Dangling Carrots: Turning Weakness into Strengths!

Have you ever been lured into bad behaviors? Like a carrot being dangled in front of your face, constantly reaching for it but never quite attaining it. Your carrot could be the love of others, a quota at work, an expectation of positive circumstances or just a feeling from a desired object. Whatever your carrot is, you can either us it as motivation or just an overlying of barriers you can not overcome. We are constantly seeking the pleasures of life and always trying to do them by limiting as much pain as possible. 

This is hardwired into us by our creator, its instinctual and you can us it to help you overcome fears and thoughts of dissatisfaction in your life. In the book of Psalm 23:4 
it says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 
I will fear no evil, 
for you are with me; 
your rod and your staff, 
they comfort me.” Understand that your lord wants you to trust in Him to overcome your own limiting characteristics, no need to fear in the unknown if you have the lord on your side. This is  because like God has with many other figures in the bible, he can also enable you to attain those "carrots" by overcome fears and excuses you may have. 

Many of times God uses people that lack in certain virtues, and leverages them to make great change in many hundreds of thousands lives. This is apparent because we still look to theses figures for inspiration on how to overcome limiting factors. Look at Moses, he was 80 years old when God used him to free the people of Egypt. Many of us are under that age and we have plenty of reasons for why we can’t have the “carrots” in our lives. Is it your age keeping you from something you want? With God using Moses it proves that age doesn’t matter and is merely an excuse some of use. 

What if you are someone that has done horrible things in their past? Well lets look at Saul in the New Testament. Saul in the years following the death of Jesus was a man that would mercilessly interrogate and torcher individuals into proclaiming that Jesus was not the son of God. Picture in your mind being a follower of Jesus, and Saul finds you praying to in Jesus's name. Now Saul's job was to take you and mutilate your body till you confessed Jesus was not lord. Have you ever tortured someone, have you ever killed someone, have you? Most of us would say no, but even if you had God to can cleanse you of your sins. From their God spoke to Saul and then made him as one of His disciples, and changed his name from Saul to the Apostle Paul. Paul would then write more than half of the New Testament and would do more for the modern church then any other figure in the bible, still think you have sin that can not be overcome? 

God can cleanse all sin, that excuse is gone with the evidence of the Apostle Paul. Being a Christian has taught me a lot on how to let go of past sins and mistakes I’ve made, because having a relationship with my heavenly father gives me the permission to forgive yourself and move on. We are told in the book of 1 John 1:9 that, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” This is immensely soothing to me, because I’m me and I know I’m a sinner, but over time as I’ve walked with Him I’ve learned that trusting in God will help me not to perpetually sin on a constant basis with the same things. That is the trust in Him can give me the strength to overcome those sinful obstacles, because if we like it or not every time we sin it is because be do not believe He will give us the will to overcome. 

My personality is one that values having certainty above all else in the present and future, so please believe this whole "trust" thing is not easy for me also. But being in a relationship with God I’ve learned that it is alright to not always know what my next move will be. This doesn’t mean I do not take the necessary precautions for the future, but that if I do all the things I’m suppose to do like fighting that lazy feeling or not committing that sinful act. I will become closer to what it is God wants me to be. I’ve traded my certainty in myself into a certainty in God, and that trust has furthered my faith in my ability to seek my purpose to help others move closer to their Lord and saver because doing that will only help create happiness in myself and in the others I help influence. For if I give out positively then I will get positive in return, and that will help me to overcome those barriers in life. 

“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this.” Psalm 3-5

The carrots of your life are here to motivate you into action, and the excuses can be overcome with your trust in the Lord. But as I learned a while ago, change is hard, change is difficult, but trust in His will and you will become an instrument of God. This will make it incredibly easier when you are leaning on God because He will fill in those spots of weakness within your personal characteristics. “Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” Proverbs 5-6. Moreover, just like he did with Moses and the Apostle Paul be can turn your weaknesses and sins into strengths to positively affect others you come into contact with. 

Till later take one step out of your comfort zone today and everyday, because this will help grow your faith and help you attain those God given “carrots” in life. His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Live, love and have faith in God, because you are magnificent and its about time you start living as if you are. 

Wisdom?!? PLEASE that is for Sissy's

Wisdom comes to those who seek it, understanding comes to those who actively chase it, and knowledge comes to those that diligently pursue it. In the book of Proverbs we get a look into the playbook on Gods strategy for wisdom, and as any team or organization there are certain rules and principles that come along with leveraging these guide lines. 

Now can you live a prosperous life outside of these principles? I would say most likely NOT POSSIBLE because to do so is like walking a mile in a completely straight line with a blindfold on, and that is nearly impossible. Like an untrained person lost in the woods walking in circles, is a man that lacks wisdom. Why do you think that in the book of proverbs that it says to “listen” and to “pay attention” so often. This is because we might understand the concept and guide lines, but we forget just as quickly as hear it. The information might be in the back our brains, but we often need to be reminded day in and day out.

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 3:3

I believe that the same should be said about wisdom because to love is to look outside oneself and in the genuine interest of others, and that is the wisest thing you could do. We are told that wisdom should be soot out and one must engage their mind to be sensitive to their actions before wisdom can properly assimilated into ones life and demeanor. This is because it cannot be fully attained, but only used to the best of ones ability. One thing that is universal to Christians and those who aren’t is that these guiding principles if put into practice can transform and elevate an individuals life to a better level. 

