Reflect On Life

What is life to you? Do you consider life nothing more than breathing, interacting, working, going, and thinking? Is life more than that to you? Have you ever thought about what life is? Have you given any thought about eternal life, living forever?

Life can be funny, difficult, and strange. Odd things happen during our lives. We face challenges. We may even say that life is stranger than fiction. When we reflect on our lives, we see how it changes from day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month, and year-to-year.

Our lives intersect with so many other lives. So many, that we cannot recall everyone we have met, interacted with, and perhaps even called friends at one time or another. The older we get the more people interact with. Some pass from our memory while others have a lasting impact. But do we think about why that is?

Someone who has taken time to point us in the right direction often stays in our memory bank. This is especially true if that person pointed us to God and turned our life from a life of lostness to a life of being welcome into God’s kingdom. When we are pointed to Jesus, get to know Him personally, and allow Him to have the deep positive impact He can, the person who helped us to do will be someone we hold dearly in our memories for rest of our lives.

Why? When we have Jesus, we have eternal life. That eternal life is one in which we live with God forever. There is no end. It is perfect in all facets. Sadly, if we don’t have Jesus, we do not have that perfect life forever. This is a great reason to both submit to Him and tell others about Him. We, too, can be someone who has a deep positive impact on someone else.

I pray we all pause to think about life. I pray we recognize the different seasons of life we experience. I pray each one of us will accept Jesus into our lives and tell others about Him. Reflect on life. Recognize the season you have come through. Accept Jesus. Live in Him. Tell others about Him.

1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Major Decisions

Do you seek advice and guidance when needing to make major decisions? Do you take time to research all the possibilities and determine the pros and cons of each? Who do you seek out to provide you advice and guidance? Do you spend time in prayer, asking God for guidance?

When we have major decisions, we often seek advice and guidance from someone we trust. The people we seek guidance from have often made a similar decision during their lives. We seek to learn from their experience. They help us identify the pros and cons of the options.

There are a few keys to seeking advice. The first is seeking advice from someone we trust who will think through the options and provide sound advice. The second is that we listen intently and weigh the information carefully. The third is to ask God to guide us in determining the best option for us.

The first key is easy and often done. The second one can be more challenging. The advice we receive may not be what we want to hear and we either ignore it or don’t give it much weight. The third key is far too often not done at all, yet it is perhaps the most important key of all.

When we earnestly seek God’s guidance, praying fervently with open hearts to hear it, he provides an answer. The answer may not come in verbal form. It may be as simple as a calmness comes over us when we consider one option or a tightening in our chest and anxiety overcoming us. If we have prayed to God to guide us, these types of feelings are his way of providing us with the best answer.

I pray we all seek advice and guidance. I pray we seek someone we trust will provide sound advice. I pray each one of us will ask God to guide us and heed the guidance he provides. Seek advice. Seek guidance. Listen to a trustworthy person. Weigh the options. Ask God to guide you. Follow his guidance.

Acts 1:24-25 Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

Connections

Have you given any thought to the part you play in life? Have you ever sat in a public spot watching people and wonder what part each of them play? Have you considered even those you think are bad fill a role? Or, that God can use what a bad person does for good?

We typically go about our lives without a lot of thought. We may plan what we are going to do today. We may plan a vacation months in advance. We may plan our education. We may even plan when we will have children. But we do not typically think about how we fit in the bigger picture.

Everyone plays a role in life. We are all connected to someone, somewhere, somehow. Think about all the connections to other people you have. There are family, friends, co-workers, schoolmates, and people we meet while shopping. Each of us have a connection and influence on them, just as they do us.

Even those who do bad things have influence. Judas certainly had an influence on how God’s plan played out. Peter recognizes that Judas had a role to play. Before we get off track and blame God for what bad people do, we must remember that God is always good. He will not entice or encourage someone to do bad. However, because he knows what they will do, what is in their heart and mind, he will use what they intend for bad to bring good out of it.

If you have never taken time to think about the big picture, I encourage you to do so. Look back over your life and recognize how different people have had an influence on your life. See where God has worked in your life, both through good influences from people and by using a bad event to bring about good in your life. As you realize connections among all of us, you will become more aware of your own actions.

I pray we all see God at work in our lives. I pray we see the connections we have with others. I pray each one of us use our realization of connections to be more aware of our actions. See God at work. See how God uses bad for good. See all your connections. Be aware of how your actions impact others.

Acts 1:15-17 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, “Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus—for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”

Happy Are Those…

Happiness is often fleeting. We are happy when we purchase something new, but it wears off. We are happy when we are with friends, but we cannot be with them every day, all day. We are happy with our pets until they are disobedient. Our happiness doesn’t last.

We can find a fulfilling happiness, one that can be our delight every day, all day. That comes from following the commands of God and his Son, Jesus Christ. When we study and obey them, we find the happiness, which is really true joy, that will not leave us. This happens as read God’s Word and commit it to memory. His commands and guidance come back to us as we go about our daily lives, directing our path to the best experiences.

