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.
Becoming Fast and Slow
When we’re in difficult situations, it isn’t always easy to stay calm or hold our tongue for very long.
But in James 1:9, we hear how we should respond…
Be quick to listen.
Be slow to speak.
Be slow to anger.
The world is the opposite:
Be slow to hear what others have to say.
Be quick to voice your own opinions.
Be quick to accuse, argue, and fight.
Why is it so important to James that Christ's followers don’t behave like this? Because “human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (James 1:20)
So what does produce the right kind of living that God desires?
The Word of God.
James told his friends to “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:21)
He said that if they have the Word of God in them, and if they are obeying it, they will be blessed. (James 1:25)
James is clear that if we are to be followers of God, we must know God’s word and obey it. That means we need to take time to listen to others, pace ourselves when we speak, and keep our anger at bay.
So next time you’re faced with something that makes you angry, take James’ words to heart. Take time to temper your emotions, think through your feelings and arguments, and humbly pray for God to help you respond with kindness and grace.
A Unifying Mission
Almost every successful company or group in history has shared something in common: they all had a unifying mission.
Missions are critical in not only aligning objectives, but also unifying a large group of people toward one purpose.
As Christians, we all share the same mission. We are unified in following Christ. We're saved by His blood (Romans 5:9) and we're all called to make disciples in His name (Matthew 28:19).
And yet, even among Christians, there is so much division and disunity.
Part of the division comes from our lack of clarity and commitment to the mission that is defined in Scripture. And to make it worse, we are sinful people, and sin naturally causes division in our lives and relationships.
But, the Psalmist in Psalm 133:1 reflects on how good it is when the people of God live together in unity. There is something powerful that happens among Christians when we are unified.
Unity is not putting away our differences, because there would be no need to be ...
