This video is from Rev DeCrastos. For his blog, go to: http://other-words.net
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Have you ever tried to talk to a preschool age child (or husband) during their favorite show on TV? The lack of attention can get on your nerves. Okay…I guess you caught it. I am one of those parents who allow my child to watch TV in the morning. Hey, sometimes I am tired and I need my son just to do his own thing for a few minutes while my brain wakes up. I am horrible…I won’t even talk about the fact I don’t buy organic…OH THE AGONY!!! Call the police! I digress….ANYWAY, have you ever been in a situation in which you have tried to have a serious conversation with someone only to find out more than halfway through that they didn’t hear or understand anything you have said t them. Frustrating huh? Or, like I mentioned above, have you ever been listening to someone talk and their tangents got in the way of the message? This can also be infuriating. Sometimes you just either want to clearly convey your message or you want to be heard. I think God feels the same way much of the time. There are times when I am certain that He is trying to teach me something, and because of my own pride or reluctance, He can’t get through. Not because He is powerless, but because I am distracted or I have my proverbial “fingers in my ears” and I would rather follow my own way. Well, there are many things the creator of the universe tries to say to us, and we could spend all day discussing them. Today, I want to touch on a few. Here are 6 Things God May Be Trying to Tell You today…I think all are applicable to anyone who believes. 1. No hurt goes unheard- It is so easy to begin to believe that all our suffering is falling on deaf ears. Sometimes we can pray with such passion and for such a long time that, when we don’t see the answer or relief coming, it seems like God is ignoring our plea. When we are going through these trials, God is right there with us, suffering as well. He definitely has insight into the His own perfect plan, but I can only imagine that the reason He also suffers is because He wants to bring the solution to you right now…He just knows what is perfect. He wants the best for you, and sometimes this means we have to wait. No one likes to see their child in pain…even if we know that the pain will not last forever. 2. Sometimes the answer is not as difficult as you think- When we pray, it is easy to ask that God brings a miracle that will completely change the whole situation. We often wonder how God will resolve the conflict we are facing, and trust that He will, but also concoct complicated answers that we think will solve the problem. Then, we tell God these are the steps that need to be taken to implement the miracle. The answer is often easier than that…and it involves becoming uncomfortable and barreling through to victory. 3. Doing the right thing is always the best thing- This is hard to hear. It is also hard to understand sometimes. Many times, we truly do know what is right, but often it conflicts with what is easy. What is right may hurt feelings, or change lives…but the right thing will always lead to abundance. The wrong thing may feel better in the moment…it may even relieve some pain temporarily. It will never, however, lead you into the fullness of God’s plan. The right thing also will always be in line with God’s word. 4. You will never stray too far- There are people who do not follow God because of their anger, guilt, and shame. These feelings often come from a time of reflection on the person they have become and memories of a sin-filled past. Many think that they have sinned way too much for God to accept them…this is simply not true. God wants to meet you where you are at, and give you His abundant life now. Not after you clean up your act. He is waiting. 5. You will never get too close- If you have ever had a relationship in life that has truly let you down you know exactly what I am talking about. You know, you have loved someone and trusted them deeply and they turned around and used that power against you. Guess what. Your relationship with God is nothing like that, and it will never be that way. You can cultivate a close intimate relationship with Him and expose all of your flaws. He will accept you and use it to grow, stretch, and mold your life. It is about time you let go of the fear of getting close. 6. Wearing a T-shirt doesn’t count- If you really want to know what it means to be a follower of Christ…it has nothing to do with the cool new Christian T-shirt you just bought online. You may think you are telling satan to “shove it” when you wear it around town, but what you are really doing (sometimes) is trying to find a way to display the message without living it. This will not work. God wants you…not your clothing. Inanimate objects can not be spiritually redeemed. They have no soul. Now, when you wear that inspirational t-shirt…remember this…how can you truly be a walking billboard for the creator? Add things like compassion and forgiveness to the mix as well. These will go far. Your t-shirt will doesn’t count when talking about your Christian witness. God wants to say so much more to us. Don’t let a blog have to be the one to tell you.Open your ears, eyes, and heart. It is time to listen. This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. You can find his original post here: http://other-words.net/2014/10/29/6-things-god-may-be-trying-to-tell-you/ Consider these facts:
