Organizing the Inside 365 Days
Empowering Christian Women To Get Organized and Discover God's Plan for Their LivesArchive for September, 2011
Day 26- Is My Heart Furtile?
18The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
~Mark 4:18-20
Do you know what happened to the last Word that you heard? What type of ground did it fall upon? There is one way to tell, when was the you last time you read your bible or had someone share something from the Word of God? Was it today or yesterday? Perhaps you have to dig deeper, was it the message on Sunday or maybe you just aren’t sure?
If we can’t remember what happened to the last Word that was planted in our heart, then maybe it’s because we have been so busy doing all the things we have to do that it simply was crowded out. We have work, family, ministry, bills, responsibilities, commitments, appointments, calls to make, meetings to attend, emails to read…groceries to buy, cars to wash, dry cleaning to pick up and drop off, deposits to make, classes to take, conferences to attend, and naps to take, trips to plan, videos to watch, games to attend…let’s just face it we have stuff to do. We can’t stop living this life that God gave us to live, that’s reality. We’re too busy to stop, we may never catch up.
The fact remains that we can never be successful in all our running around if we are running on an empty tank of gas. We have to take a moment to nurture the Word that God plants in our hearts. Take time out of our busy day to ask God to show us how to make the truth that He brings into our lives grow. Ask yourself, what happened to the Word that was recently planted in your heart?
Day 25- Share the Truth but Do It In Love
23Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. ~2 Timothy 2:23-26
Some folks are just inclined to be contrary. If you say black they say white, if you say its closed they will say its open. Often times they aren’t even sure why they are always so disagreeable. A friend told me the other day that the one who is the loudest and most boastful is usually the one most insecure. You may think just the opposite, but this statement is true.
As Christians we feel so passionately about the truth and getting our point across. But the scriptures instructs us to not get caught up in foolish argumentative debates. We don’t need to always have the last word, either. If we share what God tells us to share, we’ve done our part. Never try to defend the Word.
1 Corinthians 13 speaks about the true characteristics of love. If we are to share the Word we must do it in love. If our motivation is right, whether they accept it or not will not bring about a bad attitude. They are not rejecting you, they are rejecting the very truth that is able to make them free. Our words are so powerful and we will have to account for every idle one. (see Matthew 12:36).
Jesus told the disciples to ‘shake the dust off their feet’. Share with those who want to hear the truth and receive God’s Word (not debate it) and the rest… well move on to the next city.
Day 24- God’s Forgiveness, a Chance to Survive
3Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? 4But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.
~Psalm 130:3, 4
Thank God for His awesome plan of salvation. He sent Jesus into the world to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Because of God’s plan we can have a life that is free from guilt and shame.
Jesus paid the ultimate price by giving His life. Now it’s our responsibility to accept His forgiveness and live a life that honors (fears) Him.
Today I feel a strong sense of God’s grace…I know it’s definitely nothing I’ve done to deserve or earn it. I just know it’s there, because of His love for me and you. The least I can do is my best to live right and give myself for His service. That’s the least, what else can we do to show our gratitude and fear of the Lord? Also read Proverbs 1:7 and Romans 12:1
Day 23- What Do You Feed Your Mind?
14A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.
~Proverbs15:14
What we feed our minds is so important to how we live our lives. What we feed our minds is just as important as what we feed our bodies, perhaps more important. If we are spending our time as observers of sin then we can easily become desensitized to the truth about how God views unrighteous living.
There is a new trend that has swept the airways and many Christians are getting caught up in the tragic whirlwind of reality TV. Now, instead of watching scripted sin being portrayed by real actors many are getting sucked in with a new kind of drama. They call it “Life unscripted”, and we’d better be careful what kind of diet our minds are fed.
If we are spending time watching others living their lives out on TV when we could be spending that same time living our lives and feeding our minds with the truth and knowledge of God’s Word then we are off course. Consider scheduling a special hour to meet with God, instead of the Housewives … Surely this is getting understanding and embracing wisdom is far better than being an observer of sin.
Day 22- If My Life Was an Open Book…
3By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
~2 Peter 1:3, 4
We have been given a full executive benefits package. God has provided us with everything we need for His service. As believers we do not need to ask anyone to go up to heaven and bring down what God has for us because we each have our own personal relationship with Him. Our heavenly Father wants us to be productive and successful as we are ambassadors, representing His kingdom.
There are those who want to know more about God but have yet to ask. Sometimes they’re on the sidelines pretending not to care. All the while they are watching your life and mine. If starting today your life became an open book, what would the title of chapter one be?
Day 21- What is My Reflection?
22But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. ~James 1:22-25
God’s word is like a perfect mirror and place where we can go to get an honest look at ourselves. But we must daily look into that perfect mirror and circumspectly consider the refection that is looking back at us. Not because of the law, not because of tradition or even because it sounds like a good thing to do. We must look in the mirror daily because the more we see ourselves as we are, the more God can change us to be a better reflection of Him. If we obey, His perfect law is able to set us free.
Day 20- Words That Edify
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
~James 1:26
Let’s conclude in our hearts today that true religion is what we will practice. Have no time for deceit, make no provision for sin. Regardless of what and who others are talking about let your words be a source of encouragement for those who are sad and broken.
When God’s Word enters in it brings light. Decide today that your words will be God’s Word and speak light into darkness and make a difference in someone’s life.
Day 19- The Power of Our Words
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. ~John 10:10
The enemy’s chief focus is to take our inheritance. He wants to destroy our lives and he loves it when we help him. We have to be careful not to aid in our own destruction because we fail to control our tongue. The Word calls the tongue, a world of evil. We also know that death and life are in the power of the tongue.
If we are to control our flesh it begins with a change of heart which is reflected in what we say. What we say is a reflection of what is in our hearts.
Do your words bring healing and life? Don’t be robbed of the abundant life that Christ came to give – learn to control your tongue, by allowing God’s Word to penetrate your heart. Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth.(Also read James 3:6, Proverbs 18:21 and Ephesians 4:29)
Day 18- Nurturing the Seed
22The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ~Matthew 13:22
The seed parable warns us about how dangerous living a disorganized life can be. When we run around pursuing one thing after another and trying to get it all done, the Word is choked out. Those things that require our attention, those competing priorities take our focus off living the Word.
Slow down today and allow God to speak to your heart through His word. Nurturing the Word that is in you will restore order to your life and cause you to bear enduring fruit.
Also read Matthew 13:3-8
Day 17- The Author and Finisher of Our Faith
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
~Hebrews 12:1, 2
Is there something hindering your growth in the faith? If so it must be stripped off, laid aside or put away. Now longer are we slaves to sin but God has provided a way out and that way is Jesus. Those who have gone before us… great men and women of faith; they didn’t see the promises of God fulfilled but are watching our life of faith.
Let’s run because no one can hinder us and keep us from the prize that is before us. Run with diligence and determination totally focused on Jesus. Don’t stop, do not detour but keep your eyes on Him.
He is the authority that has established and initiated our faith and He is the only one who will make our faith perfect.
Organizing the Inside 365 Days 