Tag: christianity

Letting Maturity Shine

I had recently written about joyful tribulations and that seems impossible to ever refer to a time of trouble as a time to experience joy.  It’s because most may see joy as just a “feeling” when it isn’t really that, but it is a fruit of the Spirit.  Galatians 5:22 states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  These are all evidence of living in the Spirit, or walking after the ways of God. 

For most, as the older we get we are able to look back over our lives and see the good and bad times.  Some may have more of one than the other, but no matter how many “bad times” they can learn to be endured.  We keep on keeping on and learn through those times we can’t wait to get out of.   The half brother of Jesus who came to faith in HIM after His death and ascension became one of the first writers to the early church as most historians will tell to encourage the early “beginning” church to walk the walk and talk the talk if you are going to call yourself a believer in Christ. 

In James 1:3 he writes, “you know the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”   In our society and culture to hear the word perfect is a standard that none can really live up to and a belief that some mistakenly think they are without spot or blemish.  The Word lets us know that there are none who are perfect, but we all fall short of God’s glory.  God has a certain standard and we none can reach it.   This is the reason for salvation and yes we all need it, but it is a choice.  You don’t have to receive it.  Yet, it is still a gift that is offered to all.  

Once the gift is accepted then we can be made perfect, but not in the way we see the word.  The word can actually mean becoming mature.  As children grow we hope that they get more mature.  I’m sure we all know some that no matter their chronological age they are not so mature.  Maturity is something that takes effort to demonstrate.  

As we live through the good and bad times and learn how to navigate through life we can only hope that we learn to be more mature than we were the day before.  Even Google explains that maturity is being able to take responsibility for your own actions, having the ability to listen, being willing to have accountability, and respecting others.  All of these are also evidence of walking in the right Way and along with the fruits of the Spirit we can gauge our maturity and growth in Christ.  The closer we are to God and living in His light the brighter our lives will shine.

~TRS 9-14-24

Wisdom Creates Positive Perspectives

Rays of Hope ~ Tim Stockton

Some may say that they see the glass half empty while others will say it is half full.  Those who see it almost gone are typically labeled as more pessimistic.  They tend to believe that things will always work out negatively for them.  However, those who see the glass half full are said to be a little more optimistic and hopeful.  They try to see how some good possibly could come out of bad things that have happened. 

In the book of Job we can read about a righteous man that had some very traumatic events happen in his life.  He became very distraught and full of grief, yet he kept his faith and belief in God.  His wife even told him to just “curse God and die,” but he knew that was a foolish statement and he would not give in.  

Another person who suffered horrendous and unfortunate events was Joseph.  He had a belief from a young boy that God would use him in some great way but I’m sure he never thought that he would have to endure terrible things in order to get to the place where God then did use him in mighty and powerful ways.  

His brothers hated him and wanted him gone.  They threw him in a pit and eventually sold him into slavery.  Then he was a slave for a time until he was falsely accused and then thrown in prison for years. Being human there had to be times as he was sitting in his jail cell wondering why such atrocities had happened to him.  

However, even through the bad things he had to endure he realized that God was with him and was blessing him.  The day finally came that the impossible happened.  A former slave and prisoner who had been hated by his brothers and wanted dead was now second in command over all of Egypt.   

When Joseph finally revealed his true identity to his brothers he made a statement that needs to become a perspective we choose to live by.  He explained that what they had meant for evil, God was able to use for the good.  When things don’t seem to be going well in your life, or in the world just continue to trust in God. Realize in His timing we will be able to look back and see how His hand and His will was able to work through all the negative things that others or Satan himself tried to destroy us with.  When we trust in the Lord and place our faith in Him then we will be able to look at life from a Godly perspective that will help us have rays of hope. 

This was true a couple of years ago when I originally wrote this and it is still true today.  A few more positive quotes, “If you don’t like something, change it.  If you can’t change it, change your attitude” (Maya Angelou). “Keep your face always towards the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you” (Walt Whitman).  “I never lose. Either I win or learn” (Nelson Mandela). “Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without consent” (Eleanor Roosevelt). “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you figure out why” (Mark Twain). “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity” (Albert Einstein).  

God explained that when Solomon asked for wisdom when he could have asked for anything  that no one before and no one after him would be as wise as God made him to be and he said, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.” These will be the ones who are always pessimistic and never learning, nor making opportunities.

7-24-24 ~TRS