Give Thanks!
 
Many of the things that trouble you are not nearly as troubling as you make them out to be. Much of what frustrates you is frustrating primarily because you have chosen to see it that way.
 
What if you decided to see things differently? What if, instead of being so desperately troubled by all the troubles, you could simply accept them, deal with them, and move forward in your own way?
 
Certainly there are very real and important challenges that you must give your time and serious attention to. Yet how many of the other, more trivial things, keep you feeling down simply because you've blown them out of perspective?
 
Every so often as you go through the day, take just a moment to remind yourself how truly blessed you are. When you catch yourself feeling sorry for yourself, choose to turn it around and feel sincerely thankful instead.
 
Even the difficulties remind you of how fully alive you are. And alive in this world of endless possibilities is a very good thing to be.
 
Rise above the troubles. From a perspective of gratitude, you'll see most of them are not nearly as troubling as you once thought.
 
By Ralph Marston

 Investing in God's Mutual Fund (Fellowship)
  
 “When God’s people are  in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” Romans  12:13 (NLT, second edition) 

God wants us to use  some of our money to encourage fellowship, to show
love to other believers, and  to build relationships. 

Any time I give my  money to God, it draws me closer to God. Any time I give my money to another  person, it draws me closer to that person. When I give money to people in my  small group or I invest in my small group, I grow closer to those in the group. 

Any time I go out and  buy a nice card and write a note of encouragement, I’ve just invested in God’s  Mutual Fund. When another believer is discouraged and needs somebody to talk to  and I buy him or her lunch, I’ve just invested in God’s Mutual Fund. 

The Bible says, “When  you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are  strangers, you make the faith visible” (3 John 1:5 MSG). When we invest our  money in developing relationships within the Church, it points others to God. In  other words, when you invest in the fellowship of your church, it helps bring  people to Christ. 

Be creative! Be  innovative! Put some thought into it. “Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging  love and helping out ...” Hebrews 10:24 (MSG) 

Any time you give to  other believers, it draws you closer to them! Where do you see a need in your  small group or with a family in your church?

Investing in God's Service Fund (Ministry)
 
“Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity  yields high returns. Don't hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing  to others.” Ecclesiastes 11:1-2a (MSG) 

God wants you to use some of your money to help  people in need. God didn’t put us on this earth to live for ourselves. He gives  to us so that  we can give to others.

This is all part of God making us more like himself.  God is generous.  Everything we have in life is because of God’s generosity. We  wouldn’t have anything — we wouldn’t even be alive — if it weren’t for God’s  generosity. And God wants us to be generous like he is.

Imagine if your father was a billionaire, and he  wanted to share his
fortune with you. But he knew you needed to be tested first  to see if you
would be able to handle it.


So he gives you a set amount of money and says, “I  want you to learn to live on less so you can use the rest to help others. I’m  going to be watching you to see how you manage and distribute my resources. If  you do
well, I'm going to will it all to you.”

How would you use that money?

God particularly wants us to be generous with the  poor. All throughout the Bible, God tells us he is watching how we help the  poor, and he attaches tremendous promises if we do so. For example: 

“Give to the poor, and you will never be in need. If  you close your eyes to the poor, many will curse you.” (Proverbs 28:27 TEV)

“When you give to the poor, it is like lending to  the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back.” (Proverbs 19:17 TEV) 

The more we help others, the more God blesses us. He  gives to us so we can give to others. 
                                                             
Why? God wants you to be like him! God is a  Giver! 

A WORD FROM THE LORD TO BUILD UP, ENCOURAGE, AND COMFORT YOU 
                                              
Loved one, don't bring the memory of your past wounds into your current  circumstances.  Those memories will make you sick.  The circumstances  of how you were treated in the past in relationships are not to influence your  walk with Me.            
 
Rest your precious head upon My chest and let Me bathe those wounds and wash them away.  Feel My peace,  even now,  as I comfort you as a mother does her child.  Let all the bitterness go and receive My loving care over you.  How I love you, dear one.  You are the apple of My eye.  

"Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past." (NAU
Isaiah 43:18 NAU)

"As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you;"  (Isaiah 66:13
NKJ)

"In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded
him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye," 
(Deuteronomy 32:10 NIV)

 Remember this: There is nothing that you will face today that the Lord can't
bring you through.


Thank God for what you have, Trust God for what you need

Investing in God's Growth Fund (Discipleship)

“Truth, wisdom, learning, and good  sense—these are worth paying for, but too valuable for you to sell.” Proverbs  23:23 (TEV) 

We like to spend money on comfort, but the  Bible teaches that it is wiser to invest in character. 

God wants us to take some of our money and  invest it in ourselves — in personal and spiritual improvement. The Bible says,  “Grow in spiritual strength and become better acquainted with our Lord and  Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18, TLB).

God wants you to develop skills and educate yourself  so that you can become the kind of person he has shaped you to be. The Bible  says, “Buy truth — don’t sell it for love or money; buy wisdom, buy education,  buy  insight” (Proverbs 23:23 MSG).

Any time we use our money to buy a Christian  book or a CD that helps us grow, we’ve invested in this fund. Whenever we use  our money to take a class or learn something that makes us more of who or what God  wants us to be, we’re investing in our growth fund. And God is smiling because  we’re using our money in the right way. 