Last week, I had the awesome privilege of working, for 5 days, for a ministry called “Silent Blessings Deaf Ministries“. The purpose of my time there was to help the organization develop a fundraising strategy for a campaign they have coming up in the near future. So, my time that week largely consisted of getting to know the ins and outs of the mission, vision, and values of this ministry. Silent Blessings is an organization that desires to bring people, both deaf and hearing, into a profound encounter with the reconciling love of God through Jesus Christ. I would say that is a worthy goal. They also produce a TV show for deaf (and hearing) children that is broadcasted all over the world. It is called Dr. Wonder’s Workshop. All of the actors are deaf and the voice-overs cater to the hearing population. I know very little sign language and I only personally know a couple deaf people. For a while, for some reason, I have felt like our church has had some sort of call by God to reach out specifically to this people group. I am still not sure how that is going to look structurally, but we have already started dabbling in sign language as a church to prepare for what God has for us. My week there was exciting, and I felt like I was at home with my temporary co-workers. I felt like we had the same mission in ministry even though I did not have much connection with the deaf commnunity I know God was nudging me. God broke my heart that week, more deeply, for the deaf community. In many surveys, this people group is called the largest unreached people group in America. To hear stories of how the deaf are marginalized, abused, and ignored entirely made me leave my temporary office shaking my head and desiring more of a connection. One stat that really shook me to the core involved the fathers of deaf children. Less than one percent of fathers who have deaf children are engaged with their child to help them grow spiritually, emotionally, or mentally. Not good. So, as I reflect on last week, I have fond memories, and I look forward to my continued connection with this organization. My heart is filled…but it is also broken. Jesus loves everyone…even those who can’t hear. Take a look at the video on my page and catch the passion for why this ministry began. Go to their website and donate! This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. You can his post here: http://other-words.net/2014/10/27/the-week-that-broke-my-heart/ One night, I was about to turn off my bedside lamp when my wife turned to me and gently, but firmly, asked, “Does anything bring you joy anymore?” Since she knew the answer, I just turned out the light and eventually drifted off to sleep. Quite honestly, during those days, I was desperate. This is not what I signed up for, I kept thinking to myself. For more than 15 years, I had been the lead pastor of what my denomination would consider a successful church. However, I couldn’t shake the thought that something was wrong with how we measured success. Where in the scriptures do we find the measure of success as the number of people who attend an event where one person dominates the experience? Where does it say that true success is connected to the number of people who become members of your church by profession of faith, or by the amount of money given weekly? In comparison to most churches, we were doing well in all three of these North American benchmarks. The problem was that I felt like the CEO of an organization instead of a pastor who was developing and making disciples. Days later, as I was sitting in afternoon traffic and reflecting on my upcoming class at our church, the question came into my mind, Why don’t you offer your class for men only? I had taught “How to study the Bible” many times and had always opened the class to anyone who wanted to learn more about studying and obeying the scriptures. Typically the participants were women, and the few men who attended would almost always hold their questions until after class. They evidently didn’t want to reveal their inability to navigate or understand the Bible. I could never have imagined what God was about to do in and through the men who walked into the room that first Wednesday evening. After a brief introduction, I said, “I would like to hear from you. What do you need most from this class? What would you like to accomplish during our weeks together?” Immediately, a man raised a three-inch-thick Study Bible and boldly pronounced, “I’ve been told I am supposed to be the spiritual leader in my family, but I feel my wife is far ahead of me and I am holding her back.” From across the room, another man chimed in, “I’m right there