Conventional, worldly wisdom tells us that can’t be. We need, in fact deserve, worldly pleasures that we can only get from buying things. But the world is wrong. As we memorize and meditate on God’s Word, we elevate ourselves above worldly thinking. We come to a new realization. We understand that this world will pass away, but God’s Word will not pass away.

It is the Lord that we find the happiness, joy, and delight our souls seek. It is in God’s commands and guidance that we are set free from the shackles of this world. It is when we trust God at his Word that our minds are opened to his truths and find joy that surpasses all understanding. We simply need to decide to give up the world for God.

I pray we all seek to find happiness in God. I pray we long for the pure joy that only God can provide. I pray each one of us shake off the shackles of this world to find the freedom that comes with trusting God. Find happiness. Find pure joy. Obey God’s commands. Follow his guidance. Trust God. Be set free.

Psalm 1:1-2

Happy are those 

who do not follow the advice of the wicked, 

or take the path that sinners tread, 

or sit in the seat of scoffers; 

but their delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law they meditate day and night.

Go As Jesus Commanded

How well do you follow commands? Have you been in a profession in which instant obedience is required? How well do you think you would adapt to such a profession? Are you following Jesus’ commands?

Jesus did not give many commands. He said we are to love God, love our neighbor, follow Him, and make disciples. We are typically pretty good at acknowledging the first three, even if we don’t always follow them. It’s the fourth one that gives us the most anxiety.

Jesus didn’t give us an option in any one of His commands. That’s why we call them commands. If there were choices in doing them or not, we would call them suggestions, guidelines, or even principles. But we don’t call them any of those, rather they are called commands.

The command to go make disciples scares many of us. Yet, it is not nearly as scary as we make it out to be. In fact, many people we talk to everyday know something about God and are willing to talk about him. It is the fear of ridicule, ostracization, or embarrassment that causes us to hesitate. That fear comes from Satan, plain and simple. He wants to stop us from carrying out Jesus’ command. Let’s all pray that God remove our fear and we carry out all of Jesus’ commands.

I pray we all seek to follow Jesus’ commands. I pray we desire to obey every one of them. I pray each one of us will ask God to wipe out our fear so we will go make disciples of Jesus Christ. Follow Jesus’ commands. Ask God to remove your fear. Go, make disciples.

Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Show Your Love

Have you ever taken time to contemplate how you love? How do others know you love them? Is it because you tell them you do? Or is it how you treat them? What do you think? How do you know when someone else loves you? Is it through words or actions?

Let’s just say right up front, there is nothing wrong with telling someone you love them. In fact, it is good to tell them. They need to hear it and you need to express your feelings verbally. Yet, verbally should not be the only way we express our love for one another.

Our loved should be expressed in the same way Jesus expressed His love for His disciples. How did He do that? He did it with actions and speech. Jesus showed them His love by rescuing them from the storm, just as He rescues us from our storms. He gave them wise advice through His teachings, and He does so for us today. He fed them when they were hungry, and He feds us today. He rebuked them when they were wrong, and He rebukes us today as well. But He rebuked them with love and followed it with teaching them appropriately.

We can follow Jesus’ form of expressing love. We can be there during a time of need. We can provide wise advice based on our years of experience or diligent research of a topic. We can feed our loved ones by preparing a meal. We can let them know they are incorrect and provide a correct explanation calmly. All of this should be done with love and compassion. It is not done to build ourselves up or position ourselves above them.

Jesus did not boast about Himself to His disciples. He demonstrated who He is and asked them who they thought He was. He did not lord it over them that He was the Son of God. Instead, he served them. We are also called to be servants, not lords. By being servants of one another, we show the love of Jesus in us to others.

I pray we all love one another. I pray we seek to show our love for others in the same way Jesus showed His love. I pray we serve one another through actions done in love. Show the love of Jesus. Show your love through actions. Love one another. Serve one another in love.

John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Complete Joy

How much joy do you have? Not just happiness with things, but joy that remains within you regardless of the situation. Do you have that kind of joy? Do you want that kind of joy? Do you know that it is available to you? It is the very reason Jesus gave us His teachings.

True joy is both easy and hard to come by. It is easy when we follow Jesus’ teachings and commands. It is hard when we listen to the world and are filled with the desires of it. We often chase after happiness rather than following Jesus to pure joy.

Why is the world so enticing? We like what I call shiny objects, things that catch our attention. They can be anything from jewelry to a beautiful partner, climbing the corporate ladder or chasing a professional sports career, getting the right dog or buying the right clothes. Shiny objects one and all…if we allow them to become the focus of our attention rather than Jesus.

But when we listen to Jesus’ teachings and seek to understand and follow them, we fine the pure joy we all desire. It is the type of joy we can only achieve through Jesus. The question we must answer is, will we believe it, or will we continue to chase temporary happiness to fill the void we have inside without His joy.

Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms that He has said everything He said so that we may have the same joy He has. That is the pure joy of knowing, not only Him, but God the Father. When He says that our joy will be complete, it means to come to full fruition, to be made whole, to be completely fulfilled. This is the joy our inner being desires.

