How have things been lately?
We live in a beautiful world: multi-petalled flowers in colours of reds and yellows, even blues and oranges, petals dripping with the morning dew.
And what about the fruit trees in bloom, or the birds in flight, or the smiles on the faces of children. There are so many reminders of the ability of our God to create a world of beauty and peace.
But, there are also the hard reminders of the sin that entered our world and spoils our view of the beautiful replacing it with the darkness of a world without trust. Let down by others, we learn to count only on ourselves, only on what we can control, only on what we can see and touch and hold.
That’s not how we were created to be.
We were created to know God. We were created to trust His goodness. Consider the evidence.
Let’s look at ourselves, really look at how we have been created. We see and breathe and jump and run. We laugh and cry and love. We experience joy and peace and anticipation. We are astounded by the miracle of birth. We are saddened by death. We are encouraged by kind words. We are driven by our goals. We are uplifted by kept promises. We are sustained by hope.
We are created in the image of God. We are created to know Him, and the evidence proves that we can trust Him.
When we wade through our pain to the place where we call out to Him, “Help me”, He does. It’s as simple as those few words: help me.
There is always a next step we can take. Our choice is simple. We either take a step towards the One who created us and loves us with a perfect love, or we step away into the void that offers us nothing but the ongoing trials of life without the One who longs to be our Friend in all we face.
I’ve tried life both ways.
Taking the Next Step Corp. was born out of my need to break free of the lingering effects of my childhood, to replace the beliefs and habits that I had formed as a result of the abuse I suffered during my formative years.
The Bible tells us that, in Christ, we are a new creation. If we let it, our old way of thinking and doing and being will be replaced by new, healthy ways.
God is love. He keeps His promises. This is the evidence of a different life. Whether we are wondering about God, have recently come to know Him, or have known Him for a long time, there is always one more step we can take in our relationship with Him.
Replacing our old beliefs and habits is not easy. It’s the journey of our lifetime. We, here at Taking the Next Step Corp., want to share with you things we have learned that we hope will help you on your journey.
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, and a time to lose;
A time to keep and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.
How have things been for you lately?
How can we help?