By: Undre Griggs, Jr. Christians are told throughout Scripture to pray without ceasing. Assuming this cannot literally mean to pray twenty-hours a day, seven days a week; what are we to conclude when reading this verse? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV): Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. The Apostle Paul is telling us we should always be focusing on God and what He continues to do for us. It is a God first mindset that Paul wants Christians to have. Before any major decision is made, we should first consider how it may affect our spiritual life. Will this job make it easier or harder for me to go church; is it more or less conducive to my Christians morals? Paul wants us to reflect on Christ before we choose the people we are going to date. Does this person want to grow with me in faith or do they have other priorities? Focusing on God first should come as natural as breathing or blinking. Our body performs these functions naturally, without consideration; and that is what we should strive for with God. Philippians 4:6 (ESV): Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. When our focus is on God, it will be easier for us to turn away from worry, fear, anxiety, and anger. Those feelings of uneasiness and discouragement only show up when we do not have a God-Conscience mentality. To return to a God-Conscience mindset, we only need to reset our mind on God through prayer and every prayer into thanksgiving. Paul throughout his Epistles is frequently speaking on anxiety, prayer, and thanksgiving. Paul tells the church in Ephesus that praying as an essential piece of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:18). Without prayer, we are likely to be depending on our own understanding first. That is not to say that we cannot come up with manageable or even productive ideas; it is to question where the best ideas come from? If all good things come from God above, then it should only make sense to speak with God first and foremost. God may show us an easier way than anything we thought was possible. He may provide us the calmness and clarity we need to see the situation as it is. A God focused mentality where we look to Him before we look to self is what praying without ceasing is talking about. Praying without ceasing requires a continual dependence on God and His plan; forgoing what we want and what we think is best.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. Christians are expected to be patient because of how patient God is with us. We are expected to be forgiving because of how forgiving God continues to be with to us; and we are expected to be without fear because of how much God provides and protects us. Revelation 2:10 (ESV): Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. God’s protection does not mean we will not have to deal with heart ache and misfortune; it means we will have the proper mindset to deal with them. Being a Christian is not as much of a promise to a wonderful life as much as it is a promise a wonderful afterlife. This is not to say we cannot find happiness, joy, and a reward on earth; but it is to say that life on earth will have good times and it will have bad times. The Bible says the sun will shine on the evil and the good and it will rain on the wicked and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). What Jesus is saying is if our life on earth is full of success and prosperity; that does not necessarily mean God is pleased with us. The opposite is also true, continually finding misfortune does not mean God is necessarily upset with us. It is important we remember where the reward is ultimately located and it is essential we prioritize our efforts in similar fashion. Holding onto issues on earth is not beneficial to anyone. Fighting over trivial things which are not going to matter in the bigger picture is wasting the wonderful life our Creator has given us. John 18:36 (ESV): Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” If our focus is on the kingdom of heaven and being obedient to God’s will; we will not worry about keeping score on earth. When we suffer, may we be bold enough to proclaim any suffering we undertake for the furthering of the gospel is a blessing (Acts 5:41). When we have an opportunity to forgive someone who wronged us, may we recall that Jesus Christ came and died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). May we humble in our riches and poverty; whether we have much or have little, because neither is an indication of whether God is pleased with us. May we be fearless in our interactions so we can focus more on what God wants of us and less on what we want from others. God wants us to be set apart from this world; He wants us to be forgiving, patient, loving, and selfless in our interactions. If we achieve these things, we can be sure our life on earth will be full of more joy than money can buy.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. We all have goals and aspirations; we want to be better at this and we want to learn that. Somewhere along the way our goals may have changed. It is important we understand that change was likely driven by what we learned and experienced along the way. As we have successes, we have a choice that can lead us to pursue greater endeavors or to become comfortable in our achievements. It is equally probable, we may have encountered failures that have caused our aspirations to dwindle or motivated us to pursue even more earnestly. Other times, it is our life experiences that have provided clarity to what makes us happy and what is truly valuable. 1 John 5:4-5 (ESV): For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? After joining the church, we can find ourselves conflicted with what we “want to do” and what we “want to do”. We may want to continue those friendships with people that we use to hang out with. We don’t want to come off as if we think we are better; and more importantly, we genuinely enjoyed their company. They helped us through tough times and they continually showed us they have the best intensions. While at the same time, we want to live a life that Christ can be proud of. We want to honor His sacrifice on the cross for our sins and we understand how difficult that can be. