Tag Archives: christian living

March 21, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Keeping A Clear Mind

I’m bad about losing my cool when things don’t go the way I planned. I like to look at a goal, see the steps that need to take place and then take those steps. When something unplanned happens along that journey, I start to stress out, think of the worst case scenario and complain. On the other side of the coin, when I come to my senses and have a clear mind, I have a great ability to improvise. I can make connections where there don’t seem to be any and get things back on track no matter how far off they are. It’s really a matter of self control in those times when my plans go awry. My wife usually has to be reminded that it’s not the end of the world and to step back, clear my mind and reassess.

Joseph, who was Jacob’s son, had a dream that went awry too. After expressing his dream that one day his mom, dad and brothers would all bow to him, he was sold as a slave where no one would bow to him. Instead of panicking, he held onto the dream. When he was accused of trying to rape his master’s wife, he was thrown in prison, even farther away from the realization of his dream. We never read where Joseph panicked or complained. We simply read of a person who did what was required of him in whatever situation he was in. He kept a clear mind no matter how crazy life got, and God’s plan still prevailed no matter what his circumstances were telling him.

In 2 Timothy 4, Paul reminded Timothy that no matter what, he should go,d true to his calling to preach the Word. Then he gave him insight that things will get messy and people won’t listen to his message. In verse 5, he wrote, “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you” (NLT). He was reminding him and us to do the work we were called to do no matter what things look like or how bad they get. Each of us have a ministry that God has given us. If we get distracted by the things going on around us, we will fail to do it. However, if we keep a clear mind, stay the course and continue working, we will carry out all God has created us to do.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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March 20, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Inwardly Strengthened

When I was around six years old, my parents put me in sports at the YMCA. Even though I had been raised in church, that is the first place I remember seeing or hearing the phrase, “spirit, mind and body”. We either used to recite their mission statement at practice or I saw it often. I had to look it up now, but it says, “To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.” That’s still a pretty good thing that each of us need to work on. Sometimes we’re concerned about our physical health, but we starve our spiritual health. Other times we focus on our mental health while we neglect our physical health. To be whole and healthy though, we really need to make sure we’re keeping all three healthy and strong.

In Ephesians 3, Paul writes an incredible prayer for the believers in Ephesus, but I believe it’s for us too as he expected his letters to be passed between the churches. In verse 16, he starts this prayer saying, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit” (NLT). Here he’s praying for spiritual and mental strength for us. According to the next couple of verses, it’s so that Christ will dwell in our hearts as we trust in Him, our roots will grow down into God’s love to keep us strong and that we will be able to understand how wide, long and high God’s love is. Receiving those things begins with us being empowered in our spirit and mind through the Holy Spirit. No wonder he told Timothy that physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise has so much more (1 Timothy 4:8).

A healthier, stronger, more whole you begins with being empowered inwardly by God’s Spirit. We need to pray this prayer over our own lives often, and also make sure that we’re doing things that will strengthen our inner being. We spend a lot of time and money making sure our physical body is in shape, but we can’t do that at the cost of neglecting our spirit and mind. It’s our spirit that will live forever, not our physical body. As Paul said, both are important and have value, but one is more valuable. Bible studies, devotionals, prayer groups, church services all contribute to being inwardly strengthened, but if you only do it once a week, it will have the same value as going to the gym once a week. It’s time that each of us are empowered inwardly by the Holy Spirit. Once we understand God’s love in a greater way through that empowerment, we can make God’s love known and love others better.

Photo by Jordan Donaldson | @jordi.d on Unsplash

I’m traveling today and am posting a previously written devotion that I hope speaks to you.

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March 19, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Waiting In The Chaos

In the battle for Texas’ independence, people were energized to help the Texans after the battle of the Alamo. “Remember the Alamo,” became a popular saying that fired people up. Sam Houston was mustering an army to chase down Santa Ana. He had a few opportunities to fight with him, but chose to wait rather than to engage in battle. People, especially those in his army, were tired of waiting. They wanted to fight that instant. However, Sam Houston said that he had seen the battlefield in his mind and he refused to fight until he saw it in real life. People became disgruntled in the waiting. They didn’t join to follow Santa Ana around. They wanted action. When the approached the San Jacinto area, Sam Houston saw his battlefield, engaged in battle and won Texas’ independence.

