by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32
Our culture today tells us to: “Look out for #1, don’t trust anyone and I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine.“ What people don’t realize is that this type of living is fear-based. 1 Timothy 1:7 tells us thatGod has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Fear encourages us to horde, withhold and to only give with strings attached. But as children of God, we are able to freely give because our Father in heaven freely gave His son, Jesus on the cross for us.
Giving with no strings attached is freedom not only for you, but also for the person to whom you are giving the gift, because there is no form of control or manipulation involved. Giving freely is under the covenant of grace, but giving with strings attached is under the law. Nothing can hold us captive if we can freely give with no strings attached. No position, amount of money, title, or status symbol can have control over us if we are able to freely give.
I want to encourage you to bless someone today and when you give to him or her, do it freely, expecting nothing in return. Maybe you can help someone pay a bill, pray for someone in a time of need or drop off some groceries to a person in need – just because!
The truth is, we can give with no stings attached because we can trust that our Father in heaven will always provide for us. He will always take care of us in abundance. Psalm 37:25-26 states, “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendant begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; and His descendants are blessed.” You are not forgotten. Trust in God and keep your eyes on Him. He will bring whatever you need to pass as you freely give to others.
Prayer:”Lord, thank you for loving me with no strings attached. I am secure in the fact that You love me and have good plans for my life. Help me to not give into fear, but allow Your power, love and a sound mind to change the way I think. Show me someone who is in need today. I choose to give freely because You gave freely to me. I love you Jesus. Amen.”
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!”
Psalm 105, 1-2,
NKJ Version
I don’t know about you, but the past few weeks have been extremely difficult for me and my family. I cannot recount how many phone calls I have received of late from family members, friends and clients that are experiencing tremendous pain at this time. As a Christian Counselor, I am well aware that although many of us are “decking the halls” and preparing for Thanksgiving, others are struggling to simply make it through another day. The Holiday’s can be a time of great sadness, anxiety and fear and that is why today’s message is so vital. It is imperative in the dark times to remember to give thanks. You may be thinking to yourself, “I don’t have anything to be thankful for today,” but let me just state that if you are reading this blog then you can be thankful for God’s breathe that is flowing through your lungs. To those of you who are struggling, hold on and know that God is moving on your behalf. God loves you and has not forgotten you.
Please join me in a message I wrote many years ago but still rings true to this day:
I am thankful:
For the baby that wakes up
In the middle of the night,
Because it means I am
Blessed to be a parent.
For all the unanswered prayers
Which were never fulfilled,
Because it means that God had something better.
For the wife who serves leftover
Meatloaf for the third time this week,
Because it means she is feeding me and
Not someone else.
For the lonely times
When God feels far away,
Because it sharpens my ears
To hear God’s voice.
For the floors that need vacuuming,
The tables that need dusting and the
Bathrooms that need cleaning,
Because it means I have a home.
For the car that continually breaks down
And the rising gas prices,
Because it means I have transportation.
For all the angry and bitter
People in my life,
Because it gives me
A chance to love them unconditionally.
For the sink of dirty dishes,
Because it means I have two hands
And I was able to prepare a meal.
For the husband who constantly
Watches sports in the living room,
Because it means that he is
At home and not out with another woman.
For the list of phone calls to return,
Emails to be read and thank you notes to be mailed,
Because it means I have friends.
For the children who fuss
Over doing their homework,
Because it means they are safe
And at home with me.
For the boss and co-workers
That drive me crazy,
Because it means I have a job.
For the disagreement between
myself and another person,
Because it means we are
Working through an issue.
For the times when my prayers
Seem to go nowhere,
Because the prayer offered by a friend
Was exactly what I needed.
For the clothes that no longer fit,
Because it means I have plenty to eat.
For the wrinkles around my mouth,
Because it means I have had a reason to smile.
To live in America
Because it means that I can
Own a Bible and read it in public.
For the difficult days
Because it makes my good days
Even better!
In all things…Give thanks!
Pass it on!
Blessings,
Tracy Hurst
tracyhurst.com
