START WITH YOUR HEART

Leon FontaineDevoted

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)  So many times we look outside of ourselves to try to fix our relationships—often hoping the change will come from the other person. Meanwhile, the first place to start is your own heart, and as a believer, you have God’s grace to help you.  Why not start claiming His promises today? Based on Ephesians 2:8, you could say something like this: “Father, it is by grace that I’m saved, through faith. Because of this gift from You, I have all the wisdom and power I need for my relationships!”  Notice that …

¿DEBERÍA USTED AMARSE A SÍ MISMO?

Leon FontaineEntregate

Jesús le dijo: “Ama al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón, con toda tu alma y con toda tu mente.” Mateo 22:37 (DHH)  En general, tendemos a despreciar a las personas que piensan bien de sí mismas. Decimos cosas como: “Él cree que es el regalo de Dios para las mujeres” o “Ella es una leyenda en su propia mente”. Por supuesto, cuando Jesús nos dijo que amemos a nuestro prójimo como a nosotros mismos, no estaba hablando de ser arrogantes ni orgullosos. Sin embargo, sus creencias pueden ser sacudidas al saber que Él quiere que usted se ame a sí mismo.  Él no estaba sugiriendo que usted se pusiera por encima de Dios. Jesús nos enseñó a amar a Dios con todo nuestro …

BENDECIDOS GRACIAS A USTED

Leon FontaineEntregate

Sin embargo, David dijo: —No hagan eso, amigos míos, después de todo es el Señor quien nos ha dado, nos ha conservado la vida y ha puesto en nuestras manos a esa banda de ladrones que nos había atacado. 1 Samuel 30:23 (DHH)  Cuando David y sus hombres se disponían a luchar contra un ejército enemigo y recuperar a sus esposas e hijos robados, salieron con 600 hombres, pero solo 400 tenían la fuerza para continuar.  A veces las personas pasan por épocas en la que realmente no pueden ayudar. Ellos pueden estar luchando contra una enfermedad física, lidiando con problemas familiares o enfrentando problemas emocionales. Es crucial que no nos resintamos o miremos por encima del hombro a aquellos que están atravesando momentos difíciles. …

OVERCOMING SHAME

Leon FontaineDevoted

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NLT)  When you feel hurt, often it isn’t because of the people around you. When you get to the bottom of it, hurt feelings often have more to do with what’s going on inside you.  Shame, for example, causes all kinds of relationship trouble. If you’ve never accepted God’s forgiveness or become aware of the fact that you’re a brand-new creation in Christ, you’ll be easily hurt. Every time someone corrects or questions you, you’ll feel like it’s an all-out attack on your self-worth. And because you feel you have something to hide, you’ll have trouble connecting with others emotionally.  In your marriage, if you can’t seem to connect with …

THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE

Leon FontaineDevoted

O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. Psalms 25:2 (NKJV)  If you’re dealing with shame from your past, it’s always going to bring confusion in your relationships.  Before we get into this issue, let me identify the difference between guilt and shame. Guilt is about your behaviour or actions. When you do something wrong, you feel guilty, and this is normal. It motivates you to ask for forgiveness or do what you need to do to fix the situation.  Shame, on the other hand, is an identity issue. It goes much deeper than behaviour, and that’s why we have to deal with it. When your identity is wrapped up in shame, it affects …