“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” –Psalms 118:24
I once heard it said that “attitude determines your altitude,” which means, your attitude is dependant on how much success you have in your life or how much you allow yourself to be held back. Attitude is that powerful. On the same side, it’s a choice you make. You choose whatever moment you’re in if you are going to fight the negative emotions and choose to have a good attitude or decide to walk around with a negative vibe. Deciding to think positive helps bring success to your day.
It’s like the old principle that says “when you’re feeling sad, try smiling,” because eventually it’ll change how you feel to some degree. Attitude is contagious. It can set you up for a horrible day or for good things to come your way. Your attitude can either lift those up around you or it can bring them down. Just like an elevator, are you a person who lifts people up around you or are you the person taking them down? Take a second to think about this question and do some inner reflection. Are you taking people up with you, or are you taking them down?
A true leader of men decides to take care of his responsibility and keeps his word no matter how he feels. Feelings lie. Determine today to be a man of your word regardless of the outcome. A leader has the attitude of taking care of his duty and the way to do that is through a positive outlook, attitude, and determination to be true to his word. Don’t cowardly walk away from something you gave your word to do; unless of course it was the wrong thing for you to do in the first place but in that kind of situation, ask God for wisdom. Determine to overcome negative emotions and stay positive to reach your goals you set for your day to accomplish what needs to be done. Be true to your responsibility. God has given you this day; make the most of it!
A man’s word is his bond.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Do God's Work
“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.” -1 Chronicles 28: 9-10
Solomon was King David's son and he was chosen by God to build the tabernacle for the people to worship their Heavenly Father. Just like Solomon was chosen to do a specific job for the Lord, so you are called to do a job as apart of God's army. You may not know right now what that all entails and that's fine but God knows what he has specifically designed for you to do according to his plan for your life.
Let's break down a few sentences from these verses above. First of all it says, "Acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with whole hearted devotion and with a willing mind," which means to look to God and seek his face as you give him 100% of yourself and your effort in what he has called you to do. This means put all your worth into him and his plan for you because it'll be so worth it. Secondly it says, "For the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever," which applies to you in the fact that the Lord sees what's on your heart and the effort you put in to serve him. If you desire his company, he will come to you and give you strength and meet the desires of your heart. He won't force it on you. He'll give you a choice. Keep in mind if you choose not to follow and accept him, you will miss out on eternal blessings only he can bless you with. Don't forget men, God is jealous for you because he loves you deeply and wants to "do life" with you in service to him. This will be the greatest way to find fulfillment in your life.
Men, God is calling each and every one of you to "build his tabernacle." My question for you is, "What is your "tabernacle" that God wants you to build for him in your life?" Maybe he wants you to be a preacher, an evangelist, a missionary, a ditch digger, or a surgeon. Wherever God calls you though is a place where he can use you each and every day to lift others up around you, to be faithful to him, and use the strength he has given to you to touch many lives until he calls you into the next leg of the journey. Today, acknowledge God and seek him daily and his will in your personal relationship with him as he sees your heart. He promises to be there for you as you do his work. Embrace the father-son relationship you have with him to walk into your calling of manhood that he designed specifically for you.
God holds the map for the journey of your life.
Solomon was King David's son and he was chosen by God to build the tabernacle for the people to worship their Heavenly Father. Just like Solomon was chosen to do a specific job for the Lord, so you are called to do a job as apart of God's army. You may not know right now what that all entails and that's fine but God knows what he has specifically designed for you to do according to his plan for your life.
Let's break down a few sentences from these verses above. First of all it says, "Acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with whole hearted devotion and with a willing mind," which means to look to God and seek his face as you give him 100% of yourself and your effort in what he has called you to do. This means put all your worth into him and his plan for you because it'll be so worth it. Secondly it says, "For the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever," which applies to you in the fact that the Lord sees what's on your heart and the effort you put in to serve him. If you desire his company, he will come to you and give you strength and meet the desires of your heart. He won't force it on you. He'll give you a choice. Keep in mind if you choose not to follow and accept him, you will miss out on eternal blessings only he can bless you with. Don't forget men, God is jealous for you because he loves you deeply and wants to "do life" with you in service to him. This will be the greatest way to find fulfillment in your life.
