Love Includes EVERYONE!!

The Bible teaches us that love is the most important thing to be concerned with. It is “the main thing,” and we should let the main thing be the main thing in our lives.

Are you majoring in things that really don't matter and paying very little attention to walking in love? For many years that was exactly what I did, and the result was an unfulfilled, dissatisfied feeling that I couldn’t get rid of no matter how I tried. I had a relationship with God; I even had a ministry to others! But I was not happy and couldn’t understand why. It seemed that I had most of what I wanted in life, but joy evaded me. As I cried out to God to help me, He showed me that I had my priorities out of line. I was more concerned with how I was being treated than with how I treated others.

I believe love can be seen or not seen in how we treat people, especially people we come in contact with who don't particularly interest us or have any ability to do anything for us. According to Jesus, our love should include everybody, not just those who can pay us back. He said if you merely love those who love you, what credit do you get? Even a sinner can do that!

We don't have the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to help us do easy things, but to do things that are hard and sacrificial. Loving some people is very hard. They don't act lovable or even seem to want to be loved. They certainly don't reciprocate any affection shown to them. But when we begin to treat others as we would like to be treated and not as they are already treating us, we are obeying a principle that releases multitudes of blessings into our lives and pleases God.

Luke 6:32; But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 

Love Others Today: Help me, Lord, to love everyone – even those who are difficult to love.

“The Flesh Is Weak,” But You Don’t Have to Be

The night before Jesus was crucified, He gathered the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane and made just one request: "All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).

All the disciples had to do was stay awake and pray, but they kept falling asleep. Jesus, on the other hand, did pray, and an angel strengthened Him in spirit, enabling Him to endure the cross. The disciples didn't pray—they slept—and proved that the flesh truly is weak.

To me, this story proves the critical importance of prayer. As Christians, we must realize that without daily prayer and interaction with God, we have nothing.

We all struggle with living according to our “weak flesh,” but when we make prayer a priority, God strengthens us in the spirit, allowing us to overcome the limitations of the flesh.

What are you relying on for strength today? Your flesh? Or are you experiencing the power that God so graciously gives us when we come to Him?

Prayer Starter: God, I thank You for the strength You give me when I pray. I know that without You, I am weak, so I choose to continually come to You in prayer, knowing that Your strength is more than enough for me.

The Hidden Power of Confession

What do you usually think of when you hear the word "confession"? Many people think first of the definition that has a negative connotation—being forced to admit you have done something wrong. But when we agree with God's Word by "confessing" it out loud, the result is always positive.

An acquaintance of mine says we cannot defeat Goliath with our mouths shut. When David was preparing to do battle with the giant Goliath, he ran toward him, confessing out loud what he believed the end result of the battle would be: "This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand... "(1 Sam. 17:46 AMP).

This is a good example of how we should approach the enemies in our own lives. We must open our mouths and speak the Word of God.

I strongly encourage you to confess the Word of God out loud daily. Each time a thought comes to your mind that does not agree with God's Word, confess the truth of His Word out loud, and you will find that the power of the Word will overcome the lie.

Prayer Starter: God, I know that Your Word is powerful...nothing can stand against it. Every time I find myself in a difficult situation, remind me to confess Your Word out loud.

God Can Set You Free from the Prison of Your Past

I come from a background of abuse and was raised in a dysfunctional home. My childhood was filled with fear and torment.

As a young adult trying to live for Christ and follow the Christian lifestyle, I believed that my future would always be marred by my past. I thought, "How can anyone who has the kind of past I do ever be really all right? It's impossible!"

But Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me...He has sent Me to announce release to the captives...." Jesus came to open the prison doors and set the captives free.

I couldn't make any progress until I realized that God wanted to release me from the prison of my past. I had to believe that neither my past nor my present determined my future, unless I let it. I had to let God miraculously set me free.

You may have had a miserable past that continues to affect your present in negative and depressing ways. But I say to you boldly, your future is not determined by your past or your present! Let God break off the chains of your past.

Prayer Starter: God, I believe that You are more powerful than my past. I receive the freedom You give me. My past will not determine my future.

Conquering the Wilderness Mentality

The Israelites wandered around in the wilderness for forty years to make what was actually an eleven-day journey. Why?

Once, as I pondered this situation, the Lord said to me, "The Israelites couldn't move on because they had a wilderness mentality." The Israelites had no positive vision for their lives—no dreams. They needed to let go of that mentality and trust God.

We really shouldn't view the Israelites with astonishment because most of us do the same things they did. We keep going around the same mountains instead of making progress, and it takes us years to experience victory over something that could have been dealt with quickly.

