Take Time to Express Gratitude

 I thank my God every time I remember you.   Philippians 1:3  NIV

    How easy it is to take our family, friends  and others for granted!   It often takes a serious reminder for us to remember how thankful we are for the people that God has put into our lives.

   This week’s action step is clear and simple.  Take some time to list 7-10 people for whom you are thankful and then take time to thank God for why you are thankful for each one of them.  For some extra encouragement, pick one or two people on your  list and send them an encouragement card, letter or email this week to let them know how much you are thankful for them and why you are thankful for them.  

Power and Gentleness

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. 21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”             Matthew 12:20-21  NIV

   Part of what drew people to Christ was his combination of power and gentleness.  Many people with power take advantage of people, but Christ did not manipulate people or seek to control them in any way.  Christ used his power to serve.  He also maintained self-control with the religious leaders who were constantly seeking to trip him up. This gentleness and self-control was possible because Christ was confident in the Father and his good work.  This gave Christ the power to be gentle with hurting people and maintain self-control with difficult people.

   This week, set aside some time to consider the people and situations in your life.  Is there someone in your neighborhood or workplace who could use some gentleness?  Is there a difficult person who is making it necessary for you to have more self-control?  Is there a difficult situation that is tempting you act outside of God’s ways?  As people or situations come to mind, pray for them and ask the Holy Spirit to produce his fruit of gentleness and self-control in you.  Also, ask the Spirit if there is any specific action step you need to take with these people or in these situations.   Trust his guidance and his work in your life.

The Power of Daily Faithfulness

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.    Luke 9:23  NIV

Give us today our daily bread.   Mathew 6:11 NIV

   Nothing makes a bigger contribution to our growth in Kingdom living than intentionally choosing to walk with Christ DAILY.  A multitude of forces combine to distract us from this choice.  If circumstances are going well, we may not feel the necessity to follow Christ closely.  Yet this doesn’t automatically mean that bad circumstances will make us choose to follow Christ closely.  Jesus said “the worries of the world” can also be a distraction.

  

   This is why Jesus instructed us to pray for daily bread to seek God’s Kingdom and will in our lives.  When we make this simple request we remind ourselves that we need God’s help to follow Christ faithfully and we are making a request that the Father is happy to fulfill. 

   It’s a great practice to start each day by praying the Lord’s prayer, but you may not feel like you are awake enough to do it sincerely when you first get up.  So start with something even shorter than the 53 words of the Lord’s Prayer.  As you crawl out of bed each day this week, and possibly many more weeks, say this simple one sentence prayer.

    “Father, please give me the daily bread I need today to follow Christ faithfully.”

As you pray it, have confidence that God will give you everything you need to follow Christ and experience his kingdom life flowing through you.

Planting Seeds of the Kingdom of God

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may  make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring  to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed  prompted by faith.    2 Thessalonians 1:11  NIV

   When we receive Christ, he gives us the gift of the Spirit.  The Spirit begins to transform our lives with the goodness of the kingdom of God and gives us a desire to plants seeds of that kingdom goodness.  We begin to discover that the good life is the good life. 

    This doesn’t mean that doing good in this world becomes a smooth ride.  Jesus said (Matthew 13:18-23) that when we hear the message of the kingdom it will grow and bear fruit in our lives, but also that the deceitfulness of wealth and the worries of this world can choke out the life of this message.  This means that if we don’t take initiative to  plant kingdom goodness in the world, kingdom fruit will not continue to grow in and through us.

    This week, set aside some quiet time to ask: “What good is God prompting me to plant in this world?”  God wants to reproduce his goodness in you and through you, so you can be confident that he will use you to be a planter of goodness.  Once you have answered this question, ask God to give you wisdom about what specific seed of goodness you can plant this week.  It might be an act of kindness toward your neighbor.  It might be prayer for your coworkers.  It might be serving the poor or getting more information about a ministry that interests you in your community.  Plant a seed as soon as you can so you are not distracted and then get ready to plant more seed as God leads you.

Encouragement and Challenge for Fathers

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.  Ephesians 5:25  NIV

   Father’s Day is great time to be reminded of the important truth that one of the best things a father can do for his children is to love their mother.  Even if you are a divorced father, one of the best things you can do for your kids is to treat their mother with kindness and respect.

