Tag: love

The Power of Discernment and God’s Agape Love

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter MorselsLeave a comment

Harmony Throughout the Body

The Lord’s Agape love works in harmony with the gift of discernment to change people’s lives for the good. But if discernment isn’t used in tandem with God’s love it can become critical and negative instead of insightful and positive.

Look at Paul the Apostle who one minute is writing to his beloved church to ‘kick the man out of the congregation’ who was sinning with his stepmother, and the next letter writing, ‘have some mercy, he’s repented, let him back in’. (1 Corinthians 5)

Discernment is a powerful gift and Paul used it well because he was in the presence of the Lord day and night.

The Anointing to use the Gifts Comes Through Time Spent With God In Prayer

We live distracted lives. When we are not walking as closely to the Lord as Paul, we can often get ‘in our flesh’ as it’s called. Our minds shift from spiritual to worldly things, lower elements of life, mundane daily routines and our mind frame shifts from spiritual to carnal.

We can get spiritually lazy when we don’t make time to pray and meditate on God’s word. This is when the gift of discernment can be misguided and become critical and harmful rather than a force for good.

Prayer makes God’s spiritual gifts work optimally for the building up of the Body of Christ. 

Listen to Correction, It Will Lead to Positive Good for All

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12.11

There is a balance that is crucial to master or the Lord will not be able to trust us with more responsibility in the Kingdom of God. What’s worse, we can end up doing harm to the body of Christ instead of good.

And I’m thankful when there is anyone kind enough or brave enough to call me out on my ugliness and lack of self-awareness should I find myself operating in the gift of discernment without the love of God. I see this as God working through others to realign the body of Christ, to which we all belong, and this can only be a good thing for all the body, once corrected.

So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 12:25-27

Should the Gift of Discernment Be Used In Any Other Capacity Than Spiritual?

This is a good question. I think it can be used in all areas of life but it shouldn’t be used as a defense mechanism or as a means to win an argument. It remains a spiritual gift. If we use it outside of its God-given power, it can become a force that tears down instead of a force that gives insight and direction.

It is a powerful gift given by the Holy Spirit that breaks the chains and destroys the yokes of the enemy off of people’s lives.

So make sure the anointing is strong (keep up our prayer life) and that God is behind it. Otherwise it can become a destructive force without God’s love infusing it. Don’t be the stream that runs both fresh water and salty water, as it can spoil the entire flow.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

Love Others (as You Love Yourself)

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Love:: Lifestyle:: Health1 Comment

To love oneself isn’t a bad thing. It is loving yourself according to 1 Corinthians 13. This is not the kind of love the world has when they make loving the SELF central to all existence.

I’m not referring to that. The SELF is not the center. JESUS is the center, Jesus said, “Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.” So if loving yourself doesn’t matter, then we won’t have much love for others. Right?

I mean, if you hate yourself or can’t forgive yourself or are angry at yourself or impatient with yourself, then you will also be these things to your neighbor and anyone else in your life, even your friends and family.

How can you love others without first loving you? We should love ourselves according to 1 Corinthians 13 – this is biblical. This kind of love is only possible through Christ by asking Him to help us understand this level of love, free of the human condition. This is attainable by the power of the Holy Spirit and keeping as close to God as we can,

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

This level of love is attainable, but only with the help of the Holy Spirit. I pray we all gain a deeper understanding of this kind of love that never fails..

Featured image by Debby Hudson 

Love One Another

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter Morsels4 Comments

I don’t think a person can love someone and be ashamed of them at the same time. Maybe I’m wrong? Love and shame don’t seem to mix. Love draws a person in closer while shame pushes them away. Shame runs into the darkness but love is happy to show itself because it has nothing to hide. Shame endures nothing and breaks easily. Love endures all things; always hopes, always trusts.

Love never fails.

Surround yourself with people who love you – the real you – and not people who are ashamed of you. And be sure you are not carrying shame towards yourself or who you are; who God made you to be. The world needs who you were created to be. Don’t beat yourself up for not being perfect – no one is perfect. Be at peace with who you are and know that God loves you right where you are; and He wants you to love him right now where you are, on the journey, halfway there, imperfection and all, He doesn’t mind because you are His child and He accepts you.

Let’s learn to accept others for who they are. Shame doesn’t bring healing to anyone – it is love that heals the soul.

Time’s Railcar

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Futurism, Speculation, OpinionLeave a comment

Time. It is the one thing that no human can stop.  The year 1906.  Was anyone thinking about the year 2000?  I find myself thinking only of 2040.  My mind doesn’t wander to the year 2100.

