Where is your talent invested?

Have you ever read the parable of the ten coins? If not, you can read it in Luke 19:11-27. This parable has always reminded me of the importance of working diligently in every task that we are given, whether at home, work, or in the community. In our lives it is inevitable that we do not report to someone who holds us accountable to our actions or whom we must commit to in performance. Sometimes those people seem to be just like the nobleman from the parable. For example, maybe a boss who does none of the work, but takes all of the credit. Well, we know that this life is temporary at best. As Christians we ought to devote ourselves to sharing the Gospel, or The Great Commission as it is mainly recognized. All other things that happen to us on earth are vanity. However, we are still human and we will still be given opportunities of earthly value, such as a promotion or a great opportunity for recognition. So the question that you must ask yourself is, "Where are you investing your talents?" Are you investing your talents in a place that will reap dividends? Or are you simply burying your talents in the ground because you don't want someone else to receive the rewards that you think you deserve.

I believe that there are two concepts that are important to a successful life: contentment and complacency. We must be content with what we are given, and we must not stay complacent with our ability to do better. Additionally, we must constantly remind ourselves of Colossians 3:22 and Ephesians 6:5-9. We must obey our earthly masters (a.k.a. your boss at work/parents/leaders) and if we are the earthly master than we must show our servants respect (a.k.a. your employees/children/patrons). I will add this one reminder that we are referring to earthly matters and not spiritual matters in these two scriptures because spiritually we only have one master who we can serve.

To conclude this post, I invite you to consider your own performance and personnel. Are there any areas of your life that you need to re-invest your talents in? Do your best to think about this with a renewed mind and be sure to pray to God. It may take some time for you to identify and correct any bad investments or talents that are just sitting on the shelf collecting dust. You may have to re-adjust your time commitments so that you can allocate your resources properly.

For more information about maintaining balance you should read more scriptures. Perhaps the book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes would be a good starting place.

God honors faith; hope is for the mind of men

Defining Faith

What is faith, and why is it so important to the survival of the supernatural being? Merriam-Webster.com defines faith as "strong belief or trust in someone or something." God honors faith. This statement made me question where faith comes from. Many people argue their faith as if it belongs to them, but according to the definition of faith, it belongs to someone else. That someone else can be anyone, so it does not have to be God, or a deity of any kind; however, according to the Bible God never falls short of his glory, and his glory is to keep his promise. His promise is the faith that he bestows upon us. So for the sake of this post I am choosing to focus on Faith in God.

Have you ever heard or used this the word faith to describe your trust in someone else? I reference faith all the time, especially when I say, "I trust God." There can be no faith without evidence of trust. Before one can trust, there must be a promise to accept. Now, if we consider that salvation is the promise that God gave us, then we should realize that faith is a matter of eternal relevance. For this reason, faith cannot be honored until we experience death. This is why faith is highly important to the survival of our supernatural being. Here's a question, "What proof exist that faith will be honored?" Well, we could turn to the bible for this answer. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Why? Because He showed the world that there is life after death. Jesus Christ is the only security that a believer needs that God will honor faith.

Faith versus Hope

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1, English Standard Version). What does it mean to hope? Have you ever hoped for something? Merriam-Webster.com defines hope as "to want something to happen or be true and think that it could happen or be true." So hope is purely personal. Hope belongs to the individual, regardless of who are what is in control of the end result. You can hope for warmer weather and lower taxes, but you'd be a half-baked cake if you did not pursue assurance for your hopes.

I think that is important to note that both faith and hope are action words, also known as verbs. Do you realize that faith without works is meaningless (James 2:17). Also, "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6, King James Version). What does this mean? It means that God will not honor the faithless. It means that hope is not enough to please God. God does not care about what you want to be true because He is truth.

Obtaining Faith

What must you do to obtain faith? The answer is simple. You must seek God. Then your faith will be the evidence of the things you hope for. What should you hope for? Perhaps you should hope to experience the reward of God's honor, also known as faith. Hope for the strength to endure. Hope for things that bring peace to your mind, but have faith in God; He is the author and finisher of your faith.

