Building Up or Tearing Down
There is a great lesson in this passage for every true follower of Christ. If we are to live lives of meaning and purpose in a way that will make an eternal difference to the world around us, we must stop living for ourselves. We can be the light that is so desperately needed and the one who is used by God to restore the broken if only we will respond to the needs around us instead of living solely for our own.
Dealing With Difficult People
We all know what it is like to deal with difficult people. Whether at home, at work, or in our day to day lives, dealing with those who are difficult is something that we can't avoid. Thankfully the Bible has a great deal to say about how...
The Power of Momentum (and what to do if you don’t have it)
We all want to experience momentum in our lives but somehow think that momentum=speed or is reserved for the fastest and most capable among us. Momentum, whether on a trail in California, or in business, or in relationships, is not about speed. Which is great and means that any of us can, if we are willing to put in the work, begin to develop momentum in our lives.
With Thanksgiving
So often when I am in need, I focus on the NEED instead of on the ONE who has always heard and answered my prayer. God does tell us to come to Him boldly and express our need and our dependence on Him. As a loving Heavenly Father He takes joy in meeting our needs. But, as our Father, He also takes joy in hearing us express our thanks for all that He has done.
Think on These Things
Do you ever feel overwhelmed with everything going on in the world? That was one of those rhetorical questions. If you are paying attention at all, you are probably overwhelmed! If you are anything like me, then you waffle between wanting...
A New Thing
Have you ever felt like you were wandering around in the desert with no real direction? Perhaps you once knew what you were doing, but now just feel stuck and hopeless. Maybe something bad has happened to bring you to this place. Maybe you just feel like you’ve been doing the same thing for a long time but making very little progress. Whatever it is that’s gotten you here, something NEW needs to happen or you aren’t going to make it.
You Belong-Even when you think you don’t!
If I were to be honest, and I will right now (although I think it is always interesting when someone has to declare they are being honest), one of my biggest areas of personal insecurity is a sense of belonging. If I’m not careful, I can look at the people around me and wonder how I fit. They are smarter, more talented, have a deeper pool of experience and appear to be ALWAYS confident. While I do believe it’s good to surround myself with those more capable than me, it can also lead to an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy.
A Message to Dads on Father’s Day
In a world as dark and difficult as the one we’re in, fathers are the hope for a future restoration! It’s dads that will point their kids to God. It’s dads that will model leadership and courage. It’s dads that can set in place today all that is needed for a bright tomorrow. And that’s the reason the future is so bleak. God is still powerfully able but fathers have become so focused on their life today that they are not preparing their children for what is to come! Most men live like king Hezekiah. They can see what’s coming, they’re just happy it will come when they’re gone. But Dad, when he takes his responsibility and opportunity seriously, can change the world!
Faith Works
When we begin talking about the “living a life of faith”, we often believe that doing so requires very little action from us. Faith, it is assumed, is all about trust and confidence and therefore has nothing to do with actual effort. But here is the truth: Faith Works!
I know that combining faith and work seems to contradict the entire concept of faith, but the Bible is clear that true faith actually DEMANDS work. I wrote about this previously in my post “Do The Work”, but I want to spend a few more minutes today developing this very important truth.
Do The Work
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? How do you move forward when you feel stuck or overwhelmed? How do you regain focus when your mind feels like it is spinning a hundred miles an hour?
I don’t really expect an answer to these questions, but I’m guessing that if you are anything like me, you have undoubtably asked them. You may have even asked these with the desperation of a person who feels like they just can’t go on! Truthfully, much of life is spent unsure of what to do next. We want to have the right thoughts and take the right actions, but if we are honest, we don’t know how to do either!