   The Apostle Paul calls husbands to love their wives “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”  Giving yourself up for your wife is not just for big moments, it’s for the million little parts of life – daily decisions about schedules and plans and raising the kids.  When husbands don’t give up themselves for their wives, it’s a form of giving up on their marriage.  That may seem like the easy and acceptable thing to do today, but giving up on our marriage hurts many lives. 

   It is possible to raise active and healthy children and have a healthy marriage.   It’s possible if parents put God first , their spouse second and then the kids.  If we keep God first by daily walking with him and praying in all circumstances, he will give us the daily bread we need to keep our marriage strong and to raise healthy kids.  Here are three ideas to put this week’s SPA into practice.

• If you are married, identify one way that you can show your spouse this week how valuable they are to you.

• If you are married with children, identify one way that you can show your kids this week how valuable your spouse is to you. Is a date night overdue?

• If you are single, pray for some of your married friends to have strength and wisdom to maintain strong and vibrant marriages.

- This SPA co-created with my Community Alliance Church friend, Moriah D'Amico

Giving the Gift of Time and Space to Grow

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?      Romans 2:4  NIV

    

    Forbearance requires slowing down to think.  It requires stepping into the shoes of another person to understand the challenges they are facing and to get a  glimpse of the pain that they feel.  We often want others to change or grow faster than they are changing or growing, without taking the time to understand the loss that change will bring to their lives or the obstacles that keep them from moving forward.

   The best way to open our hearts to let the Spirit grow forbearance in our lives is by reflecting on the forbearance that God has with us.  When you learn truth from Scripture, are you always instantly excited to change your life?  When God allows a difficult change to come into your life, do you always quickly embrace it?  The answer to both questions is clearly no.

    So whose shoes do you need to step into this week?  Are you expecting coworkers to adapt to your new idea as quickly as you?  Are you expecting your children to make better decisions than you did at their age?  Are you expecting your spouse to adjust to news that they just heard but that you known for weeks?

   This week, set aside some time to reflect, with God’s help, on a person with whom you have not been very forbearing.  What can you do to give them time and space to adjust and grow?  Are you praying for them or are you expecting them to change and grow without God’s help?  Ask God to help you discover one step that you can take this week to be more forbearing with this person.  Once you discover the step, ask the Holy Spirit to give you strength and wisdom to take it.

Being a Bridge Builder instead of a Wall Builder

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”   

 - Jesus in Matthew 5:9  NIV

    We have received righteousness as a gift from God through Christ and this righteousness has given us peace with God.  Peace with God makes it possible for us to enjoy personal peace as we confidently trust in the power, love and wisdom of our Heavenly Father.  We can have peace in all circumstances because we know that God is always working for our good.

    If we want to enjoy the blessing of peace to the fullest, we will share this blessing with others.  Because we know that God is working for our good and because we know God has our back, we can be peacemakers in this world full of conflict.  We don’t have to fight to get our own way.  We don’t have to worry whether or not we are being treated fairly.

    This week, start each day by asking God to show you where you can sow seeds of peace.  Here are some ideas, but be sure to ask God for ideas specific to your life.

•  Pray for an existing conflict in the world. 

•  Do something kind for a difficult person in your workplace.

•  Seek to connect with a friend who has been distanced from you.

Remember, God’s people are bridge builders, not wall builders.

Letting Go of Rule Keeping and Embracing the Kingdom of God

 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”  - Jesus in Matthew 13:44  NIV

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:12  NIV 

    Joy is normal for believers in Christ.  If joy is missing from our lives then we need to ask God to show us how His joy can be restored in us.

    The most common joy thief is reducing the Christian life to keeping a list of rules.  When  our focus is on keeping the rules, we are on a sure path to one of two joyless destinations.  If we are good at rule keeping, then we become prideful. Then, instead of finding joy in our relationships, we are often critical of others.  If we  are not so good at rule keeping, we become more and more frustrated with ourselves.  We will become discouraged or maybe even depressed.  Both of these paths lead to frustration and disappointment with the Christian life.  

    This does not mean that Christians don’t care about being good.  God is good and we want to be a reflection of Him.   What it does mean is that trying to be good by focusing on the rules does not work.