References:

Faith. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 30, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith

Hope. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 30, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope

A little inverse motivation

Sometimes all you need is for someone to tell you no. I call it inverse motivation because the word "no" backwards spells "on." Basically, under the correct circumstances, the word no can stimulate one's mind to turn on the power of freewill and become devoted to excellence and success in the task at hand.

Granted, no means no unless the person telling you "no" has no power or authority over the project. The lesson to be learned is this: consider the weight of one's opinion before adding it into your suitcase. You do not want to lug around a suitcase filled with someone else's stuff. Only carry what you need and leave the rest behind. Find the motivation, from the good or the bad to accomplish whatever you have set your mind to. Most importantly, take it all to God in prayer. Allow him to have the final word.

Isn't it strange that the first person to speak always seems correct until another person speaks up and puts him or her to shame. Maybe you recognize this one: the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Of course, that was in reference to the end times. Perhaps it is time put the foolishness to end. Flip the script on em'!

Take this word of wisdom and find a little inverse motivation in the destructive comments of your naysayers.

Turn on the power of freewill and live free in God's will.

Additional Words of Wisdom

Remember that one door closes so another may open. Rejection from one person opens you an opportunity to be accepted by another person. Sometimes you may be the person saying no. It can be spiritually healthy to practice discernment on a regular basis. "No" does not equal bad. You just don't want to be accepted by someone who doesn't strongly believe in you or what you do.

Interesting Read About Free Will - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

The Power of No -  Self Growth

Dealing with Rejection -  Professional Counseling

Ready for a miracle.

Have you ever been in a position where you were praying for a miracle? Maybe you were actively communicating your wishes to God in prayer, or maybe you were passively suggesting the idea in your thoughts. Either way, it may have been one of the many moments in your life when you believed that it would be impossible for you to accomplish a certain task. Maybe you are in the process of praying for a miracle right now.

I hope not to disappoint the reader, but I do not have any tips or secrets to help you stumble upon a miracle. The reason I am writing this post is because I have personally experienced a couple of miracles recently and it inspired me to write out about it. Not specifically the miracle itself, but the lessons that I learned from the experience.

It is important that we define what a miracle is so that we can understand the need for one. Dictionary.com defines a miracle as "such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God." Quite simply, I define a miracle as something that was exactly what one needed, but totally unexpected and without reason. For example, I had a 1700 page paper to write for one of my classes, but I was sick in bed for two days. With less than 24 hours to write the paper I was in need of a miracle. I was prepared to stay up all night writing this paper; however, my professor unexpectedly had to go out of town and decided to delay the due date by four days. I considered this a miracle because it was exactly what I needed.

Second, we must understand that God is greater than any problem we may face, and God will not put more on us than we can bear. This means that we must always understand the conditions under which we work. If God is for us than who or what can be against us? If you ever feel like you are facing an impossible task, than it is most likely that you are dealing with an undisclosed miracle, but you must have faith to see it come to manifestation. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. (Do you know where to find those sentences in the Bible?)

Third, you cannot complain. What good is it to ask for a miracle if you are going to mumble despicable things under your breath. God is only interested in messengers who will deliver his words as they are. He does not want us to change his word or alter their meanings. For example, I experienced a miracle one week where God gave me more time to do what I had to do. The next week I experienced a second miracle where God gave me unexpected strength to work through the night on another essay and wake up early for work without any feelings of exhaustion. Miracles can come any way that God pleases so we must be ready and willing to take it as it comes.

The final thing that we must ask ourselves before committing to a prayer for a miracle is, "Am I ready for a miracle?" Am I prepared to face an impossible task? If the answer is yes, than you should keep on keeping on my friend. Remember, if the task is impossible but necessary you are most likely being set-up by God for a miracle. Open your heart and mind, and be ready to receive it.

The Burden of Greatness

People say that they want to be the best. I guess there's nothing wrong with that but I wonder if it's emotionally healthy to desire to always be in a position where you are the benchmark for success. Furthermore, I truly believe that people who actually are the best did not gain that position from mere desire to be labeled as the best at what they do. I'm pretty sure that some people were born into tough situations that required them to be the best at what they do or else they face the consequence of not being the best.

