Pour it On!!!
Good Morning Girls! Ten years ago I was a trash talkin', wine guzzlin' train wreck. I was depressed, angry, and hopeless. If you would have asked me about God I would have said "yeah, I believe there is a God.....but he has obviously written me off years ago". I was broken hearted, defeated, and ready to be done with it all.......
Then one night the Lord took hold of my heart and my life has never been the same! From the moment I was born again, I knew this was the "real deal". I knew that I had been given a gift. I knew that I had been saved....not only from hell, but from myself as well. To be honest with you, I was less afraid of hell than I was of continuing my life as it had been. To me, hell would have been easier. Praise the Lord! I was saved from both, and I vowed to never take it for granted.
Looking back, I have been hungry for more of God since I first came to realize He truly is alive and loves me. I have wanted everything the preachers preach, and the teachers teach. I have wanted to share my testimonies and my trials in hopes that those around me may come to learn and understand what life is like when you put Jesus front and center. I have also shared what it's like when I become a little big for my britches and forget momentarily that without Him, I am nothing!
I share these stories to help others see that though it is not always easy- it is in fact possible to experience peace and contentment right here in the midst of battle. I am well aware of the favor I have received many times over and over again. People say to me "you always seem to be in the right place at the right time" I just smile and laugh and say "yeah, something like that". The world calls it "lucky", I call it "highly favored".
I rather enjoy living a life of favor. It is fun. It is exciting. It is rewarding in a way nothing else is. I do believe however that along with this favor comes a responsibility. When it's all said and done, the favor is not given to us simply for our enjoyment- it is given to us to put us in a better position to do the work God has set before us. It is the Holy Spirit going before us as our "press agent" as Pastor Lynne called him, and setting the stage for us to proclaim the Good News of Jesus and his love for us. Living a life of favor requires us to respond when opportunity presents itself, even when it means getting out of our comfort zone.
So next time you get bumped to first class for no apparent reason thank God for the favor, and then be alert! Make sure the favor you received was not positioning you to be a witness for the Lord. You'll have plenty of time to enjoy the free meal after you take note of your surroundings and check to see if there is a broken heart that needs some ministering in the seat next to you. Next time you get an extra sale price on something, take an extra minute to smile at the salesperson, call her by name, bless her, and show her how much you appreciate what she has done....even if she claims it was "just what the computer rang it up as".....
You see, when we use our favor to do God's work, it's puts us in position to get more favor. Not as in to earn his favor. No, favor is a gift just like every good thing we receive from Him. Think of it this way: if you gave a friend a nice lotion and she just put it on her shelf and didn't use it, would you give her another one? Of course not, she obviously doesn't have a need for it. But if you see your friend use up that lotion, and you know how much she loved and enjoyed and used it, wouldn't you want to bless her with more!? It always feels good to give someone something they use and love. Is it so hard to believe God doesn't get the same pleasure out of watching us use, love, and cherish the good gifts He gives us...rather than "shelfing it". I'm no bible scholar, but I believe the more we use and appreciate the gifts God gives us, the more gifts He desires to shower on us. And I tell you what.....I am all about receiving them......so in turn I can bless someone else. Can I get an Amen?!
1 Corinthians 15:10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me-and not without results
Love you all-
Jen
Then one night the Lord took hold of my heart and my life has never been the same! From the moment I was born again, I knew this was the "real deal". I knew that I had been given a gift. I knew that I had been saved....not only from hell, but from myself as well. To be honest with you, I was less afraid of hell than I was of continuing my life as it had been. To me, hell would have been easier. Praise the Lord! I was saved from both, and I vowed to never take it for granted.
Looking back, I have been hungry for more of God since I first came to realize He truly is alive and loves me. I have wanted everything the preachers preach, and the teachers teach. I have wanted to share my testimonies and my trials in hopes that those around me may come to learn and understand what life is like when you put Jesus front and center. I have also shared what it's like when I become a little big for my britches and forget momentarily that without Him, I am nothing!
I share these stories to help others see that though it is not always easy- it is in fact possible to experience peace and contentment right here in the midst of battle. I am well aware of the favor I have received many times over and over again. People say to me "you always seem to be in the right place at the right time" I just smile and laugh and say "yeah, something like that". The world calls it "lucky", I call it "highly favored".
I rather enjoy living a life of favor. It is fun. It is exciting. It is rewarding in a way nothing else is. I do believe however that along with this favor comes a responsibility. When it's all said and done, the favor is not given to us simply for our enjoyment- it is given to us to put us in a better position to do the work God has set before us. It is the Holy Spirit going before us as our "press agent" as Pastor Lynne called him, and setting the stage for us to proclaim the Good News of Jesus and his love for us. Living a life of favor requires us to respond when opportunity presents itself, even when it means getting out of our comfort zone.
So next time you get bumped to first class for no apparent reason thank God for the favor, and then be alert! Make sure the favor you received was not positioning you to be a witness for the Lord. You'll have plenty of time to enjoy the free meal after you take note of your surroundings and check to see if there is a broken heart that needs some ministering in the seat next to you. Next time you get an extra sale price on something, take an extra minute to smile at the salesperson, call her by name, bless her, and show her how much you appreciate what she has done....even if she claims it was "just what the computer rang it up as".....
You see, when we use our favor to do God's work, it's puts us in position to get more favor. Not as in to earn his favor. No, favor is a gift just like every good thing we receive from Him. Think of it this way: if you gave a friend a nice lotion and she just put it on her shelf and didn't use it, would you give her another one? Of course not, she obviously doesn't have a need for it. But if you see your friend use up that lotion, and you know how much she loved and enjoyed and used it, wouldn't you want to bless her with more!? It always feels good to give someone something they use and love. Is it so hard to believe God doesn't get the same pleasure out of watching us use, love, and cherish the good gifts He gives us...rather than "shelfing it". I'm no bible scholar, but I believe the more we use and appreciate the gifts God gives us, the more gifts He desires to shower on us. And I tell you what.....I am all about receiving them......so in turn I can bless someone else. Can I get an Amen?!
1 Corinthians 15:10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me-and not without results
Love you all-
Jen
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