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.
It’s Him—In Us
Think about it: God made you. God put you here, at this specific time in history. God has a plan and purpose for your life.
Not only that, but He gave you a brain that thinks, a heart that beats, and lungs that breathe. He gave you talents and abilities, hopes and desires. He gave you ears and eyes, muscles and ligaments. And He positioned you on this planet that happens to be in the ideal position in our solar system for life to thrive.
You are a part of God's plan.
A mysteriously beautiful part of God’s plan is that He chooses to work through His people…
“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
Philippians 2:13 NLT
Everything starts with God and comes from God. But we get to choose if we’ll listen to His Spirit and follow where He leads, or ignore Him. We get to decide if we’ll submit to His nudges and act on His promptings, or try to do it on our own.
It’s all God, but it’s also Him working in and through His people—just as He intended.
For those of us who belong to Christ, we are filled with His Spirit. We’re no longer slaves to sin or to this world. We’re no longer incapable of following God. Instead, He gives us new dreams and desires, thoughts and power, and a heart of compassion instead of selfishness.
So if an idea pops into your mind about blessing or encouraging someone else, don’t dismiss it. If you suddenly have a burning desire to share His message, to serve others, to give generously, or to shine His love, pay attention.
It’s likely the Spirit of God, giving you the desire and power to do what pleases Him.
Sacrificial Love
Jesus, all powerful and completely perfect, chose to give up His life for us. He willingly went to the cross to be crucified, the most painful death imaginable, because He loved us so much.
And He invites us to do the same.
1 John 3:16 tells us, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."
How can we demonstrate this kind of sacrificial love in our own lives? How can we give our time, attention, or resources to help someone in need? Are we intentional to listen and be present for others, even when it's not easy or comfortable? Are we willing, if it comes down to it, to give up our lives for the sake of God and others?
This kind of love is challenging. It asks us to look beyond our own needs and to see the needs of others. It calls us to be selfless. The good news is, Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything for someone else that He wasn’t willing to do for us first. He knows ...
“And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cæsar, or no? But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Cæsar's. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which be Cæsar's, and unto God the things which be God's. And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.”
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