Men, God is calling each and every one of you to "build his tabernacle." My question for you is, "What is your "tabernacle" that God wants you to build for him in your life?" Maybe he wants you to be a preacher, an evangelist, a missionary, a ditch digger, or a surgeon. Wherever God calls you though is a place where he can use you each and every day to lift others up around you, to be faithful to him, and use the strength he has given to you to touch many lives until he calls you into the next leg of the journey. Today, acknowledge God and seek him daily and his will in your personal relationship with him as he sees your heart. He promises to be there for you as you do his work. Embrace the father-son relationship you have with him to walk into your calling of manhood that he designed specifically for you.
God holds the map for the journey of your life.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Strengh for a Lifetime
"I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength." -Philippians 4:13
Men, this is one of the most basic and simple verses in the Bible that applies to all areas of your life whether your job, your education, your relationships, your sporting events, your desire to overcome sin, etc. It's a declaration of allowing God to work through you to accomplish his will for your life.
Put your name in this verse and say it to yourself daily. "(Your name here) can do all things because God gives me the strength to do it!" Claim it! God is so powerful and willing to help you as a man to overcome any obstacle you face throughout your day. I encourage you to not waste your time and try to do it on your own. Go with God's strength by giving him control of your life and allow him to empower you by simply asking him to work in and through you. Remember, where you fall short; God can do the rest! Don't be stubborn and try it all on your own strength. It can only be done through God's strength and in surrender to his leading and will.
You can be the man God wants you to be! You can be a leader to others. You can overcome that family sin that haunts and plagues your family history and decide it stops here with your generation. You can walk away from the cute, seductive girl who invites you to come over while her parents are out of town. You can say no to those friends who are going to the party on Friday night to get wasted. You can say no to the crowd and live a Godly lifestyle with one right decision at a time. You can overcome addiction. You can attract that Godly woman to marry. You can do all these things through Christ, because he gives you all the strength you need to do this! Of course, there's necessary steps he gives you to take in order to do this but he wouldn't say it if it wasn't true! You can't do it alone though men! If you ever come across an addict there is way more hope for him to kick his habit by support and finding faith in something greater than himself and the same is true for you. Listen to God to get you to where you need to be as a man starting today!
I can't in my own strength, but God can.
Men, this is one of the most basic and simple verses in the Bible that applies to all areas of your life whether your job, your education, your relationships, your sporting events, your desire to overcome sin, etc. It's a declaration of allowing God to work through you to accomplish his will for your life.
Put your name in this verse and say it to yourself daily. "(Your name here) can do all things because God gives me the strength to do it!" Claim it! God is so powerful and willing to help you as a man to overcome any obstacle you face throughout your day. I encourage you to not waste your time and try to do it on your own. Go with God's strength by giving him control of your life and allow him to empower you by simply asking him to work in and through you. Remember, where you fall short; God can do the rest! Don't be stubborn and try it all on your own strength. It can only be done through God's strength and in surrender to his leading and will.
You can be the man God wants you to be! You can be a leader to others. You can overcome that family sin that haunts and plagues your family history and decide it stops here with your generation. You can walk away from the cute, seductive girl who invites you to come over while her parents are out of town. You can say no to those friends who are going to the party on Friday night to get wasted. You can say no to the crowd and live a Godly lifestyle with one right decision at a time. You can overcome addiction. You can attract that Godly woman to marry. You can do all these things through Christ, because he gives you all the strength you need to do this! Of course, there's necessary steps he gives you to take in order to do this but he wouldn't say it if it wasn't true! You can't do it alone though men! If you ever come across an addict there is way more hope for him to kick his habit by support and finding faith in something greater than himself and the same is true for you. Listen to God to get you to where you need to be as a man starting today!
I can't in my own strength, but God can.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Strength in Numbers
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." -James 5:16
Men, it is important for you in striving to reach your full potential as a man to get some close guy friends in your inner circle to bring around you so you can pray together. You need intimacy with other Christian brothers to have "real talk" and sharpen each other. I suggest a small group of men at your church, work, or school where you can feed off each other and "do life" together, encouraging each other to be the best each of you can individually be in the Lord.
I have Godly mentors who I fellowship with and who lift me up when I'm feeling Spiritually dry or when I have fallen flat on my face or have temporarily walked away from the things of the Lord. Men, put people around you who aren't afraid to be honest with you in a loving way. Find the guys who can be there to give you constructive criticism in love. You need true friends who won't tell you just what you want to hear, but who will be honest enough with you to help you make positive changes in your life based on Biblical principles. Learn to drop your pride and allow God to work through their wise and Godly counsel. You will never "arrive" so consistently go through life with a sense of humility and staying open to learning how to improve yourself as a man. Yes, there are moments when certain people will "project" their own negative emotions onto you so be discerning and ask God for wisdom to weed out any negative counsel that is not from him. The right kind of mentors and friends however, will be open and honest with you in a positive, encouraging manner and help you to see your shortcomings and areas you need to improve upon that you may not see about yourself.
