Denying Ourselves

January is coming to an end and it has been a personally trying time with my spiritual growth. My faith is there and my works are there but it was having to tell myself "less of me and more of him". It is so easy to say "I am tired I need to sleep" "I have so much to do no time to go to Church". BUT when it comes to that time when we need a break through and we need a miracle we want to know "Where is God?". No matter how difficult at times denying myself has been this past month I am renewed and my growth is going to new heights. Our God is miraculous and wonderful in so many more ways then we have yet to grasp. Things will not always make sense nor will they seem like God is in it. BUT if we choose to claim him in our lives by what we say and what we do he will claim us. 

2 Timothy 2:12

If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.

For myself and for my family, friends, Church I want what the word says is ours. We need to claim God in our lives. There will be days when there is no sunshine where there is no light but we must remember the light lives in us. Even when it is the cloudiest of days and darkest of nights we have light.

Ephesians 5:7

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 

Grateful

There is no way in my own might could I have the life I have today. With my own will I was destructive and headed down a path of no return but it is by the grace of God I am who I am and I have what I have and there should be no day that I wake that I am not grateful for it. We forget when things get good or things are bad and we get so use to the current situation we forget how we got there or where God is going to take us. 

Psalm 73:24

You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.

God has a plan for everyone. He has also graced us with free will which a lot of the time can get us in trouble. We must seek the things of God first and let the Holy Spirit guide us so we can be in God's will at all times. It is from that we know no matter what it looks like he will bring us though.

  2 Corinthians 5:7

 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 

2012 mindset?

 Every year people come up with how the New Year is going to bring change and create new opportunities or they are going to do things differently. Then they get to New Years Eve of the same year and realize once again they did not get to the things they had planned. How is it we can go through the whole year and not find the time to do the things that God has led us to do?

 Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, Ecclesiastes 8:5

When it comes down to it we have to look how we are using our time. Are we being useful with the 24 hours we are given each day? Even though 2011 had a lot of changes and progress as it came to an end I realized how much time I wasted away on things that were not even important or that got me closer to God. I want to be able to look at 2012 and say wow I really learned how to use the time God gave me and be productive. I do not think we should work ourselves to the bone but what I think is if we get so busy in our lives we can miss it. Miss life miss moments miss God. Keeping our time in check is a great way to start and finish 2012. Lets be Kingdom minded, use what we have and believe in what we have yet to see. So use the time you do have free and know God will reward you. Of course we have time to read the Word of God and prayer it should be the other stuff we do not have time for. 

Luke 12:31-32 NLT

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

There it is the key to 2012 mindset to actually following through on the things that we believe 2012 to hold. "Seek the Kingdom of God above ALL else". So even if we do run out of time it should not be the things of God that we have to put off until tomorrow because there is no day that is promised but today.