Submission

A husband would never have to ask his wife to submit if he’s submitting his will to God. And, it’s quite challenging to surrender your will to a man who doesn’t know his mission for God, his life, and family.

God called man to be the head (leader) of his family; not the boss! There is a difference. When husbands recognize and acknowledge God’s will for them to lead like Jesus led, (i.e., without coercion, but by example), their family will follow with honor and respect; without resistance.

Identity

• Define your identity as a vessel for God; not a vessel for society.
• Identify your uniqueness as a blessing from God who’s constantly unfolding your beauty.
• Identify your shape, complexion, and size as priceless authentic fine art that can never be duplicated.
• The antidote to an identity crisis is to define or re-define your being in the sight of God and not man.
• Your identity will be recognized by the fruits they bear.
• God’s disciples are identified by the love they show to others.
• Your behavior will define your identify. So, let not your good be evil spoken of.
• Be not dismayed if you’re not identified as an important member of an ‘elite’ social group. If you’re one of God’s children, He identifies you as royalty and joint-heirs to Him.

A Free Gift

Whenever you have to buy something in order to get something for free, are you really receiving a Free Gift? If you think about it, the gift that’s supposedly free has been paid in full by the required purchase.

One of the most valuable gifts an individual can receive is the gift of Salvation. There is a price for this free gift; however, the wage was paid in full by the death of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). You see, something was given in exchange for this precious gift, and it can be obtained by confessing with your mouth, and believing in your heart that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead. (Romans 10:9).

The gift of Salvation seems to be the most difficult gift for some people to receive freely. Who would rather choose death and not life? Who would rather leave this earth not knowing where they would spend eternity?

When God created man, He created Man in His image (Genesis 2:26-27). God’s image (i.e., God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit), and the image of man is (Soul, Body, and Spirit). Mankind was complete and could fully relate to God. However, mankind disobeyed God by eating from the forbidden tree and that day, mankind died spiritually and could no longer relate to God (Genesis 2:17). To restore this union, blood had to be shed. Blood has been shed by Jesus Christ to restore our relationship with God. God gave His only begotten Son so we may have eternal life. Believe it or not, there is life after this one!

Each day we wake is another opportunity to receive this free gift. This is the day of salvation (II Corinthians 6:2). Salvation is deliverance from eternal damnation, the power of Satan, and the power of sin.

There is a saying, “Live with the end in mind.” Are you living with the thought of where your soul shall rest once you take your last breath? Do you believe your spirit has a final resting place after death? Do you believe time is on your side and you don’t have to think about your eternal destiny? What if your life ended right now? Where would you spend eternity?

Why not consider surrendering your will and life to God right where you are? What do you have to lose? An old lifestyle that brings temporary pleasure or false thrills? Don’t allow doubt or fear to make you pass up an opportunity to receive the Free Gift of Salvation. This is a gift we shouldn’t leave earth without.

Availability

• Find time to commune with God daily.
• Allow your mind to be accessible to God to free you from past negative thoughts, hurts, and sins.
• Make clear the pathway to your heart so that God may create a clean one in you!
• God needs available vessels to be used for His glory and to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Make your ears available to God to hear His divine calling.
• Make your eyes available to God so He can show you where He wants you to go.
• Make your temple available to God so that He can make it holy.
• Make your spirit available to receive spiritual truth for spiritual growth.
• Make yourself available to God to receive His power to enter into a full relationship with Him!

Do Not Worry!

There are struggles in life that can become emotional strongholds – things that hold you hostage and keep you from wholeheartedly serving and trusting God and experiencing the abundant life He has promised. One of the most damaging strongholds is worry. It is available for every age and is an obstacle to moving forward. When it is a stronghold in your life, it is a way of life.

We worry about so many things – what do people think about us, do we look fit, are we healthy, and do we have enough money. If you are prone to worry, there is no limit to the possibilities to worry about.

People cope with worrying in a number of ways – some drink to dismiss it, others shop for a distraction, some take naps or go to bed early to avoid it. None of these remedies work because the panic still sets in. In Matthew 6:25, 31-34, Jesus stated three times, “Do not worry!” The Greek word used for “worry” is the concept of being strangled or choked. It leaves you frustrated when you ought to be free and if you are His disciple, then you should stop it.

Worrying is a sin because it is doubt in the power and goodness of God. Some people don’t like to call worrying a sin – they are just “concerned” about something. How do you distinguish concern from worry? Legitimate concern is when you are in control of your thoughts and feelings and illegitimate worry is when the matter controls your thoughts, actions and emotions.

Jesus said, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26)

The reason we worry is that we are focusing on the wrong authority. If our Father feeds birds that have no soul, how much more will He take care of us since we are worth even more to Him? Remember His promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you as the first antidote to worry.

This post is from Dr. Tony Evans’ sermon, Stop It! No More Worry. It will provide you with a deeper knowledge of overcoming worry in your life. Please visit http://go.tonyevans.org/no-more-worries.

Responsibility

• Be responsible for your actions. No one can make you behave the way you do.
• Be responsible for your thoughts. No one can make you think what you think.
• Take ownership of your feelings. No one can make you feel good or bad.
• Be responsible for your life. No one can make you have a fulfilled or dreadful life.
• Be responsible for your well-being. No one can define who you are or your purpose for living.
• Be responsible for how you’re treated. You’re treated the way you allow yourself to be treated.
• Be responsible for how you treat others. No one can make you be respectful.
• Be responsible for your relationship with God and others. God and no one can make you love them. The choice is ultimately yours.

Character Assassination

”And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set amoung our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the curse of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” (James 3:6)

”But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessings and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:8-10)

The danger of the tongue. James compares the tongue with fire because it cannot be controlled and the damage it causes cannot be reversed. And, sometimes when water is added, it spreads the fire instead of putting it out!

When I worked in the corporate world, a manager attempted to assassinate my “working” characteristics with lies about my inability to perform tasks in a male-dominated career. The manager also stated, “I was not a team player and did not like to be critized.” I confronted my manager about the accusations and he denied them. In spite of his denial, the rumor had already spread.

One of my favorite scriptures that has helped me in my career is, “whatever I so doeth, do it heartily as unto the Lord and not unto man” (Colossians 3:17). After working with this manager, I realized the importance to work as unto the Lord and not man.

I was provided an opportunity to travel to Florida to assist with deploying and upgrading a system. I believe the manager thought he was setting me up for failure, not knowing he had already been defeated.

My travel time was scheduled for three days, but was extended because of my work performance. And, one of the site managers in Florida was sending email messages to my manager’s supervisor, advising him of my good work. As a result, my assasinated character was brought back to life!

Many of us do not get an opportunity to experience life after a character assassination. Some of us only experience death because we continue to eat its fruit or bring back to life the fruit of “death”. Damaging words can leave deep wounds and scars, but it does not mean we cannot receive healing.

We live in a world where people are vicious like roaring lions that thrive on bringing others down. We do not have control of what people will say or think. However, we have control over our response.

The devil is like a thief. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy our character, but he can never destroy our spirit. Satan uses the tongue to divide relationships. John 4:4 tells us, “greater is He (God) that is within us, than he (Satan) that’s in the world.”

Proverbs gives four types of tongues:

1. The Controlled
2. The Caring
3. The Conniving
4. The Careless

The first two, should be practiced diligently to bring forth life and unity in our homes, work, and church. The Conniving and Careless tongues should be avoided at all times because they’re poisonous, and do not bring glory and honor to God.

Deborah M. Avens