Let Us Serve With HUMILITY

This post has been on my spirit since the Sunday before last and The Holy Spirit has been prompting me everyday since then with signs to get it out so here goes 🙂

On that day I went into catechism class and the lesson for that day was the washing of one another’s’ feet. Now, weeks prior I knew that this lesson was coming up and when it was first mentioned I was a little against the idea. I had no desire to wash someone else’s feet. That is something that I have never thought I would be comfortable doing. So as the weeks passed prior to that specific day I consistently thought about this lesson but (I am ashamed to say) never looked it up within the Bible to learn about its significance. However, that Saturday before class I read John 13. I studied this within the study Bible and researched foot washing to gather a better understanding. So when I got to class that Sunday I knew the importance of this act of service but I did not know the feeling I would feel during the actual foot washing.

For those who are not familiar with John 13, see below:

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

John 13:1-17

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

²The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

¹²When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

After reading this, researching, and going through the lesson with Pastor Genny I realized this is more than just washing someone’s feet. This is a humbling experience. An experience that would teach one to serve one another as Jesus has served and continues to serve us.

As I washed my classmate’s feet and prayed over her my heart softened (not saying it was ever hardened) towards her and her life. I had a compassion for her as if I was caring for myself or my kiddies. I wanted nothing but greatness for her and her family as well as future plans in life. I wanted God to bless her all the days of her life and prayed that she has discernment when dealing with everyday life. Then as she washed my feet and prayed over me I continued to pray for her but more intensely. She had truly become my sister under Christ.

Now some may be thinking, as I did previously, “NOPE this is something I cannot do and will not ever do” BUT do you realize Jesus was the one washing the disciples feet? Jesus washed ALL 12 disciples feet, this includes Judas, his betrayer. Jesus was nothing but good to Judas and he turned around and betrayed Him. Now prior to washing Judas’ feet Jesus was aware of his betrayal to come, John 13:2, yet He still washed his feet and loved him to the very end.

So what does that mean for us? Are we to go around just washing feet with no substance behind it and filled with resentment for the act, NO. The meaning of this sacrament is to humble yourself. Serve one another according to God’s will and with HUMILITY. This sacrament is to cleanse ones’ spirit and love on one another. EVEN THOSE WHO WE FEEL IS BENEATH or HAS BETRAYED US. John 13:8 says “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

So as Christians, though this sacrament is not practiced regularly within some churches, this is still a sacrament of God. He wants us to be able to serve others and serve them with the Love of God within us. Never feel that you are above this act or any other act of service because God judges your heart. Cleanse your heart of the pride within because one of the things God do not like is a prideful heart. And, how can you be a part of his kingdom with that thorn of pride sticking out?

~Livingwithpurpose720

June 7, 2016 8

Forgive And Be FORGIVEN

When you read and speak of the word FORGIVE do you have true understanding of it? Have you researched it and gained TRUE knowledge of what it means to FORGIVE? Or, do you have surface level understanding and never truly gathered what it means to really and truly FORGIVE so you can be FORGIVEN.

To stop feeling anger toward (someone who has done something wrong): to stop blaming (someone)
To stop feeling anger about (something): to forgive someone for (something wrong)
To stop requiring payment of (money that is owed)

The word “forgive” comes from an old English word forgiefan, which is itself made up of two words: giefan, meaning “give” and for-, meaning “completely”. So the word forgiefan conveys the sense of GIVING COMPLETELY.
~ “The Origin and Meaning of Forgiveness.” Andrew Pinsent –. Web. 24 May 2016.

Before converting over and giving my life to the Lord I was already a person who forgave others for the wrong they have done to me. Even some of the most unforgivable things I forgave. I forgave because I always believed that if something was to happen to that person or myself I do not want things to be left unresolved. I still believe this and feel this way BUT now it is a little more, well a lot more, added to it.

People always ask me how can you forgive this person for what they have done and then they proceed to say (or think to themselves) “if it was me, I couldn’t do it”. Well let’s just say it was and continues to be hard but it takes a lot of humbling of self and a lot of PRAYER. Me personally I do not like to hold grudges because that grudge carries a lot of weight and at this point in my life I definitely do not want the extra weight or stress so I choose to forgive.