with you, brother!” For the next few minutes, I experienced a pastor’s dream – men being honest with themselves, each other, and with their pastor about their personal struggles when it comes to how to study and apply the Bible to their daily lives. For the next 12 weeks, the class progressed from entry-level basics of Bible study to developing lesson plans for use in a family or small-group setting. As we were concluding our journey, a number of the men voiced their desire to continue. As I heard their pleas, I made a commitment to them that has affected me to this day. I said, “I believe God is using you men to awaken me to what the Lord has been saying to me for months regarding His mandate to focus my attention upon making disciples instead of attempting to build His church. Therefore, I will commit 60-90 minutes with you each week, one-on-one, one-on-two, or one-on-three, pouring into your life what God has invested in mine through these past 40 years of attempting to follow Jesus. But I want you to commit that time in your schedule as well, and then be willing to pass on to at least one other man what God is pouring into you.” If five of the 18 men had been interested, I would have considered it a win. However, I was scheduling 12-15 discipling appointments weekly, which included 21 men opening their lives as we shared life-on-life through a series of discipleship principles in scripture. For the next 30 months, I had the privilege of having a front-row seat as I watched God begin to transform the lives of these men into men who resolved to follow Jesus as His disciples. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the second best time is now.” It took 20 years as a pastor and 21 willing men to help me experience what I had truly “signed up for” when I said yes to God’s call on my life: developing people into disciple makers. Now I have the honor of training pastors, missionaries, and church leaders around the world as I share the essential steps of becoming a disciple-making follower of Jesus. I just wish someone had awakened me to Jesus’ mandate 20 years earlier. This post was written by Denny Heiberg of Seedbed. For the original post, go to: http://seedbed.com/feed/god-used-21-men-awaken-pastor/ BE HOLY. BE A MAN. I can give you names of people who silently suffer because of what is happening in their church. These people are pastors, leaders, and regular attenders. They feel like the walls are crumbling around them, and that many are abandoning the mission of what God has collectively called their congregation to accomplish. For some, these things aren’t a big deal. Some worship at a local congregation, and never really see the decline. They may be people who simply go to church because their spouses make them, or they consider it a sporadic hobby that keeps their parents happy. The truth is God wants your church to flourish, and to come back to your “first love” as described in the book of Revelation. We are all humans. We all have similar experiences and hurts. With this being said I think, if we were to be brutally honest with ourselves, we would see that there are specific things that are happening in our churches that may be destroying them. All churches have their unique personalities, and sometimes the issue lies in the leadership, and other times it is found in the apathy of the membership. Today, I want to talk about 5 things that may be destroying your church. Beware… Disclaimer: Overall, sin is what is wearing away at the fabric of our churches, but these are things that are often unseen. Also, there are obviously many others that could fit here. 1. Competitive Mentalities- As church leaders and attenders, we HAVE to stop thinking we are somehow competing with the church down the street. We are not dealing with a fast food franchise or a vicious enemy. We are talking about other brothers and sisters working towards the same mission. Take more time to pray for other congregations and genuinely seek how you can help them in their struggles. Let’s just assume the church down the street is not butchering the scripture, and start rejoicing when they rejoice and mourn when they are in sorrow. This mentality,if not taken seriously, will destroy everything if allowed to take hold. 2. Ministry Possession- Contrary to popular belief, the church kitchen is not your kitchen, the library is not your library, the pew you sit in is not your pew, and the gym is not your gym (ohh…I mean family life center). If you have given money, time, and energy to create and sustain a ministry of the church then you should be commended. These resources are God’s though; not yours. Don’t give anything if you are not willing to give it completely without the expectation of eternal ownership in it. Let God use what He will for His purposes. 