Choose to Build Up

After taking down the Christmas tree and decorations I had the thought that it’s a lot easier to tear down than to build up. I’m sure many people have used this same analogy to describe our own behavior, but it’s true. Is it not much easier to give in to our flesh and think of the pessimistic side of things? I have struggled in this area quite a bit. Is it not easier to pick out everyone else’s faults or even our own instead of building each other up? Is this not prevalent in the body of Christ? The world approaches life from the flesh, but we have been blessed with the Spirit. We don’t have to think and act the way we used to. Rather, we are commanded to do the opposite:

“8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. 12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:8-22 (NASB)

“12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” ~ Hebrews 3:12-13

Let us love and encourage one another. May our attitudes reflect Christ in our lives. It may be harder to choose to live by the Spirit rather than the flesh, but as Christians, this is the life we have chosen. This is following Christ.

Here’s a poem I wrote a little while ago about my own struggle with pessimism. I hope you find it encouraging:

Pessimism (written November 29, 2014)

That voice, I hear it

as it sneaks in insidiously,

telling me lies;

and I believe them.

 

A hopeful thought

becomes distorted,

crushed,

no more.

 

I convince myself that these invading thoughts

are more realistic,

preparing me for potential failures,

not realizing that they hinder me from success.

 

Where is my hope?

Is it not in Christ?

Then why be fearful?

Why let the light fade?

 

Confidence is not the same as arrogance.

Experiencing failures provides new opportunities for growth.

Being adventurous can reveal a world unknown.

Joyfulness will not only uplift myself but others.

 

Positivity is a choice, my choice.

It can change a life, my life.

What will I choose?

Who will I become?

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

Trusting Leads to Understanding

How many of us have had God tell us to do something, and we wanted to know why? I think the majority of us would raise our hands in confession. Like children we constantly ask God “Why?” instead of trusting His guidance. We have to make sure that everything will work out first. We have to make sense of something completely outside of our character. But rarely does God share all of the details. Rather, His desire is for us to trust Him to lead us down the path He has placed before us. Once we put our complete trust in Him then understanding will come. This is having faith.

When Jesus first called His disciples they answered without having a complete job description in hand. They didn’t fully understand everything in the beginning, but they learned along the way. They trusted that the Lord was leading them. Does that mean they didn’t struggle? Of course not! We see throughout the Gospels and in other NT accounts that followers of Christ have struggled, but placing our trust in God gives us the strength to work through these difficult moments.

For those who want to understand the things of God and be used by Him, trust must come first. If we cannot trust the Lord with the little things in our lives, He will not give us understanding for the bigger things. I challenge each one of you that when the Lord tells you to do something, don’t ask why. Instead, ask the Lord for His help and follow the direction He leads. By walking in faith, you will begin to understand, but only in faith.

~~~

Psalm 111:10– “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.” (NASB)

Proverbs 1:7– “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 3:5-8– “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.”

Proverbs 3:13-26– “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding He established the heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up and the skies drip with dew. My son, let them not vanish from your sight; keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”

Proverbs 9:7-12– “He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, and he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, reprove a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, and if you scoff, you alone will bear it.”

Ephesians 4:17-24– “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

2 Timothy 2:1-13– “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. It is a trustworthy statement:

For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”

1 John 5:20– “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

The Beginning of Something New

Even though it’s a couple days away from New Years I just wanted to say how blessed I am to write a blog that has challenged and encouraged myself and hopefully others. Thank you, fellow bloggers, for taking an interest in the number of topics I’ve written about, and thank you for writing such inspiring, encouraging posts! Probably without knowing it your kind thoughts and comments have helped me to have more confidence in writing and sharing what’s in my heart. I hope and pray that as we dive into a new year we will strive to be closer to the Lord and put Him first always. Let us aim to grow, stretch ourselves, and be there for one another along the way 🙂 Wishing you all the best for 2015!

~~~

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,300 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 22 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! What a wonderful time to celebrate the birth of our Savior and share this joy with our family and friends 🙂 I hope everyone had a great day. Also, I highly recommending watching It’s A Wonderful Life if you haven’t already. It’s an excellent movie that demonstrates how much we impact each other’s lives even when times seem rough. To any of you who may have had a difficult Christmas or felt lonely, know that you do make a difference 🙂 This passage comes to mind for all brothers and sisters in Christ:

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” ~ Colossians 3:12-17

May we let the light of Christ shine through us and encouragement come from our lips each day. Let us celebrate Christmas always and be thankful for the amazing grace we’ve been given.

 

 

The Necessity of Change

I have never been too fond of change, but it has a way of finding me, pushing me here and there. I like schedules and routines, and my fears of the unknown have clashed with change’s desired outcomes. Some of the changes in my life have been inevitable, part of growing up (still scary). Some changes I did not anticipate, both good and bad. Other changes have been so extreme that I never thought such changes were possible. No matter how many times I have experienced change, I tend to dread the next one.