 

This peek into 1906 was just 4 days prior to the great San Fransisco earthquake and fire that devastated the city which had broken every building code in the books and nearly every home built of wood was burned to the ground.

It’s a feeling I can’t put my finger on when I watch this footage.  The music; the fact that I am being transported in a rail car, in 1906, down Market Street as newspaper boys, carriages, trollies all dart and cross over in some unseen syncopated rhythm. Upper class, working class, all real life – no Hollywood stuff – just real people 111 years ago, now gone, and I get to share an ephemeral ride with them all because someone decided to click the ‘on’ button. And that’s just it…

I know.  I already know that in 4 days, it’s coming for them. But now, in this illuminated flicker of time, they carry on, eating, dining and being married as the ancient scripture reads. They are doing what they do everyday; criss-crossing the rails between carriages, trollies, cars, bicycles; hitching rides, waving hello, curious folks, busy folks, high society and working class folk doing their thing, carrying on with the day’s tasks, making money selling newspapers and making their way forward, ever forward, all unknowing, all unsuspecting and without a clue what’s waiting for them down the rail car of time.  And it’s moving, that rail car, it’s moving all of us along. Their was no stopping it, it kept moving steadily and unswervingly towards the end of those 3 days until the morning at 5am on the 4th day.  And then…

It kept going, time that is, it kept moving along those rails, through the earthquake, through the fires, through the heartache and the pain it kept right on moving without stopping to mourn or rejoice or reflect or congratulate.  Through the year of 1906 and into 1907, through the confetti and the resolutions, through the wars and the peace treaties, the good decisions and the bad ones, the new technologies the new ways to save people and the new ways to kill them, through catastophic floods, volcanos, storms, through dreams broken and fulfilled it moved, steady until finally it would stop in 2000 – but it did not stop – and here we are now in 2017 and time is flowing past me, over me and through my fingers, my skin my heart my thoughts it flows through and leaves its mark on my face, my mind and my life.

Who’s going to be watching us on a digital playback in the year 2117?  With whom will we share our ephemeral existence somewhere down the railcar’s tracks, careening out before us into the future – who will meet us on our planes, in our cars, crossing our busy intersections at midday and say “they didn’t know – look at them – that it was coming for them in just a few days, see how they go about their lives with their dreams, their hopes, spending, eating, celebrating, mourning, working and being distracted by the joys and trials of life, look at them – and they didn’t know.”

Where does that put us on the rails of time?

How Positive Words Improve Your Health

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Healthy Living, Love:: Lifestyle:: HealthLeave a comment

The direction of your life will follow the words you choose to speak. It’s like when you’re driving, you follow the direction your eyes are focused on. Ever looked intently at that huge pothole saying ‘going to miss that one’ and instead you hit it dead-center? Same principle applies.

“A sound heart is life to the body, but bitterness is rottenness to the bones.” Proverbs 14:30

Be thoughtful of what you think of others in your heart. Sometimes we can hold unforgiveness which turns into bitterness after enough time has past without dealing with the feelings. Forgive so that you can be free. Unforgiveness is like a cage and can affect your own wellbeing while the person you are holding in unforgiveness is free and not bound by you at all. You in essence have bound yourself. Be good to you and forgive. It doesn’t mean what they did was okay, forgiving others doesn’t mean they didn’t do you wrong. It means you are saying ‘I release you into the hands of God so that I can be free of the thoughts and free of the bitterness and I’m going to move on with my life without this weight. I’m giving it all over to God’. Release the negative feelings and it will make room to begin again.

Kind words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Provers 16:24

This sums it up. Be kind. It is one of the foundational expressions of love. Kindness is light, free and positive. Being mean comes from a very heavy place in our souls and leaves a bad taste in everyones mouth that sees us being cruel to others. If someone has done you wrong, turn them over to God’s justice. He works in mercy (which you probably don’t want to hear) but think of how many times you deserved worse, and God showed mercy to you. Be merciful to those who do you wrong. Speak kind words and let God deal with people in your life who are less than positive. Don’t fight fire with fire. Take the higher, healthier road.

 

My son my daughter, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh. Proverbs 4: 20-22

What this verse is referring to are the words of wisdom – that is – the words of God. Read his word. That is life to your soul and your body. God’s word is alive, not dead. It is active, not dormant. It’s living. So if you want active medicine for you soul and your body, devour his word daily!