3. Ignoring Scripture- We may read verses in the worship services out loud, or notice the inspirational framed segments of scripture on the foyer walls, but how many people actually have a holy fear about whether or not they are treating God’s word with proper reverence. By this, I mean, are we simply reading, or are we passionately doing? Far too many people rely on the pastor to study scripture for them, and neglect their own personal study. God wants to speak with you more than once a week. 4. Ignoring Children’s call to Ministry- Little Susie wants to be a missionary when she grows up. What do we do when we hear this? Of course we pat her on the head and smile. We know she will come to her senses when she starts encountering adult problems. We will see if this feeling lasts… WHY???? WHY do we do this? As people who believe that the Holy Spirit is real and active, we MUST take this seriously and immediately take action. This child has so much she could be accomplishing for the kingdom. Not in 15 years….NOW. Getting kids involved in ministry will only grow the church. 5. Mixed up Priorities- Do you realize how much time, talent, and energy is spent every week on issues such as what kind of communion wafers will be served, where the organ is placed, and whether or not drums are used in the service? Are we that bored with God? We have to realize that while we are arguing in our committees about these things, there are people outside our walls dying, and trying to get our attention. The pain is too much to bear, but we are occupied with wall color in the fellowship hall. Don’t allow the enemy to win in this area. God empowered the church with His Holy Spirit for a reason. Don’t allow these issues to erode at progress and steal joy. We can make a choice to be better. Go forward in love. This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. For the original post, go to: http://other-words.net/2014/10/02/5-things-that-may-be-destroying-your-church/ Have you ever had something stolen from you? It is a unique feeling that only occurs when this event takes place. When I was a youth pastor in Florida, my wife and I lived in an apartment complex only a few miles away from the church. It was a safe neighborhood, and everyone we met was very friendly. One morning, we decided to sleep in and get a little extra rest. We had gone to bed late the night before watching a movie, and were in a deep sleep. All of the sudden we were jolted awake by a knock on the door. It was a loud knock. We were not expecting company, and we were still “rockin’ the pj’s”. I rushed out to the front room and looked through the peephole only to see a shiny police badge on the chest of a large buzz cut human being. He looked like he meant business. “Can I help you?”, I questioned. I assumed he had the wrong apartment, and if this was the case I was poised to be a little cranky because I wanted more sleep. “Are you the owner of a silver Chevy Cobalt?”, he asked. I nodded my head, and he motioned me outside of the apartment. When he took me to our car, I saw a pile of shattered glass. Someone had broken into our car and several other cars. For some reason, this also happened to be the first (and last) time I had ever left my wallet in my car out in the open. Yep…you guessed it. It was stolen. You may have been in this situation before. We felt so violated, and immediately our minds went to how we were going to respond to this event. We wanted justice. We wanted these people to be caught. We wanted our stuff back. We wanted more sleep! There was also a little part of us that wanted to give up because we didn’t think there was ever going to be a way to recoup the cost of hat was taken. After the dust settled and we figured out logistics, we realized that it was only stuff and we were going to be okay. As I reflected on this situation I realized that this feeling is what many deal with on a regular basis. Perhaps not in the sense that someone broke into their car and stole a wallet, but often in a much deeper way. Many feel like something has been taken from them. This feeling could come from an abusive past, a damaged relationship, constant disappointment, or the aftermath of addiction. The result can be extremely harmful, because the feeling of violation slowly emerges over time. Due to the speed of its full onset many people become so comfortable with this feeling, but cannot point out why they are miserable, because this becomes normal. They develop unhealthy habits, lifestyles, and patterns of behavior all because their life is now (while they do not admit it) defined by the pain that they have been feeling for such a long time. We may never fully know the hurt people are dealing with, but we do know where to find the antidote. We all bring a certain amount of pain and experience to the table. We have to approach people with love and grace, and try to understand them before we jump to conclusions. God understands how we think, operate, and respond to the world around us but He wants to free us from unhealthy patterns that only perpetuate this type of life. As Christians, we are called to help people sort out the logistics of the mess that they are in, and point them to restoration. First, we pray that God will equip us to lead people to freedom. Then, we approach life with a willingness to be used by God in any way He sees fit. This is