Month: November 2018

One weekend a couple months ago some friends of ours took us for a boat ride. It was so beautiful and all I could think about was how awesome God is. He is such an awesome creator. As we looked on the banks of the river, we began to see beautiful houses and docks along the way. I noticed several docks were grown over with vines and grass and clearly unused. All the houses were very large and beautiful. The type of houses I grew up thinking I would love to live in one day. They all had the most beautiful view of Gods creation and yet so many did not enjoy what they have been blessed with. Perhaps its because they are too busy. To busy working to pay for the oversized houses, expensive hobbies, and the constant need to buy bigger and better. If all the distractions were taken away, would they then see what they are missing out on? Would they see how much time they spend working to maintain houses and land they do not have time to enjoy?
When I first started feeling led to start the downsizing journey, the scripture that kept running through my mind was when Jesus was talking with the rich man and telling him to sell all he had and follow him. “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.” (Luke 18:22-23) I kept hearing that over and over in my mind. The scripture says that he went away sad because he was rich. I pray that the things this world never come between my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I pray to never allow the things that will eventually rust and become moth eaten to control me. I pray to be free from the controls and bondage of having too much stuff.
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

It’s the end of the week and I hang my head low and realize the week got the best of me and I did not accomplish what I had hoped or wanted to. Sunday rolls around and I get refreshed and rested and ready for the new week. I wake up Monday with a new grace and new motivation to succeed. I eat my breakfast and set out to accomplish the tasks at hand and I sit and look at the beast before me and it laughs at me once again. It says you haven’t succeeded yet, what makes you think this week is different? What seemed like a manageable task a few moments ago now seems impossible. What changed? Discouragement sets in and takes away the victory. It turns that small mess into a mountain of impossibilities. It steels our joy and takes away our confidence. We serve a mighty God who holds the world in His hands. Why do we fret about these tasks at hand? Why do we let defeat and discouragement rule our lives? Are we failing to look at the power of our Heavenly Father? Do we loose sight of what he has done and can do in our lives? “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” (Psalm 18:2) This blog is a description of a daily battle for me. We often look around and compare ourselves to others that seem to have it all together and have that balance that we so long for in our lives but we forget to tap into the power of Jesus Christ living inside us. “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” (Isaiah 40:29) We want our lives to look a certain way but are we seeking His way? Are we looking to see our lives through His eyes? Let’s pray for one another and encourage one another not to let discouragement defeat us. Satan wants to use anything he can to hinder us from being victorious over our weaknesses because he knows that when we succeed we will have to share about how God helped us through and gave us the strength to do it. He doesn’t want us to share how good God is because it might just make someone else want to do the same thing. We serve an all powerful God and we have access to that power through our Lord Jesus Christ. “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 31:24) We need to let His power work through us. Nothing is too big for Him to handle. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” (Ephesians 6:10)

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)