I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Fight fear and hold fast
It seems there’s always something to worry about: natural disasters, current (and potential) wars, shaky finances, relational brokenness, unmet expectations, political and racial divisions, senseless violence, our kids, our jobs, our health, and more—much more. But many of the things we fear are largely out of our control.
We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can choose our response.
You can constantly be worried, negative, anxious, fearful, critical, and bitter. Or, you can be known for seeing the good in people, choosing joy, offering encouragement, looking for God’s fingerprints, and always finding something to be grateful for. In either case, the cycle feeds itself.
Like hummingbirds are attracted to sweet things while vultures scour the earth for dead things, we will always find what we are looking for. Why? Because darkness and light both exist. Good and evil aren’t just movie themes, but everyday realities. And we must decide who we’ll trust, and how we’ll spend our lives.
There are plenty of scary things happening in the world, but—because of Jesus—there is always good.
Even on our darkest days, Jesus is the light of the world. He’s already carrying the weight of the world on His shoulders, which means we don’t have to. He has already made a way where there was no way, which means we can follow the path He has blazed. The Holy Spirit is already compelling us and leading us and teaching us and comforting us, which means we’re not alone.
The hope we have in Christ isn’t just wishful thinking or hyper-positive vibes, but hope that’s based on truth—on facts and faith.
So what can we do? The Bible says:
“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”
Proverbs 12:25 NIV
We can fight anxiety with hope.
We can ward off worry with truth-filled encouragement.
We can resist fear by offering life-giving words.
We can refuse to settle for living scared.
We can expose the darkness to light.
So the next time you feel anxiety and fear weighing down your heart, ask God for help and encouragement. Remember, He is closer than a prayer away.
Responding to God at All Times
Throughout our lives, we will all experience both suffering and joy. We'll have times of great grief and times of overflowing happiness. Sometimes, they’ll be separate seasons—but other times, these experiences come together.
In either case and in any situation, James expected Christians to come to God. If someone was suffering, prayer was the call to action. If someone was cheerful, people were to pause and praise God.
This might seem obvious, but when suffering clouds our thinking, we can sometimes forget to prioritize prayer. And when things are going well and we're feeling cheerful, it’s easy to just enjoy our season and not stop long enough to praise God for it. But every season of life is actually just an opportunity to put into practice what James wrote about…
When we are suffering, let us pray. When those around us are suffering, let us pray. When we are cheerful or happy, let us praise God. When others are happy, let us praise God with ...
