Who can know what tomorrow will bring? Who can know what lies in store in 2024?
You wonder, you ponder, you predict what may come—the good, the bad, the in between. You try to prepare, you set your goals, your faith rises, hope soaring high.
But what if?
What if this or that happens? What if your dreaded fears become reality? What if the bad becomes the ugly, the ugly becomes worse, the worst becomes the new normal? What if,what if, what if?
Dwelling on the unknown produces anxiety. Dwelling on the all-knowing One produces peace.
God is with you in the unknown.
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Matthew 1:23 KJV
Immanuel—God with us.
With: accompanied by, in the company of, support, possessing something.
In other words, with describes a state of being.
God is with us. God is. Is—another state of being verb. Together, “God is with us” implies the omnipresence of God.
Yes, He was there from the beginning. Yes, He’s with you now. And, yes, He’s with you already in 2024 in your deepest, scariest unknowns.
He’s there in every place and every trial, lonely moment, sorrow, and difficult decision in every point in time all at once. Before you even arrive at a certain moment in time, He’s already there. He goes before you.
“And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 KJV
And we know that nothing catches Him by surprise, though we know not the future. Our understanding is limited, our knowledge finite. It is only through trusting in the One with infinite knowledge and who is always with us that we can step into the unknown with confidence and peace.
God is with us. God is faithful. God is.
As we close out 2023 and prepare for a new year, may we remember that God is with us already in everything we may face. And may we turn our worst “what if” scenarios into our best declarations of faith.
What if I get that job? What if I pass that test? What if God heals me? What if God restores my family? What if I’m delivered? What if God shows up like He never has before?
Follow and put your trust in the One who makes all things new and who turns bad situations around for your good. The same God who delivered, healed, and restored in the biblical age performs those same miracles today.
With describes a state of being, and we know that God never changes.
Our unchanging, holy, miracle-working God is with us right now, tomorrow, next year—always.
2023 isn’t over yet, but around Thanksgiving, I begin to reflect on the year – the ups, the downs, the good, and the bad. This year’s been a mixed bag for me, honestly. I’ve had a lot of wonderful times with people I love, and God has shown me things and blessed me in ways I never expected. And yet it’s as though every good moment has been countered with a tough and challenging setback.
You can get to the point where it becomes hard to feel genuinely thankful even in spite of the obvious blessings you know you still have and are thankful for. Weariness can do that to you. Burnout and being stretched thin can take the passion out of your spirit. And you find yourself just wanting to lie down instead of taking care of the million other things on your to-do list or instead of having to actually think about the issues that you’re facing.
I’m sure we can all say we’ve been there. Many wise people will remind us that when we place each anxiety-inducing situation into God’s hands and trust Him with it, then we’ll have peace, and things will be okay. And that’s absolutely true. I’ve reminded myself and others of that before as well. God will work things out in His timing. He takes care of His children.
But we’re all human, after all, and those problems often don’t immediately go away even when we say we’re trusting God with them. Sometimes they still eat away at you. Sometimes they still haunt you, and even when you think you’ve surrendered it, they plague your mind and drag you back into the mud. And there you are – covered in the grime of frustration, weariness, and anxiety once again.
I could go on and on about the ways stress and frustrating times make us feel, but I digress. How can one find a way to feel thankful in the midst of trying times? I’ve been thinking about this, and God reminded me of something so simple, but so good.
Two things came into my spirit: the God who hears me and the Lord my Sustainer.
All of the conversations I’ve had with God about what I’ve been facing this year, every question I’ve asked Him, every prayer I’ve prayed, every moment where I’ve just rambled about a dozen different frustrations, every single word and prayer and cry has not gone unheard. While I sat and wondered about how to write a post about thankfulness that didn’t feel generic, God simply reminded me of this.
He has heard you. He’s listening. He’s there.
“In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry came before him, even into his ears.”
Psalm 18:6 KJV
In every low moment, God heard me, and He hears you. In every moment when I wasn’t sure how I would make it, God sustained me.
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.”
Psalm 34:3 KJV
Sometimes in life there are those situations that just won’t go away, but the Lord will sustain you. You’re not strong, but He is. You can’t do this, but He can. And with His grace and mercy He will give you the strength to endure.
“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
Matthew 24:13 KJV
I’m reminded of the word God spoke through Reverend Victor Jackson at the UPCI General Conference in 2019 – the Forgotten Anointing. It’s endurance. Jesus saw those who followed Him were weary, and He was moved with compassion.
