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 WHY? Why do you view kind hearted people as weak, or loving people as gullible? What makes you perceive people who are smiling and saying “hello” to a stranger as being naive or lacking “street smarts”? In fact, isn’t it just the opposite? Isn’t kindness and love, and the confidence to speak up all experiences you want to have most in your life? When you see someone else experiencing what you want to experience, or receiving what you want to have, you distance yourself and say “That can’t be real..they must be weak”. In the world today, we're shown how to do the wrong things, how to take the wrong path, and then we are rewarded for doing so. We're rewarded for walking further away from God. We're taught: Let's not commit to a person because that allows us to sleep with someone else. Let's not open our heart to someone then we can't be hurt. Let's not trust someone, because then we can't be let down. And these are the cultural acceptances we learn to live in the world. If you can relate to this, then you have been stuck in the ways of the world for too long, and it's time for you to take a stand for yourself, and to start noticing when a strong righteous person is standing next to you, or when a door of opportunity is presented to you for you to participate, ask and learn. When you learn, you grow closer to the new experience you felt you could never reach and with God’s help, you can receive it. Peter 2:19 says “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” Seeking to live in God’s will can help you break free from the entanglement of world views. You have an opportunity to experience God’s blessing with each deciding moment in your life. You see, it would be much easier to do the wrong thing then to do right thing in God's eyes. This takes STRENGTH and COURAGE. STRENGTH FROM GOD When you pray for the Will of God, he provides that strength for you. The more you get to know God, the more strength he gives you. Eventually, he gives you so much strength, that when people look at you as weak, you just laugh it off because you realize "They do not know what they do". If someone drops a one dollar bill on the ground, and the person continues to walk far enough away, would you stick the one dollar bill in your pocket? Or.. would you run to chase that person down and give them their one dollar bill? If you said you would give it back, awesome, you're on the right track! And if you hesitated... that's ok, you're here reading this which is one step closer to helping you reclaim your strength with God. You see, it's easier to take it and say "It's only $1.00". It takes integrity to run and give that $1 back - and you know it's the right thing to do. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Maybe it will be hard for you, because your friends may pressure you. You see, one thing you will find with a flock of sheep is no matter where they're guided, they will follow. Even if it's into dangerous territory. So if you're following the world and what they deem as right, you could be following them into a very bad situation that you may not be able to get out of. But what God will never do, is guide you into a danger. What's great about God's love is that even when we stray, he will guide us out of it. In 1 Peter 4, it shows that God knew this already, that when you make the choice to live a better life, there will be opposition, but you will win in the end...  1 Peter 4: “For you have spent enough time in the past….living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” God has your back! When you choose him. You may not think you deserve God’s blessing, or that you will be given blessings, but if you make every effort to seek to live in God’s will, seek for forgiveness and act by helping others, this propels you forward, closer to the joy and happiness you truly desire. YOU CAN START TODAY:  I challenge you today, to try. Try asking yourself “What would Jesus do? What would God do?” And in each deciding moment that you find yourself in - about to judge, about to smirk, about to close the door - Stop. Think. Decide. Decide to live in God’s will. See what happens. You will be surprised at the relationships you start, the love you open yourself up to, the friendships or loved ones you start to strengthen. 7 Small Steps that make a HUGE difference: 1 - say hello to your neighbor, a co-worker in the hallway, or just say hello back, and mean it. 2 - hold the elevator, subway, bus or train door open when you see someone walking towards you. You may just change their day/life #slidingdoors 3 - call a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while, 4 - have a coffee with an acquaintance 5 - comment on social media - share your thoughts to help lift someone up or encourage more people to speak to each other 6 - pray....thank the Lord and ask for his will in your life 7 - listen... To learn of more small steps read Jennifer Waddle’s article: “How to be a light in the darkness” CONCLUSION  1 Peter 5 says:
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. And you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." SHARE YOUR COMMENTS What do you think? - Are you having a hard time getting started? - Have you experienced a transformation recently? Let us know. We can all learn when you share.
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