Neisha Marie

It is interesting to hear individuals state that if we were left to our own devices and nixed religion all together that we would be better off. This view creates an assumption that humanity is basically good, but the fact of the matter is that we are born ingrained with sin. At the fall of Adam sin enter into man, it stained his soul, his lineage, his flesh, his blood; it stained so deep that through him it passed down to all humanity. From conception we are natural sinners, corrupt and in need of a Savior. This doesn’t mean that we felonious and incapable of favorable attributes; we are made in the image of God so we certainly inhabit good characteristics.

Romans 3:10-11, 23: As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

Some argue that sin is a choice and therefore we choose to be sinners. We do choose to be sinners, but we are incapable of choosing a sinless life. Thousands of years ago we fell from grace and now sin dwells in each of us. God did not create us to be sinners; instead sin was invited into man in the Garden of Eden through our disobedience. That choice separated us from God.

Romans 7:21, So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”

For those who believe in the Son of God our relationship with God is redeemed, because Christ is the bridge that reconciles us back to God. We are only righteous as a gift, not that we are literally righteous because we earned it; we are righteous because of Christ and His sacrificial gift on the cross where he poured out His blood out of love for mankind; His children and His creation!

Ephesians 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

I want to stress the importance of understanding our fallen nature because I believe it is beneficial for our growth and trust in Christ. We are always a work in progress. To believe we have reached spiritual fullness is detrimental to our developmental relationship with Christ. We cannot max out our capacity to learn and grow; we will never be omniscient or infallible.

I personally find this encouraging because that means there is room to be better than I am today. I like acknowledging that I am a sinner because I do not ever want to be so fooled by darkness that I think I am wholly good. I do not want to become complacent. I want to have eyes that see and ears that hear and remain thankful for my God. I want to continue to strive to be a better servant of Christ, a better friend, mother, sister, daughter, wife, associate, customer, and a Good Samaritan. It gives me hope that I can grow and I can be better.

Lord continue to work on me and make me a better person today than I was yesterday. May your glorious grace shine through and your Name be praised through all the earth. Lord, do not allow me to become complacent or manipulated by the devil’s schemes. I want to know you more and be obedient to your Will for my life. You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords; I can do all things through You who gives me strength (Phil. 4:13).

2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

A Heart of Gratitude

Psalms 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”

My hope is that many of us give thanks and praise throughout the year for all the Lord has done in our lives. It is an unfortunate truth that not all individuals have a heart of gratitude, nor do they thank God daily for all that He does on their behalf. Today I would like each of us to take a moment to reflect on all the wonderful things Christ has done for us and give thanks and praise for His Omni-benevolence.

Psalm 107 (NIV)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story; those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High.

So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the
Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.

Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away.

They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.

He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there.

He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.

Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow; he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste. But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks.

The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths.

Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.

It can be difficult to remain positive during trials and tribulations that rip through your life like a hurricane. Whether financial difficulties, broken relationships, health tragedies/risks or a case of “bad luck,” we fail to maintain a sense of peace.

I believe we fail to maintain a sense of peace because we want to be utterly in control of our own lives. We fail to acknowledge that we are dependent beings, and in order to find peace we must address and invest in our internal struggles and find the root of our anger, bitterness, frustration, and insecurities. We are not serving Christ when we allow these internal struggles to control our emotions, behaviors, attitudes and most importantly our joy (Romans 16:18). Therefore, in order to overcome and get right with Christ we must take a deep look within to find the root of these disturbances.

It is easy to advise someone to keep their eyes on Christ and find their joy, but if they have failed to manage internal frustrations they are unable to allow Christ to work on their innermost being. When we come to Christ we lay it all out on the line. All of our fears, our regrets, and our insecurities are poured out into Him.

King David pours his innermost being out to God in Psalms 139. The entire chapter is amazing, but Psalms 139:23 says, “Search me, oh’ God and know my heart, try me and my anxieties. . . .”

You need to evaluate the inside and possibly come to a place of brokenness so that you can find humility, peace and joy in Christ. I believe God can heal all things, but in order to heal our frustrations we must address our frustrations. We cannot heal what we will not acknowledge is in need of healing.

In Christ we should find humility and a heart full of thanksgiving. The power of faith in Christ will bring you joy; faith means that we trust in what we do not see and we love, trust, hope, believe and have an undisputed conviction that Christ is the omnipotent and omnibenevolent.

I believe it is joy in Christ that carries us through hard times. I believe our joy comes from the Lord and it is by faith in Him that we find joy. He offers life, he is the living water and when we step out of the driver’s seat and submit to his authority and control we gain everything through Him who gives us strength, courage, healing, compassion, forgiveness, guidance, counseling, fulfillment and an understanding of your innermost being where He can help you heal and grow so that the gap withholding you from your joy in Christ can be bridged.

Isaiah 65:14 (NIV)
My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit.

When we choose to follow Christ we have to reevaluate our life and open our heart for the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out. In order to follow Christ we must turn from our old ways and follow Him. The bible tells a story about a wealthy ruler who came to Christ and said, “I have followed all of your commandments.” Then he asked, “What else shall I do to inherit the kingdom of God?” (Matthew 19:20). Then Jesus replied in Matthew 19:21, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” This wealthy man turned and wept. He did not want to give up all his possessions in order to follow Christ.

In order to follow Christ wholeheartedly we must give up those things that we prioritize before Him. The Triune God will not accept second best. God is a jealous God. We learn about this characteristic of God in Exodus 20:5-6, “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” The first commandment, “Thou shall have no other god before me.” This does not apply only to the literal sense of gods, but also to things in this world that we hold as more important than God, thus categorizing “it” as a god. For instance, the bible tells us, “no one can serve two masters. You will love one and hate the other or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. No one can serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13. Money is not a god, but you may hold it to such a high degree in your life that it becomes like a god, especially when you are not willing to let it go in order to serve and follow the Creator.

I believe we can all relate to the young ruler who wept and did not want to give up all that he had to follow Christ. We are a sinful humanity, selfish and interested in our own turmoil, successes and needs; but real living is found in the One who quenches our thirst forever; the One who makes us whole and is stronger and more permanent than death itself. He who looked death in the eye, subdued, overcame and conquered it. We serve a God who is Holy, Just and God and therefore we must set aside all things that interfere with following Christ. We cannot do this within our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

So what is it? We all have something to sacrifice, something in us that is hindering our relationship with Christ; stunting our growth in His Word. Father, I pray that you reveal truth to each one of us. Show us what we have put in your place. I pray Lord that you open our eyes to see and remove that which is not of you. I pray that each one of us learn to put you first in our lives. Give us a willing spirit to make sacrifices for your glory and submit to being used as a vessel for your kingdom. Mold us into servant, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, employees that fulfill the role in which you alone created us to achieve. Lord bring it to completion as you promised (Philippians 1:6).

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. Luke 12:33

When you think about it; your sacrifice, whatever it may be is really not a sacrifice at all. In Christ we gain so much. Through Christ’s atonement on the cross we are free, forgiven, redeemed and declared righteous through the gift of grace through our Savior. Through Christ we are cleansed of the stain of sin and through Him we find life; without Christ and the gift of salvation we have nothing, but condemnation and death.