Ask God Honestly
Everything begins with our relationship to God. Jesus made it possible for us to have a restored relationship with God. We can talk with God, spend time in His presence, and ask Him to help us because, as believers, we are called His sons and daughters.
Because of our relationship with God, He listens to us. Much like a child talking to their parents, God wants us to speak to Him. When we pray, we have the opportunity to tell God our needs, our concerns, and the desires of our heart.
Jesus tells us that if we seek a relationship with God, we will find it. God gives Himself freely to all who seek Him. God isn’t hiding in heaven, hoping we will someday find Him. He is readily available to talk with us.
This means we should be persistent in our relationship with Him. We have access to the Creator of the world. Everything comes from Him and has life because of Him. He has the ability to give us the things we need.
However, while we can ask for whatever we want, it doesn’t mean He will give us everything we ask for. Just like an earthly father won’t give his child something harmful, God also won’t give us something we do not need (Matthew 7:10-11).
We often don’t ask God for things because we may feel guilty for doing so. But God actually desires for us to go to Him—even with the smallest of requests.
Take some time today and tell God honestly how you feel. Ask Him for the things you truly need in life. Continue each day building a relationship with Him through Scripture reading and prayer.
Luke 17
“Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird ...
Learning to Live Humbly
Have you ever met an angry Christian?
You may have come across Christians who love to grumble, complain, or even speak harshly about other people. Maybe you’ve even been that person at times in your own life.
If we're not careful, we can easily become self-righteous within Christianity. After all, we know the truth and others may not. You might see how tempting it can be to look down upon other people, demean them, or consider them as worse off than ourselves.
But this misses the point of the gospel of Jesus.
The gospel tells us that all of us begin at the same starting point. And it’s only through grace that we come to salvation and learn the truth about God’s love for us.
That doesn’t make us any better than other Christians! In fact, as Paul says in Ephesians 4:2, we should actually be humble and gentle with others, rather than harsh and critical. He says we are to be patient with one another, helping one another in every way that we can—so that we all grow ...