“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
Matthew 9:36 KJV
If you’re going through a rough season this Thanksgiving, and your thanksgiving spirit feels a little stale, it’s OKAY. You’re human, and real life presents real problems. It’s normal to become weary and tired, but thank God for His compassion on us and that He sent His Spirit to dwell within us and bring us comfort and strength.
“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
John 14:18 KJV
Maybe you’re still dealing with the same situation that you’ve been facing all year. Maybe it’s a years-long situation. Maybe you’re struggling with feeling truly thankful, and you’re weary of the same issues day in, day out. You cannot and will make it not by your own strength, but you WILL make it by the power of the Sustainer, by the mercy of the Comforter.
Let God sustain you. Pray His Word out loud, and let His Spirit strengthen yours. He hears your every cry. And let this truth reignite your thanksgiving this holiday season: Jesus is the God who hears us. He is the Lord our Sustainer.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
This blog post is adapted from the notes of a past Midweek lesson of the same title.
I had a lot of different plans for my life growing up. I wanted to be a vet, a photographer, an investigative journalist, a disaster relief specialist, a lawyer, a writer, an editor, a teacher. No matter what I wanted to be, I always had a plan.
In 2013, I was 17, and I was 3 weeks into college going to school to be an editor. But then I became very sick and was rushed to the hospital where I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. And all my current plans were thrown out the window. A couple years went by, and my life seemed to be getting back on track.
In the summer of 2018, there was a shift that happened that changed my life as I knew it. After some unfortunate events, about which I cannot go into much detail here, my family and I began to feel that God was pressing upon us to make a difficult move.
This was not an easy decision. It was a time of a lot of confusion, many rumors, and division. We were not the only ones who made this decision, and it split families. I lost friendships and connections that I’d spent my life building.
Over the next several months, I experienced the stages of grief in various order again and again. But all through this time, I found myself praying and reading the Word even more every day because I was desperate for help from God to get through this. I knew that He had directed us to this place, and so I knew that He must have a plan.
It wasn’t easy to maintain this trust. There were moments I wondered if I’d made a mistake in leaving. Maybe I was struggling with loneliness and depression because I had stepped outside of God’s Will. Maybe God was punishing me for something.
But we don’t have the capacity to understand the ways of God.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV
When you build your life upon the Rock, you can stand even when you endure situations that you don’t understand.
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
Matthew 7:24-27 KJV
Those who know Christ and follow Him can withstand life’s storms. It takes a relationship with Him. Elijah had a relationship with God. Job had a relationship with God. This means that they knew God, and God knew them. They trusted God. They talked to God. They trusted His Word. They followed Him.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”
John 10:27 KJV
Those who disobey and refuse to follow God stumble and fall.
“Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.”
1 Peter 2:6-8 KJV
See, the cornerstone in ancient times was the first stone laid in a building. It was the key part of the foundation. Those who reject Him don’t truly know Him. They don’t trust Him. They don’t have a relationship with Him. And He becomes a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense to them because they reject Him, and they stumble at the Word.
If I had given up on trusting God, if I hadn’t prayed and read the Word and tried to get closer to Him, I wouldn’t be where I am today. If I had chosen to ignore the leading of God’s Spirit and proceeded with MY plan, I would have missed out on the blessings, and the people, and the opportunities, and the relationships He’s placed in my life.
Do you have a plan for your lives? Do you trust God’s plan even if it’s different from your plan?
Daniel was taken captive into Babylon, taken from his home, but he still kept up his relationship with God even in the middle of an evil, wicked place. He prayed to God as he always did, and they threw him in a lion’s den. He trusted God’s plan. He had a relationship with God.
“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”
Psalm 63:1 KJV
What is the depth of your relationship with God? Is it strong enough that you know you can trust God no matter what tomorrow brings? Are you spiritually prepared for your next battle?
Disappointment is going to happen. Hard times are going to come. What will be your response when it happens? If it were to happen right now, would you stand?
Are you building your life on the sand or the chief cornerstone? Are you building it on your emotions, your will, and your way, or are you building it upon a relationship with Jesus Christ and surrendering to His will and His way? The disobedient stumble. The disobedient reject God’s Word, His ways, His plan. The wise believe on Him. The wise build a relationship with Him.