an uncomfortable position to be in, but a necessary one in order to be used by God to the fullest of our potential. We will not always be thanked for this, because many are in love with their pain, and don’t want to be awaken from their sleep. Scripture shows us our brokenness, and a relationship with God provides the grace for mending. When people are rescued from their darkness, they become a powerful weapon against darkness, because they knew what it felt like to feel alone. The thief of our soul wants us to stay broken. He wants us to stay violated. His desire is destruction. Be a change agent. A hope dealer. Spread the light. This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. For the original post, go to: http://other-words.net/2014/09/17/a-thief-in-the-night/ Sometimes there is nothing more convenient that taking a little detour through your local fast food establishment, and picking up a greasy burger. No matter how much of a health nut you are, anyone can admit that the ease of picking up a cheap meat-fix is unrivaled by any other nourishment. Doctors will tell us that these meals are not a part of a recommended diet…and sometimes, when these health professionals tell us this all we hear is Charlie Brown’s teacher. In fact I think there have been times when my doctor has explained the dangers of this type of diet and all I could think about was who currently has a promo for a sandwich with a pretzel bun. Since my family has been eating healthier, this type of eating is more rare, but it still creeps into our regimen from time to time. It really isn’t detrimental if it is extremely rare, and every one knows that moderation is key in this context. No matter how often I tell myself this though, it seems like I fall into old habits and it is just so easy to eat this way regularly. No matter how many times someone tells me that this lifestyle is okay in moderation, the temptation sucks me in. I have realized that I have to be extra careful. The truth is there have been times when I have been addicted to this food. It starts with one meal, then someone else will pay the next day, and then we get home late the next day and that time is supposed to be our last. We then reflect on our month, and it is riddled with cheap meals with little nutritional value. When we are in the moment, there are so many excuses…they seem to make so much sense. Something else interesting happens… I have found that, when I eat this way, I become more lethargic about my health. It becomes a lower priority, and relaxing moves higher on the list. When we are involved in sin, we see similar symptoms. Each action seems okay in moderation, but after a while we begin to make excuses for why we are entitled to feel the way we do. We become lethargic about our own transformation because it is too hard. You see, sin is a form of spiritual nourishment…At the time it seems so satisfying and a craving is extinguished for a temporary time, but the more we allow ourselves to be overcome by it, we realize the power it has over us. Our anger, unforgiveness, addictions, or pride seems justified at the time and the easiest thing in the world is to give into it. THEN, as we become more comfortable with this lifestyle of giving into temptation, we become less comfortable with healthy behaviors (i.e. church, fellowship, giving, prayer, etc). If we allow it to win, we then find ourselves feeding bitterness until we transform into a being we were never intended to be. Stop making excuses and choose health over sin. God loves you too much to allow you to be hypnotized into death. This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. For the original post, go to: http://other-words.net/2014/09/01/do-you-want-sin-with-that/ When your church gathers each Sunday, there are many people that come together to make that gathering happen. Preachers, singers, musicians, readers, prayers, people running sound, lights, media – all of these people are crucial to both the practical and the theological aims of the services you offer. Most of them want to offer their best to the church each week, but without some sort of conversation about why we do what we do each week, their goals and efforts easily end up causing more strain than harmony, and that strain affects the life of the church. So, pastors: your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to gather these people together and begin a conversation about worship, liturgy, and what they do in church every week. Here are four steps you can take to kick-start this conversation. 1) Set the Tone If you want the church you pastor to be intentional and theologically informed in their decisions about worship, you must be committed to doing so yourself. From preaching to sacraments, from lyrics to service structure, everything we do on Sunday teaches the church what it means to be the people of God in the world. Think through it all. Ask the hard questions about what you do each week and why you do it. Pay attention to the whole of the service and not just the sermon or the portions that directly involve you. 2) Know Your Limits None of us are experts on everything. Hopefully, you have people around you who are gifted and shaped to do the things you are asking them to do. Encourage them to be the experts at what they do each week, but to be so in light of the larger orientation of this conversation about worship. Welcome their perspective on the task at hand. You don’t have to know music to give musicians direction that benefits the church, but you must encourage them to point their skills in the right direction. 