I hope you all were able to complete the challenge from last week. If not, you can still give it a shot!

I titled this entry “The R-Word” because I thought it was pretty catchy 😊. When we begin to think of words that start with the letter R, a few that might come to mind could be repentance, regret, renew, restore, revelation, reevaluation, rich (lol), and the list goes on.  The R-word that I’m referring to for this writing is revenge. What is revenge? Revenge is defined as 1: a desire for vengeance or retribution 2: an act or instance of retaliating to get even. 3: an opportunity for getting satisfaction. The third definition resonates with me. I’m often tempted to get satisfaction for a wrong done to me. It feels good when you tell someone off -be honest; you know it does.  It can seem justifiable to pay someone back for what they’ve done or said to you that was deemed hurtful. But is it right? Folks often quote the Old Testament, “an eye for an eye,”  but is it a legitimate scripture to stand on? Leviticus 24:19.

What do you do when someone has offended you or caused you harm? Do you retaliate? Do you curse them out? Do you hatch a plan to get even? Maybe you don’t do any of those things; perhaps you hold them in your heart and don’t forgive. Nope, I’ve got it; you keep a tally of everything they’ve ever done and wait for them to screw up just one last time- I mean, you’ve given them enough chances they deserve it, right? They’ve gossiped about you covertly and then, like Judas smiled and kissed you on the cheek. They’ve talked about how unqualified you are, how you don’t deserve X, Y Z. Revenge seems like an adequate response. It’s not difficult to point out faults in others, but we must be ever so grateful that the Father doesn’t keep an account of all of our offenses, mishaps, and sin. Who are we to do the same to others? We must extend mercy.

In Matthew 5:38-48, Jesus says that we are to love our enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. It seems easy in theory but can be challenging in practice. We were born in sin and shaped in iniquity, so it’s to be expected that our first reaction will be according to the flesh. We are commanded not to repay anyone for evil and live peaceably with others as much as possible. “Vengeance is the Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. If we decide to take matters into our own hands, that doesn’t allow for  God to act on our behalf. As tempting as revenge is, we have to choose obedience to the Word of God and allow the Father to repay accordingly.

Challenge: I challenge you to choose one person who has wronged you and pray for them for one week.  Speak well of them, pronounce blessings over them, and if you haven’t forgiven them, Forgive and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in your prayer.

Let’s Pray,

Father, it’s in the name of Jesus that we come before you. By an act of our will, Father, we choose to forgive those that have harmed us in any way. We know that if we don’t forgive others, You won’t forgive our trespasses and sins. Help us, Lord, not repay evil for evil and allow us to respond according to the Holy Spirit. We want to please you in all that we do, In Jesus’ name.

Bleeding Heart Ministries (BHM)

It is better to give than to receive; we’ve all heard this before. This verse is found in Acts 20:35. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” How many of us believe this? How many of us are putting others before ourselves? Giving is not relegated to only material things. There are so many ways that can assist others. We can lend an ear to someone who needs to vent. We can lend our time to aiding the elderly, serving the less fortunate, babysitting, helping to clean the home of someone who is ill, preparing a meal, simply showing love. Small gestures mean a lot.

By sacrificing, we can give to others which is the best act of service.  God the Father is the ultimate giver. “For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him Should not perish but have everlasting life…. John 3:16 Jesus gave us the ultimate sacrifice of all, His life. How much more should we give of ourselves. I’m being challenged in many areas of my life. One of the biggest struggles for me is giving of my time. I’m selfish with my time. I know. I know selfishness and being a child of God are oxymoronic as believers are supposed to be givers as we have the nature of Christ in us. We are called to give. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your bosom. For, with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you”. Luke 6:38. Also, in Hebrews 13:16, it says, “Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices.” We are not to get caught up in what others are doing and giving. Nor are we to let others tell us what we should or should not provide; the Spirit of God must lead us in all that we do.

Challenge: I challenge you this week to be intentional about giving. Be open to giving of your time, resources, home, heart, etc. Let us demonstrate love in action!

Let’s Pray,

Father, it’s in the name of Jesus that we come before you. Father, we thank you for waking us up this morning and giving us another chance at life. Help us to live a life that’s pleasing to you. Give us wisdom, Father, to be sensitive to meet a need in another’s person’s life this week. Cause us to be selfless instead of selfish and to put our focus on others. We love you, and we praise you. In Jesus’ name, we pray.

What are emotions, and are they bad? Emotions are defined as 1) a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body, 1)b: a state of feeling.  We are all emotional beings and are wired to feel. However, we can’t be tossed to and fro and allow for them to control us. We’ve already defined emotions; we can now answer the second question, are emotions bad? Feelings aren’t destructive in themselves; they are necessary for self-expression. The issue comes in when we allow our feelings to dictate our actions. I am an emotional person by nature, so it’s easy to let my feelings take the lead. I’ve noticed that when this occurs, I’m all over the place and not able to hear clearly from the Father.  How many of us know from experience that when our emotions lead us, we become filled with anxiety, we move prematurely, we say and do things that we later regret. This is not how the Father expects his children to respond. Yet this is how the enemy plays on our feelings and influences our minds. According to the word, we know that we are not to be anxious (experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome) for anything. Philippians 4:6-7.

I know it can be challenging to put into practice when you’re faced with some life trials- a bad medical report, the loss of a loved one, frustration with employment, loss of income, and the list goes on. However, the Father instructs us to cast our cares on Him, for He cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7. You and I are not built to carry the burdens of this life on our own-it’s futile. We were created with the very intention of being in a relationship with the Father. That’s exciting! The creator of the world wants to talk to Nakeia. Oh yeah, and you 😊. Often we take this privilege for granted and neglect communing with our Father. Let me let you in on a little secret in this union is where we gain wisdom, direction, insight, strategies, warnings, rejuvenation, restoration, and growth! Frustration, worry, anxiety, stress comes into play when we are disconnected from the vine. Yes, we will experience trials and tribulations, but Jesus told us to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world! John 16:33

If you forgot, we are in a spiritual war, and there’s an enemy of our soul who seeks to destroy us. We’ll never give the enemy too much credit, but we have to expose his plans. The enemy cannot force us to do anything; however, he will harass and inundate our minds with worry, concern, doubt, and what-ifs if we allow him to. We’re instructed in Matthew 6:27-33 not to worry. What can fear do for us? Can it pay a bill? Can worry cause us to grow in height? Can anxiety produce anything beneficial? No, it cannot. Just as it says in Matthew and referenced in the song Jireh by Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music, the Father clothes the grass of the field; why would He not ensure that his children are clothed and are not lacking? Our Father loves us and will provide-so don’t you worry! We are called to renew our minds daily by reading the word of God. What other way will we be able to unlearn all of the responses and stinking thinking we’ve come accustomed to?

I am confident that you and I can live the abundant life that God the Father has for us! Instead of being ruled by our emotions, let’s get into his presence. For in His presence, there is fullness of joy; and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalms 16:10-11)

I challenge you, my brother, my sister to get into His presence to calm your fears and anxiety and exchange it for the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.

Let’s pray,

Father, we thank you for having access to you through your son Jesus. Thank you for loving us when we didn’t even love ourselves. Please help us, Father, to be consistent in our walk with you. Help me, Father, to be consistent in all that I put my hands to. Father, forgive us for any sins that we may have committed and empower us to turn away from those things for good. We choose to bring our cares and concerns to you in exchange for your peace. We love you, and we give you praise in Jesus’ name, Amen!