    So how do goodness and joy grow in our lives?  Both of them come from confidence in God.  We can have confidence that:

• We are fully accepted and loved by God.

• God’s ways are always the best ways.

• God will empower us to do his will and fill us with his goodness in this life.

• God will one day conquer all evil and restore everything with his goodness.

   This week, write down the above statements on an index card.  Read them several times a day.   Each time you read them, ask God to produce his goodness and joy in you and ask God to give you the daily bread you need to do his will.  After you ask, have confidence that God will give you your request.

A Little Help to Grow in Love

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.    Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love…This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  I John 4:7-8, 10-11

    Jesus commands us to love as He loved, to lay down our lives for one another, to show mercy, compassion, gentleness and grace to each other.  Unfortunately, we sometimes find this to be challenging, to say the least.  Even with those with whom it should be easiest; our family, friends, “loved ones”, we can struggle.  But, don’t be discouraged.

    Each day this week, take a moment to think about a person in your life and jot down a few things you love about that person.  Make sure you don’t just do the “easy” people, include some folks that require a little extra effort. Once you’ve reminded yourself of the things you love about these people, thank God for them, and find some way to let them know about it as well.  Send them a note, go give them an extra hug (if they’re nearby), make a phone call, bake them a treat, or do whatever you think might best affirm, encourage, and show them your love.

** This SPA written by one of my friends in Community Alliance Church, Nora Lasher  

Keeping in Step with the Holy Spirit

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.   Galatians 5:16, 22-23  NIV

   Growing in life means that sometimes we have to ask ourselves hard questions.  Galatians 5:16 challenges us to ask ourselves, “Do I really want the life of God that comes through the Holy Spirit? I may say I want life in the Spirit, but do I really want it?

  

   The word “flesh” in the New Testament (see the verse above) simply refers to natural human desire seeking to satisfy itself in the easiest way possible without any regard to the long term consequences or to how it effects others.  The flesh doesn’t care if its choices lead to addiction or if its choices hurt other people.  It doesn’t love, it lusts.  It doesn’t trust, it manipulates.  It doesn’t care about truth, it will lie to get what it wants.

   The Spirit, on the other hand, is focused on love.  When we walk by the Spirit, our desires our fulfilled, but not at the expense of others.  The Spirit makes it possible for us to enjoy all of God’s blessings while at the same time sharing his blessings with others.

   Paul tells us to walk by the Spirit, meaning that life in the Spirit is a humble partnership with the Spirit in every moment of life.  At first, this is extremely difficult.  Our flesh fights against the Spirit’s work in us.  But as we discover the good life the Spirit wants to share with us and learn to simply trust him, a habit of surrendering to the Spirit becomes a more and more consistent part of our lives.

   Do you want the good life of the Spirit?  Set aside some quiet time this week to honestly ask yourself this question and consider your answer.  If your answer is yes, then begin a habit of surrendering yourself to God and inviting the Holy Spirit to fill you with his life.  Start every day by letting the Holy Spirit know that you want to be completely filled with the kingdom life of God so that God's will can be done in your life just as it is done in heaven!  Continue to give yourself to Spirit throughout the day whenever it comes to your mind or when you are feeling tempted by your flesh to go against God's will.

Getting Spiritual Value Out of Driving Time

 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul   and with all your mind. ”This is the first and greatest   commandment.  And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself”.              Matthew. 22:37-39  NIV

   Many of us have daily commutes to work or other regular drives.  As we drive on highways and other roads, we see many signs that reveal our location, guide us to our destination, and provide for our safety.   One creative way to use our commutes or other drive times is to let the signs we see remind us that God is everywhere and always with us.  We can use signs like these to direct our thoughts to God. 

• A “Yield” sign can prompt us to give ourselves to God.

• A “Stop” sign can prompt us to confess our sin.

• A “Do Not Enter” sign could prompt us to ask for God’s grace to keep us  

   from temptation.

• A sign for our destination can remind us to focus on the joy of our ultimate

  destination in the new heaven and new earth. 

   

   The Bible provides the road map for life with God. In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. “Where are you on this highway called life?  What do the signs say?  If you continue to travel down the current road, what will be your final destination? Are you going the wrong way?  If so, make a u-turn! Remember: we are as close to God as we choose to be. You know his ways are the best ways.  Choose to start each day by yielding to Jesus as your king. 

   This week, make sure you set aside time daily to read and think about God’s road map for living (the Bible).  Also, choose one day this week to be quiet as you drive and let the traffic signs you see to prompt you to live life with God. 

** This SPA created by a friend in my church, Ken Seeger.

Gratitude Makes Us Stronger

We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.  We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.   

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3  NIV

    Being part of the people of God is a blessing.  We are part of a people who are eternally grateful for God’s love and the hope he has given us in Christ.  We know what it is to receive mercy.  We are the family of the forgiven.  We accept each other  because God has accepted us.

    Maintaining a faithful and humble walk with God is next to impossible without the encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We all have weak times, perhaps even times we feel like completely giving up.  But then God prompts someone to pray for us or to smile at us or to give a gift to us or to hug us or to speak an encouraging word to us.  And then we have energy again.  Then God’s light pierces our darkness.

   Who in God’s family has encouraged you?  Who has shown the kindness of our Heavenly Father to you?  Take time this week to thank them.  Send them a personal note or an email.  Buy them a small gift of thanks or thank them publicly on Facebook. Pray for God’s blessing to fill their lives.  Every act of kindness and every thankful response makes us stronger together.

Pursuing the Full Life of Jesus

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.              2 Corinthians 5:15  NIV

    Jesus died for us so we can live for him.  Be careful that you don’t view this as some kind of contractual obligation.  If you view living for Jesus as something you “have” to do because he died for you, then living for Jesus will not produce joy.  It will feel like a burden and a daily grind.

    Jesus didn’t die for us so we could live a life in a tiresome daily grind.  Jesus came to give us life to the full (John 10:10).  He died for us to give us the opportunity to be renewed by and live in the goodness of God.  Our loving Heavenly Father wants us to understand that his commands are not a burden but a blessing.  The Holy Spirit wants to help us discover that the biggest blessing on earth is living in harmony with God and his will.

   The best way to discover the blessing of doing God’s will is to pray “The Lord’s Prayer” sincerely each day.  As you daily come to your Heavenly Father, seeking the daily bread you need to do his will, you will be surprised at how He changes your life.  Living for Jesus will move from being a “have to” to a “want to”.  Start each day this week by sincerely praying the Lord’s prayer.  Better yet, pray it each day for several weeks so it can grow into a lifetime habit.

The Blessing of Doing God's Will

 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.                     Luke 22:42-42  NIV 

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.    

Matthew 6:9-13 NIV

    What better week to devote to praying the Lord’s prayer than the week before Resurrection Sunday?  When Jesus was facing the anguish of the cross, he prayed so earnestly for strength to fulfill the Father’s will that he sweat drops of blood.  Jesus understood that there was no better thing to do on earth than the Father’s will and he also knew we have a real enemy who tries to keep us from doing it.  It’s a battle!

     By praying The Lord’s Prayer, we can be proactive in pursuing God’s will.   In this way, we will grow in our desire to do God’s will.  We will discover that the greatest joy on earth is doing God’s will.  We will also gain strength to do God’s will in both good and difficult circumstances.  Sometimes we fail to do God’s will because we wait until we are tempted to ask for strength to do it.  Jesus teaches us to regularly seek daily bread from our Heavenly Father to do His will.  As we do, the Lord of The Lord’s Prayer transforms our hearts, minds and actions.

     This week, set aside at least two times each day to slowly and sincerely pray The Lord’s Prayer.  Ask God to give you the desire and the strength to do his will as it is done in heaven.

Taking Action to Live with Peace

Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to   maintain it.   1 Peter 3:11  NLT

    If you’re like me, you’ve often been frustrated that peace of mind just doesn’t happen.  I have had to learn that peace is a gift from God.  1 Peter 3:11 says “….. Search for peace and work to maintain it.”   Searching and working are clearly action words!  So, how do we practically do this?   Prayer is certainly an action we should take, but I want to focus on something else….God’s Word.

    Ephesians 6:15 says “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.”  There are literally hundreds of verses about worry and fear (or whatever your peace-stealer is) that God gave us to arm us for the battle of the mind.  But, we can’t expect to win the battle for peace of mind without carrying God’s word with us onto the battlefield!  Memorizing God’s word empowers us to use it at a moment’s notice when our minds begin to drift away from Him.  A full ammunition belt of memorized scripture is essential to winning the battle for peace of mind.