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

Thinking ill will towards others can be detrimental to oneself. How to exact revenge for someone who has hurt you or paying back evil for evil will only get you in trouble. Release them over to God. They will reap what they sow – just as you will. Sow mercy, reap mercy. Show kindness, reap kindness. Use your words to bless others not tear them down and you’ll feel better overall that you have control over the negative things that happen to you.

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Be joyful! Don’t refrain but let your happy out for everyone to notice! Don’t be shocked when some people don’t like it – some people are just grumps that would rather stay stuck in their negativity. Don’t let them control you. Remember there are seasons for everything – but don’t ever lose the joy in your heart even through the bad times. Happiness, peace and joy are found in the Holy Spirit. Learn about God and relating to him and he will be your strength and joy through the good times and the bad times.

 

If you have questions or need direction on how to begin to make a change, don’t hesitate to contact me. Leave a comment or email me – you can also reach out on social media like Linked In or Google+. 

Love will get you to where you need to be~

The Power of Your Words

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Healthy LivingLeave a comment

One of the most powerful tools you have is your word.

The Bible describes the tongue as one of the smallest, yet most powerful parts of the body. Like a bit over the tongue of a horse moves its entire body in the direction you want it to go, so the tongue moves our entire lives and wellbeing in the direction of our words. Think that seems impossible? That your life is a result of your words? I’m going to show you how it is possible.

The tongue – your words – house incredible power within them. Why do you think God exalts his word over his name?  Have you ever had to have faith in yourself that you could get something done? Well so does God! It’s just that he has full authority and knowledge of himself and so the word he speaks goes forth without doubt or error to accomplish exactly what He sent it to accomplish. Have you ever caught yourself talking to yourself saying things like ‘you got this’, ‘you can do this’, ‘be strong’? God doesn’t have to do this; instead, he spoke it once and it is truth:

“so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:11

Done. He doesn’t have to build himself up like we do because he knows his word is good. Paul said we should build ourselves up on our holy faith. Which means we’ve got work to d0. God does not mince words and He takes them very seriously. What He speaks happens. If He were to say “Man this is a terrible day” then you can believe, it’s going to be one terrible day! But He understands himself and his power and the power of his words. And he tells us clearly that the power of the tongue holds death and life in it. He’s not joking. Let’s look at a few things we can do to start steering our lives in a more positive direction with good results.

Take a day and be cognizant of what you say.

Are your words overall positive, helpful and hopeful? Or are they negative, sarcastic and tainted with a hopeless outlook? Are the words you’re using building people (including yourself) up and encouraging? Or are they critical, dismissive and hurtful? The power of life and death are in the tongue. Proverbs 18:20

Is there a difficult situation you’re going through concerning another person? What you can start doing today is speaking positive and good words over them and the situation. Words are powerful and God hears them. Think about it; do you respond favorably to praise and encouragment? Then other people do as well. If we are biting and cutting others down then their demeanor will be overall downcast, angry and negative around us. Even if only as a self defense measure. It’s a reaction, like the instinct to stay alive, we close off to criticism. That should tell us that words are more powerful -affecting even the human body- than we perhaps thought. This goes for you as well, self talk is extremely important. Don’t put yourself down and be critical or negative of yourself. Learn how to be patient with yourself and forgive yourself. We are all growing and learning – God loves you and knows that we struggle. The Bible says his mercy endures forever. Know that.

Try to speak positive words over difficult situations.

I try to be aware of what I am saying as much as possible. We all can fall into a rut without realizing it – there’s something satisfying about speaking to someone about our trials and tribulations. There is nothing wrong in telling your story and seeking comfort from a trusted family member or friend. We have to be able to work through issues and someone else’s advice can be helpful. But just know that when you’re able to keep things positive you lead a healthier life. Talk through your problems and seek advice, but don’t degrade others or gossip about people. If you can limit this, you will feel much better, it’s a proven fact.

Stay positive – it releases positive energy.

I would also urge you not to get bogged down by this either. Saying you have a stomach ache is a whole lot different than saying I always get stomach aches. Stating what the current situation is, is not a problem. You have to communicate after all. But you can always speak peace over any situation – there is nothing false about speaking peace over your mind, your heart, your physical body or anything else. Stay positive – it releases positive energy (God knows this!) into everything around you. We are living breathing organisms and if God says you can speak life or death into something, you better believe you can. Let’s not kill the tender shoots of new beginnings or venturing into new projects you’ve never tried before. Practice patience and keep your outlook and words positive. I promise this will give you a much better, longer take-off area for changing your life.

Despise not small beginnings…