I don’t know what is going on in your lives right now. Maybe everything’s going well, or maybe you’re going through something you don’t understand and that you don’t know how you’ll get through. But as someone who’s been there, I can say that there is a purpose to the season you are in, and every season has an end.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV
I know what it’s like to have plans and then have them be erased in what seems like an instant because my plan wasn’t God’s plan. But you must trust God above all else, and the only way you can do that is if you have a relationship with Him. If you know Him, then you’ll be able to trust that He will guide you through every trial.
“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”
Psalm 32:8 KJV
Do you know Him? Do you know His Word? Do you hear when He speaks to you?
Don’t waste your years thinking, I’ll get my relationship with God figured out later. He’s calling for you now. Now is the time to develop a strong prayer life and to plant yourself deep in the Word.
You have a choice to build your life on the sand or Stone. Build your life now not upon sinking sand, not upon what YOU want but upon Jesus Christ the chief cornerstone, and you will be able to stand.
It’s one of the first words we understand as children. From the moment we begin to understand the concept of possession, selfishness becomes part of our nature.
No, you can’t have that toy. That’s mine. No, I don’t want to share it with them. It’s mine.
Not to piggyback on a cliché, but — ahem — sharing is caring. We must give to others because we care. But this is a concept many struggle with throughout their lives, namely in the form of financial giving and sacrifice.
All that we have belongs to God, especially our money and treasures. He is the one who blesses us with increase, no matter how hard we may have worked for it. It’s the Lord who gives us abilities and opportunities to receive financial blessings. And when we refuse to give what He’s blessed us with back to Him, we’re stealing from Him.
“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”
Malachi 3:8 KJV
Not only are we robbing God when we refuse to give Him a mere ten percent of our increase, but we’re also depriving ourselves and others of blessings. The more we hold onto our money and treasures and say, “Mine,” the more we make idols of them. We cannot serve two masters.
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Matthew 6:24 KJV
The love of money is the root of all evil. If you’re having a difficult time giving your treasures to God and His Kingdom, perhaps it’s because you love it more than you love God – perhaps it’s because you trust money more than God or perhaps it’s because you aren’t really invested in His Kingdom.
“Tithing is not a bill or tax. It’s obedience. It’s an act of faith.”
Tony Wyatt Jr.
You love God, you say, but you can’t do what He asks you to do. You love His Kingdom, you say, but don’t want to give to support its growth. You trust the Lord, you say, but when times are tough, you withhold more from God rather than let Him be your Provider.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19 KJV
I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread (see Psalm 37:25). It rains on the just and unjust, and we will all struggle with financial difficulty, but when we still give to the Lord what is His even in tough times, we’re showing how much we truly trust and love Him. And He will take care of our needs every time.
Loving money more than trusting God will lead you down a selfish path. If you withhold from God financially, chances are you’ll withhold from Him in other areas. Greed takes many forms. Treasure is more than just money.
If you refuse to obey God’s command and give to Him and His Kingdom, how else will you refuse Him? You can be greedy with your time. You can be greedy with your talents. You can be greedy with the blessings He’s given you.
“The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 19:20-24 KJV
The greedy person reaps the refusal of God, but the giving person reaps acceptance into His Glory.
Give not just your money but your time, your talents, your blessings, your love, your abilities – give yourself to God, to His Kingdom, and to reach your community.
What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world but lose his own soul? (See Mark 8:34-37)
Give yourself away to God, and He will provide for your every need and bless you with greater abundance in life’s blessings than the world could ever promise to give.
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over…”
Luke 6:38a KJV
BONUS:
Here are 7 good financial habits that we went over in our Sunday morning Hyphen/young adult class a few Sundays ago. Write these down and start working today on applying them to your life:
You’ve probably heard the parable of the talents many times. In Matthew 25, we read that a master gave talents to his three servants. One servant had five talents, one had two, and one had one. Mr. Five Talents put them to good use and became Mr. Ten Talents. Mr. Two Talents did the same and became Mr. Four Talents. Mr. One Talent was fearful and lazy, hid his talent, and his master had his talent taken from him, and the unprofitable servant was cast into outer darkness.
Yikes. But no matter how we may perceive what abilities God has given to us, we ought to use it for His glory.
Did you know you can steal glory from God? Okay, no you can’t actually diminish from His glory, but you can try to put all the attention on you instead of God, trying to attract glory for yourself rather than give it all to Him.