So, this week, recognize that peace is a gift from God and thank Him for it.  Take action, too, and put on your “shoes” by memorizing and meditating on these two verses to equip yourself for battle. 

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  NIV

Colossians 3:15 - Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. NIV

** This week’s SPA was written by my friend, who is also an elder in our church, Steve McIntire

Overcoming Mistreatment the Jesus Way

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.        Colossians 3:13  NIV

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:28  NIV

         

    The curse and consequence of sin is death.  The blessing of righteousness is life.  Jesus took our curse and died for us.  In return, we received righteousness and life.  This is the same action that Jesus asks us to take toward those who mistreat us.  When we forgive others as Christ has forgiven us, we absorb the mistreatment that they gave us just as Christ was mistreated for our sake.  Understand this: Forgiveness always involves pain for the forgiver.

    How do we overcome this pain?  By blessing those who curse us and praying for God to treat well those who have mistreated us.  It is painful to plant seeds of forgiveness in the fields of pain, but the fruit of these seeds is grace and peace and a heart filled with more of God’s goodness.

    Have you been mistreated?  Have you been publicly insulted?  Have you felt betrayed?  Have you been intentionally hurt? Have you been neglected or rejected?  This week, pray for one or more people who have mistreated you.  Pray for God to bless them and to draw them to himself.  As you pray, think of the cross, where Jesus was mistreated for you.

Praying with Love for the Lost

 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only   Son into the world that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9  NIV

    

   

   This week's SPA contains a very simple idea to help us grow in our love for the lost.   It's written by Margaret Snow, my friend from Community Alliance Church.

Scripture is very clear about God's love for every person in the world.  Help your love for people to grow by praying for the first three people you see when you leave your house each day this week.  It may be the mailman, the driver of the car beside you or your neighbor.  Whoever these three people are, pause for a moment and ask God to help them discover his love and put their full trust in Him.

Dealing with Personal Pain

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him,  for God is our refuge.     Psalm 62:8  NIV

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.  1 Corinthians 12:26 NIV

    

    There are many bad ways to deal with personal suffering.  The worst way is probably to repress it, to push it down and pretend we are not in pain.  Perseverance is a good thing, but to persevere in denial is not helpful.

    There are two really helpful ways to deal with suffering.  The first way is to pour out your heart to God.  Tell him how you really feel.  If you are angry at God, let it out.  If you have questions, ask him.  If you can’t bear to go on, cry out to him for help.  When we honestly pour out our pain to God, we discover him as our refuge.  Our suffering may not end, but we will discover strength, comfort and even joy in the midst of it. 

    The second helpful way to deal with personal suffering is by helping others who are suffering.  When we help others, our burden becomes lighter and our faith becomes stronger.  He who suffers alone suffers the most.  When you suffer, care for someone else who is suffering and both of you will be strengthened.

This week, put both of these good ways into practice.

1. Set aside some time to pour out some pain to God.  It doesn’t matter if it is a small disappointment or an overwhelming hurt.  Pour it out to God in prayer or write it in a journal.  Be gut level honest and humbly ask for help.

2. Set aside some time to pray for someone or to serve someone who is suffering.  Make a phone call, write an encouraging note or simply pray for them.  Bring an extra snack to share at work or take someone to lunch and listen to their story. 

Understanding the Tenderness of Jesus

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”  Luke 13:34  NIV

As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”  Luke 19:41-42  NIV

   These words were spoken by Jesus shortly before His crucifixion – words of compassion and mercy despite the fact that those over whom He mourned were the very ones who would call for His death.  How deep is His love and mercy, how relentless His tenderness.  Relentless tenderness?*  It’s a strange pair of words since relentless can be defined as “harsh, stubborn, unyielding”.  Yet these seemingly opposite words show us the nature of Jesus.  His love and mercy know no bounds, and He pursues us all passionately, stubbornly, desiring that no one should be lost, that all should fully know His grace as shown by His death and resurrection.

