We know that a consistent heart of gratitude keeps us in harmony in our relationship with God, but in a practical sense, how do we maintain it, and how can we be intentional? 

A first clue is the example of Paul. Philippians 4:12–13 says, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I’ve learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” 

Notice that the famous preacher trained his mind and heart to be always grateful. This meant a conscious, daily, hourly focus on the good things God has brought him. And sometimes we’re down to basics on this: life, food to eat, clothes to wear, shelter. That’s all many people have, and it’s easy—living in the U.S. especially, to forget that our basic needs are met. But choosing gratitude is key. The actor Will Arnett does this. He says, “I’m happy because I’m grateful, and I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.” 

Another way to maintain a grateful heart is being very mindful every day of what God has gifted us with. Music icon Willie Nelson understands the value of such an attitude. He says, “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” Take stock every day, and actually list the things you’re grateful for. Soon enough, it’ll be part of your daily routine. 

A third way to maintain a grateful heart is to choose to focus on the positive. There’s enough junk in the world. What you choose to focus on will in large part define you. It’s sort of like a natural law. If you do an act of kindness for someone, or sit for 20 minutes watching a gorgeous sunset, instead of scrolling through the news on your phone, you’ll find that joy and a grateful heart become your reality. God loves you. Start your journey toward gratitude with that. 

Let’s pray. 

Father God, no one can stop us from thanking you for your love and grace. That’s our first step toward having a grateful heart. From breathing clean air to enjoying a holiday with family and friends. We commit ourselves to a life of gratitude. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

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Sudden or even long-term setbacks in our lives can disorient us, impairing our decision-making. Circumstances beyond our control leave us where we can’t focus, and we can’t see what’s behind our difficulties. It’s then that we can’t make good decisions. 

If we don’t know if our problems are caused by emotional, mental, or physical challenges, we can’t see our way out of the forest. Identifying the source helps us settle into God’s perfect peace, and He’s given us the ability to make good choices when dealing with issues beyond our control. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 

You hear that—God will provide, and you can endure. 

Let’s pray. 

Lord, in our imperfect state, our bodies sometimes fail us. We don’t know if up is down or which direction to go. In those moments, bring to our minds the knowledge that we can seek your good solutions, whether it be medical, or psychological. It’s then we can find ourselves set on the right path to health and wholeness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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It’s been said that in the Fruit of the Spirit list, all of them collectively, practically define the nature of Christ. Even David the Shepherd knew his Messiah was coming. Remember what he said about following his loving God? He said, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life!”

We instinctively know what goodness is. It’s a kind touch, a gentle word, a gift that was unexpected.

Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

And in life, we understand the distinction between good and evil. These two—always warring with each other. The key thing to remember in this conflict is that God is good, and infinitely stronger than evil. That’s important to remember as we see injustice.

What did Micah tell us? That goodness is wrapped up in the choices we make: oppose injustice, love what is kind, and be humble. The truth is, all of us have been given so much good by our good God that it should be second nature to model that for those we meet in our journey.

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank you for your sweet goodness. Sustain us with that goodness for the journey. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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What would you think is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for us as we try to live our lives with integrity?

How about pride? 

The Bible tells us that the sin of pride can lead to a whole range of bad outcomes.

Micah 6:8 says, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Walk humbly? Man…that can be the most difficult part of living out this verse. We have to constantly check our spirits to make sure our motives are pure, and are centered on God’s plan for us and those we encounter.

Micah is communicating to us that God actually requires certain things of us. Justice and love are critical, but staying humble is no less important. It puts legs to the journey God has mapped out for us.

Lay down your pride and see what God will do!

Let’s pray. 

Lord, we are at war with ourselves at times. God, our desire is to be the object of attention. Father, help us to lay this aside, and to live only for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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No one is truly alone. Some people have many relatives and friends, others, just a few. Occasionally, someone will have no real friends or family, but all of us interact with humans, and that over time has proven to be dicey. 

