Help For Temptation
Everyday there is a tug-of-war for control of your thoughts, feelings, motives, attitudes, words and actions, pulling you in the opposing directions of what sin entices you into and what God invites you into. Look to Jesus for help and look for His help to arrive as a way to leave the temptation, the power to say “no” to the temptation, a divine removal of the temptation, the arrival of someone to help you through the temptation, and / or a promise of something worth waiting for that is better than the temptation. Never lose sight of this truth: You are never helpless against temptation as long as there is a throne of grace for you to run to for help.
Real Comfort For Real Struggles
Though binge-eating, relaxing and other ways of coping might offer some temporary numbness when we cannot escape or eliminate the trials of life, we need something better. Because sooner or later, the numbness fades. What Jesus offers is a real comfort that doesn’t wear off. It’s an encouraging, strengthening, sustaining help that is ours when we stop looking to other helpers to do for us what only the Helper can do. Jesus will not walk away from us, but will walk with us to help us press on this very hour, and He will stay with us to help us through every test, trial and tribulation until He brings them to an end.
God Is The Author Of Happiness
God wants us to be happy. He’s the Author of happiness. It was His idea. But if that’s true, then why are so many people discouraged and downtrodden… and so often un-happy? The problem is what we listen to that drives what we look to in order to find that happiness. The message of the world is to “be who you want to be, and do what you want to do” and this will make you happy, only it … does. not. work. The message of Jesus is “be who I made you to be, and do what I want you to do” and in doing so, we will experience His joy, and our joy will be full no matter what else is happening in our lives.
Full And Lasting Satisfaction
The things of this world were not designed to bring you full and lasting satisfaction; that’s why they never do. They leave you longing for something more, something different, something better. You’ll look for it your entire life in people, places, pursuits and possessions; but you’ll only find it in Jesus. He doesn’t offer to get us that new job, new spouse, new vacation, new baby, new home, new personal best, new recognition, new bill of health, or new thing that we think will make us happy. He offers to give us Himself. Our satisfaction doesn’t depend upon having the things of this world; it depends upon us having Him.
This Brings Peace
No matter how tough we are, removed we are, indifferent we are, or protected we are, there are real threats to our peace of heart and peace of mind. In this world, we will have troubles. But Jesus entered our world of troubles so we could have our peace restored, now and forever. This brings peace: Jesus has overcome the world, is with us as we live in the world, provides all that we need in this world, and promises to come back to deliver us from this world! If you trust that He can handle sin, death and Satan to give you eternal life, then trust He can also help you through all the issues you face in everyday life until He gets you home.
Real Faith
Faith in Jesus is followed by following Jesus in faith. Saving belief leads us to step off the throne, take off the crown, and let Jesus take over ruling our hearts and lives. We haven’t really put our faith in Jesus if we are indifferent to what He wants and resistant to what He says. That’s not trust. That’s a lack of trust. That’s mistrust. Real faith in Jesus makes us want to give up our sin and self-rule to follow His steps, His ways and His commands (although imperfectly executed) more fully over time. Why? Because we are confident that life His way is better than any other option, and that for eternal life He is the only option.
There Is No Plan B
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 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.
Beloved Masterpieces
God has committed Himself to the long-term transformation of making us more like Jesus. He is acting as both demolition crew and construction crew in us, tearing down those things that don’t belong and building us up in ways that better mirror His image. He will not stop until the good work in us is done, loving us just as we are, but never content to leave us that way. We are His beloved unfinished masterpieces, treasured works-in-progress that are always under the skilled brush of God Who graciously and patiently adds His loving strokes to who we are so we can become who we were made to be.
God Is Doing A Thousand Things For You
First glances can be deceiving. Initial observations can be short-sighted. The opening paragraph doesn’t tell the whole story. While it is easy to see the obvious things happening in, around and through our lives, without a careful look through a gospel lens, there is a lot that we can miss. God is doing a thousand things for us today, and we may not have our spiritual eyes locked in on any of them. Our lives are under the careful rule of a wise, powerful and loving God Who is moving us along toward the glorious return of Jesus when all will make sense, and all will be made right, and all will be made new.
Disobedience By Delay
One thing most of us struggle with is disobedience by delay. That is, we are tempted to wait to do what God has called us to do. Wait until a more convenient time, thinking we have plenty of time, but more often than not, we will run out of time. For most of us, God doesn’t mean for us to wait until some future day to serve Him by going out in a million-dollar blaze of glory, but rather He wants us to give ourselves to Him in daily nickels and dimes of service to those around us. Lay up treasures in heaven with how you use your time today, because it’s not what you leave behind that matters most. It’s what you forward ahead.