When you’re serving in ministry, it’s not about you – it’s about God and others. It’s about the Kingdom. But when you’re in the middle of doing something in the Kingdom, something you may be very good at, and someone gives you a compliment, it can be hard for your flesh to resist letting that go to your head. If you’re not careful, you’ll start chasing after compliments.
Your talents are not your own. They are God’s gift to you, and they belong to God.
There are three types of approaches you can have when it comes to using your talents in the Kingdom, but many often lean toward one extreme or another.
Approach 1: Look at me.
This is the narcissistic, self-serving approach. When you feel yourself taking pride in “your” accomplishments and talents, and when you start chasing after glory for yourself, you’ve just made an idol of attention, fame, and popularity.
Glory-chasers care more about being seen than serving. Attention-seekers care more about open doors and new opportunities than simply working in their local church. When all you care about is being elevated, you develop a prideful and arrogant spirit.
Solomon warned about pride many times in Proverbs. Proverbs 16:18 states that pride goes before destruction, and Proverbs 27:2 tells us to “let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth.”
One of the things God hates is a prideful spirit, and He cannot bless something that is contrary to His Spirit.
Having an eagerness to serve and be used is good. Wanting the spotlight on yourself to gain praise and attention is not. The opposite of this extreme is similar to the issue of the one-talent servant – not putting your talent to good use.
Approach 2: Look at them.
Ugh. They’re so much better than me. What’s the point? I’m no good.
This is also self-serving because it still puts your attention on yourself as you hide your talents because you convince yourself you’re not as good as so-and-so. This approach involves our obsession over everyone else’s apparent success in comparison to our weaknesses.
Maybe you’ve got the one talent only, and you think, ugh, so-and-so has five talents. I’ll never have that many. Might as well just sit on the pew. What good am I?
Or maybe you think you have no talent. Well, believe it or not, it’s not about what you think about yourself. It’s about being willing to serve in the Kingdom.
Perhaps you’re feeling down about not being as talented as someone else. Perhaps you’re struggling just to do what you can. But then someone comes up to you and tells you how your ministry and willingness to serve has blessed them. And then it hits you: this is why. This is how you can be used in the Kingdom even if you think you’re not that talented or useful. You might think you’ve got these limitations, but when you’re moving and operating under the anointing of the Holy Ghost, God can move and touch people through your willingness to serve.
You don’t have to be the best, but you have to be anointed. And then God can use you for His glory to reach and minister to others. And that brings us to the third approach.
Approach 3: Look at God
This is the correct approach, putting all the attention on God rather than trying to get it for yourself or hide your God-given abilities. This is the approach that says, “God, I just want YOU to be glorified. I just want YOUR will to be done in me. I just want to do whatever YOU want me to do.” The person who operates with this approach is willing to serve no matter what.
Maybe you can cook. Serve in the kitchen ministry. Maybe you’re good at gardening. Help with the upkeep of the church lawn. Maybe you can take pictures. Do photography for the church. Maybe you’re good at media or graphic design. Help with the slides on the media team for services or create logos and graphics for your church’s social media page.
Maybe you’re just really great with people and always have a smile on your face. Become a church greeter. Maybe you don’t really know yet what you’re great at, but you just want to help out. God can use your desire to serve in whatever capacity is needed in the Kingdom. Whether you’re cleaning, cooking, teaching, singing, playing an instrument, greeting guests at the door, serving as an usher, helping with church planning, decorating for special services, or taking pictures every service, you can become a vital part of the Kingdom by just being willing to help out wherever help is needed.
We ALL have at least ONE thing we can do for God and for others. And here’s the thing about using that one thing for God: when you’re faithful with that one thing, God will bless your faithfulness. You may go from just helping clean the church to working in the kitchen, too. Then, you might find yourself saying, “You know, I can help decorate for the Easter program.” Then, someone might ask for your help with teaching Sunday school as a backup. And before you know it, you’re doing multiple things in the Kingdom all because you were willing to serve with just that one talent.
Be a faithful steward of the abilities God has given you. Be eager and willing to serve. Find ways to serve more. Put effort into improving the abilities God has given you. And remember that it isn’t about you. If you pair prayer with commitment and sacrifice in your ministry, then God will reward and bless and strengthen you even if it’s just through personal growth rather than through open doors to serving in a larger capacity.
Want to grow in using your abilities for God? Be faithful. Be willing. Be humble. Be a servant.
