Rick Warren's Blog, page 153

In Your Delay, Remember God’s Faithfulness

“Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”

Psalm 103:2 (NLT)

When our dreams are delayed, we tend to forget things. We forget what God has done in our lives and his goodness in the past. We forget that God is with us. We forget God’s power that he uses to fulfill our dreams.

The Israelites made this same mistake in the wilderness: “They forgot the many times [God] showed them his love, and they rebelled against the Almighty at the Red Sea. But he saved them, as he had promised, in order to show his great power . . . But they quickly forgot what he had done and acted without waiting for his advice” (Psalm 106:7-8, 13 GNT). 

It’s unbelievable how short their memory was! In Egypt, God sent 10 plagues on the Egyptians just to rescue his people. But the children of Israel forgot about God’s actions just days later when they were at the Red Sea, saying, “We’re all going to die!” They forgot what God had done. 

Then, God miraculously opened the Red Sea, and they crossed it on dry land, but they forgot all about it just a few days later when they thought they would die of thirst. Then, God miraculously provided water in the desert, but they forgot all about it just a few days later when they thought they would die of starvation. 

They were constantly forgetting what God had done for them!

But we shouldn’t be too quick to judge them—because we do the exact same thing. When a delay occurs in our lives, we start acting like God has never done anything for us. Has God done things for you in the past? Sure he has. And you can count on him to do more things for you tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.

Instead of forgetting, you need to remember God’s promises. There are more than 7,000 of them in the Bible. Whenever you have a problem, find a promise like 2 Timothy 2:13: “Even when we are too weak to have any faith left, he remains faithful to us and will help us . . . and he will always carry out his promises to us” (TLB). God’s promises are always greater than the problems you’re facing!

If God hasn’t fulfilled a promise in your life, it could be because he’s waiting on you. He’s waiting on you to learn to not fear, not fret, not faint, not forget. He wants to develop you before he delivers you.

God could do things immediately—but he’s working on a larger agenda. The delays that come in your life do not destroy God’s purpose. They fulfill God’s purpose in your life. 

“Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me” (Psalm 103:2 NLT).

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

What has God done for you that proves his faithfulness?
How has God been refining you during the delay phase of your dream?
What can you change about your attitude as you spend time in God’s waiting room?

The post In Your Delay, Remember God’s Faithfulness appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

No es Suficiente Solamente con Perdonar

“Amen a sus enemigos y oren por quienes los persiguen”. Mateo 5:44 (NVI)

Pensar como Jesús significa estar dispuesto a perdonar a las personas que te han lastimado.

Incluso en la cruz, Jesús perdonó. En Lucas 23:34 él habla sobre las personas que lo torturaron y lo colgaron ahí: “—Padre —dijo Jesús—, perdónalos, porque no saben lo que hacen” (NVI).

¿Quién te ha herido más en la vida? ¿A quién le guardas resentimiento? ¿Qué dolor estás conservando porque no perdonas?

Cuando conservas una herida, en realidad solo te estás lastimando solo. Necesitas perdonar a la persona, no porque merezcan perdón sino porque Dios te ha perdonado, y Él espera que hagas lo mismo por otros. Tú perdonas porque no quieres que tu dolor se convierta en amargura y resentimiento. Guardar rencor es como beber veneno y esperar que lastime a la otra persona.

Jesús siempre perdona, pero nunca se queda solamente con el perdón. Él da un ejemplo radical cuando dice, “Amen a sus enemigos y oren por quienes los persiguen” Mateo 5:44 (NVI).

No es suficiente solamente con perdonar. Dios quiere que aprendas a responder al mal con bien y bendecir a aquellos que te han lastimado. Él quiere que ores por su bien.

¿Por qué harías eso? Porque pensar como Jesús, es la manera más eficaz, saludable, y feliz de vivir.

Si tienes la mentalidad del mundo, solamente vas a vivir en el dolor de las heridas pasadas.

Cuando tienes la mente de Cristo, eres libre de perdonar y bendecir. Eres libre de avanzar con tu vida, seguro en tu salvación y esperanza para el futuro.

Reflexiona sobre esto

¿Qué herida has estado conservando que evita que tengas un crecimiento espiritual más fructífero?¿Las otras personas tienen que aceptar tu perdón o querer reconciliarse contigo para perdonar y orar por ellos? ¿Por qué o por qué no?¿Hay algo que has hecho o alguien más ha hecho que no pueda ser perdonado? ¿Hay algo que puedes hacer para que Dios te ame menos? ¿Qué hace que contestes a estas preguntas en la forma que lo hiciste?

