Tag: Motivation

Press Forward & Upward

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14, ESV)

God is constantly calling us to higher places in Him. He wants us to know Him more. He wants us to know His ways, walk in His ways, and experience His victory.

The apostle Paul said in Philippians that he was pressing on toward the goal of Christ’s calling. How did he press forward? In verse 13 he says, “One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” See, in order to press forward, we have to let go of the weight of the past. We let go by forgiving and choosing not to dwell on things that can hold us back. We have to lighten our load, so to speak, so that we can rise higher in the things God has for us.

Today, if you are struggling in an area, ask God what you need to let go of. Sometimes, we need to let go of the good as well as the bad. “Good” can be the very thing that keeps you from “great.” Let go of the past, forgive, and press forward and upward to the prize of the high calling of Jesus Christ!

Father, today I release the past. I let go of the good and the bad. Search my heart. Show me any area where I need to make adjustments so I can move forward and upward with You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Through Disappointments

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
—1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

People will disappoint you. Life will disappoint you. Things will happen that you did not expect to happen, and you have to believe in the power of God and be able to say, “I can do whatever I need to do through Christ who strengthens me.” God will never allow more to come to us than we can bear, so it’s foolish to say, “I can’t stand this. I can’t do this.” We don’t always understand why, but we know God has His reasons, and we can get through it.

Nobody can keep you unhappy if you don’t want to be unhappy. Stop giving somebody else the responsibility for your joy. If you’ll start to do what you can do and stop worrying about what you can’t do, God can get involved and make some miraculous things happen in your life. I know that hurts are deep and painful, but we have to be very careful about just sitting in our boat and nursing our wounds for too long. There’s a time to grieve, and there’s a time you have to move on.

Lord, my joy is found in You, and I can’t rely upon others or life to bring me happiness. Help me to live in the strength You give. Amen.

–  Joyce Meyers

Step By Step

Every step of obedience is a step toward your destiny.
Whatever God calls you to do, do it with your whole heart. (Colossians 3:23)
In prayer, if God asks you to do something, whether it’s change careers, move to a certain place, let go of a certain friend, speak a Word to another person – do it.
You know it’s God’s voice when it lines up with His Word and His will.  
The more you draw near to God, the more He’ll draw near to you.  (James 4:8)
No good thing will He withhold from you, but it takes every step of obedience to make sure you get there. (Psalm 84:11)
Though it sometimes may not make sense to the natural eye, there is always a blessing on the other side of obedience; for we walk by faith and not by sight.  (2 Corinthians 5:7)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.  Psalm 37:23

Remembering LaShawn Daniels (1977-2019)

LaShawn Daniels, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, died Tuesday as a result of injuries from a car accident at the age of 41, according to CNN. His writing credits spanned decades and genres, and included hits like Whitney Houston’s “It’s Not Right but It’s OK,” Michael Jackson’s “You Rock My World,” Destiny’s Child “Say My Name,” and Lady Gaga’s “Telephone.” Daniels’ wife, April Daniels, posted a statement to Instagram announcing the death of her husband.

“It is with deep sorrow and profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, family member and friend, LaShawn Daniels who was the victim of a fatal car accident in South Carolina,” writes wife April Daniels. “A Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter, Daniels was a man of extraordinary faith and a pillar in our family.”

Daniels, better know as “Big Shiz,” was instrumental in creating the sound of late Nineties and early 2000s R&B and pop. In a 2018 interview with Rolling Out, Daniels described his working relationship with Whitney Houston. “We would talk about relationships and she loved talking about real situations,” he said. “She didn’t want to sing about anything that was fake, Whitney always wanted to keep it real. I think that’s another thing that made her special and people relate to her. It would start from a conversation and we’d go from there.”

LaShawn is survived by his wife, April, and his 3 sons.