But this should not be my attitude. What is life without change? Stagnant. What is my relationship with God without change? Immature and unprepared for more responsibility from the Father. As much as I have dragged my feet along the way, I am realizing that change has to happen in order to grow. Growth is change. What if I planted a seed and nothing happened? Something is wrong, right? A seed that does not grow cannot produce a plant. If there is no plant there is no fruit. There is little purpose for a seed that does not grow.

What about us? There are so many books, articles, blogs, etc. about how to grow as a Christian. People provide steps, disciplines, yearly plans. Maybe some of these things are helpful. But no growth will happen if we are unwilling to change, if we stay a seed. If we are willing to change for the sake of Christ then we are already on our way to bearing fruit.

A number of situations can affect a plant, trying to hinder it from growing. Some of these situations may even try to kill it, uprooting it from its source of life. But the plants that withstand all of these trials (and they will come) become stronger and are able to bear more fruit as the years go by.

Is it not the same with us? We will have to face changes in our lives. But instead of seeing the pessimistic side of things (as I usually do), we could ask “How will this make me stronger, Lord? Help me to grow instead of uprooting myself from You.” I know this is not as easy as it sounds. In all honesty, this is not my initial reaction when something new or unexpected comes along. At that point I wish I could crawl back into the ground and become a seed again, but what would my purpose be then?

It’s my choice to wither or grow. It’s my choice to be a raging fire or a dim light about to flicker out. It’s my choice to say “Yes, I can!” instead of “No, I can’t!” It’s my choice to say “Father, I will go wherever you send me,” instead of “Father, I am afraid to go.”

We decide if we want to grow. Change begins with us, and as difficult as it may be, it is necessary.

How Bright Is Your Light Today?

Light

The flame flickers,

Dancing with the wind.

Rising and falling,

Its light waxes and wanes with each gust.

 

The wind, the changing moments of our lives,

Is quite powerful,

Dictating how bright the light will be.

What will we do?

 

Some ignore the wind,

Denying that they have changed,

That their light has become dim.

“At least it is still burning,” they say.

 

Some give in to the wind,

Allowing it to toss them here and there,

Following the world while trying to cling to Christ.

“The flame may flicker, but it is still there,” they say.

 

But then there are some who face the wind

Because their flame has matured to a raging fire

Which cannot be snuffed out.

“Our confidence is in the One who has the power to calm the wind,” they say.

 

This light will continue to shine forth

When all other flames

Go out.

How bright is your light today?

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

The Christmas Project

Another wonderful story that we can all learn from. In any circumstance, ask the Lord what to do and listen for His answer.

morningstoryanddilbert's avatarMorning Story and Dilbert

Morning Story and Dilbert Vintage Dilbert
March 22, 2000

The white frame country church beside the road had stood for almost 100 years and was the center of religious as well as social life for the people of the valley. About a dozen families worshiped there. One of the members of the rural church was ten-year-old Billy Jenkins, an average kid in a community of average families.

The story began just before Christmas one year. Pastor Lee, the leader of the church, suggested that the congregation think of a project the church could do as a whole to bring honor to the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

It didn’t take long for folks to speak up. Nearly everyone had an idea to share. Ben Johnson, the Men’s Sunday school teacher, thought the church should have a new podium. Mrs. Ima Lacy suggested painting the inside of the sanctuary a lovely shade of pink to brighten…

View original post 1,297 more words

A Gift for Jesus

This is a beautiful post written by a wonderful woman of God 🙂

Karina Lam's avatarKarina's Thought

A GIFT FOR JESUS -Karina's Thought

Yesterday was our 1st wedding anniversary.  In accordance with our agreement, we were not celebrated with a romantic candle light dinner or something, yet we have decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary at the orphanage and held a Christmas celebration together with the orphans. Why we had an idea like that?  Because we just want to celebrate our wedding anniversary with a slightly different way and coincides with Christmas day. We just want to share blessings and happiness to those who in need. For both of us, had a lunch with the orphans, played around and sang together with them was the most romantic moment. However, here I don’t want to talk about our celebration but I want to talk about something important that I got from it.

When the orphans made Christmas decoration contest, I found something that made me moved. I saw a little girl put a manger…

View original post 1,534 more words

I Am Nobody Else But Me

I Am Nobody Else But Me (Originally written December 8, 2014)

I am nobody else,

and everyone else is not me.

I am who I was created to be,

unique in essence and beauty.

 

I am not you,

and you are not me.

There’s no need to be like each other.

We each have a different purpose, you see.

 

There is no standard of who I should be

except Christ alone.

There is no mold

for me.

 

There is no logic comparing myself

with someone

who is not

me.

 

I am only one,

and this one is enough.

I am enough for the One who has called me

to be me.

 

There is one me.

There is one you.

Let us rejoice in how we are created,

and live life anew.

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

Peace

Peace (Originally written December 5, 2014)

Whispering down the dark alleys of my heart,

the voice of my flesh cries out to me,

“Set me free. This is your true desire.”

The words gnaw at me,

reaching the corners of my mind,

permeating my spirit.

Instead, I reach out for a light

and one is provided.

Carrying this torch I see the truth.

My way to freedom was always at hand,

right in front of me,

waiting for me to enter

peace.

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal