November 24 Start With Giving Yourself Away…
Affirmation: I am authentic. I allow all parts of myself to be expressed.
What Defiles Someone?
“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them” (Matthew 15:18)
Do you want to know what’s inside your heart? Listen to what comes out of your lips.
What Defiles Someone?
“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them” (Matthew 15:18)
Do you want to know what’s inside your heart? Listen to what comes out of your lips.
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Ponder, Personalize, Practice: practice this verse by deliberately giving your worries to God. Talk to God about your concerns and worries. Put them all in Jesus’s hands. Then practice gratitude and joy.
“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27)
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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown
Guidepost 7: Cultivating Play and Rest, Letting Go of Exhaustion as a Status Symbol and Productivity as Self-Worth
BRENÉ'S INTENTION
This is not an easy guidepost for me, but I have found through my research that play and rest are as critical and important to wholehearted living as anything else. In some ways, they almost felt like biological imperatives. One of the quotes I came across that struck me in my heart was, "The opposite of play is not work; the opposite of play is depression." I think that's a bold statement. So this lesson's intention helps us think about our need for play and rest as something to be honored rather than something that is optional.
This Lesson's Intention
"I will honor the basic need for rest and play."
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Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews
The Certain Decision
I have a decided heart.
It’s not about what it IS…
It’s about what it can BECOME!
What you decide in your heart will be done and the light of God will shine on your ways. Job 22:28
The Certain Decision for personal success is what fuels your actions from the active decision. The clarity of vision you maintain in your mind is directly proportional to the effectiveness of your actions. A decided heart is unwavering in the face of continual challenges and setbacks and that ensures victory and a lifetime of greater fulfillment.
HOPE, DREAMS, ANTICIPATION…DECIDE.
Scripture:
We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. -John 9:4 (NLT)
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Reading for Today
Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff November 24
Start With Giving Yourself Away and Let God Take Care of the Logistics
“They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up 12 basketfulls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about 5000 men, besides women and children.” Matthew, 14:20,21
Because my family and I spend most summers in Canada, I thought it would be good to learn a little bit about the country. One of the fun tidbits I found is that Canada has the worlds northernmost inhabited village. It is called Alert, and it is 500 miles below the north pole.
Imagine throwing a big party or a concert in a place like Alert. It would be hard to figure out how to get there, but I am sure we could all find our way. Then imagine trying to feed all the people who showed up. They might be able to bring enough oatmeal and dried fruit for the first few days, but at some point, we would need to refill. Logistics would make it tough to pull off.
This is what Jesus was up against when He and His friends got off a boat in a remote village, and found more than 5000 people in need. It wasn’t as remote as Alert, but the transportation challenges were fierce, and when it came time to feed them, the disciples opted to send them away. They couldn’t problem-solve this kind of need. They wanted someone else to deal with it.
But Jesus had a different plan in mind. He told them to fix the problem. You know the story. From a pretty small start, and a kid who just brought to Jesus what he had, God got everyone fed with baskets of food to spare. Sometimes it seems too complicated or inconvenient to give love away or meet people’s needs with the little that we have. But God is not asking you to figure out all the logistics; He is inviting you to give yourself away. Just bring what you have. He will take care of the rest.
What do you have right now that you can give away?
Because my family and I spend most summers in Canada, I thought it would be good to learn a little bit about the country. One of the fun tidbits I found is that Canada has the worlds northernmost inhabited village. It is called Alert, and it is 500 miles below the north pole.
Imagine throwing a big party or a concert in a place like Alert. It would be hard to figure out how to get there, but I am sure we could all find our way. Then imagine trying to feed all the people who showed up. They might be able to bring enough oatmeal and dried fruit for the first few days, but at some point, we would need to refill. Logistics would make it tough to pull off.
This is what Jesus was up against when He and His friends got off a boat in a remote village, and found more than 5000 people in need. It wasn’t as remote as Alert, but the transportation challenges were fierce, and when it came time to feed them, the disciples opted to send them away. They couldn’t problem-solve this kind of need. They wanted someone else to deal with it.
But Jesus had a different plan in mind. He told them to fix the problem. You know the story. From a pretty small start, and a kid who just brought to Jesus what he had, God got everyone fed with baskets of food to spare. Sometimes it seems too complicated or inconvenient to give love away or meet people’s needs with the little that we have. But God is not asking you to figure out all the logistics; He is inviting you to give yourself away. Just bring what you have. He will take care of the rest.
What do you have right now that you can give away?
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