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.
What Jesus Did
If you had access to all the luxuries you could dream of, would you voluntarily give them up? If you had riches beyond your wildest imagination, would you lay them all down for someone you love?
That’s what Jesus did.
“He gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
Philippians 2:7-8 NLT
Jesus gave up His divine privileges, temporarily, so that He could be with His people. So that He could pay their debt and redeem them back to Himself.
Because of that, God “elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names.” (Philippians 2:9 NLT)
So if you consider yourself to be a follower of Jesus, you are naturally called to follow Him. To reflect His love. And to, daily, die to yourself.
Though the call to die to oneself can be literal in some cases, more often, it's symbolic. It means giving up what we want in favor of something that could have an eternal impact.
Maybe, instead of binging a TV show or scrolling social media, you could visit someone in the hospital, take a meal to someone who’s hurting, or help a single parent.
Maybe, instead of rushing to get everything on your busy schedule finished, you could take the time to read the Bible with a child, befriend someone who’s lonely, or be present with the people around you.
Maybe, instead of waiting for God to send opportunities your way, you could seek out those who are desperate for Him—and help them see why He occupies the place of highest honor in your life.
The great news is, you have been empowered to do what Jesus did.
Fight Fear with Hope
It seems there’s always something to worry about: natural disasters, current (and potential) wars, shaky finances, relational brokenness, unmet expectations, political/cultural/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 are everyday realities. And we must decide who we’ll trust, and how we’ll spend our ...
