Everything

So I was sitting in church tonight and we started singing a song that talks about God being everything. How we give everything for him and that nothing else matters but Him. I wondered if we, who were singing, really believed this. What if we really did believe this? What would our life look like if we really did believe this? I would like to think that nothing gets between myself and God. I must be A.D.D. because for myself it seems that there are lot of things that come between me and God. Even though I may not want them to. I get distracted by the little things and seem to lose my focus often. It's a good song, but I found it hard to sing because I know that it isn't true for me all of the time. I know that I'm far better than I used to be but it challenged me. Thank God for his grace while we wander. Over time though, I do realize that God is much more real and closer than He used to be to me. The more I surrender everything to Him the more I see Him at work.

Action step: Try giving every little thing to God and see what happens.

Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

The Pruning

Sometimes while we are on our spiritual journey God points out things in us that need to change. John 15:1 says "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." So if we are in Christ and bearing fruit he will prune us. Which I translate "points out things in our life that need to change." This can be a painful process at times. I think we can bypass a lot of that pain if we truly surrender and don't delay. I don't know if it was because of denial or selfishness, but most of the things that God has pruned from me I tried to hang on to for far too long, causing myself and others around me pain. What if I would have just surrendered and not wasted so much time, and dropped the thing God asked me to drop, and got on with living. Wouldn't I have saved myself so much trouble and pain? God is persistent and if there is something he wants me to change he will keep running me through the same trials over and over until I get it. So, I might as well save myself some pain, and surrender to what he wants anyway. The pruning process can be painful but the fruit that comes from it is well worth it. God loves us so much he won't allow us to keep on living the way we have been living.
Action step: Ask God to point out things in your life that need to change,
then surrender them quickly.
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Service

This week I have had a change of pace at work. Our Driver was on vacation and that has given me the opportunity to drive our residents around all week. It was a nice change of pace. One thing I was able to do was to go out of my way to help others. Toting in groceries, opening doors, I even helped a man through the store to get some bed sheets. Nothing real spectacular but even so I was amazed at how good it made me feel doing it. So what's my point? It is that when we help others we help ourselves. I believe there is a reason for this; when we help others it is love in action. When we love, we are doing what we were made to do. God is love and, when we show others love, He gets a chance to shine through us. Acts of service are a tangible way to show someone your love for them. It's easy to say I love you. It's not always easy to put it into action. It's hard sometimes to take the time to help others but, when you do, it's well worth it.

Action step for the week- Try going out of your way this week to help someone out. Let me know how that makes you feel.

Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Trust

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is instant when we accept Christ as our savior, but I think for some there is a period of time before we learn how to be controlled by the Spirit; before we believe that we can become controlled or before we realize the need to be controlled by the Spirit. Romans 15:13 says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (NIV). Do you have joy and peace? Do you see that little word as? That little word implies that, to the same degree that we trust in him, we will have joy and peace. I used to say I believed in God and wanted to do his will, but really I wanted to do my will. That was when the trouble would start. See, I did believe in God, but I still did not really trust him. Because I did not trust him I thought that I had to control things and that is when I would lose my peace. Just because things don't work out the way you thought they should have, does not mean that God is not in control. God's will is going to be done regardless. So we might as well get on board with him and trust that he will take care of us and he will. My kids trust that I will take care of them, so why should it be any different with me and my Heavenly Father? Is there anything you're having trouble trusting God with? What's holding you back?
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith