Beyond Excuses

We love excuses.Weve built our culture on them.

Weve become a nation of victimsLicking our wounds...Obsessingabout the impossibility of our obstacles...Blaming our irresponsibilityon our parents,teachers,and leaders...Despising our hardships and handicaps.

Were a nation of Cains decrying injustice...Not feeling sorry for those weve hurt...Sorry only for ourselves...Demanding things we dont deserve...Jealous of those deserving.

Let's quit following Cain's example...And look to another Bible example...Let's beOvercomingJosephs...holding on, standing firm...bearing the burden ofgreatdreams...waiting and believing.

Gods Kingdom...Is found beyond excuses...So let's stop making them.For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power, [so] do not think of yourself more highly than you oughtBe joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Endure hardship as discipline.1 Corinthians 4:20; Romans 12:3,12, 21; Hebrews 12:7

http://biblelovenotes.blogspot.mx/search?q=beyond+excuses

Waste or Invest?In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-28), a master gives his servants different amounts of money to invest, according to their ability. When he returns, he finds one man has buried his money and two have invested it wisely.

This parable encourages us to make wise and effective use of the gifts and resources God gives each of us.

As a writer I need to:1.Pray about my gift.2. Use it:write!3.Develop it:edit, rewrite, learn new skills, get constructive criticism!4.Invest it:explore new ways to use it for the Lord.

The same is true for any ability or skill we have.

In Matthew 24, the man who hid his money in the ground didnt understand the purpose, character and love of the master.

If you arent praying about your gift, using, developing, and investing it, dont feel guiltyguilt isnt a good motivator. Instead, ask for a deeper understanding of the purpose, character and love of your Master and Gift-giver.

http://biblelovenotes.blogspot.mx/2013/04/waste-or-invest.html

Character is More Important Than Talent

Sometimes we think valuable Christian work belongs to the talented people in life, those with the greatest skills.

But God talks about motive and character more than talent.

Christ gives us a Biblical motive for everything we do, and the focus is not our gifts:

Work willingly atwhatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.(Colossians 3:23)

InExodus 31:1-5, God appoints Bezalel to do fine crafts in the temple but God explains his character before explaining his skill:"I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledgeandwith all kinds of skills."

Whenever we judge a man's skill above his character, we make a serious mistake.

God can use a man with lots of character and little talent more than a man with lots of talent and little character.

When we seek God first and live righteously, He will use our gifts for His purposes (Matthew 6:33).

4 Ways To Discover Your God-Given Purposes

From my vantage point of almost 64 years of life, let me give you some suggestions for finding your role in God's kingdom:

1. Try new things!Don't limit yourself, especially during the first 40-50 years of your life. Doing a variety of things, even things out of your comfort zone, teaches you important lessons. (How, Not What).

2. Humbly learn from others.I once edited submissions to a devotional blog, and I learned that many mediocre writers refuse suggestions or edits while most good writers want them (Proverbs 4:13,Proverbs 23:22,1 Peter 5:5).

3. Never stop learning.There's always something new to learn. Regularly seek improvement (Colossians 3:23,Waste or Invest)

4. Set your mind on God's plan.Despite the popular saying that we can do whatever we set our minds to do, we can't and we shouldn't. We need to seek God's will, not ours (1 Peter 4:10-11,You Can't).

http://biblelovenotes.blogspot.mx/2015/03/God-given-purposes.html

Music Appreciation

Did you know that God made us to enjoy music? Its part of being human. Its part of praising God. Its part of self-expression (bad and good).It soothes, calms, excites, enrages, and compromises us depending on what type of music we choose.

I recently saw a video calledAlive Insideabout an elderly man living in a nursing home. As the video starts, he's barely alive, sitting slumped over all day, rarely speaking. Then they hook him up to an ipod with a collection of Christian music, and he's transformed.

He comes alive in ways hes been dead for years: he speaks with enthusiasm, sings, and expresses his feelings and thoughts.

Music is a powerful aspect of our lives, another way we are finely tuned by our Creator. Make sure that your music is full of joy and life. It need not all be Christian, but be sure to include songs to the Lord (Psalm 33:3).

http://biblelovenotes.blogspot.mx/2012/05/music-appreciation.html