We need a new mindset. We need to start believing that God's Word is true. Matthew 19:26 tells us that with God all things are possible. All He needs is our faith in Him. He needs for us to believe, and He will do the rest.

The Lord is saying the same thing to you and me today that He said to the children of Israel: "You have dwelt long enough on this mountain." It's time for us to move on!

Prayer Starter: God, I've spent enough time going around the same old mountains in my life. With You, I know I can move on, so I put my faith in You and let go of my wilderness mentality!

True Love Must Give

Everyone desires to be loved and accepted. But many of us try to find happiness the wrong way. We attempt to find it in getting, but it is found in giving. The love of God is the most wonderful gift we are given. Once it flows to us, it needs to flow from us to others; otherwise, it becomes stagnant.

Love must give because that’s its nature. First John 4:11 highlights how we must give the love we receive: "Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another."

Living in God’s true love is a process. First, God loves us, and by faith, we receive His love. We then love ourselves in a balanced way, give love back to God, and learn to love other people.

Love must follow this course or it is not complete. Once we have God's love in us, we can give it away. We can choose to love others lavishly. We can love them as deeply and unconditionally as God has loved us.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I don’t want Your love to become stagnant in me. Help me to not only receive Your love, but to complete the process by choosing to love others lavishly.

Sometimes God Whispers

A great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice. 
—1 Kings 19:11–12

I was fascinated when I learned several years ago that some horses have what their trainers call a “reining ear.” While most horses need to be led by a strap fastened to the bit in their mouth, some horses keep one ear tuned to their master’s voice. One ear is open for natural warnings; the other is sensitive to the trusted trainer.

The prophet Elijah had a reining ear. When natural circumstances gave him every reason to be frightened and he desperately needed to hear from God, he was able to do so, even with the noise and confusion around him. You see, he had just defeated 450 false prophets in a duel of power between their silent Baal and the one true God. Now the wicked Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him within a day. He needed to know what to do!

He stood on a mountain before God. A strong wind tore through the mountains; a terrible earthquake took place; and fire broke out all around him. After the fire came “a still, small voice.” God’s voice to Elijah wasn’t in the power of the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in the whisper. Elijah had a reining ear, one that was trained and sensitive toward his Master, so he did what God said to do, which saved his life.

God still speaks softly and in whispers deep in our hearts today. Ask Him to give you a hearing ear so you can hear His still, small voice.

God’s word for you today: Listen for God with a “reining” ear.

Desiring God More Than His Blessings

How many of us can actually say, “I am not jealous of anyone else or envious of what others have. If God gave it to them, then I want them to enjoy it"?

The Word says, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have" (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV). I believe God tests us to see if we will live by this verse.

There are times when He will put somebody in front of us who has exactly what we want—just to see how we will respond. Until we can pass His "I am happy for you because you are blessed" test, we are never going to have any more than what we have right now.

If you have asked God for something and He hasn’t given it to you yet, rest assured that He is not holding out on you. He simply wants to make sure that you rid yourself of jealousy and make Him your top priority.

God wants us to prosper in every way. He wants people to see His goodness and how well He takes care of us. But we must desire God more than we desire His blessings.

Prayer Starter: God, I want You to show me the areas of my life where I’ve given in to jealousy and covetousness, and help me rearrange my priorities. I want to desire You more than Your blessings.

The Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Shame

Every day we encounter two different kinds of shame and it’s critical that we know the difference.

There is a type of shame that is normal and healthy. For example, if I lose or break something that belongs to someone else, I feel disappointed about my mistake. I wish I had not been so careless or negligent. I am sorry, but I can ask for forgiveness, receive it and go on with my life.

Healthy shame reminds us that we are imperfect human beings with weaknesses and limitations. It reminds us that we need God.

Unfortunately, when the healthy shame doesn't stop there, it becomes unhealthy and poisonous. When a person doesn't ask for or receive forgiveness, they can punish themselves and start to hate who they are.

Don't spend your life in this position. Remember your rightful position as an heir and child of God (see Romans 8:17). Unhealthy shame will make you forget who you are in Christ, but healthy shame will remind you that you're nothing without Him. Today, ask God to help you discern the difference.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I don't want to live under the weight of unhealthy shame. Help me to remember how much You love me. Because You have forgiven me, I don't need to punish myself.

God Can Set You Free from Your Shame

Do you ever wonder what life was like for Adam and Eve before they sinned?

Genesis 2:25 tells us that though Adam and Eve were naked in the Garden of Eden, they were not ashamed. I believe that in addition to indicating they were without clothes, this Scripture also implies they were totally open and honest with each other—not hiding behind any masks, not playing any games. They were free to be themselves because they had no sense of shame. Once they had sinned, however, they hid themselves (see Genesis 3:6-8).