3) Resource Your Leaders If your church is anything like mine, people can grow both tired and somewhat numb to the voice of their pastor. Fresh voices in the conversation of church can breathe new life into it. Take the time to resource your leaders with books, blogs, magazines, audio files, or any other worthwhile resource you come across that will bring perspective and energy to this conversation. These resources will function like a springboard into the kinds of conversations you want to be having. 4) Bring People into the Process It can sometimes seem easier to take care of something yourself than it is to enable and empower someone else to do it. Do not buy into this way of operating. Target people and release certain responsibilities to them. Guide them into the process of shaping and designing the times of worship in your church. The more hands-on and out-loud the design process is, the more people will begin to think, act, and own the corporate time of worship each week. This post was written by Drew Causey. You can find his original post here: http://seedbed.com/feed/4-steps-pastors-can-take-to-kick-start-the-worship-conversation/ As I sit and write this blog post today, I can’t help but experience a variety of emotions. I have a hidden discouragement that is covered by a smile, but secretly I am in pain. I am in a valley. You may have been where I am as well. If you know me very well, you may now know that I lost my day job this week. Before you get upset at the company for letting me go, let me be very clear…the company I worked for was amazing in every sense of the word. I was good at what I did, but there were a few functions of the job that I simply was not wired for. As a result, they asked me to leave. I have never been terminated before, so you can imagine the feelings that were flooding my brain and heart during this conversation. The good thing is…my relationship with the leadership of my former place of employment is fully in tact, and there is no hard feelings. In fact, during the final meeting I had with my employers, we prayed together and cried. It was a decision that I think they needed to make and it will better the company. I am a bivocational pastor, so losing my full time job was quite the hit. When the words were spoken, my heart sank. Immediately I began to think about providing for my family and the malnourished bank account we already had. I was mad at God, and wondered how He could let this happen. I cried, and thought I was all alone. I felt worthless. I felt shame. I felt embarrassed. Not only was I in a deep valley…but it was a big valley. When I walked out of my place of employment for the last time, I made a promise to myself and to God. I promised that I would be open and transparent about the physical and emotional journey I was on; from the very moment I was let go. It is a hard promise to keep. I am doing this, because I think there are many people who are going through (or have gone through) this situation and wonder if the thoughts they are having are normal, and if the struggle they have is appropriate. You are not alone. Like I said…I am in a valley. You have been in this valley too. Many times. You may have not lost a job, but you have lost a loved one or wondered where the next dollar was coming from. The valley is an interesting place to be. As humans, we avoid the situations that lead us to this point, but we can all honestly say we know the feeling well. While going through times that make us feel pain, all we want to do is get away and make the hurting stop. We want to do this, because we are afraid that it will never end. Sometimes, we lose our hope and don’t know where to turn. And, when we are being led through the valley, all we can do is look up to the mountaintops and long to be there with the people that have smiles plastered on their faces. Why does God allow us to be in the valley? As I have waded through a knee-deep pile of confusion and pain, I think I may have figured something out about this mystery. As I have reflected on this illustration, I have realized that water does not stay on the mountain peaks, but always funnels down crevices and declines until it empties into the vast depths of the valley. I think this is how God’s grace works. Sometimes, we experience a more powerful display of the living water when we are going through the lowest points in our journey. Even if you are at your lowest point…I can tell you it is about to rain. Look up and receive the water. Grace is coming. All I can do at this point is look up and praise my God…and expect