The health of our relationships is one of the biggest factors in how we function each day. Turmoil and chaos at home or work, or both, puts us in emotional quicksand. On the other hand, healthy relationships in our lives improve our overall health and make us more productive. 

In Genesis, God modeled right relationships for humans, and this model continues through the Bible right to the end in Revelation. From this, we see that our first priority in relationships is to be in fellowship with our creator. Get that one right and everything else flows. Following close behind is finding harmony in our human relationships, and getting this right is crucial to finding peace. 

Ephesians 4:2–3 says, “Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.” 

Most people are familiar with the well-known Bible verses that deal with relationships such as Paul’s wisdom from Ephesians. But scripture is loaded with helpful and healing relationship commands. We hesitate to call it advice because God doesn’t really give advice. He tells us what is good for us, and what may be harmful. 

For example, a fairly obscure passage in Job speaks to mean in any era having healthy relationships with women. In Job 31:1, the suffering man says, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.” Wow, so simple—yet very important and profound. 

That chapter goes on to say that God sees all that we do. He’s watching how we treat people. Job made it clear that a man can decide he is going to treat women with respect. It isn’t complicated or beyond our reach. So often, simply deciding to be a decent human being leads to waves of healing and peace of mind for everyone. 

Lots of books have been written about relationships from marriage to raising children, but the best book of all has the best wisdom, and if you check that out, I think your relationships will thank you. 

Let’s pray. 

Father God, you’ve given us the gift of interacting with other people. Each is unique and created special. We ask that you send the Holy Spirit to guide our relationships so that they’re pleasing to you and to others. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

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1 Peter 5:6–7 says, “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.”

These two short verses tell us several things: One—if we submit to God’s power by acknowledging we can’t solve our problems, He is strong enough to intervene and bring about the outcome we really want.

Second, He does this in His own time, on His own timetable.

Third, we are to leave our problems at His feet. There is nothing wrong with getting an image in your mind where you actually do this, and then walk away—your burden lifted.

Key in getting on track is recognizing that you might have a trust problem. If you’ve been deeply hurt by, say, a family member, you might subconsciously be failing to trust God himself.

And this is the first step in getting free of fear for good.

Know that an unburdened mind is not usually gained quickly, or without what we would call maintenance. The only thing predictable about our world is that it’s unpredictable. If you think you’re going to have one great afternoon and then every day after that is carefree, you’re deluding yourself.

We’ve already established that a daily time of prayer, reading your Bible, and focusing on God’s love for you is a combination that our enemy can’t overcome. Choosing to believe God’s Word is practical, and it works. That can’t be emphasized enough!

Jesus said in John 16:33 that we will absolutely have trouble in our lives, but that He has already overcome the world. This fact will help to keep you on that straight path that will ultimately one day lead to paradise with the One that created you, sustains you, and loves you forever.

Let’s pray.

Lord, having the discipline to daily rely on you is something we often lack. When we focus and concentrate our minds and our hearts on your good gifts, fear leaves, and can be replaced with courage and peace. Thank you for providing for all of our needs, all the time. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Micah had a tough job. The prophet that lived in the time of Isaiah warned the people in the land at the time that God was not pleased with their behavior.

He was not exactly a popular guy! He told them that the rituals they performed did not bring them closer to God.

Micah 6:8 says, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

In Micah’s time, foreign enemies did a lot of damage, but the message the prophet brought was that the Savior was coming one day. It was a message that resonates in our own day.

Tough times are not fun. Sometimes it feels like life is crushing us. But Jesus is coming! He is with you in this life and the life to come. The prophets were sure of it. And we can be, too!

Let’s pray. 

Lord, your will is where we want to be. God help us stay in line with your best outcomes for us. We love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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In the last century, a 4'10" woman from England answered the call of God to become a missionary in China. Her accomplishments there, especially in saving orphaned children during war and conflict, have made her sort of a legend.