Look around. Now what? Night falls. Day’s gone. Sink’s still full. Washer’s loaded. Work’s not done. God’s still waiting.
And waiting. And waiting.
You need more time? You had all day. But the things you value you put first. Did you put first God or self? Did you put first God or world? Did you put first God or work? Did you put first God or fill in the blank?
What you worship you make time for. What you love most, you live for. For job, for country, for family, for friends, for fun, for money, for fame, for success. It’s not all bad just when it matters more than Him.
Don’t let your fill in the blank tank your future.
Sixteen hours in a day to spend well or to waste. Seek Him first and all else will be in His hands for eternity. Your job, your family, your health, your abilities, your work, your hobbies, your free time, your money—it all works out and works for good when you put God above it all.
So, love and serve Him with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your soul, and all your time. What you serve you’ll prioritize.
So, love Him first and love Him most for all time.
You did it. You did the thing. You did the thing you knew was wrong. You did the thing you knew was wrong, and yet you did it anyway.
Why? Why’d you do it? Why’d you do it when you knew it was wrong?
Because it made you feel good? Lashing out, getting revenge, making the person who hurt you hurt more than they hurt you.
Yeah, it felt good, didn’t it? The first second the words left your mouth, and the smile left their face, and their mouth gaped open, and you knew you’d stunned them. Cut straight to their soul with an insult, a truth so crushing. Your words dripped with vitriol so full of spite that they wobbled a bit when you said it.
And why shouldn’t you say it? They had it coming. What goes around comes around, so they say.
So they say a lot of things. They say fear is a powerful tool. They say get back at your enemies. They say take what’s owed you, show no mercy, leave no survivors. Eye for an eye. Tooth for tooth. But there’s a lot they don’t say.
And as the second second hit after you said what you said, after the smile of that person – your so-called enemy – faded, after their mouth gaped open, after they seemed to shrink in fear, after your shoulders bared back, fists clenching with the strength of newfound power, tears welled up in their eyes, and they crumpled to the ground and stayed there, shoulders shaking, and then saying what you said didn’t feel so good after all.
They don’t say, “Show mercy.” They don’t say, “Be a peacemaker.” They don’t say, “Admit when you’re wrong.” No, society doesn’t say those things.
But Jesus did. He said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). He said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). His Word says that whoever confesses and forsakes his sins will receive mercy (see Proverbs 28:13).
That same mercy God gives us when we make mistakes is there for everyone.
And so, you unclenched your fists, bent down to the person who had hurt you before, touched their shoulder, and said the words society doesn’t tell you to say:
“I’m sorry.”
Forgiveness is there for you as it is and should be for those who hurt you. Never mind what society says. Mind what Jesus has called you to do. He has called you to be set apart from the world, not embrace its ways and lifestyle.
I never used to think gossip was a big deal until I realized the things I’d been gossiping about were wrong. There was a time once when I heard many rumors—none of them good—about people in my life, and I believed it at the time. It suited the narrative in my head about those people, and believing those false things shaped how I thought about them. Because of the gossip I’d participated in, I began to strongly dislike them.
I was wrong.
A couple years later, I realized all the rumors I heard were not true, and I felt convicted about not only believing them but allowing others to gossip around me and furthering that gossip myself. God began dealing with me about this, making me increasingly more aware of the words I say, how I speak about people, the motives behind my words, and the impact of my words as well as the gossip others would spread around me.
I found that when I had engaged in gossip, I believed more negative thoughts about others. The list of people I disliked grew longer and longer. And it became clear that I hadn’t learned to really love others with a genuine, Christ-like love.
Then, when I made a conscious effort to stop gossiping, listening to gossip, and thinking negatively about those people, I found that the love of Christ grew in me toward them. All of a sudden, that negativity and spitefulness in my spirit was gone.
When you hear gossip, it needs to stop with you. When you hear gossip, you need to change the subject and leave the room. Do not participate. Maybe someone did something wrong, sure, but let God handle it. Rest assured, He will deal with the situation if a wrong was truly committed. He will take care of the problem if there really is a serious issue. But if it doesn’t directly concern you, there is no reason to talk to others about it.
“He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: Therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.”
Proverbs 20:19 KJV
Gossip serves only to divide. It is self-serving. It feeds your own preconceived ideas about others. It isn’t productive. It hinders growth. Gossip comes from insecurities, idleness, narcissism, and emotional immaturity.
