. And when we won’t keep going, we need a push that’ll force us to keep going like Katniss Everdeen and the Prophet Jonah. Don’t force God to push you. Jonah lost his very life because he refused to step up to his call. Katniss lost her sister because she couldn’t see the new enemy rising. An enemy worst than her current one.

Your call doesn’t have to take everything from you, if you are willing to give it all in order to fulfill it.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Force The Hand of God.