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.
Fight for Gratefulness
Cynicism can feel like the easy way out when we're presented with an idea or a situation we don't agree with. The more cynical we become, the more we judge others for their actions. And, if we’re not careful, we can grow arrogant and bitter.
The antidote to this way of thinking is not to be right about everything. Rather, the way to heal from a cynical heart is through gratitude and thanksgiving.
When you are grateful, you take the focus off yourself and put it on God. When you give thanks for something, you no longer judge something for what it isn’t; you appreciate what it is.
In this passage, Paul encouraged all believers in the church of Thessalonica to be continually grateful for who God is and what He has done. He told them always to be joyful. How is that possible? For Paul, because of God’s amazing grace, there’s always something to be joyful about.
As we are more grateful and joyful, we will be more closely connected to the heart and will of God. We will connect with God more deeply, and continual prayer will be possible. When we’re too focused on ourselves, we have no capacity to be in communion with God.
So, fight for gratefulness today. Press into God, even if you're struggling. Let others know that you're counting on Him to show up!
Dying to Live
Dying to ourselves can feel like a bad thing. Most people want to exalt, applaud, and promote themselves.
But in God’s kingdom, dying to ourselves is essential.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.”
Galatians 2:20 NIV
A lump of clay cannot become a work of art unless it is shaped into something else. A container of paint cannot be used for a masterpiece unless it is first poured out. A carbon deposit must change in order to become a diamond. A caterpillar must give up its old way of life in order to become a magnificent butterfly.
The invitation to die is actually an invitation to live.
When we give our lives to God, we’re choosing to surrender our plans, our desires, and our gifts. And that can be hard. But we also know there is something better—and Someone better—on the other side.
God can realign our plans, reshape ...