Isn't this the definition of the term best: better than everything else in comparison? This means that to be the best you have to be better than everyone you are comparable to. It's a title of great accomplishment. I can only imagine what thoughts the man who is the best sniper in the world has in his mind. He might say something like, "I am the best because otherwise I would be dead and so would many other friends of mine. This is not something that I desire to be the best at but it is a requirment in order to sustain life in my community."

I'm sure that most people are a little more realistic and want to be the best singer or the best cook or even the best driver. I wonder what motivates a person to be the best at anything and on what scope would you consider a person to be the best. Are they the best in their town or the best in the world? No matter the details I'm sure it requires a high level of dedication, passion and focus. To be the best at anything must require something extra besides just the wont of a title.

Once again, I would argue that the best are born and raised into the title as a mode of survival. Maybe the best singer in the world is the best singer because as a child she sang songs to hide all of the pain and hurt of a broken household of lies, drugs and sex. And so now she continues to sing on a global level because people need something as beautiful as her voice to console them in the midst of crisis and poverty. Maybe she would prefer to be just an everyday joe with a normal voice who sings songs to pass the time of day; but she was not born into mediocrity.

The best are by no means mediocre. They are not allowed to be mediocre. The best are bound to terms of greatness and any less would cause them to be suffocated in pity. To them, greatness is a responsibility, a burden that not all may carry. I am sure that God has called all of us to be great in some aspect of our lives. My greatness shines through my smile and demeanor. Where does your greatness exist?

Tears of Lamentation

I am definately a guy that is always ready for a good laugh and a happy moment but I recognize the importance of lamentation and prayer when necessary. It is healthy to smile and be happy. But it is not okay to overlook the sorrow of pain and hurt. There is a balance that must exist between these two emotions and they are based in behavior and attitude.

Personally, I have a deep relationship with God. I trust in God no matter what the circumstances are and I have lived a life that speaks in concert with that statement. And it is not very often that I am found with my face buried deep in a pillow crying away my hurt but when I do cry I shed tears of lamentation to heal a broken soul.

I write this post without mention of any of the personal attacks that I have survived in this current month or even the past months or those to come. I share these thoughts only to serve its purpose in my blog of Wisdom. But to just make note that less than 30 minutes prior to the writing of this post I was deep in my sadness over a matter of small significance. I call it small now only because tomorrow it will matter very little because God is the alpha and omega. And if I could make only one final statement in my last breath that is exactly what I would say, "God is alpha and omega."

"I just cried and when the water ran down my cheeks the tears were so warm because they came straight from my heart. I felt my soul vomit a little as well. My spirit was vexed. My hope is in the Lord every step of the way. #prayerofhope" - My status update from Facebook 7:38pm

 

Isaiah 55:8-9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Counting The Value of a Moment in Seconds

For every great event in history there is an innumerable amount of ideas, thoughts, actions and failures that create a moment worth remembering. People remember when History was made but they don't consider the stories that made it all possible. Maybe it is a matter of being too busy to count the seconds when you're looking at the hours pass. For those of us who feel as if we are growing weary and the clock has only begun to tick we should focus on every passing second rather than allowing ourselves to become restless with slowly progressing breath taking moments.

Life is an event that develops over many years but ends quicker than a moment can be remembered. Seconds are the smallest unit of time measurement that we can easily count without losing focus of what it means to exist. If you count enough seconds you will eventually count the minutes. And after you count a couple of minutes you will realize how quickly time passes when you're not paying attention to the passing of the day. And once you learn to place priority on the passing of a day you will learn the value of one second because one second is all it takes to beging the next day. And once you learn the value of a second you will learn the value of a great moment that can be remembered forever in the historical timeline of life because one day that great moment shall come to pass. And all of life's events can be summed up by just one breathtaking moment called death in less time than a second can be counted.

Count each second. Enjoy every minute. Improve every hour. Make the most of each day. You will be remembered for the life that you lived. Not the one that you didn't. Because after you die, life is but a moment remembered.


P.S. For those who seek to learn more, there is always more written than what can be read in a paragraph. Reading between the lines is truly the path of knowledge hidden to fools and revealed to the wise because not all are willing to do so. Wisdom is found in doing what others are not willing to do.