I pray we all seek the pure joy of Jesus Christ. I pray we listen to and understand Jesus’ teachings. I pray each one of us will experience a full and complete joy as we follow Jesus’ commands. Seek pure joy. Listen to Jesus. Understand Jesus’ teachings. May your joy be made complete.

John 15:11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

Conquer the World

Do you want to conquer the world? Have you been trying diligently and coming up short? Is your strength failing you? Do you wish someone with some sense would take over the world? Are you ready to no longer need to care about the world? Do you know you can?

Our world is off its rocker sometimes. In fact, it seems it is off its rocker most of the time anymore. We have multiple wars going on simultaneously, protests against one but not the others, political turmoil in several countries, and discrimination in nearly every country.

Sometimes, we just want to escape. We don’t want to hear any more news. It would be nice to stick our head in the sand and ignore all that is going on around. Or,…it would be nice to change everyone and everything to rid ourselves of the mess we see in the news every day. Unfortunately, neither will do us much good.

You know what will do us good? Conquer the world! No, not in the way you are thinking. We conquer the world through our belief in Jesus Christ. As our belief and faith in Him grows strong, as we learn to see His plan, as we learn to see the world the way He sees it, as we learn to trust Him more, we conquer this world. It doesn’t mean the world will change into the world we wish for. It does mean we are no longer mentally exhausted, or anxiety riddled with it.

It may sound crazy, but we really can conquer the world. This is especially true when we grow to be more like Jesus. You see, He has already conquered the world. He has also conquered sin and death. He has conquered fear, anxiety, worry, hate, discrimination, and all other types of ugliness and evil. The closer we get to Him, the closer we get to conquering the world.

I pray we all seek to grow closer to Jesus. I pray we seek to be more like Him. I pray each one of us seek to conquer the world and all its ugliness through Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Grow closer to Jesus. Learn to be more like Him. Conquer the world. Conquer sin. Conquer death.

1 John 5:5 Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Core Belief

How many true beliefs do you have? Not just a superficial belief but a deep down, heartfelt belief. Are there many of them? Do you believe your job will be there for you for as long as you want it? Do you believe you will live to be a hundred years old?

A heartfelt belief in something can be hard to come by. We may have a superficial belief in many things. We can believe someone is truthful with us…until we catch them in a lie. We can believe our job is safe…until we are suddenly laid off. But belief is part of life.

As we live our lives, belief comes and goes. We discover new information that changes our beliefs. We witness events that can reinforce or shake our beliefs. It seems as though we walk through life on ground that is continually moving, as though it is rolling as it might through an earthquake.

However, it is our core belief that will sustain us. Without a core belief, we wander through life like a rudderless boat tossed about on the ocean. What core belief can be based on truth that will never change? The truth of God. John tells us that when we believe that Jesus is born of God, we also love God and his children. This mean that we love God the Father, God the Son, and all his other children.

Loving God’s children is not always easy. Yet, if we truly believe in God’s truth, we will love his children. How can this be? We come to know the truth of God’s Word. God reveals himself and how he loves each one of us. We may not always like what another child of God does, but we can love them as a child of God. This love, just as our belief, becomes part of our inner self.

I pray we all have a heartfelt belief in God. I pray we come to know God’s truth through his Word. I pray each one of us grow in our love for God and for all his children. Believe in God the Father. Believe in God the Son. Know God’s truth. Read God’s Word. Grow in the love of God. Love God’s children.

1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.

Open Yourself Up

Have you ever been astonished? Has something so amazing happened that you were speechless? Was it something you thought would never happen? Did it open your eyes to new possibilities? Has that ever happened with regards to something God has done?

Witnessing something amazing can stop us in our tracks. It is especially astounding if it is something we thought was impossible. We are amazed to the point that our mouths drop open, our eyes bulge, and we are speechless. All we can say, “Wow!”

The Jewish people who went along with Peter to take the gospel to a Roman centurion and his household were amazed when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them. They thought the Holy Spirit would only come to the Jews. When they witnessed what happened and how the gentiles responded to the gift of the Holy Spirit, their jaws dropped wide open.

As much as the Jews were astonished, I’m sure the gentiles were surprised as well. They would have been overjoyed. Their heads were throwed back, their hands lifted to the heavens, and they were proclaiming the amazing work of God. The joy they were experiencing is beyond what we can imagine today. We don’t experience the Holy Spirit in quite the way they did early in church history.

Yet, we can experience the Holy Spirit. We can be amazed when he sends us messages. They come in a still, small voice. They come our way through others. The Holy Spirit moves in and around us in many ways and through many people. We just need to open ourselves up to him.

I pray we all are amazed at how the Holy Spirit moves. I pray we experience the Holy being poured out on us. I pray each one of us open ourselves to listening for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. Be amazed. Experience the Holy Spirit. Be in awe. Be moved by the Holy Spirit. Open yourself up to the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:44-46 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God.