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.
How to combat pride
“I’m fine.” “I’ve got this.” “It’s my problem—not yours.”
We all want to be known, but sometimes it feels easier to hide behind masks of self-sufficiency. We might tell ourselves that we don’t want to burden others with our problems, but what we’re really saying is that we believe we can (and should) handle everything alone. This may feel self-protective, but it’s a form of pride that isolates and weakens us.
Pride is simply having a view of ourselves and our abilities that doesn’t align with reality. It’s one of the most effective methods the devil uses to isolate us because it makes us believe we’re better off alone.
So how do we combat it? The apostle Peter advises us to “clothe” ourselves in humility (1 Peter 5:5). We do this by caring for others, watching over others, and accepting the authority and wisdom that others offer us (1 Peter 5:1-4). This requires mutual vulnerability, trust, and authenticity.
Treating others with humility teaches us how to respond to Jesus.
Jesus knows what we need, and God wants us to cast our anxieties onto Him—but giving Him our concerns, hurts, hardships, and heartbreaks is an act of vulnerable surrender. We cannot do this unless we first acknowledge our need for Him.
When Peter says to “cast our cares” on God, he’s telling his readers to come openly and honestly to God so that at the proper time, He can deliver them. God opposes anyone who thinks they don’t need Him, but He shows endless grace and love to those who seek Him (1 Peter 5:5).
So take a few moments right now, and reflect on your current concerns. What do you need to bring to God? Visualize handing Him all of your worries, and envision receiving His peace in return.
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these ...
Living with Wisdom
When we come across Proverbs 31 and begin reading about a wife of noble character, it sounds like we’ve met a superhero. This woman is described as persistent, hard-working, prepared, helpful, thrifty, wise, and God-fearing. Everything she does seems flawless, and it might seem hard to imagine living up to this expectation.
No one but Jesus has lived a perfect life, and Proverbs 31 isn’t trying to suggest that anyone should be performing at superhero levels. Although it is describing a wife, this chapter gives everyone a description of what it looks like to apply wisdom to our lives. Here are four ways anyone can embody the characteristics described in Proverbs 31.
WORK HARD:
“She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.”
Proverbs 31:13 ESV
We can’t work for or earn our salvation. It is a gift from God that we can accept or reject. But hard work is a natural response of gratitude and thanks for all that God has done for us. We work hard to do what He has created us to do ...
