Singly Focused

Are you in need of being restored? Would you like to be encouraged? Are you seeking to live in peace? Is there someone you want to be on the same page with? Are there others in your life who needs your encouragement and restoration?

All of us need to be restored in one way or another. We all need encouragement from others. We all have people in our lives with whom we need to be in agreement, we need to be on the same page. This is especially true of our spouses.

Restoration can be challenging and difficult at times. We may be estranged from our parents or siblings and seeking to restart a relationship. We may be struggling in our marriage and seeking to reinvigorate it. Perhaps we made a big mistake at work and are trying to prove it was a one-time occurrence.

We all need encouragement at various times in our lives. We particularly need positive reinforcement during our school years. Encouragement when starting a new job or a new position makes it easier. There are times when we are going through a particularly tough time encouragement can be what keeps us going.

Being of one mind is an especially tough task to achieve. We have our own opinions. We have our own beliefs. Sometimes we don’t recognize the difference between the two. Many times, we are unwilling to compromise. We take the “my way or the highway” mindset. We can’t be of one mind because we don’t want to be of one mind—unless the other person is willing to change. Certainly, don’t ask us to change.

Paul’s instructions to the church in Corinth applies to us today. Restoration is needed today, perhaps more than any other time in the past several decades. Encouragement needs to replace all the negativity we see in today’s culture. Being of one mind, singly focused on Jesus, is needed at all times, but possibly more now than in decades as well. Focus on Jesus—His teaching, His example—can change our culture for the positive in a very dramatic way. Forget the differences of opinion. Focus on the fact that Jesus is Lord and Savior of all. Focus on His mission to seek and save the lost. Focus on seeing people as Jesus sees them—a child of God.

I pray we all seek restoration with God and one another. I pray we accept and give encouragement. I pray each one of us seeks to be of one mind, fully focused on Jesus. Be restored. Be encouraged. Be of one mind. Maintain your focus on Jesus.

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

Bond of Peace

How is your patience? How well do you bear with the faults of others? Are you willing to be gentle with others? Will you humble yourself? Are you willing to do all this in love for one another? Would you like others to be this way toward you?

I venture to guess that everyone would like to have others be patience with them, especially when learning something new. I suspect we all would like others to forgive our faults, especially when we are doing our best to overcome our shortcomings.

I would bet we all want others to be gentle and tactful when correcting our wrongful behavior. I imagine we all want to be loved and want that love demonstrated openly. Have you thought you might experience all this from others, if you first demonstrate all these things to others?

As I’ve observed people, I have seen and heard complaints about how everyone else is acting while they are 0acting in much the same manner. As my grandmother used to say, “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.” In other words, they are all doing the same thing and complaining about what each other are doing, yet not doing anything to correct themselves.

How do we even start making corrections? Our first step is to train ourselves to think of others before ourselves. When we want the last cupcake, we need to remind ourselves that someone else may want it and ask. When we are speeding down the road because we are running late, we need to ask ourselves if there is a possibility of someone pulling out in front of us. When we want to spank the kid in the store for yelling like a crazed maniac, we might ask ourselves if he is the child of a single mother who is tending to an infant.

We all desire others to be gentle, patient, and bear with us in love. Others desire we be gentle, patient, and bear with them in love. As we act better toward others, we build peace and unity. As we build unity, we can work together to combat the evil in this world.

I pray we all strive to be gentle, patient, and forbearing. I pray we strive for unity and peace. I pray each one of us will take the first step by thinking of others. Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Be forbearing. Do everything in love. Strive for unity. Strive for peace.

Ephesians 4:2-3 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Sharing With Others

How well do you share? Are you willing to share food? Do you share clothing? Will you allow someone else to use tools? Do you lend your vehicle to others? What are you unwilling to share? What is it you refuse to give up?

If we grew up with siblings, there is a good chance we were taught to share. It is a lesson we teach our children. So, what happens as we get older? Why do we stop sharing? Many of us become selfish, refusing to share with others.

What does it mean to share? It means to give up part of what we have to someone else. For those items that are disposable or perishable, it means we give them away. We do not expect to get them back. For instance, we give food and drink to others. For other items that are reusable, it means we allow someone else to use them for a period of time or we may give them away as well. For example, we may loan someone a shirt, a drill, or our car.