 

Si todavía no has confiado en Jesús y no te has comprometido a seguirlo, ¿por qué esperar más? Si estás listo para cruzar esa línea y tomar la decisión de creer en Jesucristo y seguirlo; haz esta oración .Síguenos en Instagram & Facebook y comparte Esperanza Diaria con tus amigos y familiares.Recibe durante un mes un versículo de inspiración diario por WhatsAppNota: Desafortunadamente tenemos restricciones para enviar mensajes por WhatsApp a CUBA.

The post No es Suficiente Solamente con Perdonar appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Don’t Settle for Less Than God’s Best

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

When you go through delays in life, don’t get discouraged. Don’t lose heart. Don’t give up! 

The Israelites did, and it delayed their entrance into the Promised Land. 

Numbers 14:2-4 says, “All the Israelites grumbled against Moses . . . ‘If only we had died in Egypt! . . . We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt” (NIV). They gave up on their dream. They had been rescued after 400 years of slavery but then wanted to go back because they were being delayed. 

Like the Israelites, some people would rather live in slavery than face the fear of freedom. They are not willing to push through and work on the problem until they get it right. They want to give up. They settle for mediocrity in life.

Don’t settle for less than God’s best for your life! If that means going through a tunnel of conflict, take the tunnel. In the middle of the tunnel, it will be dark, and you will want to run back to the light. But you’ve got to keep going until you come out on the other side into the light.

Instead of getting discouraged, be persistent and pray. 

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (NIV).

This is the law of the harvest: There is always a delay between sowing and reaping. You plant in one season, and you reap in another. God wants to see if you’re going to keep cultivating, planting, and sowing. If he sees consistency in your life, then the harvest will come. But it won’t come immediately, because if it did, there would be no chance for your character to grow or for your faith to stretch. 

Luke 18:1 tells us that we “must always pray and never lose heart” (PHILLIPS).

You have two options in life: Pray continually, or lose heart. You will always be doing one or the other. If you pray continually, you will not be discouraged. If you don’t pray continually, you will lose heart. You will get discouraged by the problems you’re facing—whether they’re at work or at school or in your family. To stay encouraged, you’ve got to keep on praying!

What do you pray during the delay phases of life? Pray, “Help me hold on and not give up.” God will hear you, and he will help. You are not alone, so you don’t have to get discouraged, even when you are delayed.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

What lesson have you learned during a time of delay in your life? How can you apply that lesson to the pursuit of your dream?
What does it mean to pray continually or “always pray”? How is it possible to do that?
How has God shown you in the past that he is faithful? Remind yourself of those experiences when you start to doubt his faithfulness in your delay.

The post Don’t Settle for Less Than God’s Best appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Enfócate en Vivir para la Audiencia de Uno

“Ningún sirviente puede servir a dos patrones”. Lucas 16:13 (NVI)

Cuando siempre estás preocupado sobre lo que otras personas piensan de ti, no puedes ser lo que Dios quiere que seas. Pero, cuando aprendes a pensar como Jesús, no te preocuparás en complacer a todos. Jesús tuvo el enfoque correcto. Él estaba preocupado solamente de complacer a Dios.

Jesús nunca fue manipulado por las multitudes o por la aprobación o desaprobación de nadie más. Él vivió para una audiencia de uno: “…pues no busco hacer mi propia voluntad, sino cumplir la voluntad del que me envió” Juan 5:30 (NVI). Cuando tienes la mente de Cristo, eso es lo que haces.

¿No se simplificaría tu vida el vivir para una audiencia de uno? Si Dios se agrada de lo que estás haciendo, entonces sabes que estás haciendo las cosas correctas.

Dios dice en Mateo 3:17 “Y una voz del cielo decía: «Este es mi Hijo amado; estoy muy complacido con él»” (NVI). Jesús estaba obviamente haciendo lo correcto.

La verdad es, no puedes agradar a todos. ¡Incluso Dios no puede agradar a todos! Cuando alguien ora para que el día esté soleado, alguien más está orando para que llueva. Alguien está orando para que su equipo gane y alguien más quiere que el equipo contrario gane.

No puedes complacer a todos.

Lucas 16:13 dice, “Ningún sirviente puede servir a dos patrones” (NVI).

Tienes que decidir la aprobación de quién vas a buscar —la aprobación de Dios o la aprobación de las personas. ¿Vas a vivir por lo que otras personas piensan o por lo que Dios piensa?

Cuando siempre estás buscando la validación de otras personas, eso significa que en realidad no te das cuenta de quién eres y no entiendes que Dios te creó para estar siempre contigo.

Jesús nunca permitió que la aprobación de alguien más o el temor al rechazo lo controlara. Él no estaba en un concurso de popularidad. Él no necesitó la opinión de otras personas para validarse a sí mismo.

Cuando tienes la mente de Cristo, estarás tan seguro de tu identidad, de tu propósito, y de la presencia de Dios en tu vida, que no necesitarás buscar la aprobación de otras personas.

Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Por qué no puedes darte cuenta de tu identidad y tu propósito cuando estás preocupado por lo que otras personas piensan de ti?¿Cuáles son tus máximas metas? En cada una de ellas, ¿la aprobación de quién te está motivando?El saber que la Palabra de Dios te ayuda a tener la mente de Cristo, ¿Cómo te hace buscar más la aprobación de Dios por encima de la aprobación de las demás personas?

El primer paso para tener la mente de Cristo

Si quieres comenzar a pensar como Jesús, la primera cosa que necesitas hacer es invitar a Jesús en tu vida. No puedes tener la mente de Cristo sin una relación íntima con Él.

Si deseas en tu corazón iniciar una relación con Jesús, haz esta oración: “Querido Dios, no quiero pasar otro día sin ti en mi vida, controlando cada parte de mi corazón. En la luz de todo lo que has hecho por mí, me entrego a ti.

Confieso mi pecado ante ti y te pido que me perdones por las muchas veces y formas que he ignorado tu voluntad. Te invito a mi vida. Eres el único que puede transformar mi vida y darme una vida eterna contigo.

Padre, quiero que me des la mente de Cristo. Ayúdame a pensar en la forma que quieres que piense. Quiero comenzar a vivir para una audiencia de uno —para ti. En el nombre de Jesús hago esta oración, amén”.

Si hiciste esta oración por favor déjame saber, enviándome un mensaje a esperanza@pastorrick.com.  Nuestro equipo de Esperanza Diaria te enviará unos materiales sobre cómo empezar tu caminar con Jesús.Si quieres aprender más acerca de CÓMO SEGUIR A CRISTO mira este VIDEO. O puedes descargar este PDF donde aprenderás CÓMO PUEDES CONOCER A DIOS PERSONALMENTE.Todos nuestros enlaces de Esperanza Diaria AQUÍ.

The post Enfócate en Vivir para la Audiencia de Uno appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Wait Patiently on God’s Timing

“Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him to act . . . Don’t fret and worry—it only leads to harm.”

Psalm 37:7-8 (TLB)

It’s frustrating when you’re in a hurry and God isn’t. And God is never in a hurry! 

The Bible says a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day to God. One of the most useless things to try to do is to speed up God. When we try to take matters into our own hands and help God out, we get in trouble.

Proverbs 19:2 says, “Impatience will get you into trouble” (GNT).

When you get a dream from God and make the decision to go for it—but then are forced into God’s waiting room—you may start trying to figure out ways of fulfilling God’s dream on your own, without his help. 

But the Bible says to trust God’s timing: “Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him to act . . . Don’t fret and worry—it only leads to harm” (Psalm 37:7-8 TLB).

Resting can be an act of faith. It means you’re waiting on God. 

One day Jesus and his disciples were in a boat caught in a raging storm. The Bible says the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. While the disciples were filled with fret and worry, Jesus had his head on a cushion and was sleeping through the storm. 

The disciples woke him up and asked, “Don’t you care if we drown? Save us!” It’s easy to imagine Jesus responding, “Do you think God is going to let the boat sink with me in it?” 

But, instead, Jesus spoke about the need for greater faith, and then he calmed the storm! The disciples had been worried about the wind and the waves, and Jesus showed them he had power over the wind, the waves, and any storms they would face in life.

When we get into a storm, we tend to fret and worry in the same way as the disciples. When we live like that, we’re not living by faith; we’re focused on the winds and the waves and not on the power and love of Jesus. 

Jesus is always with you, and you can always trust his timing. Worry only makes you miserable. If you’re delayed on the way to your dream, stop worrying and start trusting God to work in you and through you.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

Why does rest so often make us feel guilty?
What do you think God is trying to teach you while you have been delayed? What have you learned about yourself and about God in a delay by design?
What is one thing you can change about your schedule or your expectations so that you are not tempted to try to rush God in this phase of your faith?

The post Wait Patiently on God’s Timing appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Con la Mente de Cristo, Nunca te Sentirás Solo

“No estoy solo, porque el Padre está conmigo”. Juan 16:32 (NTV)

Tener la mente de Cristo significa ser siempre consciente de que Dios está contigo.

Vemos esto en la vida de Jesús. Jesús vivió en la presencia de Dios y permaneció conectado con el favor de Dios. No importa lo ocupado que estuviera, se mantuvo en sintonía con el Padre. Jesús dijo: “No estoy solo, porque el Padre está conmigo” Juan 16:32 (NTV).

Es por eso por lo que el mayor antídoto contra la soledad es pensar como Jesús. Cuando tengas la mente de Cristo, podrás decir como Él: “No estoy solo, porque sé que el Padre siempre está conmigo”. Cuando nos sentimos solos, a menudo es el resultado de no vivir con la mente de Cristo, no somos conscientes del cuidado constante de Dios.

¿Cómo se puede estar siempre al tanto del cuidado constante de Dios? Una manera es a través de la oración. Jesús hizo de la oración un hábito diario: “Jesús muchas veces se alejaba al desierto para orar” Lucas 5:16 (NTV).

Fíjate que este versículo dice que Jesús muchas veces se alejó para poder orar. No puedes hacer eso de vez en cuando si quieres tener la mente de Cristo. La vida de oración de Jesús era continua. Hizo que la prioridad de su vida fuera estar con su Padre. Era un hábito.

¿Te detienes y oras durante el día? ¿Crees que tu día iría mejor si desarrollaras este hábito? Si Jesús sintió la necesidad de alejarse y orar durante su día, ¡entonces piensa en cuánto más lo necesitamos nosotros!

Cuando no te tomas el tiempo para hablar con Dios, te pierdes los dones de Dios. No es la voluntad de Dios que estés demasiado ocupado para Él. De hecho, harás más cosas en cada área de tu vida, si te tomas el tiempo para detenerte y orar.

Eso no parece que deba funcionar. Si te detienes a orar, ¿cómo vas a hacer más? Vas a lograr más, porque te vas a concentrar. Podrás concentrar tu mente y tu corazón en lo que más importa, porque estás tomando el tiempo para dejar que el Espíritu de Dios te recuerde a través de la oración cuál es tu propósito.

Jesucristo sabía quién era y cuál era su propósito. Siempre fue consciente de la presencia de Dios. Cuando tengas la mente de Cristo, también tendrás esas cosas y siempre estarás consciente de que Dios está contigo.

Reflexiona sobre esto:

Puede requerir algo de planificación sacar tiempo para la oración durante el día. ¿Cómo puedes adaptar tu horario para que tengas un margen? ¿Cómo puedes cambiar tu mentalidad para que seas más flexible y disponible para la oración?¿Quién puede ayudarte a rendir cuentas en tus hábitos de oración mientras trabajas para desarrollar la mente de Cristo?¿La oración tiene que ser programada o durar mucho tiempo? ¿Por qué o por qué no?

 

Si todavía no has confiado en Jesús y no te has comprometido a seguirlo, ¿por qué esperar más? Si estás listo para cruzar esa línea y tomar la decisión de creer en Jesucristo y seguirlo; haz esta oración .

Síguenos en Instagram & Facebook y comparte Esperanza Diaria con tus amigos y familiares.

Recibe durante un mes un versículo de inspiración diario por WhatsApp

Nota: Desafortunadamente tenemos restricciones para enviar mensajes por WhatsApp a CUBA.

The post Con la Mente de Cristo, Nunca te Sentirás Solo appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

When Your Dream Is Delayed, Don’t Fear

“Do you remember how the Lord led you through the wilderness for all those forty years, humbling you and testing you to find out how you would respond, and whether or not you would really obey him?”

Deuteronomy 8:2 (TLB)

In this series, we’re learning how God takes us through the Six Phases of Faith—a dream, decision, delay, difficulty, dead end, and deliverance—over and over again throughout our lives to grow our faith and develop our character.

The third phase God uses to grow your faith as you work to fulfill your dream is when you face delays.

Dreams are never fulfilled immediately. There is always a waiting period. 

The Israelites were brought out of Egypt and then wandered around for 40 years before they went into the Promised Land, even though their journey shouldn’t have taken more than a few weeks. Just like the Israelites, sometimes you are delayed by God’s design. Every dream has difficulties, and God uses delays to prepare you to face those difficulties. 

God also uses delays to test you. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 8:2, “Do you remember how the Lord led you through the wilderness for all those forty years, humbling you and testing you to find out how you would respond, and whether or not you would really obey him?” (TLB).

So when your dream is delayed, how should you respond?

Don’t fear!

Embracing fear is the first mistake the Israelites made. Deuteronomy 1:28 says, “Why should we go there? We are afraid. The men we sent tell us that the people there are stronger and taller than we are” (GNT). The Israelites had enough faith to move out of Egypt, but they didn’t have enough faith to move into the Promised Land. They were afraid. 

The problem with fear is that it keeps you in the wilderness. It prolongs the delay. Many of your dreams have never been fulfilled, not because of God but because of you—because you wouldn’t step out in faith.

The antidote to fear is focusing on God’s presence. You remember that God is with you. He says, “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10 TLB). He’s with you now, he always has been, and he always will be.

Maybe you’re in the delay phase right now. You’ve been praying about something, and it hasn’t happened yet. You may start to think that God has forgotten you.

God will never forget you! This is a delay by design. God knows what you’re going through. He wants to build your character, and he wants you to learn to trust in him. You can count on him for his help. Don’t fear.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

Describe a time when fear delayed your time in the wilderness.
How has God’s testing of your faith produced spiritual growth in your life?
What are your fears about where God may be leading you or what he may be asking you to do?

Where will you spend eternity?

The Bible says you can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot earn your way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

If you’re ready to commit your life to Jesus, start by praying this prayer:

“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.

The post When Your Dream Is Delayed, Don’t Fear appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Lo que Realmente Significa Arrepentirse

“Arrepiéntanse de sus pecados y vuelvan a Dios para que sus pecados sean borrados”. Hechos 3:19 (NTV)

En algún lugar del camino, “arrepentirse” se convirtió en una palabra negativa.

Cuando muchas personas escuchan esa palabra, piensan en un hombre que sostiene un letrero en la esquina diciéndoles “arrepiéntase o irán al infierno, porque el final está cerca”.

Pero la idea del mundo de lo que significa arrepentirse está totalmente equivocada. “Arrepentirse” es en realidad la palabra más positiva y transformadora del mundo.

La palabra “arrepentirse” significa que cambias de opinión. No es cuando dejas de hacer cosas malas, ese es el resultado del arrepentimiento. Significa que solías pensar de una manera y ahora piensas de otra manera.

Solías tener pensamientos de culpa, y ahora tienes pensamientos de perdón. Solías pensar en la condenación y el desaliento, y ahora piensas en la paz. Solías pensar en el egoísmo, y ahora piensas primero en los demás. Solías pensar con ambición, y ahora piensas en cómo servir. Piensas en Dios como realmente es, un Padre bondadoso y amoroso. Piensas en ti mismo como Dios te ve, con valor y propósito. Piensas en lo que realmente tiene sentido en la vida.

El arrepentimiento es cuando empiezas a repensar tu vida para que coincida con lo que Jesús piensa. Cuando te arrepientes y pasas de la oscuridad a la luz, no se trata de no llegar a hacer más las cosas que quieres hacer. Se trata de hacer sólo las cosas que importan porque tu mente está puesta en lo que es más importante. Es el cambio más positivo del mundo.

¿Necesitas un refrigerio? ¿Necesitas recuperarte de las heridas de la vida y ser revitalizado después de la pérdida o el fracaso? Entonces sólo necesitas arrepentirte. Cuando lo hagas, entrarás en la presencia de Dios y experimentarás verdadera alegría y paz.

Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Por qué crees que a la gente no le gusta la idea de arrepentirse? ¿Qué creen que significará para sus vidas?¿Cómo es refrescante estar en la presencia de Dios?Mira Hechos 3:19. ¿Por qué el arrepentimiento implica regresar a Dios?