However, as I continue to grow in my faith I am learning more and more it is definitely better to forgive and COMPLETELY forgive for my own souls’ sake. In Matthew 6:14-15 Jesus is teaching about prayer and fasting and he states: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (NLT). That right there is enough for me being that I wish to be forgiven by my Father however I also wish to be obedient to Him.

What Jesus is saying (from my understanding) is to completely and wholeheartedly forgive those who wronged you because our Father completely forgives us for our wrong doing. All of us were born with sin in our heart because of Adam but Jesus came to right Adam’s wrong and ONLY through the blood of Jesus are we forgiven. Jesus was the ULTIMATE sacrifice so why do we as mankind feel that we do not have to forgive others when everyday God forgives one for their transgressions and sin.

Some may say, “Yes I forgave this person yet they continue to do the same thing, should I continue to just forgive them over and over again?” Me personally I try not to allow that person to do the same thing over and over again to me because I do not put them in the predicament where they can. However, Jesus told Peter in Matthew 18:22 that he should “No, not forgive seven times…but seventy times seven”. Meaning stop counting how many times you should forgive but forgive as many times as they come to you with a true and repenting heart.

We as humans do not really know when a person is truly and utterly apologetic for their wrong doing against you BUT where’s the problem in giving them the benefit of doubt. I know that in my circumstances with the person who did me completely wrong, though it was extremely hard, I forgave him. I forgave him because:

I couldn’t carry that burden any longer (Psalm 55:22)
Who am I to not forgive when I have done so much wrong yet my Father has forgiven me over and over again (Luke 6:37)
The Bible says: “…Love your enemies!” (Matthew 5:44) and “Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses” (Proverbs 10:12).

So I say to those who are reading this: humble yourself to forgive those who may have hurt you. Forgive them completely not because you want to make it into heaven but because at the end of the day WE ARE ALL SINNERS and if you have given your life to the Lord, He has forgiven you. He loves us and only want the best for his children. We were created in HIS image so why not do as He would do, COMPLETELY FORGIVE. Then Let Go and Let God! He can handle it but you have to TRUST Him.

~ Livingwithpurpose720

May 25, 2016 3

A Little More LOVE…

When you look out your door or on the news, what do you see? Do you see the love in which God intended His kingdom to possess? Do you see the happiness one can truly possess once they put their complete trust in God? Or, do you see a world full of hate, envy, condemnation, and great sorrow?

Everyone knows of the love that is spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

However, do you know of the love spoken of in Luke 6:27-30?

²⁷“…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. ³⁰Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.”

When God created mankind (man and woman) He created us in His image, Genesis 1:27, so we were created to LOVE as God loves us. However in today’s society we are a world divided; nation against nation, race against race, brother against brother, and family against their own family. It almost seems as if the world forgot the One True God and what He wants from us and that is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER as we love ourselves, Mark 12:31.

I know when you think about that statement some may say how can I love someone who hates me or is an enemy to me? It’s quite simple, God loves you and you are a sinner born of the Original Sin with enmity in your heart. Yet, He loved you enough to sacrifice His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, for you. That right there is reason enough. However, there’s several other reasons why we as humans should truly adjust how we act towards others, including myself.

Did you know your soul is on the line? Jesus is coming back and He will not only judge you for your deeds, Romans 2:6, but also for your attitude. The Bible says, “We must have the same attitude of Jesus Christ”, Philippians 2:5. Jesus loved everyone even those who betrayed him, Judas. So who are we to say I hate this person or dislike that person? Or to say one race is more dominant than another. We ARE ALL Gods’ children and will be held by the same standards comes judgement day.

All of these senseless acts of violence, robberies, and malicious acts towards one another is nothing but the devil using mankind to do his work. If what you do brings some sort of hurt, confusion, pain or fear to yourself or another person, you are being used by satan. His main purpose is to STEAL your happiness and joy, KILL your spirit, and DESTROY God’s work within you. So in my eyes it is IMPERATIVE that we LOVE more than we hate because God is LOVE! And, God’s love casts out all fear, 1 John 4:18.

My message to all today: Learn to love more because God is love and He wants us to love as He loves us. Love with your heart and not just with your words because God is Omnipresent, Omnipotent, and Omniscient. Nothing at all is of secret when it comes to God so be of good fruit.

~Livingwithpurpose720

March 30, 2016 3

You ARE Enough!

