Your zip code is not an accident. You live there. You work there. You play there. But God placed you there. He worked in ways that you could never comprehend or calculate to divinely position you right where you are at this very moment and this very season. Life didn’t just take you there. He did. And He brought you precisely where you are, precisely at this time, precisely to the people around you to represent Jesus to them. There is only one person that every other person in your life has in common, and that person is you. An ambassador for Christ is always FROM someone and TO someone; you are sent from Jesus and sent to the specific people in your life. You are sent to your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, your teammates, and every other person you find yourself with to share the message of God’s love with them. Who do you know that needs to hear good news? Every. Single. Person. Everyone you know loses their focus, loses their hope, loses their joy and loses their way. It’s a dark world, and you were sent to the people around you to shine His light. All of us living in the brokenness need to be reached with or reminded of the good news of what Jesus has done and promises to do for us. Therefore… Take inventory of those in your life. Take ownership of the reason you’ve been sent. Take action wherever you go, however you can to love others like Jesus.
Anything Else Is Too Small A Thing To Live For
You and I are on earth for a reason, and that reason is this: God has called us by His grace to know and make known Jesus. His perfect life. His atoning sacrifice. His resurrection power. His heart for people. His message of love. His life-transforming hope. His offer of eternal life. His amazing grace. His matchless value. His endless joy. His immeasurable benefits. His imminent return. His incredibly good news. God has graciously transformed our lives and sent us back out to be agents of His transformation in the lives of other people. We are who we are because of what Jesus has done for us; we do what we do because of who we are in Jesus. Christian is the adjective that is to describe and define every category and moment of our lives as we represent Jesus 24/7 to those in our lives. As ambassadors for Christ, we have been summoned into the most important work in the universe to spread the message and ministry of reconciliation as God makes His appeal for the hearts of others through us. The thoughts, feelings, motives, attitudes, words and actions of our lives need to communicate one thing with absolute clarity and certainty: life with Jesus is far better than life without Him, and eternal life is found only through Him. Ultimately, we are after this: Jesus being honored in us and us being happy in Him. Anything else is too small a thing to live for.
You Have Been Set Free
Too many of us live as if we are still imprisoned by our sin, sorrow and struggles with no way out of the cell that controls and limits us. Too often we let our regrets from the past, imperfections in the present and fears of the future enslave us as if we are helpless and hopeless to do anything about them. Too soon we give up, give in and give out when spiritual victory has already been secured and is almost ready to be seen. Nothing in our story can nullify the Greatest Story Ever Told about the finished work of Jesus Who has won the ultimate triumph over all enemies for us! We are more than conquerors through Him! This does not deny the existence of or seriousness of what we are facing and fighting against both inside and outside of us. Yes, our past may include terrible things we have done or others have done to us. Yes, our present may be filled with suffering and setbacks. Yes, our future may find our lives not going the way we hope they will. But Jesus has made amends for our past, makes provision for our present and will make a way for our future until we have been fully delivered from all foes. We have been released… from shame, from regret, from joylessness, from emptiness, from vanity, from futility, from fear, from sin, from death. No more shackles. No more cages. No more prisons. Walk out of that cell and in faith follow Jesus. Don’t live as if you are still in chains. You have been set free.
Jesus Is The Solid Rock On Which We Stand
It is hard to know who or what to believe. It is hard to know what is real and what is fake. It is hard to distinguish between fact and fiction. It is hard to know who is telling us the whole truth, who is withholding the truth, who is distorting the truth, who is misinterpreting the truth, and who is creating their own version of the truth. Who can we count on to be honest with us with what we need to hear? What is the standard by which we can evaluate all other guiding life principles and philosophies? What truth can we live by so we do not live in vain or error? Who can we believe? Jesus. The Son of God is Who we can believe. He always says the right things at the right time in the right way to get the right result in and through our lives, primarily speaking His words to us through THE Word, the Bible. On what He says, we must: Base our faith. Pin our hopes. Entrust our futures. Find our answers. Solve our problems. Build our lives. It is the solid rock on which we stand; all other ground is sinking sand (Matthew 7:24-27).
You Have Been Blessed; Now Go Be A Blessing
God has not blessed us with time just so we can use it binge-watching Netflix. He has not blessed us with money just so we can spend it on more comforts. He has not blessed us with abilities and skills just so we can serve our own interests and passions. The generosity of God has been extended to us with blessings of time, talent and treasure that we might both enjoy them ourselves and extend them to bless others.
