THREE LIFE LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED AND WON'T GIVE UP FOR ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD.
By Dr. Josimar Salum
Are you really wanting to live a life that pleases God? Are you really wanting to have true prosperity in your life? Do you really want to succeed in everything? The text is long, but you will not be disappointed when you pause to study and observe these principles. They are powerful for you and me equally.
1) EVERYTHING PASSES.
Knowing this, we need to live one day at a time. In life, there are days of adversity and days of peace. In the days of adversity we rest in God. They will pass. During quiet days, we thank God and we observe. But they will also pass! The secret of satisfaction and happiness is a grateful heart and praising lips. This is contentment.
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4: 11-13
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:6-12
2) THINK, SPEAK AND DO EITH PLEASURE THAT WHICH PLEASES GOD.
In fact, just think, speak and do what gives you pleasure. God satisfies our heart's desires not when we please Him, but when we take pleasure in Him. This is revolutionary! Read again to understand!
“Take delight in the Lord , and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil." Psalms 37:4-8
Religiosity teaches that you have to do everything to please God.
The Gospel teaches that you have already been accepted by the Beloved and it is by faith that you please God, and not by what you do. You don't have to do anything to be holy. He already did everything there was to be done on the cross. It makes you holy in order for you to live a life of holiness.
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6
"For it is by Grace you have been saved,
(by Grace you live, because salvation is not an event, it is a journey),
… through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:8-10
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority." Colossians 2:6-10
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasant before your face, Lord, my rock and my deliverer!” Psalm 19:14
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9
"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is." Ephesians 5:1-17
3) “DO AS YOU SAY...”
... as they should be judged by the law of freedom. For the judgment will be without mercy on the one who has shown no mercy; and mercy triumphs over judgment. ” James 2: 12-13
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:19-27
The law of freedom is something extremely precious. When you are no longer stuck with rituals, protocols, styles, procedures, religiosity, groups, dogmas, laws. It is complete and utter Freedom in Christ. It is to be who you are.
You don't have to wear a mask to hide the glory and brilliance that you no longer have, as Moses did. Just walk without a mask. Live without a mask.
Then as you are changes from Glory do Glory Jesus brilliance shall flows naturally through you.
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7
“We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:13, 17-18
You are free to be who you are because you have nothing more to be ashamed of.
It is useless to say that you are someone who prays, who believes, who does this or that, without doing so. There is no use in claiming to be spiritual when your actions demonstrate otherwise. Just immerse yourself in the simplicity of Christ and the Light that He is.
Do not condemn yourself for not yet being someone you are not. Between who you want to be and who you are is a distance that needs to be covered by Jesus. It's just walking with Jesus on a daily basis.
Never forget that Jesus loves you. That it is He and not you who is transforming you according to His image and likeness.
The religious person is someone who shows with words that which he is not.
When you are, you don't need words, you just are.
But people will come to see you in order to sip the Life that flows from you.
#ASONE
