Christians should talk more about what God does than about what we do.  Even when we speak of what we do, it should be as a platform to talk about the enabling power, provision and presence of God in our lives.  We don’t have it all together.  We won’t get it all together.  We can’t keep it all together.  None of us wear capes as if we are super Christians; we wear the righteousness of Jesus.  None of us have magical powers that enable us to do things; we have the power of the Holy Spirit.  None of us belong on the throne of worship; we belong to a Heavenly Father Who does.  Not to us, but to God be the glory!

Jesus is not only a doer of good to you, He is also an un-doer of bad done to you by people. They hurt your heart; He heals it. They distance themselves; He draws near. They sting you with their words; He soothes you with His. They overlook you; He pays attention. They cheat you; He blesses you. They intend you harm; He works it out for good. They judge your sins; He dies for them.  We all do each other wrong, but Jesus begins to make things right in us when we turn to Him, and He will someday make things right in all of creation.  Until then, let us seek His grace when others wrong us and when we wrong others.

If there is one thing you can be sure of, it is this:  people will hurt you.  It may be accidental, or it may be intentional, but it will happen.  There will be things said and left unsaid, things done and left undone, which bruise and break your heart and spirit.  But there is a sweet-like-honey truth to overcome the bitter taste of how others treat you:  Jesus is not like others.  He is a friend who will never betray you, abandon you, disparage you, neglect you, exploit you, condemn you, harm you, mis-prioritize you, belittle you, mistreat you, lie to you, pretend with you, or withhold love from you.  He will only do good to you.

There is often a tension between belief and doubt when things become difficult.  It would be plausible to lose hope and lose heart when facing things that are too much for us to handle if we were forced to handle them alone.  But Jesus has promised to never leave us alone, always supplying the grace we need for the needs we face.  The more we trust in Him, the more we will rely on Him during the unexpected, uncertain and unpleasant difficulties of this broken world.  He will work it out for good as we work out His purposes for us.  With faith all things are not made easy.  With faith all things are made possible.

Dying ready is not about trying hard to do more and be better so God will accept you into heaven when this life is over.  Instead, it’s about trusting in Jesus and the work He has finished on your behalf and, in response, finishing the work that Jesus has entrusted to you.  We don’t work for our salvation; we work out our salvation.  We don’t pay Him back.  We love Him back.  With our hope in Him, we journey homeward in loving obedience (though imperfectly executed) knowing that the death we once feared is actually the doorway to full and lasting joy with Him.  Death is not the end; it is just the beginning.

Living fully is not about having the most fun, experiencing the greatest pleasure, and doing the biggest good in this world as if this place is all there is.  Instead, it’s about the eternal ripple your life can make when you use it for Jesus. That doesn’t mean you leave happiness and helpfulness behind; it means you find it in a more meaningful way. We are to be faithful witnesses for God in the everyday things of life that we’re doing on earth (from cookouts to workouts to hangouts) in such a way that we’ll be glad we did when we get to heaven.  Enjoy blessings.  Do good.  Glorify God.  Live this life in light of the one to come.

We don’t like to think about it.  We don’t like to talk about it.  But death is coming for us all.  We may not be certain of the time of its arrival, but the certainty of its arrival is never in doubt.  Instead of ignoring, downplaying, or fearing it, we should let its reality accomplish two essential and monumental things in our lives:  be purposeful to experience life before death, and be prepared to experience life after death.  Jesus makes both of these possible as we trust Him.  He gives us grace so we can give ourselves to the things that matter most.  In every step of faith, let us rely on Him to help us… Live fully.  Die ready.

God should be praised by every living thing because every living thing was made by Him and for Him.  True of all of creation, this is especially true of those who are a part of the family of God.   He makes us.  He calls us. He pursues us. He redeems us.  He forgives us.  He changes us.  He blesses us.  He encourages us.  He comforts us. He strengthens us.  He keeps us.  He delivers us.  He works through us.  He provides for us. He comes to get us.  He satisfies us forever. It is fitting to praise God for, through Jesus, we are recipients of such unimaginable and unending grace! He has been, is being and will be so, so good to us!

God has written our stories.   We may not know how this chapter ends and the next one begins, but we trust that God knows exactly what He is doing in every scene of our lives.  People aren’t always who they ought to be. Places aren’t always what we want them to be. Plot twists aren’t always what they seem to be.  But God is writing a beautiful story for those who trust Jesus! We don’t know what comes with each new turn of the page, and it won’t always make sense to us, but it doesn’t have to.  Because our faith is in the One who does know the happily-ever-after ending to our story.  After all, He’s the One who wrote it.