As we know, our feelings follow our thoughts. If we think (and then say) negative things about others, we’ll feel that way toward them. A 2011 study published in the journal Sciencexpress found that negative gossip actually changes the way we see people visually (you can read more about this here). However, if we only think good, kind, loving thoughts about others, then we’ll love them no matter what. And that’s a hard thing to do with people in certain circumstances.
I learned something about a person I know some time ago, something about what this person did, and it changed how I thought about them. They weren’t the person I thought I knew, but I was challenged to love them even still. I was challenged not to say spiteful, judgmental things about them—even though they did wrong.
Am I their judge? No. I had to let go of my animosity toward them and look at them through the love of Christ. Broken, messed up people hurt others, it’s true.
Gossip influences perception, and when you perceive people to be bad based off things you cannot confirm to be true, then you are declaring people as automatically guilty. Even if what you’re talking about IS true, sitting around and stirring the pot, repeating the same stories about the same situation keeps your mind in a repetitive loop.
Gossip is also used to destroy reputations and react aggressively. It needs the validation of others and demands that those who hear it agree with it. Gossip acts like a virus that jumps from one member of the body of Christ to another until it finds something to stick to, and then it spreads.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Proverbs 18:21 KJV
As the above scripture says, death and life are in the power of the tongue. Gossip is destructive and antithetical to the lifestyle of a Christian.
2023 is a week away, and I’m already thinking about personal challenges and goals for next year.
At the beginning of every year, many people make what we call “resolutions” that usually involve getting healthier or making more time for important things like family time or projects around the house. Many make spiritual goals as well, such as reading the Bible or fasting more. Of course, all of these goals are great, but we often get distracted by mid-year and abandon those resolutions. The older I get, the more I simplify my life. I’ve got a few small things I’d like to work on in 2023, but the two largest priorities I have and that I believe are essential for us to make every year are 1) spiritual growth and 2) financial security.
Let’s face it – the Christmas season is stressful mostly because many of us have maxed out credit cards or overspent our paychecks trying to buy presents for friends and family. And there are often other expenses that come due this time of year that add to the stress. Money seems to be on the brain more than the reason why we celebrate Christmas. Stressing over our finances takes the joy of Christmas away when instead of seeing the joy on your loved one’s face when they open their gift, all you see are dollar signs.
And it’s also true that when we’re busy with life, we can often neglect our spiritual health and relationship with God.
I made one major goal for myself in 2022 and that was to study the Word more in-depth and get closer to God, and having done so throughout this year has reminded me of the importance of properly ordering your priorities. It all comes down to stewardship. How well am I managing what God has given me? Am I saving money? Am I investing in the Kingdom both financially and spiritually? We should be able to look back over our life at the end of each year and see how God has drawn us closer to Him over the past several months. And we should be able to look to our future every year knowing that the present choices we’re making are to ensure future financial security.
Yes, God will always provide for our needs, but He wants us to be wise with our money – it all belongs to Him, after all. We have the responsibility to invest financially in our future for our own sakes and for our family’s.
“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
1 Timothy 5:8 KJV
In order for us to be able to provide for our families and be able to give to the Kingdom, we have to start making wise financial decisions now. If you’re young, that might look like going to trade school or college and pursuing a stable career. If you’re a bit older, it might look like investing in your kids’ future needs over yours or their present wants. For all of us, making wise financial decisions involves having a good work ethic so we can earn raises and promotions, saying “no” to our flesh when we want to buy something completely unnecessary and ridiculously expensive, saving money consistently, avoiding charging everything to credit cards, and cutting out little unnecessary expenses that add up over the year (like weekly Starbucks runs or fast food for lunch every day). Regardless of where you’re at in life, it is never too late or early to start saving, spending wisely, investing in your future, and investing in the Kingdom.
If you take care of your relationship with God each year and make wise financial decisions, He will take care of you. Rest assured, your future will be secure, and everything else (where you’ll live, who you’ll marry, when you’ll get married, where you’ll be in five years, etc.) will fall into place according to God’s timing and perfect will.
In 2023, let’s focus on God and wise investments and see how He continues to pour out His blessings upon His people as we pursue Him more and spread this Gospel to the people around us. May the Light of Jesus shine so bright in us that it snuffs out the darkness and ignites our communities and families with the Holy Ghost!
