The clouds roll in like never before. The lightning flashes and the thunder roars. The wind blows and the rain pours. Chance of storm: 100%. Something bad is brewing. But, if you love Jesus, you can be sure that the hardships you experience are going to serve the high purposes of God. Chance of good from the storm: 100%. For Christians… Suffering is never pointless. Struggles are never without blessing. Storms never have the final word. Therefore, let us endure hardships in hope while we wait for Him to finish His good work, knowing it will be worth it in the end and someday He will bring all suffering to an end.
Fight By Grace
People who love Jesus repent by making war against their sin instead of making excuses for it. Because His pardon is given to us, and His power is with us, and His presence is in us, we can be honest about our sin, and we can be victorious over it. Therefore, let us strive for holy living while resting in the grace of God, remembering and rejoicing over this truth: what Jesus has done for us on the cross is sufficient to both cleanse and correct our transgressions. Because of grace we don’t give up in our fight against our sinfulness; by grace we get up and fight on.
Forgiven And Free
Every person alive disobeys God, but the ways in which we respond to our sin is often in stark contrast with each other. Some people rationalize. Some people repent. As Christians, we have a faith in Jesus that is demonstrated by loving obedience, though imperfectly executed. That means we too will disobey God at times, but because of the love we receive from Him and have for Him, we will admit our sin by seeking His pardon for it and His power to be free from it.
Depend On Him
We were not made to be self-reliant, self-sustaining or self-sovereigns. God created us to be dependent upon His gracious care and provision, turning to Him and trusting in Him, moment by moment for what we need. Our wisdom and willpower are inadequate for handling life, but His is infinite, and it is readily available to those who trust in Jesus. Don’t try to make it on your own. You were never meant to. When there is a mile-high mountain or a mountain of little stuff piled up a mile high that is too big for you to climb, perhaps God put it there as a gracious and loving reminder for you to depend on Him.
It Is Exhausting
One of the most exhausting things in all of life is trying to be in control of your life. Things simply will not always happen the way we want them to, and the more we try to force them to, the more worn out and weary we will become. But there is good news for frustrated control freaks like us: God rules and reigns over the cosmos for the good of His people. So… Step off the throne; that’s where He sits. Step out in faith; that’s where rest comes. Watch the frustration and exhaustion melt away when you operate by this truth: God is in control; we can stop trying to be.
Sons And Daughters
What comfort, what relief, what joy is ours that with God we do not have to pretend to be something we are not, because God is making us into what we are not yet. And there is absolutely no risk that He will walk away from those of us who have been gloriously saved into His family because of our faith in Jesus. For when He looks upon you and me, though He sees everything about us, what He sees most is a beloved son or daughter.
We All Keep Secrets
We all keep secrets. There is not a human being on the face of the earth who fully discloses every thought, feeling, motive, desire, and attitude to others. The relationships we are involved in are to some degree built on us holding back some things about us. Not so in our relationship with God. We cannot hide ourselves from Him; nor do we have to. The One who matters the most, knows us most and loves us most. He also has committed Himself to the long-term transformation of making us more like Jesus.
Defeating Doubt
Defeat doubt by preparing for battle in advance by filling your heart with the truth of God’s Word. In advance, because doubt appears without warning. With the truth of God’s Word, because doubt arrives with lies. The enemy will attack you in times of darkness because it’s hard to see him coming, and it’s hard to see the situation for what it really is. Therefore, start your day in the light by saturating your heart with a good and accurate picture of God’s graciousness and faithfulness so you can remember, rejoice in and rely on those truths and promises when darkness falls. Never forget in the dark what God has shown you in the light.
No Perfect People
There are no perfect people. When you find that you are focused on and frustrated with the faults of others, remember that your life is riddled with faults too … yet you are loved, accepted, forgiven and changed by Jesus. When we are humbled by, amazed by, overjoyed by and empowered by the forgiveness and help extended by God for our own sins and shortcomings, we will more readily extend grace to others. God judged Jesus in our place. We don’t have to be judged. We don’t get to be judge.
