The Balancing Act

 

How do we balance living contently in the present with longing for the things that God has shown us for our future?  How do we keep our eyes on the promises of a greater tomorrow without polluting the blessings of today? As we exercise our faith and focus on our grand assignments from God, life’s daily tasks can sometimes become overwhelming. I have been guilty of being so laser focused on what my next steps would be to reach my destiny that my everyday blessings did not get the homage they truly deserved. Being thankful is such an important part of understanding who God is and who he made you to be.

Rejoice always, pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

Concentrating on the the fatigue, the worry, the doubt, or the anxiousness of where you are or whats next on your journey becomes counter productive. We must learn to enjoy the journey as much as we long for the destination. We must pray that we are able  to look at the challenges of today through God’s eyes so that we can recognize them for what they really are, training for the next level.  If we are busy complaining about our issues and praying for a fast forward button to get to the “good stuff”, we miss the entire point and the journey becomes much more frustrating.  As we grow in our kingdom positions we must realize that  challenges will never go away. There is now a new normal! As soon as we are done with one battle another one begins and there are fewer and fewer breaks in between. God wants us on fire for him and he put the drive to push through until we receive all that he has for us inside of our bellies. But we have to find balance. We have to slow down and find the joy in our everyday life without worrying about what is ahead. This is a very difficult thing to do sometimes. But the wonderful news is we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! We have backup! God is peace and serenity. We can pray to him for his peace and perspective.  This gives us the opportunity to look forward to everyday as well as the blessings of the future. There are so many victories to be thankful for today regardless of what the future holds as wonderful as it may be. We can count it all joy and know without a doubt that no matter where we are on our journey, God is in control.  Armed with the guarantee that he is with us in all that we do, we are now able to obtain balance and joyfully live in the present. We are now free to kick back, relax, and be thankful for all that God has done for us, past, present, and future!

Copyright @ Mia Verde LLC 2014. All rights reserved.

No Pain, No Gain!

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10

Have you ever  felt  like you took a wrong turn and made a mistake somewhere along your journey? Your instructions seemed clear and yet the results of your obedience do not resemble the blessing that you anticipated.  Your perceived outcome makes no sense when you play it back in your head and instead of circumstances getting better, they somehow appear to only be getting worse.  The enemy loves for us to second guess our devotion to God, and it is at times like these that God is allowing the discomfort in our lives to continue in order to stretch us. Sometimes the discomfort of it all becomes unbearable. I always think about what it really means to be stretched and because of my vivid imagination and years of watching bad tv, I immediately get an image of a man tied at his hands and feet being stretched into four opposite directions.  The thought of something like this is sheer torture! In reality when you stretch, oxygen deficient blood is squeezed out of the muscle and replaced with fresh blood that has higher oxygen levels. You activate your muscle by doing this. When God allows discomfort in our lives we are being squeezed just like the deficient blood in our muscles. What is God trying to activate in you?  What is he squeezing out so that he can make room to fill you with all that he intended you to be? It is hard to imagine that God would allow this because he loves us so much, but that is exactly what it is! He knows what he has put inside of us. He knows that deep inside of us there are gifts and strengths that need to be brought out to accomplish his perfect plan. In stretching us he is elevating us to a higher level through trials and tribulations. It becomes difficult to stay focused when the road gets rocky but be encouraged and know that if you can survive this process you will have the victory! There is an end to the struggle! He is building a testimony for his glory! He is growing us through pain and nobody likes pain, but as the saying goes, “no pain, no gain!”

 

Copyright @ Mia Verde LLC 2014. All rights reserved.

Jesus Reigns

 

Ask me how I got here and I will tell you what I know.

Jesus is my source and he required me to grow.

He pulled me out of my hurt.

He pulled me out of my pain.

He healed the anger inside of me so I could love again.

He ended all despair when I was lost and confused.

He brought back hope when I had nothing.

He gave me strength that I could use.

I’m so grateful I found life in him.

He is the reason that I live.

No matter what life brings my way

I can face it and still give.

Give my all as a servant

Give my all in his name

It is through his love that I can make it.

In my heart Jesus reigns.

 

Copyright @ Mia Verde LLC 2014. All rights reserved.

Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So!

What do you do when you find yourself being judged because of your past?  God has delivered you from the dark into the light but yet you find that you cant quite escape old reputations, judgements, and scrutiny. People are always bringing up old stuff!

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 ESV

Never feel ashamed about your past. The bad decisions, the hardships, and all the pain are all apart of who we are and serve as a testimony to God’s grace and goodness. It is our unique journey that allows  us to testify to those who are  traveling  down the same road that we have.  It is unfortunate that as we walk in  the light of the Lord we will come across people who insist on judging our past as well as the things we are doing in our present. They watch our speech, what we have on, how we sit, and everything else we do. They watch to see if we have indeed been changed and try to put us in a righteous box that they themselves have never fit in. There will always be someone waiting to prove that you have not been saved. The enemy strives to crush our confidence and faith, but the devil is liar! Colossians’ 1:14 reads, “In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” The blood of Jesus washes away our sins and we can rejoice and have faith that we are made new and whole in his name!

When you find yourself feeling ashamed of your past remember how much God loves you. Remember that the bible says that you are fearful and wonderfully made! No one has the right to judge another based on our past or our ideas of what a Christian should and should not look like. There is only one God and he made us all individuals joining together for purpose and for his glory. Never stop shining when God has placed his light inside of you. Never dim your light when people complain that it is too bright. It is with this light that we are called to show others the way out of darkness and for that reason God’s  light will be celebrated!

Copyright @ Mia Verde LLC 2014. All rights reserved.