Kind Awakening

“A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”  Proverbs 16:9 (KJV) Have you ever prayed for God to direct your steps, only to become frustrated when your day didn't go according to plan? Think about it. We wake up in the morning with a schedule already in mind. We know what needs to get done. We have appointments to keep. Responsibilities to handle. People to meet. Deadlines to finish. And somewhere in our morning prayers, we say: “Lord, guide me today.” “Direct my steps.” “Help me walk according to Your will.” “Lead me where You want me to go.” But then something happens. Traffic is worse than expected. Someone calls while we're trying to finish something important. An appointment gets canceled. A meeting runs longer than planned. Something unexpected demands our attention. And suddenly, our peaceful morning turns into frustration. We're irritated. We're impatient. We're upset because things aren't happening the way we expected. But he...

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”  Colossians 3:17 (KJV) How many times do we go through an entire day without stopping to consider what God might be teaching us? We wake up. Get ready for work. Sit in traffic. Answer messages. Deal with people. Handle responsibilities. Experience frustrations. Enjoy a few good moments. Maybe something disappoints us. Maybe something makes us laugh. Then we come home, finish whatever needs to be done, and prepare to do it all over again tomorrow. That's life for most of us. And sometimes, because everything feels so ordinary, we don't give those moments much thought. But what if we're overlooking opportunities to apply the very truths we've been reading in Scripture? What if some of the lessons we need most aren't waiting for us in an extraordinary experience? What if they're right in front of us, in the ordinary moments of everyday life? Jes...

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (KJV) I've read this verse many times, but there's something about it that deserves our attention. David doesn't simply ask God to forgive him. He asks God to change him. And there's a difference. Sometimes we come before God asking Him to fix what has gone wrong in our lives. We ask Him to restore a relationship. Remove a problem. Change our circumstances. Help us get through another difficult day. And there's nothing wrong with bringing those requests before Him. But how often do we stop and pray: “Lord, what needs to change in me?” Not just around me. Not just in the people I'm struggling with. Not just in the circumstances I wish were different. In me. That's what makes David's prayer in Psalm 51 so powerful. He recognized that his greatest need wasn't simply relief from the consequences of his actions. He needed God to do something deeper. He needed a clean hear...

“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (KJV) Sometimes we make serving God more complicated than it needs to be. We think we need to know the Bible from beginning to end before we can help someone. We think we need the perfect words. A powerful testimony. A great message. An answer to every question. And because we don't feel qualified, sometimes we say nothing at all. But what if serving God today is much simpler than that? What if it's calling someone who has been on your mind? What if it's sitting beside someone who's hurting? What if it's telling somebody, "I'm praying for you, and I mean it"? Sometimes the most meaningful thing we can do for another person isn't giving them an answer. It's reminding them they don't have to carry everything alone. Everybody Is Carrying Something One thing I've come to realize is that we rarely know everything another person is going t...

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” John 14:27 (KJV) Sometimes you'll hear someone say: “The Kingdom of God is backwards from the world.” But perhaps we've been looking at it from the wrong direction. The Kingdom isn't backwards. The world is backwards from the Kingdom. Jesus didn't come to adjust Himself to the values of this world. He came revealing the truth about God, about us, and about what life under God's rule actually looks like. And when you listen to Jesus, His way often sounds completely opposite from everything the world teaches us. The world says: Hold tightly to what you have. Jesus teaches generosity. The world says: Promote yourself. Jesus says: Humble yourself. The world says: Get ahead of everyone else. Jesus says: “But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.” Matthew 19:30 (KJV) The world says: If you want to be great, make sure people serve you. Jesus says: “But he that is ...