DAILY INSPIRATION

“Take off the Weight”

Normally, when you hear a title like “Take off the weight”; it’s connected to a diet plan or some other weight lose campaign. Although, it’s tremendously important to be healthy and to remove unnecessary body fat; that’s not the kind of weight that I’m talking about. I’m talking about the kind of weight that we carry in our hearts and in our mind. When we carry inappropriate weight or burdens in our heart; it negatively impacts our emotions, our affections and even brings imbalance to the core of who we are. When we carry unhealthy weight or burdens in our mind; it negatively impacts our decision making, our focus and it also hinders our ability to process information with the right perspective.

I can honestly tell you from experience and from the scriptures; that God does NOT want us to carry weight that brings division or sorry to our family. God doesn’t want us to carry anything that He didn’t give us to carry; especially if it pulls us away or hinders our relationship with Him. Simply put, we should do our best to take off any weight that keeps us away from growing in Christ or flourishing in our God given assignment. We should do our best to remove anything that is physically, mentally and emotionally damaging to us or our family.
This is what God has to say about the matter: Hebrews 12:1 tells us to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets us or trips us up. Isaiah 61:3 tells us that God will give us the garment or mantle of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 1st Peter 5:7 tells us to cast our cares upon the Lord because He cares for us.

I want to personally encourage you to remove all unnecessary weight and be sure to stop picking up or carrying things that God never told you to carry. We have ability and we have power; but we don’t have the power to carry what God can carry. Here is the beautiful thing about taking off the weight: You feel refreshed, renewed, revived; and you experience peace on a greater level. Taking off the weight also enhances your focus and creates a much healthier environment. Lastly, taking off the weight creates more room for the right things to be deposited in your heart, your mind and into your life.

God bless you, have a wonderful day and remember to take off the weight. Please be sure to share this “Daily Inspiration” with someone.

DAILY INSPIRATION

“Shift Your Focus”

Do you remember the first time that you shifted into park but you meant to shift into reverse? Or maybe you shifted into neutral but you meant to shift into drive. Come on, tell the truth; you might have even hit the gas while the car was still in park. In all these scenarios; the car isn’t the problem, the mirrors aren’t the problem, the gas isn’t the problem and the gears aren’t even the problem. The problem is the timing of the shift and the focus during the shift. For example: It’s a good thing to look through your rear-view mirror; but it’s dangerous to do it the entire time you’re driving forward. AND there’s nothing wrong with shifting into reverse; just don’t do it when a person is standing behind your car.

I know you’re probably wondering; “What does this have to do with you and me”? Well, many of us get overwhelmed quickly and sometimes the stress begins to negatively impact every aspect of our life. The key to overcoming the thing, the person or the situation that has disrupted your peace; is to SHIFT YOUR FOCUS. Let me say it again…. SHIFT YOUR FOCUS! If your heart is always consumed with negative things or your mind is focused on what’s NOT going good: then you are opening the door to unhealthy stress and unnecessary pain. It’s time to SHIFT YOUR FOCUS! Philippians 4:8 says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”. Wow, that’s powerful! Remember this: Bad thoughts are not removed by just asking God to remove them: But they are overtaken, crushed and replaced by good and right thoughts.

Question: When is the last time you complimented the very person that you want to change? When is the last time you showered your family with kind, life-giving words; instead of judgmental, and harsh criticism? My challenge and my encouragement for you today; is to SHIFT YOUR FOCUS. Instead of focusing on everything that is NOT working; focus on the beautiful things that are working. I am challenging myself and anyone who is listening; to go this entire day without complaining. I challenge you to SHIFT YOUR FOCUS and find as many things as possible to Thank God for. Take some time to see the good in others and find someone to compliment. Most of all; use this day to shift your focus!

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DAILY INSPIRATION

“Shaped by the Potter”

Jeremiah 18: 3-6 - 3.So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4.And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. 5.Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the Clay in the Potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.

This is one of the most memorable and life impacting Bible verses of my life. To be informed, that God is the Potter and I am the Clay; brings great peace to my heart. To be encouraged and reminded that my life is in God’s hands; gives me assurance and confidence that everything is going to be well. It brings me joy to know; that the one who loved me, paid the ultimate price for me, cared for me, protected me and saved me: is also the one who is shaping me. He’s the one that’s making me and molding me into everything that He desires for me to be. What an honor to be the Clay in the hands of the most amazing Potter of all-time. What a privilege to be the canvas and the brush in the hands of the greatest artist of all time. Wow. I’m so thankful.

With that being said, the parallel and the comparison of us being the Clay and God being the Potter has somewhat of a challenge: The Clay bowl doesn’t have feelings and it definitely doesn’t have a will of it’s own; but we do. God doesn’t force us to love Him; because robots can’t love. Instead, He lovingly reveals Himself; through people, through our experiences, through nature and most of all through His Word. This entire process is phenomenal; because just like the Potter keeps the clay moist so that it can continue to be shaped; and not become hard: God pours the water of His Word into our hearts so that we remain shape-able as well.

Think about this for a moment: The rest of creation was spoken into existence; but when God created us: the Bible tells us that He made us, shaped us and then breathed life into us. Then in Jeremiah 1:5, the Lord reminds us that He was forming us while we were in our mother’s womb. So, when we say, “Yes” to God and receive His Son Jesus as our Lord and Savior: We are placed back on the canvas for the greatest artist to finish what He started. So, I encourage you: NO, I plead with you, I beg you to submit your will to God so that He can continue shaping you into exactly what He wants you to be.