Short #12: He Doesn’t Need Us; They Do
God doesn’t need us to do anything for Him as if He could ever be deficient in some area that we could supply for Him. But our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, teammates, and complete strangers do need us to do for them. Not because God is failing to meet their needs, and we should make up for His oversight or indifference, but rather because in His loving providence, He has sent us to bring His aid to them. God puts us in places where needy people are right in front of us so we can be like Jesus to them by offering a helping hand, a guiding word, and a loving embrace.
Short #11: Will It Matter?
Here’s a simple, but significant, lens through which life looks radically different than we often see it… will this matter 100 years from now? How we think, feel, speak, act, and react would be wonderfully different if we saw things in light of eternity, and remember that this short life is not all that there is. Our lives would create an everlasting ripple if we could look a century into our future to see the impact of our today. As we live by grace, in dependence upon the presence and power of Jesus, let us give less priority to the things that really don’t matter and more priority to the things that do.
Short #10: The Anchor For Drifters
We all drift. We all move away at times from the beautiful design of how God intends for things to work and the wonderful harmony that God intends for us to experience. One of the reasons He wired us for community is to help each other make our way back to Him when we lose our way, focus, joy, purpose, peace, strength, or hope. When we see each other discouraged in our faith or distracted away from it, let us point each other to the God who sent Jesus to be the anchor for drifters like you and me. He always receives us back, refreshes our hearts and restores our course. He may let us drift, but He will not let us go.
Short #9: Die Ready
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.
Short # 8: Live Fully
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 that 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 already 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 life. Do good. Glorify God.
Short #7: It Is Coming
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 when we entrust ourselves to Him. Live fully. Die ready.
Short #6: For Recovering Sight-Walkers
I’m a recovering sight-walker. Give me the plan. Give me the map. Tell me where we’re going, how we’re going to get there, what’s going to happen along the way, and what awaits us at our destination. While the Bible does give us the “big picture” view of these things, the everyday details of our individual lives aren’t specifically given to us in advance. It takes faith for us to follow Jesus into the unknown, uncertain and, often, unfamiliar spaces where He leads us. But our faith rests firmly in this: when Jesus calls us to leave our comfort zones, we can be sure He will always go with us and provide for us.
Short #5: When We Fail To Glorify God
We glorify God by thanking Him, trusting Him and treasuring Him as we live in loving obedience to Him. But, let’s be honest … oftentimes we’re not going to get that right. We’re going to disobey Him and dishonor Him. We’re going to fall. What then? Then … We fall into His mercy. In those moments when we don’t do the things that honor Him – because we are sinners – we repent and rest in the forgiveness and righteousness that is ours because of the work of Jesus and our faith in Him. And that glorifies Him too.
Short #4: Glorifying God
There is a way in which we can do everything in life so that God is honored through it. Namely, by handling everything in life in the manner that He intends. We enjoy the good things by expressing gratitude to Him and guarding against prioritizing them over Him. We endure the bad things by trusting Him as our all-powerful provider and looking to Him as our all-satisfying treasure. We experience all things with loving obedience to His commands as we follow His design for how and why and what we do with the lives we have been given.
Short #3: Time With Jesus
Admit it, some days are a blur. We wake up, and over the coming hours, it’s a nonstop rush to not fall behind. You know what the cure is for being overwhelmed, worried and frustrated about the many things on our schedules? Making the right choice to spend unhurried, undistracted time with Jesus today. That’s the most important part of our day, and it should have the most intentional part of our schedule because it’s the most influential part of our lives. #talktoJesus #listentoJesus
Short #3: Be Courageous
Because of Jesus, we can be courageous in the face of tribulation. His power is greater than our enemies, His sovereignty rules over our battles, His promises reside in our hearts, His forgiveness ensures our futures, His presence empowers our lives, and His grace provides for our needs. Therefore… Be bold to speak the truth in His love. Be courageous to face enemies with His love. Be encouraged in tribulation by His love. Take heart today, Christian… your tribulation will not last forever; but your joy in Jesus will.