It is particularly important to share with someone who needs it. As we grow into adulthood, we start recognizing people in need. We see those who are less fortunate. We may even say it is sad to see people in such a state. Yet, if we do nothing to help when we are able, we demonstrate a lack of faith and love for one another (James 2:14-17).

Sharing can mean sharing our time, listening to someone in pain. But it also may mean giving up our possessions. This is where we find ourselves being selfish. Oh, we may be willing to provide someone a cup of coffee, but don’t ask us to give up our favorite shirt. We may be willing to provide a meal, but don’t ask us to give away a piece of furniture.

Folks, we are called to give to those in need. If we were to take a good hard look at how much we’ve been blessed with compared to most of the rest of the world, we would be ashamed of ourselves for being so selfish, hording whatever we can acquire. Here is a key point we should remember; we cannot out give God. It may seem contrary based on human thought, but God gives more to us when we are willing to share with others.

I pray we all share with one another. I pray we bear one another’s burdens. I pray each one of us gives up our selfish attitude in order to become more like Jesus. Be joyful. Be hopeful. Be patient. Be faithful. Share with one another. Be hospitable. Be more like Jesus.

Romans 12:9-13 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Unified In Love

Do you like it when you are chosen? Doesn’t it feel good to be wanted? Do you consider yourself to be holy? Do you feel as though you are loved? What makes you feel loved? Do you share your love in the same way?

Most of us like it when we are chosen to be on a team. No one wants to be the last one chosen. Yet, even if we are the last one chosen and our team wins, we win. It no longer matters we were chosen last.

Most of us don’t consider ourselves holy. After all, we know all our faults, even if we don’t like to admit them. We work at self-improvement. We yearn to be better. Our internal thoughts fight against us—and God.

Many of us feel loved in one way or another. We may receive an affectionate love from our spouses. We may experience a friendship love from our close friends. Being part of a team or organization may provide us with a brotherly or sisterly love, much as soldiers experience when in battle.

Paul tells the church in Colossae they are chosen by God, they are holy, and they are dearly loved by God. Because of this, he instructs them in their behavior. He tells them to take care of one another and to be mindful of one another. In effect, he is telling them to put other followers ahead of themselves.

Paul understands human nature. He knows we all will make mistakes along the way. He knows we will offend one another at some point. His instruction is to forgive in the same way God forgives each one of us. This is all to be done out of love for one another.

What is the purpose of love? It binds us all together. We are unified in love. Our unity is a demonstration of God’s holiness, love, and plan of salvation. Our unity shows the lost the wondrous works of God. It is an active demonstration and can be the genesis for the lost person to seek to be part of God’s kingdom, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.

I pray we all realize we have been chosen by God. I pray we know we are loved by God. I pray each one of us chose to love and be unified to demonstrate God’s love for each of us. You are chosen. You are holy. You are dearly loved. Take on the virtues of God. Love one another. Be unified in Christ.

Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

One Mind

Have you ever been in lockstep with someone else? Have you and another been so in tune with one another you can finish each other’s sentences? Have you ever been able to anticipate what your boss is going to ask and able to have the answer ready?

We all have moments when we are of one mind with someone else. Perhaps it is with a spouse. Perhaps a sibling. It might have been a close friend. We might have experienced knowing our boss well enough to anticipate a key question and prepare to provide the answer or perhaps give the answer before the question is asked.

Moments such as these don’t typically last. They come and they go. It takes time and experience with another person to get to this level of cohesion. It can feel very rewarding to be in step with someone else, to be in sync. There is a rhythm that makes us feel good. Life seems to be humming right along and all is well with the world.

Since we cannot physically walk along with God, it is called being of one mind with Him in our Bibles. When we think as He thinks, speak as He speaks, and act as He would have us act. Being of one mind with God is also very rewarding. We experience a rhythm that is better than any rhythm we can experience with another person.

There is another benefit that comes from being of one mind with God. We become unified as the Body of Christ. We become one with one another, as well as one with God. Being unified as one Body increases our ability to do God’s work. It moves us along the path God has planned for us. We are effective in bringing others into the kingdom of God.

I pray we become of one mind with God. I pray we become a close-knit Body of Christ. I pray each one of us chooses to know more about God and grow closer to Him. Be of one mind with God. Be of one mind with fellow Christians. Be more effective in bringing others to Christ. Seek unity in Christ.

John 17:20-21 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Lighten the Load

Do you feel as though you have too much on your plate? Is your list of tasks longer than you have time to get them done? Do you feel as though the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Would you like to lighten your load?

