1 Corinthians 4:1-2

“1. Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

2. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

By definition, faith is loyal, constant, and steadfast. True to the facts or the original.

That is certainly true of our God. But should also be true of us, the children of God, joint heirs with Christ.

Faithfulness is a requirement. But please do not confuse being faithful with being perfect. We are not perfect, we make mistakes. However, we strive to reach perfection. The goal is that as we mature and grow in Christ, we make fewer mistakes than we did before.

Perfect is having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.

Faithful is different. God requires that we remain loyal to him, at all times. That we continue to do the things that we have been called or assigned to by God – without fail. We are not allowed to give up, take a break from, or put it down for a while, then come back to later. We must be steadfast (resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering ).

This sounds as if it is impossible to live up to this requirement. However, it is not. Again, we are not perfect, and yes, there are times where we will miss the mark of being faithful. But this should be the exception, not the rule. Remember, with maturity and growth, should also sharpen our “faithful” skills.

Think of it this way, God is ever faithful toward us. He is there when we need him, he supplies our needs, forgives our sins, extends his mercy and grace towards us, and most importantly, died for us while we were yet in our sins. He is ever faithful toward us. So it is not unreasonable that God requires a little faithfulness from us in return.

God understands our limitations and propensity toward bad decisions and disobedience. However, he does not give us permission to take advantage of his understanding by failing to never strive to do (and be) better. God understands our thoughts and intentions. He knows the reasons behind our behaviors. With that being said, when we are not faithful, he knows and understand the reasons behind that too.

Whatever the excuse for our lack of faithfulness may be, the solution is simple – more of God, and less of us. Most of the time we concentrate on ourselves and the things we are facing or going through. We allow these things to distract us from doing the will of God. Or even stop us from doing God’s will. In every instance, if we concentrate on worship, and magnifying God, the issues we face seem to decrease. This would prevent every opportunity of neglecting to be faithful to God.

The Bible tells us for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We all have made mistakes and failed God. However, we cannot stay there. We must love God enough to mature in him. We must understand both the importance of, and the privilege to repent before God. We serve a God that is faith and just to forgive and cleanse us (1 John 1:9). But we must first be mature enough to confess our sins to God, and ask for his forgiveness. Not being faithful to God is a sin. We have to admit to ourselves that we have not been as faithful to God as he requires. Once we admit this to ourselves, we can move on to admitting it to God, and accepting his forgiveness.

From this point (clean slate), just do better, be better, be faithful to God. Nike said it best, just do it.

Be faithful to God.

God called and chose us for the work. Now it is time to prove to God that his belief in us was well placed. Let’s do the work and make God proud. Let’s be faithful to God.

1 Corinthians 2:6-8

“6. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

8. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. ”

Your labor and work is important and necessary for the kingdom of God.

Sometimes we wonder if people are hearing us. Or if we are even reaching the people God has called us to? Or are we effective at all? We get confused by the numbers. These are distractions. Effective tools the enemy uses to keep us from doing what God has called us to.

It is not for us to measure success in this manner alone. The Winans made a song a while ago, the words are so true still, “For We May Never Know”. We dedicate our lives for the cause and we do the work, but we may never know all the lives we touch. We may never see it. Our whole duty is to trust the God of the increase. Our work may be to plant seeds, or water seeds already planted by our fellow laborers. We do not know which we may be, but God is the one who gives the increase. That is what we must trust.

Know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. We need each other, and should never be envious or jealous of another persons’ work or ministry. There are people you may never reach, but God has someone who can reach them. We work together even if we do not realize it. The only requirement is that we be faithful. This is why we cannot be distract by numbers. We must trust the God who has called us and anointed us for the work. Just strive to be obedient and effective in what God called you to. Strive for excellence in your work, giving God the glory. For he is the God of the increase.

Your work matters and is precious to God. Keep on moving and working by faith. Trust that every seed you plant or water in faith, will be increased by God.

Galatians 2:20

“20. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

It is humbling to know that the life we live is not truly ours, but it is the Lord’s.

That being said, it is imperative the in all of our ways we acknowledge (seek God’s will) the Lord so that our feet are directed. Most of the time when we face a decision making opportunity we already know what we want to do. We don’t feel the need to ask God’s opinion as to which way we should go. We are more familiar with making a decision, having it turn out poorly, and then asking God to fix it. We have it backwards.

We have a genuine fear. We feel pressure to make a move, rather than enjoying the peace that God gives us. The peace of God allows us the opportunity to take time to seek his face, then patiently wait for him to reveal the next step to us. The enemy wants you to feel pressure that you must make a move right away. Yet the Scripture says be careful for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:6-7).

No pressure.