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my Breathe Pray Repeat readers! I pray these posts have blessed and encouraged you this year. This will be the last BPR post until February as I’ll be taking a break in January to focus on some themes and direction for this blog in 2023.
The youth respond in an altar call at a youth rally at the Apostolic New Testament Church in Mount Vernon, MO. (Photo courtesy of the Apostolic New Testament Church Facebook page.)
How much do you want to live for the Lord, really?
There’s a group of 4 teens. We’ll call them Jane, Mary, Mark, and Joe.
Jane and Mary come into the church as young women. Jane goes all in. She studies the Word. She’s engaged in every church service, but Jane doesn’t just keep it to herself. She takes the Word with her and starts reaching her friends. She connects with the people at church, and the longer Jane attends, the more she seeks after God at home. Jane gives God her all, and she reaches her full potential in Christ, living for Him and making an impact on those around her to grow the Kingdom. Mary chooses to keep a door open to the influence of the world. She doesn’t close every door to her past. And because Mary keeps that door open, she doesn’t receive a full understanding of what it means to live for Jesus. After a few months, she leaves church altogether and goes back to the world.
Mark and Joe were both raised in church. As Mark grows up in church, he falls in love with the Word, developing a walk with God from a young age. He seeks after God every day. He dives deeper in Bible studying and fasting. He tells others about Christ. He gets involved in ministry. Because Mark stays connected to the body and grows closer to God as he grows older, he remains steadfast in the faith and in living for God. But Joe takes it all for granted. Sure, he goes to church every week, and sure, he seems to walk the walk and talk the talk, but he opens a door to worldly influences. It’s all in good fun, he thinks. Church becomes just a social club to Joe. He falls in love with the world rather than the Word. And soon, Joe leaves God and church behind, thinking he doesn’t need God anymore.
You might think this is a rather generic, simplified tale of four teens, but I’ve seen each of these scenarios play out with young people in the church. Too many young people or new people in Christ take living for God for granted. Too many take His mercy for granted.
Oh, God loves me anyway, they think, so I can just do whatever I want.
They seek instant gratification over self-sanctification. They seek worldliness over holiness.
But we must seek God while we can, especially when we are young, be it young in age or young in Christ. Don’t wait until you are older to take God seriously.
I wish I had read the Word more fervently when I was a teenager. I wish I had prayed more earnestly then.
Young person, study the Word every day. And I mean, study it. Don’t just read a few verses of Psalms at the beginning or end of the day, mark it off your Bible reading chart, and call it good. Invest your time in the Word. Read a chapter and then write down what it means. What is God saying to you through His Word? How can you apply it to your life? Likewise, don’t just say a few words of prayer and then be done with it for the day. Seek Him in the morning. Set time aside later in the day as well to spend more time with Him. Don’t rush through your prayer time. It takes time to develop a relationship with Him.
Get involved in your church. Use your social media page to promote church and living for God. Tell your friends about the Gospel. Vest yourself to the Kingdom of God. Make Jesus and the Kingdom your priority in life now while you are young.
I’ve seen too many teenagers come into church and leave the door open to past influences or get offended and return to the world. They go back to the world more devoted to sinful lifestyles than before. I’ve seen too many young people who were raised in church never really take it that seriously or become personally involved in a relationship with Christ and with the church, and at the first real struggle in life, they abandon God and the body of Christ. And they turn to the world, allowing drugs, bitterness, and impurity to consume them.
Don’t take living for God for granted. God didn’t put you on this planet to waste your life away on frivolous pursuits. God comes first. Reaching the lost should be your top priority. Getting closer to Him should be your daily focus.
Every so often, we all need to do a heart alignment check. What am I focusing on most? How often am I spending time with God? Have I been applying His Word to my life? Have I been invested in every service or distracted? Am I vested to the cause of Christ?
Being vested means to have a right of ownership that is not conditional. We must not be just invested in living for God and reaching the lost, but we must take ownership of our part in His Kingdom. We must fully commit to and take responsibility for the role we have, living wholeheartedly for Jesus and giving up ourselves to bring more souls to salvation.
There’s a song by Gas Street Music (linked here) that goes, “Every idol, hit the ground/Cause there’s only space for Jesus/When He clears the temple out/So turn the tables upside down/This is my surrender/Only one King to be crowned.” Make God the center of your daily life.
How much do you want to live for the Lord, really?
Jesus is calling you to a closer, deeper walk with Him. Will you answer?
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Breathe. Pray. Repeat. 