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (NKJV): And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. Our goal is to preach the gospel to all who will listen and that includes our friends and family. Just sharing our faith with them may be enough to provoke a change in their life. Our faith has the power to “overcome the world” and we should cherish our opportunities to share the gospel with those we love. Obedience to our faith may not enable us to partake in the same type of activities we use to, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find other interesting things to do with our friends. To be clear, change is difficult for all of us and it may be too much for the relationship to bear (for a time); but we cannot compromise our faith. If some would rather we forsake our Christ-centered aspirations to keep things the “way they use to be”; that person is not our friend (1 Corinthians 15:33). Friends encourage us to pursue our dreams and are willing to be an active participant in ensuring its success. Friends appreciate honest council and will understand when we share our faith; we are coming from a place of love and not arrogance.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. The task of becoming a Christian can seem daunting; and the task of remaining faithful until death can be equally overwhelming (Revelations 2:10). For this reason, many feel they are not worthy or unable to devote their life to Christ in baptism. The reality we all have shortcomings should be a call to action; not a reason for inaction. Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV): “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Jehovah is a loving Father who is willing to give His children whatever they need to succeed. The first step is ours to take; we only need to humble ourselves and ask the Father for help. If we pray to the Father to allow us to read the Bible more, we only need to be willing to accept the Bible teacher position offered to us the next week. If we pray for patience, then we should be accepting of the manner in which God helps us to grow our patience. That could be God chastening us by providing us with interactions where others are showing us more kindness than we would show others in the same situation. God is going to give us what we need to be able to achieve the results we ask for. We have to be aware of these blessing by seeking them out. At times we will find the grace of God in some unlikely places; but if we labor for the Lord, we will find our reward. Matthew 7:9-11 (ESV): Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! We ask God to help mold us into a better person because we want to be pleasing to Him. We seek God’s satisfaction for our work in His church because we ultimately want God to open the gates of Heaven when we knock. Jehovah is righteous, trustworthy, and honest in His interactions with His children. If we live in obedience and earnestly try to learn God’s will, He will reward us. Since all good gifts come from above (James 1:17), it is up to us to our requests known to God. It is not His role to give us any more than what He has already given us. The Apostle Paul speaks on the beauty of the world as a way for the world to know there is a Creator (Romans 1:20). His willingness to give His Son on the cross while we were still sinners shows a love that words cannot describe (Romans 5:8). There is enough evidence for us to comfortably be able to know there is a Creator and that the Creator loves us beyond words. All we need to do is be humble enough to ask, diligent enough to seek; to know that when we knock, the door will be opened.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. Whenever we read in the Bible that Christians are promised the desires of their heart, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Psalm 37:4 (ESV): Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. If you are like me, you probably start off by listing some new gadget, a vacation to an interesting location, or even a new job. Oftentimes, we forget to start with the “delight yourself in the LORD” part. To delight ourselves in the Lord is to understand there is nothing more rewarding than obeying the commands of God. Psalm 19:7-10 (ESV): The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. To delight in the LORD is to understand that our life on earth would be significantly better if we obey the word of God. Sometimes, it may seem like the commands of the Lord are restricting, but if we live long enough; we realize the laws of the Lord are freeing. It is sin that provides the illusion of freedom, while it is actually providing the chains of bondage. Sinful actions can have us imprisoned, confused, and full of regret; while obedience to God will offer clarity, peace, joy, and understanding. Sin will cost us our place in the kingdom of God; while obedience puts us on the path of righteousness, abiding in God’s will. It is to seek the Lord and His will with all of our being; and being willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary to be closer to God that defines someone who delights in the Lord. If we focus on God and His commandments, our heart will desire nothing more than the Lord because it will understand there is nothing more precious than His word. Then as we gain and lose wealth, as we gain and lose adoration with the world; we will be unmoved because what is of value to the world is not of value to us. We understand that all good things come from above, and it is the Lord that gives and the Lord that takes away. That is why we pray for the will of God to be done in all situations, because we understand we would rather the will of God be done and it contradict our wishes than for our will to be done and contradict His wishes.
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Dean Road
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