There is no fear in faith. Yes we do live in the flesh, but we live in Faith. This means that through faith we can call those things that be not, as though they were. It also means that through faith we can claim a blessing without tangibly possessing it. Our faith will speak the blessing into existence. This is the life that we have been called to live, By faith we operate in the gifts and the ministry that God has placed in us. This is, indeed, a walk/life of faith. The Bible says “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” Romans 14:23. So a failure to live a life of faith is sin. Fear is the enemy of faith. Fear will make it seem impossible to do things God’s way. Fear can cripple you, and it is directly from the enemy. God’s remedy to fear is his love. Perfect love casts out fear (1John 4:18).

The life we live is not ours, it belongs to God.

Trusting God brings freedom. When we trust (lean) on God for everything we remove the pressure from us, and put it on God. This is God’s will. He told us to cast our care on him because he cares for us (1 Peter 5;7). We remove the burden from us to him when we obey this command. Now this does not mean we have no responsibility when we walk by faith. In fact, we are told that faith without works is dead. God expects you to put some work behind the faith that you have in him. For example, if you are asking God to help you find a job, you are not merely passively waiting. Some works to your faith would include putting in applications, actively seeking interviews, and preparing for interviews before you even get a call. This is faith and works in action.

The life you live is not your own.

But is is yours to enjoy and live to the fullest. God came to give you life and that more abundantly. When you live in obedience according to his word, there is freedom and liberty in God.

Just a word of encouragement.

Don’t allow the enemy to make you feel like a failure or that God has not released you to possess the land.

Trust in the God that called you and walk in obedience. Yes, it is a faith walk. You must possess the land in faith. Believe the report of the Lord.

You may not be able to see it. But as soon as God spoke it to you, it became real.

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. ”

Trust the God of the promise. Understand that the promise God spoke to you heart is already real. You may not be able to see it yet, but through faith we praise and worship God for it, and we walk as if it is already tangible. We make preparations (adding works to our faith), we move as God leads. Before you know it the promise will come to pass.

Isaiah 46:9-19

“9. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

10. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: ”

It is good to know that before your trouble hit you, God had already declared its ending. We can take comfort in knowing not only will God put more on me than I am able to bear, but he also determined it’s ending.

God is in control.

Never doubt that he holds your times in his hand. We should have that Psalms 91 experience “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:

my God; in him will I trust. ” No matter how intense your trouble becomes, do not leave the secret place. For in there is your protection and strength.

Remember your trouble is designed to make you stronger and draw you closer to God.

Take comfort and know that God is in control.

All of those sayings (cliches) you’ve heard are true. Don’t give up, don’t give in. Keep standing in faith and declaring the word of God. Fight the Good fight of faith.

Just know that you have come too far not to win. It would be a shame if you give up before you finished the test. Get out of your feelings, develop a thick skin, and hold your head up. God made you victorious, you must believe it and start to act like it.

Take comfort and know that God is in control.

Have a blessed night.

2 Corinthians 4:16

“14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. ”

It is wonderful to know that Jesus understands stands what it feels like to be tempted, betrayed, lied on, persecuted, to have disloyal friends, etc. Because of this we can come to him boldly and in total honesty. We are free to pour out our heart before him. We don’t have to hide anything from him. But we can tell him any and everything.

This knowledge should give us a sense of boldness, knowing that God understands. To understand that he is willing to show us mercy, and extend the grace we need. There is no need to hold back or hide. He knows how you feel.

Do not allow guilt or shame keep you from coming boldly to God. Yes, he does know, and he also has the answer and remedy. He is the perfect place to be open and transparent. Because as you unburden yourself, God is able to heal and deliver you at the same time.

He knows how you feel. Come boldly to him and receive help.

2 Corinthians 3: 15-17

“15. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

16. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

17. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ”

The purpose of a veil (or vail -alternate spelling), is to conceal or cover.

Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political views.

After Moses’ time with God on the mountain where he was given the law, the Glory of the Lord still shone in his face. That glory was so great that it made the children of Israel nervous. Moses used a veil to cover his face when he would read the law to them.

As time progressed, Moses moved off the scene, and Joshua, then other men of God took his place. However, that same spirit persisted. So much so that whenever the people would hear the Old Testament read, that same veil would still be in their hearts.

People have a hard time letting go of tradition. To many, it matters not if the tradition is based on biblical truth. It is more a case of “we have done it this way for so long, we should not change.” However, when Christ came to fulfill the law, and usher us into a new dispensation. However, many would rather stay bound to that old law.

People are the same today. They either want to do away with the scriptures altogether, and make something new – turning the truth of God’s word into a lie. Or they want to go back to the past and live according to old traditions. Whatever the case, God came to set us free and show us a better way through a new dispensation.

God is a heart changer.

Light overcomes darkness, every time. The veil over the heart is like a person who refuses to accept the light. They would rather fight it than change. The only power strong enough to win this battle is God. When that heart is exposed to the light, a change happens. Jesus is that light. He has the ability to change the heart – to remove the veil.

