The best leader is a servant

Sunshine’s Reflections

Happy cold Wednesday.  We have snow again in my area and it’s beautiful.  Stay safe and stay warm.  My prayers are with the homeless during these times.  Praying that shelter is available.

TFTD: The best leader is a servant

John 13:12-14 New King James Version (NKJV)

“¹² So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”  

The word servant has different meanings.  It can mean a slave, a person in the service (assistance) of another or a person employed by another, especially to perform domestic duties.  In the world today, people who work in service type jobs are deemed lower level positions.  Positions like waiters, waitresses, housecleaning, janitor, cafeteria worker, etc. are not typically paid the generous salaries.  Even though these positions do a lot of work they are not adequately compensated.  There are even people who turn their noses up at these positions as if they are less than, when on the contrary, people who work in service positions help other professions function effectively.

When you work in any service type position, your primary function is to serve others by helping them in any way you can.  There should not be any discrimination of age, gender or race, you just help others.  It doesn’t matter if a person is in a higher titled position or a lower titled position, you just seek to serve them.  The disciples held Jesus at high esteem as Lord and Teacher.  They placed Him on a proverbial pedestal, desiring to be like Him.  Sometimes people want to be like others because they think it will elevate them from doing certain things.  However, Jesus being a great leader, demonstrated to them that even though He is held at high esteem He still knows how to serve the people.  And if Jesus did it, we should do it also.

Children of God, I know that a janitor is paid to take out the trash and clean up the church or even your office, but it doesn’t mean you can’t lend a helping hand.  I know you may be the associate minister on staff, but that doesn’t exempt you from helping the ushers when you notice they are short-staffed.  I know you are blessed with food and shelter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to the homeless.  I know you are healthy and have a sound mind, but that doesn’t mean you can’t serve the sick and shut in.  The best example of a leader is one who serves.  Sometimes you will have to roll up your sleeves and offer to serve others.

Never become so puffed up with your title that you forget to serve others.  Jesus intentionally washed the feet of His disciples to demonstrate that no matter what level you are at, always take time to serve others.  How can you serve the people in your circle?  How can you reach beyond the walls of the church and serve the community.  Take time to seek God on where you can serve.  If you lead a ministry, I encourage you to lead by example and serve the people.  If others see you serving, it will compel them to serve as well.

Follow the lead of Jesus Christ and serve the people!

Have a blessed day. 

 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Be careful what you allow in

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  Happy Monday.  I pray you had a blessed weekend.  I send special prayers to everyone who is dealing with any illness or injury.  I also pray for those whose loved ones have passed away.  God is a healer and a comforter.

TFTD:  Be careful what you allow in

James 1:14-15 (NIV)

¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Matthew 5:29-30 (NKJV)

²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

On the weekend, I like to lay on the couch and watch TV.  There are a few shows that I like so much that whenever a marathon is on I am glued to the TV.  I am a creature of habit and don’t really have time, correction, I don’t allow myself the opportunity to introduce new shows into my viewing pleasure.  In my mind, I figure I have trouble enough keeping up with my few shows, the last thing I need is to add another show.  However, I’m not oblivious to what is on TV now.

Whenever a new show is on all I have to do is look at social media to get the overall storyline.  My heart bleeds for the body of Christ today because the world is saturating TV with sex, drugs, violence and the list goes on.  Sin has been glorified and even celebrated.  My timeline gives praise to Olivia Pope from Scandal who is engaging in an adulterous relationship.  The new craze is over Mary Jane who also engages in adulterous affairs.  The music videos on TV and on the radio are dripping with sexual content or celebrating drug usage.  Subliminal messages are being implanted in the minds of our youth and adults that somehow all of this is “Okay”.  Sin is glamorous when you look at it from the big screen; however, it’s not pretty in reality.

Romans 6:23(NIV)

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

You have to be careful about what you allow in your ear and eye gate.  I know some will read this and say, “it’s only entertainment.”  But it’s more than entertainment and is controlling the mind, heart and behavior of a lot of people.  James 1:14-15 tells us that we are tempted when we are pulled away by our own fleshly desire.  So if I am a person who struggled with drug usage, should I continue to listen to music or watch movies that praise drug usage?  After awhile, the desire turns into action and after your desire has grown full bloom you will sin.  Be careful what you allow in.

