Encouragement for Life

The Super Bowl is a significant event this time of year. I’m not really a football fan, myself, but after growing up with three brothers and my dad, living with my husband, Jim, and having two sons-in-law, I’m somewhat familiar with the game...

When I write, events happening around me often show up in my books. The same thing occurs in Paul’s writing as he explains the reality of spiritual warfare. Paul pens a letter from a prison where he’s been for two years, observing Roman soldiers daily. Because he learned a lot about these soldiers’ armor and weaponry, he uses this imagery to remind us of the need to prepare for spiritual battle.

Many people often wonder how God talks with His children. Today, He speaks through what I call “the four Cs” which answer the question, "How does God communicate with us?"

The Old Testament book of Nehemiah recounts, in thrilling detail, a monumental time in Israel’s history led by an unlikely exile. I encourage you to read it for yourself to discern in full the qualities of a great leader — patience, confidence, and trust in God alone. 

Time is redeemed when you make the most of your life by fulfilling God’s purposes. As you line up your life and seize every opportunity for useful service, your life takes on an efficient quality. 

The Christian life and spiritual growth are not sprints. They are long-distance races that require lifelong perseverance. You grow in spiritual maturity as you run the race moment by moment, day after day, and year after year. 

Serving is a simple and noble assignment that pours from the heart. It is perhaps the most obvious sign of Christ-like maturity. When you are serving others, your heartfelt, Spirit-filled service is a dazzling reflection of the heart of your Savior, the greatest servant who ever lived.

Have you ever heard a group of elementary schoolchildren reciting “the Christmas story” from Luke? There’s nothing like it! We experience, again, the story of the shepherds, tending their flocks at night, and being visited by an angel. During this Christmas season, may our hearts be filled with wonder at the reality of God's goodness to us, in sending His Son into this world.

If you are like many people, when you think of angels, your mind immediately thinks about the figure many people place on the top of the Christmas tree. Perhaps we are inclined to respond this way because the Christmas story in Luke 2 mentions angels who spoke to the shepherds.

From the beginning of the biblical narrative in Genesis, God planned the redemption of fallen mankind through a promised Savior (Genesis 3:15). For centuries, devout Jews searched the Old Testament prophecies in the hopes of understanding when and where this Savior, their Messiah, would appear.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, our homes, our finances, our husbands, our children, our health - and ultimately our lives belong to God.We are the stewards of all those things. We have the privilege and responsibility to answer to God for all He entrusts us with.

From the outside looking in, the Gospel story might seem to be about Christ’s suffering, death, and payment for our sins. But, for those of us who believe in the truth of His resurrection we know that it is really all about life – abundant and eternal life. But sometimes this can be easy to lose sight of. We grown-ups are often focused on the how-to’s of the good life in the here and now.