Secrets to Life – Part Four

On April 28, 2024April 22, 2024 By JCIn Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

It seems that everyone is looking for the secrets to life to increase happiness, joy, peace, love or to attain some other positive state of mind. Each week, a secret to life has been revealed that is intended to lead you to a more peaceful, love-filled and joyous state of being. This week, the fourth secret to life is revealed.

Forgiveness. When you forgive someone, it does not mean that you agree with what they did or that you deserve whatever they did to you. Instead, forgiving them means that you are taking back the control that you gave them.

When someone hurts us and we carry around a grudge, they have the control over our emotions. We hand them our freedom and they do not deserve it. They do not deserve to have any power over you. When you forgive them, you are removing the grip they have on you – your peace, your joy, your love. . .your emotions.

Sometimes it is hard to forgive. Pray for the strength to be able to forgive and ask God to heal you like only He can. Forgiveness is about you and your journey, not the person who hurt you. While forgiving someone may not be easy, you deserve it.

Let’s pray.

Father, we thank You that You love us more than we can ever understand. You see every scar and every hurt or grudge that we carry. Please give us the strength to forgive. Please heal us and make us stronger than we have ever been. In Your Word, You tell us to leave vengeance to You. Help us to believe You in cases where an injustice has occurred. Help us to focus on Your promise to right the wrongs. Thank You for Your love, grace, mercy and peace. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Secrets to Life – Part Three

On April 21, 2024April 16, 2024 By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

Serve others. Even when you do not want to or you do not feel like serving others. ‘Others’ can be those you live with or they can be complete strangers. ‘Serving’ can be a compliment to a loved one on how helpful or kind they are to you. ‘Serving’ a stranger can be paying for the order of the car behind you in the drive-thru. There are many different ways to serve others.

Why is this a secret to life? It moves the focus from you to another. It reminds us that we are all a part of the same human race on the same planet, all moving toward our individual day to die. Serving others is infectious, you share a compliment, then that person may share a compliment with another and so on. Or in the drive-thru, the person who received the free meal from you may pass that forward and buy the next car’s meal and so on. Serving others results in kindness and the more kindness that exists, the more peace, love and joy there will be for all of us.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, thank you for the opportunity to serve others. There are so many ways that I can be a blessing to someone – whether that is a kind word, a smile, sending a card, buying someone’s coffee or many other ways. Please show me today how to serve someone. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Secrets to Life – Part Two

On April 14, 2024April 7, 2024 By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

Knowing that we have a finite amount of time to live, it makes sense that people would want to know if there are any secrets to life. Last week, the first secret was shared. Today, the second secret to life.

Money and time are two things that most people would say they can never have enough of. Each of these are precious resources that every person can use in a productive way or in a wasteful way. The second secret to life is to give back to God at least 10% of your time and money. James 1:17 says every good and perfect gift comes from above. God gave it all to us to borrow, it is not ours. This includes any money we may receive and each day that we wake up is another gift of time.

Investing into the work of God through the giving of money and/or time guarantees that you will have what you need here on earth and you are storing up treasure in heaven. Matthew 6:19 to 21 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This means that as you invest into heavenly work, your heart will be focused on the things of God. As this world swirls into chaos and breaks down more each day, your heart will be anchored directly to God, His peace and His love.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, please help us to invest into your work through time and/or money. Help us to store up treasures in heaven so our hearts will be there and not buried under all the weight of this world. Thank you Lord that we have this promise to grab onto. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Secrets to Life – Part One

On April 7, 2024April 5, 2024 By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

It seems that everyone is looking for the secrets to life to increase happiness, joy, peace, love or to attain some other positive state of mind. The reality is that we live in a world that is broken and breaking more each day. There are wars, hunger, poverty, injustice, disease and hurting people all around us. People are being born and dying everyday; humanity is in a constant state of change. Yet one thing remains the same, we are all going to die.

The first secret to life is for relationships and it is anchored in love. This secret works in any relationship: marriage, family, friends, professional and so on.

Each person in the relationship needs to love Jesus more than the other person. In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.”. The commandments of Jesus include loving others more than yourself, working to create and maintain peace, treating all people with kindness and showing mutual respect for each other, among many others.

You may be thinking that this sounds great, but what if you are the only person in a relationship that loves and obeys Jesus? Begin by praying faithfully for the other person to exhibit love, peace, joy, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, patience, and self-control. As you are praying for them, ensure that you are living out these qualities, try to be an example. This type of situation is not easy and may take time. If you begin to feel frustrated or disheartened, focus on the fact that you can only control and manage your behavior, it is up to God to work on them. Just keep praying and draw strength from Jesus.

Let’s pray. Father, please be with us as we work to obey Your commandments. Help all of us to love each other and above all to love Your Son, Jesus. It is in His name that we pray, amen.