Remember, you become the company you keep whether for better or for worse.You need each other to sharpen one another in the way of obedience to God. Satan loves to attack you when you're alone but there is strength in numbers. You need Godly men like this to point out areas of your life that are causing you to be ineffective in your Spiritual walk as a man. This will also help you to be more effective in your quest to be a true righteous man of God and to know what changes you need to make to reach your full potential as a Godly man. Remember to ask God for wisdom in this area and don't forget that he honors the prayer of a righteous man.
It's easy for the wolf to attack the sheep who has wandered away from the herd.
Men, it is important for you in striving to reach your full potential as a man to get some close guy friends in your inner circle to bring around you so you can pray together. You need intimacy with other Christian brothers to have "real talk" and sharpen each other. I suggest a small group of men at your church, work, or school where you can feed off each other and "do life" together, encouraging each other to be the best each of you can individually be in the Lord.
I have Godly mentors who I fellowship with and who lift me up when I'm feeling Spiritually dry or when I have fallen flat on my face or have temporarily walked away from the things of the Lord. Men, put people around you who aren't afraid to be honest with you in a loving way. Find the guys who can be there to give you constructive criticism in love. You need true friends who won't tell you just what you want to hear, but who will be honest enough with you to help you make positive changes in your life based on Biblical principles. Learn to drop your pride and allow God to work through their wise and Godly counsel. You will never "arrive" so consistently go through life with a sense of humility and staying open to learning how to improve yourself as a man. Yes, there are moments when certain people will "project" their own negative emotions onto you so be discerning and ask God for wisdom to weed out any negative counsel that is not from him. The right kind of mentors and friends however, will be open and honest with you in a positive, encouraging manner and help you to see your shortcomings and areas you need to improve upon that you may not see about yourself.
Remember, you become the company you keep whether for better or for worse.You need each other to sharpen one another in the way of obedience to God. Satan loves to attack you when you're alone but there is strength in numbers. You need Godly men like this to point out areas of your life that are causing you to be ineffective in your Spiritual walk as a man. This will also help you to be more effective in your quest to be a true righteous man of God and to know what changes you need to make to reach your full potential as a Godly man. Remember to ask God for wisdom in this area and don't forget that he honors the prayer of a righteous man.
It's easy for the wolf to attack the sheep who has wandered away from the herd.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Pray Through the Storm
"Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” -John 11:40-41
Men, life gets hard and there are so many times where we will have more questions than answers and days where it feels as if our prayers are just hitting the ceiling. There come moments of wondering if God is there at all or if he even cares. There will come times in life where the frustration, pain, and confusion will overtake you and make you feel as if you cannot see past the next minute. Those days come for all of us, guys. Those days feel very dark and gloomy emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. It's a drain on us as human beings for sure. I've felt these days a lot in my life too and have felt caught up in a funk and lost to find my way, calling, and mission in life as I seek to find true fulfillment inside.
Have you had that feeling as if your life navigation system got messed up and the direction you thought your life or day was headed lead somewhere completely different and then those moments of desperation crept in and you didn't know which way to turn in your lost state of mind? Think about these days happening one day in the future while you're trying to lead a family and be strong for them as you lose your job, or your child passes away, or you lose a dear friend, etc. Will you turn away from God or be a rock for those hurting alongside of you when you don't have the words to take the pain away? These things happen all the time in life and that desperate feeling creeps in like a wet blanket on your life. But I'm here to say to you to press on brother! God knows! God hears you whether you think he does or not. If you're mad at God because you don't know the answer, tell him! He can handle it! Stay reverent and respectful but call on him. He promises to hear you.
When Christ was on earth, he prayed this prayer in this verse above that simply says, "I know that you (God) always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here." Christ had so much confidence that his Heavenly Father above would hear his prayer and answer him in his time of need that he prayed out loud for the people around to hear. God says he will do the same thing for us. Don't throw in the towel. Don't give up on God! He surely won't give up on you and he hasn't to this point! Pray that prayer your heart longs to say to God. Be real! Pray an authentic prayer. Rest in the fact that he hears you! You're his son! He knows and cares. God knows your need and he's waiting to hear it from you. This is only a temporary dark season in your life. Remember, "This too shall pass." Giving up on God when life gets hard is cowardly and God made his sons to stand in the face of darkness connected to Heaven's strength. Will you be the man your family can depend on when the problems of life happen? Will you stay rooted in God's love for you? Are you determined to be this man, a God's man?
