DUO Inspirations
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact Me
  • Faith
    • Faith Blog
    • The Purposeful Bible Study For Those Who Want to Lose Weight
  • Education
    • Education Blog
    • Tutoring and Education Coaching Services
    • Educational Resources >
      • Prek/Kindergarten Resources
      • Elementary Grades Resources
      • Math Resources
      • Language Arts Resources
      • Writing Resources
      • Art Resources
      • Organizational Resources

A Recipe Found in Scripture for a Happy Life

1/20/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
                                                            Colossians 3:15-17 (KJV)


     Reading this passage, I think of it as a formula for a happy life.  And, no, it doesn’t talk about being rich or being able to go buy anything you would like.  After all, as the saying goes, “money can’t buy happiness.”  It does speak of things much more important than riches:  peace, wisdom, singing, grace, fellowship, friendship, and giving thanks to God.   Do you know of a better recipe for a happy life?
     So, what are we called to do?  What is this key to happiness?  Well, we can read the words.  But, how often do we ponder the meaning behind the words, in the words, through the words?  What is God’s message to us?
     In verse 15, it talks about God’s peace, and all being called, and being thankful.  How can we have God’s peace?  How do you feel a peace with being with a loved one verses a stranger?  For me, the more I know someone and the more I trust someone, the more at ease or at peace I feel with him or her.  It is the same with God.  So, how do we feel the peace of God?  We get to know Him through prayer, reading the Bible, meditation, any number of things that focuses on God.  The more time we spend focused on God, praying to Him, reading His word, getting to know Him, the more we will trust Him and feel at peace with Him.  And, after we realize that we can feel God’s peace and that it is only because of who God is and His willingness to share that peace, we are called to be polite and thank Him.  Hopefully, our hearts will feel so peaceful and so happy, that we will want to thank Him and show our appreciation for it.  (Think of it like wanting to know a new acquaintance better.  It is all well and good if you want to get to know the other person, but if they don’t want to get to know you and ignore you, you won’t get anywhere.  God gives us that friendship, that love, that closeness freely, if we seek it.)
     In verse 16, we are called to help each other through this think called life.  We are to encourage each other, call each other out when we are misguided, and to help each other get back on the right path.  Sounds good to me.  I like surrounding myself with friendly, helpful people.  And, how are we supposed to do that?  Do we yell at someone if they do something wrong and ignore them or outcast them?  No.  We are called to gently help them back to the right path and to be encouraging.  It says, “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”  I don’t know if we would literally go around singing our thoughts, words, and encouragement.  However, I think if we take the spirit of the words, it is that we shall do it light-heartedly with encouragement and kindness.
     Finally in verse 17, it calls us to be thankful and to realize that whatever we do or say it is for God, because of God, and with God’s help.  We can’t do it without Him.  He made us.  He is our parent.  He is our strength.  He gave us life and love.  We should be thankful.
 

2 Comments

Closer to God and Seeing Changes in Life

1/13/2018

6 Comments

 
Picture
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
                                     2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

 
     I have felt a change in myself lately.  I have been in a kind of a rut, a plodding through life without much direction or a hope, but no clear direction and validation.  However, recently, I have felt a warm, comforting feeling.  It feels so good at times, that I want to thank God from the top of my lungs for the whole world to feel.
     So, what has changed?  Am I all of a sudden rich, worry free, or without issues?  No.  That isn’t it.  I still have the same financial issues and daily problems as I have in the past.  Yet, they don’t worry me nearly as much at the moment.
     The thing that has changed is that I have been spending more time focused on God.  I have been praying about what I want to do and how I should do it.  I have been finding ways that support my end goals and doing them, instead of just talking about them.  I have been reaching out more and trying to meet new people.  I have been reading the Bible more and praying more.  I have been trying to be more thankful and trying to give God the credit.
     I like these changes.  I do feel like a “new creature.”  I feel like I have a bunch of things to work on, but I feel God is with me.  I don’t feel the need to worry about it too much.  And, for the first time in a while, I feel like I have a direction and validation for what I want to do.
     It is always surprising when I feel good while focusing on God more in my life and wonder why I haven’t been doing it all along.  Why would I not?  Why would I not want this good feeling I have right now?  But, even more importantly, why would I want to be away from God for even a second?  I like this feeling. 
     I am finding that the second part of this verse is also ringing true, not that I would doubt God’s word.  Not only am I being transformed, but also old feelings, old ways, old thoughts, old hurts, also seem to be falling away.  I feel so thankful!
 
