Tag: strengths

Dogs

Jennifred Jones

Watchdogs, guide dogs, guard dogs.

Isn’t it something how we humans can compare ourselves to other parts of nature?

With the above 3 types of trained dogs, how might we compare ourselves?

Really, there are times we are each one of them. Each has its purpose, but each can be taken to its extreme…just like us. Our strengths can be our weaknesses. Our weaknesses can become our strengths. It’s all in how we use them and how we control ourselves.

My watchdog tendency to warn and alert others of danger could easily turn into a suspicious, critical way of life…always seeing the worst, feeling the need to comment on anything and everything.

My guide dog tendency to help others find the right path and do what’s best could become a controlling thing…always attempting to help or overhelp others…never backing off allowing them to find their own path.

My guard dog tendency to protect what I feel is right and correct could turn into excess rules and laws to preserve what I think is best…not letting others off the leash, always monitoring them, their behavior, actions, purchases etc.

Looking at all the cons of the above type dogs seem to boil down to control -to control others.

Looking at the pros of the above dogs we can see protection, guidance and preservation. These are things we humans need from each other.

I guess we each need to keep these ‘dogs’ in our lives on our own leash, so we don’t get out of hand barking and biting others.

We don’t have to stay in the kennel all our life; we can train ourselves to go out, be free and help people.

They say dogs are a man’s best friend. Let’s be that kind of friend.

Stay Fit! Stay Motivated!

Jennifred Jones

God has a good plan for your life. He has a good plan for mine.

Reading in Galatians a while back, (I personally think every Christian should read the book of Galatians several times each year to stay balanced between doing works versus believing God), anyway I read how God sent Paul to talk to the Gentiles, (me) and Peter to talk to the Jews, so that everyone would have the opportunity to hear that God was interested in them, loved them and wanted them to turn to Him so He could lead, guide and direct them, so He could bless their lives and all that they did so the rest of the world would see there is a God in heaven.

I noticed it said in the Amplified version, (one of my favorite versions since it is so descriptive) that God ‘fit’ Paul, and He ‘fit’ Peter for the work He sent them to do.

Furthermore, it says He ‘motivated’ Paul and He ‘motivated’ Peter concerning that work.

Of course I had to stop and ponder that for a while to get the full meaning.  Here’s the verse so you can look at it too:

8 For He Who motivated and fitted Peter and worked effectively through him for the mission to the circumcised, motivated and fitted me and worked through me also for [the mission to] the Gentiles. Galatians 2 AMP

This is what I get out of it: God makes us fit, gives us the capabilities, strengths, and abilities to do certain things….so some things seem to come ‘naturally’ to us more so than other things, or to other people.

Then He motivates us: He gives us the desire to want to do something, or many somethings because He wants to have them done and we were made (fit) to do that job, i.e. It suits us perfectly. And so… many times we have an idea to do something great and good, and we think, “Well, that’s just me, that’s stupid. That could never happen.” And we shove it aside. When in reality, if it isn’t anything wrongful, it’s probably the leading of God on your life. So we just might want to take a step forward and see if God grants us success with it and if He does, then we know it was Him all along!

I’ve also heard we need to ‘give ourselves to our gifts’. In other words, after we find an area we are good at and it’s something we like to do, we need to ‘grow it’. Develop it, research about it, study about it, use it, get familiar with it– so we can develop it to the MAX, and get the full benefit out of it, so that many others can benefit from it too!

Think about it, and don’t be afraid to try!