“Scott, I am not asking you to be the smartest in the class, I just want you to try harder”

To be honest, I didn’t really listen back then but as I was reading a few verses in the bible I came across Ecclesiastes 5:18-20:

18 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.

It suddenly dawned on me. What am I trying to achieve working as hard as I do? Am I working to become something else, provide something else for my family? What I my goal? Maybe we all want to be the best in class, maybe even some of us don’t mind being the worst in class.

Reading the verse above, I believe God just want us to be happy doing what we do and content with what we have. Never looking back on what we should have had. God knows our future, it just makes more sense to trust in God with our future than to stress and worry over what we can achieve by our own acts. Which brings me to Matthew 6:24-34:

 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?
 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

By stressing over making more money to achieve more, what do we truly achieve? Answer: STRESS! We all know how well that works out. Now hold on a minute, I am not saying stay at home and watch football until the power gets cut off. What I am saying is: apply Gods infallible word to everyday life, do your best at whatever it is that you do and leave the rest up to God. If you are a programmer, then program your heart out! If you are a garbage collector, pick up that trash with enthusiasm and a smile! Do your best and God will first give you contentment followed by happiness! Does this mean that we should not plan for a brighter future? By all means NO! Go to college, attend that seminar, invest in your future but just don’t be consumed by it.

In Christ,
Scott Smith

“Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil doing.” Psalm 37:8

I have been asking our dedicated brother Michael (my pastor) some questions through email here lately. These questions to me are of utmost importance and I felt that since he is such a busy man and has so many responsibilities all ready that email would be the best line of communication.

Our brother has helped me in more ways than he has known. You see, I write these questions down and send them to him and right after I click send/receive I start looking for a response. Crazy huh? Ok, I go read some then come back and look for a response. Well by now I figure out that he doesn’t sit by the computer like I do. I am a web designer so I sit by the computer all day at work and when I come home I usually have work to complete.

Well after waiting sometimes a day or so. I let my thoughts run away with me and I wonder if my questions will be answered? About the time I start to doubt, I hear the computer go din-don and I know I have mail.

Sure enough it is from our brother. When I read it I am absolutely amazed to the point of tears at the knowledge I have just gained from a godly perspective. While I am sure he knows that he has given me sound advice I don’t think he knows that he has helped with my walk with Christ in a profound way… Patience

Oswald Chambers said “Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about that thing. All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God.”

It took the delay of my responses from Michael to help me realize that our father God does not respond when we expect him to either. I usually send a prayer out and then sit back and wait on the answer. I am praying in faith that it will be answered but I sit by the prayer expect an immediate send/receive.

The psalmist tells us: “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14
Isn’t that so hard at times? Wait… Waiting is a very difficult task but a much needed process to learn if we want to grow in our walk.

I know father God is waiting to bless us in our walk and thanks to some help from Michael Beale and Oswald Chambers I understand that we must wait for God to answer us. Anything else is just “worry caused by calculating without God”

I pray that your walk will be richly blessed and that we all learn to be more patient in our walk with Christ and our walk in the daily grind.

I love you all, Scott Smith

I was at a drive thru the other day and the man in the box was very short with me. He sounded as if he was being forced at gun point to work behind that mike. To be honest, he acted no different at the window.

After being as polite as I could and waiting for my turn to speak so that I could tell him that Jesus Loves him (that really cheers me up, I thought it might work for him) he abruptly said ”pull up to the stop line and I will bring it out” and shut the those little glass windows really fast.

Well after about ten minutes or so, he brought out our food and tried to drop the bag and run. I said: “Hey man, Jesus loves you”. Well, he gave me a not so nice look and really took off without a word.

I felt worried afterwards that I would face rejection again if I tried to bring up Jesus to someone else. I wish I had verbal skills!

I post these messages and I have a secret. I am worried. I have never just came up and spoken to someone before. My insecurities tell me that someday someone that I don’t know will tell me: “Hey dork, stop spamming me”.

Now I know that I am with the best bunch of people and that you probably would not do that but still; I feel the insecurities of rejection. More than likely because of the rejection I have given. I think maybe all of us feel it at times.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7

This passage rings sweet melodies of calmness and love to me. God promises to guard our hearts AND our minds if we submit to Christ!

Now I won’t lie, I am still worried about what people will say but when that one single person tells me “Thank you, I needed that” WHOOO!!! The Lord Jesus my savior has just worked through me! The chase is on now! Try and stop me if you may Satan! God almighty promised me a victory.

I want ya’ll to know that I love you. If you run into someone and have the opportunity to SHARE our Lord and savior; try it! God promises to guard our hearts and minds. Sure, someone may reject you but just think; the seed has been planted and God promises to not let that seed go unattended. Someone will come to water it. A few minutes of embarrassment will pass but salvation is eternal.