About a year ago, I wrote the below poem. Never meant to be a poem it was more of a passage based off of my observation of society and how women, in specific, are treated and how we as women sometimes conform to the societal norm or either to the desires of a man who is NOT her husband.

There are several ways in which we as women can sometimes lose sight of ourselves and our purpose however God’s Word says WE ALL (man/woman/social class) were created in His image, Genesis 1:27, so why is it we as women allow ourselves to not be who God has destined us to be versus being what we THINK we should be because of society and the male species?

And this can go the other way as well because there are some men out there who conforms to what society has destined them to be versus being the MAN God has created them to be.

When you look at a woman what do you see?
Do you see the big butt as she turns around or her voluptuous breasts as she walks slowly towards you
Do you see the slight glimmer in her eye that says he is fine or the way she bites her lip as she slowly passes you by
Do you see the way she flips her hair to take another peak as you watch her silhouette fade away
Once she is gone you think about that moment when you first saw her and think that chick was bad and she wanted me
But if u rewind time and take it back to where it started
When you look at a woman what do you see?
That big butt that she went to the Dominican Republic to buy because she hates her God given butt or do you see the breast implants in which she got because a man told her she would make money with them
Do you see the glimmer in her eyes that shows the desperate need for approval from a man
Or do you see the busted lip she is biting because a man decided to punch her in the lip for not listening and abiding to his every word
Did you notice the hair flip as she passed you by that is helping her walk with confidence so you will not detect or notice all her insecurities
Do you see as she looks back at you a woman broken by society and men who just wanted to take from her and break her
Do you see your daughter walking in these shoes one day
When you look at a woman what do you see?

Geared more towards a man looking at a woman however you can look at this from woman looking at a man perspective as well.

Unfortunately with the constant rise of reality television, technology, and social media people have lost so much of themselves that they no longer truly know who they are, what they believe and like, and WHO they should be serving.

I am not going to lie, I am a faithful viewer of SOME reality shows. Shows like The Bachelor, Real Housewives of Atlanta, and more recently Mary Mary. I have watched some of the other shows like Love & Hip Hop and Basketball Wives and I can tell you I truly enjoyed them UNTIL I was awakened and my blinders came off. I gave myself to the Lord the second Sunday of January 2016 and made the commitment to truly follow Him and walk with Him. I continued watching the shows about, maybe, 2 more weeks but every time I watched I looked at the image being portrayed by SOME of the cast members of these shows and realized this is NOT what I want to feed into my spirit.

Technology, where do I start with this, is GREAT don’t get me wrong BUT due to technology people have lost a sense of reality. They’ve lost the concept of what it is truly meant for and that is to make the lives of people using it much easier. But, has this convenience become an INCONVENIENCE for God? My opinion, YES! How many people actually open God’s Word from the greatest book ever to be written? How many people can say they actually carry their Bible with them to church or bible study? How many people actually READ the word versus listening to it being read to them.

I am huge on technology and can say I too am GUILTY of all of the above and I am not saying it is wrong at all. However, what I am saying is reading from your tablet or phone, is not the same. And, listening to the Bible versus actually READING his Word, is not the same. For the last few nights (yes I am very new to this as well) I have been bouncing from my physical Bible and my online Bibles listening as well as reading to see which gives me the most understanding and I have found that for me personally, I can truly FEEL His Word sinking into my spirit when I am actually READING His Word versus when I am just listening to it. So for me, and I am sure there are others, to truly get an understanding that I can reflect back into my own life I HAVE to read versus just listening.

Lastly, social media. Such a great tool for networking, meeting up with old friends, and reconnecting with long lost family – what would we do without it 🙂. Nonetheless, there are some dark sides to social media. Social media allows people to be something they are not, live in a world they do not live in, and idolize images and people that should NOT be idolized, Exodus 20:3-4. Some even idolize themselves not knowing that they are doing it because they do not know, do not have a relationship with God, or is not a true believer. Some people also uses social media as a form of acceptance or assurance. Why do you need the approval of mankind when God is waiting for you to seek His approval?

In theory, we all have our times when we allow distractions to come in and set our entire path off course however YOU SHOULD NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF WHO YOU ARE IN GOD! He is the ONLY judge, approver, and condemner so you do NOT have to lose who God intended you to be for the approval of man – that’s man OR woman.

~livingwithpurpose720

March 17, 2016 17

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: