His Grace is Sufficient

While scripture may not specifically say, “God will never give you more than you can handle”, it’s certainly evident throughout that with Him anything is possible, that in Him there is always hope and that all things work together for good to those who love God. So while He never promised us a life free of *trouble, He has assured us that if we’ll include Him, we’ll not only get through the difficulty but actually come out the other side closer to Him and better able to trust Him the next time life gets hard.

*Philippians 1:29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake

Laugh

No matter the circumstances of your day look for five opportunities to laugh so hard it brings tears to your eyes. God laughs with us and enjoys our laughter even more than we love the laughter of children.

Afflictions

In First Thessalonians chapter three scripture says, “We sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the gospel of Christ, to establish you in your faith and to exhort you, that no one be moved by these afflictions. You yourselves know that this is to be our lot.”

So many are in the middle of tough times, if that’s where you find yourself, be encouraged.

I came across this from E. Stanley Jones this morning: “The point of help that Timothy brought was that Christians should not be moved by afflictions, that it is our very lot as Christians. This cuts across the thinking of many present-day Christians; for they think the special favor of God is shown by their exemption from afflictions. They are in the success mentality of modern life instead of in Christ. To be in Christ is to be different, therefore persecuted. Society demands conformity; if you fall beneath its standards it will persecute you. Hence this is our lot.”

When life gets difficult it doesn’t mean God is mad at us or that we must have done something wrong, sometimes it’s just the opposite. Oh, and if everything seems to be going your way thank Him, it’s not because you’ve done something to gain special favor, He loves you, don’t take the credit.

What’s God Doing?

Blaming God for the difficulties in our life is never productive. Inviting Him in and seeking His guidance always is.

Endure the Burn

“What is to give light must endure the burn.” – Viktor Frankl

I came across this quote in a new book I’m reading, which I’ll tell you much more about after finishing. The quote really spoke to me as I was praying for so many of you that are going through some really rough times. I am heartened by your courage and the trust you demonstrate knowing that one day God will use this current challenge to shine on the lives of others. Be encouraged today.

It’s Going to be Great

I have a couple of friends that are really struggling right now and I want more than anything for them to know that it’s going to be alright, no not just alright, it’s going to be great. God loves you and cares deeply about the exact situation you’re in. He wants nothing more than to give you comfort in the middle of this mess, situation, pit or ordeal. You can absolutely trust Him so quit trying to figure it all out on your own. It may feel hopeless right now, He’s your hope. A part from Him it is hopeless. Please invite Him in, there’s peace to be had even if the circumstances don’t change right away. God’s at work, let Him.

The Light

The Light doesn’t have to be at the end of the tunnel. We can invite Him into the tunnel with us.

Hang in There

I know that a number of you have been going through some pretty rough times lately. You’re in the middle of something you never thought you would have to face and it’s scary. It is going to get better, hang in and don’t give up. Be sure you don’t try to go it alone, lean in close to the Lord and find someone to help you. Things may not work out exactly as you want them to but you’ve been promised that there will be a day when you’ll look back and understand how you and those around you are better. God loves you so very much. You’re in my prayers.

Trust Me

Another thing God is certainly always saying is, trust me. He always has your best in mind. Following Him will never result in anything less than ultimate good. Peace is the prize. Sure there will be challenges in this life, the people around you will make decisions that hurt, you will make choices that are not good for you or others but He is not only capable of redeeming them, it is what He wants to do if we’ll let Him. This isn’t to be thought of as always getting what we want. It’s the promise He gives that we’ll forever get what we need.

Finding Less Me

The best place to start when seeking less self is trust. A close examination of the things in our life that cause the most difficulty will usually reveal an area that we don’t really trust God in and when we don’t trust Him we feel it necessary to meet that need ourselves. For example, if we don’t trust that God’s love for us is enough we resort to all kinds of ways to either attain love from others, manipulate those around us or convince ourselves and others that we don’t need love.