We all experience times when it seems the list of things to get done are far beyond our capabilities and the time we have to get them done. It may be in our jobs. It may be in our personal lives. And it can come from a combination of the two.

Our jobs can grow into an overwhelming task list. When we first start a job, we go into it knowing there will be things we need to learn. We understand that and are mentally prepared for it. Yet, as we spend years at the same organization, small additional tasks or position changes can increase the number of tasks we are to perform. As the old saying goes, “If you want more to do, do a good job.” Growing task lists are even more common with a plethora of employers being short employees.

Our personal lives can also become extremely busy. In some cases, it is due to the demands made by others. In other cases, we keep piling on the task list ourselves. There are some “must do” tasks, but there are also several tasks that either are not needed at all or are “nice to have” tasks.

How can we gain relief from all these tasks? We can turn to Jesus. We can take on His burden and allow Him to take on ours. This doesn’t mean the physical tasks. It means we exchange the mental, emotional, and spiritual burdens with Him. We allow Him to take on the worry and anxiety we face. We take on the calm of Jesus.

It is simple to say yet can be hard to do. The main reason behind it being hard is we don’t want to give up our worry and anxiety. Oh, we will say we do but we don’t. Not deep down inside. We must first take on Jesus’ burden in order to allow Him to begin to relieve us of ours. As we start turning our burdens over to Him, we find relief. As we find relief, we realize it feels good. We, then, allow Him to take on more of our burdens. It won’t happen overnight. It is a step-by-step process.

I pray we all decide to take on Jesus’ burden. I pray we give up our burdens to Jesus. I pray each one of us will begin the step-by-step process of finding relief. Give your worry and anxiety to Jesus. Take on the calm He offers. Find relief. Jesus’ burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Teamwork Defeats Talent

Have you ever played on a team? What is one of the key components to a teams’ success? How does the team need to present itself to its opponent? What is it that can doom a team to failure? What does being on a team and being a follower of Christ have in common?

Most of us have played on a team at some point in our lives. If we have not, we may have been in a band. Even if we have done neither, we have observed them and can understand there is one key component each team must have to be successful.

What is the key component? Teamwork. The team must work well together. They must be unified in their goal. Each member must do their part to achieve team success. When there is dissension among the members, the team will fail. Their cohesion is key.

I have seen a less talented team defeat a more talented team all because they worked well as a team. In fact, I played on a team that won a championship by defeating a more talented team—not once, but twice in the same double elimination tournament. It is extremely gratifying when you can be part of a team such as that. It is also quite obvious to see dissension on the opposing team. When a team starts arguing the moment they get behind, you know the win is within your grasp, even if you are the less talented team.

How does this equate to our Christian walk? As the body of Christ, we must be unified. If we are to defeat the evil in this world, we must all be focused on the same goal. We must be of one mind. If we allow personal preferences to get in the way, we are doomed to failure.

How do we go about being of the same mind? We are to have the attitude of Christ. Taking on His attitude will remove our selfishness. We will ask what Christ wants us to do and pursue it. To defeat the evil in this world, we must come together as a body of Christ, setting aside our differences in mad-made guidance, following the example of Christ.

Notice Paul is telling the Roman church they are to be of one mind and one voice. This means to focus fully on Jesus and speak as He spoke rather than competing against one another. We cannot be a team filled with superstars who compete for personal statistics rather than the team’s success. Doing so sets us up for defeat. Speaking as Jesus spoke, teaching what Jesus taught, focusing on the lost, and bringing people to Christ is our goal. We need every Christian focused on this rather than the things of this world.

I pray we all focus on Jesus. I pray we set aside our personal preferences to be a unified body. I pray each one of us looks for opportunities to share Jesus with others. Focus on Jesus. Seek to follow His example. Talk about Jesus to others. Let go of selfishness. Work as a team. Be unified in Christ. Be of one mind. Speak with one voice.

Romans 15:5-6 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Offer Stands

Do you want to live forever? How would you like beginning your forever life today? Don’t think that is possible? Have you heard Jesus’ teaching? Are you willing to follow Him? Are you willing to commit your life to Jesus? Are you willing to feed on Him?

There are many people in this world who think this life is all there is. They fear death. They fail to understand there is an eternal life or an eternal damnation. It is an either-or choice. It is our choice to make. The offer stands.

Jesus pleads with us to believe in Him. He begs us to follow Him. He desires us to choose Him over death. He makes His offer to us in many different ways. God, the Father, put a plan in place for us to live with Him forever.

Jesus tells us He came down from heaven to be our bread of life. He tells us He will feed us, and we will live forever. He tells of the ancestral Jews who ate the manna the Father provided after they had escaped Egypt. He states that manna would not provide the eternal life He provides. It was meant to sustain them while they journeyed to the promised land. However, it would not grant them eternal life with God. In fact, as we look back at their journey from Egypt to the promised land, we see many instances of disobedience.

Jesus came to be the offering for all eternity. He eagerly accepts us into the kingdom of God when we commit to Him. Jesus provides the food for our soul that our soul longs for. Only He can fill our true desire. Only He can be the bread of life.

I pray we all accept the offer of eternal life. I pray we accept Jesus and believe in Him. I pray each one of us will accept God’s plan for salvation. Accept the bread of life. Accept the offer. Step into the kingdom of God. Be filled by Jesus. Feed your soul.

John 6:57-58 “Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Bread of Life

Do you have cravings for certain foods? How often during the day do you get hungry? How much do you drink throughout the day? Have you ever stopped to consider how much or how little you eat and drink each day?

We all eat and drink each day. We may even think it’s a bit silly to think about it. It’s just something we do. Perhaps we don’t consider what we’re eating and drinking. Or maybe we track each food we take in, the amount, and how healthy it is.

If you have ever been on a diet, you have certainly tracked what you eat and drink. You track the nutrition including sugars, carbohydrates, protein, sodium, calories, and more. You track what you drink and may drink water only. I know people who have lost weight by merely eliminating soft drinks from their drink options.

Yet have we thought about the food we take into our heart, soul, and mind? Jesus tells us He is the bread of life. He also tells us we will never be thirsty, if we come to Him. Some will take this passage literally, while others will state it is a metaphor.

I believe Jesus is talking about our soul rather than our physical hunger and thirst. Our souls absolutely long to be fed. When we attempt to feed our soul with something other than Jesus, we continue to find temporary satisfaction. It is only when we turn over our souls to Jesus that we find permanent satisfaction. Jesus fills our souls with what they are longing for.

Jesus provides us eternal life. He does so when we go to Him. He fills us with what our soul longs for. He gifts us with joy this world cannot provide. He grants us peace that only He can give. His Spirit fills us to the point of overflowing.

I pray we all choose the bread of life. I pray we choose to fill our souls with Him. I pray each one of us choose to follow Jesus and accept His gifts. Know the bread of life. Choose to be fed continually. Never go hungry. Never be thirsty. Choose Jesus.

John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The Work Of God

What is your idea of working for God? Do you believe it is endless? Do you look at all the evil going on the in the world and think God wants you to work to eliminate it? Do you not realize it is not your responsibility? Does that sound out of whack?

Many of us will point to feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving a cool drink of water to someone who is thirsty, caring for the sick, and a litany of other things as the work of God. Not that those things are not good, but we would be wrong.

Why are we wrong? Well, we are not entirely wrong. However, we first must put our priorities in order. Jesus states specifically what the work of God is when He is asked. He says it is to believe in the one God sent. In other words, our work is to believe in Jesus.

Now, believing in Jesus, following His example and teachings does include doing other good works. Paul tells us God prepared good works for us in advance (Ephesians 2:10). You may think this is splitting hairs but notice the subtle difference. Jesus says the work of God is to believe in Him. Paul says God prepared good works for us to do. One is the work of God, the other is a work prepared for us.

We must first do the work of God. We must believe in His Son. We must believe He was sent to be our Lord and Savior. We must believe He lived, was crucified for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. We must believe His teachings. We must desire to obey His commands. If we don’t do these things first, our good works are no better served than if they were done by an agnostic or atheist or any other non-believer.

Do not misunderstand, good works are good. Otherwise, they would not be called good works. Yet, the motivation behind those good works is important. When we believe in Jesus Christ and are doing all the good works in His name, there is a huge difference in how they are carried out. There is a huge difference in the impact we have through those good works.

I pray we all believe in the Son of God. I pray we believe He lived, died, was buried, and rose on the third day. I pray each one of us do good works for Him, not ourselves. Work for God. Do God’s work. Do the good works God prepared for you. Do them in Jesus’ name. Make a big impact.

John 6:28-29 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”