We are to serve God’s kingdom with God’s gifts as long as there is a baby who is hungry, a single mom who is exhausted, a pastor who is about to call it quits, a teen who needs mentoring, a senior citizen who is lonely, a homeless man who needs a coat, a friend with an unpaid utility bill, a co-worker who feels excluded, a person who is unjustly imprisoned, a divorcee who is hurting, a family member who is depressed, a child who needs foster care, a new Christian who needs discipling, a neighbor who can’t mow her lawn, a believer who is suffering, a fellow human being with a need or a lost soul who has never heard of Jesus. Those of us who are trusting in Jesus have been entrusted with showing the world His heart for them by being His hands and feet to them. You have been blessed; now go be a blessing.
We Will Finish The Race
In a world of seemingly endless uncertainties, there is something that we can be absolutely sure of: God will finish what He started in us. There is zero chance He will fail. God has begun a good work in us, and He will work all things together for good to ensure its completion (Philippians 1:6). We will keep going. We will endure. We will make it. Not because of anything we can do apart from God, but because Jesus is a part of us, enabling us by His grace to persevere to the end when we can echo Paul’s words, “I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) Until then, even when our days include struggles and our walk include stumbles, let us press on in joyful confidence that getting to our heavenly home does not depend upon us but on God at work in us and for us. God does not start this work and leave us alone to finish it. He will stay right with us. He will do whatever it takes. He will provide all that is needed. He will take as long as required. Yes, we work hard by His grace to follow Him closely in loving obedience, but He alone will ensure that we are able to do so every step of the way. Rejoice as you hold on until the end-before-the-beginning, knowing that God is holding on to you. On this our eternal security firmly rests: We will finish the race because He will finish what He started.
Confess Your Sin (There Is Grace For You)
Do you know how often you and I need to confess our sin to God? Every. Single. Day. As Christians, we are in an ongoing war against our sin, and there are daily occasions in which we lose the battle. It is sin when we do what we are told not to do and when we don’t do what we are told to do. It is sin when we do anything without faith or anything without glorifying God. It is sin when we fail to love God above everything else and fail to love people as ourselves. It is sin when we don’t do what we know we should and when we fail to ask God what to do when we don’t know what we should. This spiritual journey we are on is one in which we have not yet been fully delivered from the presence of sin, so we must fight against it and confess our failings when we lose a skirmish. Every step of the way. Every time we pray. Every single day. Ours is a humble and simple cry out for grace: “I did it. I regret doing it. Help me not do it again.” Because Jesus has already secured the final victory over our sin, there is grace for us. Grace that gives us pardon when we lose the fight, and grace that give us power to fight on. #confessyoursintoday
It Counts When You Point People To Jesus
You may not realize the influence and impact of your life, but if you are God’s child, He works through you in the normal rhythms at your home, workplace, neighborhood, shopping mall, recreation center and hangouts. Every moment holds the possibility of a conversation to share the good news of how Jesus can change someone’s life. Every moment is a chance to demonstrate the beauty of God’s design for how to do things in all of life. Every moment is an occasion in life to bear the fruit of the Spirit … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Do you know how God works through your life to change someone else’s life? The everyday moments of life. Don’t think there is no value in the chaos of your life. Don’t believe that your normal life isn’t anything special. Don’t accept the lie that what you do and how you do it doesn’t matter. Don’t give up when your efforts seem fruitless and unappreciated. Don’t be silent about communicating the love of God in both your words and actions. Every moment counts when you live it to point people to Jesus.
God Gives Us All Things Richly To Enjoy
Pizza tastes good, because it’s supposed to be savored. Sex feels good, because it’s supposed to bring pleasure. A rose smells good, because it’s supposed to delight the senses. A sunset looks good because it’s supposed to fill us with awe. Music sounds good because it’s supposed to tickle our ears.
It is right to enjoy the good gifts of God in the way that He designed them to be enjoyed because that’s why He gives them to us. The sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of the created world are supposed to be enjoyed because God made them that way as senders and made us that way as receivers … of pleasure. They are ours to enjoy, each pointing us to our greatest gift and greatest enjoyment, God Himself. For those who are trusting in Jesus, the day is coming when the joy we encounter now in part will be unveiled in fullness, and the temporary pleasure we experience on earth will be ours forevermore in the presence of God (Psalm 16:11). Until then, let us be grateful to God for His gracious gifts and enjoy them to God’s glory by treasuring Him more than we do them.