Don't forget in the darkness what God told you in the light.
Men, life gets hard and there are so many times where we will have more questions than answers and days where it feels as if our prayers are just hitting the ceiling. There come moments of wondering if God is there at all or if he even cares. There will come times in life where the frustration, pain, and confusion will overtake you and make you feel as if you cannot see past the next minute. Those days come for all of us, guys. Those days feel very dark and gloomy emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. It's a drain on us as human beings for sure. I've felt these days a lot in my life too and have felt caught up in a funk and lost to find my way, calling, and mission in life as I seek to find true fulfillment inside.
Have you had that feeling as if your life navigation system got messed up and the direction you thought your life or day was headed lead somewhere completely different and then those moments of desperation crept in and you didn't know which way to turn in your lost state of mind? Think about these days happening one day in the future while you're trying to lead a family and be strong for them as you lose your job, or your child passes away, or you lose a dear friend, etc. Will you turn away from God or be a rock for those hurting alongside of you when you don't have the words to take the pain away? These things happen all the time in life and that desperate feeling creeps in like a wet blanket on your life. But I'm here to say to you to press on brother! God knows! God hears you whether you think he does or not. If you're mad at God because you don't know the answer, tell him! He can handle it! Stay reverent and respectful but call on him. He promises to hear you.
When Christ was on earth, he prayed this prayer in this verse above that simply says, "I know that you (God) always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here." Christ had so much confidence that his Heavenly Father above would hear his prayer and answer him in his time of need that he prayed out loud for the people around to hear. God says he will do the same thing for us. Don't throw in the towel. Don't give up on God! He surely won't give up on you and he hasn't to this point! Pray that prayer your heart longs to say to God. Be real! Pray an authentic prayer. Rest in the fact that he hears you! You're his son! He knows and cares. God knows your need and he's waiting to hear it from you. This is only a temporary dark season in your life. Remember, "This too shall pass." Giving up on God when life gets hard is cowardly and God made his sons to stand in the face of darkness connected to Heaven's strength. Will you be the man your family can depend on when the problems of life happen? Will you stay rooted in God's love for you? Are you determined to be this man, a God's man?
Don't forget in the darkness what God told you in the light.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Don't Take It Personally
"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." -Proverbs 17:22
You ever walk past a person and say "hi" just to have them totally snub their nose and ignore you as if you didn't matter at all? Or how about when you try to say something nice and positive to that girl and she just rolls her eyes at you and walks away as if you were lower than dirt? Guess what, this is going to happen from time to time in your daily life as you try to show God's love to others. Not everybody is going to have the same positive outlook on life that you have in your heart. This isn't a time to take it personally and start feeling insecure about yourself or a time to start latching on to them as some sort of a pathetic game to gain their approval. Let's face it, some people are rude, tired, mean or just having a bad day. The last thing you need to do is take it as a personal attack against you as a person or better yet, as an attack against you as a man. Yes, the main thing we want from people as men is respect, but not everybody is going to give it or even knows how to give it. If anything, have pity on them for being that way and pray for them and their poor attitude. Just give it to over to God and keep moving forward on your own path in life.
When this happens, it's best to remember that even Jesus was rejected as a man from his own people. Yes, it stings when people reject us but it's best to forgive them and keep moving forward. It's like my father used to tell me, "Son, you have to let the negative comments roll right off your back like water off a duck's back." This will give you more insight with who you should associate with and make friendships with in your life too. If a woman is not going to give you the proper respect as a human being by your trying to make friendly conversation with her, then maybe she's not worth pursuing. There are many negative people in this world. Just be careful that you're coming from a positive place of power and influence when you approach them, not a place of weakness and needing their approval. This is not a manly way to approach anybody. It's very dependent and people will read this, especially a woman who is used to being approached by guys.
Take responsibility for yourself and don't let your day get ruined by those negative people you encounter. You can only control what you do and how you react to those people. You're not going to change them by getting all upset and hurt over it. They don't know you. God knows you and he approves of you. Don't live your life dependent on people's view and expectations for you. Only God's view matters. Say a kind word to someone because God put it on your heart to do so. Take charge and stay on your own path. A smile, a compliment, or a kind gesture can go a long ways to showing someone God's love. This is a positive man quality we should all desire to possess.
Walk with your head high, full of confidence and self-respect. Your compliments will mean more to the people you encounter.
