Warriors of the Sword

Words of Wisdom

{By Me}

{I don't mean to brag, but these are by me. I hope to have some from others soon.}

{PS: Some of these are summaries that I have written based on various devotional books.}

"The best gift the world has ever known was called Immanuel and came wrapped in a manger. Aside from the gospel, the most valuable thing that you can ever give to anyone is yourself. Give it with care."

{FAITH}

So often we say things like, "I am trusting God for a good group of children today," or "I have faith that the Lord will give us sunny weather tomorrow." But what we should say is that we are trusting God to give us what is needed, in His own way, and that we know that He will work it all out. God has not promised us good children, or sunny weather, or more money in the bank. What He has promised is that He will be there with us, and that He can bring us through anything, and that He can make something good out of even the most dismal situation. It is our job to live our lives for Him, to stay focused on Him and our mission. Then He will work beside us and we can trust on His almighty power and perfect plans, though we may not know what they be.

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Hard times are not for you to test God's love. God's love is unchanging, holy, and perfect. Instead, difficult circumstances are times for God to test your love and dedication to Him. Will you stand strong for Him, even in the storm? Jesus is over all. Where is your faith? In Him? In the circumstances? Or in your own strength?

In Jesus we have someone we can totally trust. He may not promise us a perfect life, smooth sailing, wealth, or riches, but He has promised that He will care for us eternally. The care of God goes beyond our physical selves. He looks at our soul, and our spirit, performing His will to guide our inner selves to where we need to be. Though circumstances may be adverse, we can know that God always cares for us, and the He will never leave us. In Jesus we have a Saviour to whom we can safely and totally surrender, for He always has our best in mind. In His will there is no fault. If fault is to be found, it is in our own wrong reactions.

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{SERVING}

Each of us has been given a gift. God has endued each person with their own unique talents and capabilities, even from birth, and as Christians we receive even more. For as we grow to Christ, He will fill us with more of Himself—His mercy, strength, love, and grace. But to whom more is given, more is required. God did not give us all of these gifts so that we could hide them away on a shelf in the closet of our hearts. He meant us to use them and to share them. We have countless opportunities to share these gifts—quarters or dollars at a time—through our daily lives. Whenever you think that you have too much to do, pause and give a quarter in the name of Jesus. Living this way can be exhausting, but it will put things in proper perspective and help to stay your mind on Jesus. It is the Christ-like way to live our lives.

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(Quote Jesus washing the disciples' feet and he who is least will be greatest).

Jesus left us a wonderful example of serving. He ministered both spiritually and physically to the people wherever He went, healing them and teaching them God's truth. He even humbled Himself and became a servant to His own disciples. Servants and slaves were the least and lowest of all people in Bible times. They handled the chores that no one else wanted—like washing off the dirty, dusty feet of visiting travelers. Jesus dedicated His entire life to serving and saving the people He created. He even went so far as to become one of us and to die in our place.

If Jesus lived His life to serve and to save, then shouldn't we? But don't serve for a reward, or for a paycheck. And it's not a competition, either. We don't serve so that we can be respected as the most helpful. Nor do we compare ourselves to others. Instead, we compare ourselves to Jesus and seek to reflect His light, love, and service in the world around us.

Jesus desires to pour His love into us so much that it will overflow and spill out onto all those around us. We're not trying to top anyone else's ministry—we're trying to match the love of Jesus. We should serve others with the heart of Christ. And remember that, as you serve the people around you, you are also serving you Saviour—and you want to give Him your very best.

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{Christian Life}

Living for Christ isn't about suppressing your inner self and it's ideas or desires. It is about bringing your inner self into alignment with Jesus, so that through His grace, out of us might flow abundant blessing richer than they ever could through ourselves alone. The abilities and ideas God has given you are like the water. Bring them into alignment with Christ, and His power will become your hose and sprinkler.

And it is only through the mercy and grace of God that we can conform ourselves to Christ. Left only to our own power, we could never become truly like Him. But do not think that we lose our individuality when we come to Christ. Rather, it is more about our lives now being for Him to His glory, and for our own selves. We are made a part of the body of Christ, but we are still our own unique piece of the puzzle.

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I've been visiting a lot of blogs lately, and I've been very pleasantly surprised by the number of Christian testimonies from young people like me. So I've been thinking about it, and...It is crucially important for older, experienced Christians to guide and mentor those who are younger. But it is also vitally important for us young people to edify, inspire, and encourage one another. Who can find a better gift than a godly Christian friend?

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There is no other earthly relationship that trumps marriage. Children grow up, siblings and friends may part ways, but marriage is a covenant and bond that lasts for all of life. Of course, the ultimate marriage is that between Christ and His bride, the Church. It is a bond of loyalty, strength, trust, faithfulness, love, and obedience between an individual Christian and a personal Saviour.

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{LOVE}

The love of Christ is powerful, clear, and pure beyond anything we could ever imagine. And did you know that His love will affect your sight? When Jesus comes within you, and He fills you with His love, you will begin to see the world differently.

Jesus looks beyond the external. He looks beyond our appearances, beyond our reputations and labels, beyond the things that we may have done wrong. Like a powerful laser, His love penetrates the masking fog of these things and reveals the person inside. When Jesus looks at us, He doesn't see our reputation. And He doesn't stare at all our actions, either, whether good or bad. Instead, He looks at us and sees a human being, a person that He created, a person to whom He wishes to show all the love and the mercy of God our Father. He sees the needs of our soul and our spirit. He longs to help us stand, and to fill us with His radiant glory, that we might have joy and be a testimony of His power and love. When our Saviour looks at us, He focuses beyond the layers of skin and clothing, words and actions, reputations and possessions. For the lens of His eye is tuned by a perfect love to focus on our hearts. Now you know how Jesus sees you. How do you see others?