Tidbits of Faith

I’m back with part two of this series. Grab your favorite drink and let’s get into part two of my reflections.

Worrying and Faith

In my post, What the Bible Says about Worrying, I wrote the following:

If you trust in God and don’t worry, as the scripture says, you will not be shaken. Your trust in God will sustain you as you walk through this journey called life.

Think back to part one of this series where I talked about my faith being shaken when the mass was found in my son’s colon.

I wrote these words in that post:

I am still struggling to practice what I’m writing about in terms of not worrying and giving everything to God in prayer. I’m a work in progress, but I keep trusting and believing and one day I will be able to say, worrying is not in my vocabulary. As the Bible says, worry does not add a single hour to my life so why give over my power to something that gives me nothing in return.

So,I did acknowledge that I’m a work in progress when it comes to worrying but I did not, however, state that the same is true when it comes to faith. Maybe the two go hand in hand. When you have faith, there is truly no reason to worry as an absence of both means true trust and belief in God. It means really proclaiming that God has me in his hands. This experience has truly opened my eyes, drawing me to the book of James and its scripture on trials and tribulations.

Trials and Tribulations

The scripture in question centers around the testing of our faith and that those tests help in our Christian maturity. It reads as follows:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4 NIV)

Perseverance is the steadfastness and continued effort to achieve a goal or persist in a course of action, despite experiencing difficulties, delays, or setbacks.

The three times I highlighted my lack of faith has given me a clearer focus; an understanding that I’m still striving for a deeper connection to God. I’m still growing and maturing in my Christian walk. It is in having trials and tribulations that I will be sharpened.

Some Final Thoughts

Furthermore, reading the words of God in the Book of James has brought me comfort. I hope that my transparency has helped someone who may be struggling in their faith. This faith walk is not about perfection but is about perseverance. It is by perseverance that we will continue to grow and mature.

The Doxology – Jude 1:24-25

“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy –to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

That’s the bottom line folks. This walk with God is about his glory and majesty. As humans, we will fall short of his glory, but as our Father He will pick us up and put us back on the right path. It is with Him and through Him that we are saved. Amen.

Update on My Son’s Condition

He had the precancerous mass removed. To God be the Glory!

With Time – Everyone is Equal

I once read a book by Willie Jolley entitled It Only Takes a Minute to Change Your Life! In his book he said, time is the great equalizer. We all have the same amount of time each day, only twenty-four hours. He wrote the following as it relates to time:

“From its standpoint everybody is equal. It gives the same dividend to the rich as to the poor, to the powerful as to the weak, to the big as to the small. Everybody has the same amount of time, twenty-four hours per day, not one minute more. The key to success is not the time you have, because you’ve only got twenty-four hours, 1, 440 minutes each day– the key is what you do with what you have!”

The Value of A Minute in our Lives

Jolley emphasized the importance of how we use the time we have, putting an emphasis on each minute of the day being an opportunity to make a difference in our lives. He wrote that “from a great minute comes a great hour, and from a great hour comes a great day and from a great day comes a great week and then a great month then a great year and from there you can be the architect of a great lifetime and it started with a single minute!”

He also quoted Dr. Benjamin Maye who talked about the importance of every minute:

“I have only just a minute, only sixty seconds in it. Forced upon me, can’t refuse it. Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it, but it’s up to me to use it. I must suffer if I lose it, give an account if I abuse it. Just a tiny little minute, but an eternity is in it.”

So, remember it only takes a minute to change your life or to make a difference!

Time is the Great Equalizer!

(Quote Source: Daily Mindfulness, Substack)

Time Is Precious

The older I get the more I realize how valuable and precious time is to us. While reading on Substack the other day, I came across the quote about time, and it truly resonated with me. When we make time for someone or something, it means we care because our time is a finite resource. How and where we spend it truly matters.

Pay Attention to How You Allocate Your Time

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.” (Psalms 39:4-5 NIV)

It is for this reason that we should be good stewards of our time. Time we waste is time we can never get back. Therefore, it is imperative that we make time for people and things that bring joy and fulfillment to our lives.

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalms 90:12 NIV)

“Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
(Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV)

My Prayer

God help me to be a good steward of my time. I pray for wisdom to recognize how I am spending my time and to make sure I am using my time wisely as a means to uplift your kingdom, help others and shine a light on your goodness and mercy. I also pray that I allocate my time to things that bring value and fulfillment to my life and to those whom I love and care about. It is in your name, I pray. Amen.

The Power of Prayer

The Bible is clear about the power of prayer in our lives. When we pray to God in earnest, he hears and answers our prayers.

God Hears – God Answers

“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it — the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ (Jeremiah 33:2-3 NIV)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8 NIV)

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:22 NIV)

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7 NIV)

There is No Room for Doubt

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” (James 1:6-8 NIV)

When You Can’t Find the Words

The Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf when you can’t find the words to express your needs/desires to God.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (Romans 8:26)

Prayer is our powerful connection to God; tap into the power.