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.
Treasure that Lasts Forever
Every human learns from an early age that we prefer comfort over discomfort—pleasure over pain. We discover that it's easier, and often more enjoyable, to have plenty than it is to have little.
Material possessions can certainly create comfort in our lives—the new cars, the bigger houses, the latest phones. It's easy to think that having more will make you happier too.
But nothing you can buy will last forever.
Everything we collect here on earth has an expiration date. Cars break down. Houses crumble. New phones become obsolete—really quickly. In the long run, we really have no control over the things of this world.
So instead, Jesus tells us to focus on storing up treasure in heaven, where things do not deteriorate or disappear. Rather than focusing on piling up earthly things, we should be focused on heavenly things that will last forever.
Everything we own was actually given to us by God—in His grace.
We can break the habit of amassing treasure on earth by seeing all of our material possessions as something given to us by God—for us to share with others. We can also shift our priorities toward making an eternal impact in people’s lives by sharing the hope of Jesus with them.
What small steps can you take today to begin to shift your priorities from earthly treasure to heavenly treasure? To reminding yourself and others that He is the real treasure? What has God given you that you can share with others to make a difference in their life? Take some time to pray about these things.
Responding to God at All Times
Throughout our lives, we will all experience both suffering and joy. We'll have times of great grief and times of overflowing happiness. Sometimes, they’ll be separate seasons—but other times, these experiences come together.
In either case and in any situation, James expected Christians to come to God. If someone was suffering, prayer was the call to action. If someone was cheerful, people were to pause and praise God.
This might seem obvious, but when suffering clouds our thinking, we can sometimes forget to prioritize prayer. And when things are going well and we're feeling cheerful, it’s easy to just enjoy our season and not stop long enough to praise God for it. But every season of life is actually just an opportunity to put into practice what James wrote about…
When we are suffering, let us pray. When those around us are suffering, let us pray. When we are cheerful or happy, let us praise God. When others are happy, let us praise God with ...
