Life Recently

Life has gotten the best of me recently. I haven't posted since August...yikes! Happy October! I've finally gotten some time to come on here and share some things that God has been teaching me and I hope that He can use these words to speak to you.

1) Having Relationships with other Believers is SO IMPORTANT

Lately, I hadn't been reading my Bible like I should have. I was viewing my relationship with God grudgingly, as a chore rather than a need for my survival. Having other people to hold me accountable has been SO helpful to me. If you're like me, you often fall short of holding yourself accountable. Even though it can be painful to hear the truth, having a friend who is willing to tell you is a huge blessing. Not only do we need to have those friends, but we need to be that kind of friend to others. We can also talk to our Godly friends about the struggles we're facing and what God has been teaching us. We can be prayer warriors for each other and be able to give advice found in the Bible that can relate to our current situations. Find believers at your school, work, and church to be these friends for you.

Not only do we need to have relationships with other leaders as friends, we also need to have relationships with believers as mentors. Whether its a pastor or someone from your work, seek advice from those who are much wiser than you are. Seek advice from someone who has been walking with God a little longer than you have. Sometimes, it can be hard to figure out how to handle a situation that is new to you. But asking someone more mature can help you change your perspective or help you find a solution. God can speak to you through other people. Trust that the relationships He is forming will allow you to grow in Him, whether through a negative or positive experience.

• "Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future." Proverbs 19:20

• "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

2) You DO have time for God

For so long I thought that I didn't have time for God, that I was simply to busy for Him. But what I realized is that I wasn't making time for God. I wasn't putting forth the effort. Instead, I was making time for Instagram and Netflix. I was putting in the bare minimum and expecting my relationship with God to grow. I was expecting God to do things in my life without giving Him more than 5 minutes of my time. Sometimes, we can get into a bad groove. We are worn out. We need rest. We need peace. But the only thing that is going to give us that is Jesus. We can be physically healthy but unless we are spiritual healthy, we will always be lacking. We will be without peace and comfort of mind. It's time to take captive the hours and minutes and seconds in a day. Instead of spending 30 minutes on Instagram before bed, spend 30 minutes reading your Bible, doing a devotional, praying, or meditating on the Word. Spend time searching your heart. Allow God to reveal to you where you can grow. Growth can only happen from criticism, although we don't like to hear it, and application. Start applying the Scriptures to your day to day lives. God wants you to know what you need to work on and convicts us not because He doesn't love us, but because He wants us to grow closer to Him and become more like Him. Over the past few weeks I've noticed a change in my mood from setting aside time for God. I could feel the Holy Spirit at work within me. I felt peace.

• "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:6

• "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

• "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105

3) Not everyone's spiritual walk looks the same

Comparison. Man, do we love to compare ourselves to others! It's human nature. But we're not just humans. We are apart of God's family. We need to stop comparing ourselves to one another. God has blessed us with different gifts to further His kingdom. He has given some wisdom, others leadership, others the gift of music, and the list goes on and on. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Just because we aren't as good a singer as someone else doesn't mean we should stop singing praises to the Lord. Just because we aren't as good a speaker as some else doesn't mean we shouldn't tell others about our faith. God has uniquely made every single one of us. The devil tries to use our weaknesses to drive us further away from God. When we feel less than, that feeling isn't from God. "Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). God's power is in our weakness. We need to stop giving the devil satisfaction of weighing us down. I am glad I am not good at everything. If I could suffice on my own, why would I need God?

We are all in different places on our walks with God. And that's ok. Why? Because we are all running the same race, heavenward. Sometimes, we run into obstacles. We feel like we can't jump over the ditch, we can't make it past that tree. We get lost. But God picks us up. He drags us back to the right course. Anything we can overcome He already overcame. Some of us deal with more trials than others. But God wrote all our stories to be different. But they all have the same ending: either spending eternity with Him or not. Instead of being jealous or feeling less than because of someone else's walk with God, think about how God has gotten you to this point. How He has blessed you, in the hardships. How He has blessed you, even in loss. How He has blessed you, even in hurt. How He has blessed you, even when you turned away. Stop comparing. Recognize that God made you different. He wrote you your own story. He loves you. You have are of purpose to Him.

• "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:7

• "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

I hope God uses something in here or somewhere else to set your soul on fire for God today. Hope you have a great weekend and a great rest of the year!

-Mia