Patient Endurance
When we become Christians, we might be tempted to cling to a false belief that our lives will be problem-free. But the truth is: everyone experiences suffering. However, when you belong to Jesus, you don’t go through painful situations alone. And whatever hardships you face, it’s not the end of your story.
God sees us on the best and worst days of our lives, but His love for us does not change.
He understands our deepest suffering because He experienced it Himself when He became Immanuel, “God with us.” When we feel overwhelmed by our circumstances, God can show us how to find rest. When we give our burdens to Him, He can refresh our heavy hearts.
God can handle our pain because He understands our hardships.
He is trustworthy and faithful. Even when our circumstances feel dark and hopeless, we can trust that He will carry us through every situation.
Suffering is a part of being human, but we honor God by handing our hardships over to Him, and looking for the ways that He's at work in our situations.
Today, spend some time with God and talk to Him about your hurts. Ask Him to comfort you, and tell Him what you need in order to face your circumstances with courage and strength.
A Life of Generosity
As Jesus was teaching people, there was a group of leaders who were not always the best role models. When these people helped others, they would boast about it and tell everybody the good deeds they did. They made sure to flaunt their good works publicly for everyone to notice them.
Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:3 is directly related to what these leaders were doing. Jesus says that when we give to those in need, we shouldn’t let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. Essentially, our goal in giving to others should not be recognition.
Jesus’ teaching is about the condition of our heart. If we’re giving to others for the sake of being recognized for doing good, then we’re not helping people with the right motives. This should not stop us from giving to others, but it should guide our motives for doing so.
When we help others, we should do so primarily for their benefit—not our own. This means there’s no need to broadcast it. Instead, we should have ...