Tag Archives: following Jesus

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Love Your Neighbor

I was driving to work earlier this week and witnessed a man cross his yard and pick up a poorly-thrown newspaper from his elderly neighbor’s yard…and go place it on her porch.

A simple, meaningful gesture.

A recent survey suggested that 55% of Americans are feeling more stressed than they were just a few months ago.

There are disagreements about the coronavirus and reopening our country. We are having tough conversations about race and justice. People are experiencing financial strain and social isolation.

There’s a lot to process. And it’s hard to know what to do.

A mentor once told me that when the world is chaotic and unclear, the best thing we can do is focus on what’s immediately in front of us…and act.

And what’s directly in front of me everyday? People.

My neighbors.

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. Romans 13:9

During times of great societal stress and strain, we can all do something to help our neighbors.  It’s truly simple…get out of “self” and into a “serve” mentality. Service doesn’t have to be a significant, public event. It can be as easy as paying someone’s electric bill. Or calling to check on the sick or homebound.

Or standing up for someone who desperately needs it. Your family. Co-workers. The child next door. 

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. Romans 15:2

Love your neighbor as yourself. And where are our neighbors? They are right in front of us.

My prayer this week is to have the awareness to recognize ways to serve my neighbors…and the courage to act.

And please let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless you!

 

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Hoarders

We adopted a rescue dog, Sky, almost 10 years ago. Sky is a terrier mix…full of nervous energy and excitement.

Perhaps it’s because she was on the streets and abandoned for a while, but Sky is a hoarder. She collects food, toys, food wrappers, containers and other household items- and she hides them in various places. Her favorite spot is her bed, which Sky will crowd with her “prizes”.

While hoarding sometimes has a negative connotation, I thought about another concept this week when I was studying the book of Psalms…where we are asked to fill our hearts with God’s word.

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.” Psalms‬ ‭119:11-14‬ ‭

How do we store up His word? We’ve got to commit to seeking wisdom from the Bible daily.

Find a Bible study and commit to finishing it. Join a small group through your church. Commit to reading God’s word at a certain time each day. Download the YouVersion Bible app on your phone and read a plan with a friend.

If we store up God’s word in our hearts, it’ll spill over into every other aspect of our lives.

My prayer this week is to become increasingly intentional about reading and studying the Bible. I can do better.

And please let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless.

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Down and out

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I received an interesting birthday gift on Sunday…an injury to my back.

It was sudden and unexpected. I was running and lifting on Sunday morning, and was flat on my back just a day later.

As I laid in my bed on Monday, all I could think about was getting my mobility back…just to be able to walk again without pain.

What a difference 24 hours makes.

Isn’t life like that?

I was reading the story of Joseph this week. We know that Joseph was the favorite of his father, Jacob. This favored status made him the target of hatred from his brothers.

Jacob’s brothers conspired to kill him. They instead decided to throw him into a pit, and he was eventually sold into slavery and taken to Egypt.

You know the rest. The Lord granted Joseph great favor in Egypt, and he went from being a slave to the chief administrator of Egypt.

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.’ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’          Genesis 41:39-41

Joseph went from favored son…to fearing for his life…to slavery…to a position of high honor.

What a difference a few years can make in our lives.

We have a wonderful promise through Jesus. A promise that our realities today- however difficult our current circumstances may be- don’t completely define our future.

My prayer today is that I will look beyond my current condition and seek God’s will for my future. I want to see how my current situation can lead me to a better walk with Jesus.

And please let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless.

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When the room is spinning

I’ve been struggling with a bout of vertigo the past two weeks. My head spins if I make a sudden movement to the left or right. It’s even worse if I get up and down quickly.

I lose my balance easily too. It’s frustrating.

We aren’t sure what’s causing it. My doctor is hopeful that a round of strong antibiotics will help.

The only peace I have is to keep my eyes fixed straight ahead. If I stay focused on what’s directly ahead of me- I can keep my balance.

I guess that’s great advice for life, too.

Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Proverbs 4:25

I tend to get into trouble when I take my eyes off Jesus. It’s easy to do. Worries at work consume me at times. Or family issues distract me from my study of the Bible or prayer time.

Worse yet, sin can separate me from my walk with Christ. I’m too easily distracted by temptation or pride and forget the source of true strength and wisdom.

Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:27

This week I am praying for better focus. I want to be free from the distractions of life that burden me and keep me from truly walking with Jesus.

And please pray for some relief from this vertigo. It’s dampened my spirit.

Let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless.

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You gotta have friends

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My grandfather once told me that you could count your “true” friends on one hand…and possibly have fingers left over.

He may be right.

How many true friends do we have? Those that we can count on during the truly hard times.  Those that will put everything else aside and focus on our needs.

I was studying Mark chapter 2 earlier this week.  It contained an interesting story about friendship.

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2: 1-5

It’s an incredible scene.  There was a paralyzed man who had four friends who cared about him so much- they carried him to see Jesus.  And when they couldn’t get their paralyzed friend near Jesus, they dug a hole in the roof above Jesus and lowered him down.

Now that’s friendship.

We’ve got many examples of how to be a true friend in the Bible.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.  Proverbs 17:17

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. Romans 1:12

My prayer this week is that I become aware of ways that I can serve others. I am often preoccupied with my own challenges and obstacles, and I don’t take the time to minister to others in need of friendship. I pray that God helps me with this…and that I can be an encouragement to others.

And please let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless.

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Pet Peeves

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A student recently interviewed me for a class project. The questions focused on “pet peeves”…those behaviors or traits that tend to get under your skin.

I have a couple.  First, I don’t like it when folks remind me how busy they are…or how hard they are working. In this case, actions speak louder than words, right?

And I also frown when people bring problems to the table, but offer no possible solutions.

Jesus talked about bad behaviors often in the New Testament.

And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:20-23

We often think of sins categorically.  You know..you have the “big ones” that people can easily detect and are widely socially unacceptable. Then there are the “little ones” that are under the surface and not so evident…pride, deceit, lust and greed.

But God knows…and there is no category to sin in His eyes.  We know God’s pet peeves.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:8-10

My prayer this week is to acknowledge the sin in my life and focus on making modifications in my behavior. I want to be pure from within.

And let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless.

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Don’t Look Back

I traveled in the northwest this week, spending several days in Seattle and Portland.  The weather was incredible. I tried delicious food in good restaurants.  I got outside in the mornings and ran through trees and alongside lakes.  It was exhilarating.

I actually thought about how nice it would be to live there.

But after four days of travel, I was ready to come home.  I missed my family and my house. I longed for the familiarity and security of the small town where I live.

It’s comfortable here.

Jesus wants us to be uncomfortable.

I’ve been reading Luke chapter 9 this week.  This passage talks about the cost of following Jesus.  Three different men interacted with Jesus in this passage.  Each one talked about following Jesus, but none of them wanted to leave everything and pursue a life of obedience and service.

One man wanted to first go home and bury his father. Another wanted to go home and say goodbye to his family.

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke‬ ‭9:62‬

Could you leave your family, your friends, your job?  Could you walk away from everything you know and just start over?

It’s hard to think about, but God calls us to seek the Kingdom of God…first.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

We have a command and then a promise.  The command is to seek God first.  The promise is that God will place all we need into our lives.

My prayer this week is to let go of some of the “comfortable” in my life.  I need less routine and more Jesus.

And let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless.

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