Marked by God

I Corinthians 3

This chapter talks about foundations for living a healthy and mature spirit filled life.  Paul compares the Corinthians to infants in Christ.  The people wanted to go ahead an jump into "solid food" but never learned to "take the milk".  Do you feed your infant those wonderfully smelling Gerber bananas before you have even taught the child how to accept a bottle?  No!

We all must learn to crawl before we learn to walk.  To be a mature Christian, we must align our desires with God's desires.  I hear people ask "how do I know what God's desire is for my life and choices"?  One huge way is to read His Word.  If God says "You shall love your neighbor as I love you" but you are plotting at how you are going to "get back" at that person that wronged you.... well, you are not aligning yourself with God's desires.  God also uses others to speak His desires into our lives.  Maybe you have been thinking about making a move in God's direction, or NOT making a move in Satan's direction. Often times, God will have someone placed around you that has the ability to speak direction in your life.  They might say "yeah, I think you would be good serving on this team", or they might say... " I have been so spiritually blessed since I have been tithing and obedient to God".  When have your desires conflicted with what God desires for you?  Once you have crawled towards God and His desires, He will take you by the hand and teach you to walk.

The foundation for all of us is Jesus Christ.  Any other foundation is one that can not be built upon and will eventually collapse.  Once you commit to align your goals, desires, love and devotion to God...and keep Him as your foundation... you will have a strong, steady and supported structure.  Just as we build our foundation on Jesus Christ, we also are to work diligently toward helping others build a strong foundation.

What is your foundation built on?  Is your foundation one of faith in Jesus Christ to handle your material and emotional NEEDS?  Have you aligned your desires to be His desires?  Can your building withstand the test of fire?  Read Proverbs 10:25, Luke 6:48, and Psalm 37:4.

If you are not sure of your answers to the questions above, one way to start is to pray for a heart and mind that seeks God's will and God's desires first.  If you are aligning yourself with God and His desires... then pray that God will use you and your strong foundation to help others build beautiful, spirit-filled homes!!!!!!

I Corinthians 1

We can learn a great deal about how to react and confront different situations and seasons in our life by looking at I Corinthians and Paul.  Despite the problems that the church was having... and despite the sin running rampant, Paul starts his letter to the people of Corinth by acknowledging Jesus Christ and the wonderful grace of God.  He opens on a very positive note.  Look at I Corinthians 1:1-9.  What else do you notice about his opening?  Is he seeing the good in these people despite their ways of sin?  Isn't this how God sees us?  He reminded them that we are all sanctified (set apart) by Christ.  He gave a very personal invitation.....even to those who thought they deserved it the least.

What is it that we as humans seek so desperately from others?  Affirmation.  Webster's dictionary defines affirmation as " a positive assertion, to state positively, to express dedication to".

Paul started his letter with statements of affirmation to the lost people of Corinth.  He expressed not only his own personal  and positive dedication to them, but also that which Jesus Christ had promised them.  Paul needed the people of Corinth to know that no matter where they were or what they were doing....no matter how strong, weak, wise or foolish... that they were still God's chosen children.  Look at Hebrews 9:28

Are you at a point in your life where you feel as though the shame of your sin, or the weakness of your faith has forced you to take refuge in the crowd?  Do you feel invisible to God and others?  Talk to God about this.  Remember-Christ died once for ALL.  If you are not in need of affirmation and direction in your life... then take this time to pray for someone who is.  Then do as Paul did and start out by affirming that person's place in your life, but more important... in God's heart.  Let them know that God loves them no less and is calling them right where they are, sin or not.