In Exodus we read how the Israelites wanted freedom from Egypt. God heard their cries and sent Moses. After a series of plagues, Pharaoh finally agreed to set them free. In Exodus 14, he changed his mind and chased after them. The people were frightened because they had the Red Sea on one side and an attacking army on the other. In verses 13-14 Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (NLT). In a moment of fear and with no way out, God wanted them to be still and wait while he took care of everything. They didn’t have to figure it out on their own. They simply had to be still while God fought for them.

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” It’s hard to wait when you need answers now. It’s hard not to fear when you’re facing insurmountable odds. It’s hard to be patient when you need God’s help now. However, the battle is not yours, but the Lord’s. We must learn to be brave in spite of what we see and what we’re being told. God is working things out and has a plan. Sometimes He works things out the way we expect and some times He works them out in unexpected ways. No matter what we know that He is working all things out for your good. Be patient and wait for Him. His plan is best and His pattern seems to be that He shows up in just the right time.

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March 18, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Absurd Faith

There is a church in Cairo, Egypt I used to visit when I lived there. They told me the story of a member of their church who stood up to the Ottoman’s as they were conquering Egypt. He was a man of great faith whom they nicknamed the Blind Shoemaker. They called him that because He saw a woman and began to lusted after her. In Matthew 5:28 Jesus said, “If your right eye seduces you to fall into sin, then go blind in your right eye! For you’re better off losing sight in one eye than to have your whole body thrown into hell” (TPT). He took that Scripture quite literally and blinded himself. He didn’t just take on eye out, he took both out. I remember almost laughing at the absurdity of that story when I heard it. As I’ve grown and my faith has deepened, I admire his faith now.

I’m in Rome today as I write this. As we were walking through the streets, we began to talk about the Apostle Paul and Peter who once were here. Paul was beheaded here in this city because of his faith. Peter was crucified because he refused to quit sharing his faith. One by one, when you look up the disciples and other members of the early Church, you find that they were tortured for their faith. Being dipped in boiling oil, facing an ax, being publicly humiliated, nor crucifixion could weaken their stance. They believed in the words that Jesus taught them so much that they were willing to lay down their life for it. I’m sure the Romans and others thought it was absurd that they would rather die and go through excruciating pain rather than to recant their faith.

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, “If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely reject and disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways.” When I read this in light of the early Christians who have gone before, it causes me to ponder how deep my faith really is. Am I willing to share and experience the cross as Jesus and His disciples did? Am I truly surrendering my ways for His? The mark of a disciple is surrender. He are to submit to his way of life rather than our own. We are to follow Him in a culture that is against what we believe o matter the ridicule we might face. Are there parts of your life you’re still holding onto rather than nailing them to the cross or plucking them out? It may seem absurd at the moment, but the more of ourselves we get rid of, the more of Him and the life He give we can receive.

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March 14, 2024 · 5:30 AM

God’s Timing

We once gave my son got a 3-D puzzle of Big Ben, the famous clock at Westminster Palace. This particular puzzle had a working clock on one side. After we built the clock, he asked if we could set the clock to London time. I then moved the hour hand six hours ahead. He said, “Wow! London is six hours faster than us?” Now, whenever he goes by the clock, he announces what time it is in London so we’ll know the difference in their time and ours.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that God has a different time than I do. It’s not as simple as a six hour difference though. He doesn’t look at time by the hour like we do. He looks at circumstances and how they line up to tell time. Whenever I pray for something, I’m typically looking at my circumstances and ask God to intervene in that moment. God’s timing doesn’t just look at what I want in that moment, he looks at the ripple effect and how that affects other moments.

Like a child wanting something at the store, I often demand that God answer right now! To me, what I’m asking for is urgent, but I’m learning that God has a plan and will answer in His time and in His way. In Psalm 69, David is praying desperately for God to answer him. He felt like he was drowning in his circumstances and he cried out to God to save him. Then in verse 13, he changed his tone. He prayed, “Answer me, God, at a time you choose” (GNT). He understood that God’s time was different than His and He trusted God’s wisdom over His desires. It’s a prayer we all need to learn so we can trust His timing.

Photo credit: Chris Hendrix

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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March 12, 2024 · 10:30 AM

Practicing Obedience

I was driving home late one night when I noticed a car pulled off the road. The hood was up and there was a guy standing there looking at the engine. I immediately heard the Lord tell me to pull over and help. I thought of all the reasons why I shouldn’t, told myself it wasn’t God and kept driving. As I got to a red light about a mile up the road, I kept hearing the Lord tell me to help him. Then all of a sudden his hazard lights started blinking. I knew very few people were going to come down that road that late, and I knew what God was asking, so I made a u-turn. I’ve dismissed God’s voice enough in my life to know the regret that was coming if I didn’t obey. It turns out his car broke down over an hour away from home and his phone was dying. I was able to help him get a tow truck so he didn’t have to stay stranded.