God knew there would be things that would tempt us and it’s important to safeguard ourselves from these things.  Matthew 5:29-30 seems drastic; however, it shows the seriousness of protecting what we allow in our spirit, body and soul.   If watching certain TV shows will cause you to desire things that are displeasing to God then turn the TV off.  We don’t have to pluck our eye out literally, but we can stop watching that station.  Music and TV are powerful forces and the imagery can be enticing.  Don’t cause yourself to sin by allowing the wrong thing to enter in.  Be careful what you allow in your eyes and ears.

I’m not hear to judge anyone, search your personal life and see if the shows and music you are listening to is edifying your body.  What are you consuming daily?  Sex, lies and drugs or hope, love and salvation?

Take time to examine what you are watching and ask yourself is it time to let this show go?  Do the same with the music.  Pull up the lyrics to the music and find out what you are singing about.  Are you promoting sin?

I encourage you to be careful about what you allow in!

Have a blessed day! 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Essential personnel

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  It’s a new day, be sure to give God thanks.

TFTD: Essential personnel

Romans 12:3-5 (NIV)

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

The east coast was hit with some snow and high wind chills on Tuesday, which caused some delays or closures for schools and places of employment.  I imagine millions of people stayed glued to the TV or internet, watching patiently to see if they would benefit from the delay or closure.  My place of employment closed early on Tuesday; however, they issued a statement instructing all “ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL” to work their regular shift.  Even after we were closed on Wednesday, “ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL” still reported to work on time.

The word essential is defined as “absolutely necessary or indispensable”.  Most essential personnel could be classified as members of the facilities team.  These people are responsible for treating the grounds on the premises and even safe guarding the building.  Some people may deem these positions low-level; however, they are essential.  These positions are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY in order to carry out day-to-day operations.

Romans 12:3-5 tells us about having humility in our service.  No one should ever think of themselves more highly than others.  This applies in the natural and in the spiritual.  Supervisors and other administrators are classified as non-essential, yet according to organizational chart, they are pretty important.  Yet by definition, non-essential means not necessary.  Now don’t get me wrong, the supervisors and administrators are necessary for what they were equipped to do; however, they are not necessary as it relates to preparing for or responding to inclement weather.  I want to encourage someone today that position doesn’t mean you are more important than the next person.  We need to value everyone at their level.  Essential personnel are not beneath you, they are valuable and operate in what they are good at in order to assist you to get your job done.  If we didn’t have the facilities team, who would do the work?

We have to remember that we are all important in the body of Christ.  Everyone is given a level of grace to carry out the gifts and talents that God has given us.  We shouldn’t get in church and think that the preacher is better than the usher or that the trustee is better than the choir member.  Everyone has different abilities that contribute to one common goal; on our jobs it’s to get to work and be productive, in church it’s to glorify God.  Never lose sight of the goal.  Essential personnel are necessary in the natural and in the kingdom of God.  There are positions that are absolutely necessary and just because you aren’t in that position doesn’t mean it’s not important.  We have to celebrate every position from the janitor to the pastor.  We have to look at everyone as valuable and pray for everyone on every level.

The next time you see that essential personnel have to report to work on time in a snow storm or a flood, I want you to pray for them and when you see them, THANK THEM!  Thank them for being in place to operate in their calling.  Thank them for being a necessary piece to the day-to-day operations of your job, school or church.

Remember God didn’t create us to have the same function.  We have to make sure we do what God has called us to do with a spirit of excellence and humility.

Have a blessed day! 

 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Stretch beyond your comfort zone

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  I pray your weekend was blessed.  I thank God for a 3-day weekend.  It’s so important to find balance in the midst of full life.  Seek God on how to manage your time.

TFTD: Stretch beyond your comfort zone

Matthew 12:13 (NKJV)

¹³ Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

I am currently taking some dance classes in order to increase my skill level as I minister through dance at church.  One of the important aspects to dancing is stretching.  It is important to stretch in order to loosen up the muscles and joints, but it’s also important to stretch because it can help with kicks, arm raises, etc.  As I study the foot positions in ballet, I can’t help but feel the pain and discomfort of standing in first or fifth position.  It’s so uncomfortable because my body is not used to it.  However, in order to grow I must allow myself to be stretched beyond my comfort zone.   Now a grand battement is a big kick, at least waist-high.  Now the more I stretch, the higher my leg extension will go; bearing in mind, I will experience a temporary level of discomfort in order to execute a beautiful move.  I must have faith in the process.

