One Victory at a time........

Have you ever just known its going to be a tough day on your spirit the moment you walk into work or a meeting or whatever your about to do? You just have the wrong attitude or someone rubs you wrong? Well I am there today. Pray that I can over come this today and get through the day somehow in a way that would not disappoint Jesus in my words and in my actions. See even with this situation, I am faced with decisions and a teachable moment. And that is just what God does when we accept Him into our hearts. He uses moment by moment to mold us and shape us. When we accept Jesus - He does not just take over our entire lives, fix all our hurts and problems - He does not mend all the bad and hurting relationships and everything that is wrong all at once. I think many new Christians do believe this and its just not the way it works. If it did happen all at once? - we would not need Christ anymore. We would be fixed at that moment - the only thing that happens at that moment is - we are saved and forgiven of all our past and all our sins. God will then flow into your heart and save you from Hell and He will then begin to teach you and shape your life - but it takes effort on your part friends. We can't just walk away then. I have some around me who have done this and honestly - I am not sure how God handles this and I am afraid for these folks and loved ones. God uses each Sunday at church, each relationship, each worship experience, each Sunday school class, each Rock Group session, each prayer, each prayer request - each circumstance in your life to learn and be more like Jesus. Its a moment by moment thing and the more we understand and learn about what God is doing in our lives the more we want to be more like Him. We learn to recognize the little things that God is doing in everything. This summer our church challenged us to find Jesus in everything we do and everywhere we go. He has shown up in the most amazing places this summer and I look forward to seeing Him more and in more places!!
Yes God does do the miracles in our lives where He shows up in big ways and takes over situations or blesses us in amazing ways but its our job to also continue to grow in Him even during the mundane of days - the everyday walk we are all on in our lives. The other thing we all need to remember is to not condemn people but to love them. Many times we don't know how much people are hurting until we ask. We have not walked in their shoes at all and extending a hand, a meal, a smile even in the Food Lion to the lady who checking out your groceries could make all the difference in the world to them.
The cross on my necklace reminds me that I belong to Jesus. The other day while working out at the gym - they have like 8 TV's playing MTV, VH1 - and all kinds of things I would NOT rather look at. Those stations among others play such horrible things for our youth on those channels and as I am working out on the treadmill - I find myself looking at the TV's. I would be ashamed if someone saw me looking at them because I have a cross on my neck and I represent Jesus. Jesus would have probably have ripped them off the ceiling - but I have to look away because I want to be different. I want to set a good example for Jesus for others to see. All my actions and all my words are behind my CROSS and Jesus has given me my cross.... even though He has paid for it in full for me. My soul is His because of what He has done for me.
I plan on sharing my cross soon with a young person near me - explaining what the cross means to me and hopefully being a great example for her - for Jesus.
I think I am going to take a walk now free my mind of what I am dealing with this morning. Jesus working moment by moment and not all at once. A teachable moment and a Goliath many times for me. But with Christ - I will climb my Goliath and claim victory day by day .... Just the way God had planned for all of us. One victory at a time......
Love you all,
Randy~