Thankfulness helps us to see who is there.

Paul writes to the Colossians that they should be devoted to prayer, be watchful and thankful. And to the Thessalonians he says to rejoice always, pray continually and to give thanks in all circumstances.

Why did God have Paul repeat himself? Life is not easy, but focusing on what we don’t have or where we currently are only makes it tougher. When we create an attitude of gratitude, though, we will experience huge benefits that will help us through those tough times.

Research studies show that those who cultivate an attitude of gratitude have been “consistently linked to higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction.” They also tend to “have more positive and supportive relationships, cope with stress and adversity more effectively and have less anxiety that promotes a more peaceful and restful sleep,” which allows both the body and the brain to recuperate and heal.

Think God knows what He is talking about? He tells us to be watchful for peace robbers by staying in constant contact with the peace bringer; and then, to fight back through being thankful for what we do have and rejoicing over who we are in Christ to keep moving forward despite our present challenges.

Here’s an exercise. When you go to bed tonight, tell God three things for which you are thankful. Then throughout the day, especially when life gets rough, repeat them to Him and see what He does in and through you.

I’m going to practice this truth and report back next Wednesday. Hopefully you will as well.

The next step may be unknown but the way isn’t.

Where’s the plane???

I was out walking when I heard a plane’s engines roar directly above my head. Yet, it was gone when I looked up to see it or so I thought. It was there alright. I could ‘see’ it with my ears, not my eyes, as the clouds were in the way.

This is faith. We can’t always ‘see’ the next step the Spirit is asking us to take. The Father is simply asking us to trust Him that keeping in step with the Spirit is the best way possible even though we can’t see the results at the moment.

The Spirit is truth and will never mislead you. Jesus is truth and will never leave you. And the Father is truth and will present you before His glorious presence faultless and with great joy.

Your Father is asking you to walk by faith through love. What step is He asking you to take? Ask the Spirit to increase your love for the Father, which should give you the impetus to take that step of faith knowing you’ll only get closer to the One you love.

The beauty of life is seen in the dying.

The writer of Colossians tells his readers they have died and their life is now hidden with Christ. And, when Jesus, who is their life, is revealed, they will also be revealed with Him.

What an interesting truth: We are living dead people!

Dead people can’t think. They are dead. Dead people can’t make decisions. They are dead. Dead people can’t choose as they are dead. Only in the movies do dead people do such things.

Yet, we don’t live in the movies. We “live” in the real world where to those in Christ, death means dying to our way of thinking, to our way of choosing and to our way of “living” because we are dead!

Furthermore, life to a dead person doesn’t make sense because a dead person can’t make sense of anything! They are dead. Jesus believers get all twisted up inside because they are dead people trying to make sense of a broken and dying world that is ever sliding away from the Father.

Therefore, “life” will only make sense as we see life through Jesus’ eyes. This is the essence of the Jesus believer’s hope. Our sin, no matter how small or how big, caused our death. Choosing His death to cover our death is the only way to true living today and for eternity.

Let Jesus bring life into the dead areas of your existence in order to experience true living, His. Let Him choose your path, and then give you the faith and the strength to get and stay on it. Life is to be lived, not merely talked about.

We should be extremely grateful for this hope He provided for us. There is a dead world just dying to see His life in you!

“When we work, we work. When we pray, God works.” Hudson Taylor

The Word of God says, “Keep in step with the Spirit.” Now, let me ask you, “What if He stops walking and stands still?” Are you going to run up his back? You will if you don’t stop.

I ran up His back this past week until I finally stopped. This stopped was why there was no blog last week; and, this week’s is coming on Friday. It wasn’t because I was lazy, either.

It was about the lesson the Father wants us to learn: Busyness doesn’t equal godliness. Our God is self-sufficient, which means He doesn’t need anything from us to make Himself complete. We do. He doesn’t.

Doing stuff for God doesn’t make you anything more or less in the Father’s eyes. He loves and accepts you in Christ, PERIOD. We now do out of being with and love for Him. And, in some cases that’s standing still and “doing nothing” even though it’s on your to-do list to get done.

Doing comes from being in Christ. We do whatever He wants done while being with Him and sometimes that doing is standing still and enjoying the moment in His presence.

You might have heard, “I’d rather burn out for Jesus than rust out.” Where are either in Scripture? Jesus is the rock. The Spirit is the fire. The Father is the power. Can any of those ever rust or burn out?

This walk with God is about being with Him while doing, even if that something is nothing, while being in His presence. This apparent “nothing” allows those around us to see Him in us and ask, “How can you be at peace in such hectic days?”

“I’m glad you asked. Let me tell you about Jesus.” Oh what a witness that will be!

“Faith and fear have one thing in common. They both ask you to trust something you can’t see or don’t already know.”

It’s uncanny how the Spirit works. We “just happened” to be in Jude for my Bible Impact reading this week when this phrase jumped off the page, “Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord (vs.4).”

I’m in the midst of heavy warfare going forward in a direction Jesus asked me to go. But, I have fought a sense of insecurity my entire life. And insecure people don’t take risks as that can only enhance their insecurity, right?

Following Jesus, though, means taking steps of faith trusting that what He is telling you to do will work out…in the long-term. In the short-term, though, it can get a little harry. Faith steps take you out of your comfort zone to where and to become someone you are not in the moment.

Yet, Jesus is the Only Sovereign. There is no one higher, stronger or wiser than Him. Thus, I can’t lose by taking this step of faith to enter territory I’ve never been.

Jesus, the Sovereign, reminds me of how He got me to this point in time. And if I’m honest with myself, He is speaking truth. I couldn’t have gotten where I am without Him and I’m better than okay because of it.

So what is there to be fearful of, nothing right? Wrong! There is plenty to be fearful of. This, however, is where faith enters. I can focus on the fear of my insecurity or the faith of His Sovereign control over all creation, including other’s choices that affect me. He, as Sovereign, will finish what He started. No one can thwart His plans for the life He gave and has for you and me.

Follow your Sovereign Lord into victory over whatever is holding you back from the direction He wants to take you. You can overcome it as you are an overcomer in Christ. Victory is promised in where He is taking you. Your Jesus story can only get bigger.