miracles. I am at peace. This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. For the original post, go to: http://other-words.net/2014/08/21/the-valley/ This month, I have been leading my church through the book of Philippians. In this book, Paul encourages the Philippian Christians in many ways, and talks to them about having joy despite what their circumstances may present. This letter presented joy in a different way than we see it in our culture. Often, we look at the list of good things that have happened to us, or cite the number of affirmations that people have conveyed. When asked about our level of joy, if we are having a bad day, we may laugh it off and deny that it is there. We know what joy is though… It usually comes on a Friday at 4:30, or when your favorite song comes on the radio. When joy is looked at in this way, I think we completely miss the point. We begin to think that joy fluctuates depending on our mood or what is happening around us. The fact is, joy is more of a decision along with a set of intentional habits. Even more than this, it is a biproduct of a life lived in a healthy and spiritually growing way. God gives us joy when we choose to obey, and follow Him. So, in a way it is a spiritual gift straight from God. I do think, however, there are ways that we can positively feed the joy we have been given. Among many other ways…I think there are 7 ways we can feed our joy. 1. Collect secret places- This week, our family went on a hike at a new park. It had a main trail around a small pond, and it also had narrower trails that split off into different parts of the woods. We decided to take some of these trails to where they lead and a few of them led to a beautiful river. It was so calming and it almost felt like we were the first ones to ever discover this location. It was so quiet and peaceful. I can imagine myself, one day, going to this place to speak with God, and reflect. I think it is important to collect these type of secret places…places that you can escape to for the sole purpose of connecting with God. 2. Give generously- I heard a very wise person once say that giving things away give them true value. Giving feeds our joy, because we are acting in a way that we were designed to act. Whether it be money, possessions, time, or anything else for that matter…sacrifice always gives what we have meaning. God does not bless us to become a hoarder…but to become disciples. Let God use you in this way. Giving will give you joy like you have never experienced. 3. Become addicted to forgiveness- Wait…what? Addicted? Yes. But, what if they misuse my forgiveness, and go on doing wrong. Well…I suppose that is none of your business. You are called to forgive as Christ forgave you. How insulting would it be for us to reject the most precious gift in the universe, because we are trying to prove a point. Granted, there are times that someone hurt us very deeply, and I certainly do not want to diminish this concept, but God’s power, if accepted can give us healing. Forgiveness is an important step in allowing ourselves to be healed. 4. Make a fool of yourself- Sometimes, you just need to have a tea party with your daughter or sing a silly song at the top of your lungs. You spend way too much time trying to network and market your accomplishments…Spend time getting the wiggles out. I think the life we were intended to live in the Garden of Eden was supposed to be this way. We are never too old to play. 5. Lighten up- I have said this so many times to my congregation, and I know they are getting tired of hearing it. “If you are a Christian, filled with joy, don’t forget to tell your face”. It is true. Far too many Christ-followers have the worst attitude and are always pooping on everyone’s parade. It really gets exhausting when you think about it. Why would anyone want to follow a Jesus that makes everyone grumpy? Don’t take yourself so seriously. You only get one life, and you are not doing it better than everyone else. Release yourself of the obligation of needing to be serious all the time. 6. Listen during prayer- God is not a vending machine and your prayer life is not a radio show with God as the audience. Stop it. Take a breath and let Him talk. Many times, when we complain about the fact that God is distant, God is really facepalming Himself because He has been trying to talk to you, but being the gentleman that He is, patiently waits to speak. 7. Expect miracles- Often we pray, but don’t expect anything. This is like ordering a delicious meal from a restaurant and leaving the place before you get your drinks. Why ask if you are not ready to receive? God can do anything, and the answer you need is included. He loves you so much. Let Him work. Much of the world searches for joy around every corner, and neglect the things that feed it the most. Don’t starve your spirit. Walk up to the buffet and dig in! This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. For the original post, go to: http://other-words.net/2014/08/16/7-ways-to-feed-joy/ |
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