To the glory of Christ
When we begin to follow Jesus Christ, everything in our life changes. We are no longer the same person, bound by past mistakes. By following Jesus, we are made new and given a second chance at life.
In our old ways of life, we did things for our own glory—our own praise and recognition. But in our new life with Jesus, we should desire to do everything for God.
Every word and action is an opportunity to love and praise God.
Whether you’re doing something difficult like raising a family or pursuing school or something simple like washing dishes or cleaning up trash—all these are opportunities to love and praise God. Even though some tasks feel insignificant or mundane, God asks us to do those tasks with Him in mind. It is God who gives us the breath and ability to do anything in life, so we should always be grateful for the opportunities we have.
Are there tasks in your life that cause you to grumble or complain?
As you spend time reflecting during this Advent season, consider how to perform tasks to the best of your ability, representing God in your actions. Reflect on the changes in your life since following Jesus Christ. Give thanks for the breath God has given and for the opportunity to praise Him through words and actions.
“Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came ...
True Freedom is Here
Everyone thinks about freedom differently. Most people would say freedom is a virtue that should be sought, but that idea changes depending on how it’s defined.
A lot of people think freedom is the absence of restraints—we are free when we're free from things that hold us back. Others define freedom by our human will—if we can choose what we want, then we can be free. But these ideas are a bit different from what we find in Scripture...
According to God’s Word, freedom is found wherever the Spirit of God is found. Freedom is found when we live according to God’s original design for our life.
When we begin our life with Jesus, He gives us a new heart and a new way to live. He also sends the Spirit of God to live within us. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:17 that wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is true freedom. That means all of us who believe in Jesus have access to this freedom.
Freedom doesn’t come from doing whatever we want but from living according ...