One of these points is illustrated in Proverbs 5:22-23 saying, “The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.” This is most apparent in those that lie about bad behavior they have committed, and then get caught which forces them to then have to lie about their lie. Have you ever done this, I know I have, so believe me your not alone in that. About 10 years ago, I was dating two people at the same time. We were not sexually active, but still it was a scummy thing to do. Basically I got caught, so to cover up my lie about not seeing someone else. I then lied about someone telling me that she was also dating someone else, and because of that I figured I would also. Well things didn’t quite end greatly, but one must learn from those bad behaviors and correct them in the future. Nevertheless, I was "ensnared" by my actions and that sin grew greatly, and just like any other sin it resulted in a death. Not a death of a person but a death of a relationship, I later apologized for being that way with her and we were friends, but nothing more because the trust was gone forever. 

Have you ever been led astray by bad decisions of other sinful people? The presence of peer pressure is as bad as it always has been, but with the enlargement of technology and instant communication we have just made things more massive and more apparent. This is why the return to time tested principles is more apparent then ever, do you really want your children to grow up to be anyone they see on television. Please do not get me wrong you can find a few good role models, but like the old saying goes, "you can sometimes find a good biscuit in the garbage can too but it is not exactly the best place to be looking." Like I mentioned before you must write the principles of wisdom on the “tablet of your heart” because without them you will fail time and time again. Remember that the principles of wisdom and their guidelines will put you in a state of mind that is sensitive to his or her own actions. 

“When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life” Proverbs 6:22-23.

Challenge!!

I challenge you to read a single proverb a day for the next month, if it is the 4^th when you start reading. Then start there in chapter 4, but remember that this will help guide you toward the path of God’s righteousness. Be sensitive to your behavior and spend time in prayer because if you do He will mold you into a better version of yourself, just like He has with millions of others throughout time.

Till later, remember you are magnificent and God put you here to do something full of purpose. Believe and you will achieve if it is in God’s will, and nothing makes God happier then fulfilling the purpose He has given to you. Live, Love and have Faith that hope in tomorrow gives you power today!!!

ATTENTION: READ ALL ABOUT IT: Man has discovered that he is God?

For the man that lacks self control, doesn’t know how far he will fall. For the rise of any man comes with an ample amount of control over oneself and his or her own actions. God gives man the moral compass to intuitively know whether they are morally sound or morally corrupt. What good is a man that trades his honesty of self for things he can’t take with him after this life anyways? Is it really worth it, or is it literally just a morally stagnate self lying to justify actions and behaviors ambiguous of divine soundness? The man that thinks he can rise to the top of his industry or in life by stepping on the backs of others is a believer of folly because the cut throat view will eventually lead to their demise. Understanding that each of us was endowed with seeds of morals from our heavenly father can be the first step to understanding that love of God will lead to the love of others through that process. That is definitely something worth perpetuating. What does this all really mean if god is not first and for most in someone’s life? “Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 1:2. Is life really meaningless with out gods presence in our lives?

Man has always had the instinct of a higher power, and the bible speaks of that, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life"’ John 8:12. Jesus is the “light of the world” and with him in your heart will cast out all darkness. Darkness?? What am I suppose to be afraid of the boogy man….ooooh! But understand that darkness is anything that takes you farther from God, and that darkness always leads to death. “Please, I have done some scandalous things in my past that didn’t kill me,” maybe so, but things like sex out of wedlock or stealing and cheating led to deaths in relationships, jobs, and that is the death I speak about. Christians believe that Jesus was brought to earth to pay for mans sins with his pure blood being spilled, and by believing in Jesus being the son of God will rid all darkness from ones life. This is not a magic trick though, no hocus pocus here! But by believe in Jesus and loving him that is what detours you from sinning constantly, and slowly he works to mold you into a more virtues individual. “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” Romans 9:21. Then why do Christians sometimes stubble into addictive behaviors and narcissistic thoughts of “it’s all about me” mentality?

ATTENTION ATTENTION, READ ALL ABOUT IT! “Man has discovered that he is God,” it might not read verbatim in our news like that but close enough. Who needs God when we have science or all these "explanations?" In a time were man has unlocked concepts in modern medicine on how to make man’s life longer, were man has unlocked concepts on how weather systems work and how to predict its behavior, were man has unlocked concepts into making life easier with technological advances unheard of even just a few generations ago. With all these advance understanding comes a sense of arrogance that maybe God isn’t as “amazing” as they want us to believe. Maybe if there is an explanation for these technological advances, then maybe there is an explanation for God?

In the garden of Eden were Adam and Eve first lived before the fall of man, a serpent approached Eve to explain that she could have knowledge into God’s internal workings by eating from the forbidden tree of knowledge. We all now the story quite well, but it was that sense of “ME” mentality that led to the fall of man. For man to think that he can make a slight peak into the recipe of life, and to think he has it figured out is that sense of arrogance I was talking about. Have you ever goggled a famous recipe from a favorite restaurant or famous chef? Then you find out what exactly was in it and then you have the sense that the restaurant or chef’s status was lowered just a little bit in your mind. This is because you can make it now, so they really aren’t as great as you thought before. This is the same thing with peaking into how God created the heaven’s and earth, our scientists think they have it all figured out, so why do we need a God anyway?

As I was explaining before, “life is meaningless” without God’s presence in an individuals life because it is what is inside of you and what is inside of me that desires to have life make sense, and have an overall purpose. If you were really put here on this planet by accident, then why do you have this moral compass that guiding your behavior? Why do you have a tug on your heart to seek something higher then yourself? It is your heavenly father calling to you for a relationship because you were put here to fulfill a purpose that might not always make sense, but a purpose that was mapped out for you to make complete. God is here to rid the darkness from your life and he calls for you to know Him, because to know Him is to take refuge in Him. Like a ship at sea on a foggy night,  and a horn blares in the distance to signal the right direction to lead, same to is your heavenly father calling to you.

Feel his tug heart pulling you closer to him, hear his horn ringing for you, because it is there for you to take refuge but will you go. That is up to you! “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6