Video Attached: "New Wine - Hillsong Worship"
God is so about doing something NEW. New wine, New power, New freedom, New fire. He has made us NEW and is transforming us into that newness and likeness of Him, doing new things all the time! In that place of crushing, breaking, surrender, God is faithfully making something beautiful, something New if we allow Him through our surrender and yielding.
The concept of new wine has been on my heart of late, as well as, rivers of the Holy Spirit. This morning as I was praying, I was laughing with Holy Spirit as I was thinking of all sorts of ways to ask/receive from Him rivers, outlets, winds, wine, etc. into my life from Him.
The process of making wine is quite "pressing". Ha! (That was my husband John's humor coming out.) After the grapes are sorted, they are ready to be de-stemmed and crushed. We all have seasons throughout life (and if you are have not had one yet, you probably will) where we feel de-stemmed and crushed (as well as amazing seasons of fruitfulness and harvest). If we can yield to the Goodness of God, the Faithfulness of God, the Justice of God, the Father-heart of God, in those hard seasons, we can come out with new wine, having a life that is yielded and surrendered to the life of the Spirit of God - new power, new freedom, new fire, new ground . . . the kingdom is here!
Sometimes I put so many personal requirements on my life. Requirements motivated by perfectionism that are self-imposed, requirements that stem from other people's expectations of me, requirements that I think God may desire. But I love this scripture that brings a refreshing simplicity into my relationship with God.
Psalms 31:19 says, that God has stored up good things for me as I fear Him. Psalm 84:11 says, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." What a comfort to know that he not only shows me what is good but he does not withhold good from me.
I love this verse from Acts 2, "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence." He wants to show us what is required of us and the paths for us to walk in.
Ephesians 2:4 says that God is rich in mercy. How wonderful that the God of the universe lives inside of me, so I too can be "rich" in mercy, showing compassion, kindness and forgiveness readily. I can approach God's throne of grace with confidence and receive His mercy.
An invitation to walk with God free from haughtiness, arrogance or assertive behavior. A yielded, submission to His Lordship in our lives. And again in Psalms 25:9 we find another promise of God guiding (the humble) us in what is right and teaching us His ways. Psalm 149:4 says, that the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory. How beautiful the picture of a submissive, yieldness to God that produces victory! Often in our culture we think of victory as assertive and extroverted act, but the scripture is saying that humility is the path to victory.
This came into my inbox and I am loving it! Keys to leading effectively. We all have areas we are invited to lead in. In the home, in the workplace, in school, in ministry. Check out this note and see if it resonates with truths that you need to press into for your own life or that you have already mastered and see fruit in . . .
I firmly believe that leadership is more than a position or title. It's lived out through example, inspiration, and courage. No matter what you do—whether you're a teacher, an attorney, an artist, a healthcare professional, or in ministry—you can develop certain leadership habits that will help propel you into your God-given destiny!
The key to leading others effectively is to first lead yourself well. You can't have one without the other. By cultivating your best self you'll be poised to bring out the best in your team.
Acknowledge your value. No matter what happened in the past or what your present surroundings look like, nothing can change the fact that you are one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable, made in the image of God!
Resist the path of least resistance. Doing the bare minimum leads to, at best, mediocrity. Your willingness to go above and beyond will infuse a spirit of excellence into all you do. And by embracing a positive, can-do attitude you'll transform even the dullest tasks into something you can feel proud of.
Grow through adversity. When faced with challenges, refuse to play the victim. Instead, view these experiences as opportunities for growth. James 1:2-4 tells us, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
When you say YES to leading yourself well, you'll become more effective in your home, workplace, and other spheres of influence. It'll create a positive ripple effect that will resonate in all areas of your life!