If not for the work Jesus did on the cross, all of us would have to live with the overwhelming shame of sin. But because of His sacrifice, mankind has the opportunity to enjoy perfect freedom with one another and with God.

Unfortunately, most of us still live with the burden of shame, even though the Word of God promises us and assures us that we can be free of it (see Isaiah 61:7).

God can deliver you from shame. Pray and ask Him to set you free from the shame that tries to build up within you.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I receive the freedom from shame that You purchased for me on the cross. No more hiding, no more feeling worthless. You have erased my sin and now I want to live free and open before You.

Good Roots = Good Fruit!

It is important to realize that our behavior comes from somewhere. Bad behavior is like the bad fruit of a bad tree with bad roots.

You can spend your entire life dealing with outward symptoms, but the bad fruit will manifest somewhere else if the root is not eliminated. The principle never fails: rotten fruit comes from rotten roots, and good fruit comes from good roots.

To really deal with bad fruit, you must follow Paul's admonition to the Colossians to be "deeply planted" in God.

You may need to carefully examine your own roots. If they were unpleasant, harmful or abusive, don't be discouraged; you can be uprooted from that bad soil and transplanted into the good soil of Christ Jesus, so that you become rooted and grounded in Him and in His love.

Remember, uprooting can be painful. Being replanted and becoming rooted and grounded is a process that requires time and effort, but it is by faith and patience that we inherit God's promises.

My prayer for you is that you will be deeply planted and rooted in Christ, producing good fruit wherever you go!

Prayer Starter: Lord, help me to transplant my roots from bad soil and deeply plant them in Christ so that I can be a good tree with good roots, producing good fruit. I know it may be painful, but through faith and patience, I know You can help me make a change in my life.

God Is the Only Lasting Source

As human beings we are created by God to be happy and to feel good about ourselves. As a matter of fact, we must feel good about ourselves, or eventually we will develop some sort of unhealthy, uncontrolled behavior to get the good feelings we crave.

Think about it. A person who is addicted to drugs probably began using them because his pain was so intense he felt compelled to get rid of it, even if only temporarily. The same thing is true of drinking, or using food as a comfort. If we do not get good feelings from the inside, then we attempt to create them through outside means.

God created us that way and He's the only one who can satisfy us. When we go to something other than God to make us feel good about ourselves, we're really just replacing something real with a cheap substitute.

Whatever your emotional needs are today, know that only God can meet them. He is the only lasting source of life. Go to Him today—He's the only One who can satisfy.

Prayer Starter: God, I don't want to waste my time chasing cheap substitutes. You are the only One who can satisfy. Show me how to daily find my true delight and satisfaction in You and only You.

Giving Your All to God

Many people want to receive from God, but they are not willing to give all of themselves to Him. But you can be different. Will you make a fresh commitment to be a giver and invest yourself, your time, and your money in the Lord's work?

Don't let the devil talk you out of giving just because you have bills to pay and obligations that cause you to worry. Jesus urges us not to be worried or anxious about anything, for God knows our needs and promises to care for us (see Matthew 6:25-34).

Proverbs 3:9-10 says, "Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income; so shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine." When you give God your all, He will be faithful to take care of you.

Give yourself to God. Give Him everything you are, everything you hope to be, all your dreams, visions, hopes and desires. Make everything His, and He will demonstrate His power through your life.

Prayer Starter: God, today I give You my all: my hands, my mouth, my mind, my body, my money and my time. Everything I have is Yours. I want to do Your will today.

Give Relationship...Not Religion!!!

When you tell someone about your faith, do you give them religion...or relationship?

The Bible says we must be born again (see John 3:1-8)—it doesn't say we must be religious. Unfortunately, we as Christians often present the Gospel to people like it's a list of religious rules, not true relationship with God.

But following "Christian" rules and going to church won't make you a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage will make you a car.

Religious rules and regulations can be harsh, hard and pressing, but that's not what Jesus wants for people. Jesus wants people to live in relationship with Him.

If someone asks us, "What religion are you?" we should talk about our personal relationship with Jesus instead of what church we attend. I like to answer that question by saying, "Thank you for asking. I don't have any religion, but I do have Jesus."

We need to start asking people, "Do you know Jesus? Is He your friend? Do you have a personal relationship with Him?"

Next time someone asks about your faith, give them relationship...not religion.

Prayer Starter: God, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that someone needs to follow a list of rules to really be a Christian, but that's not the kind of faith You want from people. Empower me to share Your Gospel with others in a way that leads them not into a religious system, but into a one-on-one, life-changing relationship with You.