 

Si todavía no has confiado en Jesús y no te has comprometido a seguirlo, ¿por qué esperar más? Si estás listo para cruzar esa línea y tomar la decisión de creer en Jesucristo y seguirlo; haz esta oración .

Síguenos en Instagram & Facebook y comparte Esperanza Diaria con tus amigos y familiares.

Recibe durante un mes un versículo de inspiración diario por WhatsApp

Nota: Desafortunadamente tenemos restricciones para enviar mensajes por WhatsApp a CUBA.

The post Lo que Realmente Significa Arrepentirse appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Make Intentional Decisions as You Follow God’s Dream

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

James 3:17 (NIV)

When God gives you a dream, you won’t just accidentally fulfill it. You have to be intentional in making several critical decisions that will help grow your faith and move you toward fulfilling the dream God created you to dream.

Here are two decisions that are necessary: 

First, you need to invest. You have to decide to invest your time, your money, your reputation, and your energy in the things that will advance your pursuit of God’s dream. 

In other words, you need to stop making excuses and take the plunge. This is when you say, “God, I’m not going to procrastinate any longer. I’m going to do what you’ve told me to do.”

Second, you need to let go of security. You can’t move forward in faith while holding on to the past.

A great picture of letting go of security is a trapeze artist. She swings out on one bar—but before she can grab the next bar and swing to the other side, she has to let go of that first bar. The bars are far enough apart that she can’t hold on to both at the same time. At some point she must let go of the security of the first bar. Then, for a split second, she is flying in midair, holding on to neither one.

Maybe you’ve never swung on a trapeze, but have you ever been at the point in your career when you’ve left one job and are looking for another, and there is nothing in between? It feels like you’re a hundred feet in the air with no net below. 

But if you don’t let go of your old life and grab on to the vision God wants for you, then you’ll simply swing back in the old direction—only you won’t swing all the way back. You’ll just swing lower and lower until you finally stop, hanging there with only one way out: down.

Like the trapeze artist, you have to decide to let go of your security in order to take hold of your dream.

When you’re making critical decisions to follow God’s dream for you, it’s not about making quick decisions. It’s about making the right decisions. Quick decisions are easy—and usually wrong. It takes wisdom and time to make the right decision. 

Where can you find wisdom? In James 1:5, we’re told to just ask God, and he’ll generously give his wisdom to anyone who is faithfully sincere in their request. And “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV). 

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

Why do you think God lets you decide how to live your life rather than making those decisions for you?
What investment is God asking you to make today as you follow his dream for your life? Are you willing to make that investment?
In what area of your life do you need to let go of security in order to grasp the dream God has for you? How will you respond?

The first step to living out God’s dream for your life is to commit your life to Christ. If you haven’t done that, would you pray this prayer?

“Dear God, I don’t understand it all, but there’s a hole in my heart that I realize only you can fill. I realize that I was made to be loved by you and to have a relationship with you. I ask that you forgive me of my sins. Today I want to step across the line and accept you as my Lord and Savior. I ask you to come into my life and my heart and replace my loneliness and my hurt with your love. I want to become a part of your family, the church, and start living out your dream for my life. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.

The post Make Intentional Decisions as You Follow God’s Dream appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

A Note from Pastor Rick

A Note from Pastor Rick

Dear Friend, 

This very minute, you’re probably facing an important decision regarding your career, education, family, health, or finances. I know what that’s like!

So here’s something I’ve learned over the years: It’s more important to make the right decision than a quick decision.

But making quick decisions is easier. Is it easier to get into debt than it is to get out of debt? Is it easier to fill up your schedule than it is to fulfill your schedule? You bet it is.

So how do you make the right decision? You need wisdom!

And to get wisdom, you have to ask for advice, get the facts, calculate the cost, prepare for problems, and face your fears. Most importantly, you ask,“What does God want me to do?” The Bible says, “A man is a fool to trust himself! But those who use God’s wisdom are safe” (Proverbs 28:26 TLB).

I’m so thankful that God cares about even the smallest details, including our decisions. And I’m thankful for your decision to partner with me to take the Good News to the lost and hurting.

I love hearing from friends like you who have decided to make their commitment to Daily Hope a priority. Would you tell me about the impact that decision is making in your life and in the lives of those around you? You can write to me at Rick@PastorRick.com.

I’m grateful for you!

Pastor Rick

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