It’s Okay To Not Be Okay
It’s okay to not be okay. It’s not okay to stay that way. Self-sufficiency was never a part of God’s design for us. From mankind’s beginning, He purposed that we would be a people who needed help. Help from Him. Help from each other. To those He called to be in the family of God, He also called to live as the family of God in administering His care to one another until the day comes when He will welcome us into our heavenly home, and there will be no more burdens to bear. He calls, gifts, empowers, mobilizes, and sends the church to be the hands, feet, and mouth of Jesus to people inside and outside the family of God. I help you; you help me; we help others; we all look to God for help. That’s what God means to happen. Therefore, the smartest thing we can do when we find ourselves feeling overpowered, overwhelmed or overloaded is to ask for help. If it’s more than you or I can handle alone, that’s God’s way of saying He doesn’t want us to handle it alone.
There Is Much I Don’t Know
There is so much I don’t know. Every day I am aware of my limitations for figuring things out on my own. I often don’t know… What to say. What to think. What to do. What to pray. What to desire. What to prioritize. What to decline. What to give. What to believe. Know what I mean? There are countless perplexities in our lives where the best way to proceed is often unknown to us. But there is good news for people like you and me. There is so much we do not know, but all we need to know is Jesus. Why? Because He knows everything! Every mystery is already solved by Him. Every as yet unwritten page is an open book to Him. Every murky situation is crystal clear to Him. Every question is easily answered by Him. He knows exactly what we should say, think, do, and feel to wisely navigate through life. Better still, He makes known those very things to us so we can know what He knows. The wisest thing we can do today is seek the wisdom of the Lord. There will never be a situation for which He does not have the answer. Don’t be concerned about what you do not know; be confident in the One Who knows it all.
Our Lives Are About Jesus
It’s easy to be mistaken about this. It’s easy to assume this. It’s easy to believe this. It’s easy to want this. It’s easy to live like this. What is this? The idea that your life is about you. It’s not. The Bible teaches over and over again that your life is about Jesus. For example, 2 Corinthians 5:14,15 says… “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” Who are we to live for? Not ourselves. For Jesus, the One who died for us and was raised for us. Today is a good day to be reminded that you and I should… Exalt Jesus. Proclaim Jesus. Model Jesus. Know Jesus. Serve Jesus. Praise Jesus. Believe Jesus. Seek Jesus. Adore Jesus. Please Jesus. Magnify Jesus. Worship Jesus. Defend Jesus. Treasure Jesus. Follow Jesus. Trust Jesus. Enjoy Jesus. Obey Jesus. Love Jesus. As Christians, everything about our lives is because of Jesus and should be used for Jesus.
God Is Working In Ways You Do Not See
God is actively working behind-the-scenes for you right now to meet your needs in ways that you don’t see. You don’t have the answers; God does. You don’t know the next move; God does. You can’t see how it will work out; God does. Everything you really need will really be supplied. Not maybe. Not probably. Definitely. God will provide for every need. Not some of them. Not most of them. All of them, without exception. Right when you need it, not a second too late. If you don’t have it now, it’s because you don’t need it now. God met our greatest need by sending Jesus to live, die and rise for us so we can be forgiven for and freed from our sin; surely, He will also meet our lesser ones! What rest and relief and rejoicing there is when you do the work that God has said is for you to do, and believe that He is doing the work that is not for you to do.
The Weight Of Worry Is Lifted By Jesus
You can downplay it, but you cannot ignore it. You can numb it, but you cannot heal it. You can run from it, but you cannot escape it. For those who carry it around inside, the weight of worry is a debilitating burden that grows larger, gains traction and grates on your thoughts and feelings. Oftentimes a low-level anxiety. Sometimes an explosive outburst. At all times a threat to your peace and joy. The cure is not to make-believe it isn’t there, white-knuckle your way through it or self-medicate for some temporary relief. These may pick you up for a moment, but they offer no real hope for real freedom from the worries that are weighing you down. The balm for a heart and mind that is reeling from the cares of the world is to cast your cares on Jesus. He is willing to take that weight from you and carry your anxieties for you if you are willing to let Him and let go of them. This means trusting that He is strong enough, wise enough and loving enough to sustain you through it all no matter what happens. As your confidence in Him grows, your anxiety shrinks; as your worries transfer to Him, your peace and joy return. Remember this today: you do not have to live with constant low-level anxiety and stress because you have the constant presence of Jesus living in you.
