Words4Wonder Blog

Jerimiah 29:11   “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”   In my life, Patience has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to learn: an area that I am still learning how to navigate. A culture that is so consumed with instant dopamine, it’s hard to re-wire our brains to learn this concept. For me,  it’s easy to compare myself with other people , and when other people have things that I don’t , it can lead to impatience. This can cause us to say things or do things that are out of character: and often times one of the first things that crumbles is our relationship with God. We trust God less when our present is uncertain, however if we can all adopt Patience, I think we can live a life that is less stressful.   Looking at the verse, you might be thinking “I’ve seen this verse thousands of times ”, however I think there is always something to learn. We know from...

1 Peter 4:10   “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace”   When I was in secondary school, one of my teachers gave me a responsibility. She assigned me to look after one of the new students that had just arrived. To make sure he settled in, I was required to look after him during break and lunch times, ma king sure he knew his way around the school, and ensure he made some friends. My teacher gave me this responsibility because she trusted me, and there was an expectation attached to my character.   Relating to the idea of Gifts, God works in the same way. Our gifts are attached to a responsibility; they don’t just sit idle: they are supposed to be seen, witnessed and shared. Though the capacity may differ (some are called to share their gifts on a larger scale ) one thing stays the same: the glory should always be given to God .   When looking at the verse, our gifts are meant to “serve one another ”...

Romans 11:6 “But if it by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be   grace”   A lot of this weekend I’ve spent reflecting.  I don’t know about you, but I tend to mentally rehearse past situations that I have been in.  I ponder on the mistakes that I have made, or the conversations I wish went differently.  Sometimes this isn’t healthy for me, and often times it can leave me in a state of fear and anxiety; however, it does propose an opportunity for me to do something: give Grace.  This is a term that is always looked at from an external perspective: whether it’s receiving Grace from God or giving it to others.  What about ourselves? How many times do we think of giving Grace internally?  We can’t expect to provide something that we don’t already give to ourselves.  Before understanding how we can give Grace to ourselves, we must first know what is and  where ...

Exodus 20: 3   “You shall have no other gods before me.”   Idolatry is one of those things that are very rarely talked about in today’s society . The only thing that we may say is “that’s my idol ”. This phr ase may sound harmless, I have definitely said it, but as I have gotten older all that phrase really means is “that’s my God ”. Our closest association with Idolatry is within the Old Testament , and I think the assumption is that because it happened then, it doesn’t happen now. However, Idolatry isn’t merely worshipping statues or golden calf's, it’s a heart posture.   In simplicity, Idolatry is anything that replaces God. But, in order to know what replaces God in our lives, I think it’s important to understand the role God should already have. Without an understanding of God, how can we ever understand what replaces Him?   The most basic understanding of God is that He is the creator of all things, including you. No one knows a thing best, then the p...