Hello everyone!
Alright so for those of you that have seen this post already I’m sure you would agree that it wasn’t quite finished yet. That was an error on my part (covers face in embarrassment). It’s a representation of the moment you get a message and write it out as quickly as possible. It’s also a representation of how our act can be right before we tidy things up and step out for the day.

But for those of you who are reading through for the first time.. Welcome!!!

Whether first time or second time the message for today is very simple and is in line with the passage:

2 Timothy 1:7 

‘…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.’

This message was born out of a series of events through the week and a few points from yesterday’s message  (06/19/2017) in UCB, Word for Today.

I don’t know about you but I struggle a lot when it comes to making the decision whether to quit something or not. For example quitting a job for a better one. The time might be right to move on but instead we stay longer in our current situation for different reasons. For me it might be dreading the waiting period that follows. For you it may be considering your finances . I know people who struggle with moving on from a past or current situation. For you it might even be the relationship you are currently in.

Yes! You are right!

About what? I’m sure you’re asking yourself.

Well, God’s grace is sufficient but you need to take action!

To be honest most ‘real’ people look at Christians like we aren’t serious when it’s time to take action and we start calling out to God for grace and help when it’s actually us that needs to make a move!!

Back to Timothy. There are three things highlighted that influence our ascent to the next level and how we sustain promotion.

Power

This is the ability that God has put in us that is required for us to activate our gifts and actually work. Power as we know in scientific terms is the rate of doing work. How much you actually get to achieve in life is entirely up to you as it is up to God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, (Ephesians 3:20)

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

Moving to the next level requires us to play our part. That means ‘Fan into flame the gift of God in us’ according to Timothy in verse 6.

We have to make the decision to leave our past behind and move on from our current situation to something better.

Love

Love has a lot to do with our attitude. Our attitude is our reaction to situations around us and determines if we move to the next level and how far we can ascend.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (2 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Chuck Swindoll said “ …we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day…life is 10 per cent what happens to me and 90% how I react to it” (UCB, 2017)

Self-Control

Having self-control is another attribute to carry along when moving to the next level because temptations will come but if we do not have a mind that is focused (sound mind) or we easily fall to sin then there is also a limit to how far we can ascend. When moving to the next level there is no point carrying unnecessary burdens because they have the capacity to slow you down or trip you up. There is no point weighing yourself with issues and circumstances you cannot change. UCB puts it this way “We waste our strength extinguishing fires that if left alone would burn out on their own….There are enough painful trials in life; why endure the ones you can ‘strip-of’”

Holding on to pain, grudges, the past, will do nothing more than limit you from embarrassing greater opportunities ahead. Besides it will only give room to doubt and fear and will translate in you having a bad attitude.

So everything that you need to move forward has been placed in you. Your power, your attitude and your mind. Use it well.

Thank you all for subscribing to my blog and being a part of my life. God bless you.

Shalom