Devotional Time with God

Now that God has worked my character, I must now show the fruits of that effort. Have I seen what I can do?  Have I seen Jesus’ character reflecting from me? Have others see the change (for the better) in me?

Looking back, I wished my character was shaped a long time ago. But, looking back, I realized it was my fault – I was supremely selfish. I rejected the good teachings from my elders at Church, and my family!  I only wanted to do what I wanted to do. Most of the time, I was out to impress others – and that only molded me into someone that I wasn’t meant to be. A lot of good years wasted.

No more. Now is the time to focus on God. Now is the time to be like Jesus. As God be my only reliable witness, now is the time to be fruitful, by serving others!

In whatever I do, I must do it from the heart. I must enjoy what I do. I must love what I do.

This is the ingredient of good service. Not only do I have to have the skill and talent, I must also want to do it, willingly, with heartfelt enthusiasm.  Sadly, there are just certain things in my life that I can’t sustain, but I know with God’s dedicated work in my heart, mind, and spirit, I’m able to go the distance. I can go the extra mile.

Service with a smile.  Please God, for He loves a cheerful giver!

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

I’ve been put on this earth to first know God, worship God, and to love and serve others. The measure of my rewards in heaven is dependent on how much love and service I’ve given to others.  For this, I must take care of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and also my “enemies”.  I must use my skills and talents to be helpful.

I’m made for service.

These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!

Habakkuk 2:3

There is instant saving, by accepting Jesus as my personal Lord and savior.  But, there is no instant maturity. There is no instant growth – especially not the strong growth that I expect. There are many things I need to get rid of in my life:

• Anger issues: I need to restrain myself when I’m angry because the zoo comes out when I do. I forget what I’ve learned and became instantly stupid.  This is costly, especially for my relationships with others, especially with my wife.
• Tact issues: I tend to speak my mind, but that is not a good thing all the time. In fact, I best serve others but holding back, because I’m not even correct most of the time!  I make mistakes and shouldn’t compound it with a motor mouth.
• Lust issues: My thoughts can run wild – it’s a struggle a man always have. The devil always tells me it’s part of being the male species. However, I don’t have to give in to it. Thoughts may come, but I won’t (and can’t) let it take action!
• Worry issues: I can be a perfectionist, at times. I care too much, sometimes about things that don’t matter. Instead of focusing on the priorities and what matters most (like God and family), I focus on the trivial issues like work, friendship, or politics.
• Dishonesty issues: I won’t lie, but sometimes lie is the way to get out of embarrassing situations, for myself or for my family.  I also use half-truths, which is still a lie. I’ll also include ignorance as a self-imposed lie.  This is the devil’s handiest tool to stifle my growth. I must be completely honest to God and to others.

I’ll hang on to God’s promise that He’ll transform me, slowly. I want to grow like an oak tree, not a mushroom. Strong and majestic is my goal. With Jesus as my role model, I’m slowly getting there!

Temptations are always there, in every turn, ready to pounce when I least expect it.  I would see a woman and suddenly felt an attraction. I would be in a situation where I may be forced to lie to spare myself from embarrassment. I may find a wad of cash and tempted to keep it for myself. “It’s all good, no one’s looking. No one will know.” as the devil would say.

The truth is, God knows. He sees everything. He sees my heart and my intentions. He knows what I would do – or what I can do. This is why I always focus on God, and His words and promises. One promise that I cherish:

You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.

1 Corinthians 10:13

He wants me to escape from my temptations! I must run away from it. I must ignore it. I must refocus on something else – something good, something positive, something useful. I thank God, at every moment of my life, for this protection!

Everyday, I struggle with temptations. When no one’s looking, it’s easy to say hey, it’s harmless – and besides, everyone else is doing it!  But how do I know it’s harmless?  My mind may be playing tricks on me, as the devil would like to direct me to the lies and deceits.  The devil would suggest half-truths, like “that’s ok, you’re only human”, or “that’s ok, you deserve a little indulgence once in a while!”  I have to tell myself, at what cost?  Am I sacrificing my spiritual growth? Am I really only harming myself, not the people around me?  Does this have long term effects?

Walking with God is a life time thing.  My spiritual growth takes my life time. Every step of the way, I have to watch where I’m going.  I have to be mindful of the evil temptations to commit sin. I may think I know better, but I don’t.  I need God’s wisdom and grace, for when I stumble I need to depend on Him to pick me up and help me learn my lessons.

Pray to me in time of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me.

Psalm 50:15

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8: 28

My daughter asked me, several times, why do we make mistakes? I told her this world is not perfect. Then she asked, why not, God is perfect, why can’t He make us perfect? I had to think about that for a while, and my answer was because God gave us free will – if we’re perfect then we’ll all be robots. Just something manufactured. Not something we willingly give to God, such as our love and devotion.

With that said, living in this un-perfect world means I’ll have difficulties. I can’t escape it.  However, God made it clear that He’ll be with me.  He’ll suffer with me. He wants to see me grow in character and show my true devotion.

I will give thanks to God, in ALL circumstances, for I know everything is for His glory!

The bible is the source of truth. It is the food for my well being, and the compass of my life. I must consult it, meditate on it. But most of all, since it is God’s word, I must follow it!  God’s honest truth will always lead me to the right path and sets me free.

I deeply love your Law! I think about it all day. Your laws never leave my mind, and they make me much wiser than my enemies. Thinking about your teachings gives me better understanding than my teachers, and obeying your laws makes me wiser than those who have lived a long time. I obey your word instead of following a way that leads to trouble. You have been my teacher, and I won’t reject your instructions. Your teachings are sweeter than honey. They give me understanding and make me hate all lies.

Psalm 119:97-104

I always thought my salvation must show how much I really appreciate it. How much do I value my eternal rewards? Do I look forward to spend time with God – all the time?

My spiritual maturity is like my own mindful maturity. How well I treat others, deal with problems, or doing the right thing even when no one’s looking – tell a lot about my growth.

I always ask myself, have I really grown? If not, I’ll yell GROW UP and push myself to gain that. So help me, God!

It’s difficult to be like Christ. He’s sinless and God. He is the way. He is the one I have to become. I oly have to fix my eyes on Him. He’s my refuge and He’ll come through, always.

I will not fear this world when I have Christ characteristics. It’s a long process, but it will be worth it in heaven!