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.
A Life of Thanksgiving
How thankful are you when you talk to God? The world around us generally doesn’t encourage thankfulness. We’re taught to look after ourselves in order to get what we think we deserve.
And yet—Christians ought to be the most thankful people on earth because we have been given everything by God. James 1:17 reminds us that every good gift comes from Him. This implies that God is always acting in kindness toward us.
Not only has God given us life and breath, but He has also offered us the free gift of eternal life. God made a way for us to have a relationship with Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus. That alone is more than enough for us to live a life of gratitude toward God.
Because of what He's done for us, our hearts should be in a constant state of thanksgiving. And yet, we often find ourselves complaining because things don’t go the way we want. We grumble because we don’t have the things we think we deserve. And the more that we complain, the more our hearts grow critical and bitter.
Thankfully, Psalm 100 gives us the antidote for grumbling and complaining: thankfulness. Thanksgiving is a spiritual habit that we have to intentionally develop through continual practice. We can practice by taking time each day to talk with God, and to thank Him for all He has done. We can also practice thankfulness by telling others how grateful we are for them.
So the next time you find yourself complaining or grumbling, take a moment to think about the love and goodness of God in your life. Instead of complaining, express how thankful you are for who God is and what He has given you. Keep a list of things you’re grateful for and add to it throughout the week. Watch as your heart and mind begin to be transformed by the simple act of thanksgiving.
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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