Life is Short

“Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.”
— Psalm 39: 4-5

Our lives on this earth are so temporary. We could die at any momment. We never know when that last breath may be. Recent events in my life have been a reminder of this fact. A friend of mine lost her father in a car accident. He was stopped at a red light and someone rear ended him. To think that one day he was healthy and alive and then the next he had left this world is a harsh dose of reality. My own father was in the hospital a few weeks ago and is currently there again.

You might be wondering, what is the point in recognizing that life is short?

Well, first of all, if you don't know Jesus as Lord then the knowledge that this life could end at any momment should be quite frightening to you. Where will you go when you die? Do you think that if you were a "good person" that you will go to heaven? Well I have got news for you, and you'e not gonna like it... the bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever thought badly about someone? No matter how good you think you are, you are still a sinner. The only way to heaven is by accepting Jesus as your savior. Ephesians 2:8 says "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."

For those of you who are followers of Christ, this knowledge should make you even more eager to share the Good News with those around you who do not know the Truth. I know my dad is not saved and every time he goes to the hospital I think that it might just be my last chance to witness to him. Knowing that this life is temporary is also exciting for us as Christians because we know that we will have an even better life in eternity! All the pain and trouble that we experience in this life will be nothing! How awesome is that?

Confession

Sometimes I don't learn the lesson God is teaching me until I completely fail His test. Although I wrote about how God is teaching me about dealing with frustrating people this week and how we should act, I totally did not follow this! I completely snapped at a clerk at a Walmart this week (long story, but it still doesn't excuse my actions). I went back to apologize today and I am very grateful that she forgave me. Hopefully now I have learned the lesson. It just goes to show you that we are all works in progress!

Striving for Holiness

It is so easy to become complacent in our faith. We get to a comfortable spot where we feel like we know what we need to know and are good with God. But the truth is that it is never enough to just be "good with God". We should be constantly striving toward holiness.

Genesis 20:26 You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have
set you apart from the nations to be my own.

How holy should we be? We should be so holy that the secular world hates us. Afterall, the darkness does not like the light:

John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it
is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you.

But I find myself afraid to be hated by the world. I don't want to say things that will offend people. So I water down my faith and I become luke warm. This is wrong and it is not the path that leads to holiness.

Romans 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to
righteousness.

1 Tim 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

God makes it clear that we should be so dedicated that we become SLAVES to righteousness, constantly persuing it and fleeing from all else.

Have you been pursuing holiness or have you let your relationship with God become stale? I encourage you to take some time this week and reflect on where your faith stands.

Difficult People

The holidays are upon us and I am sure you have run into some pretty frustrating people. It seems like so many people are in such a rush and can be so rude! One thing the Lord has really been working on me is learning to "love" these frustrating people.

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you" Luke 6: 27-31.

Some might say that it is impossible to love your enemies, but Jesus had to do this daily. OK really if someone took my jacket, would I let them just take my shirt? And if someone hits me wouldn't I want to hit them back? The trick is that you have to think of the other person as better than you.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” Philippians 2: 3-4.

When you put the other person's needs above your own, you will not want to cause them harm, you will want to help them. Now I am not saying that this is easy, but God can give us the strength to do anything... even to bite your tongue when someone cuts in front of you in a grocery line that you have been in for an hour!

God, change my heart and make it like yours. Teach me to love my enemies the way that you love me unconditionally.

Hope

The dictionary defines the word "hope" as: 1. the general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled 2. promise: grounds for feeling hopeful about the future.

One of the greates gifts of being a Christian is hope.

God has a plan and a purpose for our future and knowing that gives us hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

When life becomes more than we can handle, we can have hope that God will get us through.
1 Timothy 5:5 - The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.
2 Corinthians 1:10 - He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,

And when this life ends we have hope in eternal life!
Titus 3:7 - so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Peter 1:3 - ... In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Strength

Sometimes spiritual battles can just seem so overwhelming. Have you ever just felt so weak and powerless? At times it may even seem like you are losing the fight! But I have good news...God gives us strength and we will be more than victorious!

Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand

Psalm 18:32-34 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

What can we do with God's strength? Run and not grow weary, stand on heights, and bend a bow of bronze! Actually we can do a whole lot more with God's strength:

Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength

There is no battle to big for God! He can get us through any obstacle that life may throw at us.

You are Valuable!

To those of us who believe in God, we know how valuable He is. But did you ever wonder what we are to Him? I mean after all we are just plain old humans! Compared to God we are like insignificant, disgusting fleas. But the Bible shows us that God values us despite all of our shortcommings!

Luke 12:7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

I am a mom and I love my children very much and I value them more than all the jewels in the world, but even I do not know how many hairs they have on their head!

One famous verse of the Bible is John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Do you know that God loves you? Satan will do everything in his power to make you feel worthless and unloveable. Don't let him win! Realize the truth and stand firm on it!