Near the end of her life, Gladys Aylward gave an interview in which she said the most amazing thing—something that could only have come from the heart of a truly humble servant:

“I wasn’t God’s first choice for what I’ve done for China. There was somebody else…I don’t know who it was—God’s first choice. It must have been a man—a wonderful man. A well-educated man. I don’t know what happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn’t willing…and God looked down…and saw Gladys Aylward.”

Ephesians 4:1–3 says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

If you remember who you are in Christ, and remember that only through His strength can you accomplish anything worthy of leaving a legacy, you’ll find contentment that most only dream of.

Let’s pray.

Lord, give us a humble heart in everything we do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Have you ever had the pleasure of waking up in a cozy cabin…after you’ve let the fire go out from the night before? If you don’t get out of bed and put more wood in, the squirrels or raccoons aren’t going to do it for you!

Much more serious is the tendency to get lazy about the fire inside us to share the love of Christ. After so many years of being a Christian—especially living in a free country—sharing the Gospel can be put on the back burner.

Romans 12:11–12 says, “Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord. When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful.”

Do you see what God is urging us to do in Scripture? He says to never let the fire go out! Never doesn’t mean sometimes, when we’re tired or annoyed about something. This is too important to mess up. Remember—Jesus saved you. And more than likely, through someone keeping their own inner fire going, they saw you through the eyes of compassion.

Let’s pray.

Lord, give us a passion for the souls of all people, at all times. And help us be ready to share Christ with them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Some of the greatest stories of believers down through time have involved those who really studied God’s Word. These people have gone before us to show us the way. From Charles Spurgeon to a missionary mother in China, daily study of the Word, and prayer, prepared them to mentor entire generations.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

We also read in Romans 10 that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. We have to do it, so that others know how. And remember, there is no substitute for spending time in God’s Word.

In order to properly train an apprentice, you need to obviously be prepared and adept. Anything less leads to weak faith, or no faith at all.

This is what the Great Commission—sharing the Gospel—has always been about. Duplicating disciples. Grounding your own faith in the Bible, and then imparting that to others. That is the essence of true iron sharpening iron.

Let’s pray.

Lord, keep us about your work by daily reminding us to spend time with you in Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Sweat was pouring off Peter as he moved to protect Jesus. As Roman soldiers held the one who had been labeled a heretic, Peter drew a sword and cut off a soldier’s ear. And he was stunned when Jesus told him to put the sword away. You see, Jesus knew infinitely more than Peter or anyone else. He knew the end from the beginning, and He knew He had an agenda to see through to the end. Peter couldn’t see that, and impulsively He moved to change the facts on the ground.

And that’s so typical of us as humans. The authentic Christian wants to do something to fix things or change the world. The theologian, Francis Schaeffer, wrote a whole book titled, How Should We Then Live, on the role of a Christian in the modern world. And there are arguments over whether America is still a Christian nation or whether postmodernism has won the day.

But what does the Bible say about being a witness in the world? 

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” 

Notice it doesn’t say engage. We’re in fact told not to become like the world in all its anti-God stuff. Yet we also know one of the last things Jesus said to His disciples before he ascended into heaven was that we should go into all the world and make disciples. The Apostle Paul made an interesting observation in 1 Corinthians 9. He said that he was free from conformity to the world. It had nothing he coveted. But that he chose to be a servant to all, so that his example might win some to Christ.

In Hebrews 13, we’re told to practice hospitality. And this echoes many Old Testament passages, too. The idea is a believer is to be an example of what life with God looks like in hopes it will draw unbelievers. And this must be done with sincerity, though, especially in our jaded modern culture. First Corinthians 10 tells us, whatever we do, do it for the glory of God alone.

To sum up, the Bible tells us to absolutely live in this world and be appealing to people. But to do all this while holding onto our convictions. Balancing being a gospel witness, while also being seen as personable is the approach for our modern world. 

Let’s pray.

Father God, you’ve given us direction for all that we do. Help us to continually have a burden for the lost and to always remember we’re to be salt and light for a hurting world. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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