The Set Apart Girl Lives to Please God

Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant.

Galatians 1:10

Growing up, we were taught to be obedient and do what our parents told us to do (Ephesians 6:1). At our jobs, we are rewarded by our bosses for following the rules and doing great work. As we grow older, since the desire to please others was implanted into our minds from a young age, it needs to be put into perspective before it begins to control our way of living. For example, a girl of this world who wants to impress her friends by wearing fancy clothes, and having expensive things may work long tiring hours just to be able to buy these things that do not make her happy. A man of this world may want to impress a special lady by purchasing a fancy sportscar that he can not afford, then later goes into debt for doing it. That is not the life of joy that God wants for you. God does not want you to work hard to impress others. He wants you to work hard to love them. 

There is nothing wrong with wanting friends and family to be proud of you. The important thing when making decisions is the motive behind the decision you are making. Ask yourself, "why am I doing this?" "Who am I doing this for?"The Set Apart girl does everything she can to please God. Everything she does, she does it with her best effort, with the sincere desire to better others. She decides what to do based on what will please God. 

Do you know that when you help someone else you are pleasing God? Did you know that when you pray and talk to the Lord He is smiling down on you? Do you know that every time you are obedient to God, He has a blessing waiting in store for you? Can you imagine God dancing and singing over you because He takes delight in you? Because He does! (Zephaniah 3:17)

Girls of this world seek the attention of people around them because they have no idea that their #1 Fan, their Heavenly Father, is already pleased with them. God created you, and He loves everything about you. No one in this world can love you more than God. When you realize that God Almighty smiles with joy at the thought of you, you will try less to impress others, and spend more time doing things that are pleasing to Him. Spend time in prayer and talk to God. He loves you. 

Think about it...

God loves you more in a moment that anyone could in an entire lifetime. Before you do something, check your motives? Are you doing it to please God, or to impress someone else? 

Focus Scriptures:

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 6:24

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don't just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.

1 Corinthians 10:33

For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

Zephaniah 3:17

Love Notes from God: Day 3

Love Notes from God:

I Will Help You

There are times in our life when it seems like trials surround us. Temptations set in, and we start to feel the pressure of our circumstances. Tough times seem to come come right after a moment of joy or a mighty victory. When our situations begin to overwhelm us, it starts to feel like we’re in a batting cage struggling to hit the balls being fired at us. It gets exhausting. Sometimes life gets hard, but there is good news. Good news that it can and does get better. That no matter how you feel or what happens, God does exist and He deeply loves you. No matter how awful things become, no matter what happens, we can never be separated from God's love. God tells us to "fear not", because He is with us. That means stop losing sleep about that situation. Stop worrying about what the outcome will be. Don't be afraid of the future. God tells us not to be in distress, because He is our God. He will strengthen us, He will help us. God says that He will "uphold you with His righteous hand." That means simply that when the path is not clear, He is your Shepherd. He will lead you to the right path and show you the way you should go. Listen to His guidance. When God upholds you with His righteous hand, fatigue, exhaustion and weariness will lift, for you will find rest in Him knowing that He loves you and that everything is going to be OK.

Other Love Notes on This Topic:

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Isaiah 40:29
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

My Beautiful Life: Day 24

He Deserves Our Gratitude

When we are thankful for the goodness of God in our lives, it touches the very heart of God and encourages Him to shower even more blessings upon us. A thankful heart is truly a floodgate to the blessings and goodness of God in our lives! Let's say that you had a granddaughter, and you went out and bought her the prettiest dress in town. You spent thousands of dollars on it, and invested countless hours hunting to find the perfect dress. When you're all done, you gifted your granddaughter with her new surprise. She first screams with excitement and then she cries for joy, and gives you the biggest hug you've ever received. Then for the next month, she can't stop talking about how you surprised her, and she continually thanks you up and down for such a wonderful gift. When she wears the dress, her eyes light up from happiness. Wouldn't that make you feel good inside for blessing her in such a way? You would probably want to run out and do it all over again, just because she loved it so much and was so thankful for everything you did. Now consider if you went through all that work to spend all that time and money to find the perfect dress for her, only to have your granddaughter act as if she couldn't care less for the gift you had given her. Never once did she show any appreciation, or thankfulness for all you've done. She didn't even stop to say thank you when you gave it to her. Wouldn't that make you feel awful? Wouldn't that make you think twice before blessing her in the future? How do you think God feels, when He's done so much for us (He made us, gave us such wonderful bodies and minds, then when we messed up, He sent His son to die for us, etc.), and then we go throughout the day not even stopping to think about all He's done for us? We're too busy watching TV, too busy complaining, and countless other things...that we don't even stop to think about all God's done for us. How do you think that makes God feel? The good thing is that God is not like us, and  He loves us despite of what we do or don't do. He shows mercy to us day after day, and He continues to bless us, even when we don't deserve it. Take time to show love to your Heavenly Father and thank Him for all that He has done for you. He deserves it. 

