Changing One Life, Reaching Many....

Takers~

"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain" (Exodus 20:7 KJV).

Beautiful One, have you ever misused the name of the Lord? Though some of us may never take God's name in vain, or even think of swearing with it, there is more to this commandment than meets the eye. 

According to the Hebraic definition for vain, it means to misuse the name of the Lord. It goes on to explain that if we use it in vain, we too become useless, empty and figuratively worthless.

Wow, who would've imagined that? As followers of God, taking His name in vain is like misusing our talents, or choosing not to help others. Are we even attempting to share what God has given to us, and freely lend out what has been freely given? Or, are we just wasting our days, hoping someone else will do it tomorrow?

Beautiful One, are we takers? 

Taking from Jesus

Jesus encountered takers while here on earth. They took his fish and two loaves. They took his wisdom, forgiveness and healing. They took his life; torturing it before they ended it. They even took his friends and did to them, what they did to him. They took all the benefits he freely gave, and in return, gave back nothing but grief.

It is incomprehensible that the Son of God had to listen to jeers and angry screams up until the final moments before he died. He endured bitterness from the very ones who took the most from him.

Are we takers?

Beautiful One, I often wonder if we are just like them. Do we take the best from God, only to turn around and take his name in vain? Do we bear the name "Christian," enjoy all the benefits and blessings that come from being a Child Of God, and yet do nothing for him, say nothing, and be nothing for our Lord?

It's an uncomfortable pondering once we understand what the commandment is really saying.

This may also hit home to those of us who sit in a church, but don't serve in it. Or those of us who take a paycheck, but keep all of it for ourselves, and still have the strongest opinions of how the monies are spent in ministries.

It's difficult to think that staying neutral with our friends, family members or coworkers not to offend them, is an offense to God! This is just like a Mafia-type movie. The Good fellows go to church, wear the cross, and yet continue to kill people. They bear the name of God, but make it worthless by their calloused actions.

Exceptional Living~

Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom (Daniel 6:3, NIV).

Beautiful One, have you ever been known for something exceptional? Has the word exceptional ever described you? More importantly, do we really understand what the word exceptional means?

To be exceptional means: To be better than average: superior, deviating from the norm. Exceptional also means to be excellent, or something wonderful.

Beautiful one, in a world that screams for us to conform to the norm by day, but whispers disingenuous lies about our faith at night, how can we be exceptional people?

The hard truth is that there is a lot of thought and care that must first be wrestled with in the recesses of our minds. For some of us, it might take a lot of attention because we are so conditioned to focus on others, or the cares of this world, that we miss opportunities hidden deep within us which can help us be exceptional.

Learning How

We are the masters of our fate. In other words, God has given us the power to live a life that is exceptional. Every day, despite ourcircumstances, we have the choice to be better than average. But, it is a choice. It is also possible to deviate from the norm, and break off into something that goes above and beyond what we expect from ourselves and others.

Expectations also play a huge part in our life. If we don't think we are capable of achieving something, than most likely we won't even try. When this happens, we negate our opportunity for favor and blessing in our lives. We receive nothing, because nothing was ever done to begin with!

Everyday...

Beautiful One, there are things in life that happen everyday. Things happen that make sense, and things happen that dont. Life is a funny thing, sometimes you learn to find your voice, and sometimes life silences it. We are all in this  life together. Men, women, and children. We come from different places, near and far. We hold different values and  beliefs. Some of us are Christian, and some of us are not. We all need air to survive, and food and water to live. We walk on the same dirt, feel the same sun, and each are given the same amount of time in a day. Life is actually a series of events of things that happen each and everyday.

Everyday- someone is born, and someone dies, a dream is birthed, and another dream fades. Everyday, someone is laughing, while another is crying. Everyday, someone finds faith, while another one loses theirs. Every single day, one half of the world goes to bed full, while the other half goes to bed hungry.

Everyday, someone gets upset that things just never go their way, and at the same time, on that same day, someone else is upset upon learning their child just passed away.

Everyday, someone is befriended, and someone is betrayed. Everyday, someone feels safe, while another is afraid. Everyday, a marriage begins all shiny and new, and on that same day, someone else is saying; what was wrong with me, why did I say I do?

Everyday, a sickness prevails, and another one is healed. Everyday, someone buys a home, while another is taken away. Everyday, a relationship is restored, while another is destroyed, and everyday, someone finds the courage to leave and just walk away.

Everyday, people gather in unity and worship and pray. And everyday people are killed for having something to say.

Beautiful One, everyday life happens. It happens to us all. Everyday that we are here means that we have the chance to make everyday a beautiful day. Even in the face of adversity, or success, we can determine to make today, a better day than yesterday.

Celebrate your successes, experience your losses and learn from them. Try to remember that someone somewhere is going through the same thing, if not worse. More importantly, remember God. Remember; "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him." (Psalm 24:1 NLT) No one who is on this earth is beyond reach. As long as we are here, until that last breath leaves our body, there is hope for each one of us-everyday.

In a world that beholds so much beauty and life, there is death. Everyday, someones heart is broken, and can remain that way. Let us be the one who invades their day. Let us be the one who bring hope, healing and love each and everyday.

After all, we are here. We do life together. Let's make it beautiful, everyday!

Beautiful One, just believe!