Why would you not invest in growing your own  character? What one step will you take today to invest in your growth toward  Christ-like character?


 

How Do You Honor God?

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“REMIND PEOPLE to be submissive to [their] magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be prepared and willing to do any upright and honorable work.”  (Titus 3:1, AMP)

TODAY’S WORD  
What do you do to honor God? A lot of times people think, “I go to church to honor God. I read my Bible to honor God. I sing and clap in worship to honor God.” And yes, those are ways to honor God, but did you know that you honor God just as much when you get to work on time? You honor God when you are productive each day and honor the people in authority over you. You honor God when you excel in your career.

Actions speak louder than words. When you give your very best in the workplace, your whole life is giving praise to God. Showing up with a good attitude, being friendly, organized, just being your best — people will notice there’s something different about you. They’ll want what you have.

As believers, we should set the standard in all areas of life. People should see the depth of your character and your spirit of excellence and know that you are a child of the Most High God. Make the decision to honor Him in all that you do because You are His representative in the earth today!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, I choose to honor You in all that I do. I choose to set the standard and do my very best. Thank You for the privilege to be Your representative. Help me to show Your love and excellence in everything I do. I love You and bless You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Unhindered Prayers

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
"…Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered"    (1 Peter 3:7, NLT)

TODAY'S WORD 
Did you know that the way you treat others has an impact on the effectiveness of your prayers? The Bible says that the prayer of the righteous person is powerful. But if we aren't treating others with honor, kindness and respect, then we aren't allowing His righteousness to operate in us. When we don't treat others the way we should, it closes the door to God's power and hinders our prayers.

This is especially true in a marriage relationship. Marriage isn't just an agreement between two people to live life together. Marriage is a God-ordained institution that helps us understand love and unity. When two people are married, they become one physically, spiritually and emotionally.

This particular passage is directed toward husbands, but it applies to all believers as well. We should always treat others "with understanding," which means considering their needs above our own. We should always aim to treat others with kindness, dignity and respect, and quickly choose forgiveness.

Remember, the way we treat others is the only thing that matters in eternity, and it impacts our prayers on earth. So today, choose love, choose forgiveness, and choose to treat others with respect so that your prayers can be powerful and effective the way God promises!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, I want to live in Your ways. I want Your power to flow though me. Show me how to treat others with the highest level of love and respect. Let my words and actions always honor You so that my prayers will be powerful and effective in Jesus' name. Amen.

God: First or Last in Your Budget?
 

“The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first in your lives.” Deuteronomy 14:23 (TLB)

Tithing is the spiritual habit of giving back to God the first 10 percent of all I make.

If I make $100, I give $10 back to God; if I make $1000, I give $100 back to God. I get to keep 90 percent, but I give 10 percent to him.

Why do that? Because God says so, and that's reason enough. If you don't do it, you're disobeying God. But there's another reason. Jesus says, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:21 NLT).

The reason I tithe is to draw me closer to God. The Bible says wherever you put your money, that’s where your heart is. If I put my money in a boat, that's where my affection goes. Wherever I put my money, that's what becomes important to me. If I put God first when it comes to my money, it says, “God, you're first in my life.”

If you show me how you spend your time and how you spend your money, I'll show you what's important in your life. Show me your schedule and your checkbook stubs and, no matter what you say is important, I'll tell you what's really important to you.

Today’s verse explains that “the purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first” in your life (TLB). If I say, “God, I want you to be number 1 in my life,” but he's last place in my budget, that's a contradiction.

The issue here is where you place God in your list of priorities. Your finances simply reflect what those priorities are. What do your finances reveal about the priority of God in your life?

He Works All Things Together for Your Good 

Everyone goes through difficulties and painful situations in life. In fact, scripture tells us that in this world we will have tribulations and trials. I’ve heard it said that the life of faith is not about the absence of problems, but the presence of power—God’s power at work in us leading us to the place of wholeness and victory. He promises to take those things that the enemy meant for evil and turn them around for our good. It says in Romans 8 that He causes all things to work together for our good because we love Him. 

In his book, The Heart Revolution, Sergio De La Mora puts it this way: “Without God’s perspective, we miss out on some of His greatest lessons found in this tension between joy and tribulation. Think of a car battery. It fulfills its purpose through its power that comes from both a positive and a negative current running through it. When a car battery runs out of power, we give it a jump-start by hooking up both the positive and negative cables. 

The tension of joy and tribulation in our lives works the same way. We need both positive and negative currents to energize our purpose and call.” 

Today, I want to encourage you, no matter what you may be facing, no matter what you may have been through in the past, God is not the author of destruction; He is the author of life and peace. He didn’t bring that difficulty into your life, but He can use it to launch you forward into your destiny. John 16:33 tells us that even though we have challenges, we can be of good cheer because He has overcome the world and deprived it of power to harm you. 

When you put your hope in God, you will never be disappointed! Keep your heart and mind open to Him, keep meditating on His Word, and let Him revolutionize your heart and life!  Believe that no eye has seen, no ear has heard what God has prepared for you in 2011!