Embrace the Within no. 140

“Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21 AMP

I don’t watch the news BUT I can never get it out of my life. It’s always there. And in the news recently there have been a number of robberies of some sort of jacket in the D.C. area. Folks are literally stealing winter jackets off of folks at gunpoint. That is definitely not storing up treasures in Heaven BUT we can rob ourselves of the joy of our walk with the Lord by constantly worrying about earthly possessions.

For years I have been saying, “You support what you love.” And that is a truth I have walked for a long time now. I do not have time or energy to place into something that I don’t love. And that started with me stopping being a walking commercial for what I didn’t like and being a constant reminder of what I do support. I am not taking the time to complain about what I am against, when I am busy supporting what I love. And I would much rather be positive than be negative. There is enough negativity in the world without me adding to the pile.

So, what do I love? Where do I spend my time? Where do I spend my money? What do I support? What makes my eyes sparkle when I talk about it? What makes my entire face glow when I get into a story about it? What do I go out of my way to make time and space for doing? What is important in my life?

I hope for you there are many things that fall into those categories BUT the most important thing to love is God. Without God, none of those other things I love exist. Loving those things only occurs because God loved me enough to create a reality where those things are as well. God gave me the ability to love my family, my friends, and my enemies. So, it is vastly more important that I thank Him and love Him for that. And if I love Him, then I better make sure I make time for Him.

He deserves all my time because He gave me all my time. So, every time I get a spare minute anymore while waiting in line, I spend time with Him. When I am sitting down and waiting, I spend time with Him. Making a conscious decision to say something to God whenever I can is important to refocus on who I love. I want a relationship with Him so I do kind of need to talk to Him. And I should kind of want to talk to Him?

Life is busy. Life is messy. And life has folks looking to steal your joy with or without a gun. BUT God is always there. And if we love Him, then we will make time however we can.

I pray that I make more time for God today. Whenever I can find a moment to read, pray, or fellowship, I will take that opportunity to build my relationship with Him. I will work on being a better communicator with Him and work on being better at showing Him love. Without His love, I am unable to show Him love.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 139

“And whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they put on a sad and dismal face [like actors, discoloring their faces with ashes or dirt] so that their fasting may be seen by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head [as you normally would to groom your hair] and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by people, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:16-18 AMP

Everyone fasts. We can not possibly eat all the time. BUT fasting for a purpose is an important part of our walk with the Lord. Fasting is also a benefit to our physical health as well which is an important part of our walk. Being a mess is no way to be an example of the Kingdom of God.

Life is messy. Life is filled with so many situations and obstacles we cannot control. BUT here in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ again talks about making choices that are directly under our control. We can serve the Lord and treat that service as a burden or we can serve the Lord and treat that service as our obedient duty. We can use our service to draw attention to ourselves or we can use our service to draw attention to God. And we get to choose.

This idea of secrecy in our deeds underlies the Sermon on the Mount. Prayer is to be done secretly, charity is to be done secretly, and fasting is to be done secretly. And a lot of that has to do with my choices. I get to choose if this walk with the Lord is about me or is it about Him.

When I first got started on my walk with the Lord, I had no idea it was going to be a walk with Him. I thought I was just trying to get healthy. BUT I neglected to understand then that any sort of health is going to be directly dependent on the Lord. I can’t be spiritually healthy without Him. And spiritual health is a key component of overall health.

Fasting is just another part of the overall health picture. And the secrecy of fasting is an important part of being spiritually healthy. While the act itself does have physical benefits, fasting is primarily important in my spiritual walk with the Lord. Fasting helps me focus on what is truly important and my obedience to the Lord.

So, incorporate some form of fasting into your walk with the Lord? Take some time to give up something you would choose to occupy your focus and replace it with more time with the Lord. I assure you that spending more time with the Lord is not time wasted. Take the time to show your obedience to the Lord in following His Way to be nearer to Him?

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH