I talk to people almost everyday that have given up on their struggle to find a church they are comfortable in and I have to admit that even while I’m not out there trying to find that special place, because we’ve been blessed with a very special fellowship at Grace Place, but I certainly understand the struggle. I once heard that if you find the perfect church, don’t go, because you will mess it up.
There are some great benefits in going to church, even if it’s not perfect. Below are a seven reasons why I think everyone should make and take the time to participate in church every chance you get.
1. You Have A Chance To Meet God!
2. You Might Bless Someone Or Someone Might Bless You!
3. You May Hear Something That Takes You To A Whole New Level!
4. If You Do Nothing Else, It’s A Great Time And Place To Practice Gratitude!
5. Interactions With Others Open Up All Kinds Of Possibilities!
6. It’s Possible You Might Get Inspired To Discover, Grow And Use Your Spiritual Gift.
The Beetles used to sing a song: “All You Need Is Love!”, which became a very big hit for them. And the whole song is pretty much the title repeated again and again and again. We know it’s what we need and most of us, when we are honest with ourselves would admit that love is what we really want. And while many of us have our moments, the truth is, we were created for much more than just moments.
I used to believe that the opposite of love was hate, but I have come to believe that it is so much more than just hate. At the very heart of hate is fear, which I think is the true opposite of love. I’ve noticed in my own life that I am drawn to love or fear. When I start getting away from love, it is not to hate, but fear, which can later manifest into hate.
In this world we live in, we often find ourselves caught up in this tug of war between love and fear, because our ego tells us that we are what we have, what we do or who people think we are. The real challenge is that most of this takes place in the back ground, below the surface and often without our noticing, until it’s already moving us away from what really matters.
God is love, so God, who is love created you in love to be love. Stop for a minute and let the truth of that statement simmer in your heart and mind. Now here is the powerful truth each of us needs to get a hold of, believe in and put into practice: We have the ability to choose! We can choose to live in love and it’s power to help us become all we were created for and so much more or we can chose to live in fear, which will ultimately take us to a place of hate, which will keep us for away from the blessings we were created for.
Here are three things we can do to realign ourselves with the perfect love we were created in and for:
1. Remember You Are God’s Special Creation Of Love!
2. Love God, Yourself And Others!
3. Bless Others And Allow Yourself To Be Blessed!
1 John 4:18 says: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
In some ways I am very focused and in other ways it is just so easy for me to lose my way. I used to get really frustrated with myself, but then I realized this is part of the experience of living and growing in this human experience.
The purpose of life is to be happy, to enjoy your journey, to grow into who you were created to be and have fun doing it. Our problem is that we live our lives always trying to get to some place better, rather than taking the time to enjoy where we are.
The world we live in has convinced us through our ego that we are what we have, what we do or what people think of us. The truth is, we are so much more that that and life is more about the journey and less about the destination.
To really live and enjoy life right where we are we need to take care of, focus on and grow in three areas of our life: Physical, Metal and Spiritual. “You have to fix your Spirit if you want to change your mind. And you have to change your mind if you want to heal your body. And you have to heal your body if you want to really live.” Someone said: “This life is God’s gift to you and what you do with it is your gift to God!”
This life, this human experience is an amazing gift and we need to focus on developing and growing in the three areas of body, mind and Spirit. What do you need to fix in the spiritual area of your life? What are some steps you can take today to head in the blessed direction? Don’t just think about it, take the steps follow through and you will discover that spiritual strength give you the ability to take the next step.
If we are honest with ourselves, one of our biggest problems is our thinking, which if we are not very careful, can turn into “stinking thinking“. One of my favorite teachers Wayne Dyer used to say: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” We have allowed our minds to be shaped by the world, rather than encouraging our minds to shape our world. You have the power to change your mind, but you’ve got to use it. Take some steps today to change your thinking into positive over negative and you will be amazed at how it brings healing into your body.
Have you noticed how tired everyone seems to be? Regardless of age, almost everyone seems to be dragging around from one tired activity to another, just looking forward to an opportunity to rest. Our human body is an amazing and complex machine, but it has to be taken care of, and it has to be provided time, space and solitude for healing. What are some ways you can allow your body to rest and heal during the day? Maybe 5 minutes of solitude sitting outside in silence, so you can hear and reconnect with the soul of nature. Perhaps a walk in the park, allowing your muscles a stretch, your blood to flow and your lungs to expand? The important thing is you do something to allow your body opportunity to heal, which it what it was designed to do.
Fix your spirit, change your mind, heal your body and you will really live, because this is what you were created for…
Michael Joe Harvell 