Friday, October 28, 2011

CONFIDENCE

Confidence is so important because it gives us the ability to push through any situation and reach the desired outcome. It gives us the strength to go after and strive for the calling and path God has placed in our lives. Unfailing confidence is found in Jesus Christ versus confidence in our own abilities, knowledge, wealth, or good deeds. Our confidence is only as strong as that in which it is founded. Even in all of our greatest accomplishments and strengths, we know we are going to fall short at times. However, if we put our confidence in Christ, we know He will never fail us. Our confidence will be solid - even in our weaknesses. It is by His grace and favor that we can steadily run the race and know that we are not alone. God's love is unconditional, His mercies are new every morning, He desires to see us succeed, His Holy Spirit counsels and comforts us. The Bible directs us to be confident in our salvation, our prayers & requests, and our future. His plans for us far surpass anything we could imagine or plan on our own.

Proverbs 3:25 & 26 “Do not be afraid of sudden terror, or of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.” Reading and meditating on this scripture will give you a sense of security. What a great promise that we have been provided! Begin to put the situations you have always tried to control in God’s hands and let your confidence come solely from the Lord. You will start sensing such security and faith when you place all your confidence and trust in His hands. His love is never failing.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Humility

"Humble yourself under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time". 1 Peter 5:8

One of the first moves a dancer learns in class is the plie. Plie means "to bend" or "to bow". The bending of knees in small and large plies is the first exercise of each ballet class, whether a beginning or advanced dancer. The plie, bending of the knees, is one of the seven movements of dance as it connects large movements as well as begins and ends every type of jump. Without the plie, jumping in to the air or jumping forward is virtually impossible. Likewise, landing without a plie after being airborne can cause damage to the body.

This ideal of bending before rising is also a spiritual truth found in the Bible. "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up." Prior to God lifting us up to a new level in our lives, we must bend/ bow, or hearts and will to Him. And in order to not allow pride in our hearts, we must cushion our mountaintop moments with a continued bowing of the heart thereafter. As we bend our knees, our hearts, our will, before the Lord, we are showing Him honor, respect, and ultimately a submission to His will in our lives. Before Jesus was raised up on the cross or ascended to Heaven, He bowed in the Garden of Gethsemane and submitted to His Heavenly Father's will. In humility, we acknowledge that the Lord is better at handling our lives than we are. Through this, our greatest rewards and joys are found. God fill us with HIS strength and HIS grace. "God resists the proud but gives GRACE to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5 We are not alone.