Now in Matthew 12:10, it talks about how Jesus saw a man with a withered hand in the synagogue.  Jesus spoke to the man and told him to stretch out his hand and in doing so the man’s hand was restored.  I can’t even imagine the level of discomfort that man had to experience.  Have you ever been cooped up in a tight space for so long that when it was time to stand up and stretch your body ached?  Here this man’s hand had been withered and Jesus comes along and tells him to stretch it out.  This scripture blessed me because what I see is that the man had enough faith that he followed Jesus instruction.  He knew his hand had been withered for a long time, yet he still followed the instructions.  He probably knew that pain would be associated with stretching the very hand that had been withered, yet he did it anyway.

In your Christian walk, you have to be willing to be stretched beyond your comfort zone.  Your healing could be attached to your stretching.  Your breakthrough could be attached to your stretching.  Your spiritual growth could be attached to your stretching.  Your financial freedom could be attached to your stretching.  It’s time to step outside of that box that you  have created for yourself and allow God to stretch you.  The discomfort is temporary.  The reward is eternal.

What area in your life has God been trying to stretch you in?  Step out on faith and allow Him to do what He needs to do through you.  Don’t allow comfort to keep you crippled.  What if the man with the withered hand didn’t stretch it forth because he was comfortable in the state that he was in?  He would have missed his deliverance and restoration.

It’s time to be stretched!

Have a blessed day! 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Residue

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  It’ Friday!

TFTD: Residue

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)

5 ¹ Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Have you ever washed dishes and then the next time you went to use the cup and you could see some residue left behind?  You can almost see what was in the cup before.  You thought you got everything out and it wasn’t evident when you washed it, but after the cup has dried it appears.  Residue is something that remains after part is removed or used.  As Children of God, we must remember that we are spiritual beings living in a natural experience.  We have been covered and washed in the blood of Jesus.  The more we allow God’s word to pour into us, we can in turn pour out back to other people.

So what should we be filled with?  Who should we follow?  We should be imitators of Christ and not the world.  People should be able to look at your lifestyle and tell that you serve the Lord.  Sometimes it’s so hard to differentiate a saved person and unsaved person  because too many believers are skating a fine line by straddling the fence.  They have more “world” poured into them than the Spirit.  They can tell you what’s happening on all of these fictitious sitcoms and reality TV shows, but they can’t tell you any storylines in the Bible.

Where is the evidence that you serve the Lord?  Imagine that you are the cup, what are you filled with?  After you’ve been washed what has been left behind?  Is the residue things of the world?  Are people confused about who you serve?  Or are you filled with the Holy Spirit?  When you are filled with the things of God then when you go out into the world and people pull on you and need your prayers, support, encouragement, spiritual gifts, time, etc., after you’ve been used up for God’s glory, there should be a residue that is evident to God and to man.  You should have something left over.

If you never said a word, what residue would people see from your lifestyle?  If we scrolled down your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page, what would we see?  If we read your text messages, what would they say?  If we watched the TV shows you watch and read the books you read, what would we see?  If we watched how you raise your kids, what would we see?  Would we see more of the world or would we see JESUS?

After you’ve been used up, what will you leave behind?  What will your residue tell others?  Take time to examine your personal life.  It’s time to get right and lead a life that follows Christ.

Have a blessed day and weekend. 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Serve; be like Jesus

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  Happy Thursday to you all!  I pray your week is going well thus far.  We are almost at the finish of another week and for me approaching a three-day weekend.  *SMILE*

TFTD: Serve; be like Jesus

Philippians 2:3-4(NKJV)

³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Many people may have made New Year’s Resolutions and we are already in the 16th day of the year.  Time waits for no one and I wonder how your resolutions are coming so far?  I didn’t make a resolution.  This year, I’ve decided to make prayer focus.  One of my prayer focus is to be a better servant.  I want to be more like Christ and as I grow deeper in His Word I am discovering more and more what that looks like.

The above scripture shows me that in order to have a servant mentality, heart and attitude you must be humble and put the needs of others ahead of your own.  It doesn’t mean neglect yourself and become a door mat; however, it does mean find ways to serve other people.  Let’s look at Jesus, he was full of power; however, he came to earth wrapped in flesh and he didn’t walk around all puffed up with only His agenda in mind.  His focus was on the people.  Jesus knew He was here to die for our sins so that we could have a chance at everlasting life.   While He was waiting for that appointed time when He would die, He served the people.  Jesus was constantly putting the needs of others before His own.

I love how the message translation reads: Philippians 2:3-4 (MSG)

2 ^1-4 If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

I love how it tells us to push ourselves aside and help others get ahead.  When you grow deeper in Christ, you must put your agenda aside, His way is better than ours anyway.  Now, don’t misinterpret the scriptures, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be ambitious and strive for greater, on the contrary, God’s word promises us greater, we just need to make sure that our motives are pure on the way to receiving the Greater.  Don’t knock people down on your way to the top.  Strive to out-do Christ when it comes to serving.  You won’t win, but you will come close to being the servant we were created to be.  Did you know that by serving others, God will elevate you in His perfect time?

Prayer: Lord, give me a servant heart.  Help me to genuinely help others.  Help me to push others towards greatness on my way towards the greatness you promised me.  In Jesus name, AMEN!

Have a blessed day. 

 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Overtaken by God

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  It’ WEDNESDAY, also known as, “HUMP DAY”.  We have successfully made it to the hump, now let’ ask God to get us over the hump.  I pray God’s blessings over each and every one of you reading this today.

TFTD: Overtaken by God

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 (NKJV)

28 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. ² And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

Deuteronomy 28:1-2(NIV)

28 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

Today’s blog is simple and straight to the point; God wants to overtake you with blessings IF and WHEN you obey Him.  I could stop right there, but allow me a brief moment to expound.  God reigns on the just and the unjust, so merely because He is God and loves us so much we will be blessed.  However, in order to receive the overwhelming abundance of God’s blessings, we must do our part and that is obey the voice and Word of God.

The New International Version of Deuteronomy 28:1-2 makes it plain by telling us, if we FULLY (not partially), but FULLY obey the Lord and are careful to follow ALL (not some), but ALL of his commands that He gives us, then God will set us high above the nations.  That means God will give us favor where it doesn’t make sense to have favor. Not just locally, but all over!  Now all of these blessings are contingent on us OBEYING the Lord.  God’s instructions don’t get any easier than that.  If you want to experience some crazy blessings then get busy obeying the Lord.

God just doesn’t want to hand you some regular blessings, He wants to OVERTAKE you with blessings.  (Excuse me while I offer an undignified praise!)  This got me excited.  God wants to reach out to you and attain you.  By overtaking you with blessings God will cause you to grow beyond measure.  All of this is FREE for the taken if we obey His commands.  I encourage you to read the entire 28th chapter of Deuteronomy to see how God will bless you if you obey and see how He will curse you if you disobey.  If you are struggling and always having a difficult time in your life, take a moment to examine your life and see if you are being cursed by God because of YOUR disobedience to Him.  Beginning at Deut. 28:15, you will see the long list of curses associated to disobedience.  The only person stopping you from being OVERTAKEN with blessings is YOU!!!

Do you want to be overtaken by God?  Then OBEY Him!

Have a blessed day!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Love one another

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  I pray you had a blessed weekend!

TFTD: Love one another

1 John 4:20-21 (NKJV)

²⁰ If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can^[a] he love God whom he has not seen? ²¹ And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

This weekend, I had the privilege and honor of celebrating my uncle’s 65th birthday.  My aunts (his 3 sisters) planned a surprise party for him at a beautiful banquet hall.  They pulled out all the stops and invited friends and special guest.  They had singing, dancing, and delicious foods.  They even took a stroll down memory lane and shared some funny stories about my uncle.  The outpouring of love that was displayed for my uncle was beautiful and his humble gratitude was priceless.

Far too often we wait to celebrate a person’s life when they are dead and gone.  There are family members and friends that we haven’t seen in years and most of the time we don’t see them until we attend someone’s funeral.  Then we vow to do better and see each other more often.  This past weekend, God reminded me that we as a people must do better, I as a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, friend, etc., has to do better.

Now there are times when I think my family is a little dysfunctional (hey, but whose family isn’t-giggling), but one thing is true–WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER.  I got to see the evidence of this genuine, unselfish, compassionate love displayed between siblings and other family members.  If my grandmother could see her kids, she would be so proud of them.  They truly love one another.

I don’t know who this message is for, maybe it’s just for me, but we can’t treat strangers better than our family and friends.  We can’t claim to love God and with our same breath say we hate our brother and sisters, both naturally and spiritually.  We must be intentional about loving one another.  If there is someone you are at odds with, make amends sooner rather than later.  Give them their flowers while they are alive instead of when they die.  Don’t spend life consumed with complaining and being bitter.

