“Deny your weakness, and you will never realize God’s strength in you.” Joni Erickson Tada

I owned a landscaping and handyman business many years ago. I learned many tricks and accumulated various tools to get each job done.

Recently I had two relatively easy tasks to accomplish: change the sun visor in my car and the faucet in my kitchen. I watched a how-to-video on the first; and, had done the second many times before. Easy-peasy, right?

Wrong, quite wrong. After struggling with both, and in one case, making the situation worse (I’ll leave it to you to guess which one!), I came to the following realization.

I could continue to struggle and waste tremendous amounts of time and energy only to end up in the same place – needing to replace both the visor and the faucet; or, I could ask for help. I eventually asked for help.

The moment we become children of God through faith in what Jesus did for us, we are placed into a family – God’s. We now have brothers and sisters who struggle just like us on our journey to become more like Jesus.

Scripture states that if we share those struggles with someone else who will pray for and walk alongside us, we’ll see our lives changed. It’s like the saying goes, “A problem shared is a problem halved.”

This is NOT a sign of weakness, but of strength.

Want to become more like Jesus and taste the “good stuff” He promises when you do? Stop wasting time struggling alone! Help is good.

Be transparent with a fellow Jesus brother or sister. It makes you stronger.

“Don’t wait for things to get better. Tomorrow is not promised. You only have this moment. Take it.” Charles Schultz

There was a man who wanted to see his hospitalized grandmother, but wasn’t allowed in to see her. He didn’t let that stop him. He kept asking and seeking people to talk to until he was finally able to get to the right person who allowed the visit to take place.

You should have seen the look of joy on his grandmother’s face when he came walking through her hospital door.

This story made me think of Noah. Scripture says that he was told something was going to happen that he nor humanity had never experienced before. And yet he acted, today.

I’ll bet when those storm clouds starting rolling in, he too saw the look of joy on his kid’s faces!

If something is important enough, one does not stop trying just because the odds are long. Success is never guaranteed. But one thing is clear: If one does not try, failure is guaranteed.

Start today on what Jesus has asked you to do. Smiles will come, guaranteed.

“Courage is what it takes to speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Winston Churchill

There is a great lesson in the following story.

“Mendel, a barber, was hard-pressed for money. His faith was finally stretched to its limit when he gave in and cut hair well into the Sabbath, as was his conviction not to work. He felt bad, but he didn’t know what else to do.

“His friend, Moshe, who worked across the street, who held the same conviction, saw Mendel cutting hair as he was closing up his tailor shop. He went and reported it to their rabbi, who then asked to talk with Mendel after the service.

“Mendel, I am fining you one case of candles for the synagogue for working on the Sabbath,” the rabbi said. He then turned to Moshe and said, “I’m fining you two cases of candles. And I’m fining myself, five cases.”

“But…why?” Moshe asked. “If you really cared about what Mendel was doing, you would have asked him why he was working and helped him in any way you could. And for myself, how did I not know he was in such dire straits?” At this, the rabbi broke down crying.”

It takes guts to tell the truth and even more guts to help someone live it. Scripture tells us that as we walk in community, we are not to be hit and run artists.

Instead, we are to tell each other the truth and then help each other live it out. This is what it means to be church – a group of people walking toward Jesus together.

It’s easy to post your opinions on social media. It is much harder to share them in person to the person who really needs to hear it and knows that you love them enough to carry their burden with them as you both progress in your love for and faith in Jesus.

This takes courage. It’s time for courageous people to know when to stand up and when to sit down.

“Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith.” Paul Tillich

Faith is not the same as religion. Faith is about being uncomfortable. Religion is about staying cozy. Faith is about giving up control. Religion is about keeping it.

Faith by its mere definition means taking an action hoping the outcome you’re wanting will actually happen. Jesus lived this way. Think about it. Jesus repeatedly said that He was going to be arrested, beaten, killed and then risen from the dead as that is what the Father asked Him to do.

The easy part of His faith journey would be to get arrest and beaten. The hard part was dying. Talk about being uncomfortable and out of control!

The only way for Jesus to show that He actually believed was to let Himself be killed. Faith is not faith until you actually put it into practice. Jesus did.

Action while doubting is being real, as faith is the assurance that what He is asking you to do will turn out for your good and His glory. Jesus trusted His Father so much that He knew life after death was a done deal.

Was it still a risk? You bet! But Jesus moved beyond religion to faith and rose again. Are you not glad He did?

My friends, the world needs a little hope today. Choose to take the faith step Jesus is asking of you. We all will be better off because of that step.

“Christ-likeness is the eventual destination, but the journey takes a lifetime.” Rick Warren

A friend of mine made a passing comment that has changed my thinking about life.

He was taking a trip from Northern California to a momentous occasion in his granddaughter’s life in Southern California. The trip would take eight hours, without stops, all by himself.  

He said, “I got in my car. Turned on my worship music. After, I entered the freeway, I got in a lane, put the car on cruise control and stayed in it. I didn’t worry about going faster to get ahead of others. I didn’t care if others passed me. I just enjoyed the drive with Jesus. And you know what? It was the most relaxing drive I’ve ever had.”

We know our destination, being with and like Jesus. We just don’t the when or how at this point.

But this is what I picked up. I will eventually be home with and like Jesus. So why sweat the details until I get there?

Paul writes that Jesus began my faith and will perfect it. John wrote that when I see Jesus, I will be like Him. So, why not live each day enjoying the music and conversation with Jesus until then? The rest will take care of itself.

Seriously. Enjoy the journey with Jesus. And what you learn, pass onto others. It only makes the journey more enjoyable!