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.
Learning to Fight Good Fights
When we became Christians and first believed in Jesus, we began a journey of faith. We committed to becoming a disciple of Jesus, who follows His commands, and trusts in Him.
The apostle Paul, in his instructions to Timothy, encourages him to fight the good fight of faith. This implies that the journey of faith will often be difficult. It will sometimes be messy, hard, and harrowing. Paul’s words serve as a reminder that sometimes—faith looks like a fight.
However, rather than a fight against people, this journey of faith is a fight for goodness, beauty, and faithfulness. We are fighting against our own broken natures, but also against God’s enemies within the spiritual realm.
Fighting often looks like making the right decision even if it’s not the easiest decision. It might mean being gentle when we want to be harsh. It might mean choosing love when it would be easier to be selfish.
Fighting well means remaining faithful to Jesus over the course of your life. You were called to a new life in Christ when you came to faith, and you are called to remain faithful over the course of your life.
So how do you remain faithful? One of the ways you can cultivate faithfulness is by reading God’s Word every day. When you regularly spend time with Him, you begin to love what God loves, and hate what He hates.
But as you seek God in this way, it’s also important to have friendships with people who can encourage you. Having two or three people in life who can help keep you accountable is a necessary part of your faith journey. As you consider what next steps you need to take to fight well, remember that you do not fight alone. God is with you—and when you draw near to Him, He will empower you with the strength you need to finish your faith journey well.
Hope for the Poor in Spirit
Jesus began His famous Sermon on the Mount with an upside-down perspective and eight counter-cultural blessings—commonly known as the beatitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 ESV
To be physically poor is to lack resources or material possessions. The word "poor" might trigger a mental image of someone who can’t pay their bills, can’t break free from the cycle of poverty, or can’t afford food, clothing, or shelter.
So what does it mean to be spiritually poor, and why does Jesus think that’s a good thing?
Those who realize their own spiritual poverty know that, without God, they are spiritually bankrupt. Those who are poor in spirit understand the desperation of their situation—that they can have nothing, do nothing, and be nothing without Him. Those who are poor in spirit recognize that it’s humility, not pride or self-reliance, that’s a ...