Jesus is liberty. You can be free in Christ. It is God’s will that we walk in liberty. We are to live a life that is not bound by the tradition of men, but rather a life that is governed by the word of God. This may sound restrictive, but it is, in fact, the opposite. God’s yoke is easy and his burden is light. You will find rest for your soul. (See Matthew 11:29-30 “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. ”

The only requirement, we have to be willing to take the yoke, and learn about God. Really take the time to search the scriptures to find out who he is and what his will is for his people. As they say, knowledge is power. We have to know what the promises of God are before we can stand on them, and expect to receive. Knowing the word of God brings freedom. The light of the word illuminates the areas of bondage in our lives, and is also the power that can break them. Sometimes we do not even recognize that we are bound by a thing until the word reveals it.

The Breaking of bondage frees us. It is then our job to maintain our freedom. We do not have the luxury of entertaining “walks down memory lane” with the intention of reliving the things God has delivered us from. This is dangerous, sort of like playing with fire. When you play with fire you usually get burned. We cannot afford to fall back into bad habits. No looking back. We cannot walk forward and look back at the same time. Trying to do so will just cause you to fall

Be brave, be strong, remove the veil from your heart. No more concealment. Do not hide from what God is trying to accomplish in you life. Rather, embrace it and walk in the light.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

“8.We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9. Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;”

It is so good to know we serve a God who is always on our side. We are designed to go through trials and troubles. But the amazing part of our design is that the trials and troubles do not invade us.

What does that mean? Consider the 3 Hebrew boys in the book of Daniel – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – When they were cast into the fiery furnace. They were so insulated by God that not only were they not burned, the smell of smoke did not get on their clothes. See Daniel chapter 3.

We have this same insulation. Yes, we will go through trouble, but we have no distress about them. Yes, we are perplexed, but we are not in despair over the things that perplex us. We are even persecuted and my feel like we are knocked down by life, but just as God was in the fire with the 3 Hebrew boys, he is also with us. He has not left or forgotten about us. He makes sure that we are not destroyed by these things.

God promised not to put more on us than we are able to bear. There is a certain comfort in knowing that no matter what I face, God is in the fire with me to keep me insulated. No matter what I face I am designed to be victorious.

It is certain that you will go through trouble. Think about Job and how God recommended him to be tested. But understand that God is in control. There are parameters that the enemy cannot breach. If you are in it, you can bear it, you can (and will) make it. You are designed that way.

Move forward and conquer. Keep going. Don’t give up. You are victorious. Trust the God that has called you, will also keep you and bring your victoriously to the finish line.

Psalms 37:23-24

“23. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:

and he delighteth in his way.

24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:

for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. ”

What to do when you don’t know what to do. This is a question most people have asked at one point or another in their life. The best course of action is to not make a move, but to seek the Lord.

Seeking God humbles us and opens our hearts to hear from Him. Or at the very least, allow his spirit to guide us.

There are times when God speaks to us and we do not understand what he is saying. Generally speaking, God shows us parts of a picture or plan, but not the whole picture. It is our job to continue to seek him until an understanding comes.

Many times we have an unction from God to make a move. We do not understand why, but once the move has been made, we feel a sense of righteousness.

Obedience is essential in our walk with God.

It is the essence of being a believer. We must truly be a follower of Christ. We must move in the direction he leads. Even when we don’t understand why.

God desires to order our footsteps. We must allow him that do so.

Our job is to allow him to lead without fighting against him, or trying to interject our will over His. When you allow God to direct you, the path you take is right for you. Do not compare it to other people. It is unique to you, and God ordered for you.

You may make mistakes and fall on the path. But don’t worry, God has your back. He will uphold you with his hand. Just stay on the path he has designed with you in mind.

Job 23:10, “But he knoweth the way that I take:

when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. ”

The wonderful thing about God is that he has a reason and purpose for everything. The things you go through or face are just a part of the journey. Don’t let anything move you off the path God has chosen for you.

Stone on the path and be blessed.

Isaiah 61:3

“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness,the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. ”

God’s exchange policy is beyond compare. It is his will that you relinquish everything that keeps you bound, and exchange them for the things that will improve your life and set you free.

It is not God’s will for you to be sad, depressed, lonely or in despair. It is God’s will that your life be filled with beauty, joy, and an constant attitude of gratitude. Once you make this exchange you will have a life of light that draws people to you. Provides you the perfect opportunity to share Jesus with them.

The best benefit is that the garment of praise is a powerful tool that should be worn daily and used always. Praise grabs God’s attention and keeps him in the forefront of your mind, as well as in the center of your every circumstance.

Praise also confuses the enemy. While he is busy trying to war against you, your focus remains on giving praise glory, honor and thanks to God. Praise diminishes what the enemy is trying to do in your life, and amplifies God and his purpose for your life.

This is the best exchange policy around. You give up the things you don’t really want, and gain the very things you need. After this exchange, you are able to live a victorious life that glorifies God, and brings you a peace that you have never enjoyed before.

How can you make this exchange? Good question, with a simple answer. Peter provided the instructions in Acts 2:38-39 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

God is so awesome. The love that he has for us is beyond compare. Take advantage of the perfect exchange and walk in the light of his love.