What God asks us to do doesn’t always make sense in the moment. In John 2 Jesus was at a wedding and they ran out of wine. His mother tells the attendants to do whatever He says. He looks right at them and tells them to fill the stone jars with water. That’s an easy request. So they comply. Then he told them to dip some of that water out and take it to the master of ceremonies. That one didn’t make sense. They had just filled it with water. They hadn’t run out of water. They had run out of wine. The Bible doesn’t tell us if they hesitated or pushed back, but putting myself in their shoes, I might have. Nonetheless, they obeyed and found out quickly that Jesus had turned the water into wine. Everything worked out when they moved beyond hearing the voice of Jesus and obeyed.

James 1:22 says, “Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice” (GNT). How many times have you felt you heard God ask you to do something only to dismiss it? You’re not alone. We’ve all done it. There’s a difference in listening to God’s voice and acting on it. Listening is easy. Action is hard at times. I pray every day that God would put me in someone’s path who needs a word of encouragement, hope to believe God hears their prayers or who needs to be blessed. By praying that, it causes me to listen for His voice throughout the day. When He points out a random stranger, I have to put it into practice or dismiss it. We all have that same choice daily. Will you obey that voice today or will you rationalize it away? Let’s look for ways today to practice obeying God’s voice by purposefully listening for His voice and determining to obey it no matter what.

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March 7, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Inadequate And Insecure

I’ve been on a few mission trips where we’ve done construction work. On day one, they like to go around the circle and have each person talk about their skills. One guy says he can build shelving. Another says he’s good at framing. One always says he can do it all. Inevitably it always comes around to me. I like to say, “I’m the best gopher around. If you need nails, I’ll go for them. If you need a certain tool, I’ll go for it.” My skill set makes me feel very inadequate on a construction site.

Even when it comes to ministry and my calling, I often feel inadequate. I was at a conference of ministers earlier this year. They started off with introductions and sharing all they’re doing. As they went around the table, I began to compare what I do to what they were doing. I sent my wife a text and said, “What am I doing here? I don’t belong. They’re sharing all they’re doing in ministry, and I’ve got nothing.” I was feeling very insecure.

If you look at where God has you or think of what God has called you too, you’re going to feel inadequate. It’s easy to say, “God, I’m not qualified to do this,” or “God, there are other people who are better at this.” I’m sure David, being a shepherd, felt inadequate in front of all those soldiers when Goliath came out. I’ve learned that God doesn’t always take our skill set and put us where it should fit. He looks at our heart, and puts us where He needs that most.

When I feel inadequate, I take comfort in knowing the apostle Paul felt that way too. In 1 Timothy 1:12, he wrote, “I’m so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work” (MSG). He understood what we need to learn. It’s God who makes us adequate to do what He’s called us to do. It’s not our skills or anything else. Our inadequacies cause our faith to grow and helps keep pride out. It is not we who do the work. It is Christ through us, and that makes us more than adequate to do anything God asks us to do.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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March 6, 2024 · 5:45 AM

The Foundation Of Cooperation

Trust is the strength of any relationship. Think of any relationship you have. It’s only as good as your ability to trust that person. Trust in a relationship is the belief that they can be relied on to do what they say, and it’s the foundation for cooperation. Without it, you don’t have much of a relationship. Some of us go into any relationship trusting the other party and for some of us, trust must be earned. The more we trust them, the more we can accomplish together. This doesn’t just apply to people. Think about your relationship with God. It’s only as strong as your ability to trust Him to guide your life. The more you trust Him, the more input and control He has in your life. The less you trust Him, the more you make the decisions and view Him as just a consultant or advice giver.

In Genesis 22:1-19, we read the story of Abraham. He trusted God to give him a son in his old age and God did it. When Isaac became a young man, God spoke to Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his only son. Abraham didn’t question God to save Isaac or to give him another son even though he was now around 120 years old. He took Isaac on the journey carrying the wood and the fire and climbed the mountain. He built the altar and bound up his son. Abraham had learned to trust God over the years. As Isaac questioned his father, Abraham simply replied that God would provide another sacrifice. It wasn’t until the knife was raised to kill his on,y son that God intervened. God knew he could trust Abraham and Abraham knew he could trust God. Because of that trust, he became the father of many nations and the spiritual father to billions.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding” (AMP). How deep is your trust in the Lord? How confident is your reliance on Him? If He asked you to sacrifice your most prized possession would you do it even if you didn’t understand? Don’t answer too quickly here. Take an honest evaluation. That last part is the hardest. You see God almost always asks for trust without our understanding. We will obey what He asks up to the level of our trust regardless of our understanding. If you want a deeper relationship with God, you’re going to have to learn to trust Him more. You’re going to have to do things that may not make sense to you or anyone else. Remember trust is the foundation for cooperation.