Jesus Walks With Us When We Suffer
The people in your life need to see you suffer well, handling hardships with hope because you have Jesus in your life. We shouldn’t try to make-believe our problems aren’t there as if Christians are immune to the brokenness around us, nor make-a-big-production of our problems as if Jesus isn’t there to sustain us. Griping over the trials of life isn’t the solution, but neither is glossing over them. When bad things happen, it is an opportunity to speak honestly about our struggles while showcasing the good things that are ours because of Jesus in spite of those struggles: hope, joy, peace, endurance, strength, courage, guidance, security. It’s only whining if we leave worshipping Jesus out of it. It’s only complaining if we leave celebrating His grace out of it. It’s only pouting if we leave pointing people to His sufficiency out of it. Others need to see and hear our joy-filled, hope-filled, peace-filled confidence in this: He will get us through every test, trial and tribulation until He gets us home. As we walk through seasons of suffering, let us testify to the faithfulness of Jesus in walking with us so others can know, that because grace is available in their own struggles, they never have to walk alone either.
Our Hope Is In Jesus
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. No candidate, no party, no administration, no vote, no election, no legislation, no ruling, – no, nothing can stop God from accomplishing whatever He intends. This is where we pin our hope. Let us prayerfully consider how to honor Christ in how we cast our vote and let us move past election day with positive confidence that God will work things out for good, and that things will turn out for the best in the end.
You Are Simply Outmatched By The Grace Of God
You are simply outmatched by the grace of God. Yes, there are days when the odds are stacked against you. There are moments when your sin gets the best of you. There are seasons when the challenges and choices of life confuse you. There are people who most certainly will disappoint and abuse you. There are shiny objects that will distract you. But if you are trusting in Jesus, none of these things will defeat you. God’s grace is sufficient for every situation, every location, every imperfection, and every opposition.
As one of God’s children, it is simply impossible for you to out-sin, out-run, out-last, out-need, or out-hope His grace … because God’s grace for you never runs out. You will never find yourself in a situation where God has not already plastered, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
Comparison Is A Game We Do Not Have To Play
An ongoing struggle that all of us experience is comparing ourselves and our lives to other people. It shows up as we measure our appearance, finances, intellect, popularity, achievements, opportunities and so forth to someone else’s. Regardless of whether we compare favorably or unfavorably, it usually leads to sin. Comparison is a game we cannot win for at least two reasons: it either makes us discontent with the kind of person we are or the kind of life we live compared to other people, OR it makes us prideful because we feel superior to others or look down on others in some comparison category. The solution for both of these problems is to be happy with the person God is making us and content with what He has given us with no care to compare at all. Our ultimate source of satisfaction is found in Jesus, Whom God is making us like and is His greatest gift to us. Comparison is a game we cannot win, but because of Jesus we do not have to play it.
I’m A Believer
I’m a believer. I believe that Jesus is Who the Bible says He is and did what the Bible says He did. I believe He can be trusted without hesitation or reservation. I believe He reigns over my life for good. I believe His kingdom will last forever. I believe fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore await me. I believe in His agenda of love. I believe He chose me to be in His family and called me to invite others into His family. I believe I have given up nothing of value to follow Him and have gained immeasurable riches in knowing Him. I believe grace is available to those who receive His love, and wrath is coming for those who reject it. I believe He has forgiven the penalty of my sin, freed me from the power of sin, and will forever remove the presence of sin from me. I believe He will finish what He started in me, loving me just as I am, but always working to transform me into who I have not yet become. I believe that to believe is to turn from sin and turn to Jesus. I believe He is coming soon, perhaps today, to fulfill all that He has promised. I believe until I meet Him face to face in glory, I should bring Him glory on earth. I believe that because of Jesus the best is always yet to come for those who believe. Do you believe?
God Took Our Sin Seriously; We Should Too
Since God took your sin seriously enough to send Jesus to be crushed on the cross in your place, you should take it seriously enough to make war against it instead of making excuses for it. Start your day confessing your sin to God and confessing your need for God to help you fight against your sin. Pieces of God’s armor. Promises of God. Places of escape. Preventative steps. People to hold you accountable. These are your weapons of war to be put on, put into place and put into action before the battle even begins. Then, when temptation comes, stand firm in your faith, steady on your feet, strong in the Lord and do not give in or give up. Make war! And if you go down, go down swinging, knowing that there is grace for every lost fight because you are trusting in Jesus and Jesus has dealt a knockout punch to sin, Satan and death for you. You will rise again to fight again and win in the end. Because His pardon is given to you and His power is with you and His presence is in you, you can be honest about your sin, and you can be victorious over it.
