The Better Way
Part of my God-given talent and ability is a gift from God. He uses my gift to sends me messages and other personal communications. I am truly grateful for my gift and use it to the best of my ability to spread the Word of God whenever and to whomever I’m directed.
Another part of my talent and ability is also from God but I use it in ways that are not necessarily Godly. Even though God gives everyone He created gifts, talents, or special and unique abilities, it‘s up to us to use them for God, which makes it a Spiritual Gift. Spiritual gifts are to be specifically used for God. That is what makes it a spiritual gift. It could be the same skill set you have but how it’s used determines whether it’s a spiritual gift or just a mere human talent.
For example, I can play a musical instrument. I can hear things in my head and duplicate what I hear. Over the years I learned how to even write music. Not all people have that talent or ability. I was fortunate in detecting this ability early in life so as I grew older it played a dominant part in my career and lifestyle. You might think of it as a force that compelled me to become a musician. Some refer to it as a gift from God because it appears to have always been there in the lives of such people but some do not discover it until something brings it forward. Some children seem to show their gifts at such an early age before they have any sort of training to bring this talent to the forefront.
Music was always in my blood somehow and compelled me to pursue it as a talent and later a profession. For most of my life, I have been associated with being a musician whether it was playing an instrument in school bands or later playing in musical groups that pursued work opportunities such as gigs, recordings, or other forms of performing for people. I did not particularly see my talent as a spiritual gift from God. I didn’t even use it with Godliness in mind. I had a talent that I used to promote myself or to pursue something that I liked to do. Even to this day, this ability is still very active in me. The difference today it that I use it to specifically serve God’s kingdom.
Here is where the distinction comes about, where the line is drawn, or where the rubber meets the road. There was a time in my career when I used my God-given ability to promote sinful activities. I was offered the opportunity to do certain activities for financial rewards. I used the funds I earned to pay my bills and/or do things I needed to support myself. At that time I was not a true follower or believer in Christ that I was aware of. At least there was no physical evidence that I could see. I didn’t see any offense in doing what I did until much later when God shined His light of truth upon me. I was using the precious talents He gave me in very ungodly ways, at times unrighteous, and at other times just downright sinful.
I just gave you a brief testimony revealing some of my dirty sinful ways as an intro to explain to you my title here, The Better Way. When we operate in the flesh we do things that are driven by the desires of the flesh. These are the sort of things that promote our selfish ambitions and make us feel somewhat satisfied in achieving our stated goals, even if it is only to make us feel good. Financial gains are a way of feeling good to most of us. We use them as a means of fulfilling what we perceive to be our common needs; Our daily bread.
Romans 8 tells us that those who operate by these fleshly desires get what the flesh compels of us. As you might already know those are not usually of a righteous or godly nature. However, those who walk and operate in the Spirit of God get what God desires. The two different natures are contrary to each other. Here is a passage of scripture that defines what I am speaking about. Romans 8: 5–8. Y’all know it!
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”
These things are controlled by the natural operation of our minds. Our minds control our human bodies. Some people think their mind is who they are not realizing it is merely a tool or function that serves us in navigating through the physical world. Scripture cautions us to be very mindful of such things. Paul also wrote about this in Romans 12:1–2.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Our ordinary way of doing things is usually from the carnal side rather than the spiritual side. We live in these earthen vessels of clay and are guided primarily by the desires of our flesh… unless, or until we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. We must allow Him to transform us by the renewing of our minds so we can yield to what is more pleasing to God, who is our heavenly Father. This, my brothers and sisters, is what I am referring to as: The better way! Regardless of the gifts that God gave us at birth, we still must choose to use them for our creator and His kingdom. Though we are free to use it for the world, ourselves, or for our selfish desires, one way leads to God, and the other not necessarily so.
The better way is to choose God. In that manner, you will know where your path leads. God tells us to place all our trust in Him with all our might. He tells us not to lean upon our understanding of things but instead defer to His superior knowledge. He cautions us not to be deceived by our minds which are hostile to Him because of our desire to please the flesh bodies we live within. These earthen pots of clay.
Personally, this is something that I have struggled with even more so after I gave my life to Christ. To this day I still go back to the old way of doing things despite knowing about the better way. The old self in us dies hard. It has to be put down by the Spirit of God that is greater than it. Christ told us He has put a power in us that is greater than what is in the world. 1 John 4:4. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
Once you truly surrender to the Holy Spirit He will guide you towards the better way. You must surrender your willpower to His superior divine will before that happens. God gave us free will to choose our pathways. Therefore His way must be our choice before they will come into effect. We must surrender our willpower to the power of God before He takes over. Ultimately the better way is choosing God because once that choice is made the rest is done by God, using the full arsenal of His heavenly abode.
Christ told us to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 6:33. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” This was the better way He was urging us to follow. He told us this unhidden secret in John 14:6 that He is the way. He is also the truth and the life that is in mankind.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Not only did He tell us about the better way… He also told us how to get there. He said no one can get to the Father’s kingdom except through and by Him. There are not multiple doors to get into the kingdom as some want to think. This is according to the Son of the Living God who was there with the Father God in the beginning. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The 1st chapter of the book of John.
There is only one begotten Son of the Father who sent Him to earth to gather His souls and bring them back home to His heavenly kingdom. No one can come to the Father, to return to the Father, except through Him. Let that sink into your heart for a minute. Let it marinade so you can be certain of your commitment. Of your choice and declaration.
I choose Christ Lord. I know of no better way. I have heard of what some people say about their being other doors because they worship God differently than I do. Some of them even refute Christ as Lord. Y’all remember the Pharisees and the Sadducees? Some think the prophet Mohammad is the way. Some think Buddha is the best way. Some even believe in things such as reincarnation where you get multiple chances to get it right with God. None of those ways appeal to me because He, Christ Jesus told me about The Better Way and I believe Him with all my heart, and with all my soul, using all my might.
This is not because I am all that smart. It is not because I used my mind to convince me of God. It is because the Holy Spirit came upon me and convinced me of Himself. Therefore I believe, because belief lives in me in the form of God’s Holy Spirit. And He lives in you as well. Most of you are like me, not smart when it comes to the things of God because such knowledge only comes from and through God, by way of His Spirit. We are to walk in His spirit and to live by His Spirit. That is what I’m calling:
“THE BETTER WAY.”
The Lord gave me this message to give to His people. Not everyone belongs to Him. He is currently separating the sheep from the goat. Christ said His sheep know the sound of His voice and will come to Him as He calls them back through the narrow gate that leads back into the kingdom of heaven. Those who wish to remain outside of His gate cannot come in to live eternally with the Father in His kingdom. How unfortunate that is. It is not our Father’s wish. 2 Peter 3:9–9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
He doesn’t want to see any of His created souls would perish, but that is their choice. So let all those of you who have ears receive the message from the Lord of heaven. As He constantly separates the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the goat, His true believers for the non-believers… To almighty God be the glory… Selah!