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March 5, 2024 · 5:15 AM

The Key Of Forgiveness

Have you ever been hurt by someone that it cut you to the core? You get hit with so many emotions when that happens. Anger shows up pretty early on. It wants revenge and retribution for your pain. It slowly takes over all your thoughts and playing out scenarios of payback. Resentment then shows up. It persistently reminds you of what they have done and puts that blame on them. It plants the seeds for bitterness to take root and grow. It reminds you that you’re the victim and builds up more anger. I draws lines in the sand that keeps you from healing by helping you to hold a grudge. In the end, you’re held in a prison of pain that your mind has put you in, and you don’t realize it until it’s too late. To get free, you’ll have to forgive. To keep from going back to that prison, you’ll have to learn to stop this process early on.

Joseph was just 17 years old and next to the youngest of 12 sons. He was his father’s favorite and all his brothers knew it. They allowed the process of anger play out in their minds and began to hate him. They complained about him and played out scenarios in their minds of what they would do to him. Then one day the opportunity arose and they decided to act on their anger and resentment. They planned to kill him, but one brother stopped them. Instead they beat him up, took his belongings and sold him into slavery. Their bitterness had gotten the best of them. However, Joseph didn’t return the favor. He stopped anger, resentment and bitterness before they could take root. He led with forgiveness even though he had every reason to hate them. Though he was in a physical prison, he never was in a mental one. In the end, God used him to save his family.

Ephesians 4:27 says, “And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness]” (AMP). More often than not, we find ourselves on the brothers’ side of the story than Joseph’s when it comes to anger and resentment. We justify our actions because of what they did, but that’s not God’s way. The devil leads us into sin and personal prison by helping us cultivate unhealthy thoughts. The roots from those thoughts can permeate every aspect of our lives before we know it if we allow them to continue. However, you don’t have to stay in that prison. Ask God to help you break the thoughts that have placed and kept you there. Ask Him to help you unlock the prison with the key of forgiveness. Then ask Him to help you guard your mind and to control your thoughts so you don’t get locked up again.

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March 4, 2024 · 5:24 AM

Blown Off Course

Have you ever tried to accomplish something, but keep running into roadblocks? No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t keep things going in the right direction. If it could go wrong, it went wrong. In the end, you either gave up or finished nowhere near where you wanted to. You can either cry, complain or make the best of it. Things like this happen to me, especially when I’m trying to do what God has asked me to do. I’ll ask God why I’m going through so much trying to accomplish His will. I’ll even wonder if I heard Him correctly. In the end, I’ve learned to accept that God can make something good out of all my struggles. Even when it feels like I’ve failed or missed the objective, when I hand Him the reigns, He accomplishes more than I thought even in my perceived failures.

In Mark 6 Jesus had just fed the 5,000 families with the five loaves and two fish. Before He sent the crowd away, He sent the disciples across the lake and told them to go to Bethsaida on the northwest side. As they were on their way, they were hit with a sudden storm. The winds picked up and tossed the boat like it was going to be flipped over. The waves crashed against the boat threatening their lives. Verse 48 says they were straining with the oars trying to keep moving. Around three o’clock in the morning, Jesus came walking on the water to them in the middle of their struggle. When they choose to let Him in the boat, the winds stopped and they continued their journey landing at Gennesarat on the north east side. They missed their destination even with Jesus in the boat. However, the chapter ends with them ministering there and making a difference in the lives of the people in the wrong destination.

Psalm 37 is packed with wisdom, especially if your life feels like it’s been blown off course. Verse 5 says, “Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust him along the way, you’ll find he pulled it off perfectly!” (TPT) There are two hard things for anyone to do in this verse to receive this promise. We must give God the right to direct our life accepting His desires over our own. We must also trust Him along the way in the middle of the storms when everything feels like it is against us. We just have to keep straining at the oars to keep it moving. Let Him worry about the destination. He can accomplish great things through us even at the wrong destination. He can make something good out of the times in our life when everything seems to be working against us trying to blow us off course. He is the one who causes everything to work together for good no matter when you feel like you didn’t reach your destination.

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