    How have you pursued something relentlessly?  Perhaps while learning a new skill, mastering a sport, or chasing the person you thought might be “the one”?  Think about that this week and then spend time thanking God each day for His relentless tenderness toward you.

- SPA written by Nora Lasher

*(concept borrowed from Brennan Manning’s book The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus)

Boldly Share the Greatest Message in the World!

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.    Romans 1:16   NIV

    

    The Gospel is the greatest message in the world. The King of kings is making peace with his enemies.  The loving Heavenly Father is inviting his wayward children to come home.  The Savior of the World is rescuing the lost.  He who formed life is transforming lives. The Great Physician is healing the hurt and the broken.  The Giver of all gifts is generously sharing his extravagant goodness.  The All-Powerful One is overcoming evil and injustice.  The Judge of all mankind is granting forgiveness. The Creator of the universe is restoring his creation.  Through Jesus Christ we can have peace with God and live in his kingdom now and forever. Embrace this message and share it with joy!  

What will you do THIS week to live and share this message of infinite hope?  What will you do THIS week to represent your King and his kingdom?  Here’s some help.

1.Set aside some time to reflect on the first paragraph above.  As you do, consider how the Gospel has impacted your life.  Has God healed your hurt?  Have you felt the Father’s love?  Have you experienced God’s goodness?  Have you found peace?  Write a paragraph about how God has changed your life through the Gospel.

2.Ask God for an opportunity to share a 30 second story about his goodness and power in your life.  Ask God to make you ready for the opportunity and to help you speak with confidence.  Be bold!  This is a great AND powerful message.  The Gospel has the power to rescue everyone who puts their trust in Christ and restore them with the goodness of God.

Loving Mercy

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.            Micah 6:8 NIV

     When we think of the phrase "love mercy" in this Scripture, we typically think of sharing mercy with someone with a serious financial or physical need.  While this is definitely a part of loving mercy, it is not the whole picture.  First, note that Micah tells us to LOVE mercy.  This means that someone who is part of God's kingdom does not just practice mercy on sporadic occasions.  Mercy is a way of life for citizens of God's kingdom.  Second, a clearer picture of the Hebrew word mercy in this passage is "faithful kindness".  Someone who loves mercy is someone who loves to be kind to people, who loves to help lighten the loads that people are carrying.  Further, he is not motivated to be kind because the recipients deserve kindness, but because he is overflowing with the kindness God has given to him.  Because of the kindness he has received from God, he loves to be kind to others.   When we start to think this way, we see many more opportunities to share mercy every day. 

 

   What will you do this week to lighten the load of someone near you?  Is there a swamped coworker nearby?  Do you have an elderly neighbor that needs to have some snow or ice removed?  Is there someone around you who is discouraged?  This week, ask God to help you see someone that needs a lighter load and ask God to give you wisdom to help them in a practical way.  God's people understand that we find life in giving it away, not in grabbing it for ourselves.  We enjoy the kindness God gives us more when we share it with others.  When we lighten the load of another person, two people are encouraged.  

Trusting God Helps Us Listen

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be   quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.                James 1:19  NIV

    

    We often don’t think of listening as connected to trusting God but there is a strong correlation between the two.  One reason for a lack of listening is a lack of trust that God is in control and is working for our good.  Here are three examples of how a lack of trust produces poor listening.

•  We may be afraid that we won’t get our chance if we don’t speak first and often. 

•  We may be fearful and interpret someone’s disagreement with us as a personal attack. 

•  We may act selfishly to get our own way rather than listening for a way that is good for us and the others with us.

  On the flip side, a stronger trust in God  gives us a peace inside us that empowers us to give others a chance to speak.  

• Trust in God keeps us from worrying about people disagreeing with us because we know God will protect the truth. 
• Trust in God allows us to be humble and be open to changing our minds if someone presents a good idea.  
• Trust in God helps us be patient and look for ways that are good for everyone involved.

   This week, take these two steps to help you grow in trust and in listening.

     1.  Start each day with this simple prayer.  “Father, I trust you.  You are the defender of truth and you are working for my good.  Please give me grace to walk in your truth and to listen to others so that love can grow and truth can be shared.”

     2.  Choose one day and make it your goal to ask every person you meet that day at least two questions before you tell them anything.  Listen well as they answer your questions.  Seek to understand what they are saying with their words and actions.