God certainly works in supernatural ways at times, but He also works at making supernatural changes inside of His people so we who have been touched by His grace and generosity will pay it forward to others. You can’t do everything, but you can do something to make a difference … one need at a time, one moment at a time, one person at a time. Therefore, show the world His heart for them by being His hands and feet to them.  The church of God, His people, you and me, are His Plan A for blanketing the world with good works and spreading the good news of Jesus everywhere we go.  There is no Plan B.

God is our glimmer of hope during seasons of suffering.  Though we may feel discouraged in our ongoing troubles, we should know that God is near to strengthen us when we are weak, lift us when we have fallen, and rescue us when we are drowning. That’s why we cry out to Him as the God of our salvation.  Praise God, He saves us! He keeps His promises to us, even when we don’t think He has.  He hears us when we pray, even when we don’t think He does.  He works for our good, even when we don’t think He is.   In Jesus, God Himself has entered our suffering to give us hope when it seems like we have none.

There are many things that are true about prayer.  One of them is this:  prayer involves seeking what we need to do what God wants.  We don’t talk to God in order to secure what we need to build our own kingdoms; we talk to God to request what we need to live for His kingdom.  Prayer is not a hotline to heaven we use to override His will so He will give us what we think will make us happy; it is a lifeline to heaven we use to ask Him to show us His will and make us happy with what He gives us.  If we want to pray for what is best for us, this is the prayer that never fails:  Your will be done in my life as it is in heaven.

The world often portrays being blessed as the measure of how good we are or how good we have it.  It says we are blessed because of what we do, what we get to do and what we get from our doing.  But being blessed in the Kingdom of God is more than that. It doesn’t necessarily mean that all is well on the outside, but that all is well on the inside.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that all is well in the everyday matters of life, but that all is well in what matters most. It doesn’t necessarily mean that all is well now, but that all will be well forever. Know this: Real blessing comes in things that can never be taken from us.

God’s love for you does not rise with every new entry on your resume’ and does not fall with every new entry on your rap sheet.  God’s love is not based on your performance as if He only cares about you when you get it right.  You are loved; not because you are perfect, but because you are His.  You are valued; not because of what you have made of your life, but because you were made by Him.  You are treasured; not because you cross off items on a checklist, but because Jesus died on a cross for you.  God will continue to shape you into the person He made you to be. But He deeply loves the person you are today.

God designed everything and made everything out of nothing.  When you consider the amazing diversity and creativity and majesty displayed in every corner of the created world that we can see, hear, smell, taste and feel, God’s handiwork is just absolutely stunning.  He created angles and dimensions, shapes and textures, colors and flavors, scents and elements, and, well, everything known and unknown to us.  And Our God made us and is now remaking us into the likeness of Jesus. This is Who our hope is in.  This is Who our praise is for. This is Who helps us and keeps us forever. Rejoice! Our God is an awesome God.

Our hope is not in who sits in the Oval Office, but in Who sits on the throne in heaven.  Our hope is not in who governs us on earth, but in Who reigns and rules over the entire universe.  Our hope is not in what laws are passed, but in the One Who has written His law of love on our hearts.  While politics, parties, programs and policies do have an impact upon our lives and our country, and we should take these things seriously, the optimism we have for everyday and eternal well-being does not rise and fall on one of us, but on Jesus, Who is God with us.  This is where we pin our hope:  Jesus governs our lives.

Rather than spending our lives laboring for things we cannot keep, we should use our wisdom, talents, opportunities, resources and energy in pursuit of things we cannot lose.  While acquiring wealth through righteous means can be a blessing, it is never a blessing to toil for wealth at the expense of true riches in Christ and His kingdom. We seek to know, enjoy, proclaim, serve and glorify Him first. Then, the financial blessings God entrusts to us should be stewarded to do the most good for the most people.   When our time and money are used in this way, we will find satisfaction in Him that we can never get from wealth.

We will fight many battles in life.  We will fight for the things that God means for us to have and do, and we will fight against the things that would rob us of the abundant life that is ours in Christ.  Physical well-being.  Spiritual warfare.  Family protection.  Kingdom fruit.   Our happiness.  God’s honor. We are to get ready for battle, go to battle and depend on God in battle.  It is not our strength, our plan, our wisdom, our abilities, our possessions or our community that we are to trust in, but rather our God. He provides the resources we use and the results from their use. For both the means and the victory come from Him.

We are prone to want things and want things now.  But we often make a mess of things by acting hastily.  To avoid getting nowhere fast, we should prayerfully answer three questions:  Does God want me to do this?  How does God want me to do this? When does God want me to do this? As we slow down and sincerely seek His will, He gives us the right desire, the right way and the right time to do the things that are right for us.  Even more than that, He graciously encourages us and empowers us and equips us for the doing.  Praise God! We will never miss the way when we are walking in stride with Jesus.