     So, what do you need to “pass away” for fall away?  In which way do you need for feel like a new creature?  How can you get closer to Christ, to focus on Him more in your life?


6 Comments

    Jodi Desautels

    Hi everyone.  I hope you will both find and share inspiration here.  Together, we can be "empowering people one inspiration at a time."

    Picture

    Archives

    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    February 2019
    January 2019
    February 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All
    1 John 4:4
    1 Peter 2:15
    1 Timothy 2:1
    2018
    2019
    2 Corinthians 5:17
    Answers
    Answers To Tough Questions
    Art Groups
    Arts
    Australian Poet
    Author
    Beliefs
    Bible Verse
    Blind From Birth
    Blog Post
    Books By Jodi Desautels
    Business
    Celebration Of Lent
    Chaotic
    Christmas
    Christmas Cards
    Close To God
    Community
    Crafts
    Creating
    Customized Greeting Cards
    Devotion
    Difficult Times
    Direction
    Doodle
    Doodles
    DUO Inspirations
    Earth Angel
    Encouragement
    Encouraging
    Enjoy Life
    Facebook Groups
    Finding Peace
    Frustration
    Galatians 6: 9-10
    Goals
    God Has A Plan
    God Inspired
    God Is Good!
    God's Will
    God's Word
    Grace
    Graphic Design
    Greeting Cards
    Handcrafted
    Handmade Jewelry
    Hand Painted Necklaces
    Happy Life
    Hardship
    Having A Purpose
    Healer
    Health
    Helping
    Helping Each Other
    Hope
    Humanitarian
    Husband
    Inspiration
    Inspirational
    Inspirational Art Groups
    Inspirational Journeys
    Integrity
    Jeremiah 29:11-14
    Jodi Desautels
    Joel Dex Goor
    Journey
    Least Of His People
    Lent
    Life
    Life Changes
    Life Is Short
    Life Purpose
    Life's Journeys
    Love
    Making A Difference
    Making Plans
    Mark 12:41-44
    Matthew 25:40
    Maturity
    Message From God
    Mock Ups
    Necklaces
    New Product
    New Tools And Supplies
    Ornaments
    Out Of My Comfort Zone
    Overcoming
    Overcoming Evil
    Paul G Day
    Personalized Greeting Cards
    Poem
    Prayer
    Prayer Is Appreciated
    Prayer Journal
    Prayer Journaling
    Pray For Each Other
    Praying
    Prioritizing
    Product List
    Psalm 90:12
    Reflection
    Rhonda Patton
    Romans 12:21
    Romans 5: 2-5
    Sharing
    Slow Down A Little
    Stress
    Success
    Take Time To Smell The Flowers
    Thankful
    Thank You
    Those Struggling
    Thoughts
    Trait
    Trust In God
    Unique
    Vendor Opportunities
    Verse
    Wisdom
    Wooden Ornaments
    Words Of Wisdom
    Words To Live By
    Work In Progress
    Writer
    Writing

    RSS Feed

P.O. Box 104
New Haven, VT 05472
Home
Contact me
Thank you for the opportunity to inspire and be inspired!
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact Me
  • Faith
    • Faith Blog
    • The Purposeful Bible Study For Those Who Want to Lose Weight
  • Education
    • Education Blog
    • Tutoring and Education Coaching Services
    • Educational Resources >
      • Prek/Kindergarten Resources
      • Elementary Grades Resources
      • Math Resources
      • Language Arts Resources
      • Writing Resources
      • Art Resources
      • Organizational Resources