Pearls of Great Value

Today I had an encounter. It was unexpected. It was not in my plans. It made me cry. I came face to face with myself and I had to be honest. It’s scary when you have to be truthful and you know it’s going to hurt. Did you know that truth chips the lies away from your heart and sometimes that can be a painful process?

I know this from experience. I’m sure you do as well. We’ve all gone through it. But here’s the question: did you grow? Did you come out better for it or bitter towards it?

Let’s do this. What would you say to your younger self? Make a list. Write it down. Let’s do this for our younger brothers and sisters. Let’s look back for a moment and lift up this generation, give them a stepping stone. Let’s learn together. They don’t have to go through the same mistakes, let them learn from ours. Yet also, we ourselves don’t have to go re-live our past nor make the same mistakes all over again. Let us also learn for ourselves to step into decisions that are god-fearing and will lead to a heavenly future. Can we do it? Let’s try!

So, in no particular order, here are some things that I would say to a younger me:

• it’s okay to live fully and completely without reservation. Don’t place so much emphasis on what other people think! And if in the process you make a mistake, it’s not going to be the end of the world. Learn from it, and know that God can still use your mistakes for good if you trust Him and live according to His Word. He is mighty to save even in our mishaps. Just do not let the fear of making mistakes hold you back from living and loving with all your heart. And while we’re on this subject I pray you will have just as much compassion and grace for others in their failures as God has for you. Love people through their breakdowns, and despite their shortcomings.

•Grow in wonder. Never lose it. This I believe is the miracle of a content abundant life. If we still are amazed by God. Amazed by His wonderous works. Amazed by redemption and salvation. Amazed by smiles, by nature, by a child’s words, by a revelation. Don’t loose the wonder.

•know that you are never alone. Know that you are part of a family. Know that God himself dwells with you. Independence in this area is not healthy for you. I’ll repeat that. You are part of a family and independence is not good for you. If you can see this and understand it, it will bring you freedom. The truth is, independence is a chain in Gods eyes, it keeps you bound. Independence is being dependent on you and I promise, you’ll let yourself down and this is a vicious and exhausting way to live. Depend on God. Talk with Him and trust His advice. And also, yes, its more than okay to rely and share with fellow believers! I highly recommend this.

•You have purpose. Say it until it becomes real inside you: I have a purpose! Memorize these: “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”Psa. 138:8 ESV, and “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

•Let your actions speak louder than your words. This is true anyway, so realize it and let your whole life speak loudly! People will respect this more than eloquent words.

•Love. Love! In the end only love will remain. Love is the greatest of all. So love well. Love unselfishly. Without love everything else is without meaning and worth.

•Be kind. Choose this even in the worst situation. Be kind. Kindness kills and destroys hatred and despair. It pulls and attracts the whole of heaven towards itself. Choose kindness! No, it won’t always be easy but you can train yourself in this, so that it becomes a habit. I promise it gets easier the more you do it and soon you will react with kindness and you won’t lash out in emotional situations.

•Be thankful. Be known for your thanksgiving. A thankful heart leads to joy, to health. Please remind yourself: No matter how hard the day may have been there are always many reasons to be grateful. Thankfulness is just good medicine. It’s good for your whole well being. The more thankful you are, the more blessed you will be.

•When darkness and fear come to visit you, and they will, don’t let them rule you. Don’t let them steal your joy. I pray you know that peace comes from being in the presence of God not from your circumstances. Circumstances change, life changes, people will always change and throw the unexpected your way. But God doesn’t change. His peace and joy stay true and faithful.

•Know that there is power in the Word of God. Most of all, learn this. Stay fixed in the Word. For when your standing in this Word, in this love, nothing stands a chance against you. Stand on this rock for it is solid ground. The Word is full of power!  Power to save, power to stand against the wave of darkness, power to keep you. Know there is power in the Word of God.

•It won’t always go your way. This is a fact. Accept it. You cannot control the actions of others. It’s enough work to control your own inner self. The best thing to do, is to be so convicting in your lifestyle that it convicts others to want to live the same.

•Learn to let go. Let go of grudges. Let go of past hurts. Let go of people who hold you back and pull you down. Let go of bitterness and those who spread it. Let go of anything that takes you away from the Father. Choose to hold on to those things that build you up in the Lord. Find likeminded believers and hold on those friendships.

•Don’t be afraid to be bold in your faith! Go against the grain of this world! Be Holy. Let God and His Word be your authority, not anything or anyone else. For example, if Jesus said it and did it..do likewise. No matter if everyone says it’s not possible. And grab a hold of the promises in the Bible. Every single one of them is written and promised to you.

•Jealously hold on to your personal time with God. Make it a date. Everything else is secondary to this. Prioritize your relationship with Him and cultivate it.

•Even when you don’t feel like it, pray. Even when you don’t feel like it, read and study the word of God. If your gonna be stubborn, be stubborn in this. No matter what your feelings are, take time to pray and study the Bible. This is called living by faith and walking by the spirit.

•Your feelings and emotions will wreck you if you let them be your control center. They should NOT lead you, but you have to lead them into all truth and take captive every thought and make them obedient to Christ Jesus. This isn’t easy by all means, but it is essential to your spiritual well being. Be led by the Word and by the Spirit within you. This is called spiritual maturity. An immature believer is led by his or her feelings.

•Leave behind your regrets. Don’t stay stuck in this mire and muck. It’s too deep to fight in. A righteous man might fall seven times a day but he gets back up again. That is the important part. Don’t focus on the falling. Focus on the getting back up again.

•God can and will set you free. Whatever it is that has you bound...Jesus went to the cross to set you free! There is power in the blood! God the Father is for you and wants to see you completely free from every form of evil. I encourage you to live a lifestyle of prayer, its the perfect tool to break chains.

•Take a chance. In fact, take a thousand chances, a million chances. Step out of your comfort zone! Yes, there will be failures. There will be some things you lose in. But every single thing you succeed in will be because you stepped out and took a chance. It’s worse not to try. Courage is this: doing something despite being afraid. It’s fighting through the fear in order to get the gain. Celebrate the small victories and focus on taking those steps that will insure everyday is going to be better than the day before. Please, don’t wake up six months from now and you’re still the same, fighting the same battles! And never let one defeat make you give up. This is a trap of the devil. Get up, and try try again. It’s worth it.

•Life is a journey. It sounds cliche, but it’s true. And its beautiful. Every single day. Every single step. It’s a beautiful journey and you get to participate in it! So praise God. Take His hand, place your trust in the One who created you and see how beautifully He leads you. Take joy as your daily companion and yes, enjoy the journey! Live life from this prospective and you’ll be immensely blessed.