You ever walk past a person and say "hi" just to have them totally snub their nose and ignore you as if you didn't matter at all? Or how about when you try to say something nice and positive to that girl and she just rolls her eyes at you and walks away as if you were lower than dirt? Guess what, this is going to happen from time to time in your daily life as you try to show God's love to others. Not everybody is going to have the same positive outlook on life that you have in your heart. This isn't a time to take it personally and start feeling insecure about yourself or a time to start latching on to them as some sort of a pathetic game to gain their approval. Let's face it, some people are rude, tired, mean or just having a bad day. The last thing you need to do is take it as a personal attack against you as a person or better yet, as an attack against you as a man. Yes, the main thing we want from people as men is respect, but not everybody is going to give it or even knows how to give it. If anything, have pity on them for being that way and pray for them and their poor attitude. Just give it to over to God and keep moving forward on your own path in life.
When this happens, it's best to remember that even Jesus was rejected as a man from his own people. Yes, it stings when people reject us but it's best to forgive them and keep moving forward. It's like my father used to tell me, "Son, you have to let the negative comments roll right off your back like water off a duck's back." This will give you more insight with who you should associate with and make friendships with in your life too. If a woman is not going to give you the proper respect as a human being by your trying to make friendly conversation with her, then maybe she's not worth pursuing. There are many negative people in this world. Just be careful that you're coming from a positive place of power and influence when you approach them, not a place of weakness and needing their approval. This is not a manly way to approach anybody. It's very dependent and people will read this, especially a woman who is used to being approached by guys.
Take responsibility for yourself and don't let your day get ruined by those negative people you encounter. You can only control what you do and how you react to those people. You're not going to change them by getting all upset and hurt over it. They don't know you. God knows you and he approves of you. Don't live your life dependent on people's view and expectations for you. Only God's view matters. Say a kind word to someone because God put it on your heart to do so. Take charge and stay on your own path. A smile, a compliment, or a kind gesture can go a long ways to showing someone God's love. This is a positive man quality we should all desire to possess.
Walk with your head high, full of confidence and self-respect. Your compliments will mean more to the people you encounter.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Confidently Come to God
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." -Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
Men, do you know that you are as close to God at this very moment as you choose to be? God has said to us in his word that we have his permission to come to him with a bold confidence and ask for his help in our lives. God will meet you where you're at in your present state. All that you have to do is call on him for his help.
Our Heavenly Father is not some cruel tyrant like the kings of old who would kill you for asking anything of them. God is not some mean dictator trying to control you or beat you down. No, He is loving and merciful and cares about helping you at this very moment as he longs to breath his power into your life. He will show himself and his almighty power through your faults, failures, and weaknesses, making you strong. Why would you neglect such a gift from our loving King of the universe? He made you! He certainly knows how you're wired and how to help you better than anyone, including yourself. Let go of any pride you have that is keeping you from his mercies in your life. Humbly go to him and watch how your life will improve and how strength and hope will arise in you during your current struggle.
God sees your need before you can even ask or think it so why not ask him no matter how insignificant of a request you think it may be? It's not insignificant to him. He sees it all and he wants to empower you today to be the man he created you to be, for him. All you have to do is ask! Practice real manliness by going to your Heavenly Father for help and council. He will honor your cry for help.
God is waiting to be good to you and bestow you with his blessings if you'll humbly, yet boldly ask.
Men, do you know that you are as close to God at this very moment as you choose to be? God has said to us in his word that we have his permission to come to him with a bold confidence and ask for his help in our lives. God will meet you where you're at in your present state. All that you have to do is call on him for his help.
Our Heavenly Father is not some cruel tyrant like the kings of old who would kill you for asking anything of them. God is not some mean dictator trying to control you or beat you down. No, He is loving and merciful and cares about helping you at this very moment as he longs to breath his power into your life. He will show himself and his almighty power through your faults, failures, and weaknesses, making you strong. Why would you neglect such a gift from our loving King of the universe? He made you! He certainly knows how you're wired and how to help you better than anyone, including yourself. Let go of any pride you have that is keeping you from his mercies in your life. Humbly go to him and watch how your life will improve and how strength and hope will arise in you during your current struggle.
God sees your need before you can even ask or think it so why not ask him no matter how insignificant of a request you think it may be? It's not insignificant to him. He sees it all and he wants to empower you today to be the man he created you to be, for him. All you have to do is ask! Practice real manliness by going to your Heavenly Father for help and council. He will honor your cry for help.
God is waiting to be good to you and bestow you with his blessings if you'll humbly, yet boldly ask.
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