I pray that our family and more families will spend time celebrating each other’s life.  It doesn’t even have to be a big banquet.  Just get together and pour into one another.  Life is short and we need to stop wasting our energy on being upset or annoyed with someone.  The Lord knows that none of us are perfect, I’m far from it; however, we can learn to love each other where we are at.

Take time to show love to the people who love you.  We are only given one natural family–shower one another with love.

Have a blessed day! 

 

 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Practice makes perfect

Sunshine’s Reflections

It’s Friday!  Thank God, we have made it to the end of another work or school week.

TFTD: Practice makes perfect

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

¹⁵ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We’ve all heard the statement, “practice makes perfect” at some point in our life.  Simply put, the more you work at something the better you will become at it.  Famous basketball player, Michael Jordan, didn’t just wake up and become great, he practiced day and night.  Although there are people who are born with gifts and talents, we all need to spend time developing those things in order to get better.  Even great singers, get voice lessons at some point in their career.  Famous dancers have studied and trained under professionals to sharpen their natural craft into a masterpiece.

If we have to practice and study in the natural, why don’t we have to do it in the spiritual?  Well actually we do!  We have to remember as Children of God that we are spiritual beings living in a natural experience.  We are not of this world.  Too many times people get confused and think we are natural beings trying to have a spiritual experience on Sunday morning.  I don’t know about you, but I’m more than a Sunday morning Christian.

I am a practicing Christian.  The difference between my spiritual walk and the next person, is I spend a WHOLE lot of time practicing until I get it right.  As believers, we have to invest time in studying the word and then applying the word.  We won’t always get it right, but practice makes perfect.  The church needs to stop selling this false perception that “WE ARE PERFECT!”  When you sell perfection you make people who feel less than perfect not feel worthy or welcomed.  We need to tell people that we are practicing Christians who are striving to live like God daily.  We don’t always get it right; however, we are working diligently to please Him.  Yes, we fall and stumble at times, but by the grace of God we can dust ourselves off and get back in the game.

Practice makes perfect.  Keep seeking God daily in your prayer life, study time, worship time and corporate fellowship.  Keep practicing until you get it right.  After you get one area right, ask God to help you in another area.  I encourage you to live this Christian life practicing daily, you don’t have to be perfect, just keep practicing.  You’ll become a better believer and witness of God’s grace and mercy the more you practice.

I pray that you have a blessed day and weekend.  God bless! 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Stop Worrying

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  Happy Thursday to you!

TFTD: Stop Worrying

Matthew 6:25-27 (NKJV)

²⁵ “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Worry- to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts, a cause of uneasiness or anxiety.

Why in the world would anyone want to torment themselves with disturbing thoughts that will ultimate lead them to a feeling of uneasiness or having anxiety?  I don’t know the answer, but I know people do it all the time.  There are times when I have to catch myself and even slap myself back into reality and scream “STOP WORRYING!”

God tells us in His word not to worry about life.  There are times when we can become so consumed with what we think will happen next that we forget to LIVE in the RIGHT NOW!  I see why God tells us to cast our cares on Him because He doesn’t want us tormenting ourselves.  When I really think about it, I don’t want to torment myself.  It sounds so painful and even demonic.  Anxiety is not of God.  He didn’t create us to be in distress. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 

Did you know that anxiety is caused by fear?  When a person fears the unknown they can have anxiety attacks.  Will I get that job, will I pass that test, I lost my job what will we do now, this project cost too much money how can I afford that, and the list goes on.  We begin getting all worked up over things we can’t control.  God says, look at the birds, they don’t sow or reap and yet He takes care of them.  Aren’t you more valuable than the birds?

Stop worrying!  God didn’t give us the spirit of fear!  I encourage you to seek God in prayer about how to truly surrender your cares to Him.  Everything that is on your mind and in your heart, give it to God!  Worrying doesn’t add anything to your life, it actually will deplete you.  It can affect your spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health.  It can affect how you interact with others.  It can affect your work performance.  It can do more damage than it will ever help.  Stop worrying!  God has equipped you with power, love and a sound mind, so combat that spirit of fear that leads you to tormenting your mind.

It’s time to STOP WORRYING!

Have a blessed day!

 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

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