God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.
I hope everyone's weekend has started well. I am late sharing my Fuel For The Weekend post. We all have times we want to do something and have the best intentions but it just simply can't be done and that was what I experienced yesterday. I do apologize for that. I want to jump right in to what I am going to share this week because it is so good! God keeps blessing me and teaching me so many new things and I love sharing it with you all. I appreciate the text messages and emails and comments. It means so much to me to hear what God is doing in your hearts and lives through this blog.
When I was growing up and through most of my 20's I had a strong desire to please others. I wanted their approval. I did not have confidence in who I was as a person, let alone as a follower of Christ. I always needed affirmation that I was enough. The truth is, I never got it because I never studied the Word to discover what God thought about me.
Don't get me wrong. People told me nice things. I was loved. I was appreciated. It was just that the approval I was seeking from people could never satisfy my desire to feel complete. That can only come from God. I did not understand that God loved me unconditionally. I always thought I was one bad deed/word/thought from slipping into hell's flames. The truth is God loves me and God loves you so much that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and in so doing He gave us an opportunity to be the sons and daughters of God!
GALATIANS 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
This was eye-opening when I first read it. The first question this verse poses is whose approval are we wanting: people's or God's? We need to really think about that. Our quick response is God's approval, but if we look at our lives and the way we speak, act, react, respond, think, and behave it may not be God's approval that we are truly after. Let's ask God to shine His light of love into our hearts and expose any hidden agendas we may not realize we have. If we are trying to please our parents, our spouse, our kids, our boss, our pastor, our government officials we are not a servant of Christ. When we seek to please Christ we honor others in our life because He calls us to a life of Holiness that cannot be found apart from Him.
GALATIANS 1:15-16 (15)But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, (16)To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Paul shares with the Galatians, and now with us, that when God called him to minister to the unbelieving, he didn't check with his family and friends to see if they thought it was a good idea. He didn't look for confirmation in his small group leader or his neighbors. When God puts a calling on our lives, we don't need to ask anyone else if they think we should do it. This goes back to not trying to please people. Many times when God gives us something specific to do, we don't have a tribe following us and cheering us on. We don't have a lot of support and encouragement. In fact, often the opposite is true. We need to seek God's approval and His direction for our life and when we follow Him and do what He says to do when He says to do it, we will see an amazing transformation in our lives.
Sometimes we start out on fire for God and we are doing great. We may experience great faith and see our prayers answered quickly. We get excited and we want to do so much for God. We are hungry for the Word. We have drifted away from certain people who were holding us back. We stopped doing things that displeased the LORD and then a trial comes at us and we get knocked off course. We have two choices: get back up and go stronger for God, or stay down and think of old solutions to get through the tough times and slowly slide back into the old way of living and thinking.
GALATIANS 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Paul warns us that we need to stand fast, don't move, don't look back at how things used to be. We are made free in Christ Jesus. When we start listening to family or friends who advise us to handle our problems in ways other than on our knees before God, we can easily get trapped into sin. If we are looking to anything or anyone other than God to help us we are not trusting God is able to help us through. We may not say that but our actions indicate we trust more in other solutions than we do in God's ability to do the impossible! If we stand strong and hold onto our liberty, we won't get trapped into slavery to sin again.
GALATIANS 5:7-9 (7)Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? (8)This persuasion cometh not of Him that calleth you. (9)A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Paul says to the Galatians then, and now to us, "You did run well, so who hindered you? Someone has persuaded you to do things that you shouldn't do and it wasn't God." Who are we talking to? Who do we take advice from? When trials come and we are running along, keeping our eyes on Jesus, we may trip over a stumbling block in our path we didn't see. As our foot catches the edge of the stumbling block, we fall face first into the dirt. We can stand back up, brush ourselves off, and then start running again. Let's warn others as they approach the same obstacles to use the stumbling block as a stepping stone. We can remember for ourselves to jump over those hurdles. God will give us the strength to overcome these trials and tests in life. When Paul says a little leaven leavens the whole lump, it means that it's the small things that can get us. A little bad advice, a couple twisted scriptures, or a slight compromise here or there causes your heart to grow cold and indifferent to God's Word. Seeds of doubt are planted where seeds of faith should grow. We have to be careful that no matter who we get advice from, we need to hold that information up to the reflection of God's Word and if it doesn't match, we need to discard the information. God's Word is true. God's Word will stand. If it does not match exactly what God's Word says to do, it is not good advice and it will take you off course quickly.
GALATIANS 6:9-10 (9)And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (10)As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
I want to close this post with some encouragement. Brothers and sisters, I understand what it feels like to have a heavy yoke around my neck, always desiring to please others and make them happy. I was miserable inside. I was worn out. I could never do enough good things to help others because that is not how I could find fulfillment. It was exhausting. Sometimes it feels like we do these good things for nothing, and perhaps in some ways we do. What is our true motive? If we are trying to please God it is not in vain. If we are trying to win over others, we will never succeed and it is a tiring process.
Let's not get tired of trying to please Jesus. Let's work hard to do things that honors Him. If we do not faint, and if we will not give up, we will see a great harvest of blessings. We must hold on and stay on track. Keep our eyes on Jesus and He will guide us. He will help us overcome every obstacle in our way. His plans are best.
As we get a chance to help someone else, let's do it! Encourage your family and friends and coworkers to keep going strong for Jesus. Remind them that God is for them and not against them. If they are in a low spot, pray for them, encourage them, and lift them up! That is what we are to do for everyone, especially fellow Christians. We all need strengthened and uplifted from time to time. It feels good to know someone is whispering your name in prayer. I certainly appreciate all the prayers that are prayed for me. If you need some encouragement, please reach out to fellow believers and ask them. God can give them the words to say that bless and encourage you.
I am thankful for all those who read my blog. I do not take it for granted that you share a part of your day with me here. I pray something you have read today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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