Psalm 86:15 

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

A Prayer for Today

Thank You Heavenly Father for being patient with me. You continue to bless me with your grace and mercy when I don't deserve it. Please help me to show continuous gratitude toward you, and not take for granted my many blessings. Help me to have a thankful heart. You deserve all of my praise for all of the wonderful things you have done for me. 

Amen.

My Beautiful Life: Day 21

We Have Everything We Need in Christ

Do you have joy in your life every single day? This is God's will for you, and He has provided the keys that will bring contentment and joy regardless of your circumstances. What's holding you back? Do you believe that your particular circumstances make happiness and enjoyment impossible for you? Well, it’s not true! Learning to be happy with yourself and where you are is a very important key to enjoying your life. If you know that God wants you to enjoy life, why does it sometimes seem impossible? Could it be that you’re unhappy with yourself because of the mistakes you have made? God doesn't require us to be perfect—He made us, and He knows we’re human and will make mistakes. Our job is to get up every day and do our best to use the keys He has provided for us. And when we fail, we must get right with God, receive His forgiveness and go on. Quit worrying about what you're not or what you don't have and give God what you are. Jesus died for us so that we could live life, and live it more abundantly. That means we now have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) through Him. This means we have everything we need, in Christ, to live a victorious life. This way of thinking isn't natural to us, and it's common for people to believe their happiness is based on having their way, doing what they want to do, when they want to do it, and getting everything they want. We have to renew our minds by the Word of God and realize that God's love is the greatest gift we can receive in life. I want to encourage you to make the decision to spend time reading and studying God's Word. Hang out with Jesus, praying and taking time to be still in His presence, letting Him speak to your heart. Examine your heart and be honest about who you're living for. If you want to give up living for yourself and live wholeheartedly for God, you can start fresh today.

2 Corinthians 5:15

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

A Prayer for Today

Father God, please help me to create a balanced life. Help me to take time to enjoy my life, and to be a person full of gratitude. Help me take time to love, to extend my hand in service to those around me. Lord, remind me to take time to learn, to be disciplined and accountable. Help me to make a difference in the small and big moments of my life. Lord, help me to keep smiling, to be happy, and to try to be myself. Lord, infuse me with your spirit so I can create a life of balance, moderation, and simplicity. Today, whatever my challenge, let it be an occasion to pursue Your will for my life.

Amen

My Beautiful Life: Day 18

Joy Comes from Him

In America, we live in a society that mainly focuses on materialistic possessions. Fancy cars, nice clothes, and good looking people. They tell us that we will experience happiness if we buy this new make-up product  or buy this high definition flat screen television. We are intrigued and start to want these things, yet we fail to realize that these things are only temporary. Eventually we will want more materialistic possessions to fill the growing emptiness within us. We work harder and harder to buy more. We fuel our happiness by buying “stuff”. Then, when we run out of fuel, we buy even more “stuff”. This cycle of finding happiness with “stuff” will eventually wear us out. We will eventually get to a point where we are on overload. What happens when you keep filling up the tank of your car? It starts overflowing. This vicious cycle will eventually control your life. Many people are living their lives like this and don't even know it. This overflow of stuff will push you further and further away from your relationship with God. Why? Because true joy does not come from “stuff”, it comes from living in alignment with God's plan for your life. There is nothing wrong with having nice things, but when these things become the focus of your life, and replace God in your heart, then you have a problem. There is so much noise and temptations out there in this world, we can easily become influenced by the wrong things. Stay focused on pleasing God. Stop chasing money to buy you happiness. Each of us have this decision to make. What does having happiness mean in your life? Does happiness come from materialistic possessions or the intangible aspects of life - such as love, appreciation, warmth, kindness, and peace? Everything you need for a life of joy your Heavenly Father has already given to you.  All you have to do is receive His love.

Matthew 6:19-21

Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

1 John 2:17

And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, please help us to spend wisely and not excessively. Please break the bondage of conspicuous consumption over our nation. Help us to be better stewards of the resources You have blessed us with. Holy Spirit, please help us to be more disciplined with our lifestyles. Help us to learn to be content with what we have instead of always wanting more. Please forgive us for any greed, selfish ambition, idolatry, conceit and arrogance. Forgive us for loving things and placing them over You. Forgive us for not being good stewards of Your blessings. Thank You for loving us in spite of our wrongdoing.

 Amen